Cardano's ADA pops 7%, bitcoin, ether show steady gains as traders enter 2026

• Bitcoin and major tokens began 2026 with gains, as ADA led among large caps with a 7% rise.
• Analysts note that investors are favoring liquid majors like Bitcoin and Ethereum, with targeted exposure to some large caps.
• A global risk-on move supported the crypto rebound, but traders remain cautious after a period of thin liquidity.

Bitcoin and major tokens started 2026 on firmer footing in Asian morning hours Friday, with cardano’s ADA leading gains among large caps as traders returned from the holiday break and risk appetite improved across markets.

Bitcoin rose about 1% to trade near $88,700, while ether added roughly 1% to hover around $3,010, continuing a steady recovery from late December lows.

ADA climbed 7%, outpacing moves in the broader market, while solana, XRP and BNB also traded higher. Such price action suggested selective positioning rather than the start of a broad altcoin surge.

Analysts at crypto payments firm B2BINPAY said in an email that flows still favor liquid majors as investors begin the year in capital preservation mode.

“Investors aren’t rotating wholesale out of bitcoin and ethereum into the altcoin market,” the firm said, adding that the Altseason Index near 16 still signals bitcoin dominance and a lack of market-wide participation.

In their view, inflows into a handful of large caps like solana and XRP look more like targeted exposure than an early altseason bid.

The modest crypto rebound came alongside a global risk-on move.

Asian equities rose 0.8%, led by technology shares, with a regional tech gauge touching a record. Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.6%, outpacing gains in S&P 500 contracts, as traders again leaned into the AI and chip complex to start the year.

Precious metals also advanced, extending a strong 2025. Spot gold rose toward $4,350 an ounce and silver gained more than 1% as traders positioned for potential U.S. rate cuts and dollar weakness in 2026.

Still, some analysts warned of near-term pressure from portfolio rebalancing after last year’s rally.

“We expect a massive 13% of aggregate open interest in Comex silver markets will be sold over the coming two weeks, to result in a dramatic repricing lower,” TD Securities strategist Daniel Ghali wrote.

In crypto, the cross-asset setup remains supportive but fragile.

A weaker dollar and improving equity sentiment help, yet traders are still cautious after a late-2025 period marked by thin liquidity and quick profit-taking.

For now, bitcoin holding the high-$80,000s and ether stabilizing above $3,000 will be seen as early signs that dip-buying is returning, even if the market is still waiting for conviction to spread beyond the most liquid names.

• KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
• This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
• Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
• Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
• Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

• U.S.-listed spot ETFs experienced their worst two-month stretch on record through November-December, with net outflows totaling $4.57 billion.
• Bitcoin's price dropped 20% during this period, reflecting a decline in institutional interest.
• Ether ETFs lost over $2 billion.

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