2026-01-03 07:21:44

Recently looked at the market trends and found that the rhythm has completely changed. Bitcoin has retreated from the high of $126,000 and has been ranging between $85,000 and $90,000 for three weeks. Don't think this is a simple technical correction—it's actually large funds quietly rotating. The retail investors who bought in during the Meme coin frenzy last year have now been mostly absorbed by institutions. The Fear & Greed Index has returned to 52, and you can clearly feel the market's craziness fading, as everyone begins to observe calmly.

Where has the money gone? It's particularly interesting. The Meme coins and air blockchain projects that were hot earlier are being continuously sold off, but there are two clear directions for new hot money. One is the RWA (Real-World Asset) track. After the US stablecoin legislation was introduced, tokenized US Treasuries and equities have become popular again, with platforms like Ondo and Link seeing record trading volumes. The other is AI proxy infrastructure. The market is no longer obsessing over concept hype but is looking for tools that enable true inter-payment between AI programs. Projects like Bittensor and Virtuals protocol have become focal points.

A few coins are performing especially strangely. Monero, in 2026 when regulations tighten, is actually approaching its $519 high, with trading volume tripling—obviously some big players are accumulating off-exchange. Cardano's founder's Midnight privacy sidechain project isn't syncing with the overall market; today's trading is active but social buzz is very low, which looks like institutions are pre-positioning. Also, the old project Holo suddenly surged 33%, because its distributed framework is being applied in AI training data validation—this isn't hype, there's real demand driving it.

In the short term, focus on these points. The US non-farm payroll data will be released soon, with expectations of adding 50,000 to 55,000 jobs. If the number is below this, Bitcoin could directly drop to $82,000. Today, two Federal Reserve officials will speak, and we need to see if they change their tone on this year's rate cut expectations. Additionally, a major token unlock for a mainstream L2 project is happening tomorrow, and the selling pressure shouldn't be underestimated. Recently, AI automated trading has increased, and phishing attacks have also risen—don't forget to check your smart contract approvals.

The market has now entered a stage of rational discernment; the era of blindly chasing highs is over. The real opportunities lie in RWA and privacy sectors, which are the most certain tracks in the short term.

BTC2,02%

MEME-2,08%

RWA5,01%

ONDO-0,34%

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.

14 Likes

Reward
14
4
Repost
Share

Comment

0/400

NeverVoteOnDAO

· 01-03 07:51

Monero's recent accumulation phase is indeed strange. What are the big players thinking? Institutions are quietly positioning themselves in the privacy sector, while retail investors are still playing Meme tokens. The gap is widening. The RWA (Real-World Assets) hype was obvious early on, but the ones who truly profit are always those who get in early. We need to be cautious with the non-farm payroll data this time; the $82,000 support level must hold. If it breaks, it could be troublesome. Holo increased by 33%, but no one is discussing it? This is truly a project with solid fundamentals. Honestly, those still chasing the rally now are just trying to cut the leeks. The era of rational discernment has truly arrived. Remind those around you to check smart contract authorizations; phishing attacks are becoming more and more frequent. The L2 unlocks are putting selling pressure again, and another round of drops might happen. This week looks very risky.

View OriginalReply0

AmateurDAOWatcher

· 01-03 07:42

Monero's crazy accumulation, there must be a story behind it RWA is really about to rise, all the previously hyped-up projects need to step aside How will the non-farm payroll data move this time? It will directly determine the rhythm going forward The meme coin bagholders need to wake up, institutions have already withdrawn Holo's 33% surge isn't just hype; projects with real demand are worth watching Smart contract authorization is really important; otherwise, you'll get exploited without even knowing Privacy coins and RWA are indeed the two sectors with the highest certainty Midnight's layout is quite interesting; social media buzz is suppressed, but it definitely won't be for no reason If non-farm payrolls fall apart, the $82,000 level will definitely be unbreakable The story of Bittensor is far from over; the AI infrastructure sector has just begun

View OriginalReply0

ExpectationFarmer

· 01-03 07:35

Monero 519 approaches its all-time high, this wave is clearly not a game for retail investors RWA is indeed hot, but be cautious when entering, don't get trapped by institutions Holo up 33% driven by actual demand? That's worth paying attention to, not those air coins If the non-farm payroll data drops after release, the 82,000 level might be pushed further down, everyone, set your stop-losses The privacy sidechain Midnight's social media activity is suppressed, there must be something behind it, keep an eye on it How are those guys who were trading Meme coins last year doing now? Have they all been picked up by institutions? The AI infrastructure sector really seems to have changed, from hype to finding practical tools, this is real progress Contract authorization really needs to be checked, too many phishing scams recently, don't get caught off guard and get liquidated Bitcoin has been consolidating for three weeks, definitely a sign of turnover, big institutions are quietly accumulating, retail investors are still buying at high levels Ondo and Link trading volumes hit new highs, indicating that real money is indeed flowing into the RWA sector

View OriginalReply0

faded_wojak.eth

· 01-03 07:34

Monero approaching 519 really can't hold, how much off-exchange capital is needed to operate like this during the regulatory window RWA is indeed attractive, but it still feels like a new trick for institutions to cut retail investors If non-farm payroll data hits 8.2, I'll buy the dip, anyway it's the same rhythm Holo's recent surge is supported by real demand, finally it's not just pure hype There are indeed undercurrents in the privacy coin sector; what does it mean that social buzz is suppressed? That AI automated trading setup, I did some calculations and feel the risk is a bit high I don't quite understand the institutional layout on Midnight; let's wait and see The era of retail investors taking the bait is really over; now you need a solid rationale to get in Phishing attacks have been rampant lately; I’ve already cleared all contract authorizations Rationality in the secondary market? Why do I still see a bunch of people chasing highs?

View OriginalReply0