The crypto markets kicked off 2026 with notable momentum. Bitcoin and Ether ETFs witnessed substantial inflows, with spot funds attracting $646 million on the first trading day of the year—a strong signal of institutional and retail interest returning to major digital assets.



Meanwhile, protocol activity remained robust. BitMine made a significant validator commitment, staking an additional $259 million in ETH, which pushed the validator entry queue to nearly 1 million Ether. This continued accumulation underscores growing confidence in Ethereum's staking ecosystem and long-term network participation.

Market sentiment also shifted favorably for Bitcoin. On Polymarket prediction markets, odds of Bitcoin outperforming traditional gold throughout 2026 climbed to 59%—reflecting traders' conviction that crypto could edge out traditional haven assets in the year ahead.

On the altcoin front, XRP managed to overtake BNB in market positioning, signaling renewed attention to the token amid broader market dynamics. These movements paint a picture of a crypto landscape entering 2026 with diverse momentum across multiple asset classes.
BTC-0.28%
ETH2.03%
XRP-0.38%
BNB0.89%
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
  • Reward
  • 5
  • Repost
  • Share
Comment
0/400
OnchainHolmesvip
· 01-05 06:52
Institutions are back in the market, and this time it's truly different. The ETH staking queue is almost at one million; who can stop this wave of confidence? Is there a 59% chance that BTC will outperform gold? I bet this number will reach 70 by the end of the month. Why is XRP causing trouble again? This coin really knows how to ride the hype. Big funds are quietly getting in, while retail investors are still just chatting in groups.
View OriginalReply0
tokenomics_truthervip
· 01-05 06:50
Institutions are quietly accumulating again, with 646 million coming in just in January... Is this really happening this time? The ETH staking queue is approaching one million, and BitMine's move is quite significant. Wait, is the odds of BTC surpassing gold at 59%? Uh... I really don't believe what the prediction market says. XRP has turned around? This rebound is a bit interesting; we need to see how long it can last. The start of 2026 definitely has some flavor, but don't be fooled by these numbers.
View OriginalReply0
AirdropHunterKingvip
· 01-05 06:44
Brothers, the momentum at the start of 2026 is incredible. The entry fee of 6.46 million isn't enough to gauge it. The key is that the ETH staking queue is about to break one million. Let me tell you, this is institutions quietly laying out their plans, and retail investors need to keep up with the pace, or we'll be trapped again for a year. XRP's rebound has pushed BNB down. Such reversals are the easiest to trigger airdrops, so stay alert.
View OriginalReply0
BlockchainDecodervip
· 01-05 06:33
From a technical architecture perspective, the data on this wave of institutional entry is actually worth a deep analysis. $64.6 billion sounds like a lot, but relative to last year's total ETF inflows, it's not really significant. I suggest everyone not to be fooled by the surface numbers. The key issue here is—regarding the validator queue approaching 1 million ETH—I think it reflects not so much "confidence," but rather that staking yields are attracting followers. Returning to the fundamental question, how sustainable is this kind of accumulative growth? As for Bitcoin's over 59% probability of surpassing gold, honestly, this is just a betting game in the futures market. Using this to judge trends is a bit far-fetched. In comparison, XRP overtaking BNB is a pretty interesting signal—but don’t forget, fluctuations in market cap rankings are mostly driven by sentiment.
View OriginalReply0
GasFeeCrybabyvip
· 01-05 06:25
Institutional entry has really arrived. With 646M at the start of the year, it's so aggressive. It seems everyone is betting that Bitcoin will outshine gold this year.
View OriginalReply0
Trade Crypto Anywhere Anytime
qrCode
Scan to download Gate App
Community
English
  • 简体中文
  • English
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 繁體中文
  • Español
  • Русский
  • Français (Afrique)
  • Português (Portugal)
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • 日本語
  • بالعربية
  • Українська
  • Português (Brasil)