According to reports, Vitalik Buterin has pulled 16,384 ETH from his reserves 
and plans to spend it on privacy and truly open technology. That move is 
paired with a call for five years of thrift at the Ethereum Foundation so the 
foundation can keep building core software while staying healthy for the long 
run. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On 
Social Media: Santiment A New Focus On Privacy And Openness Reports say the 
funds, worth about $45 million, will back a broad list of projects: open 
silicon, secure hardware, private messaging, local-first operating systems, 
and tools that mix zero-knowledge proofs with other privacy tools like FHE and 
differential privacy. He has already put money toward encrypted messaging and 
air quality work, and some new efforts aim to make secure hardware more 
affordable and verifiable. The plan covers both pieces of tech and the systems 
people run on them. Simple apps for daily life are included, not just fancy 
research. In these five years, the Ethereum Foundation is entering a period of 
mild austerity, in order to be able to simultaneously meet two goals: 1. 
Deliver on an aggressive roadmap that ensures Ethereum&#8217;s status as a 
performant and scalable world computer that does not compromise on… — 
vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 30, 2026 Personal Money For Public Good 
Buterin is taking on what might once have been “special projects” of the 
foundation. He withdrew the ETH personally, and reports note he is looking at 
secure, decentralized staking to route future staking rewards into these 
efforts. That shifts some financial risk from institutions to an individual 
who wants those projects to survive even when they are slow or controversial. 
Some of the initiatives are unlikely to attract fast capital. That is why 
personal backing matters. A Stronger Core, Not Bigger Hype The Foundation is 
said to be entering a phase of mild austerity so it can meet two clear goals 
at once: finish an aggressive technical roadmap and remain alive and 
independent into the far future. The technical aim is to keep Ethereum fast 
and scalable without losing decentralization or security. At the same time, 
the team wants to protect users’ ability to control their keys, their data, 
and their privacy. Reports note that “Ethereum for people who need it” is the 
guiding line, rather than chasing large corporate deals that transform how 
people use the chain. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Slide To $82K Sets Off A $1.7 
Billion Chain Reaction Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech

Binance is reinforcing crypto’s safety net by shifting its $1 billion SAFU 
fund into bitcoin, framing BTC as the long-term anchor for user protection, 
transparency, and balance-sheet resilience amid market stress. Binance 
Converts $1B SAFU Fund to Bitcoin as BTC Anchors Industry Stability Periods of 
market stress often test major platforms. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance 
released […]

Binance Doubles Down on Bitcoin: Buying $1B BTC Within 30 Days

Gold and silver have recently dominated headlines, outperforming both Bitcoin 
and altcoins in the broader crypto market. While both precious metals recorded 
new all-time highs in 2026, many altcoins failed to reach similar milestones. 
Bitcoin, by contrast, did achieve an ATH in 2025; however, following that 
peak, its price retraced sharply to new lows. With this in mind, analysts 
argue that the strength of gold and silver does not pose a threat to digital 
assets. Instead, they interpret the divergence as a major bullish signal for 
Bitcoin and altcoins. Gold And Silver ATH Signals Bitcoin And Altcoins Upside 
Crypto market expert Mark Chadwick delivered a detailed analysis of precious 
metals and cryptocurrencies on X this week, pointing to what he calls “the 
biggest price divergence” ever recorded between gold and Bitcoin. His chart 
and analysis suggest that a strong performance in gold could be a major 
indicator for a potential rally in cryptocurrencies. Related Reading: Dogecoin 
Price Could Continue To Decline If This Doesn’t Happen; Analyst Chadwick noted 
that gold has surged aggressively, reaching an ATH of over $5,600 in January 
2026. This price rally has pushed the metal into extreme overbought levels on 
higher timeframes. In contrast, Bitcoin is facing prolonged weakness and 
negative sentiment in 2026, despite reaching an all-time high above $126,000 
in October 2025. The analyst suggested that this performance imbalance has 
reached levels that typically signal a major market shift. Gold and silver 
have been boosted by factors such as central bank accumulation, inflation 
hedging, and geopolitical pressures. At the same time, Bitcoin has been 
weighed down by tighter liquidity, reduced investor interest, and risk-off 
conditions. As a result, traditional safe-haven assets have entered overbought 
territory, leaving BTC and altcoins largely overlooked. Chadwick argues that 
markets move in cycles driven by sentiment and positioning. When one asset 
becomes excessively overbought, returns diminish, and capital seeks higher 
upside elsewhere. In past macro cycles, periods of strong performance in gold 
and silver have often been followed by capital rotating into higher-risk 
assets once fear subsides. Based on his analysis, Bitcoin’s current 
positioning reflects exhaustion rather than structural weakness. Chadwick 
believes that when manipulation ends and capital starts flowing out of gold 
and silver into BTC, it could set the stage for a sharp rebound in the leading 
cryptocurrency. Since altcoins typically follow Bitcoin’s performance, the 
analyst expects that once Bitcoin regains momentum, some of that profit could 
also rotate into select altcoins, fueling a price rally. Related Reading: XRP 
Prints Bullish Divergence On The Weekly Chart, But Is ATHs Still Possible? How 
High Bitcoin And Altcoins Could Rally Chadwick has stated that Bitcoin’s price 
could easily surge 10x as capital flows back into it and market sentiment and 
liquidity improve. However, the chart outlines a short-term rally, projecting 
a 91.60% rise to $170,000 from the $82,000 region. The analyst also predicted 
that altcoins could rise 50-100x, reflecting a staggering potential for gains 
in the crypto market. He concluded his analysis by emphasizing that smart 
money knows massive returns often come from diversification. From this 
perspective, the current ATHs of gold and silver do not undermine 
cryptocurrencies but signal an upcoming shift in capital. Featured image 
created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

