Overview of popular cryptocurrencies on January 17, 2026, with the top three in popularity being: TRX, AIA, H

Exodus CEO: Retail investors at a nine-year low, institutions quietly enjoy the crypto bull market

Exodus CEO JP Richardson said that in 2026 the crypto market will see an unprecedented structural shift, with institutional investors moving in rapidly, while retail investors are absent at scale due to a cost-of-living crisis. Data shows retail activity has fallen to a nine-year low, and some funds are flowing to traditional markets. While sentiment is fragile in the short term, the outlook for the mid term is still viewed positively.

European Central Bank backs ESMA with centralized oversight of crypto regulation, and bearish signals for Bitcoin emerge

The European Central Bank has officially supported transferring regulatory authority over crypto-asset service providers to the European Securities and Markets Authority, marking an important step in the process of consolidating crypto oversight. This change is intended to unify regulatory standards, reduce fragmentation issues, and strengthen compliance requirements, but it is expected to increase the compliance burden for small and medium-sized businesses. The market reacted negatively, and confidence in Bitcoin’s price outlook declined.

Hormuz Strait is interrupted again: U.S. forces’ formal blockade goes into effect, with crude oil surging nearly 10% intraday

The U.S. Navy began blockading the Strait of Hormuz starting April 13, U.S. Eastern Time, with all passage halted. Crude oil prices jumped nearly 10% in a single day, while Bitcoin fell 1.2% over the past 24 hours.

Tom Lee says US stocks may have already hit bottom, and Bitmine is supporting the New York Stock Exchange main board listing with a 4 billion yuan backstop

Bitmine rose to the NYSE main board on April 13 and increased its share repurchase authorization from $1 billion to $4 billion to support its stock price. Chairman Tom Lee said that U.S. stocks may have already bottomed out because the Iran-Iraq ceasefire agreement eased geopolitical risks and because the fundamentals of ether (ETH) have improved. Bitmine holds about 4.8 million ETH, and each 1% increase brings roughly $100 million in asset appreciation.

Morpho Borrowers Paid $170M Interest. Aave Made More.

_Morpho borrowers paid $170M in interest over one year, Token Terminal data shows, outpacing Aave’s $140M revenue against a comparable $1.5B valuation._ DeFi lending is moving fast. And one protocol nobody was talking about two years ago just posted numbers that are turning heads across the

BSC Chinese meme coins surge across the board, as CZ’s tweet sparks a “Crypto Summer” craze

On April 13, Chinese meme coins across the BSC chain rose across the board, led by “Binance Life,” with a weekly gain of up to 360% and an intraday increase of over 45%. CZ’s post sparked resonance with “Crypto Summer,” energizing sentiment across the entire sector. Although market sentiment has surged in the short term, the high volatility and liquidity risks of meme coins cannot be ignored, and investors need to be cautious.