Key Insights

• Bitcoin has been steadily outperforming Ethereum for months, in terms of price and institutional interest.
• The ETH/BTC ratio has also crashed to new lows across the market.
• The speculation about the strategic Bitcoin reserve might have waned. However, Ethereum remains unable to beat Bitcoin.
• Unless Ethereum can change the tide with a new bullish move, Bitcoin’s dominance is expected to continue.

Ethereum has been steadily losing ground compared to Bitcoin, especially with the ETH/BTC trading pair dropping to a fresh new low of 0.031 as of today—its lowest in four years.

This decline shows the growing dominance of Bitcoin In the crypto market, especially with Ethereum struggling to keep up.

Here’s what’s been happening between these two.

Bitcoin’s Rise vs. Ethereum’s Modest Gains

The last year has seen Bitcoin soar by 158%, after climbing from a low of $41,000 at the start of last year, to an impressive $107,608 at the time of writing.

This performance has solidified Bitcoin’s position as the largest and better performing asset, after reaching consistent new all time highs through out the year.

On the flip side, Ethereum has only managed to post a 35% price increase during the same period.

Not only this, the cryptocurrency is also about 32% lower than its $4,878 all time high from November 2021—despite the bull run being in full-gear.

This stark difference between the two has also been mirrored by the ETH/BTC ratio, which has erased all the gains it made over the last four years.

The ETH/BTC Ratio

The ETH/BTC ratio is often used as an indicator that shows the relative strength between Ethereum and Bitcoin.

This ratio peaked at 0.087 in the fact altcoin season, as Ethereum led the market and targeted the $5,000 mark.

However, with the start of the new bear market, this ratio has declined after falling below the critical 0.054 support (a level that had previously held firm in June during the last bull run).

The ongoing decline has also sparked concerns about Ethereum’s ability to spearhead another altcoin season, especially as the market’s preference for Bitcoin remains unchallenged.

Speculation on a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

Before 20 January, there were widespread rumors that President Donald Trump might announce a strategic Bitcoin reserve during his inaugural address.

However, his speech on Monday this week made no mention of Bitcoin or even crypto in general.

This dampened most of the bullish sentiment held by investors.

Additionally, the GOP congressional priorities report also showed no mention of Bitcoin or even crypto-related initiatives.

This further caused market confusion, with the probability of Donald Trump establishing a national Bitcoin reserve within his first 100 days in office dropping from around 50% to 38% on PolyMarket.

Can Ethereum Turn the Tide in 2025?

Despite its struggles, there might still be some hope for the cryptocurrency.

Analysts believe that a surge is coming for Ethereum, with many forecasting prices as high as $8,000.

The renewed interest in the spot Bitcoin ETFs could also lead to more capital inflows that improve its market standing.

However, to accomplish all of this, the cryptocurrency must first break above the psychological $4,000 zone to regain investor confidence.

Unless Ethereum can address its ongoing challenges and show investors a compelling narrative, the current outperformance of Bitcoin compared to Ethereum is likely to continue.

Whether this year will mark a new turning point for Ethereum remains to be seen. However, Bitcoin continues to dominate the market in the meantime.

Key Insights

• US President Donald Trump has just pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace.
• This marketplace was infamous for accommodating drug traffickers and illegal traders of all kinds.
• Ulbricht was prosecuted and sentenced to two life terms, a move supporters have criticized as highly unfair.
• Ulbricht has reacted to this move, calling it an “amazing blessing” after spending more than 10 years in jail.
• Critics have called the move a “slap in the face” for families who were affected by the silk road activities.

This week, president of the United States, Donald Trump has issued a full and unconditional pardon for one of the most high profile cases within the country.

Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace is now set to walk free, on Trump’s orders—a move that has drawn both praise and criticism from concerned citizens.

Critics have drawn attention to the broader implications for Donald Trump’s move and what it means for both justice and drug-related crimes.

Libertarian circles on the other hand, have praised the president for his first presidential pardon.

Here are all the details of the ongoing case.

Who is Ross Ulbricht?

Ross Ulbricht, who is now 40 years old, was the creator of Silk Road.

The Silk Road was an infamous online market place on the dark web, right before it was shut down.

