Bitcoin fell more than 7 percent in weekend trading, losing support at $80,000. Bitcoin dropped into the $76,000 range overnight on Feb. 1, hitting its lowest level since March 2025. About $100 billion in market value evaporated in the process, and major cryptocurrencies including bitcoin and ether fell sharply. More than $1.4 billion in leveraged long positions were forcibly liquidated, sending the market into panic.

• Crypto tumbles: Bitcoin breaks below $80,000, plunges to $76,000 • Gold and silver market loses $7 trillion; is bitcoin on the same path? • Silver plunges 31 percent in a day; U.S. stocks shocked by Trump-driven uncertainty

The gold and silver market suffered an unprecedented plunge, shedding about $7 trillion in 48 hours. The sudden collapse in gold and silver is sending shockwaves through global financial markets. Gold, which had been moving steadily, fell 8 percent in just 2 days, while silver dropped more than 30 percent.

The correction came as uncertainty in financial markets widened after U.S. President Donald Trump named former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh as his pick to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell. News of Warsh's nomination drew mixed interpretations over the future direction of monetary policy. It stoked investors' caution over the possibility of rate increases and a weaker dollar.

Bitcoin is wobbling. As the dollar weakens and gold prices surge, bitcoin suffered the humiliation of being pushed out of the top 10 asset class. Tom Lee says coins can rise only after the gold rally ends, and Cathie Wood warns of a gold price slump while calling for bargain hunting in bitcoin. Amid macroeconomic waves, bitcoin's identity is being put to the test.

• Cathie Wood: "Gold has reached 1980s levels; brace for a sharp drop" • Tom Lee: "When the gold and silver rally ends, bitcoin and ether will rebound in earnest" • Liquidation fears emerge: where does bitcoin go amid a U.S. government shutdown risk?

Cathie Wood of ARK Invest warned that gold prices have reached bubble levels last seen in the 1980s and could soon face the risk of a sharp drop. She pointed to an excessive concentration in gold. She argues that now is the right time to sell overvalued gold and buy undervalued innovative assets such as bitcoin. It highlights her contrarian investment strategy of moving against public fear.

Tom Lee of Fundstrat diagnosed the current weakness in cryptocurrencies as being driven by a flow of funds into precious metals. He predicted that once the overheated rally in gold and silver cools and enters a correction phase, liquidity with nowhere to go will move back into bitcoin and ether. In other words, he said the current decline is part of a rotation rather than a structural problem, and advised waiting for the precious-metals party to end.

As the risk of a shutdown of the U.S. federal government rises, fear is spreading across financial markets. Bitcoin is also not immune to such macro headwinds and is suffering from fears of large-scale liquidations. Market attention is focused on whether bitcoin will become a safe haven amid potential economic turmoil from a government paralysis, or be classified as a risk asset and plunge along with others.

The most striking recent trend is Ripple's XRP going its own way. Data show that regardless of bitcoin's moves, Ripple's payment volume has surged 138 percent and its price has risen more than 30,000 percent despite steady sales over the past 13 years. Experts warn that treating XRP as a coin for simple price gains is a losing strategy. They are betting on a long-term rise in value from $31 to $1,000.

• "The moment you see XRP as speculation, it's over": a completely different path from bitcoin • More presence than expected: XRP payment volume surges 138 percent to an all-time high • Traditional banks for 40 years vs. XRP for 9 months: stark difference in investment returns

It is a strong warning not to put XRP on the same footing as bitcoin and approach it as a target for simple price gains or short-term speculation. Ripple was designed around a clear utility of cross-border payments and providing financial liquidity. It says the focus should be on technology adoption and partnership expansion rather than market swings. It stresses that while bitcoin is a store of value as digital gold, XRP is the infrastructure through which money flows, calling for a major shift in investment perspective.

