Active Solana Addresses Jump 115% as Ethereum Gains 25%; Bitcoin Mining Hits Storm‑Related Curbs and Merchant Adoption Rises
January 2026 – The crypto ecosystem showed divergent trends last month. Solana’s user base surged, Ethereum continued its post‑upgrade rebound, Bitcoin mining faced weather‑induced constraints, and the acceptance of crypto by U.S. merchants hit a new high, even as Bitcoin’s price slipped amid geopolitical chatter.
Solana’s Explosive Growth
- Daily active addresses: Nansen data indicate that Solana’s daily active wallets consistently exceeded 5 million in the latter half of January, marking a 115 % rise over the previous month.
- Catalyst: The surge coincided with a wave of meme‑token launches driven by the AI‑powered Claude Cowork agent, which automates desktop operations. Developers leveraged the Solana‑based launchpad Bags to accelerate token deployments.
- Fee activity: Platform fees peaked at roughly $4.5 million on 16 January, a stark contrast to the sub‑$10 000 daily fees typical between September and December 2025. The increase reflects heightened contract interactions linked to the token‑launch frenzy.
- Competitive edge: During the same period, Bags outperformed the rival Solana launch platform Pump.fun in the number of tokens that successfully “graduated” to live status.
Ethereum’s Steady Recovery
- User metrics: After overtaking the Layer‑2 solutions Base and Arbitrum in December, Ethereum’s daily active addresses rose another 25 % in January.
- Network upgrades: Recent protocol improvements that expanded blob sizes helped drive transaction fees below $0.01 on 29 January, encouraging broader usage.
- Strategic outlook: Co‑founder Vitalik Buterin highlighted the “walk‑away test” – the network’s ability to operate reliably without constant developer intervention – as a benchmark for long‑term resilience.
Bitcoin Mining Confronts a Winter Storm
- Geographic impact: Seven U.S. mining facilities—operated by firms such as Riot, Core Scientific, CleanSpark and Bitdeer—are positioned to reduce output if grid conditions deteriorate. The storm sweeping the Southeast and South‑Central states has already caused widespread outages, affecting up to 400 000 residents.
- Flex‑load strategy: These miners participate in utility demand‑response programs, allowing them to purchase inexpensive electricity when demand is low and curtail consumption during grid stress. While no real‑time curtailments have been confirmed, the model has proven valuable in previous tightening scenarios.
- Broader context: The same weather system has disrupted travel and claimed lives across the Midwest and Northeast, underscoring the vulnerability of energy‑intensive crypto operations to extreme weather events.
Crypto Gains Ground in Retail Payments
- Merchant adoption: PayPal’s January survey reports that 40 % of U.S. merchants now accept cryptocurrency payments, up from previous years.
- Drivers: Faster settlement times, enhanced privacy, and the draw of crypto‑savvy customers were cited as primary reasons for the shift.
- Future outlook: 84 % of surveyed merchants expect crypto payments to become mainstream within the next five years, suggesting a continued push toward integration of digital assets in everyday commerce.
Bitcoin Price Reacts to Geopolitical Rhetoric
- Market movement: After briefly flirting with the $100 000 threshold in mid‑January, Bitcoin closed the month near $87 000, a decline of roughly 10 % from its recent high.
- Influencing factor: The price dip coincided with former President Donald Trump’s public statements about acquiring Greenland, a move that sparked uncertainty among global investors. Analysts described Bitcoin’s reaction as typical for a “risk‑on” asset when geopolitical tensions rise.
- Analyst perspective: Chris Beauchamp of IG noted that cryptocurrencies offered no safe haven during the sell‑off triggered by the Greenland discourse, reinforcing the asset’s sensitivity to macro‑political news.
Key Takeaways
- Solana’s activity boom highlights how AI‑enabled tooling can rapidly amplify token‑launch ecosystems, leading to record‑high fee generation.
- Ethereum’s user growth validates recent scaling upgrades, positioning the mainnet as a more cost‑effective alternative to many Layer‑2 solutions.
- Weather‑related grid stress underscores the importance of flexible load strategies for Bitcoin miners, especially in regions unaccustomed to severe winter conditions.
- Merchant acceptance of crypto is crossing a critical mass in the United States, with payment processors like PayPal noting strong momentum toward mainstream usage.
- Bitcoin’s price volatility remains tied to broader geopolitical narratives, reaffirming its classification as a risk‑sensitive digital asset rather than a safe‑haven store of value.
As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve, the interplay between technological upgrades, real‑world events, and market sentiment will shape the next phase of adoption and price dynamics.
Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/active-solana-addresses-spike-115-four-in-ten-merchants-take-bitcoin-month-in-charts?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
