💰 CRYPTO & FINANCE

Crypto Market Update: BTC Holds Above $95K, Altcoins Slide, XRP Surges in Korea

Written by SimpleDigitalWorld

17.01.2026

5 min read

Bitcoin remains resilient above $95,000, but altcoins are under pressure. Meanwhile, XRP volume explodes in South Korea amid regulatory arbitrage. Here’s what you need to know.

📉 Crypto Market Downturn Led by Altcoins

The total cryptocurrency market is experiencing a mild bearish trend as altcoins take a sharper hit compared to Bitcoin. According to BeInCrypto, Bitcoin (BTC) is still holding firm above $95,000, but the overall market cap has dipped due to aggressive selloffs in the altcoin space. Monero (XMR) led the decline among privacy coins, raising concerns over investor confidence in niche tokens.

🔍 Institutional Doubts on Bitcoin Spark Volatility

Investor sentiment took another blow after one of Wall Street’s top strategists at Jefferies questioned Bitcoin’s long-term viability amid concerns over quantum computing. In a piece by BeInCrypto, the strategist cited potential threats to BTC’s cryptographic security, stating, “We no longer consider Bitcoin a safe store of value beyond the next decade.”

This narrative shift could push institutional investors to reassess their long-term exposure to BTC and favor other crypto assets or hedge strategies.

🔥 XRP Dominates South Korea Trading Volumes

Meanwhile, XRP is surging in South Korea, not necessarily in price but in volume. A report by CryptoSlate highlights how XRP is exploiting a regulatory gap in Korea’s spot-only exchange rules. Retail traders are flocking to XRP as a high-frequency trading pair thanks to its low latency and favorable liquidity metrics.

With BTC and ETH facing limited upside in the region, XRP has become the go-to asset for Korean traders seeking market agility.

🚨 Altcoins to Watch This Weekend

With markets tilting bearish, all eyes are on select altcoins to see if they can hold support levels or break lower. BeInCrypto’s weekend forecast pinpoints 3 altcoins that could show resilience:

  • Render (RNDR) – watching for a bounce above $7.00 support
  • Arweave (AR) – potential breakout if it clears the $30 resistance
  • Chainlink (LINK) – maintaining higher lows despite broader weakness

Traders should monitor these closely for entry opportunities if market sentiment improves.

📉 HBAR Token Down 40% Despite ETF Launch

The highly anticipated launch of a Canary ETF linked to Hedera (HBAR) has failed to deliver price gains. In fact, HBAR has dropped over 40% since the ETF’s debut. As BeInCrypto reports, the token’s lack of momentum reflects market skepticism about whether ETF products can drive utility or adoption without strong fundamental growth.

Key takeaway: ETF announcements may not guarantee positive price action—investors should scrutinize tokenomics and user adoption.

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💡 Actionable Takeaways

  • Monitor Bitcoin’s $95K support — breakdown could intensify altcoin losses.
  • Watch for further institutional sentiment shifts following Jefferies’ BTC downgrade.
  • Explore XRP trading trends in Korean markets for short-term volatility plays.
  • Evaluate weekend altcoin setups (RNDR, AR, LINK) for breakout potential.
  • Be cautious of ETF-driven hype without fundamental backing, as seen with HBAR.

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