https://blossom.primal.net/aff33a1422820b878e4d78dc80f69e17f11365597b8aead5593bb83123b67317.jpg Disclaimer: I am still a bit behind on the news each week, but I still want to share these insights with you. In this post, I will share the recap for 12.01 - 19.01; On Nostr, I will exclusively share the most significant Bitcoin news. (this note) For those (still) beyond Nostr—friends, family, and colleagues—the complete Weekly Recap will be accessible on my Bitcoin Friday page on Yakihonne. (next note) Enriched with detailed charts, illustrative images, and comprehensive macroeconomic news to provide context and clarity. Happy reading! The Latest Bitcoin & Macro news: Weekly Recap 19.01.2026 🧠Quote(s) of the week: We are entering a period of hyper-deflation like the world has never seen before, and there is only one currency on Earth built for a technological hyperdeflationary world: Bitcoin. Gold was great during the industrial revolution, but it lacks critical features in a wired world. -Vijay Boyapati 'Bitcoin, truly, is an ego test at first. It was hard to buy a $10 because people bought it for 1 dollar. It was hard to buy it at $1000 because people bought it at $100. It will be hard to buy at $1 million because people bought it for under $100,000. No matter what, your first time buying Bitcoin will always feel like you are super late.' - RonSwanonson 🧡Bitcoin news🧡 Photos hosted by Azzamo ( https://azzamo.net/) https://cdn.azzamo.net/dba6dff55335c831aef8e7b6cd069e352c8fdaefd40adb2ef964eb312583a3bd.webp Before we start, a great post by James Lavish: The problem is the money! 'Most people have never heard of the Cantillon Effect. But once you understand it, you’ll see the world of investing differently. What is it? In the early 1700s, Richard Cantillon noticed a simple pattern: When new money enters an economy, it doesn’t reach everyone at once. And whoever gets it first benefits the most. Here’s how it works today: New liquidity enters through the Fed and through bank lending. Both follow a similar pattern: → Markets and large balance sheets get first access → Large corporations and well-connected borrowers tap cheap credit next, they invest and expand at today’s prices → Asset prices tend to rise as new liquidity chases finite assets → Consumer prices often follow → Wages rise last, usually after purchasing power has already declined Fed data shows how lopsided the playing field is: - The top 10% hold nearly 90% of equities. - The bottom 50% holds about 1%. It’s a simple but powerful monetary transmission. Understanding this won’t change the system. But it might change how you think about where to store your savings.'- James Lavish https://cdn.azzamo.net/e09e4a3dc8d62c761ebb0e4595532292bbb2ff97a1b1b26c6828453307fe242b.webp Anyway, Study Bitcoin! On January 12: ➡️For the first time in history, the Central Bank of Argentina held an “art exhibition” of bitcoin mining machines plugged into the building, actively mining. - Documenting Bitcoin. ➡️Strategy has acquired 13,627 BTC for ~$1.25 billion at ~$91,519 per bitcoin. As of 1/11/2026, we hodl 687,410 $BTC acquired for ~$51.80 billion at ~$75,353 per bitcoin. - Saylor ➡️Rajat Soni: "Your bank balance is an illusion. Your bank doesn't have your money. Banks don't need to keep any reserves since 2020." https://cdn.azzamo.net/1454c06eb05830265597fff420a06540b2af84488bc84ad3aaa91ae0b3f06084.webp As fellow Noderunner points out perfectly: 'Conviction in Bitcoin usually starts with the pain of realizing your 40-hour work week is buying you less every year.' Now connect that with the following, so your money is essentially just numbers on a screen, even if you "have money." It's a good time to study the hardest money ever! Bitcoin. On January 13: ➡️BITCOIN BECOMES KING IN IRAN Not out of nowhere. This is where real pressure pushes real behavior. Here’s what’s actually happening and why BTC is spiking: Iran’s fiat is imploding. The rial has collapsed massively against the dollar as Inflation explodes and confidence in banks tanks. That makes saving in local cash feel like burning money. People start looking