What shipped
As of January 14, 2026, the cryptocurrency market is showing encouraging signs of growth, with several key projects making noteworthy progress. Bitcoin, the original and most well-known cryptocurrency, has reached a price of $95,046, up over 3% in the past 24 hours. Ethereum, a platform known for enabling smart contracts and decentralized applications, is also performing well, trading at $3,326.66 with a 6.13% increase in the last day.
Beyond these two giants, other blockchain projects are gaining momentum. Flare Networks’ token is priced at just over one cent ($0.0116), rising 3.43%. Hedera Hashgraph, a fast and secure public network designed for enterprise use, has seen a strong 7.8% price increase, now at $0.125. Ripple, known for its focus on cross-border payments, is trading at $2.15, up 4% in 24 hours. Stellar, a platform designed to facilitate fast and affordable cross-border transactions, is showing the biggest jump among these with a 9.19% increase, priced at $0.2439. Lastly, XDC Network, which focuses on hybrid blockchain solutions, is up modestly at $0.0467.
Why it matters
These positive price movements reflect growing confidence and adoption in blockchain technologies, especially those focused on improving financial systems globally. For example, Stellar and Ripple are both working to make international money transfers faster and cheaper—an important development for people and businesses who send money across borders regularly.
Hedera Hashgraph’s recent updates, including the launch of a Python Software Development Kit (SDK) for their Agent Kit, show that development teams are making it easier for programmers to build on their platform. This can lead to more innovative applications and partnerships, which helps drive real-world use cases and demand for the token.
Meanwhile, industry giants like Visa teaming up with BVNK to launch stablecoin payouts demonstrate how traditional finance is increasingly embracing blockchain technology. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets like the US dollar, offering the benefits of digital currency without the usual price volatility. This kind of collaboration points to a future where crypto and traditional finance work hand-in-hand.
Builders’ corner
Developers and blockchain enthusiasts have plenty to be excited about:
- Stellar’s Ecosystem Growth: Stellar’s recent blog posts highlight their success in 2025, including advancements in making different blockchain applications work together (called “composability”) and projects like RedSwan, which is tokenizing real estate. Tokenization means turning physical assets, like property, into digital tokens that can be bought, sold, or traded easily.
- Hedera Hashgraph’s Developer Tools: The release of a Python SDK for Hedera’s Agent Kit makes it simpler for developers to create applications on their network. Python is a popular programming language, so this opens the door for more creators to build innovative solutions.
- Hackathon Winners: Hedera recently hosted the Hello Future Ascension Hackathon, a competition encouraging developers to build new projects. The winners showcase the creativity and potential of the community in driving blockchain innovation.
- Chainlink’s Role in DeFi: Chainlink, a decentralized oracle network that connects smart contracts with real-world data, continues to dominate on-chain finance in 2025. Oracles like Chainlink are crucial because they allow blockchain applications to interact with external information, such as stock prices or weather reports.
Quick prices
- Bitcoin (BTC): $95,046 (+3.16% in 24h)
- Ethereum (ETH): $3,326.66 (+6.13%)
- Flare Networks (FLR): $0.0116 (+3.43%)
- Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR): $0.125 (+7.8%)
- Ripple (XRP): $2.15 (+4.05%)
- Stellar (XLM): $0.2439 (+9.19%)
- XDC Network (XDC): $0.0467 (+0.8%)
What to watch
Looking ahead, several themes and events are worth keeping an eye on:
- North American Trading Hours for Bitcoin: Recent analysis shows that the strongest returns for Bitcoin are now happening during North American market hours. This shift could influence trading strategies and market dynamics in early 2026.
- Binance Wallet and Leveraged Futures: Binance, one of the largest crypto exchanges, has teamed up with Aster to enable leveraged crypto futures trading directly within its wallet app. Leveraged trading allows investors to borrow money to increase their exposure, but it also comes with higher risk. This new feature could attract more advanced traders.
- Visa’s Stablecoin Payouts: Visa’s partnership with BVNK to launch stablecoin-based payouts is a significant step toward mainstream adoption of blockchain technology in everyday finance. Watch for how this might expand to other payment services and markets.
- Blockchain Ecosystem Growth: Continued development on platforms like Stellar and Hedera, especially around real-world asset tokenization and developer tools, will be important for expanding blockchain’s use beyond just currency.
TL;DR: The crypto market is showing positive momentum with Bitcoin and Ethereum leading gains, while projects like Stellar and Hedera are making important technical and ecosystem advances. New tools and partnerships are making it easier to build and use blockchain technology, especially in finance and asset tokenization. Keep an eye on evolving trading trends, new product launches, and collaborations between traditional finance and crypto for clues about where the market is headed next.
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