Beginning of 2026, the crypto market experienced intense volatility. The escalation of global geopolitical tensions fueled risk aversion sentiment, with spot gold soaring nearly 3% to $4,448, and silver surging over 7%. This risk-off wave quickly propagated into the digital asset sector, with Bitcoin reclaiming the $95,000 level and reaching a new all-time high.

XRP's performance was particularly eye-catching. The token surged over 12% in a single day, currently trading at $2.4, making it the strongest leader in the market rally. The driving force behind this is clear—spot XRP ETF's net inflow reached $46.1 million in one day, indicating significant institutional accumulation. Analysts point out that sustained ETF capital inflows combined with the anticipation of 2026 adoption have caused XRP's trading volume to spike to its highest since mid-November. This institutional-level deployment warrants close attention.

Meanwhile, spot Bitcoin ETFs also recorded a net inflow of $697 million, reaching a new phase high. Notably, a leading asset management firm’s BTC product attracted over $370 million in a single day. This suggests that Wall Street’s understanding of Bitcoin as "digital gold" is becoming increasingly aligned amid macro turbulence, with capital actively voting with their actions.

The AI concept also gained momentum amid the tech exhibition boost. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, a chip giant announced that robots are entering a "ChatGPT moment" and open-sourced a large-scale physical AI training framework. Samsung revealed that by 2026, the number of devices equipped with advanced AI chips will increase to 800 million. These technological breakthroughs directly stimulated the movement of AI-themed tokens.

However, the market is also digesting some risk signals. The head of investment research at a compliant platform recently issued a warning: as quantum computing technology accelerates its breakthroughs, about one-third of BTC addresses may face structural risks due to algorithm vulnerabilities. This assertion has sparked urgent discussions within the community about the Bitcoin network’s "quantum resistance upgrade" in 2026. Security concerns are not to be underestimated, and the market is preparing for long-term risks.

On the project level, notable developments are also worth watching. RWA leader MANTRA(OM) recently issued a reminder that on January 15, the ERC20 version will be fully deprecated, with less than 8% of the current supply remaining in circulation. This means holders need to migrate to the mainnet promptly; otherwise, expiring assets will become unusable. The market has already responded, with OM holders accelerating their migration process.

The market performance in the first week of the year fully reflects the current complex situation—geopolitical risks pushing up safe-haven assets, continuous institutional capital inflows into Bitcoin and XRP, the AI narrative heating up, but quantum computing threats also entering mainstream discussion. For traders, it’s crucial to grasp the main capital flows while remaining vigilant about potential technical risks.