Japan Maintains its Policy Rate, Inflation Forecasts Rise Slightly, and Crypto Market Walks Silently

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-01-23Last updated on 2026-01-23

Abstract

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has maintained its policy rate at 0.75%, a decision widely anticipated by markets. The central bank also slightly raised its inflation forecast for fiscal 2026 to 1.9%, citing balanced economic and price conditions. Despite these developments, the global crypto market remained largely stable, though its total capitalization dipped slightly to $3.03 trillion. Major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum saw minor declines, failing to hold key support levels. Meanwhile, U.S. equity markets posted gains, potentially providing underlying support to crypto assets. Analysts note persistent volatility across financial markets amid uncertain macroeconomic conditions.

The Bank of Japan has decided to keep its policy rate unchanged at 0.75%. There is a slight increase in projected inflation, but optimism is sufficient for the growth of Japan. Meanwhile, the crypto market has remained largely unchanged, with possible support from US markets, which closed on a high note again.

Rate and Projected Inflation in Japan

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) last revised its rate from 0.50% to 0.75% in December 2025. It has now decided to keep it unchanged following the 2-day meeting, which ended on Friday. A report by Reuters has underlined that this was an expected decision, also mentioning that a proposal to hike the rate was supported by Board member Hajime Takata. The proposal didn’t find enough takers to process it further.

BOJ has also revised the consumer inflation forecast to 1.9% for fiscal year 2026. It was earlier 1.8%. The revision has been drawn after noting a balanced level between economic and price outlook. BOJ, in a report, has said that wages and prices rising moderately in tandem will be sustained, allowing inflation to rise moderately.

Reaction of Global Crypto Market

No matter the region, every financial decision taken becomes one of the key factors that affect the global crypto market. The recent decision by BOJ is no different, considering the crypto market has remained steady as it was yesterday. Fred Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC in Hong Kong, saying that the outlook of the central bank hints at growing hawkishness has possibly fueled the support for the crypto market.

The crypto market cap has declined, though. It is down by 0.26% to $3.03 trillion, with the FGI rating shifting to 34 points and the Altcoin Index tilting towards 29 points. BTC and ETH have lost their much-anticipated support levels of $90k and $3k, respectively. Bitcoin tokens are now trading at $89,454.23, and Ethereum tokens are exchanging hands at $2,963.79.

US Markets Recover, Again!

Two US indexes, Nasdaq and S&P 500, showed optimistic signs yesterday. They once again closed on a high of 0.91% and 0.55%, respectively. Dow also surged by 0.63% – most of it being credited to Trump’s U-turn on Greenland tariffs. Nevertheless, this optimism has possibly added as a supportive component for the crypto market to sustain its movement on the price chart.

Volatility remains persistent across the crypto market and every other industrial segment. Gregg Abella, CEO at Investment Partners Asset Management, has articulated the ongoing situation by saying that one does not know if it would be a Christmas morning or Friday the 13th.

Highlighted Crypto News Today:

