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HBAR outperformed the market as Hedera’s on-chain activity surged, with TPS, new accounts, holders, and TVL all rising together, signaling organic adoption.
Japan delivered a major regulatory boost by announcing a flat 20% crypto tax from 2026, aligning digital assets with equities and strengthening its Web3 push.
Institutional behavior diverged sharply: Ethereum supply tightened amid aggressive staking, while Bitcoin ETFs saw significant capital outflows.
The cryptocurrency market saw major developments today, including on-chain growth, regulatory reform, institutional positioning, ETF flows, and protocol roadmaps. While price action across major assets remained mixed, underlying data pointed to shifting long-term dynamics rather than short-term speculation.
Hedera’s native token HBAR gained nearly 4% after a sharp rise in on-chain usage, highlighting renewed network momentum.
Transaction throughput on Hedera’s testnet recently climbed to 44 transactions per second (TPS), while the mainnet recorded 100 TPS just days earlier.
New account creation surged to 2,620 accounts in 24 hours, a 72.9% jump from the previous count of 1,515. More importantly, transactions linked to these new accounts also increased.
The total holder base expanded to around 4.6 million, while network Total Value Locked (TVL) rose 2% to $67.1 million. HBAR now faces resistance near $0.116, with a potential upside target around $0.145.
Japan implemented a landmark reform that will cut the crypto capital gains tax to a flat 20% starting in fiscal year 2026, down from a maximum of 55%.
The reduction puts crypto taxation on the same level as that of listed equities and shows the government’s firm intention to promote the growth of Web3.
Under the plan, approximately 105 digital currencies currently trading on licensed exchanges will be included as financial assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA).
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasized that “The healthy development of Web 3.0, including crypto assets, is extremely important,” underscoring Japan’s intent to remain competitive as a digital asset hub.
BitMine Immersion Technologies, backed by Fundstrat, staked 342,560 ETH worth over $1 billion in just two days. With staking yields between 3% and 5%.
The impact was visible in Ethereum’s validator queues. The entry queue expanded to 739,824 ETH with a 12-day 20-hour wait, while the exit queue stood at 349,867 ETH with a 6-day wait, signaling far more participants seeking to stake than exit.
SharpLink Gaming staked nearly all of its ETH, generating 9,701 ETH ($29 million) in rewards, while The Ether Machine fully staked its $1.49 billion ETH treasury.
Although “smart money” traders trimmed $4.26 million in spot ETH last week, whale wallets accumulated $11.6 million, reinforcing supply-side tightening.
According to a Russian media report, the United States has shown interest in establishing cryptocurrency mining operations at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid negotiations tied to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that President Vladimir Putin discussed the idea with business leaders, saying Washington views a potential stake in the plant as a source of power for crypto mining.
The report said the proposal has surfaced during ongoing talks between Moscow and Washington. The Zaporizhzhia plant sits in southeastern Ukraine and is Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
Reuters reported Kyiv proposed a joint venture with the United States that would split operations evenly. Under that model, Ukraine would receive half of the electricity output, while the United States would control the rest and allocate a portion to Russia.
Ethereum developers confirmed that “Hegota”, the network’s second major upgrade for 2026, will follow “Glamsterdam”, expected in the first half of the year.
The accelerated cadence reflects a strategic shift toward more frequent upgrades.
Early discussions suggest Verkle Trees could be included, potentially lowering hardware requirements for node operators and improving decentralization.
According to the Ethereum Foundation, Hegota continues Ethereum’s move toward modular, efficiency-focused development.
Also Read: $1 Billion Ethereum Staking by Fundstrat-Backed BitMine: Assessing the Impact on ETH Price
According to Sosovalue, last week Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a net weekly outflow of $782 million, with none of the 12 ETFs recording a net inflow.
The Bitcoin spot ETF with the largest single-week net outflow was BlackRock's IBIT, which recorded a $435 million net outflow.
IBIT's historical cumulative net inflow now stands at $62.06 billion. Second was Fidelity's FBTC, with a weekly net outflow of $111 million and a historical cumulative net inflow of $12.098 billion.
The ETF net asset ratio stood at 6.49%, with a historical cumulative net inflow of $56.62 billion.
Also Read: Bitcoin Price Trades Near $89,000 as Market Eyes Break Above $95,000
1. Why did HBAR price rise today?
HBAR gained nearly 4% as Hedera’s network activity surged, with higher TPS, a sharp jump in new accounts, rising holders, and increasing TVL supporting the move.
2. What does Japan’s new crypto tax reform mean?
Japan plans to tax crypto gains at a flat 20% from 2026, replacing rates of up to 55%, bringing crypto taxation in line with stock taxation and improving regulatory clarity.
3. Why is Ethereum staking important for ETH price?
Large-scale staking locks ETH out of circulation, reducing sell pressure. With entry queues far exceeding exit queues, supply is tightening during consolidation.
4. Why did Bitcoin ETFs see large outflows last week?
Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $782 million in net outflows as institutions reduced exposure amid sideways price action and year-end portfolio rebalancing.
5. What is Ethereum’s Hegota upgrade?
Hegota is Ethereum’s planned late-2026 upgrade following Glamsterdam, expected to include efficiency improvements like Verkle Trees and faster protocol development cycles.
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