Gate Daily (January 6): US banks recommend Bitcoin ETFs to wealth management clients; Japan commits to supporting cryptocurrencies being listed on stock exchanges

Bitcoin (BTC) continues its rebound trend, currently around $93,860 as of January 6. US banks are allowing financial advisors to recommend that clients allocate 1-4% of their investment portfolios to Bitcoin ETFs. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Tanaka has pledged full support for cryptocurrencies to be listed on stock exchanges. Polymarket will launch a real estate prediction market through a partnership with Parcl.

Macro Events & Crypto Hotspots

1. Starting January 5, Merrill Securities, US Bank Private Banking, and over 15,000 Merrill Advisors can recommend clients allocate 1-4% of their portfolios to Bitcoin ETFs, such as BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. Previously, clients had to apply for such investments themselves. Chief Investment Officer Chris Haze emphasized that this move aims to guide investors interested in thematic innovation, with a focus on regulated investment options and awareness of volatility risks. Bitcoin’s asset size has reached $1.7 trillion, indicating increasing acceptance among traditional investors.

2. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Tanaka announced 2026 as the “Digital Year” and emphasized the key role of exchanges in providing public access to blockchain assets, citing US Bitcoin ETFs as an example of effective inflation hedging. Japan plans reforms to treat mainstream tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum as securities, reducing capital gains tax from a maximum of 55% to 20%, and allowing banks to handle custody and trading of cryptocurrencies. These measures aim to integrate digital assets into the traditional financial system, promote local trading, and modernize amid the yen’s depreciation, with companies like Metaplanet already including Bitcoin on their balance sheets.

News Highlights

1. The US crypto market structure bill may be delayed until 2027 for approval and implemented in 2029.

2. The US Department of Justice is accused of violating regulations by selling seized Bitcoin from Samourai Wallet developers.

3. The Ethereum PoS network’s exit queue for ETH is nearly cleared, with the entry waiting period extended to over 20 days.

4. US stock market close: Dow Jones hits a new high, blockchain concept stocks rally across the board.

5. Bitmine adds staking of 186,000 ETH, totaling 779,000 ETH staked.

6. Strive increased holdings by approximately 101.8 Bitcoin from November 10 to December 31.

7. Brevis: BREV token airdrop claim opens at 21:00 on January 6, with a claim period of 30 days.

8. Starknet has resumed full operation.

9. Jupiter officially launched its stablecoin JupUSD.

10. Polymarket will launch a real estate prediction market through a partnership with Parcl.

Market Trends

1. Latest Bitcoin news: $BTC continues its rebound trend, currently around $93,860, with $228 million liquidated in the past 24 hours, mainly short positions.

2. After the US launched military action on January 3 to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, energy stocks surged, and all four major Wall Street indices rose, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at a new all-time high. The Dow rose 594.79 points or 1.23%, closing at 48,977.18. The S&P 500 increased 43.58 points or 0.64%, closing at 6,902.05. The Nasdaq gained 160.19 points or 0.69%, closing at 23,395.82. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 78.98 points or 1.07%, closing at 7,446.45.

(Source: Gate)

3. According to Gate’s BTC/USDT liquidation map, with the current price at $93,564.60, if it drops to around $92,913, the total long liquidation exceeds $362 million; if it rises to around $94,811, the total short liquidation exceeds $174 million. Short liquidations are lower than longs, so it is advisable to control leverage reasonably to avoid large-scale liquidations during market fluctuations.

(Source: Coinglass)

4. In the past 24 hours, spot inflow was $2.84 billion, outflow was $2.55 billion, net inflow was $290 million.

(Source: Coinglass)

5. In the past 24 hours, net outflows led in contracts trading for $BTC, $SOL, $XRP, $RIVER, $LIT , indicating trading opportunities.

Selected Expert Opinions

Phyrex Ni (@Phyrex_Ni): “Today, BTC’s upward momentum is quite good, partly due to its linkage with tech stocks. The US actions against Venezuela provided the most direct market response. From Asian markets in the morning, US stock futures started rising, and after the US stock market opened in the evening, the rally continued, showing that US and European investors also see this as positive, especially since Venezuela’s oil wind can help reduce US inflation.”

“Although prices are rising nicely, trading volume hasn’t surged significantly, indicating that the current rally isn’t driven by large capital inflows. Liquidity remains a constraint for cryptocurrencies. However, since 2026, liquidity has shown signs of rebounding, with the focus shifting to US monetary policy, which is still largely influenced by Trump.”

“My personal view on the Venezuela situation is that even if US political parties clash, the likelihood of releasing Maduro is low. The US is more likely to ‘take over’ and ‘assist’ Venezuela in oil extraction, which is highly certain. Venezuela was once the world’s largest oil exporter, far surpassing Saudi Arabia, and the main reason for its ‘export decline’ is the drop in oil exports. US assistance in development suggests a gradual opening of Venezuela’s oil trade, which could help reduce global inflation.”

“Looking at Bitcoin data, rising prices have led to increased turnover, but trading volume hasn’t changed much. This suggests that the increased turnover is likely due to internal exchange activity, with short-term profit investors being the main players. Earlier investors remain very calm. The chip structure is still very healthy. I initially thought there would be some consolidation around $87,000 to form a new bottom, but US actions against Venezuela have stimulated risk markets, causing a rally. The key now is whether this rally can stabilize. Usually, if driven by events rather than liquidity, a correction might occur. Let’s see how it develops.”

Today’s Outlook

1. France December Consumer Price Index (monthly preliminary), previous -0.2%

2. US October Trade Balance (billion USD), previous -52.8

3. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to visit China for a state visit from January 4 to 7, 2026

4. US “Tech Spring Festival” 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

5. Richmond Fed Chairman Barkin to deliver a speech