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January 28, 2026

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The post Top Analyst Reveals What’s Next For Bitcoin, XRP and Ethereum appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

A top analyst from crypto analytics firm Santiment says the crypto market is going through a quiet but important phase, even as gold and silver steal the spotlight.

Brian, an analyst at Santiment, explained that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP are not collapsing. Instead, they are being ignored while money flows into precious metals due to global uncertainty.

Bitcoin Sentiment Turns Negative, But Not Dangerous

Over the past week, Bitcoin-related discussions jumped by 47%, but not for positive reasons. Many traders have been calling Bitcoin a “dead asset” simply because it has failed to keep up with gold and silver.

Brian pushed back on that idea. Bitcoin is down just 10–12% over the past year, which is normal in crypto terms and can be recovered quickly. The negative chatter is mainly driven by frustration, not panic.

At the time of analysis, Bitcoin was trading around $87,500, after briefly moving above $90,000 earlier in January. Social sentiment has cooled since then, but there is no major fear in the market yet.

Gold and Silver Are Pulling Attention Away From Crypto

Brian pointed out that gold and silver have become the center of attention, especially silver, which has surged sharply in recent weeks. This has pulled discussion and capital away from Bitcoin.

He compared the situation to crypto market cycles, where money often rotates from Bitcoin to altcoins. Right now, that rotation is happening across asset classes, not just within crypto.

Gold’s strong rally is also acting as a fear indicator, reflecting concerns about geopolitics, tariffs, and broader global uncertainty. Large institutions and central banks are buying gold, which explains the strong price action.

Why This Could Actually Be Bullish for Bitcoin

According to Brian, the widening gap between Bitcoin and gold could be setting up a strong future move for Bitcoin.

As retail investors move away from crypto, long-term holders and large players are quietly accumulating coins. He noted that major buyers have been increasing their holdings during this period of low excitement.

“If fear increases and Bitcoin drops fast toward $80,000, that could create a powerful setup for a sharp rebound,” he explained. A quick drop matters more than a slow grind lower, as it can trigger stronger buying signals.

Ethereum Follows Bitcoin’s Lead

Ethereum is showing a very similar pattern to Bitcoin. It is down slightly more in recent weeks, but sentiment remains neutral.

Brian said Ethereum is currently below its “neutral” valuation level, which is generally a positive sign. However, there is not enough data yet to say Ethereum is clearly a better buy than Bitcoin right now.

XRP Shows Bullish Signs, But That’s a Risk Short Term

XRP stands out slightly. While its price is down over 21% from recent highs, long-term valuation metrics suggest it is in a stronger buy zone compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

However, sentiment around XRP has been more optimistic, with sudden bullish spikes linked to short-lived news events. Brian warned that too much optimism can limit short-term upside.

“In the near term, XRP has more FOMO than Bitcoin and Ethereum, which usually isn’t ideal,” he said. Long term, though, XRP’s outlook remains solid based on valuation data.

Wedbush Securities’ senior analyst Dan Ives recommends sticking with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) ahead of its Q1 earnings on January 29th.

The tech titan is broadly expected to post a nearly 11% increase in revenue to $138.47 billion – its largest year-on-year growth since 2022 – on the back of strong iPhone 17 demand.

AAPL’s earnings are seen printing at a record $2.67 on a per-share basis as well in the first quarter.

Ahead of the release, Apple stock is trading at about twice its price in April of 2025.

Why Apple stock is worth buying ahead of Q1 earnings

Dan Ives believes Apple Inc will “dive into the deep end of the pool” with its artificial intelligence (AI) strategic roadmap in 2026.

The iPhone maker is expected to announce a formal partnership with Alphabet to integrate Gemini directly into its ecosystem this year, which Ives believes will prove a game-changer for its AI roadmap

Additionally, a major conversational overhaul of Siri codenamed “Campos” may roll-out in spring, potentially turning the assistant into a sophisticated chatbot powered by high-end LLMs.

This, the Wedbush analyst wrote, could further boost demand for the iPhone and lift AAPL stock price over the next 12 months.

What else could drive AAPL shares higher in 2026

Ives remains bullish on Apple shares ahead of Q1 earnings, also because the unit demand for iPhone is being underestimated – particularly in China, where sales have seen a resurgence.

The multinational may also launch a foldable iPhone later this year to boost average selling prices (ASPs), he told clients in a research note today.

According to the Wedbush Securities analyst, despite rumors of a transition, Tim Cook will remain the chief executive through at least the end of 2027 to navigate this critical AI transition.

All in all, he believes AAPL could climb to $350 by the end of 2026 – indicating potential upside of well over 35% from current levels.

Where options data suggests Apple Inc is headed next

AAPL shares remain attractive as an AI play also because they’re trading at a more “compelling” price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple compared to some of the pure-play names like Nvidia.

At roughly 30x forward earnings, it’s over 30% cheaper to own than NVDA in 2026.

Despite the recent pullback, the iPhone maker remains handily above its 200-day MA, indicating the broader uptrend remains intact.

What’s also worth mentioning is that options traders believe Apple will push nearly “3.5%” higher to $265 after the earnings release on January 29.

In fact, longer-term derivatives contracts expiring mid-April suggest the Nasdaq-listed firm could be trading at nearly $280 within the next three months, according to data from Barchart.

And Wall Street seem to agree with the options traders’ optimism on Apple Inc as well, given the consensus rating on the Cupertino-headquartered company sits at “moderate buy” at the time of writing.

The post Apple Q1 earnings preview: Wedbush continues to see AAPL as ‘top pick’ appeared first on Invezz