Weekly Recap | Bitcoin Sells Off Sharply, Tether Launches USA₮ for the U.S. Market, Echobit January
2026.02.02
Weekly Overview (Jan 26 – Feb 1)
Last week, the Federal Reserve kept its policy rate unchanged as expected, confirming that the rate-hiking cycle has ended and that future moves will remain data-dependent. The crypto market experienced a sharp sell-off, with market capitalization and sentiment deteriorating rapidly. Following the latest pullback, Bitcoin weakened further, with technical indicators increasingly aligning with bearish market conditions. In the short term, if Bitcoin fails to reclaim key price levels, market fear may persist. Overall, investors are advised to remain cautious and prioritize risk management.
This recap highlights the key events across the crypto industry over the past week and outlines the major developments to watch in the week ahead.
Market Pulse
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund increased its indirect Bitcoin exposure by 149% in 2025, reaching 9,573 BTC
Tether reported over $10 billion in net profit for 2025, with gold reserves totaling $17.4 billion
An ETH long position held by the so-called “1011 insider whale” was liquidated, resulting in losses of up to $250 million
Tether launched a new U.S.-focused stablecoin, USA₮
Moonbirds released the BIRB tokenomics model, allocating 65% of supply to the community
MetaPlanet recorded approximately $679 million in quarterly losses due to Bitcoin price volatility
Funding & M&A
A total of 10 funding rounds were completed last week, raising over $190 million, primarily across DeFi and AI sectors:Flying Tulip, a new project backed by AC, raised $25.5 million in a Series A round, bringing total funding to $225.5 million
Token creation platform Doppler closed a $9 million seed round led by Pantera Capital
Crypto payments network Mesh secured $75 million in a Series C round led by Dragonfly Capital
Sony Innovation Fund invested $13 million in Startale, a co-developer of Soneium, marking the start of its Series A round
Venture capital firm Escape Velocity raised $62 million in a new fund
Policy & Compliance
Several U.S. federal agencies entered another partial shutdown due to an unapproved budget
The UK Financial Services Regulatory Committee launched a review into stablecoin regulation
The U.S. crypto market structure bill advanced through a key Senate procedure despite Democratic opposition
The Federal Reserve reaffirmed its decision to keep benchmark interest rates unchanged
Japan plans to classify XRP as a regulated financial product by Q2 2026
South Korea delayed the second phase of its Virtual Asset Act amid disputes over stablecoin provisions
Echobit Highlights
Echobit launched its curated “100 FAQs” interactive series, inviting users to vote for their favorite topics and earn rewards
Echobit’s January Double Rewards campaign is now live, unlocking enhanced incentives across multiple tasks
Echobit Quiz Challenge went live, allowing users to earn 100 USDT by answering questions
Echobit Hot Topic Discussion campaign opened, rewarding users for sharing market insights
Echobit introduced a Gold vs. Bitcoin prediction activity, encouraging users to test their market judgment
Echobit launched a 100 USDT Trial Fund Rescue initiative, offering participants a second chance in trading
Week Ahead (Feb 2 – Feb 8)
U.S. initial jobless claims data for the week ending Jan 31
Uniswap to launch an auction feature on its web application on Feb 2
Strategy to release its Q4 2025 earnings and host a video conference on Feb 6
Hyperliquid team wallet unlock of 140,400 HYPE tokens scheduled for distribution on Feb 6
The White House to convene banks and crypto firms to seek legislative compromise
Echobit will continue tracking global crypto developments, with a focus on market movements, regulatory trends, and funding activity—helping you navigate both bull and bear cycles with clarity and confidence.