Assets Rally On Trump Vibe Shift: Will BTC Break Out? | Crypto Town Hall

Bitcoin’s price action has been rough—hesitating and chopping as markets wait for Jan. 15 clarity out of Washington on the next big crypto market-structure push. Today we’ll dig into what that policy overhang could mean for the tape, how institutional flows are shaping the backdrop, and why moves affecting crypto-treasury proxies like Strategy/MicroStrategy matter right now—plus we’re joined by Allan Marshall from Upexi to break it all down.

9 Jan 30min

The panel breaks down the Zcash drama: the Electric Coin Company team resigns en masse over a governance clash, sparking a sharp but short-lived ZEC price drop. Panelists call it a "nothing burger", since the core devs are starting a new company to keep building privacy tech, and the protocol is unaffected. Debate intensifies on privacy coins (Zcash vs. Monero tech/adoption), why on-chain privacy is essential for payments, DeFi, and institutions, and broader market confusion: Bitcoin range-bound at ~$90K, mixed signals across stocks/gold/bonds, middle-class affordability woes, and prospects for an altcoin/small-cap rotation.

8 Jan 57min

Today we’re diving into Canton Network with Digital Asset CEO Yuval Rooz—and why it’s suddenly at the center of Wall Street’s “real onchain” moment: DTCC is mapping tokenization and identifying Canton as a supported network as it moves regulated assets on-chain, while JPMorgan is bringing JPM Coin onto Canton as part of its always-on settlement push. The big takeaway: this isn’t about memecoins—it’s about bringing the pipes of traditional finance onchain, where quadrillions of dollars in securities activity could eventually be represented and settled through tokenized workflows, changing how collateral, liquidity, and market infrastructure work in 2026 and beyond.

8 Jan 39min

Bernstein says Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have likely “bottomed,” keeping big upside targets in play, while traditional finance keeps leaning in with Morgan Stanley filing for new Bitcoin and Solana ETFs as spot Bitcoin ETF inflows rebound. We’ll also cover why 2026 is shifting from “writing crypto rules” to actually making them work—across accounting, stablecoins, and tax reporting—as the industry moves from hype to hard compliance.

7 Jan 41min

The Crypto Town Hall kicked off 2026 with host Scott Melker and panelists discussing Bitcoin's sideways action amid fading year-end selling pressure, whale accumulation in BTC/ETH, massive ETF inflows, and renewed altcoin strength (ETH, SOL, XRP flipping key MAs). Topics included Morgan Stanley's new Bitcoin and Solana trust filings, Venezuela's political shift and rumored Bitcoin reserve, Ledger's latest data breach risks, self-custody warnings, government fraud/waste, and California's billionaire tax proposal. The panel highlighted institutional adoption, geopolitical tailwinds, and building market optimism as key drivers for 2026 growth.

6 Jan 54min

Bitcoin ripped higher as spot ETF inflows surged (the biggest daily haul since October), with traders pointing to a fresh “risk-on” bid and a geopolitical catalyst out of Venezuela. We break down the rumor that Venezuela may be sitting on a massive, unconfirmed “shadow” Bitcoin reserve and why that narrative (plus the flow data) is adding fuel to the push toward the next major psychological levels.

6 Jan 58min

The Crypto Town Hall discussed Bitcoin’s current sideways trading amid year-end holiday slowdowns, highlighting whale buying and short squeezes but cautioning on potential retracements. The panel emphasized the need for major catalysts like regulatory clarity (e.g., the Clarity Act) and Layer 2 solutions to drive adoption. Privacy enhancements and institutional involvement were noted as key for future growth. Quantum computing fears were largely dismissed as overblown, with AI-driven risks seen as more immediate. The conversation concluded with an introduction to Bob, a Bitcoin-native DeFi platform aiming to unlock Bitcoin’s utility by enabling decentralized, trustless financial services, bridging Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems, and promoting broader adoption in the coming years.

5 Jan 1h

Bitcoin surges toward $100K as Venezuela headlines and U.S. action/capture news sparked a shock-driven rally and short squeeze, while traders watched key levels for a continuation. We also covered why the move may have been reinforced by returning spot Bitcoin ETF inflows, alongside a broader “risk-off” bid that pushed gold and silver higher. From there we zoomed out to the macro/policy setup—Fed rate-cut debate, Tom Lee’s warning of a 10–15% pullback early in 2026—and the regulatory backdrop, including Lummis retiring, Arizona’s crypto tax push, and the growing “Bitcoin-only” narrative.

5 Jan 1h 4min