K33 (Nordic Nasdaq firm) launches BTC-backed USDC loans: collateralize Bitcoin to borrow stables without selling. Uses their BTC treasury for yield. Regulated, early in Nordics, limited rollout now. Great for long-term holders needing cash.

Old Glory Bank SPAC merger w/ $DAAQ → Nasdaq $OGB (~$250M). First chartered US bank pushing full Bitcoin integration: BTC on/off-ramps (fast follower early 2026), self-custody wallet linking, Freedom Offramp for instant BTC-to-fiat (tax-free deposits), unified dashboard. OGBUSD stablecoin complements. Killer for debanked BTC holders.

Chainalysis drops the truth on Iran: crypto ecosystem hit $7.78B in 2025, but the real story is Bitcoin adoption exploding amid nationwide protests starting late December. Rial worthless after decades of collapse—hyperinflation, blackouts, repression. From Nov 1–Dec 27 vs Dec 28–Jan 8 (internet shutdown), average daily transfers to personal BTC wallets surged, with 230–260%+ jumps in smaller withdrawals. People moving funds off exchanges to self-custody for capital preservation and freedom from state banks. Bitcoin as resistance tool: no KYC needed, borders don’t matter, government can’t freeze it. Mirrors Ukraine war, Venezuela/Argentina devaluations—crises drive adoption hard. Dual irony: IRGC dominates ~half of flows ($3B+ Q4) for sanctions dodging/laundering, while everyday Iranians use it to survive. Bitcoin wins in broken systems—sound money when tyrants print trash.

Bitcoin hashrate just slipped below 1 zettahash/s (~988 EH/s 7-day avg) for the first time since September 2025, after holding record highs above that mark for months (peaked 1.162 ZH/s in October). Fresh 1.2% downward difficulty adjustment hit January 8 (to 146.47T), and next one’s forecasted ~5.45% drop around January 23 (to ~138.62T) as blocks slow to ~10:34 min avg. Miner shakeout—profit squeezes, energy costs, whatever—caused the dip. But here’s the amazing part: Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustment is engineering perfection. Every 2016 blocks (~2 weeks), the protocol recalibrates automatically to lock in 10-minute average blocks. No humans, no votes, no central bank. Hashrate tanks? Difficulty falls, lowers the bar, brings miners back or attracts new ones—profitability recovers, hash rebounds. Hashrate explodes? Difficulty rises, keeps blocks steady, protects scarcity and security. It’s self-regulating antifragility baked in code: the network absorbs shocks, gets stronger from stress, never misses a beat. This dip isn’t weakness—it’s the mechanism proving Bitcoin’s resilience. Miners come and go; difficulty adjustment ensures the chain keeps grinding forever. Pure genius.

Steak ’n Shake ramps up Bitcoin treasury: Added $10M notional value to Strategic Bitcoin Reserve on Jan 17, 2026. All customer BTC payments (via Lightning Network at all US locations since May 2025) feed directly into the SBR—no selling to fiat. Claims massive payoff: same-store sales up dramatically (15% month-over-month in Q4 2025, double-digit full-year growth, best in fast-food), processing fees cut ~50% vs cards, better ingredients/remodels funded without raising prices. Calls it a “self-sustaining system”—sales growth builds BTC holdings, BTC holdings improve ops and reach. Endorsed by Jack Dorsey early; positions them as first major US restaurant chain with dedicated BTC reserve. Proof Bitcoin integrates into everyday business, turning burgers into long-term sound money accumulation.

Moldova moves toward regulated crypto: By end-2026, first comprehensive law incoming, synced with EU MiCA (transparency, consumer protection, AML for service providers). Citizens allowed to hold and trade cryptocurrencies—including Bitcoin—but banned from using them for payments inside the country. Finance Minister Andrian Gavrilita: “We have the responsibility to regulate them, and it will be the right of citizens to hold these currencies.” Crypto stays speculative, not investment or money substitute. Draft joint effort: Finance Ministry, National Bank, financial markets regulator, AML authority. Fits Moldova’s EU accession path—can’t outright ban, so structured oversight instead. No Bitcoin carve-outs mentioned, but it slots in as the dominant asset for any future trading/holding under the rules. Controlled adoption, not free-for-all.