Ulbricht established this platform under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” in 2011 as the platform grew to accommodate users who wished to trade everything from illegal goods like drugs to hacking tools, or even child pornography and stolen passports using Bitcoin.

The users of this illegal platform favoured its ability to handle transactions with a high degree of anonymity.

However, the FBI shut down the site in 2013 and Ulbricht was arrested in a San Francisco public library during an elaborate sting operation.

He was then convicted two years after this on charges related to drug trafficking conspiracy, money laundering and computer hacking.

Ulbriche eventually got sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years, without the possibility of parole.

The case’s Divided Opinions

Right from the start of  the case, Ulbricht’s involvement drew mixed reactions.

The prosecutors for example, portrayed Ulbricht as a criminal mastermind who prioritized the profits from the Silk Road platform over human lives.

They alleged that the platform helped move over $200 million in drug-related proceeds and was directly involved in multiple drug-related deaths.

They even claimed that Ulbricht solicited murder-for-hire services to protect his operation, even without concrete evidence of any such killings.

The supporters, however, argued that Ulbricht was being unjustly punished for the actions of other people who merely used his platform.

They viewed his two life sentences as a prime example of government overreach, with Ulbricht himself stating that his intentions were merely to protect privacy and individual choice.

Trump’s Involvement

Interestingly, the president’s decision to pardon Ulbricht was not entirely unexpected.

Last year, Trump hinted at the possibility of pardoning the accused during a Libertarian National Convention speech while courting votes.

Many Libertarians had also lobbied for Ulbricht’s release, especially with the “disproportionate” nature of his punishment, when compared to his alleged crimes.

On announcing the pardon, Trump called Ulbricht’s sentence “ridiculous” and criticized those involved in his prosecution.

“The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who weaponized government against me,” he said in a post on Truth Social.

Ulbricht reacted to this pardon in a video message he shared on X, expressing his gratitude to Donald Trump and calling the move an “amazing blessing.”

He also reflected on his time in prison and celebrated his newfound fredon, after spending more than 11 years behind bars.

“This is a victory for freedom and second chances,” he said.

He also added that he planned to spend time with his family and share some more of his future plans in the coming days.

Political and Public Backlash

While many praised Trump for this move, it drew sharp attacks from critics, with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto calling pardon a “slap in the face” to families who had lost loved ones to drug-related crimes linked to Silk Road.

She also argued that Trump undermined justice and public safety with his actions.

Critics like Masto also believe that Trump is inadvertently sending a broader message to the world about accountability for large-scale criminal operations.

“Pardoning drug trafficking kingpins is an outrage,” she added.

Key Insights

• The crypto market is now recovering after the post-inauguration slump from earlier this week.
• Bitcoin is making its way up from the $100,000 zone and is attempting to finalize its break above the $104,000 zone.
• A break above the $109,000 zone could lead to a high of $128,000 for Bitcoin.
• Ethereum is currently trending higher from the $3,125 zone and could be ready to hit the psychological $3,500 zone soon.
• XRP is attempting a break above $3.19, but also needs to clear the $3.47 price level to be considered fully bullish.

The price of Bitcoin hit a new high this week, just as US President Donald Trump took office as the 47th leader of the country.

The cryptocurrency took a step backwards towards the $100,000 mark soon after this event, and is now attempting to make its way upwards once again.

Bitcoin’s performance affected the general crypto market as expected, causing a decline late across the altcoin market  as well on Monday.

As it stands, the crypto market is struggling to get back on its feet, and here’s what’s been going on with the three largest cryptocurrencies on the market:

Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP in terms of price action.

Bitcoin Reattempts The $110,000 zone

According to Bitcoin’s price history, the cryptocurrency reacted to the Trump inauguration on Monday and hit a new all time high of $109,000.

Despite its decline towards the $101,000 zone soon after, trends in on-chain data show that the institutional investors jumped in on the dip, and have taken the opportunity to buy so close to the psychological $100,000 mark.

As indicated by the chart above, Bitcoin’s price explosion was brought on by its break out from the falling wedge as shown.

Its subsequent decline towards the $100,000 mark was a retest move after the breakout, and was a completely normal reaction.

The RSI on the daily chart show that the bulls are in control of prices, and that Bitcoin still has a lot of upside potential.

