The crypto industry is gaining recognition and achieving its objectives, 
signaling a positive trajectory. Despite challenges, the infrastructure for 
crypto is evolving with a focus on modular solutions and interoperability. 
Bitcoin and stablecoins serve as alternatives to fiat currencies, each wi&#8230;
The post Jill Gunter: Crypto&#8217;s Evolving Landscape, Privacy Concerns, and Regulatory Shifts | Empire appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Jill Gunter: Crypto’s Evolving Landscape, Privacy Concerns, and Regulatory Shifts | Empire

On-chain data shows the key Bitcoin investors have been distributing recently, 
with their supply share dropping to the lowest level in months. Large Holder 
Demand For Bitcoin Has Remained Weak Recently In a new post on X, on-chain 
analytics firm Santiment has talked about how the Bitcoin investor behavior 
has compared between the top and low ends of the market. Related Reading: XRP 
Social Sentiment Hits 5-Week High—BTC, ETH Mood Still Off The analytics firm 
has chosen these wallet ranges to represent the two sides: 0 to 0.01 BTC and 
10 to 10,000 BTC. The former includes the smallest of retail investors, while 
the latter includes key investor cohorts like the sharks and whales. Below is 
the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the percentage of the 
total circulating Bitcoin supply held by each cohort. As is visible in the 
graph, the 0 to 0.01 BTC cohort has been expanding its supply since the 
October price peak. Bitcoin has witnessed a deep drawdown inside this window, 
but the data would imply that it hasn&#8217;t held back retail traders from 
accumulating. In total, this accumulation has expanded the holdings of these 
small hands by 2.5%, taking their percentage supply share to the highest level 
since June 2024. While retail has been buying, the sharks and whales have 
shown a different trajectory. From the chart, it&#8217;s apparent that the 10 to 
10,000 BTC holders sold alongside the market drawdown between October and 
December. In January, these investors participated in some buying, which 
interestingly coincided with a drop in retail holdings. Then, the drawdown 
toward the end of the month again kicked off a selloff from the key investors. 
This selloff was steep, in fact sharper than any part of Q4 2025&#8217;s 
distribution phase. Recently, even as Bitcoin has made some recovery from its 
$60,000 low and found some stability, the big-money investors haven&#8217;t shown 
any return of bullish conviction. Compared to the October peak, the supply of 
the 10 to 10,000 BTC holders is now down 0.8%, which has taken the network 
share of this group to the lowest since May 2025. Related Reading: Bitcoin 
Consolidating In A Triangle—Is A 15% Move Next? The analytics firm explained: 
Optimally, we begin to see these two Bitcoin groups begin to reverse course. 
Without key stakeholder support, any spark of a rally will tend to be slightly 
limited due to the lack of large capital. In another X post, Santiment has 
also discussed the behavior of the mid-tier Bitcoin holders, occupying the 
space between retail and large investors. As displayed in the chart, the 0.01 
to 1 BTC wallets have seen their combined Bitcoin supply hit a 15-month high 
following a 1.05% increase since October. Meanwhile, the 1 to 10 BTC hands 
have reduced their holdings by 0.49% in the same period. BTC Price At the time 
of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $67,400, up 0.7% over the last week. 
Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin Big-Money Exits: Large-Holder Supply Hits Lowest Since May 2025

The battle over BIP-110 and the related BIP-444 represents a fundamental 
schism in the Bitcoin community over whether the network should remain a 
neutral data protocol or become a curated financial ledger. Philosophical: 
Neutrality vs. Curation An ideological clash is erupting over Bitcoin 
Improvement Proposal 110 (BIP-110)—often discussed alongside the broader 
BIP-444 framework—a temporary soft […]

Beyond JPEGs: Why the Fight Over Ordinals Is Actually a Fight for Bitcoin’s Permissionless Future

Wall Street shook off weak growth data and staged a late-day rally Friday 
after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping 
emergency tariffs, sending the Dow, Nasdaq and S&amp;P 500 solidly higher by the 
closing bell. Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Relief Rally Across Retail and 
Industrials U.S. equity markets closed at 4 p.m. […]

Stocks Snap Back as Supreme Court Blocks Emergency Tariffs, but Trade Drama Isn’t Over

