First, happy new year!!! Yay. Today, the first day of 2026, crypto feels unusual given how fast things moved just months ago. BTC USD is sitting pretty at $87,000, barely changed from its price levels since Christmas. ETH USD is also grinding quietly, leveling just under $3,000 as the market eases into 2026.
There is movement, but it is slow and measured, even if we have a sudden up and down movement, it looks just like it’s trying to duck both shorters and longers.
This slower pace follows a difficult stretch. During 2025, the total crypto market cap slid from $3.26 trillion down to $3 trillion, wiping out around $300 billion, though it blasted above $4 trillion mid-year. Even so, BTC USD and ETH USD have held their ground near major support zones.
(source – CoinGecko)
BTC USD and ETH USD in a Level to Watch
BTC USD continues to trade in a tight band. Price support formed at $85,000, while resistance remains close to $90,000. Sentiment indicators tell us that we are cautious, and social metrics show risk levels remain relatively low. We hope that these conditions will bring back volatility, or even better, a pump.
ETH USD is drawing steady lines as well. Ethereum has been building higher lows, creating a constructive structure. A confirmed breakout could push ETH USD toward the $3,500 area. At the same time, the ETH to USD stablecoin ratio is close to levels last seen around prior market pico bottoms.
Confidence from long-term players has not disappeared either. Tom Lee’s BitMine added more than 32,000 ETH and staked a much larger amount, a belief in Ethereum despite the asset closing 2025 with nine negative months, a pattern similar to the 2018 bear market.
(source – Cryptorank)
For me, though, BTC as the first ever crypto will still decide how alts move. But if the early bird gets the worm, why do good things come to those who wait?
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Regulation and Adoption Are Shaping the Crypto Market Today
Outside of charts, crypto, today, is also being shaped by regulation and adoption. In the UK, new rules now require exchanges to report user transactions to tax authorities, closing compliance gaps without blocking innovation. In the US, lawmakers are preparing to move forward with crypto market structure legislation later this month.
BREAKING:
U.S lawmakers expected to advance crypto market structure legislation in early January 2026. pic.twitter.com/JudcbYOxTP
— Micon Crypto (@MconCrypto) January 1, 2026
Adoption continues, too. Ferrari has expanded Ethereum payments across the US and Europe, while Visa is settling billions in stablecoin volume using Ethereum. And, the ETH mainnet recently processed 2.2 million transactions in a single day, with average fees falling to about USD 17 cents.
As the year begins, BTC USD and ETH USD are still the market’s anchors. We wait, because the market can move both ways, up or down.
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The post Crypto Market News Today, January 1: BTC USD Holding 87K This New Year, ETH Just a Tad Below 3K appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
