Retail traders fled to Bitcoin and Ether after the October crypto crash last 
year, adding to an already tough year for altcoins.

Rattled retail retreats to Bitcoin, Ether after October crash

The significant gains by a prominent trader highlight the potential for 
substantial profits in volatile crypto markets, influencing investor 
strategies.
The post Bitcoin whale posts $50 million gain on BTC, ETH and SOL longs 
appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin whale posts $50 million gain on BTC, ETH and SOL longs

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing significant backlash after the 
crash of his newly launched cryptocurrency, the NYC Token, shortly after its 
debut on Monday. The token initially soared to a market cap of $580 million 
but has since fallen sharply to approximately $133 million. Eric Adams Under 
Fire In a promotional video, Adams declared, “We’re about to change the game. 
This thing is about to take off like crazy.” However, the excitement was 
short-lived as evidence surfaced suggesting that the steep decline in value 
resulted from a significant sell-off involving a user connected to the NYC 
Token&#8217;s development team. Related Reading: New Hope For Crypto: Senators 
Introduce Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act Blockchain analysis platform 
Bubblemaps flagged potentially concerning activity linked to the NYC Token. 
Notably, a wallet associated with the token&#8217;s deployer withdrew around $2.5 
million in liquidity when the token peaked. Although about $1.5 million was 
returned after the token’s value dropped by 60%, approximately $900,000 
remains unreturned. This has led users on social media platform X (formerly 
Twitter) to accuse Adams of orchestrating a crypto rug pull. Adams, who has 
been an outspoken proponent of cryptocurrency, stated during a Monday event 
that some of the funds generated by the NYC Token would be directed towards 
nonprofits focused on combating antisemitism and “anti-Americanism.” 
Additionally, he expressed intentions to use the proceeds to “teach our 
children about embracing blockchain technology.&#8221; The NYC Token’s official 
website states there is a total supply of one billion tokens in circulation, 
and details reveal that 10 percent of profits are allocated to the team&#8217;s 
activities, though the identities of those involved were not disclosed. NYC 
Token Team Responds In response to criticism, the NYC Token team acknowledged 
the liquidity withdrawal, stating, “Given the overwhelming support and demand 
for the token at launch, our partners had to rebalance the liquidity.” They 
added, “We’re in it for the long haul!” However, there remains uncertainty 
about the details surrounding the token&#8217;s launch, with a recently listed 
entity, C18 Digital, associated with the project. Delaware corporation records 
show that C18 Digital was incorporated on December 30, 2025. Related Reading: 
Coinbase Mulls Exiting Support For Crypto Market Structure Bill Ahead Of 
January 15 Deadline Typically, when a cryptocurrency launches, developers 
create a liquidity pool using various assets, such as Circle&#8217;s USDC or Solana 
(SOL), to allow users to buy and sell the new token. The NYC Token took a 
different approach by establishing a one-sided liquidity pool comprised solely 
of the token itself. As users began purchasing the token, they injected 
liquidity into the pool using USDC, which was followed by the significant 
withdrawal of $2.5 million. This tactic, described by analyst Vaiman, can be 
more subtle than direct token sell-offs. Following the viral reports of the 
alleged rug pull, a new account associated with the NYC Token announced that 
additional funds had been injected into the liquidity pool. Featured image 
from CNN, chart from TradingView.com

The NYC Token Crash: Allegations Of Rug Pull After $2.5 Million Liquidity Withdrawal

Bitcoin price started a fresh increase above $92,500. BTC is trading above 
$95,000 and attempting a close for another increase to $100k. Bitcoin started 
a decent increase above $92,000 and $94,500. The price is trading above 
$95,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There was a break above a 
contracting triangle with resistance at $92,000 on the hourly chart of the 
BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might continue to move up if it 
stays above the $94,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Gains Over 4% Bitcoin price 
managed to stay above the $90,500 support and started a fresh increase. BTC 
was able to settle above $92,000 and $92,500. There was a break above a 
contracting triangle with resistance at $92,000 on the hourly chart of the 
BTC/USD pair. The bulls were able to push the price above $93,500. Finally, 
the price spiked above $96,000. A high was formed at $96,476, and the price is 
now consolidating gains above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent 
wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $96,476 high. Bitcoin is now trading 
above $95,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. If the price remains 
stable above $94,500, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance 
is near the $96,000 level. The first key resistance is near the $96,500 level. 
The next resistance could be $96,800. A close above the $96,800 resistance 
might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise 
and test the $98,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward 
the $98,500 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $99,000 and 
$100,000. Another Drop In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $96,000 
resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the 
$95,000 level. The first major support is near the $94,500 level. The next 
support is now near the $93,200 zone or the 50% Fib retracement level of the 
recent wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $96,476 high. Any more losses 
might send the price toward the $92,500 support in the near term. The main 
support sits at $91,500, below which BTC might accelerate lower in the near 
term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now losing pace in the 
bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is 
now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $95,000, followed by $94,500. 
Major Resistance Levels – $96,000 and $96,800.

Bitcoin Price Rips Higher, $100K Narrative Gathers Pace

Strive will acquire Semler Scientific together with the latter&#8217;s 5,048 Bitcoin 
after shareholders approved the deal. A shareholder decision has quietly 
pushed a Bitcoin-focused firm further up the corporate treasury ranks. Strive 
announced on Jan. 13 that shareholders of Semler…

Cryptocurrency price in UAH