Payment throughput on the XRP Ledger increased 138 percent from a year earlier to a record high. It is presented as the clearest fundamental indicator that demand for actual remittances and payments, not speculative trading, is surging. While prices move sideways, the network's underlying strength is said to be firmer than ever. It says accumulating such real-use data is likely to become a catalyst for a future price surge.

It compares returns from investing for 40 years in traditional bank savings or stock products with returns from investing in XRP for just 9 months, to show the explosive potential of virtual assets. It points to the limits of low returns hidden behind the stability offered by the existing financial system. It argues that in an era of inflation, investors need to take risks and invest in innovative assets such as XRP to grow wealth.

• Can 20,000 XRP deliver financial freedom? Expert analysis • Musk's AI Grok stays silent on XRP's 2026 price forecast; investors ask: "Why? What does it mean?"

It calculates a specific amount of XRP holdings needed for the financial freedom individual investors want most. It simulates how much purchasing power a holding of 20,000 coins could have if prices rise in the future, and whether that could enable retirement or a FIRE lifestyle. By presenting a realistic target amount rather than vague expectations, it aims to help investors review their portfolios and gain motivation to hold for the long term.

Elon Musk's AI Grok, unlike with other coins, has avoided answering or has taken an ambiguous stance only on a 2026 XRP price forecast, fueling investors' curiosity and doubts. In the community, various interpretations are pouring out on whether it is due to uncertainty over an SEC lawsuit or whether a huge variable exists that even AI cannot predict. The AI's silence is instead amplifying market attention.

As bitcoin pauses, the altcoin market is undergoing a shake-up. Meme coins such as dogecoin and shiba inu are being discussed as long-term investment assets beyond a passing fad, and ether is projected to rise fourfold in 2026. It says the era of blind investing is ending and a sorting-out is beginning in earnest.

• "Ether is different": market stirred by forecasts of a fourfold rise in 2026 • Meme coin market reshuffle accelerates: where do dogecoin and shiba inu go?

Despite the recent slump, an analysis has emerged that ether will rise more than fourfold from its current price by 2026, rattling the market. It argues that inflows of institutional funds after approval of spot ETFs and the activation of layer-2 solutions will drive price gains. It reaffirms the belief that ether's fundamentals remain solid as the king of smart contract platforms.

A meme coin market that had been sprouting up is being reshaped around dogecoin and shiba inu. It says the structure is shifting so that only projects creating real value will survive, beyond simple fun, such as by adopting payment use cases or building their own ecosystems. It forecasts that polarization within the meme coin market will deepen and that major meme coins' market dominance will strengthen further.

The industry is split over the U.S. "Clarity Act". Ripple welcomes it but Coinbase opposes it. The arrival of the Trump administration has brought the bill back to the table. When politics sets the rules of the market, someone smiles and someone cries.

• Why Ripple backs the U.S. Clarity Act and Coinbase opposes it • Trump administration revives the Clarity Act

The industry has mixed reactions to the U.S. "Clarity Act", which aims to clarify whether virtual assets are securities. Ripple supports it because clear rules would allow it to shed lawsuit risks and expand its business. Coinbase, which needs to list a variety of coins to earn fees, opposes it because tighter rules could lead to delistings and other hits. It provides an in-depth analysis of the conflicting interests based on each side's way of survival.

With the arrival of the Trump administration, discussion of the dormant "Clarity Act" is gaining momentum again. Traditional banks and the cryptocurrency industry are expected to wage an intense lobbying battle over the bill's details. It suggests that whether the bill passes and the direction it takes will be an important turning point that determines dominance in the U.S. virtual asset market.

• Going against the rout: 'Money Tree Sister' scooped up crypto stocks in a bloodbath market

Even in a "bloodbath" market gripped by fear as prices plunged, Cathie Wood's ARK Invest is bucking the trend by buying large amounts of related shares such as Coinbase. It is portrayed as another example of her investment philosophy that the best buying opportunity comes when others sell in fear. It says the move by an institution to use a down market as a chance to buy cheap offers a glimpse of confidence in a market rebound.