On January 30, a U.S. missile destroyer arrived at the Israeli Red Sea port of Eilat. According to Jin10, the Israeli military stated that the arrival of the destroyer was pre-planned and is part of ongoing cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. military.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized the forfeiture of over $400 million in cryptocurrency and other assets associated with Helix, a Bitcoin-era darknet mixing service. According to Cointelegraph, the assets were seized from Larry Harmon, the operator of Helix, which facilitated transactions between 2014 and 2017. The crypto mixer was designed to obscure the origins and destinations of Bitcoin linked to darknet markets. The forfeiture follows a January 21 order by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, which formally transferred ownership of the assets to the government. This final court order grants the government legal title to the seized digital assets, real estate, and financial assets connected to Helix's operations. This development marks the conclusion of one of the most significant early Bitcoin mixer prosecutions in US courts, highlighting the lengthy process of resolving major crypto-related enforcement actions, even after criminal activities have ceased. Helix processed at least 354,468 Bitcoin during its operation, valued at approximately $300 million at the time of the transactions, according to the DOJ. Prosecutors linked this activity to darknet drug markets aiming to launder illegal proceeds. Harmon also operated Grams, a search engine designed to support major darknet markets active during that period. Investigators revealed that Helix's application programming interface allowed marketplaces to integrate the mixer directly into their Bitcoin withdrawal systems, facilitating large-scale laundering activities. The DOJ reported that investigators traced tens of millions from darknet markets to Helix. Harmon was arrested in February 2020 and pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced in November 2024 to three years in prison. At the time, the court ordered Harmon to forfeit assets valued at more than $400 million. Last week's order finalized the forfeiture, transferring clear legal title to the US government. As previously reported by Cointelegraph, Harmon's sentence was reduced after he cooperated with investigators, including testifying in the Bitcoin Fog case against Roman Sterlingov.

Gold prices retreated sharply after surging to record highs as traders took profits and a stronger dollar made it more expensive for overseas buyers to purchase the precious metal. Market focus has now shifted to Trump's expected decision on his nominee for Federal Reserve chair, due later on Friday. Trump's advisors have hinted that he may nominate Kevin Warsh. Saxo Bank analysts noted that Warsh is considered less controversial and less clearly dovish compared to other candidates circulating before the nomination announcement. (Jinshi)

Japan's economy is anticipated to experience a modest recovery in the fourth quarter, according to a report by ING analyst Min Joo Kang. According to Jin10, the slight rebound is expected to be driven primarily by private consumption and the services sector, despite a slowdown in monthly economic activity. The senior economist for the Korea-Japan region at the bank noted that retail sales in December fell more than expected, and manufacturing activity likely remained sluggish during the quarter. Japan's GDP is projected to grow by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of 2025, reversing a 0.6% contraction in the third quarter.

Foresight News posted on X (formerly Twitter) that a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed a significant move by private equity leader Dan Bin. His overseas fund, Dongfang Harbor, completely liquidated all cryptocurrency-related stocks in the fourth quarter of 2025. This decision marks a notable exit from the crypto market.The data indicates that Dan Bin's venture into cryptocurrency was not financially successful, resulting in substantial losses. Additionally, an interesting experiment he conducted on Weibo two years ago has resurfaced, prompting a reflection on the value of assets mentioned at that time compared to their worth today.The disclosure of Dan Bin's losses in the crypto sector has sparked curiosity and discussion about the financial impact of his investments in this volatile market.

According to the official announcement, Binance Futures will launch perpetual contracts at the following times: February 2, 2026, 22:30 (UTC+8): INTCUSDT stock perpetual contract, with a maximum leverage of 10x; February 2, 2026, 22:45 (UTC+8): HOODUSDT stock perpetual contract, with a maximum leverage of 10x.

