U.S. Military Action in Venezuela, 2026 Crypto IPOs, and ETF Volume Surpasses $2 Trillion

**Trump Denies Venezuelan Opposition's Likelihood of Taking Power, Supports Vice President** After Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez stated that Maduro remains the country's only legitimate president. Trump previously remarked that Rodríguez would work with Washington to "Make Venezuela Great Again." While the Venezuelan opposition celebrated Maduro's capture by U.S. forces, Trump dismissed the possibility of the opposition taking power, describing its leaders as "immature" and unprepared to govern. This suggests Trump has chosen to give Rodríguez and Maduro’s allies a chance to start over rather than completely overthrow the existing regime. Matthew Kroenig, Deputy Director at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, remarked, "Trump is essentially using a carrot-and-stick approach to control the vice president and her circle to achieve the desired outcome for the U.S. Let’s see if it works." --- **SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic Plan IPO in 2026, Poised to Trigger One of the Most Significant Listing Waves in History** According to a recent *Financial Times* report, U.S. tech giants SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic are preparing for initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2026, with expected fundraising reaching hundreds of billions of dollars. OpenAI is estimated to be valued at $750 billion, SpaceX's secondary market valuation has exceeded $800 billion, and Anthropic is seeking over $300 billion in valuation financing. Should these IPOs go through, they would surpass the total scale of all U.S. IPOs in 2025, potentially generating unprecedented returns for investment banks and venture capital firms. --- **2025 Crypto M&A and IPO Surge, Momentum Expected to Continue in 2026** As reported by *The Block*, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and IPO activity in the crypto sector surged in 2025, with 265 mergers completed, totaling $8.6 billion in deals, and IPO fundraising reaching $14.6 billion—both significantly surpassing 2024 levels. This growth is attributed to clearer regulations and institutional participation recovery. The trend is expected to persist into 2026, with key deals focusing on compliance licenses, payment infrastructure, stablecoins, and enterprise-grade tools. Investors are also optimistic about alternative paths like SPACs and RTOs gaining traction. --- **U.S. Spot Crypto ETFs' Cumulative Trading Volume Surpasses $2 Trillion, Doubling in Half the Time** According to *The Block*, cumulative trading volume for U.S. spot crypto ETFs surpassed $2 trillion on January 2, doubling from $1 trillion in just eight months. On January 2 alone, Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs recorded a net inflow of $646 million, with BlackRock's IBIT holding approximately 70% market share. Spot ETFs now cover more assets, including SOL and XRP, with XRP-related products attracting $1.2 billion in capital since their launch in November. --- **U.S. Lawmakers Propose Ban on Officials Engaging in Predictive Market "Insider Trading"** *The Block* reports that U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres plans to introduce the "2026 Financial Predictive Market Public Integrity Act," which seeks to ban federal officials from participating in political predictive market trading if they possess significant non-public information. The proposal stemmed from a Polymarket account that reportedly profited over $400,000 from a mere $32,500 bet on Maduro's ouster prior to the U.S. military raid. In 2025, predictive market trading volume reached $44 billion. --- **Trump: Air, Land, and Sea Forces Utilized in Venezuelan Military Operation** U.S. President Trump held a press conference regarding the military intervention in Venezuela. He announced that U.S. forces raided "a heavily fortified military stronghold in downtown Caracas," capturing Maduro. Trump described the operation as one of the most "shocking, effective, and powerful displays of U.S. military strength and capability." He confirmed that Venezuelan forces have been fully subdued. President Trump stated that the U.S. would continue to oversee Venezuela until a safe, proper, and prudent transfer of power can be achieved. He also hinted at readiness for a second strike if necessary, although initial plans for a second wave of actions may no longer be required. Trump further emphasized the dire state of Venezuela's oil industry, which has significantly deteriorated and is far from reaching its potential. He proposed allowing America's largest oil companies—among the world's largest—to invest billions into repairing Venezuela's broken oil infrastructure and generating wealth for the nation. --- **Bitmine Stakes Additional 49,088 ETH, Total Stakes Exceed 593,000 ETH** According to Onchain Lens, Bitmine has staked an additional 49,088 ETH, valued at approximately $152.7 million at current market prices. The company's total staked ETH now amounts to 593,152, with a value of approximately $1.85 billion. --- **Yilihua: Stick to Trend Investing; Wins and Losses Are Determined by the Market** Yilihua, founder of Liquid Capital, shared his investment philosophy on the X platform when discussing the breakeven point of 626,574 ETH. He stated, "Trend investing is simple logic: buy in when you’re bullish and clear out when you’re bearish. Be greedy when others are fearful. You can never buy at the lowest or sell at the highest. We don’t intentionally stay high-profile or low-profile; we simply share our knowledge and actions. Wins or losses are dictated by the market. Through this, we gain personal growth, witness progress, and connect with peers." --- **James Wynn Opens 10x Leverage Long Position on PEPE** Onchain Lens reports that James Wynn has opened a 10x leverage long position on PEPE as its price rises. --- **Digital Yuan Tops Baidu Hot Search: Interest on Balances, Different from WeChat and Alipay Wallets** "Difference Between Digital Yuan and WeChat/Alipay" became the top trend on Baidu. According to Baidu's trend analysis, as of January 1, digital yuan wallet balances will accrue interest equivalent to a savings deposit, setting it apart from WeChat and Alipay. The digital yuan is considered actual money, akin to directly handing over electronic cash to merchants, while WeChat and Alipay function as wallets used to transfer money. --- **Analysis: Bitcoin Reclaims $90,000 but Market Sentiment Remains Cautious** *Cointelegraph* reported that Bitcoin's price rose above $90,000 today, hitting a three-week high. Despite the rally, demand for leveraged long positions remains steady, and Bitcoin futures' basis rate remains below the neutral threshold, with an annualized premium of 4%. Data from derivative and spot ETFs also indicate restrained sentiment, as over $900 million in net outflows have been recorded from Bitcoin spot ETFs since December 15. Additionally, bearish options suggest professional traders remain cautious about further price increases. --- **Next Week's Macro Outlook: Venezuelan Crisis Escalates, December Non-Farm Payroll Report Anticipated** The world remains in turmoil as the new year begins. The U.S. launched a military strike on Venezuela, reportedly capturing President Maduro. On the economic front, a slew of U.S. data releases is expected to stir markets, with particular attention on December's non-farm payroll report. Key events include: - Monday, 1:30 PM: Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari speaks at the American Economic Association; - Tuesday, 9:00 PM: Richmond Fed President Barkin speaks; - Tuesday: The 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) begins in Las Vegas; - Wednesday, 9:15 PM: U.S. December ADP employment data; - Thursday, 8:30 PM: Challenger job cuts; - Thursday, 9:30 PM: Initial jobless claims and October trade balance; - Friday, 12:00 AM: NY Fed 1-year inflation expectations; - Friday, 9:30 PM: U.S. non-farm payroll data and unemployment rate; - Friday, 11:00 PM: Consumer sentiment index and inflation expectations.