This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of cryptocurrency markets and Latin American financial markets.
Key Points
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- Bitcoin steadied near $95,600 after a brief run above $97,000, with momentum indicators cooling.
- Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows stayed positive but slowed sharply on Jan. 15, hinting at more selective demand.
- Zcash’s regulatory overhang lifted, yet the rally faded fast, while several smaller tokens swung wildly.
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\nBitcoin opened Friday morning near $95,616, down 0.9% over 24 hours, after trading between roughly $95,101 and $97,151 on heavy perpetuals turnover of about $3.49 billion.
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\nThe price action looked less like a fresh breakout and more like a market catching its breath: a quick squeeze higher, followed by choppy consolidation as traders reduced leverage into the weekend.
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\nThe flow story still matters, but it is no longer one-way. Spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in about $753.8 million on Jan. 13 and $840.6 million on Jan. 14.
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\nOn Jan. 15, net inflows slowed to about $100.2 million, with IBIT around +$315.8 million offset by outflows from FBTC near -$188.9 million and GBTC near -$36.4 million.
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\nEthereum’s ETF complex also saw appetite earlier in the week, including a reported +$175.1 million net inflow on Jan. 14, led by ETHA at roughly +$81.6 million, even as ETH slipped to about $3,308 on the day.
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\nMarket professionals framed the move as a test of an important threshold. LMAX strategist Joel Kruger pointed to regulation-driven sentiment support and highlighted $95,000 as a technical and psychological line.
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\nQCP Capital described the push through $95,000 as a catch-up move and suggested dips could keep finding buyers unless a genuinely new shock hits.
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\nTechnically, the shorter timeframe cooled first. On the four-hour chart, RSI eased into the high-50s and the MACD histogram turned negative, signaling fading impulse.
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\nThe daily chart stayed constructive with RSI in the mid-60s, but the weekly picture remained cautious, with RSI below 50 and MACD still deeply negative.
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\nTraders watched resistance near $96,090–$96,526 and the $97,000 zone, with support around $95,100–$95,250, then $93,600–$94,000.
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\nAltcoins told a messier story. Zcash surged after the SEC closed an investigation tied to a 2023 subpoena, then fell back toward the low-$400s.
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\nRIVER jumped about 76%, while PROM dropped about 39% and FRAX traded near $0.845, an unusually deep dislocation. The takeaway: selective inflows and thin liquidity are amplifying both winners and wipeouts.
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