Expert Breaks Down How XRP ETFs Open the Door to Crypto's Big 2026

Anthony Scaramucci says a friendlier US policy mix: rate cuts, looser financial conditions, and a renewed push for crypto legislation could set up 2026 as a better tape for “quality” altcoins, even after what he described as an unexpectedly bruising 2025 for the sector.

In a Dec. 31 interview with Altcoin Daily, the SkyBridge Capital founder framed 2025 as a year where positioning and sentiment broke down under selling pressure he said he didn’t anticipate. “There’s probably $4.6 billion of whale selling this year into the ETF demand,” Scaramucci said, arguing that the deleveraging event around Oct. 10 amplified the move.

“There was a massive amount of deleveraging. It impacted some of the market makers. It forced a liquidity crisis,” he added, describing a 30% drop as “garden variety” for bitcoin, but still a surprise for traders leaning bullish.

Scaramucci said he now sees the setup improving precisely because sentiment turned so negative. “We were tilted to the bulls, we’re now decidedly very bearish,” he said, claiming his internal “bull meter” sits around 13 or 14 out of 100. The flip side, he argued, is that incremental good news, less large-holder selling, steadier ETF inflows, or regulatory progress, could matter more than usual.

A central part of Scaramucci’s thesis was that the market still expects US market-structure legislation to pass, and that the timeline matters. “I do think it is detrimental because I do think there is still a market expectation that it’s going to pass. I do think you need that clarity,” he said of the Clarity Act.

Without it, he argued, serious tokenization efforts remain constrained by legal uncertainty: “Who’s going to spend the kind of money that you need to switch over the financial system if you’re not guaranteed that you’re going to be able to use it.”

He also tied the policy fight to a broader economic claim: “There’s between, depending on how you measure it, there’s three and a half to $4 trillion dollars worth of transaction verification expenses in the global economy per year… If you could get that down, let’s say you cut it in half, you could unleash a $2 trillion capital spend in other areas of the economy or just better wages for people.”

Pressed on odds of passage before the midterms, Scaramucci said it should be “north of 50%,” arguing Democrats have learned there is “no anti-crypto voter,” while crypto-aligned spending can be decisive in tight races.

Scaramucci’s Top-3 Altcoins And Bitcoin Prediction

Asked for his current top-three altcoins, Scaramucci named Solana first, followed by Avalanche and Telegram-linked TON. “My three top coins then would be Solana, it would be Avalanche and believe it or not… it would be the Telegram token known as Ton,” he said, while acknowledging he has been early or wrong on timing.

He said he first bought TON at $7.50, averaging near $4.00, while saying it was trading around $1.50 at the time of the interview, but still sees it as a token that could be used across Telegram’s network as it grows.

On why Solana sits at No. 1, Scaramucci kept it simple and comparative: “Cheap, low cost, very fast, easy to use, easy to develop on,” he said, adding he’s “not an Ethereum negative person” and expects “a multicoin world.”

Macro is the other pillar. Scaramucci expects “two to four interest rate cuts” next year and argued a president facing midterms will want growth optics. “He’s going to flood the zone with capital. He’s going to drop interest rates. He’s going to try to perk up the economy,” Scaramucci said. “That bodes well for the stock market… for the altcoin market… and… for crypto.”

For bitcoin, he stuck with his $150,000 call—“I’m off by a year, I think”—and said he recently “bought more Bitcoin” for his family, betting that ETF flows and easier policy can overpower the hangover from 2025’s whale-driven selling.

At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $2.94 trillion.

BELIZE City, Belize, January 1st, 2026, Chainwire

Crypto entertainment platform BC.GAME has released “Bear Smash: 15000X Boost”, the second original title in its Mr. Blast series. The game keeps the cluster-based feel of the series, but compresses each round into a “one tap, one result” format, with a maximum win of 15,000x per tap. The title is available exclusively on BC.GAME.

One tap, one round

In Bear Smash: 15000X Boost, players select their stake and play on a board filled with colourful symbols. Whenever a cluster of two or more matching symbols appears, tapping that cluster triggers a blast and ends the round. The win is calculated as: stake × the cluster’s multiplier

A single cluster can reach up to x15,000, with larger clusters linked to higher potential multipliers. Each tap is a standalone round: the board resolves, refills, and the next decision starts. Total winnings for any one tap are capped at 15,000× the stake.

Power-Ups and Bomb

To add volatility, the game introduces several Power-Ups that may appear after a blast and trigger immediately:

• Hammer – remove any chosen symbol and guarantee a non-zero multiplier.
• Lucky Charm – turn the round into a short sequence of blasts, paying each multiplier separately until an x0 appears; only one can appear per round.
• Disco Ball – remove up to three of the largest clusters and awarding a single non-zero multiplier.

