Cathie Wood’s Shocking Forecast: US Could to Supercharge National Reserves

The crypto market is heating up again. Bitcoin (BTC) has climbed 1.35% to $92,112.79, while Ethereum (ETH) is up 1.30% at $3,158.73. But the real buzz comes from a bold prediction by Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest. She says the US government might start to build its national strategic reserves. This could be a game-changer for BTC and the entire crypto space.

Why Cathie Wood Thinks the US Will Buy Bitcoin Directly

In a recent Bitcoin Brainstorm podcast, Cathie Wood dropped this bombshell. The Trump administration already set up a Bitcoin reserve through an executive order. So far, it’s only using Bitcoin seized from criminals. No open-market buys yet. The goal? One million BTC. Wood believes they’ll soon start purchasing directly.

What’s driving this? Politics and strategy. With midterm elections looming, Trump wants to stay strong on crypto. His family has deep ties to the industry, and crypto fans helped him win the election. Wood quotes him: “He doesn’t want to be a lame-duck president. He wants one or two more productive years, and he sees crypto as the pathway to the future.”

The admin has already acted fast. Multiple executive orders created the reserve and a crypto asset inventory. They formed a crypto and AI task force under David Sacks to push laws like the GENIUS Act for stablecoins. If the US starts buying BTC like gold or oil reserves, it could send prices soaring and legitimize crypto worldwide.

Coinbase Fights Back on Stablecoin Rewards in New US Bill

Meanwhile, regulation heats up. Coinbase is lobbying hard against limits on stablecoin rewards. A big crypto bill is up for Senate review. It might restrict rewards to only regulated banks, hurting crypto firms. Banks worry stablecoins will steal deposits.

Coinbase wants to keep platform rewards without needing a trust license. They’ve applied for one anyway. Five crypto companies just got OCC approval as trust banks. A compromise might let trust-licensed firms offer yields. But tough rules could spark workarounds, creating a “whack-a-mole” mess. This bill’s reward fight is slowing bipartisan support.

Michael Saylor Teases More Bitcoin Buys

Michael Saylor of MicroStrategy (MSTR) is at it again. He posted “₿ig Orange” on X, hinting at Bitcoin tracker updates. History shows they reveal buys the next day. Saylor also hailed the decade’s top assets: NVIDIA (NVDA) for digital intelligence, MSTR for digital credit, and Bitcoin for digital capital. No wonder MSTR is a crypto powerhouse.

Stablecoin News Around the Globe

• Hong Kong: Financial Secretary Paul Chan says stablecoin progress is step-by-step. Gold-pegged stablecoins? Maybe later, after basics are done.
• Venezuela: Tether (USDT) helps PdVSA dodge sanctions for oil sales and aids citizens amid bolivar collapse. Tether insists it follows all rules and freezes bad addresses.
• PhotonPay Funding: This stablecoin payment firm raised millions in Series B, led by IDG Capital. They’ll expand in the US and emerging markets, with $30B+ annual volume. Partners include JPMorgan and Circle.
• Tether in Russia: Registered Hadron trademark for blockchain services, valid till 2035.

Tech and Investment Updates

Robinhood is building an Ethereum L2 on Arbitrum for security and liquidity. Focus? Tokenized stocks—now over 2,000 from 200. Easy migration ahead.

Bitmine Immersion (BMNR) pledged another 109,504 ETH ($340M), totaling 1.19M ETH ($3.7B).

Crypto M&A exploded to $37B in 2025—7x last year! 356 deals, banks eyeing stablecoins. Expect more in 2026 with clearer US rules.

Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF? SEC decision possibly by March 23.

South Korea Opens Doors to Corporate Crypto Investments

Big news from Asia. South Korea will let listed companies invest up to 5% of capital in top 20 cryptos like BTC and ETH. Could draw 3,500 firms, flooding markets with cash. Rules coming Jan-Feb, full go by year-end. Smart risk caps included.

Ethereum’s Big Push and Trader Woes

Ethereum Foundation’s Hsiao-Wei Wang says zero-knowledge tech is key to mid-term roadmap. It boosts scaling without losing decentralization.

Not all smooth: “Uncle Ma” faces $287K losses on 10,800 ETH long (25x leverage). Down $2M from peaks.

CZ of Binance tempers hype: No tweet predicts the future. Just keep stacking sats.

What This Means for Crypto Investors

Cathie Wood’s call could spark a bull run. Pair it with US bills, global stablecoin growth, and corporate buys—2026 looks bright. But watch regulations and politics. Bitcoin as a reserve asset? It’s not if, but when.

Stay tuned as Trump pushes crypto, firms stack sats, and tech evolves. The future is digital gold.

Prices as of January 12. Crypto is volatile—DYOR.