Bitcoin Nears $100K, Ordinals Boom, and More — Week in Review

Bitcoin Nears $100K, Ordinals Boom, RLUSD at LMAX, Institutional Crypto Shift, and more in this Week in Review.

Week in Review

Bitcoin pushed above $97,000 on Jan. 14 as a Supreme Court tariff delay and Fed–Trump tensions helped spark a rally, Bitcoin ordinals surpassed 100 million inscriptions even as inscription hype cools, Ripple locked RLUSD into LMAX’s $8.2 trillion trading engine boosting its institutional push, Binance said institutions are increasingly taking long‑term crypto exposure amid ETF and DAT flows, and Binance CEO CZ warned traders about chasing meme‑coin fads after meme market cap tumbled roughly 70% year‑over‑year.

Bitcoin Nears $100,000 as Tariff Limbo and Fed-Trump Clash Ignite ‘Perfect Storm’

Bitcoin surged past $97,000 on Jan. 14, driven by the U.S. Supreme Court’s deferment of a crucial tariff ruling… read more.

Editor’s comment: After nearly four months of Bitcoin struggling to find a narrative, the President’s tariffs and Fed probe may be creating the macro uncertainty that BTC often enjoys.

Over 100 Million Ordinals — While Inscription Hype Fades, Bitcoin Quietly Becomes a Top NFT Chain

While the spotlight has wandered from non-fungible tokens ( NFTs), Bitcoin-based NFT sales are closing in on the… read more.

Editor’s comment:

Many have noted – including Arthur Hayes and Jack Dorsey – that the key to Bitcoin’s survival is for it to be used. Otherwise, if all the coins sit in cold storage then miners will essentially be forced to gamble on the price doubling every four years. Will ordinals be the revenue-generator that saves Bitcoin?

Ripple Locks RLUSD Into LMAX’s $8.2 Trillion Trading Engine

Ripple’s institutional push accelerates as RLUSD lands at the center of a major global trading venue, signaling… read more.

Editor’s comment: Potentially the most hated crypto project in history continues to lock in victories. This is days after BNY announced a partnership with Ripple for its institutional digital cash expansion

Binance: Crypto Breaks out of Retail Era as Institutions Lock in Long-Term Exposure

Crypto markets are entering a new phase as institutional and corporate capital reshape liquidity, infrastructure… read more.

Editor’s comment: The “Institutions are coming” narrative is no longer a meme, according to the head of the biggest crypto exchange in the world – likely stemming from the explosion of ETFs and DATs.

Meme Coin Warning: CZ Foresees Pain for Some Traders Chasing Viral Coins

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) warned traders that his casual X posts are not meme coin buy signals… read more.

Editor’s comment: According to CoinGecko data, the total market cap of memes – which is dominated by “dog themed” coins – is down about 70% in the last year, from $104 billion in January 2025 to $33 billion now.