The 2026 New Year Crypto Market Shows a Stunning Reversal! On January 8th, Bitcoin dropped below the $90,000 mark, and within just 24 hours, 127,700 traders were liquidated, with losses exceeding $460 million. The largest single liquidation order reached as high as $3.6396 million. Retail investors panicked and cut their losses, while institutions seized the opportunity—MicroStrategy invested $116 million to buy the dip, acquiring 1,283 BTC at once. Their total holdings now exceed 670,000 BTC.



Even more interestingly, the policy landscape shows two completely opposite attitudes. The U.S. SEC introduced an "Innovation Exemption" policy, providing a 12 to 24-month compliance buffer for the DeFi ecosystem and stablecoin sector, effectively opening a window for innovative projects. On the other hand, regulators strengthened market oversight and incorporated RWA (Real-World Asset Tokenization) into the compliance framework.

The result is: institutions are bottom-fishing, funds for US stock and crypto ETFs are flowing back steadily, while retail investors face increasing liquidations and market segmentation. This wave of market activity has definitely left many players a bit confused.
BTC2,92%
DEFI-5,22%
RWA6%
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AirdropHunter9000vip
· 01-11 14:34
It's the same old trick again, retail investors as the bagholders, institutions as the bottom-fishers, always playing us like this. 126,700 people got liquidated, that number sounds so painful. Who the heck is among them? MicroStrategy's move is impressive, investing $116 million in the blink of an eye. I'm still calculating whether to add to my position. Policy buffer period of 12 to 24 months? Is this another way of promising us something? Retail investors always find out last—that's the truth of the market. Watching institutions accumulate, feeling anxious but helpless at the same time. Including RWA into the compliance framework—is this a positive development or a covert tightening? I can't quite figure it out. It's always like this: retail investors die when prices fall, institutions laugh when prices rise. Talking about 670,000 BTC casually, but the underlying game of chips behind it is truly brilliant. Why is it always us who have to take the final hit? I'm really fed up.
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GateUser-beba108dvip
· 01-11 11:20
Retail investors got liquidated again, while MicroStrategy is eating up profits—that's the crypto world for you. While institutions are bottom-fishing, we're still getting wiped out. The gap is truly incredible. SEC just announced a "Regulatory Exemption" and started bragging. Wake up, everyone. 12.77K people were liquidated. I just want to know if any of our acquaintances are among them. I'm really impressed by MicroStrategy's move this time. RWA incorporated into the compliance framework? Feels like they're about to cook up something new again. Speaking of which, when will retail investors be able to turn things around? This reversal came so suddenly that we couldn't react in time. The gap between institutions and retail investors is now crystal clear from this incident.
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ChainPoetvip
· 01-08 15:52
Another year of the big leek-cutting show, retail investors are crying while institutions are laughing? MicroStrategy's move this time is really ruthless, 127,700 traders liquidated for their 670,000 BTC, this deal is truly cost-effective... SEC's "innovative exemption" looks pretty good, but it's actually just a backdoor left for big institutions, right? DeFi is about to take off again, small investors should just stop messing around. Can the guy who was liquidated for 3.63 million come out and say something... 1.16 billion in one go, is this because they are very optimistic or just not afraid at all? When policies loosen, retail investors are doomed. After playing this game for so many years, some people still fall for it. Is MicroStrategy's money real? Their holdings are outrageous. Just want to ask, who is still stubbornly holding on this time? I think, retail investors should just invest steadily and not chase highs, really. Is including RWA into the compliance framework a good thing or a disguised regulation? I feel a bit confused. Another scenario where institutions eat the meat and retail investors drink the soup, do we have to keep playing this game?
