CRYPTO 101: Crypto Rundown – Bitcoin and Ethereum LONG TERM HOLDERS Are Back...The Data You Need to Know

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Joe (filling in for Bryce Paul & Brendan Viehman) with Brian

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the latest market-moving news in crypto, notably Morgan Stanley’s headline-grabbing ETF filings, post-liquidation narratives, indicators showing institutional accumulation, and surging long-term confidence among major market participants. The hosts break down the market’s dramatic late-2025 shakeout, bullish signs into 2026, key data on long-term holder behavior, and trends from altcoins to NFT and prediction markets. Notable moments include spirited discussion of “tinfoil hat” market manipulation, major sentiment reins from CNBC's XRP coverage, and what’s next for leading projects like Pudgy Penguins and Zcash.

1. Market State & News Roundup

Key Topics:

• General market holding pattern despite recent fundamental news.
• Notable altcoin moves: XRP (+15%), Solana (+10%), Dogecoin (+14%), Sui (+27%).
• Announcement that Brendan could not make the episode; Brian filling in.

Memorable Moment:

• [02:33] Brian on Crypto101's X (Twitter) account:

  "Everyone some...they give me legit laugh out loud so not just courtesy lol'ing or hahaha. It is a legit laugh out loud with some of the tweets that come out of the crypto 101x. So that's a must follow. That's a no brainer."

2. Morgan Stanley’s Big Crypto ETF Filings

Highlights:

• Morgan Stanley files for spot Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana ETFs.
• Institutional signal: using the "Morgan Stanley" brand, not a subsidiary, for these ETFs is highly significant.
• Largest bank to file for Solana ETF; impactful for the whole crypto ecosystem.

Key Quotes:

• [04:59] Brian:

  "Morgan Stanley is buying up our bags right now...they're ready to be here. This is amazing news for not just those assets but the entire crypto market. Like you said, everybody and their mother...knows who Morgan Stanley is. And they're in it. They're doing a Bitcoin ETF, a Solana ETF and...they're the first major bank to actually file for a Solana ETF. So that's amazing stuff."

• [06:01] Joe:

  "Morgan Stanley, a firm that's managing over $1.6 trillion in assets, again is just a brand name that carries a lot of weight."

3. The October Liquidation/FUD Cycle: Tinfoil Hats Required

Narrative:

• Discussion of the biggest single liquidation event in crypto history (October 2025).
• MSCI (Morgan Stanley division) proposed removing digital asset treasury companies (e.g., MicroStrategy), fueling extreme FUD.
• Three-month pressure window as index flows and media spun rumors and fear.
• Eventually the retrace ended, the news reversed, and MS filed for spot ETFs.

Tinfoil Hat Theories & Manipulation:

• Hosts posit market manipulation by institutional players, who stirred FUD to accumulate at lower prices.

Key Quotes:

• [14:32] Brian:

  "There was just a lot of FUD coming out. That's what it is. It's fear, uncertainty and doubt and then it piles on and piles on and piles on...but the rumor of the possibility of MSCI removing strategy...and the crash and the liquidations...It felt like there was some manipulation going in..."

• [17:23] Brian:

  "Where there's smoke, there's fire, man...it really benefits them to scare retail, scare the public and accumulate some of these at a lower price because they're not buying one bitcoin, they're buying millions and billions..."

4. Bullish Reversal: Long-Term Holders & Institutional Accumulation

Indicator Data:

• “Long term holders are starting to nibble” – Chart showing renewed accumulation by strong hands since late 2025 washout.
• Ethereum unstaking queue dropped to zero; staking queue surges.

Key Quotes:

• [21:21] Brian:

  "Yeah, I am under the radar, extremely bullish right now. Probably more bullish than I've been for quite some time...when I say next phase of the bull market, I'm really looking at that $100,000 bitcoin mark."

• [27:32] Brian:

  "These staking ETFs and big bit mine staking and Tom Lee's...of how much they're going to earn just by staking their holdings...is going to open more institutional eyes, more retail eyes...it's probably time for big daddy to start dusting off some fiat and buying a little bit more of this spot..."

• [28:38] Joe:

  "Nobody, nobody feels bullish at all. It feels, it's tumbleweeds...that's another contrarian signal to watch..."

5. Ethereum, Solana, and Real-World Assets: 2026 Outlook

Key Points:

• Ethereum had just three green months in 2025; potential for a mean reversion year in 2026.
• Focus on real world assets (RWA), stablecoin rails, and financial institutions integrating with Ethereum/Solana.
• Solana and Ethereum as probable infrastructure choices for major new institutional products.

Key Quotes:

• [34:58] Brian:

  "Stablecoins was such a buzzword in 2025...that's another reason why people should be very bullish on Ethereum...all these stablecoin payment rails that are going to be taking over..."

6. Altcoin and NFT Highlights

a) XRP Army Gets National TV Attention

• CNBC segment hypes XRP’s strong performance.
• Discussion on sentiment, tokenomics skepticism, and wishing “success for the whole crypto market.”

[36:20] CNBC segment read by Brian:

"Hottest crypto trade of the year is not Bitcoin. It is not Ether. It is XRP...the coin formerly known as Ripple..."

b) Zcash Team Drama

• Zcash surges on privacy narrative and market attention.
• Internal conflict: developers threatening to build their own privacy chain, which could be negative for Zcash short-term, bullish for competitors (Monero, Umbra).