Why Gold & Silver’s All-Time Highs Are Very Bullish For Bitcoin And Altcoins

Bitcoin was designed to function as digital gold, a decentralised store of 
value that protects wealth from inflation, currency debasement, and the long- 
term dominance of the dollar. Currently, the market behaviour is telling a 
different story as de-dollarisation accelerates and investors seek safety from 
geopolitical risk and inflation pressures, with gold capturing the bulk of 
that capital. Is Bitcoin Still A Store Of Value Or A Risk Asset? Crypto 
investor Himanshu Sinha has stated on X that Bitcoin was supposed to be 
digital gold because it was built for de-dollarisation, but gold and silver 
are winning the trade and fulfilling that role. Over the past year, gold has 
risen by roughly 55%, silver has surged around 150%, while BTC has remained 
flat. Related Reading: What’s Going On With Bitcoin And The Stock Market? 
Analyst Breaks It Down The Central banks are the drivers; they don&#8217;t want 
volatility that they can&#8217;t manage, and they don&#8217;t want an asset that moves in 
lockstep with the Nasdaq. Instead, they want a controllable monetary 
infrastructure, and they&#8217;re buying gold at the highest rate in history. Just 
hours ago, gold hit $5,600, then collapsed by 8.21% in a straight vertical 
drop to $5,140, which is a textbook margin liquidation. At the same time, 
Microsoft dropped 11.7% as tech sold their gold because it was their only 
profitable asset, and the investors needed cash fast. This is the same 
liquidity contagion that used to be seen in the crypto market. According to 
Sinha, gold cannot be sanctioned in a bar. As the West weaponizes the dollar 
through sanctions and financial controls, the rest of the world needs a 
neutral exit. In the end, BTC still proved it is a speculative tool, while 
gold is proving to be the replacement. Why Gold Is Likely To Keep 
Outperforming Bitcoin A crypto trader known as Doctor Profit pointed out that 
nearly a year ago, he shared a Gold versus Bitcoin chart, highlighting that 
once 0.02 BTC equals 1 ounce of gold, it should mark the top for BTC. 
Meanwhile, when 0.11 BTC equals 1 ounce of gold, it marks the bottom for BTC. 
This happened in 2021 during the BTC top and during the BTC bottom in 2022. 
Related Reading: Expert Who Nailed The Bitcoin Top Now Says Buy At These 
Levels According to Doctor Profit, the analysis was later proven right this 
year by calling the BTC top at $125,000 at 0.02 for 1 ounce of gold. 
Calculating this move, if 1 BTC is $5,500 in gold price and divided by 0.11, 
it should be $50,000 BTC, which matches the analysis of BTC bottom for this 
cycle between $50,000 and $60,000 BTC. However, the analysis played out as 
expected. If calculated with a gold price of $7,000, the equivalent of BTC 
bottom should be around $63,000, which also aligns with the bottom target. In 
the Doctor Profit view, gold might continue to outperform BTC in the coming 
months. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Bitcoin’s Digital Gold Thesis Faces Reality As Gold Surges Ahead

Talos raises an additional $45 million in a Series B extension, bringing total 
Series B to $150 million at a roughly $1.5 billion post‑money valuation. Talos 
announced a $45 million extension to its Series B, adding strategic investors 
Robinhood Markets, Sony Innovation Fund, IMC, QCP and Karatage alongside 
returning backers A16z Crypto, BNY and Fidelity […]

Cryptocurrency price in MMK