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ApeDegenvip
· 01-08 15:51
120,000 people liquidated, I knew this wave was just the old trick of cutting leeks again Institutions entering while retail investors run away, it's always the same routine MicroStrategy is buying the dip again and again, this guy really isn't afraid The DeFi exemption period is coming, but I still don't quite believe the SEC's explanation Retail investors are always the last to know the market trend, huh Let's see if we can hold out until the next rebound, or else we'll suffer another loss Policy swings back and forth, RWA is causing more trouble, feels endless 12-month grace period? Wake up, everyone, after this time, the rules will change again Liquidation amount exceeds 400 million, this number is a bit terrifying
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MEVHunterXvip
· 01-08 15:47
Retail investors are buying the dip again, institutions are bottom fishing again, it's always the same script. MicroStrategy is really ruthless. They liquidated 127,800 people to acquire 1,283 Bitcoins. I don't know if this deal is worth it, but I definitely lost. SEC's "innovative exemption" is really shady. They keep easing up while tightening regulations, playing with information asymmetry. The price drops below 90,000 again, some people run away, some people buy the dip—it's a cycle. It's a classic case of the wool being pulled over the sheep's eyes. Retail investors' hard-earned money is just cheap chips for institutions. MicroStrategy's 116 million dollars in one shot directly pushed retail investors into a corner. That's really ruthless. Policy signals left, turns right—who can understand this set of combo punches?
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GasFeeTherapistvip
· 01-08 15:46
It's the same old script again, retail investors bleeding out while institutions feast and indulge, it’s numbing to watch. MicroStrategy’s move is really ruthless, dropping 116 million dollars to hold 670,000 BTC, while retail investors get liquidated and institutions build positions—this gap is just incredible. SEC’s recent actions are quite interesting, giving DeFi a buffer period is like a de facto easing, but on the RWA side, they’re tightening up again. Basically, it’s selective tolerance. 12,7700 people liquidated within 24 hours—this number makes my scalp tingle. Who dares say the crypto world isn’t a casino? Speaking of which, in this kind of market, are there any retail investors still daring to go long? I’m completely scared off. When institutions start bottom-fishing, shouldn’t we think in the opposite direction? But maybe this is just the beginning of getting “rekt.” This market is now just a machine for cutting leeks, with policy packaging and public opinion hype, and in the end, the safety net always falls on us small retail investors. Really, every time I see news like this, I feel like a puppet on strings. MicroStrategy’s 670,000 BTC—just seeing that number in our lifetime would be pretty good.
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OnChainArchaeologistvip
· 01-08 15:36
Retail investors are bleeding out, and institutions are still eating the profits. This script is truly played out over and over again. MicroStrategy bought in with $116 million. I just want to know what their actual cost is. 127,700 people got liquidated in 24 hours. That number makes my scalp tingle. Regulatory exemption? Basically, it's paving the way for big institutions. We retail investors are always the last to know. It's the same old trick—scary when prices drop, but they all rebound when it hits the ground. Whether SEC's move will truly allow DeFi and stablecoins to take off depends on what happens next. I'm a bit suspicious that we've been cut again, but there's nothing we can do.
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ser_we_are_ngmivip
· 01-08 15:35
It's the familiar routine again—retail bagholders and institutional bottom-fishers. MicroStrategy is at it again, probably crying when a single order of 3.67 million dollars gets liquidated. Policies tighten and loosen; frankly, it's just protecting the big players. This time, it's really a bloodbath, damn it. 127,700 people—this number is too shocking. Only those who survive are the winners, right? Let's see how many people can hold on this year without adding leverage...
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LiquidatedThricevip
· 01-08 15:31
It's the same old story of institutions eating the meat and retail investors drinking the soup. I'm one of those 127,700 people, I'm exhausted. MicroStrategy really knows how to do the math. When prices drop, they buy. I wish I could, but I have no money in my pocket. DeFi exemption period? Just listen, no one knows where the real red line is. When retail investors get liquidated, institutions are bottom fishing. How do they do these trades? It's not fair. Got liquidated again, this time even more painfully. Should I really cut my losses? RWA being included in compliance sounds good, but I wonder if small retail investors like us will have a chance to benefit. A 12-month grace period, it seems like a big players' celebration again. We'll just keep watching. Institutions hold 670,000 coins. Just thinking about that number makes me want to smash my phone. Their perspective is completely different. A liquidation order worth $3.63 million. This guy must be really brave, but it's also tragic—gone in an instant. By the way, why is MicroStrategy so confident in buying? Do they know something we don't?
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