for alternatives that don’t evaporate overnight. That alone drives demand for BTC as a store of value outside the rial. Second, crypto isn’t just about individuals hedging anymore. State-linked networks and the IRGC have been moving huge sums (billions) through crypto channels to get around sanctions and funnel money across borders. That puts real institutional sideways pressure on Bitcoin flows tied to Iran. Third, Iran’s cheap energy makes mining Bitcoin super profitable: electricity costs there make mining a BTC dirt cheap compared to global prices. That means more supply being created and sold on black markets or exit channels, adding to the local swirl. Finally, sanctions squeeze traditional banking hard, so crypto becomes a practical workaround for liquidity, cross-border transactions, storing value, and even paying for imports or moving capital. Especially with the rial spiraling. Summed up: hyperinflation + fiat collapse + sanctions + mining arbitrage + alternative finance needs = BTC parabolic action in Iran. Source:WhaleInsider https://cdn.azzamo.net/fc48e578e9ae8afc904b24892e042536bffb6b1a3fb8098f29accdcb4a0c6810.webp Funny stat: 'Over the past 3 weeks (December 23, 2025 to January 13, 2026), Bitcoin appreciated by ~104% against the Iranian rial (black market rate), while Gold appreciated by ~102%. BTC rose from ~63.5B IRR to ~129.5B IRR; gold from ~3.24B IRR/oz to ~6.55B IRR/oz.' - Grok Iranians who held bitcoin preserved their wealth. Iranians who trusted their currency lost 96%. Everyone deserves money that their government can't destroy. ➡️'The latest Bitcoin ownership data: Median Bitcoin held by household income: Under $50k: ~0.004 BTC $50k–$75k: ~0.01 BTC $75k–$100k: ~0.025 BTC $100k–$150k: ~0.06 BTC $150k–$250k: ~0.11 BTC $250k+: ~0.17 BTC Even at the top of the income ladder, most never reach 0.21 BTC. High income doesn’t beat broken money. Saving harder can’t outrun dilution. Bitcoin doesn’t reward salaries. It rewards early conviction and time in blocks.' - 0.21BTC on X ➡️21Shares' Bitcoin and gold ETP debuts on the London Stock Exchange. Bitcoin and Gold backing the product are held with institutional-grade custodians, and allocations are rebalanced monthly. ➡️Bitcoin needs to trade above $240,000 to flip Silver’s market cap at $4.8 trillion. The first time this happened was in March of 2024, when both were ~ $1.4 trillion. - The Bitcoin Therapist ➡️Germany's 2nd largest bank, DZ Bank, just approved for Bitcoin and crypto trading. - Bitcoin Archive ➡️Vivek Ramaswamy's Strive acquires Bitcoin company Semler Scientific in an all-stock transaction. ➡️Bitcoin will cross 20 million BTC mined sometime in March. There will always be less than 21 million BTC. 95% of Bitcoin has already been mined. -Pierre Rochard https://cdn.azzamo.net/49f2e9a9e1c3c307f22863b8c6e07585f4c10cb1382020b34db9cb14bcda3588.webp ➡️'Bitcoin's price will go parabolic if ETF demand persists long-term—a lesson from Gold's 2025 move. The prices of both Gold and Bitcoin are set by supply and demand. The popular story is that gold prices spiked in 2025 (up 65%) because central bank purchases tilted the supply-demand balance. History teaches us something different and tells us what's happening with Bitcoin. Central bank purchases of Gold spiked in 2022 after the US seized Russia's Treasury deposits. Annual purchases rose from ~500 tonnes to ~1000 tonnes. They have stayed consistent since. These purchases tilted the supply-demand balance, but didn't immediately show up in prices. Gold rose 2% in 2022, 13% in 2023, and 27% in 2024. It wasn't until 2025 that prices went parabolic. That's because, for the first few years, central bank demand was met by sellers of their gold holdings. But eventually, the sellers ran out of ammo. And as demand persisted, prices soared. The same thing is happening with Bitcoin and ETFs. Since ETFs debuted in Jan 2024, they've been buying more than 100% of the new Bitcoin supply. But the price hasn't gone parabolic, because existing holders have been willing to sell. If ETF demand persists - and it will - eventually, these sellers will run out of ammo. And when they do...'