Crypto climbs as ETF inflows hit three-month high

Crypto prices moved higher after reported spot ETF inflows reached their strongest level in three months, giving everyday investors a clean read on demand from regulated market products. Bitcoin traded near $95,000, up 3%, while Ether rose 6% to $3,313, according to the market data.

A spot exchange-traded fund, or ETF, is a stock-market product that gives investors exposure to an asset without holding it directly. Reported Bitcoin ETF inflows totaled $754 million, while Ether ETF inflows reached $130 million. Inflows mean more money entered the funds than left them, which can support demand for the underlying tokens when fund issuers add exposure.

Bitcoin dominance, a measure of Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market value, slipped 0.1 percentage point to 59.2%. That small move matters because it shows whether money is concentrating in Bitcoin or spreading into other tokens. The latest numbers pointed to a broader rally, with Ether outpacing Bitcoin on the day.

Major tokens traded higher

BNB rose 3% to $936, while Solana gained 2% to $145, according to the market snapshot. The listed top gainers included IP, ICP, PUMP, PEPE and ENA. PUMP was up 13%, according to the update.

Monero also reached another all-time high, though no price level was provided. Monero is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, and all-time highs can draw extra attention because they mark a new peak for a token’s trading history.

Policy and stablecoins stay in focus

In Washington, a Senate committee is set to vote on a crypto bill on Jan. 27, according to the update. Disputes over stablecoin provisions are still unresolved. Stablecoins are crypto tokens designed to track the value of another asset, usually the U.S. dollar, and they are central to crypto trading, payments and lending activity.

Ethena Labs made USDe free from gas fees, according to the update. Gas fees are transaction costs paid to use a blockchain. Removing those costs can make a token easier to use for transfers or app activity, depending on how the change is implemented.

Company moves across mining, exchanges and payments

Bitdeer overtook MARA in managed hashrate, according to the update. Hashrate is the amount of computing power used to mine proof-of-work cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Managed hashrate refers to mining power operated or overseen for customers, not only a company’s own machines.

Polygon Labs plans to buy Coinme and Sequence for $250 million, according to the update. Bitpanda is eyeing a Frankfurt initial public offering in the first half of 2026. An IPO is when a private company lists shares on a public exchange.

Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, invested in perpetual trading platform Genius Terminal, according to the update. Perpetual contracts are crypto derivatives that let traders take leveraged long or short positions without an expiry date, making risk controls and liquidity especially important.

Coingecko is eyeing sales at a $500 million valuation, according to the update. Russia plans to open crypto markets more for payments, while Pakistan is set to integrate WLFI’s USD1. Crypto-related physical attacks, sometimes called wrench attacks, continue in France, according to the update.

This story draws on original reporting from Decrypt.