A separate Bomb feature clears the entire board in one move and pays a non-zero multiplier. Each player has three free Bomb uses, with extra bombs available via purchase.

120-second Bonus Game and series positioning

During base play, blasts can also reveal a Fireworks Scatter. When triggered, it starts a 120-second Bonus Game with 30 automated moves, blasting all available clusters on each move and assigning one multiplier per step. At the end, all multipliers from the Bonus Game are added together and paid as a single win. Players can access this mode directly through the “BUY BONUS” button.

As the follow-up to “Bear Blast”, which uses an 8×8 grid and stacking multipliers, Bear Smash: 15000X Boost focuses on single-tap rounds and clear top-end potential, rounding out BC.GAME’s cluster-based portfolio for players who prefer fast, high-volatility gameplay with very simple rules.

About BC.GAME

BC.GAME is a crypto entertainment and community platform founded in 2017. Built for a digital-first audience, it offers a wide range of online experiences including slots, live casino, sports, crash games and original in-house titles.

Contact

Pr manager

Olivia Dixon

oliviadi@bcgame.com

The crypto market welcomed 2026 with an unusual and dramatic event. CZ’s dog Broccoli(714) memecoin built on BNB Chain has seen a nearly 1200% gain today. 

What initially appeared to be a surprise rally quickly turned into suspected hacking volatility. In the midst of this chaotic situation, a savvy trader made a $1 million profit. 

Let’s find out about this massive event that had everyone on their toes.

What Triggered the BROCCOLI(714) Price Spike, 1200%?

According to data shared by Lookonchain, the attacker used the compromised market maker account to aggressively buy BROCCOLI(714) in the spot market. Because the token had very thin liquidity, even moderate capital caused a massive price impact.

Within hours, the token surged from around $0.012 to a peak near $0.16, marking a rise of more than 1,200%

During this short window, trading volume jumped to 4800% roughly $500 million, a massive figure for such a small token.

How the Hack Played Out

The hacker used a simple but risky plan. First, stolen funds were used to buy BROCCOLI(714) on the spot market. At the same time, long trades were opened in futures using other accounts.

This pushed the price up fast and helped move the stolen money through linked trades. Because the token had low liquidity, the price was easy to control.

While spot prices jumped sharply, futures did not rise as much. Huge buy orders also appeared in the order book, which looked unusual and signaled artificial support.

Lucky Trader Made $1Million in profit

Interestingly, not everyone lost money in this sudden move. A trader named Vida, who already had automated alert systems running, was notified when BROCCOLI(714) rose more than 30% in under 30 minutes.

What caught his eye was the heavy buying on a small token, which did not look normal. He entered the trade early and followed the price up while watching closely.

Later, the big buy orders disappeared all at once, likely after Binance stepped in. 

Vida quickly exited his trade, switched direction, and made around $1 million as the price fell back down.

Binance Responds, After Token Crashes

Binance has since confirmed that it is investigating the incident. So far, the exchange says there is no clear proof of a direct hack, but the review is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the damage is done. BROCCOLI(714) has crashed back to around $0.018, leaving many late buyers with heavy losses.

Bitcoin ended 2025 with a negative return. However, industry insiders are now bullish on the cryptocurrency’s performance in 2026. Bill Barhydt, CEO of crypto exchange and wallet company Abra, believes that easing monetary policy would inject “massive” liquidity into markets, pushing Bitcoin prices higher.

Coinbase’s head of investment research, David Duong, also expects stronger momentum from crypto exchange-traded funds, stablecoins, tokenisation, and clearer regulations.

Barhydt made the remarks while speaking to Schwab Network, while Duong shared his views in a year-end wrap-up post on X.

Bullish Crypto Executives

“We are seeing quantitative easing light right now,” the Abra CEO said. “The Fed is starting to buy its own bonds. I think demand for government debt is going to fall next year, along with lower rates. All of this bodes well for all assets, including Bitcoin.”

He expects a continued interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve this year, which would inject a “ton” of liquidity into the markets.

Like Duong, Barhydt also believes there will be further regulatory clarity around cryptocurrencies in the United States.

The Coinbase executive noted that last year, spot crypto ETFs provided regulated access to cryptocurrencies, and several corporations started digital asset treasuries. There was also growing interest in tokenisation and stablecoins.

“We expect these forces to compound in 2026,” Duong wrote, “as ETF approval timelines shorten, stablecoins take a larger role in delivery-versus-payment (DvP) structures, and tokenised collateral is recognised more broadly across traditional transactions.”

The crypto industry in the US received a strong regulatory push in 2025 following Donald Trump’s return to the White House for a second term. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also has a crypto-friendly chair, who is taking a more relaxed regulatory approach towards the industry.