South Korean Prosecutors Probe $49M Bitcoin Loss From State Custody

After 50x Storage Surge, Justin Sun Always Looks to the Next Decade

Sun Yuchen, known for his controversial stunts like a $30 million lunch with Warren Buffett (canceled due to a kidney stone) and eating a $6.2 million duct-taped banana, is often overshadowed by a significant fact: his decade-long track record of spotting major investment trends. In 2016, he famously advised young people to invest in Bitcoin, Nvidia, Tesla, and Tencent instead of buying property. A hypothetical $20,000 investment in Nvidia and Tesla from that list would now be worth over 50 million RMB. His latest major call was on November 6, 2025, predicting a "50x storage opportunity" tied to the AI boom, which materialized with Sandisk's stock surging nearly 50-fold by 2026. Looking ahead, Sun now focuses on the next frontier: Physical AI. He identifies four key areas: 1. **Embodied AI/Robotics**: He sees this reaching its "iPhone moment," with companies like UBTech and Galaxy General leading in commercialization. 2. **Drones**: Viewed as the first commercially viable form of Physical AI, revolutionizing sectors from warfare (e.g., AeroVironment's Switchblade) to logistics. 3. **Spatial Computing**: Beyond VR, it's about AI understanding physical space, a foundational technology for robotics and autonomous systems, exemplified by Apple's Vision Pro. 4. **Space Exploration**: After a 2025 suborbital flight with Blue Origin, Sun advocates for space as the ultimate frontier, discussing blockchain's potential role in space asset management and data transactions. His investment philosophy involves betting on entire, inevitable trends rather than single companies. For robotics, he sees Tesla (the body/manufacturer) and Nvidia (the brain/AI platform) as complementary plays. In defense drones, he highlights companies making tanks obsolete (AeroVironment) and those augmenting fighter jets (Kratos). For space, he participated in Blue Origin's flight and anticipates SpaceX's potential IPO to redefine the sector's valuation. Sun Yuchen's vision frames the next two decades not as a revolution in information flow (like the internet), but in the fundamental operation of the physical world through AI-powered robots, autonomous systems, and spatial intelligence, ultimately extending human and AI activity into space. While many still focus on conventional assets, he continues to look toward the next technological horizon.

marsbit6m ago

After 50x Storage Surge, Justin Sun Always Looks to the Next Decade

marsbit6m ago

The Billionaires Behind the Most Expensive Midterm Election in History

"The Most Expensive Midterm Elections and Their Billionaire Backers" This analysis details the unprecedented scale of spending in the 2026 midterm elections, highlighting the key billionaire donors shaping the political landscape. Jeff Yass, founder of Susquehanna International Group, has contributed over $81 million, ranking third among individual donors behind George Soros ($102.6M) and Elon Musk ($84.8M). Yass is a major donor to Trump's MAGA Inc. and supports school choice and various candidates. Overall, federal committees have raised over $4.7 billion this cycle, with political ad spending projected to reach $10.8 billion. Republican-aligned groups are significantly out-raising their Democratic counterparts. "Dark money" from undisclosed sources continues to grow. The core stakes involve control of Congress and policy direction for Trump's final term. Donors are also motivated by specific issues: Sergey Brin and Chris Larsen are funding opposition to a proposed California wealth tax and supporting crypto-friendly policies. Other top donors include OpenAI's Greg Brockman and his wife Anna ($50M total to MAGA Inc. and an AI-focused PAC), Richard Uihlein ($45.3M to conservative causes), venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz (each over $44M to crypto/AI PACs and MAGA Inc.), Miriam Adelson ($42.6M to GOP leadership PACs), Paul Singer ($33.9M), and Diane Hendricks ($25.8M to MAGA Inc.). The article notes that the peak fundraising period is still ahead, with major primaries approaching.

marsbit9m ago

The Billionaires Behind the Most Expensive Midterm Election in History

marsbit9m ago

The Largest IPO in History Is Approaching, Surpassing SpaceX, 28 Years of AI Self-Iteration, Countdown to Intelligence Explosion

"Anthropic Nears Trillion-Dollar IPO, Fueled by Explosive Growth and 2028 'Intelligence Explosion' Warning Anthropic is considering a deal valuing the AI company near $1 trillion, potentially leading to one of the largest IPOs ever and surpassing SpaceX. Its revenue has skyrocketed, with Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) reaching $45 billion in May 2026—a 500% increase in just five months. This vertical growth curve is attributed to its key products, Claude Code and Cowork, dominating AI coding and enterprise collaboration. Beyond commercial success, co-founder Jack Clark issued a pivotal warning in an interview: there is a greater than 50% chance that by the end of 2028, AI systems will achieve recursive self-improvement—the ability to autonomously build a 'better version' of themselves, initiating an 'intelligence explosion.' This prophecy underpins the company's astronomical valuation, as the market prices in the potential for transformative and disruptive AI. Further signaling its ambition, Anthropic formed a $1.5 billion joint venture with Goldman Sachs and Blackstone, aiming to disrupt traditional consulting firms like McKinsey by deploying Claude AI for complex strategic work. This move tests AI's capacity to replace high-level cognitive labor, a precursor to its predicted autonomous evolution. The narrative presents a dual future: unprecedented economic opportunity alongside significant risks like economic restructuring and security threats. Anthropic's meteoric rise and Clark's 2028 prediction frame the coming years as a countdown to a potential technological singularity."