XRP is struggling to reclaim higher price levels as persistent selling 
pressure and broader market uncertainty continue to weigh on sentiment. 
Despite intermittent rebound attempts, momentum remains fragile, with traders 
hesitant to commit capital amid elevated volatility and cautious liquidity 
conditions. The asset has yet to establish a convincing higher high, 
reinforcing the perception that XRP remains in a transitional phase rather 
than a confirmed recovery trend. Related Reading: Ethereum Breaks the Final 
Whale Floor In A 2018-Style Capitulation: What To Expect A recent CryptoQuant 
report provides additional context through exchange flow data. According to 
the analysis, Binance recorded a sharp spike in XRP exchange inflows during a 
previously highlighted period that preceded a strong rally. Large inflows 
typically reflect tokens moving onto exchanges, a dynamic often interpreted as 
potential sell pressure since assets become readily available for liquidation. 
Such spikes can increase short-term supply and amplify volatility. However, 
inflows do not always result in immediate distribution. In the referenced 
case, the surge in exchange deposits coincided with rising volatility and 
ultimately preceded a significant price expansion. This suggests that some 
inflow events may represent strategic positioning, liquidity preparation, or 
internal reallocation rather than outright selling. As XRP navigates current 
uncertainty, monitoring exchange flow behavior remains critical for assessing 
whether renewed volatility could once again precede a directional breakout. 
Liquidity Compression Signals Rising Volatility Risk The report explains that 
liquidity dynamics provide important context for understanding XRP market 
structure, particularly when evaluating volatility risk and potential price 
inflection points. USD liquidity measures the depth of capital supporting XRP 
trading pairs. During the previous rally phase, USD liquidity expanded 
significantly, allowing price advances to be absorbed without excessive 
volatility. Recently, however, USD liquidity has been declining, suggesting 
thinner market depth compared with the expansion period. Reduced depth 
typically increases sensitivity to order flow and can amplify price swings. 
Liquidity measured in XRP terms reflects the availability of tokens on the 
sell side. Prior to the last major breakout, XRP liquidity compressed notably, 
indicating reduced active supply on exchanges. That contraction phase aligned 
closely with the beginning of the strong upward move. Currently, XRP liquidity 
is trending lower again, showing similarities with earlier pre-expansion 
conditions. Historically, this combination of exchange inflow spikes alongside 
liquidity compression has preceded volatility expansion. Rising USD liquidity 
tends to support sustained trends, while declining liquidity often introduces 
fragility into market structure. At present, exchange inflows remain moderate, 
but both USD and XRP liquidity are contracting. This suggests a thinner 
environment where price reactions could become sharper. These indicators 
provide structural context, but they should be evaluated alongside derivatives 
positioning, funding trends, and broader macro conditions before drawing 
directional conclusions. Related Reading: The 200 Million Exodus: Investors 
Swap Speculation For Private Custody XRP Remains Under Pressure As Key Support 
Levels Face Ongoing Tests XRP remains under sustained technical pressure, with 
the weekly chart reflecting a clear corrective phase following the sharp rally 
that pushed the price above the $3.00 region in 2025. Since that peak, price 
structure has shifted toward a sequence of lower highs and lower lows, a 
pattern typically associated with weakening momentum rather than 
consolidation. The recent move toward the $1.40 area highlights continued 
selling pressure and cautious positioning among market participants. From a 
technical standpoint, XRP is currently trading below key moving averages that 
previously acted as dynamic support. These averages now function as overhead 
resistance, limiting upside attempts unless price can reclaim them decisively. 
The shorter-term average has rolled over more aggressively, while the longer- 
term trend line remains upward sloping but lagging, suggesting residual macro 
support alongside deteriorating short-term momentum. Related Reading: The 
Altcoin Exodus: Trading Volumes Halve As Capital Flees To Bitcoin $65,000 
Fortress Volume activity has moderated compared with the impulsive rally 
phase, indicating reduced speculative participation. However, declining volume 
during corrections can also signal seller exhaustion if accompanied by 
stabilization in price structure. Immediate support appears concentrated near 
the recent lows around the $1.30–$1.40 zone, while resistance remains 
clustered near the $1.80–$2.20 range. Until XRP reclaims higher levels with 
strong participation, the broader trend remains fragile. Featured image from 
ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Cryptocurrency price in SAR