BizwavemediaPersonal Finance and Crypto Updates

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Bitcoin surged to a new eight-week high on Wednesday, crossing $97,300 amid renewed momentum across the crypto market. The rally continues a strong start to 2026, with Bitcoin gaining over $10,000 since opening the year near $87,000.

Traders appear to be positioning for further upside, with Polymarket odds now assigning a 72% chance of Bitcoin reaching $100,000 before the end of January.

The rally lifted the broader crypto market by over 4% in the past 24 hours, pushing total market capitalization to $3.34 trillion. Ethereum climbed near $3,400, Solana hit $148, and XRP reached $2.17, reflecting broad-based strength among major assets.

In the past 24 hours, crypto markets saw $783 million in liquidations, driven by Bitcoin’s rally. CoinGlass data shows $682 million in shorts and $101 million in longs were wiped out, with most of the impact concentrated in BTC and ETH futures.

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Bitnomial has launched the first-ever US-regulated Aptos (APT) futures on its exchange, offering institutional and retail traders a compliant venue for APT price discovery and risk management.

The futures contracts have monthly expirations and settle in USD or APT, depending on the position direction. Traders can post crypto or USD as margin through Bitnomial Clearinghouse. Contracts are available through the exchange’s Futures Commission Merchants clearing members.

“These are the first US APT futures, and a regulated futures market is a prerequisite for spot crypto ETF approval under the SEC’s generic listing standards,” said Michael Dunn, President of Bitnomial Exchange. “Institutions can now gain APT exposure through the same infrastructure they use for Bitcoin and Ether derivatives, with portfolio margining across positions.”

Aptos is a layer 1 blockchain using the Move programming language and a parallel execution engine for sub-second finality.

Solomon Tesfaye, Chief Business Officer at Aptos Labs, a core developer of the Aptos network, stated that US-regulated derivatives infrastructures are crucial for institutional adoption of blockchain technology.

“Bitnomial’s CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse provide the institutional framework that sophisticated market participants need to gain exposure to Aptos while meeting their compliance and risk management requirements,” Tesfaye said.

APT futures are currently live for institutional clients, with retail access coming soon via Bitnomial’s Botanical platform, and plans are underway to launch perpetual futures and options in the future.

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CME Group will launch a new 100-Ounce Silver futures contract on February 9, 2026, as silver reaches historic price levels. The metal hit a new all-time high above $88 today and is approaching the $90 threshold.

The contract will be financially settled using COMEX’s benchmark silver price and is aimed at expanding access for both retail and institutional traders. Jin Hennig, CME’s Global Head of Metals, said silver is increasingly appealing to retail investors seeking diversification amid geopolitical uncertainty and the energy transition.

The launch comes during silver’s extraordinary run. After soaring 145% in 2025, the metal is already up over 20% in 2026 with fewer than eight trading days on the calendar. Gold is also rallying, setting a new all-time high above $4,624 at press time.

Metals markets are surging as geopolitical tensions rise, with conflicts involving the US, Venezuela, and Iran fueling demand for hard assets. Silver and gold continue to break all-time highs as investors seek safety amid mounting global uncertainty.

CME Group has reported record metals volume in response. In 2025, Micro Gold futures averaged 301,000 contracts per day, Micro Silver averaged 48,000, and the 1-Ounce Gold futures, launched in January 2025, exceeded 6 million contracts traded.

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Bitcoin surged past $93.5K on Tuesday, rebounding sharply from a Monday morning dip to $90K, as investors responded to fresh US inflation data and shifting political sentiment.

The latest CPI report showed prices rose 2.7% year-over-year in December, matching November and consensus expectations. The tame reading bolstered confidence in the Fed’s current policy path, with the CME FedWatch Tool now assigning a 97% probability that the central bank will hold rates steady at its late January meeting.

While markets initially reacted to Friday’s news that Fed Chair Jerome Powell had been subpoenaed by the DOJ, the weekend rally to $92K quickly faded. However, Tuesday’s move suggests Bitcoin is regaining momentum as a hedge against political risk and macro uncertainty.

As Bitcoin rose 3.5% from Monday’s lows, major crypto assets followed: Ether climbed to nearly $3.2K, Solana to $143, and XRP rose to $2.1 over the past 24 hours.

Among standout movers, Story Protocol’s IP token surged 48%, while Monero (XMR) jumped 15% to a new all-time high near $700, now up over 50% in the past week.

The pseudonymous trader known as ‘BitcoinOG,’ also called ‘1011short,’ who rose to prominence after a massive win during the October 2025 market crash, recorded nearly $50 million in unrealized profits within 24 hours from long bets on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

According to data tracked by Lookonchain, the iconic short seller has built $845 million of long exposure to the three leading crypto assets. The recent market rebound delivers quick returns on positions.

Bitcoin rose about 5% to trade above $95,000 over the past 24 hours, as Ethereum climbed 7% to $3,300 and Solana added 5% to $146, per CoinGecko. The total crypto market capitalization reclaimed $3.3 trillion, up approximately 5% during this stretch.

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Prediction markets now place odds of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stepping down or being removed by the end of 2026 at roughly 65%, as mass protests and a deepening economic crisis fuel nationwide unrest.

On Polymarket odds of Khamenei’s departure by December 31 have surged from 30% in late December to nearly 65%. Separate contracts show 24% odds of his exit by January 31, 46% by March 31, and 53% by June 30.

Kalshi prices Khamenei’s exit before 2027 at 66%, also up from 30% weeks ago.

Hundreds have reportedly been killed and thousands arrested in Iran amid the unrest. The country faces 45% inflation and a collapsing rial, with basic goods like meat and cooking oil becoming unaffordable for many.

US-led sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program, combined with corruption and mismanagement, have pushed the economy further toward crisis.

US President Donald Trump has issued public warnings threatening military action if protesters are killed. He also stated that countries doing business with Iran could face a 25% tariff on trade with the US.

Khamenei, who has ruled for over 36 years, holds final authority over Iran’s military, foreign policy, and domestic affairs despite the presence of an elected parliament.

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AlphaTON Capital, a digital asset treasury company focused on Telegram’s TON network, announced a $46 million deal to acquire 576 NVIDIA B300 GPUs, its largest AI compute deployment to date. The stock surged 107% midday Tuesday following the news.

The half-cluster is set for delivery in February and will be hosted at a 100% hydro-powered facility in Sweden. The company projects the deployment will generate a 27% IRR and 282% ROI, with revenue expected to begin in March.

AlphaTON’s infrastructure powers privacy-preserving AI for Telegram’s Cocoon AI network, offering a decentralized alternative to major tech platforms. The project is funded through a combination of balance sheet cash, non-recourse debt, and staged equity.

CEO Brittany Kaiser said the company is building toward a $7 trillion AI market, addressing demand for sovereign, confidential compute.