marsbit20m ago

The Largest IPO in History Is Approaching, Surpassing SpaceX, 28 Years of AI Self-Iteration, Countdown to Intelligence Explosion

marsbit20m ago

The Exquisite Self-Interest of Former OpenAI CTO Murati: Personally Handing Over the Knife and Then Being the First to Seek Reconciliation

Court documents from Elon Musk's lawsuit reveal OpenAI's former CTO, Mira Murati, played a central and seemingly self-interested role in Sam Altman's November 2023 ouster and reinstatement. As early as 2022, she complained to Altman about his shifting priorities and pressure to prioritize revenue. By 2023, she privately supplied co-founder Ilya Sutskever with extensive internal evidence against Altman, which became a key 52-page memo for the board. She was appointed interim CEO after Altman's firing and informed Microsoft. However, text messages show Murati simultaneously relayed the board's stance to Altman while secretly urging Microsoft's CEO to help reverse the decision. Once employee backlash mounted, she refused to publicly defend the board's move she helped engineer. She then became the first signatory on the employee petition demanding the board resign and reinstate Altman. A former board member testified Murati was "waiting to see which way the wind blew," not realizing "she herself was the wind." The evidence depicts her actions as consistently aligning with her own interests throughout the crisis.

marsbit26m ago

The Exquisite Self-Interest of Former OpenAI CTO Murati: Personally Handing Over the Knife and Then Being the First to Seek Reconciliation

marsbit26m ago

AI Inference Bills Soar, Shopify and Roblox Warn: Savings from Layoffs Not Enough to Cover Chip Costs

The 2026 Q1 earnings season reveals a paradox: while AI helps companies freeze hiring and boost productivity, the soaring costs of AI inference—token consumption and GPU depreciation—are eroding savings from workforce reductions. Shopify reported that AI now writes over 50% of its code, enabling significant output with stable headcount. However, LLM costs, driven by heavy usage of its AI assistant Sidekick, are pressuring its subscription毛利率. Similarly, Roblox attributed a quarter of its full-year利润率下调 to increased AI investment. The article highlights a broader industry imbalance: combined AI capital expenditure for Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google is projected to reach $725 billion in 2026, vastly outpacing potential savings from layoffs. For instance, Meta's planned裁员 would save about $2.4 billion annually, offsetting only ~12% of its incremental AI depreciation. While底层 model and chip suppliers like NVIDIA maintain high profitability, application-layer companies face a pricing squeeze. Their strategies now involve要么 tightly linking AI costs to user engagement (like Shopify) or introducing fees for advanced AI features (like Roblox), as covering AI bills with裁员 savings alone is financially unsustainable.

marsbit36m ago

AI Inference Bills Soar, Shopify and Roblox Warn: Savings from Layoffs Not Enough to Cover Chip Costs

