XRP's 9% surge leads crypto as bitcoin climbs to 6-week high near $95,000

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XRP's 9% surge leads crypto as bitcoin climbs to 6-week high near $95,000

Bakkt, Figure and Hut 8 were among numerous crypto-related stocks posting double-digit percentage gains.

By Helene Braun|Edited by Stephen Alpher

Updated Jan 5, 2026, 8:32 p.m. Published Jan 5, 2026, 8:20 p.m.

XRP leads crypto surge on Monday (CoinDesk)

What to know:

• Bitcoin jumped more than 3% on Monday to its highest level since mid-November, nearing the key $95,000 mark.
• XRP led the crypto rally with a 9% gain after breaking resistance on strong volume.
• It's a good start to 2026, but bitcoin isn't out of the woods yet, said one analyst.

Bitcoin BTC$92,457.12 rose to its highest level since mid-November, gaining more than 3% to $94,400 during Monday’s trading session, the largest percentage advance in more than a month.

The rally, which brought the asset closer to $95,000 — seen by some analysts as a key level to gain further momentum — was led, though, by XRP$2.3146. After breaking key resistance overnight, XRP added to its move during the U.S. trading day, rising 9% to just shy of $2.32, also the strongest since mid-November.

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Crypto-related stocks — many of which saw unrelenting selling late in 2025 — were sharply higher across the board.

Coinbase (COIN), which received an upgrade to buy from Goldman Sachs earlier in the day, was up nearly 9% while Strategy (MSTR) and Robinhood (HOOD) rose 5% and 6%, respectively.

Among some smaller names, Bakkt (BKKT) flew 30% higher, while Figure (FIGR) added 20%. Bitcoin miner Hut 8 (HUT), whose pivot to AI infrastructure paved the way for a significant advance in 2025, was up 15% on Monday, nearly reaching $60 per share. Longtime investors might have the stock's (split-adjusted) 2021 record high of $76 in their sights.

U.S. stocks are also higher on Monday, led by the Dow's 1.4% advance. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 are up a more modest 0.7%. Precious metals remain volatile, with a notable upward trend. Silver is ahead 7% and gold 3%.

Not out of the woods

Bitcoin, which fell more than 6% in 2025, may be poised for a comeback in 2026, according to Lukman Otunuga, senior market analyst at FXTM. After a challenging 2025, falling interest rates and a thinning supply of actively traded BTC could create conditions for a recovery, he said, pointing to long-term holders keeping coins off exchanges as a factor that may tighten supply and support prices.

Still, he warns of several headwinds. New tax reporting requirements in the U.S. could dampen retail participation, and regulatory decisions targeting crypto-heavy firms remain a risk. On the technical side, Otunuga says a sustained move above $100,000 could revive record-high ambitions, while a drop below that threshold could leave bitcoin vulnerable to deeper declines, with support levels near $77,500 and $54,000.

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

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