Bitcoin Steps into the Real World: Payments Boom
Welcome to the Daily for Friday, January 3, 2026. ☕️
Hello Cointribe! 🚀
Welcome to the new year! It’s January 3, 2026, and as we do from Tuesday to Saturday, here’s a summary of the past 24 hours with the news you can’t miss.
But first…
✍️ Cartoon of the day:
A quick look at the market…
🌡 Weather:
☀️ Sunny
24h crypto recap! ⏱
📊 U.S. Senate Readies a Major Crypto Regulatory Milestone for January 2026
As 2026 begins, the U.S. Senate is positioning itself to advance a pivotal piece of cryptocurrency legislation that could define how digital assets are regulated nationwide. Lawmakers from both sides are finalizing text that has been long awaited by investors and industry participants, with potential impacts on everything from exchanges to everyday traders.
🛠️ Why Liquidity, Rates and Rules May Drive Bitcoin’s 2026 Path
Bitcoin’s price story in 2026 may hinge less on hype and more on macro levers like liquidity and interest rates. With talk of renewed quantitative easing and institutional capital entering the market, the conditions for a renewed uptrend are debated. But regulatory signals and rate expectations could sway sentiment either way.
🚀 Polymarket Bettors Downgrade Bitcoin’s $150K Odds for 2026
Prediction market odds suggest that expectations of Bitcoin reaching $150,000 in 2026 are fading. While analysts still debate BTC’s potential peaks, bettors on Polymarket are assigning only modest probabilities to that milestone this year.
👉 Read the full article
📈 Winners and Losers in 2025’s Crypto Storm
The market swings of 2025 reshaped fortunes across crypto’s most visible names. Michael Saylor was among those hit hardest as Bitcoin pulled back sharply. Changpeng “CZ” Zhao also saw his wealth decrease, though less dramatically. The Gemini founders, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, faced steeper setbacks, while Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire benefited from stablecoin momentum and regulatory progress. A snapshot of how exposure and timing mattered in a turbulent year.
Crypto of the Day: Pepe (PEPE)
PEPE Starts 2026 Strong
PEPE has started 2026 on a strong footing. Since the beginning of the year, the price is up by roughly 34%, driven by a sharp bullish breakout rather than a slow grind higher. Momentum has clearly picked up, with the frog-themed meme coin now leading the list of most trending cryptocurrencies on CoinGecko.
The RSI is around 71, signaling strong buying pressure but also placing PEPE in overbought territory. This reflects aggressive momentum, though a brief pause or pullback would be normal after such a fast move.
Price is trading well above the 20-day SMA and has pushed outside the upper Bollinger Band. This confirms a volatility expansion and a bullish shift in trend, while also showing the move is stretched in the short term. Overall, the bias remains positive, with consolidation or a mild retracement likely before the next clear directional move.
📊 Real-time Performance (CMC)
💵 Current Price: $0.000005594
📉 24h Change: 34.13%
💰 Market Capitalization: $2.35B
🏅 CoinMarketCap Rank: #36
🪙 Circulating Supply: 420.68T PEPE
📊 Trading Volume (24h): $1.49B
Bitcoin steps into the real world: payments boom
As 2026 begins its second day, Bitcoin is quietly leaving behind its purely speculative reputation. While prices have fluctuated and even dropped recently, usage is steadily rising, showing signs that BTC is stepping into everyday life. This year marks a turning point: Bitcoin is increasingly being used as a practical payment tool, bridging the gap between crypto and the real economy.
📉 Price vs. adoption
Despite excitement over price rallies, experts like Michael Terpin warn that Bitcoin could still see lows near $60,000, challenging the traditional four-year market cycle. Macroeconomic pressures, regulatory moves, and political decisions—particularly in the U.S.—continue to shape market behavior, influencing both traders and long-term holders.
⚡ Payment infrastructure expands
Even in the face of price volatility, the technologies enabling Bitcoin payments are growing fast. More merchants, apps, and platforms are integrating BTC, making it easier for users to spend and transact in their daily lives. This adoption is happening quietly but steadily, signaling that Bitcoin’s value goes beyond short-term speculation.
🔗 From theory to practice
The rise in payment usage reflects a broader evolution: Bitcoin is becoming part of the real-world economy. While price headlines still dominate media coverage, the underlying utility of Bitcoin as a transactional asset is gaining momentum. 2026 may well be remembered as the year Bitcoin started functioning as money, not just an investment.
In short, Bitcoin is finding its place beyond charts and hype. Its growing payment adoption hints at a pivotal year ahead—one where everyday use begins to outweigh swings in price, proving that crypto is moving from the fringe into mainstream financial life.