marsbit36m ago

Trading

Spot

Futures

Hot Articles

What is $BANK

Bank AI: A Revolutionary Step in the Future of Banking Introduction In an era marked by rapid advancements in technology, Bank AI stands at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and banking services. This innovative project seeks to redefine the financial landscape, enhancing operational efficiency, security measures, and customer experiences through the power of AI. As we embark on this exploration of Bank AI, we will delve into what the project entails, its operational dynamics, its historical context, and significant milestones. What is Bank AI? At its core, Bank AI represents a transformative initiative aimed at integrating artificial intelligence into various banking operations. This project harnesses the capabilities of AI to automate processes, improve risk management protocols, and enhance customer interaction through personalised services. The primary objectives of Bank AI include: Automation of Banking Functions: By leveraging AI technologies, Bank AI aims to automate routine tasks, reducing the burden on human resources and enhancing efficiency. Enhanced Risk Management: The project utilises AI algorithms to predict and identify risks, thereby fortifying security measures against fraud and other threats. Personalisation of Banking Services: Bank AI focuses on offering tailored financial products and services by analysing customer data and behaviours. Improving Customer Experience: The implementation of AI-driven solutions, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, aims to provide users with more human-like interactions, revolutionising the way customers engage with banks. With these goals, Bank AI positions itself as a crucial player in rendering banking more efficient, secure, and user-centric. Who is the Creator of Bank AI? Details regarding the creator of Bank AI remain unknown. As such, no specific individual or organisation has been identified in the available information. The anonymity surrounding the project's inception raises questions but does not detract from its ambitious vision and objectives. Who are the Investors of Bank AI? Similar to the project's creator, specific information regarding the investors or supporting organisations of Bank AI has not been disclosed. Without this information, it is challenging to outline the financial backing and institutional support that might be propelling the project forward. Nevertheless, the importance of having a robust investment foundation is pivotal for sustaining development in such an innovative field. How Does Bank AI Work? Bank AI operates on several innovative fronts, focusing on unique factors that differentiate it from traditional banking frameworks. Below are key operational features: Automation: By applying machine learning algorithms, Bank AI automates various manual processes within banks. This results in reduced operational costs and allows human workers to redirect their efforts towards more strategic activities. Advanced Risk Management: The integration of AI into risk management practices equips banks with tools to accurately predict potential threats such as fraud, ensuring that customer information and assets remain secure. Tailored Financial Recommendations: Through continuous learning from customer interactions, the AI systems develop a nuanced understanding of user needs, enabling them to offer tailored advice on financial decisions. Enhanced Customer Interactions: Utilizing chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI, Bank AI enables a more engaging customer experience, allowing users to have their queries resolved quickly, thus reducing wait times and improving satisfaction levels. Together, these operational features position Bank AI as a pioneer in the banking sector, establishing new benchmarks for service delivery and operational excellence. Timeline of Bank AI Understanding the trajectory of Bank AI requires a look at its historical context. Below is a timeline highlighting important milestones and developments: Early 2010s: The conceptualisation of AI integration into banking services began to gain attention as banking institutions recognised the potential benefits. 2018: A marked increase in the implementation of AI technologies occurred when banks started using AI tools like chatbots for basic customer service and risk management systems for improved security handling. 2023: The sophistication of AI continued to advance, with generative AI being introduced for more complex tasks such as document processing and real-time investment analysis. This year marked a significant leap in the capabilities afforded to banks by AI technology. 2024-Current Status: As of this year, Bank AI is on an upward trajectory, with ongoing research and developments poised to further enhance capabilities in banking operations. Continued exploration of AI applications hints at exciting developments yet to come. Key Points About Bank AI Integration of AI in Banking: Bank AI focuses on adopting artificial intelligence to streamline banking processes and improve user experiences. Automation and Risk Management Focus: The project strongly emphasises these areas, aiming to shift the burden of routine tasks while enhancing security frameworks through predictive analytics. Personalised Banking Solutions: By harnessing customer data, Bank AI enables tailored banking services that cater to individual user needs. Commitment to Development: Bank AI remains committed to ongoing research and development efforts, ensuring its adaptability and ongoing relevance as technology continues to evolve. Conclusion In summary, Bank AI exemplifies a crucial step forward in the banking industry, leveraging artificial intelligence to reshape operational paradigms, enhance security, and promote customer satisfaction. Despite gaps in information surrounding the creator and investors, the clear objectives and functional mechanisms of Bank AI provide a strong foundation for its ongoing evolution. As AI technology continues to advance and merge with the banking sector, Bank AI is well-positioned to significantly impact the future of financial services, enhancing the way we understand and interact with banking.

152 Total ViewsPublished 2024.04.06Updated 2024.12.03

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of BANK (BANK) are presented below.