Tennessee pushes for its own Bitcoin reserve: New bill HB1695 authorizes the state Treasurer to invest up to 10% of public funds in Bitcoin exclusively, with mandatory secure custody protocols. Positions BTC as a hedge against inflation and fiat debasement, no other cryptos allowed. Builds on Texas’s signed law from 2025 and similar proposals in West Virginia/Missouri. Early days—no vote yet—but it’s another state treating Bitcoin like strategic gold, not speculation. Momentum building for sovereign-level adoption.

Belarus strengthens its Bitcoin-adjacent framework: Decree No. 19 (Jan 16, 2026) establishes ‘cryptobanks’—joint-stock companies resident in the Hi-Tech Park and registered with the National Bank. These entities integrate digital token operations (explicitly including Bitcoin) with traditional banking, payments, and financial services under dual oversight (central bank + Hi-Tech Park board). Ties directly to Belarus’s long Bitcoin-friendly track record: 2018 Decree No. 8 legalized mining, exchanges, and tokens with tax exemptions in Hi-Tech Park; recent instructions for banks to expand crypto payments (Sept 2025); and excess electricity directed toward BTC mining. Amid sanctions and cross-border token reliance, this creates a state-approved channel for Bitcoin to flow into regulated banking products—potentially enabling BTC custody, payments, or hybrid services without gray-market exposure. Reinforces Belarus as a controlled crypto hub where Bitcoin serves economic resilience, not speculation.

Strong on-chain signal for Bitcoin: The Coinbase Premium Gap has surged into positive/green territory after a prolonged negative phase (US sellers dominating for the past month+). This metric tracks the price difference between Coinbase (USD pairs, heavy institutional use via Prime/Advanced) and global exchanges like Binance (USDT pairs). A green flip indicates US-based whales and institutions have resumed net buying, contributing to the current price rally and higher demand on the US platform. It reverses recent selling pressure and aligns with broader momentum—renewed ETF inflows (hundreds of millions daily in mid-Jan 2026), corporate treasury expansions, and institutional re-engagement after year-end adjustments. This kind of premium shift often precedes sustained upward moves, as it reflects real spot accumulation from deep-pocketed players rather than leveraged speculation. Bitcoin’s institutional bid is strengthening again.

Citrea just dropped ctUSD: a dollar-pegged stablecoin (1:1 backed by short-term U.S. Treasury bills and cash in regulated custodial accounts) designed as the native liquidity layer for their Bitcoin zero-knowledge rollup. No algorithmic tricks—straight fiat collateral like USDC/USDT, but issued directly on Citrea via MoonPay’s compliant infrastructure (US money transmitter licenses, KYC/AML focus). This tackles Bitcoin DeFi’s biggest pain points: fragmented liquidity pools, reliance on risky cross-chain bridges, and wrapped tokens from other chains. With ctUSD native, transactions stay fast/low-cost while anchored to Bitcoin’s security proofs—making lending, borrowing, trading, and payments practical without leaving the BTC ecosystem. Access via major fiat rails (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, PayPal) in 160+ countries (excl. restricted regions), plus dev tools for ACH/wire onramps. It’s a compliant bridge between TradFi stability and Bitcoin sovereignty—positioning Bitcoin rollups to compete seriously with Ethereum’s DeFi dominance. Early but promising momentum for native BTC financial primitives.

Dartmouth College endowment just revealed new exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum in its latest 13F filing (Q4 2025, as of Dec 31). They hold 201,531 shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) valued at over $10 million, plus 178,148 shares of Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust worth about $5 million—combined roughly $15 million in crypto assets. This marks their first disclosed positions in spot BTC/ETH ETFs, making up around 3.8% of the $393 million public equity portfolio reported (rest dominated by broad-market like SPDR S&P 500). It’s a small but symbolic allocation for a ~$9B+ endowment, signaling Ivy League institutions treating Bitcoin as a legitimate diversification tool against inflation and traditional asset risks. Builds on precedents: Harvard’s much larger IBIT position (hundreds of millions), Brown’s earlier BTC ETF entry, and Emory’s Grayscale Bitcoin Mini stake. Endowments are increasingly viewing regulated crypto wrappers as a compliant way to gain exposure without direct custody hassles—quiet institutional validation stacking up.”

