Balance (EPT) will be listed on Binance Alpha and Binance Futures

On January 28, Ethereum researcher Thomas Thiery—better known by his alias soispoke—proposed integrating FOCIL as a core anti-censorship feature in the upcoming Hegota upgrade. Hegota, Ethereum’s second major 2026 upgrade, is scheduled to launch in the second half of the year. FOCIL is a protocol-layer mechanism that modifies Ethereum’s fork-choice rule to mandate any valid transaction be included in an on-chain block within a set timeframe. This allows multiple validators to collectively enforce transaction inclusion, rather than relying on a single block builder. The proposal’s main goal is to cut Ethereum’s dependence on centralized validators, mitigating future risks of large-scale transaction censorship. This strengthens Ethereum’s core value as a neutral, censorship-resistant blockchain. “Without FOCIL, the protocol is exposed to large-scale censorship events,” Thiery said. “Ethereum should proactively design for long-term resilience instead of reacting passively to s

On January 28, the Financial Times reported that as gold prices hit a record high, Tether—the world’s largest stablecoin issuer—has seen its gold holdings appreciate by more than $5 billion. Using data disclosed by Tether, Jefferies Group estimates the firm held roughly 116 metric tons of gold as of the end of September, worth approximately $14.4 billion at the time. Gold traded at $3,858 per ounce at the end of last September, but has since surged to over $5,200 amid rising geopolitical uncertainties and investors flocking to safe-haven assets. That means Tether has booked more than $5 billion in gains on these holdings. This week, Tether noted it purchased an additional 27 metric tons of gold for its gold-backed stablecoin in the fourth quarter of last year. This extra holding has already appreciated by at least $700 million so far this year. Tether’s current total gold holdings are valued at roughly $24 billion, making it one of the biggest winners in the latest gold price

January 28 — Bitget market data shows U.S. crypto-related stocks were broadly higher in pre-market trading, with the following moves: - BitGo Holdings (BTGO): +0.22% to $13.80, down over 23% from its $18 IPO price last week - MicroStrategy (MSTR): +0.22% - Coinbase (COIN): +0.89% - Circle (CRCL): +3.1% - MARA Holdings (MARA): +0.1% - Riot Blockchain (RIOT): +0.85% - BitMine Immersion (BMNR): +0.58% - SharpLink Gaming (SBET): -0.1%

On January 28, Binance Alpha launched Moonbirds (BIRB). The token currently trades at $0.2 with a $58.7 million market cap. Eligible users will receive a 200-BIRB airdrop, valued at roughly $40 based on current pricing.

On January 28, data from Coinglass shows that funding rates across major centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) exchanges have shifted market sentiment from bearish to neutral. Notably, Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and XRP are trading at a 0.01% funding rate on some platforms—hitting the baseline rate. Specific funding rates for key cryptocurrencies are detailed in the accompanying chart. **BlockBeats Note**: Funding rates are fees set by crypto exchanges to align contract prices with the underlying asset’s spot price, typically applicable to perpetual contracts. They operate as a fund transfer mechanism between long and short traders; the exchange itself does not collect this fee. The goal is to adjust the cost or profit for traders holding contracts, keeping contract prices closely tied to the underlying asset’s value. A 0.01% funding rate marks the baseline. Rates above 0.01% signal a broadly bullish market, while rates below 0.005% indicate a generally b

On January 28th, per Coinbob Popular Address Monitor (https://t.me/Coinbob_track_CN), the wallet linked to a notable whale trader (0x894...) holds a total position value of ~$48.16 million, with a monthly profit of $2 million. The address has 5 on-chain equity positions and 1 copper futures position—**Nasdaq 100 and copper contracts make up ~79% of the total (roughly $39 million)**. Key profits come from Nasdaq 100 and Micron Technology (MU). Here’s breakdown of core holdings: - **10x XYZ100 (Nasdaq 100 Index):** Position size ~$21.18M | Avg. price $25,443.47 | Liquidation price $23,403.7 | Unrealized profit ~$579,400 - **10x COPPER (Copper Futures Mapping Contract):** Position size ~$17.82M | Avg. price $5.94 | Liquidation price $5.50 | Unrealized profit ~$82,400 - **5x PLTR (Palantir Technologies):** Position size ~$2.99M | Avg. price $165.47 | Liquidation price $152.00 | Unrealized loss ~$247,500 - **10x MU (Micron Technology):** Position size ~$2.59M | Avg. price $432.1