[39:43] Brian:

"According to zcash as everybody, if you're not familiar zcash, they're a major privacy coin...privacy is going to be a big meta...it went up pretty nicely...it was actually performing quite well up until this morning. And then we wake up and we find out that the zcash developers had a little bit of a little tiff..."

7. Meme Coins & NFT Projects: Pudgy Penguins, Rec

a) Pudgy Penguins: Mainstream Crossover

• Up 32% for the week, major brand push: Vegas Sphere ad, NHL Winter Classic partnership, global plush/toy presence.
• Hosts share personal stories of giving Pudgy merch as gifts and discuss pathway to mass adoption.

[47:01] Brian:

"They're not just a Plushie Co...they're doing it all. They paid about a half a million bucks to go on the Vegas sphere...it was a lot of fun to see..."

[49:44] Joe:

"I'm telling them, I'm just like, yeah, like, there's a penguin. ...they were all like, oh, and they're flipping through the pages. They're like, either these penguins are so cute. I love them..."

b) Rec: Real-World Integration

• REQ token and Rec beverage collaboration with World Star Hip Hop, in-store token rewards pending.
• Example of a meme coin/NFT brand moving into consumer markets.

[53:02] Brian:

"They got another drink coming out...a collaboration with world star...when you start seeing more and more people choosing rec drinks because they like it and because they can get like a meme coin...it's just disrupting the consumer world..."

8. Prediction Markets: The Supercycle

• Huge growth and investment in prediction markets, notably Polymarket: new partnerships with NYSE parent ICE, Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal.
• Use of prediction market odds for “truth discovery” as legacy media and truth-seekers converge.
• Debate: Is insider wagering healthy “truth-finding” or a risk for front-running and private enrichment?

[59:41] Brian:

"But it's becoming more and more clear that the news is being pushed through these prediction markets. Probably because insiders are just hammering it when they get an opportunity. But if you really want the truth, you look where people put their money..."

[60:03] Joe:

"Fine line of like, yeah, like something like that where he knows he's hitting these things and his intern can get paid. Or like, you know, what song is, what song are the Philadelphia Eagles going to come out to in the super bowl...but then if you start getting to more serious things...it's fair to...want to know the truth."

9. ICOs and RWA Platforms: Trove Markets

• Discussion of Trove: new crypto market for trading real-world asset (RWA) indexes (collectibles, Pokemon, Birkin Bags, etc.) up to 10x leverage.
• ICO discussed on Polymarket; signals a maturing space with innovation beyond L2s.

[63:32] Brian:

"Trove Markets...they're actually like a market for real world assets or collectibles...these collectibles like real world assets that...now...you can trade up to 10x leverage on where you think those markets are going to go..."

10. Community Shoutouts & Closing Thoughts

• Repeated shout-outs to the Crypto101 community, YouTube chat; encouragement to join private newsletter/Momentum Moneymakers trial for $1.
• Optimism for Q1 2026, with hosts bullish on long-term prospects.
• Emphasis on staying level-headed amid FUD/manipulation and zooming out for context.

[24:53] Joe:

"It's building this community and growing it and educating people on it. And so, you know, obviously, we believe this is the future. That's why we've been here, you know, doing this show for years now. And it's ex. It's exciting times..."

Key Takeaways

• Institutional adoption is accelerating. Morgan Stanley’s ETF filings, alongside BlackRock’s continued accumulation, signals strong conviction from legacy players.
• Long-term holders are accumulating again. Data shows that after the massive washout and FUD campaigns, seasoned investors are buying, not selling.
• Speculative altcoins and NFTs are alive. From XRP’s media moment to Pudgy Penguins, meme assets and NFT brands are innovating and creeping mainstream.
• Prediction markets are the new oracles. Wall Street is taking prediction flows seriously; they may become a core truth-discovery mechanism.
• Bullish sentiment is quietly building for 2026. The contrarian view—as panic and FUD recede—may well be rewarded if underlying adoption trends play out.

Notable Quotes

• Brian: “Where there's smoke, there's fire, man...it really benefits [institutions] to scare retail, scare the public and accumulate some of these at a lower price...” [17:23]
• Joe: “Even though this feels, this, this is, this feels very manipulated...it feels like there's a little bit of manipulation going on, but then on the other end makes me feel bullish.” [18:51]
• Brian: “Long term holders are starting to nibble...that builds the thesis...that this is turning.” [20:58]
• Joe: “Nobody, nobody feels bullish at all...that's another contrarian signal to watch.” [28:38]
• Brian: “Prediction markets aren't going anywhere. I think they're going to thrive in 2026...” [60:38]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:33] – Best of Crypto Twitter, show housekeeping
• [04:59] – Morgan Stanley’s ETF filings
• [08:50] – MicroStrategy, October liquidation context
• [14:32] – Manipulation/FUD cycle analysis
• [21:21] – Bullish reversal, long-term holder data
• [27:32] – Ethereum staking data
• [34:58] – Stablecoins and real world assets narrative
• [36:20] – CNBC covers XRP
• [39:43] – Zcash dev team fallout
• [47:01] – Pudgy Penguins brand momentum
• [53:02] – Rec, meme coin meets beverage brand
• [59:41] – Prediction markets and "truth"
• [63:32] – Trove Markets ICO/RWA discussion
• [64:50] – Community shout-outs and sign off

For retail crypto investors, this episode is a must-listen for understanding the interplay of market narratives, institutional moves, real-time data, and the power of zooming out to see who’s really accumulating.