As the first trading week of the new year begins, signs of a mild recovery in the entire cryptocurrency market are becoming increasingly evident. According to the latest data, the total market capitalization has already returned to around $3.1 trillion. While it’s not yet a big wave, recovering from the year-end correction is a certainty.

Looking at the specific performance of mainstream coins can give a sense of this momentum. Bitcoin is currently fluctuating between $90,000 and $91,000, confirming support. After rebounding from a low of $88,000, although there was a brief correction, the bullish confidence remains evident. Ethereum stays above $3,100 with relatively steady movement. Interestingly, XRP has made a breakthrough—standing above $2 and surpassing BNB to become the fourth-largest asset in the market. This surge has definitely attracted attention. Other major coins like Cardano and Solana also followed the market upward, with ADA increasing by 7%.

The most direct support comes from institutional funds. On the first trading day of the new year, various crypto ETFs recorded nearly $670 million in net inflows, indicating that institutional investors are making strong commitments. Meanwhile, losses caused by hackers decreased by 60% month-over-month in December. Although a small signal, it does suggest some improvement in security.

Interestingly, the current market volatility has been compressed to quite low levels, often indicating that a major move is brewing. In the short term, the market may fluctuate within the $88,000 to $100,000 range, but the key is to watch signals from the Federal Reserve and changes in ETF fund flows.

Looking ahead to 2026, reports from multiple institutions suggest that the overall trend in the crypto space is shifting from "speculation" to "practical use."

The stablecoin ecosystem is expected to become a breakout point. These assets are likely to evolve into mainstream payment tools. According to forecasts, they could account for about 30% of international payments. The future form will be more complex—covering cross-border clearing, derivatives collateralization, enterprise-level ledgers, and more. The current circulation exceeds $300 billion, with trading volumes continuing to surge.

The potential for RWA (Real-World Asset on Chain) is even greater. From the current scale of $20 billion, some institutions predict this sector could expand to $400 billion by 2026, encompassing on-chain versions of traditional assets like securities and real estate. This will further stimulate innovation within the DeFi ecosystem.

Prediction markets are also worth watching. Platforms like Polymarket could see weekly trading volumes surpassing $200 million, gradually evolving into tools for macro consensus pricing.

The story of AI and blockchain integration is still unfolding. Topics such as large-scale AI agent collaboration, the rebound of privacy coin ecosystems, and even the long-term threat of quantum computing to crypto assets will become focal points of market discussion. Although some extreme views mention the risk of a BTC crash, these are not dominant in mainstream institutional forecasts.

Policy changes are also underway. It is expected that over 100 new crypto ETFs will be launched, the trend of including Bitcoin in retirement plans is accelerating, and sovereign funds are increasing their allocations. All these point to one direction: the re-pricing of assets driven by practical value, with the industry accelerating its integration.

In short, in the short term, you may see prices fluctuate within the $88k to $100k range, but more important are the underlying capital flows and policy developments behind these movements.