“The practical outcome is real operational readiness: clearer policy guardrails that support product development, market growth, and the wider use of crypto systems in payments and settlements,” Duong added. “This forms the base on which the next stage of institutional adoption is being built.”

A Tough Year, but Optimism Ahead

Bitcoin had a difficult year in 2025, despite reaching a record high of around $126,000 in August.

The first day of 2026 failed to impress crypto supporters, as the Bitcoin price dropped by more than one per cent over the past 24 hours. It remains to be seen how the crypto markets perform in the coming weeks and months.

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has made bold moves into decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens, signaling a clear rotation from Ethereum into protocols he believes are poised for a 2026 recovery.

On-chain data shows Hayes deployed over $3.4 million in four DeFi assets: $1.97 million in ENA, $735,330 in ETHFI, $515,360 in PENDLE, and $259,960 in LDO.

Which Tokens Is Arthur Hayes Accumulating for 2026?

The accumulation comes as these tokens trade significantly below their all-time highs, reflecting a broader downturn in the DeFi sector.

Lookonchain reports that Hayes converted another $5.5 million in Ethereum into a basket of DeFi protocols, including:

• 4.86 million ENA tokens valued at $986,000
• 697,851 ETHFI tokens worth $485,000.

The largest share of his allocation, over 50%, is concentrated in PENDLE, a yield tokenization protocol.

Arthur Hayes has been steadily accumulating these assets during price dips, indicating a belief in their long-term value. Ted Pillows, a crypto analyst, has confirmed the recent withdrawals.

This consistent accumulation reflects a portfolio strategy grounded in fundamental value rather than short-term speculation.

Catalysts Behind Arthur Hayes’ Bets Range from ETF Prospects to Strong Revenues

Each token in Hayes’ new allocation is tied to a specific growth narrative.

ENA could benefit from Bitwise’s recent ETF filing, which includes 11 cryptocurrencies, potentially opening the door for institutional inflows.

Pendle has demonstrated strong revenue generation despite low token prices, delivering consistent quarterly cash flow to token holders.

Ether.fi (ETHFI) is seeing record revenue through its Neobank pivot, with monthly card payment volumes nearing $50 million.

Protocol buybacks, currently between $500,000 and $1.5 million weekly, are set to combine with reduced token emissions in 2026, addressing ongoing sell pressure.

Lido’s LDO exposure offers access to Ethereum staking, with the protocol controlling nearly 25% of staked ETH. This is more than double that of major competitors.

Additionally, Ether.fi’s treasury reserves and leading market share position it to capitalize on growing demand for staking yields.

While Hayes’ moves highlight confidence in a DeFi rebound, the market remains subdued. Regulatory approvals for ETFs, token emission schedules, and competition in staking could all influence performance.

Concentration risk is notable, as more than 60% of his portfolio rests on a sector still emerging from a downturn.

Still, Hayes’ methodical accumulation during low-price periods suggests a long-term strategy. By rotating out of Ethereum and focusing on DeFi protocols with revenue, market share, and institutional catalysts, Hayes appears to be positioning for a potential sector resurgence in 2026.

Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency, has recorded its very first red candle after the halving year in history. 

 This means that Bitcoin's four-year cycle is pretty much over since there was no post-halving supply shock. 

The "four-year cycle" theory relied on the post-halving year being the most explosive period of growth.

Bitcoin used to experience enormous rallies during post-halving rallies (2013, 2017, and 2021). The supply shock of the halving forced price appreciation within 12–18 months. 

Diminishing returns 

The chart shows a clear trend of "diminishing returns". Each subsequent green candle is smaller than the last. 

Due to the introduction of ETFs and institutional capital, Bitcoin has become a "macro asset" with lower volatility. It is no longer being viewed as a high-growth speculative bet.

The "broken" cycle in 2025 was essentially foretold in early 2024.

This cycle was historically unique because the flagship cryptocurrency broke its all-time high in March 2024. This happened roughly one month before the halving actually occurred. 

During previous market cycles, ATHs would arrive 12–18 months after the halving events. 

The launch of spot ETFs is believed to be the main reason why the cycle started so early. This sucked all the liquidity out of the future. By the time 2025 arrived, the "institutional wall of money" that everyone expected had already been deployed in 2024. 

More broken stats

Bitcoin used to operate on a strict "1 bear year, 3 bull years" cadence. The data shows that 2025 just killed this streak. This is the first time since the 2014 bear market that Bitcoin failed to complete a trilogy of green candles.

On top of that, this is the first time that Bitcoin concluded a year with a price change of less than 10%. This once again shows that Bitcoin has lost its volatility.