Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee, because this is one of those slow-burning market stories that’s quietly getting bigger. While crypto headlines remain dominated by geopolitics, metals, and macro-driven swings, a different trend is coming up, where steady capital is moving into tokenized gold like Tether’s XAUT.
Crypto News of the Day: Tokenized Gold Is Quietly Becoming Crypto’s Defensive Trade
Demand for Tether Gold (XAUT) is increasingly showing signs of durability so far into 2026, driven by a combination of:
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- Whale accumulation
- Geopolitical uncertainty,
- Rising gold prices, and
- Expanding exchange access.
On-chain data and market commentary suggest that tokenized gold is no longer a fringe crypto product. Rather, it is an emerging defensive allocation within digital asset portfolios.
Recent blockchain activity highlights sustained interest from large holders, with purchases stemming from a broader pattern of coordinated accumulation by high-net-worth wallets.
Coin Bureau also flagged similar activity, indicating that whales are buying gold on-chain, with six linked wallets buying 3,102 XAUT at an average price of $4,422. According to Onchain Lens, they spent roughly $13.7 million.
Combined, these transactions point to institutional-scale positioning rather than opportunistic retail flows.
On-chain analyst EmberCN adds further context, showing that some of these wallets previously allocated heavily to Bitcoin before pivoting toward gold-backed tokens.
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The same wallets are now sitting on unrealized Bitcoin losses, while holding “a floating profit of $410,000” on XAUT and PAXG purchases. These reinforce gold’s role as a hedge against volatility.
Geopolitics, Utility, and Accessibility: Why XAUT Is Gaining Momentum
This rotation comes against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, which historically drive demand for safe-haven assets. Market sentiment on social media increasingly reflects this shift.
Beyond macro hedging, XAUT’s appeal lies in its structure. Each token represents ownership of physical gold, while remaining fully transferable on-chain. That combination of real-world backing and crypto-native utility is resonating with users.
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Liquidity and accessibility are also set to improve. Upbit recently announced the listing of XAUT to trade against KRW, BTC, and USDT.
The move opens tokenized gold to South Korea’s highly active retail and institutional crypto market, potentially broadening demand and tightening spreads.
For XAUT, this represents a meaningful step toward deeper integration with global trading venues.
Taken together, whale accumulation, macro-driven hedging, real-world asset backing, and expanding exchange support suggest that XAUT is transcending from a niche tokenized commodity into a core defensive instrument within the crypto market.
Therefore, with 2026 on course, tokenized gold appears increasingly positioned as a bridge between traditional safe havens and the on-chain economy.
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Chart of the Day
Tether Gold (XAUT) Price Performance. Source: TradingViewByte-Sized Alpha
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today:
Crypto Equities Pre-Market Overview
| Company | Close As of January 2 | Pre-Market Overview |
| Strategy (MSTR) | $157.16 | $164.25 (+4.51%) |
| Coinbase (COIN) | $236.53 | $247.56 (+4.66%) |
| Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY) | $24.75 | $25.55 (+3.23%) |
| MARA Holdings (MARA) | $9.91 | $10.35 (+4.44%) |
| Riot Platforms (RIOT) | $14.16 | $14.61 (+3.18%) |
| Core Scientific (CORZ) | $15.99 | $16.25 (+1.63%) |
Source: https://beincrypto.com/tether-gold-xaut-demand-elevated-us-crypto-news/
