The Crypto Rundown 304: A Hot Start to The New Year

Bitcoin is back north of $90k and the crypto markets are firing on all cylinders to kick off 2026! Mark Longo returns for the first Bitcoin Breakdown of the year to analyze the massive "love fest" in digital assets and what the data tells us about the months ahead.

In This Episode:

• The Bitcoin Breakdown: Bitcoin surges nearly $7,000 in a single week. We compare the current $94k levels to the start of 2025 and discuss whether BTC is truly acting as "digital gold".

• Volatility & Skew Analysis: Using Amberdata metrics, we look at the spike in weekly and monthly vol, and the shifting skew that suggests the "yield-seekers" are changing the derivatives landscape.

• The IBIT Story: BlackRock's IBIT continues its dominance. We break down the massive open interest in the Jan 43 puts and what it means for institutional sentiment.

• Altcoin Universe: A resurgence across the board! From ETH regaining the $3,200 level to double-digit pops in Solana and XRP, we rank the Top 10 by market cap.

• Yield Generation in Circle: Analyzing a massive stock repair/ratio spread in Circle options and what it reveals about current risk-reward profiles.

• Crypto Question of the Week: Will the major crypto assets end 2026 higher or lower? We reveal the early poll results.

Resources Mentioned:

• Amberdata: Granular on-chain and market data for institutions. amberdata.io

• Options Insider Pro: Get access to exclusive Q&A sessions and Vol Deathmatch 2.0. theoptionsinsider.com/pro