West Virginia takes a swing at inflation-proofing public funds: State Senator Chris Rose introduces the Inflation Protection Act, amending code to let the Board of Treasury Investments allocate up to 10% of funds to precious metals (gold/silver/platinum), digital assets averaging >$750B market cap over prior year (Bitcoin qualifies exclusively right now), and US-approved stablecoins. Assets can be held directly via secure custody, qualified custodian, or exchange-traded products—no forced sales if value fluctuates over limit. Stablecoins need federal or state regulatory green light. Bill referred to Banking and Insurance Committee; unclear if it’ll pass, but it’s part of a wave—Texas, Arizona, and New Hampshire already have state-level crypto reserves on books from 2025 proposals. This treats Bitcoin as a legitimate hedge against fiat erosion and deficit spending, putting sound money on the treasury balance sheet. States are increasingly viewing BTC not as speculation, but as strategic reserve.

Belgium just got a major TradFi upgrade: KBC Group (second-largest bank) is launching retail Bitcoin and Ether trading—the first Belgian bank to do so. Goes live week of February 16, 2026 on their Bolero investment platform, fully regulated under EU’s MiCAR rules. It’s execution-only: you decide trades, no advice given. Clients must pass a knowledge/experience test on risks (volatility, total loss possible). Closed-loop setup—no moving assets to external wallets/exchanges, bank handles custody so no private key worries. Driven by demand: ~45% of Belgians in their 30s already hold crypto, Bolero’s base is 60% under 40, and ‘Bitcoin’ is a top search term. Echoes moves like Germany’s DZ Bank—banks are bridging fiat to sound money in a compliant way. Real adoption momentum building in Europe.

Bitcoin mining’s ‘waste’ heat is revolutionizing home heating—turning energy critics’ complaints into practical wins by capturing ASIC-generated warmth for homes and greenhouses while earning BTC to offset costs. Key innovations: • Superheat’s H1 (fresh from CES 2026): A $2K 50-gallon water heater with built-in miners; uses the same power as a standard electric unit but mines BTC to recoup up to 80% of electricity/water bills (~$1K/year potential). • Heatbit space heaters: Plug-and-play units ($900–$2K) that warm 400–500 sq ft rooms, purify air, and hash at 8–14 TH/s quietly (<42 dB)—repurposing heat that’d otherwise be lost. • Whole-home setups from RY3T (Switzerland) and Softwarm (U.S.): Liquid-cooled miners integrate with radiators/underfloor systems, heating entire houses/pools; RY3T’s ONE/MINI even monetizes excess solar PV for BTC. Real pilots like Marathon’s in Finland prove it: Waste heat now warms 80,000 residents via district networks, slashing biomass/peat use and emissions. This dual-use flips energy economics—mine BTC, heat sustainably, and hedge inflation in cold climates. Early adopters are stacking sats while staying toasty; expect this to scale globally as BTC hits new ATHs.

Big win for Bitcoin in Argentina: Lemon (5.5M+ user exchange) rolled out the nation’s first BTC-collateralized Visa credit card today. Lock 0.01 BTC ($900 value) to unlock a 1 million peso revolving credit line—no liquidation of holdings, no traditional credit history required. BTC stays safe as collateral while you spend pesos amid 30%+ inflation and banking distrust. Future phases add adjustable limits, USDC/USDT for international use. This is Bitcoin becoming everyday liquidity without compromise—real proof of sound money in a broken fiat system.

Tick Tock Next Block.

The people telling you that the four year cycle is still valid are the same people who are holding bags of shitcoins waiting for an alt season that never came.

Bitcoin closed the month at $109608 down 3.9%. This cycle’s not following the usual 4 year pattern, anyone trading based on past cycles can see it’s off. Nobody, not even the loudest voices, truly knows where the price is going. Ignore the hype and predictions. Bitcoin remains the hardest asset on the planet, with governments, corporations, and individuals quietly accumulating. The smart move. Buy, hold, and stay focused on the long game, Bitcoin’s strength isn’t in short term noise but in its unmatched

The weekly candle closed at just under 115k. Crazy week where we saw new ATH at 126k then a weekly low of 102k.

Buy Bitcoin. Send it to cold storage. Stay away from leverage and shitcoins. That’s it.