January 2, 2026 | Market-Wide Trading Perspective

The traditional financial sector has finally stirred slightly from the holiday slump. US stocks have regained some liquidity, but you can feel the overall market's caution. The indices still look relatively stable, but each candlestick carries a hint of testing—the kind of hesitant upward movement. US Treasury yields are oscillating at high levels, the US dollar index remains unchanged, and the macro background is essentially "I won't crash you, but don't expect to breathe easily."

This sentiment is amplified particularly clearly in the crypto market. Bitcoin's performance today can be summed up in four words: trying to break through but lacking strength. Several attempts to push higher during the day were met with insufficient volume; it's obvious to anyone that the existing funds are just watching each other warily, and no new capital has truly entered. Claims of a rally? Insufficient evidence. Predictions of a decline? No one is willing to be the first to sell. It’s just stuck here.

Altcoins still follow a fast rotation pattern, often fleeting like a flash in the pan. When they surge, it’s quite aggressive, but chasing after them reveals you're the only one taking it seriously. It’s more like someone testing the market’s reaction rather than genuinely trying to trigger a trend. The futures market is also cold, with neutral to weak funding rates; both longs and shorts are waiting for others to make the first mistake.

Ultimately, we are still in the pre-heating phase before a trend begins. The most valuable gain at this stage isn’t profit, but "not trading recklessly." Being able to control your fingers is itself a competitive advantage.

*Pure personal observation, not investment advice. Enter the market cautiously, do your homework before acting.*