Overall MarketSource: TradingviewBitcoin Consolidates While Precious Metals SurgeAs we noted in our recent analysis, Bitcoin has tested the lower bound of its established channel multiple times since mid-November, following its retreat below the $100,000 psychological threshold. While these tests have generated short-term bounces, they have yet to catalyze a sustained reversal. This persistent weakness has increased the probability of a near-term breakdown.In contrast to the crypto market's sluggish performance, precious metals have delivered exceptional returns over the past two months. Gold and silver have achieved consecutive all-time highs with volatility reminiscent of crypto assets. Interestingly, this bullish sentiment and FOMO-driven momentum has not extended to Bitcoin—the so-called "digital gold"—which remains sensitive to macro headwinds, including President Trump's tariff announcements targeting EU and Canadian trading partners.Thursday's Multi-Factor SelloffMicrosoft's post-Wednesday earnings release triggered notable market movement. Despite beating consensus on both revenue and EPS, elevated capital expenditure guidance raised investor concerns about AI investment returns. MSFT declined approximately 10% on Thursday, pressuring most AI-related equities lower, with Meta being a notable exception.Concurrently, escalating US-Iran geopolitical tensions drove a flight to safety, propelling oil, gold (briefly touching $5,600), and silver (exceeding $120) sharply higher. The parabolic price action suggested a potential blow-off top, which materialized as both metals subsequently retraced 8-10%, adding to broader market pressure.Bitcoin and the wider crypto market absorbed these headwinds acutely, breaking decisively through the $84,000 support level we've previously highlighted as critical. The inability to quickly reclaim this threshold has opened downside space toward the $80,000 support level and even the $74,600 low marked in April 2025.Our Market OutlookNear-Term PerspectiveCurrent conditions remain challenging, with long liquidations accelerating the sell-off. Bitcoin is exhibiting elevated correlation with US technology equities during risk-off periods, while sustained outflows from crypto ETFs underscore a rotation toward AI-focused investments. Notably, several Bitcoin miners are repurposing infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing workloads—reflected in a 4%+ decline in mining difficulty over the past 30 days. This signals a temporary capital and narrative shift away from crypto.Longer-Term OutlookWe remain constructive on Bitcoin and digital assets over an extended horizon. Several structural tailwinds support our view: improving global liquidity conditions, innovative crypto applications across PayFi and Real-World Assets gaining traction, potential spillover from precious metals momentum as dollar weakness persists, and meaningful progress on regulatory frameworks in the US and internationally. We believe these factors will ultimately restore capital inflows and upward momentum to the crypto ecosystem.Macro at a glanceWeekly Macro Highlights (January 22 - January 28, 2026)Thursday, January 22, 2026US GDP expanded 4.4% (QoQ) in Q3 2025, exceeding consensus estimates of 4.3% and accelerating from Q2's 3.8% growth rateUS initial jobless claims totaled 200,000, below the 209,000 forecast, while continuing claims declined to 1,849,000 from 1,875,000, signaling labor market resilience following the Federal Reserve's recent rate reductionUS PCE Price Index and Core PCE Price Index both registered 2.8% year-over-year growth in November, aligned with market expectationsFriday, January 23, 2026Japan's national core CPI rose 2.4% year-over-year in December, decelerating from November's 3.0% increaseThe Bank of Japan maintained its policy rate at 0.75%, as widely anticipatedThe BoJ revised its economic growth forecast for FY2025 (ending March 2026) upward to 0.9% from 0.7%, and raised its FY2026 GDP outlook to 1.0% from 0.7%Monday, January 26, 2026US durable goods orders increased 5.3% month-over-month in November, surpassing the 3.1% consensus forecastTuesday, January 27, 2026The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index declined to 84.5 in January from 94.2 in December, falling short of the 90.6 estimateWednesday, January 28, 2026The Bank of Canada held its policy rate steady at 2.25%, consistent with market expectationsThe Federal Reserve maintained the federal funds rate at 3.75%, in line with forecasts. During the subsequent press conference, Chair Powell refrained from providing specific forward guidance on the rate path, declined to address USD volatility, and avoided commenting on matters related to the administration.

American entrepreneur Elon Musk is considering consolidating his assets to advance his space computing power strategy. It is understood that Musk's vision of deploying artificial intelligence data centers in space could be realized through the aforementioned different paths. If engineering permits, one approach is for SpaceX's on-orbit data centers to provide massive computing power to xAI. Another approach is for Tesla's ability to manufacture energy storage systems to help SpaceX operate these data centers in space using solar energy. Sources say Musk has not yet made a final decision, details are subject to change, and the companies involved may remain independent. (Cailian Press)

On January 30, Solana's perpetual contract platform Pacifica reported active trading in XAU (on-chain silver) and PAXG (on-chain gold) contracts. According to BlockBeats, these contracts ranked sixth and eighth in trading volume on the platform, with a combined 24-hour trading volume accounting for 9.36%, approximately $8.71 million. The open interest volume share was around 7.13%, approximately $5.03 million.Monitoring indicates that leading traders on the platform have been generating significant trading volumes while commonly holding positions in precious metals like PAXG and XAG (on-chain silver), with most achieving profitability.Users can utilize the on-chain tracking tool Coinbob Pacifica (@CoinbobPAC_bot) to follow these traders, potentially earning profits and accumulating Pacifica platform points in preparation for possible airdrops.

Binance has announced plans to convert $1 billion worth of stablecoin reserves held in its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) into Bitcoin, marking a decisive shift in how the exchange manages its emergency insurance fund. source: https://www.ethnews.com/binance-to-convert-1-billion-safu-reserves-back-into-bitcoin/

Why did HYPE surge? Over the past 3 days, HYPE has become one of the best-performing tokens.

Who is Warsh? What are his views on monetary policy? What is his opinion on Bitcoin? What impact will his appointment have on the crypto market? How do industry insiders view Warsh's election?

About 72% of licensed crypto exchanges in Indonesia were still losing money in 2025, even though the country now has more than 20 million crypto users. Trading volume fell as many users moved to overseas platforms with lower fees and easier access, leaving local exchanges struggling to compete.

Brave is betting that the next wave of Web3 users won’t arrive through crypto-first products, but through experiences that feel like games first and blockchain second.

In the Huobi HTX New Asset Trading Competition's "Battle of the Gods," trader "Xiaohai" stood out from global participants, starting with 100U and steadily progressing in the highly volatile and uncertain new asset track, ultimately winning the championship.

El Salvador’s central bank bought $50 million of gold, adding 9,298 ounces to bring total holdings to 67,403 ounces, worth about $360 million. The country continues to buy Bitcoin daily, now holding 7,547 BTC valued at around $635 million.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Investment Management has officially launched the Hang Seng Gold ETF on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, offering investors direct exposure to physical gold for the first time.

The reason Clawdbot became so popular is not only because it brought a Jarvis-like experience, but also because it inspired the industry and may even act as a catalyst to accelerate the development of the Agent Economy.

The Senate Agriculture Committee on Monday released a much-anticipated discussion draft of its portion of a sweeping bill that would overhaul how cryptocurrencies are regulated, inching the chamber closer to advancing the legislation.

OpenAI will remove GPT-4o and several older models from ChatGPT on 13 February 2026, as most users have already moved to GPT-5.2. The company says keeping little-used models no longer makes sense and wants to focus on improving the tools people use every day.