The cryptocurrency market began early 2026 with notable activity on a Sunday, defying typical quiet periods and setting the stage for significant movements across major assets. Key events included a substantial transfer of Shiba Inu (SHIB) to a whale address, an extreme liquidation imbalance in the XRP derivatives market, and Bitcoin maintaining a strong position that fuels anticipation for reaching the $100,000 mark.

A significant event unfolded for Shiba Inu when a massive 1.44 trillion SHIB was transferred from Coinbase Prime to a single new Shiba Inu whale address (0xb57). This direct feed from Coinbase Prime, as tracked by Arkham, involved nine consecutive transfers totaling 1.439574 trillion SHIB, now valued at approximately $12.58 million, given SHIB's trading price of around $0.0000087 at the time of the move. Such large outflows from an exchange typically signal "less coins on venues," which the market often prices in immediately, even if it doesn't guarantee long-term lockup or merely represents custody reshuffles or cold storage transfers.

Following this substantial transfer, the price of Shiba Inu reacted predictably to the shift in supply dynamics. On the daily SHIB/USDT chart, SHIB opened near $0.00000809, climbed to $0.00000880, dipped briefly to $0.00000807, and settled around $0.00000872, marking a 7.79% daily gain. The market is currently testing the critical $0.00000900 resistance line, with further upside checkpoints identified at $0.00001102 and $0.00001203. The near-term outlook for SHIB appears binary: sustained trading above $0.00000900 could signal continued upward momentum, while a drop below $0.00000699 might invalidate the bounce, relegating the event to a mere custody change without lasting impact.

Meanwhile, the XRP derivatives market experienced an astonishing 18,913% liquidation imbalance, primarily impacting short positions. Data from CoinGlass showed total XRP liquidations at $875,080, with a stark contrast between $4,600 in long liquidations and $870,480 in short liquidations. This extreme imbalance indicates that the last hour predominantly wiped out traders leaning short, leading to the dramatic headline. Intriguingly, the XRP spot price did not behave like an asset experiencing a vertical surge; it remained relatively flat, last printing at $2.0863 with an hourly low of $2.0833. Throughout the day, XRP had gently ground from the low $2.03 area into the $2.09 zone before moving sideways near its highs.

This unusual scenario—heavy short liquidations with a calm spot price—suggests two possibilities: either a crowded short position was aggressively forced out by a small price push, or liquidations occurred in specific venues while the broader spot market remained stable. In either case, it points to significant "wrong positioning" among derivatives traders. Should XRP fail to bounce significantly from its $2.08 level, the next liquidation wave could shift from short-squeezes to "late longs getting baited," a development that typically precedes chaotic price chart movements. For the time being, the market observed bears attempting to fade the move and paying the price, while spot traders remained largely uninfluenced by dramatic candles.

Bitcoin (BTC) completed this trio of significant Sunday events, with its weekly chart laying the groundwork for a strong bullish case towards $100,000. The BTC/USDT weekly candle, as shown by TradingView, opened at $87,952.71 and reached a high of $91,810.00, marking a 3.90% increase for the week. Analysis using Bollinger Bands on the weekly view reveals the midline at $103,522.98, the lower band at $79,800.54, and the upper band at $127,245.41. The $100,000 figure emerges as a crucial psychological and technical target, positioned squarely in the "sweet spot" between the current price and the Bollinger Band midline, often considered the "next test" in trending market phases.

While an "inevitable" payment of $100,000 in January 2026 is a strong claim, the setup clearly indicates potential. If Bitcoin's price continues to hit new weekly highs in the $90,000s and pushes towards the $103,522.98 midline, reaching $100,000 within the month becomes a plausible scenario. Conversely, if Bitcoin loses momentum and dips towards the lower end of its Bollinger Band range, the $100,000 target might be deferred to a late 2025 scenario. The crypto market's first Sunday of 2026 delivered a specific combination of events across SHIB, XRP, and BTC, indicating that follow-up transfers for SHIB, continued XRP stability post-squeeze, and Bitcoin's ability to maintain upward pressure will dictate the near-term trends.