New Year Market Open: Company Ripple Burns $21,804,950; Bitcoin Eyes $100,000 in January as Company Bitwise Puts Zcash on ETF Watch

Market open for the new year brings a mix of on-chain action and bullish price forecasts. Company Ripple executed a significant burn of $21,804,950 denominated in its stablecoin, a move that reduces available stable supply and signals active treasury management ahead of 2026. This maneuver can tighten liquidity dynamics for on-chain settlement and trading pairs that use that stablecoin.

The burn by Company Ripple is notable because stablecoin supply adjustments are less common than token burns on utility coins. While the direct impact on Bitcoin price is indirect, the market interprets such large on-chain operations as a shift in protocol-level capital allocation. Key takeaway: burns reduce circulating stable supply and can increase demand pressure on paired assets if traders perceive tighter liquidity.

On the price front, several analysts are pointing to a January target of $100,000 for Bitcoin. The rationale combines technical setups — including breakouts above resistance and measured move projections from past cycles — with macro catalysts such as improving risk appetite, institutional flows, and potential ETF-related developments. Traders should watch horizontal resistance zones, volume confirmations, and near-term support levels; a failure to hold support could invalidate the bullish path to five-figure levels.

Company Bitwise put Zcash on an ETF watchlist as 2026 approaches, highlighting continued institutional interest in privacy-focused and niche protocols. Placement on a watchlist does not guarantee approval, but it can increase liquidity interest and price attention. For Zcash, ETF consideration raises questions about custody solutions, compliance, and how privacy features will be adapted or presented to institutional custodians.

Risk remains central to the story. Markets entering the new year face geopolitical uncertainty, rate policy considerations, and liquidity rotation out of risk assets. While bullish narratives like a $100,000 Bitcoin are compelling, they must be assessed against volatility, correlation to equities, and on-chain indicators such as exchange inflows/outflows and realized volatility. Watch combined signals rather than a single headline.

Actionable points for traders and investors: monitor support levels and stop placement, observe whether exchange reserves decline (a bullish sign), and track institutional filings or ETF-related updates from Company Bitwise and regulators. Consider scenario planning: an accelerated push to $100,000 would likely require steady volume and macro tailwinds; conversely, a rejection at resistance could compress prices toward key support bands.

In summary, the start of the year combines an on-chain liquidity event from Company Ripple, bullish projections for Bitcoin, and growing institutional monitoring of alternative coins like Zcash. Market participants should balance optimism with disciplined risk management.