Spark Explained Like You’re Five

Some of you may remember an article I published years ago, Understanding Lightning Network Using an Abacus, which I wrote after it became clear to me that many people didn’t fully understand how Lightning works. At the time, my goal wasn’t to explain Lightning’s cryptography or implementation details, but to demystify the core idea behind payment channels. I used the analogy of the abacus to focus on the concept rather than the mechanics. It worked extremely well and people later adopted the abacus analogy to explain Lightning to noobs.

Lately, I’ve been feeling a strong sense of déjà vu.

When discussing Spark, I notice a similar pattern. Some know to say “statechain”,…

Read more on BitcoinMagazine

Eric Adams Joins Trump, Melania Meme Coins With NYC Token That Crashes 81% In A Day

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a NYC meme coin on Monday, which surged to a $580 million market cap before crashing 81% to $110 million as a wallet linked to the deployer pulled $2.5 million in liquidity at the peak.

NYC Token Hits $580M Then Collapses In Minutes

Adams unveiled the Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)-based meme coin wearing a Fendi scarf and baseball cap showing the NYC ticker symbol, saying the project would fight “antisemitism and anti-Americanism” while teaching children blockchain technology.

The token rocketed from launch to a $580 million market cap within minutes before plummeting 81% as nearly $500 million in value evaporated. 

Analytics firm Bubblemaps…

Read more on Benzinga

Bitcoin Taps $92,000 As Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Trend Higher

Bitcoin is battling for $92,000 as liquidations stand at $180.10 million over the past 24 hours.   

Bitcoin ETFs saw $116.7 million in net inflows on Monday, while Ethereum ETFs reported $5.07 million in net inflows.

CryptocurrencyTickerPriceBitcoin(CRYPTO: BTCEthereum(CRYPTO: ETHSolana(CRYPTO: SOLXRP(CRYPTO: XRP)$91,919)$3,131)$141.81              )$2.05

Bitcoin Doing Bitcoin Things!

Daan Crypto Trades said Bitcoin has spent several days consolidating in a tight $90,000–$92,000 range, building liquidity on both sides.

Upside liquidity sits around $92,600–$94,000, while downside liquidity is clustered near $89,800–$88,700. The compression suggests the range is unlikely…

Read more on Benzinga

Eric Adams-Promoted Memecoin Crashes 80% Minutes After Launch, Sparking Rug Pull Allegations Against Former NYC Mayor

A memecoin launched by Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams sparked controversy Monday after it pumped and dumped, inviting allegations of a rug pull.

NYC Token’s Rollercoaster Ride

The NYC Token (NYC) launched on the Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) blockchain to fight what Adams described as growing “antisemitism and anti-Americanism” in the country and in New York City.

The memecoin started with a bang and swiftly gained a market valuation of $540 million, only to crash 80% to $87 million roughly 30 minutes later,  according to Dexscreener data.

As of this writing, the meme coin was valued at $128 million, still 75% below the initial frenzy. 

‘Rug Pull’ Allegations

The dramatic collapse…

Read more on Benzinga

Cathie Wood Predicts ‘Goldilocks’ Boom In 2026: 5% GDP With Deflation, Calls Bitcoin ‘Ultimate Diversifier’ For Portfolios

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood is calling for an economic “Goldilocks” scenario in 2026, forecasting real GDP growth surging toward 5%, accompanied by falling inflation—and potentially outright deflation—driven by an AI-led productivity boom.

‘Goldilocks’ Return

In a latest ARK Invest video, Wood argued that the U.S. economy is exiting a three-year “rolling recession” that quietly battered housing and manufacturing.

Citing recent data showing real GDP growth already topping 4% in late 2025, she expects this momentum to accelerate.

Contrary to consensus fears that rapid growth triggers inflation, Wood posits that the current surge is fueled by technology and productivity, which…

Read more on Benzinga

Cynthia Lummis Introduces Bill To Safeguard Crypto Developers From Money Transmitter Rules, Argues Against Penalties ‘Simply Because They Write Code’

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) put forth a bipartisan bill on Monday with the intent to shield blockchain developers from being categorized as money transmitters under federal law.

‘Stop Treating Software Developers Like Banks’

The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act aims to exempt “non-controlling” software developers and infrastructure providers from federal money transfer requirements.

Non-controlling developers are defined as those who develop or maintain blockchain-based ledgers but lack the legal authority to control transactions without third-party approval.

The bill also designated offering hardware or software for customer self-custody…

Read more on Benzinga

US Attack Odds On Iran Exceed 50% On Crypto Prediction Market As Washington Directs Americans To Leave Country Immediately

Bettors on Polymarket now assign over a 50% probability to a U.S. military strike on Iran this month, following a new advisory urging Americans to leave the protest-hit country immediately.

Rising Tensions: US Strike Odds Surge

The odds that the U.S. will strike Iran by Jan. 31 have risen to 54%, up 9 percentage points in the last 24 hours. The probability of such a military action happening by Jan. 23 jumped from 29% to 43%

Roughly $13.7 million has been wagered on this bet. The market resolves to “Yes” if the U.S. initiates a drone, missile or air strike on Iranian territory, including its embassies and consulates. However, missiles or drones that are intercepted won’t count.

Benzinga