💥 $BTC Woke Up Swinging

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Green is officially back on the charts. This morning, $BTC ( ▲ 4.09% ) touched $96.4K, triggering ~$590M in short liquidations.

One of the key catalysts is that CPI stayed flat, while the Fed Balance Sheet increased. The gloom from the past week suddenly feels like it never happened 🤭

Here’s what we got for you today:

• 👀 Will 2026 be our final “Alt Season"?

• ⭐ BTC hit highest level amid Trump-Iran war

• ⭐ US CPI hits forecast. Is it enough to pump?

• 🔥 Burning hot takes for the road

🔮 Will 2026 Be "Alt Season"? (Only If These 4 Things Happen)

Alt Season isn't magic. It doesn't happen just because "it's time." It is a liquidity event that requires a specific set of macro conditions to unlock.

If you are betting on an Alt Season, you are actually betting on a weak Dollar, a strong economy, or regulatory clarity. 2026 will be a stock picker's market if these don't align.

Read the full analysis to mark the 8 critical FOMC dates on your calendar 👇

🔥 BTC HIT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL IN 50 DAYS AMID TRUMP-IRAN WAR

BTC just broke past $96K for the first time since November 16th, after a mix of big global and macro news hit all at once.

1/ US–Iran War Tensions Escalate

The jump happened right after the U.S. told all American citizens to leave Iran immediately and warned about possible long-term internet blackouts.

Tensions with Iran are rising, protests are growing, and the tone from Washington is getting more serious, so we can all say that geopolitical risk spiked.

And in moments like this, people start looking for safe havens:

• BTC started the day near $91,000, then jumped over 5% within hours

• $ETH ( ▲ 6.38% ) , $SOL ( ▲ 3.52% ) , and $XRP ( ▼ 0.56% ) also followed

• U.S. CPI data came in stable, and that reduced the chance of more rate hikes

That combo: no extra rate hike + geopolitical tension is giving risk assets room to move.

2/ Bull Market Signs are Reforming

On top of that, the ETF selling that’s been dragging Bitcoin is cooling off.

• Earlier this month, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw over $6B in outflows, mostly panic sells from late buyers back in October

• That pushed BTC down to $86,000

• But now things have calmed. ETF flows are more stable, and global buyers have been quietly soaking up the supply

• Coinbase premium turned negative, which shows U.S. players are cautious but they’re not running for the exits

So what changed? The CPI report helped ease macro fears. Then the war risk gave Bitcoin a “digital gold” moment.

BTC’s been acting more and more like a macro hedge and crisis asset. Which brings us to the big question:

Are we going back to $100K?

You Can't Automate Good Judgement

AI promises speed and efficiency, but it’s leaving many leaders feeling more overwhelmed than ever. The real problem isn’t technology. It’s the pressure to do more with less without losing what makes your leadership effective.

BELAY created the free resource 5 Traits AI Can’t Replace & Why They Matter More Than Ever to help leaders pinpoint where AI can help and where human judgment is still essential.

At BELAY, we help leaders accomplish more by matching them with top-tier, U.S.-based Executive Assistants who bring the discernment, foresight, and relational intelligence that AI can’t replicate.

That way, you can focus on vision. Not systems.

📊 US CPI HITS FORECAST. IS IT ENOUGH TO SHAKE THE MARKETS?

So the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December 2025 just dropped. And the headline number shows 2.7% YoY, exactly what the market expected.

But here's where it gets a bit more interesting:

• Core CPI (the one without food & energy) came in lower than expected at 2.6%. Inflation might actually be cooling a bit

• Month-over-month, both overall and core CPI went up 0.3%, so inflation’s still here, but nothing crazy

Silver went wild, hitting a new ATH. It hit a record $90, pushing silver’s market capitalization past $5 trillion for the first time.

Now let’s zoom out a bit. Investors have been expecting a total of 50bps rate cuts in 2026, but the Fed hasn’t confirmed anything.

Recent Fed minutes from Dec 30 showed internal debate, with many officials still leaning toward holding rates steady.

The next big decision is January 28, 2026, and current CME FedWatch data shows 97.2% of traders expect no rate change (holding steady at 3.5–3.75%).

Why might the Fed stay cautious?

Because even if CPI is stable, their main focus now is the labor market, not just inflation. Unless inflation surprises hard in either direction, the Fed likely won’t change policy.

But there’s more…

• Geopolitics and Fed independence are starting to pop back up in convos again

• Skew indexes (which measure fear vs greed) also fell back to holiday-season lows, showing a fragile mood

Even Jamie Dimon from JPMorgan is waving the caution flag, saying we’re still underestimating macro and geopolitical risk.

People are tired of reacting unless something’s truly unexpected. The real move might come from labor data or some kind of Fed curveball.

We’ll watch it all together. I’ll keep you posted when anything changes.

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🔥 BURNING HOT TAKES FOR THE ROAD

World Liberty Financial has rolled out World Liberty Markets, a DeFi lending platform focused on their $USD1 ( ▲ 0.0% ) stablecoin. Read more

One of the world’s most trusted crypto data platforms, CoinGecko, may sell itself for $500M. Read more

Cardano founder, Charles Hoskinson, just roasted Trump. He says Trump's "grifting" killed crypto and wasted a golden opportunity. Read more

Bakkt stock surged 18% after announcing plans to acquire a stablecoin infrastructure company. We’re in the stablecoin era? Read more

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⚠ This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Traders should conduct thorough research, understand the risks, and carefully evaluate their decisions before investing in cryptocurrency.