The cryptocurrency is also attempting to stabilize above the $104,000 price level and the Fibonacci extension tool shows that the major resistance to be aware of is the $109,000 price level that Bitcoin declined from this week.

The indicator also shows that a confirmed break above the $109,000 zone could lead to a push further upwards to $128,355.

Ethereum Is In Good Hands

According to data from CoinMarketCap, Ethereum trades at around $3,320.

This is encouraging, because It means that the cryptocurrency is far up from the immediate supports around $3,125 and the psychological $3,000 level.

As shown by the charts, the 200-day EMA (red line) has been incredibly strong over the last few months, holding Ethereum up since November of last year.

Ethereum is now resting on top of this moving average (which sits at $3,125) and is leveraging it as a dynamic support.

With this in mind, Ethereum must keep from breaking below this price level, considering how steep drops have historically resulted from Ethereum breaking below the 200-day EMA.

As long as Ethereum keeps from breaking below this $3,125 price level, it is bound to continue further upwards and hit the psychological $3,500 zone—which could pave the way towards $4,000 and beyond.

Strong Upside Potential For XRP

So far, XRP has been particularly strong, especially with its ongoing recovery around the $3 mark.

The RSI on the daily chart shows that the cryptocurrency is trading in bullish territory, which is encouraging.

On the 4-hour chart, XRP is also making strong attempts to push further up from the $2.9 price level.

It is currently attempting to break above the $3.19 price level as marked out by the Fibonacci retracement tool, and could be looking at retests or even possible breakouts from the next resistances around $3.47, and $3.82.

With all of this said, XRP can only be considered fully back in bullish action if a break above the $3.47 zone occurs.

Bullish predictions for the cryptocurrency include targets anywhere between the $5 mark to $10.

Key Insights

• The crypto market is bracing for volatility this week, with three of the largest cryptocurrencies showing signs of incoming volatility.
• Bitcoin must keep from breaking below the $100,000 zone to push forward to $125,000.
• Ethereum must keep from breaking below the $3,125 price level to continue forward to the $3,700 zone.
• XRP has to stay above $2.9 to continue further upwards to $5.

The crypto market continues to make waves in the financial space, with juggernauts like Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP taking the center stage.

Bitcoin and Ethereum on the one hand, are retesting critical support levels.

XRP on the other, is managing to sustain its bullish momentum and could be looking towards a breakout from an interesting pattern.

Here’s a closer look at the performances of each of these cryptocurrencies, and what could be next for them.

Bitcoin Eyes Stability at $100K Support

According to the daily charts, Bitcoin rebounded strongly last week, especially after the release of the CPI data on Wednesday.

The cryptocurrency soared by more than 10% after an initial crash to the $90,000 zone between Monday and Tuesday, eventually ending up above the $100,000 zone.

However, this rally was somewhat shortlived, considering the cryptocurrency’s behavior after hitting the $106,000 resistance.

Monday has brought Bitcoin into a new phase of bullishness as shown above, with its rebound after retesting the falling wedge.

The cryptocurrency has so far risen by around 3% over the last 24 hours, with a current price of $108,000.

Going forward, the cryptocurrency’s $100,000 price level serves as the strongest psychological support.

Holding above this level is an encouraging signal for a continuation to the upside.

However, if a break below occurs for any reason, Bitcoin could crash further down to the next psychological level around $90,000.

If this $100,000 price level holds, Bitcoin could be hitting the $125,000 zone in no time.

Ethereum Targets Recovery Above $3,125

Ethereum is also performing well on all timeframes, even though it remains trapped underneath the $3,500 price level.

On Monday this week, the cryptocurrency is showing signs of a recovery after retesting its 200-day EMA at $3,125. 

The cryptocurrency now has a current price of $3,392 with an incoming break above $3,500.

According to the charts, if Ethereum successfully holds above its 200-day EMA (red line) as shown, it could be on its way towards challenging the $3,730 resistance level.

The charts show the RSI reading currently at 46—which is below neutral and indicates that the bears are slightly stronger than the bulls.

In more positive news, the MACD on this timeframe is on the verge of a bullish crossover.

This indicates that the bulls might be ready to retake the baton from the bears.

