Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and join investors in rethinking old rules about what belongs in a portfolio. With markets moving fast and headlines changing by the hour, the debate over which assets truly protect wealth is heating up again. Gold is soaring, Bitcoin is watching, and strategies that once seemed niche are suddenly in the spotlight.
Crypto News of the Day: Are Gold and Bitcoin on the Same Team, or Are They Rivals?
Gold’s meteoric rise is reigniting debates over the best ways to hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty. Analysts and investors are increasingly considering a blended approach combining traditional and digital assets.
The yellow metal hit a new all-time high of $4,830 this week, with momentum building toward $5,000. Weekly gains of nearly $250 highlight gold’s continued dominance as a store of value.
“I remember when it took gold months, sometimes years, to move up that much. Now it happens in just a few days. Soon it will happen in just one day!” Peter Schiff noted.
Against this backdrop, quantitative analyst PlanB has renewed the conversation around gold and Bitcoin. The analyst argues that the two assets should be treated as complementary rather than competing.
According to his analysis, both share nearly identical risk-return profiles, measured by the Calmar ratio, and combining them can enhance portfolio performance.
The argument for a combined allocation is bolstered by investors like ZynxBTC, who view gold’s rally as a stepping stone toward broader Bitcoin adoption.
“Gold at a $34 trillion market cap validates the Bitcoin thesis. It’s easier for people to make the jump from gold to Bitcoin than from fiat to Bitcoin. Let’s be honest, if Bitcoin didn’t exist, most of us would be Gold Bugs,” Zynx said, noting that current market conditions provide a “golden opportunity” to acquire BTC at attractive levels.
Yet Bitcoin’s current behavior diverges from traditional safe-haven assets. Recent rallies in gold and other metals, such as silver, have not been mirrored in Bitcoin, suggesting that, for now, the market does not fully perceive BTC as a defensive asset.
Balancing Gold and Bitcoin: Why Investors Are Rethinking Hedging Strategies
Trader filbfilb emphasized Bitcoin’s unique utility, highlighting its permissionless transactability and, therefore, value, despite the pioneer crypto not rallying alongside precious metals.
Against this backdrop, goldbug Peter Schiff urges Bitcoin holders that, while both BTC and gold were purchased for similar macro reasons, BTC investors might face frustration if economic forecasts come to pass and their digital holdings underperform.
“It’s going to be very frustrating and unfortunate for Bitcoin HODLers, who actually bought Bitcoin for the same reasons I bought gold and silver, to see all the economic forecasts we had in common come true, but to end up losing more money than people who did nothing to prepare,” Schiff said.
The surge in gold prices, combined with Bitcoin’s long-term potential and blended allocation strategies, is prompting investors to reconsider how to hedge in volatile markets.
By balancing the stability of gold with Bitcoin’s upside, can market participants achieve stronger risk-adjusted returns while remaining prepared for future macro shocks?
As geopolitics, macroeconomic forces, and trade continue to define 2026, the conversation around combined portfolios is gaining traction.
With gold setting fresh records and Bitcoin’s unique attributes increasingly recognized, the debate is no longer about picking a winner but about finding synergy. Perhaps, the best hedge may not be gold or Bitcoin; it may be both.
Chart of the Day
Based on this chart, the ratio is currently below its most recent peak, indicating that Bitcoin is less expensive relative to gold than during prior bull runs, even though both assets have risen in nominal terms. It suggests gold’s recent rally is boosting its value faster than Bitcoin in early 2026.
Byte-Sized Alpha
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today:
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confronts France’s Central Bank Chief on Bitcoin at Davos.
- Quantum Computing is already hitting Bitcoin—Here’s how.
- Smart money accumulates $3.2 billion in Bitcoin: What does it mean for price?
- XRP price slips 3% but Ripple president has 4 strong predictions for 2026.
- Extreme fear replaces greed in crypto market after $120 billion drawdown.
- $100,000 still possible for Bitcoin? Not miracle, but historical fractals say so.
Crypto Equities Pre-Market Overview
| Company | Close As of January 20 | Pre-Market Overview |
| Strategy (MSTR) | $160.23 | $159.50 (-0.46%) |
| Coinbase (COIN) | $227.73 | $226.79 (-0.41%) |
| Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY) | $32.10 | $31.64 (-1.43%) |
| MARA Holdings (MARA) | $10.37 | $10.33 (-0.39%) |
| Riot Platforms (RIOT) | $18.10 | $18.06 (-0.22%) |
| Core Scientific (CORZ) | $18.36 | $18.31 (-0.27%) |
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