The price of Bitcoin began the new week on an exciting move to the upside. The 
premier cryptocurrency recorded a price ascent of about 9%, reaching a high of 
over $97,000 and falling just short of its past six-figure valuation. 
Interestingly, a recent on-chain revelation shows that an underlying change 
was simultaneously taking place as the price of Bitcoin soared on the charts. 
Are The BTC Bulls Back In Control? In a January 16 post on social media 
platform X, crypto analyst Darkfost revealed a notable shift in the on-chain 
power dynamics, saying that the bulls are seemingly back in control. The 
relevant indicator here is the BTC Net Taker Volume, which tracks which of the 
buyers or sellers is more aggressive in the market. The metric does so by 
measuring the net difference between buy and sell market orders executed on 
derivatives exchanges. Related Reading: Bitcoin Breaks Free From The Current 
Range — $107,000 Now The Level To Watch Before this recent shift, the net 
taker volume had fallen into deep negative territory, reaching a bottom of 
about –$489 million. Due to the lack of demand in the market over that period, 
the price of BTC continued to fall as selling pressure grew. However, this 
market scenario has shifted, as of Friday, January 16th. The Bitcoin Net Taker 
Volume now records a positive reading, with more than $39 million in buy-side 
volume from the futures market. This means BTC traders are becoming 
increasingly interested in opening long positions — and aggressively at that. 
Historically, an increasing buying interest among participants of the futures 
market typically signals rising bullish sentiment. In turn, upward price 
pressure increases through leverage, leading to amplified short-term price 
moves if sustained. Bitcoin Market Outlook Darkfost further explained that, 
although there are signs that Bitcoin ETF inflows might be picking up 
slightly, it remains that spot buying is yet to gain enough strength to 
sponsor a decisive bullish move. As a result, all eyes fall on derivatives 
activity, as it currently serves as support for the Bitcoin price. Ultimately, 
the present scenario is best interpreted as the end of bearish pressure, 
rather than a blatant structure shift. However, in the event that net taker 
volume continues to grow positively, the narrative could shift from dwindling 
bearish pressure to mounting bullish momentum. Till then, market participants 
are advised to deal cautiously until it is confirmed that the derivatives- 
sponsored momentum is sustainable for the flagship cryptocurrency&#8217;s growth. As 
of press time, the price of Bitcoin stands at about $95,357, with 
insignificant movement over the past day. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rally 
Accompanied By ‘Very Bullish’ Whale-Retail Behavior, Santiment Says Featured 
image from iStock, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin Net Taker Volume Finally Flips Positive — Why This Shift Matters

If bitcoin had a theme song today, it’d be “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”—except, 
maybe it might stop to catch its breath. Trading in a narrow intraday range, 
the asset has taken a breather above the $95K threshold, forming what might be 
a bullish flag waving at momentum. The market’s pulse? Steady with a chance of 
[…]

Traders Eye $98K as Bitcoin Coils for a High-Stakes Move

A crypto holder lost over $282 million in Bitcoin and Litecoin on January 10 
through a hardware wallet social engineering scam, according to blockchain 
investigator ZachXBT. The theft occurred around 11 pm UTC and is one of the 
largest individual…

$282M in Bitcoin and Litecoin stolen in hardware wallet social engineering scam

US Senate debate over a bill called the Clarity Act has reignited discussion 
about XRP and other crypto products, and how they might be treated under US 
rules. Related Reading: Ethereum Staking Hits Record Levels As Buterin Urges 
Builders To Deliver Real Apps Reports have disclosed that the bill could give 
clearer status to tokens that back US-listed ETFs, moving them closer to 
commodity-style treatment. XRP spot ETFs have also drawn large capital, with 
inflows reaching about $1.37 billion since their November 2025 launch — a 
figure that underlines why lawmakers and market watchers are paying attention. 
How It Works Creation and redemption in ETFs can happen “in kind,” which means 
the fund can accept the actual asset instead of cash. That mechanism is real, 
but it does not let ordinary buyers load tokens directly into a fund. 
Authorized participants — big broker-dealers and market makers — are the ones 
that hand tokens to ETFs and receive shares back. Everyday investors buy or 
sell ETF shares on exchanges. That gap is central to the debate about whether 
an ETF could ever function like a bank. The XRP ETF’s are also In-Kind Funds, 
so you can deposit XRP directly into the fund in exchange for the exact value 
in shares. Most in general will choose this option post law. There are many 
advantages to this, you will be able to use the ETF like a “bank”. 
https://t.co/2G49kxUpGc pic.twitter.com/4fyeOkEYTC — Chad Steingraber 
(@ChadSteingraber) January 13, 2026 What Community Voices Are Saying According 
to posts from XRP community figures, some see a future where ETFs act like a 
regulated parking spot for token holders. Chad Steingraber has been vocal 
about in-kind mechanics, arguing that investors could swap XRP for matching 
ETF shares and treat the funds as a safer place to hold value until they need 
to move tokens again. Those comments have helped popularize the idea that ETFs 
could be used in a bank-like way. What Taxes Might Look Like Reports and 
investor guides show that ETF structure matters for taxes. ETFs often use in- 
kind creation and redemption to avoid routine capital gains distributions at 
the fund level, which helps make ETFs tax-efficient in many cases. But tax 
consequences for token holders depend on how transactions are carried out and 
on the product’s legal structure. Under current US rules, transfers that 
change the form of an asset can create taxable events for the person handing 
over the asset, and fund-level distributions can still produce tax bills for 
investors. Related Reading: Ethereum On Fire: User Growth Sparks Massive 
Activity Spike According to Chad Steingraber, the in-kind structure gives XRP 
holders a regulated place to park their tokens when they want safety and 
oversight. Investors, Steingraber believes, may favor ETFs once the Clarity 
Act clarifies rules. The appeal is not the technical steps but the confidence 
of holding XRP in a regulated, organized product. For him, ETFs offer a safer 
way to manage tokens while still keeping access to them when needed. Featured 
image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Are XRP ETFs About To Act Like Banks? Expert Thinks So

Bitcoin entered a decisive breakout phase, targeting $107,000 as long-term 
holder selling fades and BTC continues to leave exchanges, tightening supply.

Cryptocurrency price in CNY