Ethereum needs to avoid a drop towards the $3,125 support to avoid a correction further down to the psychological $3,000 level.

Ripple Extends Bullish Momentum Toward $3.63

According to the charts, XRP;s price action has been incredible.

The cryptocurrency rallied by 30% last week, after breaking above a symmetric triangle and above the $3 mark.

The cryptocurrency struggled around the $3.3 price level over the weekend, but and is still attempting to continue above this price level.

According to the charts, XRP is targeting a push towards the $3.63 price level.

The RSI reading of 65 on the daily chart supports this outlook, and the dominance of the bulls.

The Fibonacci retracement tool shows that XRP is at risk of becoming bearish if it breaks below the $2.9 price level, where it might fall further down to the $2.5 zone.

Overall, the top three cryptocurrencies are navigating important price levels, and are setting the stage for massive price movements. 

Traders should closely monitor what happens around the $100,000 mark for Ethereum, the $3,125 zone for Ethereum and the $2.9 price level for XRP.

Key Insights

• President-elect Donald Trump has just launched a new memecoin collection in the market, amid speculation and critique.
• This memecoin has exploded in value over the last two days, adding billions to Donald Trump’s net worth.
• Skeptics have pointed out the supply concentration, where Trump-affiliated companies control a large amount of this memecoin.
• Only time will tell what comes next for this memecoin, after hitting billions of dollars in market cap.

The crypto industry never runs out of surprises.

However, the launch of the new $TRUMP memecoin by president-elect Donald Trump on Friday has redefined what “unexpected” means.

This new cryptocurrency was deployed on the Solana network and experienced a staggering 500% increase in price within the first 24 hours of launch.

However, beyond this rise in price and the opportunities it has presented for investors, this move has several implications for the crypto market.

Let’s go over the latest developments.

The TRUMP Token’s Record-Breaking Debut

The launch of the official $TRUMP memecoin came with a wave of announcements from Trump’s social media handles, including X and Truth Social.

Within hours of its launch, this token had hit a market cap of around $8 billion, and was already one of the top 30 cryptocurrencies.

This rapid jump in price was also fueled by nearly $12 billion in trading volumes within a single day.

The token’s deployment on the Solana network might have had much to do with its growth, because $SOL itself surged to a new all time high of $274 on Saturday.

Solana-based defi products also saw a noticeable increase in liquidity and TVL according to DefiLlama.

All of this happened at the expense of Ethereum, where many ERC-based memecoins dipped in comparison.

Ownership Concentration Sparks Skepticism

Despite this token’s success, critics have attacked its legitimacy all weekend.

For example, data from Arkham Intelligence shows that 80% of this new token’s supply is controlled by two Trump-affiliated entities: CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC. 

This concentration of ownership has been a source of concern about centralization, considering how concentrated supplies have historically been one of the ingredients of crypto rug pulls.

Critics have also pointed out inconsistencies in the token’s message.

For example, while the announcement tweets tout the cryptocurrency as a “celebration” of his presidential victory, the official website clearly states that $TRUMP is non-political, and “has no ties” to Donald Trump’s campaign.

Critics have also pointed out inconsistencies in the messaging around the token. While Trump’s social media accounts described $TRUMP as a celebration of his presidential victory, the token’s website explicitly states that it is a “non-political digital asset” with no ties to his campaign or government activities.

Is the TRUMP Token Legitimate?

The token’s legitimacy has also been questioned by industry experts so far.

In the first few hours of the token launch, there were initial concerns about the Trump social accounts being hacked.

Even after subsequent posts reaffirmed that the token was legitimate, several experts remained skeptical.

One example is JRNY Crypto, who noted the absence of official confirmation from Trump’s advisors.

Prominent trader Edward Morra also warned that high-profile memecoins could take over the market and lead to harsher volatility in case of a sell off.

Interestingly, $TRUMP isn’t Donald Trump’s first foray into the world of digital assets.

In recent years, the Trump brand has been linked to several other ventures, including three NFT trading card collections, which allegedly generated nearly $10 million in licensing fees.

Trump has also sold several other branded items including $100,000 luxury watches and branded sneakers.

This memecoin, however, is a new frontier and only time can tell what comes next.