- Matt Hougan https://cdn.azzamo.net/1297328c2a9f9f940b03fe75700e9f5a6cf50451f6a778b1622e994cc08b72f1.webp ➡️According to Glassnode, it seems like Bitcoin OGs are done selling aggressively for now. https://cdn.azzamo.net/b4fc6a7a9c222764c80cbad9d474c00b5568bc9c9faedaf663a4f77f3a10c2d6.webp ➡️Solo Bitcoin miner mines a whole block worth $295,000 (3.16 BTC). Another Bitcoin lottery winner. - Bitcoin Archive ➡️El Salvador is now giving Bitcoin passports to tourists visiting the country. On January 14: ➡️UGANDA GOVERNMENT ORDERS INTERNET SHUTDOWN AS BITCHAT BECOMES THE #1 APP. As in the 2016 and 2021 elections, the Museveni government cut internet access in the days leading up to the presidential vote in an effort to extend his 40-year rule. This time, residents were prepared. Over 1% of the population downloaded Bitchat, a Bluetooth mesh messaging app, allowing them to communicate without an internet connection. - Bitcoin News ➡️Bitcoin is up 500% over the past three years. - Pierre Rochard ➡️Grocery store Carefour to offer 20% discounts on Bitcoin payments. - Bitcoin Archive ➡️Construction picture updates of Iren’s new Bitcoin mine and AI computing facilities on the plains of West Texas. Horizon 1 electrical and mechanical works are well underway, Horizon 2 data halls are rising, Horizon 3-4 civils have commenced, with 1,200+ workers active on site. - Documenting Bitcoin On January 16: ➡️Bitcoin Archive: 'Iranians withdraw Bitcoin to personal wallets as currency crashes - Chainanalysis report "Iranians are taking possession of Bitcoin at a markedly higher rate during protests than they were beforehand." Bitcoin is Freedom money. ➡️Owning 0.28 Bitcoin puts you in the top 1% of BTC holders. ➡️A big if.... but Silver Market Cap increased by $3.9 TRILLION in just 12 months. That's 2x Bitcoin's current market cap. If Bitcoin catches up to Silver, it will hit +$270,000. ➡️Strategy just scooped up another 13,627 BTC for ~$1.25B last week. https://cdn.azzamo.net/69d80196c9ba622c24138328ab2e6474f44e2f853d87e08f8213b79b2b9e658d.webp On January 17: ➡️' In 14 years, the same home costs you over 99.5% less in bitcoin and 2.5x more in dollars. It’s time to start saving in digital capital.' On January 18: ➡️In precisely 50 days, Bitcoin's circulating supply will hit 20m. At that point, only 1m Bitcoin will remain to be mined. Forever. On January 19: ➡️Bitcoin falls nearly -$4,000 as $500 million worth of levered longs are liquidated in 60 minutes. 🎁If you have made it this far, I would like to give you a little gift: What Bitcoin Did: The Fed Pivot, Bitcoin vs Gold & The Return Of QE | Lawrence Lepard nostr:nprofile1qqsxc56ajk5xtxerf4dqspgrfa0s5elrcr80lnz9nasldq87j3zzf0cc5h4hk nostr:nprofile1qyx8wumn8ghj7cnjvghxjmcpz4mhxue69uhk2er9dchxummnw3ezumrpdejqqgxh7w3d3dmhgvujdc3et5c4nzfws3u7sudgqrjqruz8lvy269ln9vj97u6y Lawrence Lepard is an investment manager and author of The Big Print. In this episode, he explains why the Federal Reserve has already pivoted back to money printing and why Inflation is now structurally embedded in the system. They discuss the growing inevitability of yield curve control, what gold and silver are signaling ,and why Bitcoin is the most asymmetric response to policy failure and monetary decay. Click here: https://youtu.be/gVnEWAR-06s Credit: I have used multiple sources! My savings account:Bitcoin The tool I recommend for setting up a Bitcoin savings plan: **PocketBitcoin **, especially suited for beginners or people who want to invest in Bitcoin with an automated investment plan once a week or monthly. (from now on, full KYC, so be aware) > Use the code SE3997 Get your Bitcoin out of exchanges. Save them on a hardware wallet, run your own node...be your own bank. Not your keys, not your coins. It's that simple. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Do you think this post is helpful to you? If so, please share it and support my work with a zap. ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ⭐ Many thanks⭐ Felipe - Bitcoin Friday! ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