Morning Crypto Update: Ripple's USD Stablecoin Reduces Circulation by $21.8 Million, Bitcoin's Path to $100,000 in January Seems Possible, Bitwise Proposes ETF for Zcash (ZEC)

The cryptocurrency market is closing 2025 with notable supply management trends in stablecoins, optimistic Bitcoin forecasts, and a wave of ETF filings including one for privacy assets. While these developments won’t dramatically shift the market alone, they set an optimistic tone for early January 2026.

Key Takeaways

Ripple's Burn: Ripple USD's recent burn removed $21,804,950 from circulation, signaling effective supply management.
Bitcoin Price Predictions: Bitcoin trades at $88,800, with a potential rise to $100,000 in January appearing realistic.
Bitwise’s ETF Filing: Bitwise has submitted for a Zcash Strategy ETF amid growing privacy coin interest.
Market Trends: The overall market suggests that Bitcoin could stabilize at significant price points as crypto approaches greater adoption.

Main Content

The cryptocurrency sector is concluding 2025 with headlines focused on supply management for stablecoins, strong arguments supporting a bullish outlook for Bitcoin, and an increase in ETF filings that underscore the growing integration of traditional finance into cryptocurrency, particularly with privacy coins.

These developments may not independently transform the market, but together they shape the atmosphere for the beginning of January: a reduction in token supply here, aspirational price targets there, and a consistent reminder that 2026 is being positioned as a year of increased ETF activity.

Ripple's Significant Supply Reduction

Ripple USD recently saw its most considerable supply reduction in weeks, occurring in a methodical manner: the token's Treasury sent coins to a burn address. The Ripple Stablecoin Tracker reported two significant burns initiated by the RLUSD Treasury. The larger transaction burned 21,654,950 RLUSD by sending it to Ethereum’s null address, "0x000." Earlier, an additional 150,000 RLUSD was also burned. In total, this amounts to $21,804,950 worth of RLUSD removed from circulation—the largest burn since December 18.

This "null address" is crucial; it signifies that these coins are permanently removed from circulation instead of being moved to another wallet. While the scale of this burn is significant, it is not catastrophic. RLUSD is intended to maintain its value near $1 with a total supply of around 1.33 billion RLUSD, ranking it 52nd by market cap. Therefore, this substantial reduction is a notable event rather than a minor fluctuation lost within exchange movements.

When a stablecoin treasury engages in such substantial burns, it usually indicates either supply management, redemption activities, or financial housekeeping. Continued expansion in RLUSD distribution combined with the Treasury's burns could create a trackable on-chain narrative akin to a dashboard showing real-time supply adjustments. This possibility is especially relevant as the peg appears to be performing as expected.

Bitcoin's Positive Year-End Outlook

As 2025 wraps up, Bitcoin is trading at $88,800, with $80,600 identified as a significant support level. Meanwhile, $107,154.99 serves as an essential resistance point for the cryptocurrency to regain six figures. The prediction that Bitcoin could reach $100,000 by January is gaining momentum because the mathematics support it; transitioning from $88,800 to $100,000 represents only a 12.6% increase, a typical fluctuation in the crypto world.

Data from CryptoRank shows that January typically yields an average return of 9.76%, with a median return of 9.54%. Notably, January 2025 itself began with a 9.54% increase. While this does not ensure similar returns for January 2026, it clarifies why this month is often viewed as a "fresh start," prompting buyer interest.

Additionally, Bitwise's recent comments drew attention to the potential for Bitcoin to break away from its traditional four-year cycle, attributing this shift to various factors like decreasing impacts of halving events, lower interest rate expectations for 2026, fewer major disruptions post-October 2025's liquidation events, improved regulations, and broader institutional participation.

Bitwise pointed out a structural demand for ETFs, noting that from January 2024, Bitcoin funds acquired 710,777 BTC, while only 363,047 BTC were issued simultaneously. This disparity between demand and new supply has driven BTC's price up by 94% in this timeframe.

Combining these insights helps elucidate why hypothesis around Bitcoin reaching $100,000 is being discussed as a near-term reality instead of a far-off fantasy. Currently, the price remains below that threshold, but ample supportive narratives continue to validate this price target until the market signals otherwise.

Zcash Joins the ETF Conversation

The conversation around privacy coins has resurfaced in the context of ETFs, with Bitwise submitting a proposal for a ZEC Strategy ETF among 11 others, including assets like AAVE, CC, ENA, HYPE, NEAR, STRK, SUI, TAO, TRX, UNI, and ZEC. This filing is significant for Zcash; historically, privacy coins have struggled to gain traction within traditional financial environments despite their impressive technology. A strategy-focused ETF doesn't automatically imply spot exposure or guarantee approval, but it suggests that an issuer sees a viable strategy, narrative, and market interest.

ZEC/USD Price Chart ZEC/USD by TradingView

Currently, ZEC is trading at $526.59, reflecting a slight downward adjustment of 0.57% on the daily chart. Nearby reference levels are at $520.12 and $492.27, with higher-target zones at $560 and $680 indicating potential areas of activity.

This situation demonstrates ZEC holding a productive stance after a considerable rally into late 2025. The news of the ETF filing grants this support a reason to persist, at least until the market reassesses its risk appetite.

2026 is poised as the year when cryptocurrency experiences a shift from speculative trading solely influenced by sentiment to more stable movements underpinned by actual adoption. As the ETF landscape broadens beyond early adopters, a $100,000 Bitcoin may cease to be mere speculation and evolve into a reference point, with new all-time highs potentially becoming the norm throughout the year—even with the possibility of some volatility along the way.

As stablecoins continue to play a crucial role in discussions around policy, treasury operations like the RLUSD burns will emerge as part of a regular scoreboard for monitoring supply management and redemption trends, rather than one-off curiosities. The expanding range of ETF options now encompasses major assets as well as niche strategies, with privacy coins like ZEC gaining interest typically seen only during risk-on phases.

The primary risks to watch are regulatory challenges and liquidity shocks, which could potentially shift early-year bullish momentum into unpredictable mid-year fluctuations.