Banks File Crypto ETFs, XRP Ignites, Staking Steadies

Welcome to our Crypto news in 10, a daily podcast bringing you the latest news about crypto in under 10 minutes.

It’s Tuesday, January 6th, and the crypto tape is green again... with a fresh push from Wall Street, an altcoin standout, a live security saga, and a couple of signals from staking and corporate treasuries.

Here’s the quick roadmap for today — a major U.S. bank just filed for not one but two spot crypto ETFs, XRP is ripping as U.S. ETFs keep attracting money, an attacker tied to a $27 million multisig theft is still moving funds, Ethereum staking looks sturdier as the exit queue clears, and Japan’s Metaplanet — yes, the self-styled Bitcoin treasury firm — just popped double digits as its stack grows.

[BEGINNING_SPONSORS]

Story one. Morgan Stanley is stepping directly onto the ETF playing field. The bank filed with the SEC to launch spot funds tied to Bitcoin — and Solana.

Why this matters... two reasons. First, a top-tier U.S. bank is seeking to manufacture the crypto exposure product, not just offer third-party access. Second, Solana alongside Bitcoin underscores how quickly the ETF menu is broadening beyond just Bitcoin and Ether.

Morgan Stanley already expanded access to crypto investments for all clients back in October — today’s move signals it wants to be a primary issuer, not just a distributor. If approved, expect more bank built products and keener fee competition in 2026. That’s according to Reuters.

Story two. XRP is the day’s altcoin headline. Prices jumped roughly 9 to 12 percent to around $2.34 to $2.40, and year to date gains are already in the high 20s.

What’s fueling it? Persistent net inflows into the new U.S. spot XRP ETFs that debuted back on November 13. On Monday alone, about $46 million reportedly flowed into those funds — and notably, there haven’t been recorded outflows since launch, according to data cited by Barron’s from Coinglass and CoinDesk. When funds only pull in and don’t push out, that creates steady buy side pressure and clean narratives... and the market is listening.

Story three. A live security incident that’s continued into today. Blockchain sleuths at PeckShield say the attacker behind a December private key compromise of a whale’s multisig — about $27.3 million in losses — has been siphoning more Ether and washing it via Tornado Cash.

The latest update: another 1,000 Ether pulled from Aave, and total deposits to Tornado now around 6,300 Ether — roughly $19 million at report time. The attacker still controls a leveraged Ether long position on Aave tied to the compromised wallet — so there’s ongoing market risk if liquidation cascades. It’s a real time reminder: multisig reduces single key risk, but if signers are compromised — or if approvals are captured — defenses can crumble. Those details come from The Block, citing PeckShield.

[MIDPOINT_SPONSORS]

Story four. Ethereum staking is flashing healthier signals. The exit queue — the line of validators waiting to leave — has effectively collapsed, and desks are noting institutional interest creeping back in.

A thin or zero exit queue tends to mean unstaking pressure is muted. Combined with renewed entries, it’s a friendlier backdrop for Ether than the one we saw when exits piled up last year. The Block flagged the exit queue reset and the institutional return theme this morning — something to watch as flows rotate and as Layer 2 activity picks up into Q1. If this holds, it dampens one source of mechanical sell side overhang that spooked traders in 2025.

Story five. Corporate treasuries are back in focus. Metaplanet — often dubbed Japan’s MicroStrategy — saw its Tokyo listed shares jump about 10.7 percent by midday Tuesday.

The pop follows a 19 percent surge in its U.S. over the counter line on Monday and comes on the heels of new disclosures: Metaplanet now holds roughly 35,102 Bitcoin — around $3.3 billion at current prices — after a year end buying spree. That rally wasn’t isolated either. MicroStrategy, the largest public Bitcoin holder, rose about 4.8 percent, while miner names like Marathon also climbed. Coinbase added nearly 8 percent after a Goldman Sachs upgrade to a Buy rating and a bump to a $303 price target. The takeaway... early year positioning plus ETF driven flows are rerating balance sheets and equity books tied to Bitcoin. Those details come via The Block’s companies coverage.

A couple of quick connective threads before we wrap. First, the policy drumbeat hasn’t gone silent. A TD Cowen note, flagged by The Block, suggests the big U.S. crypto market structure bill could slip into 2027 for passage — with final rules not biting until 2029 if politics don’t line up this year. Translation... even as products like spot ETFs proliferate, core market plumbing rules may stay in flux longer than bulls would like.

Second, today’s rally context. ETF demand remains a backbone — The Block also noted the largest daily net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs since October — while XRP’s ETF specific story shows how fast the playbook is expanding beyond Bitcoin.

Recap... Morgan Stanley just put its brand on potential spot Bitcoin and Solana ETFs — bank grade competition is here. XRP is flying on sticky ETF inflows. The $27 million multisig hack is still live, with more Ether washed through Tornado Cash. Ethereum staking looks sturdier as exits dry up, and in equities, Metaplanet’s surge highlights how corporate treasuries and crypto stocks are rerating into the new year. Keep an eye on those ETF flows and staking indicators — they’re the quiet currents under today’s headlines.

Thanks for listening and see you tommorow!