Metals First
Gold punched through $5,200 this week, a fresh all-time high. Silver tagged $117. Precious metals are passing the flight-to-safety test with ease, while crypto continues to struggle as BTC hovers around $89,000.
Japan added further tension to the market. The 10-year JGB yield soared past 2.2%, hitting its highest levels since the late 90s. Prime Minister Takaichi called a snap election and warned against "abnormal" currency moves. If Japanese capital stays home, global bond markets will feel the tremor.
The Fed's first rate decision of 2026 lands on January 28. Markets expect a hold, but the backdrop is anything but calm: DOJ subpoenas, a Supreme Court fight, and a White House narrowing its list for Powell's replacement.
Dollars and gold caught the fear bid. Crypto caught the flush.
New & Noteworthy
A penguin walked into the White House, and metals walked onto the platform.
Meme season made a brief appearance. After the White House posted a photo of Trump walking with a penguin, Solana's PENGUIN skyrocketed 900% in 48 hours. Market cap went from under $400K to $162 million. No roadmap, no utility, just vibes and timing.
On the RWA side, MEXC has launched GOLD and SILVER Futures with zero fees, up to 100x leverage, and 24/7 access. Copy Trade now supports both, so you can follow top traders into metals without leaving the platforms.
Weekly Events Highlights
ZAMA Launchpad & Staking Gala.
Privacy infrastructure for public chains. Fully Homomorphic Encryption on Ethereum, computation on encrypted data. Secure your share of 750,000 ZAMA at up to 50% off via Launchpad, then double down at the Staking Gala to earn up to 300% APR through Feb 25
Super Trading Bowl.
Touchdown for glory from Jan 26 – Feb 10. Trade US stocks, Gold, or Silver on Futures to unlock tiered rewards and climb the leaderboard for a share of the $100,000 prize pool.
MEXC × ether.fi Card.
Deposit 100 USDT and apply to get a $15 airdrop and 4% cashback. January bonus: 10-15% back on food and dining. Runs through Feb 15.
Flip Fest.
Still running through Feb 9 with a 5,000,000 USDT prize pool. Trade Futures, collect cards, climb the leaderboard.
What's Getting Tokenized
Real-world assets on Ethereum now top $12.5 billion, accounting for over 65% of the entire tokenized asset market. BNB Chain holds around $2 billion, while Solana and Arbitrum each sit below $1 billion mark. The gap isn't close, and it keeps widening.
The institutions aren't experimenting anymore. BlackRock, JPMorgan, and Franklin Templeton have all launched tokenized funds on-chain, covering treasury products, private credit, and fund shares. Stablecoin issuance on Ethereum crossed $59 billion, more than 62% of total supply, and B2B payments have grown steadily since mid-2024. The activity showing up on-chain increasingly reflects real economic use rather than speculation.
McKinsey projects the RWA market could reach $2 trillion by 2030. Whether that number lands or not, the direction is already visible. Traditional finance is moving on-chain, and Ethereum is where most of it is settling.
Earn While You Wait
Crypto's stuck in orbit while the macro dust settles. If you're holding stablecoins until the next move, put them to work. MEXC Earn offers up to 16% APR with flexible redemption and no lockups.
As always, we'll keep watching the narratives as they form. See you in the markets.
