Bitcoin hits 96,000, privacy and inscription assets surge

Bitcoin broke through the $96,000 mark in today’s trading, marking the strongest rally since the beginning of 2026 in the entire cryptocurrency market.

During this rally, privacy coins led the gains with an increase of up to 45%, while Bitcoin ecosystem inscription tokens such as ORDI and SATS surged over 26%, becoming the most eye-catching sectors in this upward movement.

1. Market Overview

● Early this morning, the cryptocurrency market experienced a broad rebound. Bitcoin’s price briefly surpassed $96,000, with a 24-hour increase of 4.4%, currently quoted at $95,391.

● Meanwhile, Ethereum performed even more strongly, breaking through the $3,300 level, with a 24-hour gain of 7.45%, now trading at $3,329.

● Mainstream cryptocurrencies also rose in tandem, with Solana up 4.5% to $145.3, and BNB up 4.24% to $944.

This rally shows clear sector rotation characteristics, with privacy coins and Bitcoin ecosystem inscription assets leading the charge, while previously lagging altcoins also experienced a catch-up rally.

2. Leading Sector Analysis

Among the many rising cryptocurrencies, privacy coins and Bitcoin ecosystem inscription assets performed the most prominently, forming clear market hotspots.

● In the privacy coin sector, DASH led with an astonishing 45% increase, now priced at $57.3. This performance continues the recent strength of privacy assets, with Monero rising approximately 44% over the past eight days, briefly surpassing $640.

● Analysts believe that the strength of privacy coins is related to the market’s increasing narrative around resisting censorship and store of value, serving as a “safe haven” when mainstream assets are under pressure.

● The inscription sector experienced collective movement, with ORDI and SATS rising 28.4% and 26%, respectively, now priced at $5.44 and $0.00002 (1000 SATS).

These two tokens, as core components of the inscription sector, have driven a surge in trading volume and social media activity across the entire sector.

3. In-Depth Analysis of ORDI and SATS

Technical analysis of ORDI and SATS indicates that the current rally may be more of a technical rebound rather than the start of a new bull market.

● According to the latest data, ORDI’s 24-hour increase ranges from 26.84% to 27.12%, with trading prices between $5.39 and $5.40, and a market cap of approximately $113 million to $114 million.

● SATS’ gains in the same period are between 22.47% and 22.91%, with trading prices from $0.00000001982 to $0.00000001987, and a market cap of about $416 million to $417 million.

● From a technical perspective, both show signs of short-term overbought conditions. ORDI’s 4-hour RSI reaches 75.18, in the severely overbought zone; SATS’ 4-hour RSI is 70.99, also indicating overbought signals.

● The key risk point is the rapid accumulation of leverage, with ORDI’s 24-hour open interest soaring 41.09% to $7.941 billion, and SATS’ open interest increasing 38.56% to $453 million, posing a high liquidation risk.

4. Causes of the Rally

The overall market rise is driven by a confluence of macroeconomic environment, policy expectations, and technical factors.

● On the macro front, US December non-farm employment data and unemployment rate both came in below expectations, showing a slowdown in hiring and layoffs. This has led traders to increase bets on the Federal Reserve pausing rate cuts.

● On the policy side, the US Senate will review the CLARITY Act on January 15, which has attracted market attention. Although the bill’s review has been delayed, the market remains optimistic about the progress of crypto legislation.

● Standard Chartered’s latest report predicts 2026 will be the year of Ethereum, with a bullish outlook for ETH surpassing BTC. The bank has raised its long-term target price for ETH to $40,000 by the end of 2030.

● Fidelity believes the crypto market may be entering a super cycle, with a bull market lasting for many years. More governments and enterprises worldwide are incorporating digital assets into their balance sheets, potentially ending the traditional four-year cycle of cryptocurrencies.

5. Structural Changes in the Market

The current market exhibits clear structural features, with significant differences between sectors and ecosystems.

● In terms of capital flow, the rise of mainstream Bitcoin and Ethereum provides liquidity support for the entire market, while funds seeking higher risk-adjusted returns naturally spill over into privacy coins, inscription assets, and other sectors.

● Ethereum’s dominance in stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and DeFi, along with ongoing network expansion upgrades, gives it structural advantages that Bitcoin does not possess.

● The Solana ecosystem shows a different development path, with accelerated onboarding and gamification of growth, attracting many developers and users.

● The Bitcoin ecosystem itself is also undergoing profound changes, shifting from the narrative of “Bitcoin as digital gold” to “Bitcoin as a programmable base layer,” leading to a revaluation of assets enabled by the Ordinals protocol.

6. Risks and Outlook

Despite the market’s exuberance, potential risks should not be overlooked, and investors need to be cautious of possible market corrections.

● Technical indicators show that many leading assets are already in overbought territory, with significant short-term correction pressure. Especially, ORDI and SATS’ 4-hour RSI are both above 70, and leverage has increased rapidly, increasing liquidation risk.

● On-chain activity for inscription assets remains stable, accounting for about one-third of Bitcoin transactions, unchanged from December 2025, with no obvious surge.

● Social sentiment analysis indicates that current market discussion activity is below expectations, lacking viral spread and FOMO sentiment. The main narrative still focuses on technological upgrades rather than price speculation.

● Although Standard Chartered remains optimistic about Ethereum’s long-term prospects, it has downgraded its short-term price forecast, lowering the 2026 year-end target from $12,000 to $7,500. Looking ahead, market direction will be influenced by multiple factors, including US CPI data, Supreme Court tariff rulings, and the progress of the CLARITY Act, which could impact market sentiment in the short term.

As Bitcoin reclaims the $96,000 level, active addresses and holdings are expanding in tandem. The trading volume of Bitcoin ecosystem assets like ORDI has surged compared to normal levels, with prices rebounding from $3.80 to the $5.00 range, a 40% increase.

Market funds are shifting from macro narratives toward specific ecosystem competition. The gradual clarification of regulatory frameworks and institutionalization trends are accelerating, jointly outlining a future where digital assets increasingly integrate into traditional financial systems.