# Market Pulse: Ethereum Scales, RWAs Expand, More Wallets Step IRL > As crypto heads into a new week, the conversation across 'Crypto X' is converging around a few unmistakable themes: scaling finally working, capital still flowing, real-world assets accelerating, wallets stepping into the physical world — and familiar crash warnings resurfacing. Here’s what matters... By Lidia Yadlos · January 19, 2026 Canonical: https://blockster.com/market-pulse-ethereum-scales-rwas-expand-more-wallets-step-irl _As crypto heads into a new week, the conversation across 'Crypto X' is converging around a few unmistakable themes: scaling finally working, capital still flowing, real-world assets accelerating, wallets stepping into the physical world — and familiar crash warnings resurfacing. Here’s what matters..._ ## 1. Ethereum Hits Record Usage as Gas Fees Collapse Ethereum just crossed a major inflection point.   Daily transactions have surged to nearly 2.5 million, an all-time high, while average gas fees have fallen to near-zero — often below $0.01. For a network long criticized for congestion and high costs, this combination of record usage + minimal fees marks a structural shift.   More importantly, it helps Ethereum better compete with Solana on execution cost and throughput.   Solana has built its reputation on ultra-cheap transactions, with average fees typically ranging between $0.00025 and ~$0.003, depending on network conditions and measurement methodology. Ethereum narrowing that gap — while maintaining its deep liquidity, developer base, and institutional adoption — reshapes the Layer-1 landscape.   **Why it matters:** Sustained low fees on Ethereum unlock more native activity — DeFi, NFTs, social apps, RWAs — without forcing everything into L2s. This isn’t just a UX improvement; it’s a competitive reset. [Post from @coinbureau on X](https://twitter.com/coinbureau/status/2013117968511844506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2013117968511844506%7Ctwgr%5E4c1e3830e9089c8e4e08e0bb34950c3f5ea85b27%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblockster.com%2Fmarket-pulse-ethereum-scales-rwas-expand-more-wallets-step-irl) ## 2. Capital Is Still Deploying: Top Fundraises Mid-January 2026 Despite ongoing macro uncertainty, venture capital continues to flow into core crypto infrastructure. According to CoinMarketCap, last week’s top raises included: 1. **LMAX Group** — $150M (Centralized Exchange) 2. **Alpaca** — $150M (Trading & API Infrastructure) 3. **Project 11** — $20M (Post-Quantum Security) 4. **VelaFi** — $20M (Payments) 5. **Konnex** — $15M (Robotics Marketplace) 6. **XMAQUINA** — $10M (Robotics) 7. **Noise** — $7.1M (Prediction Markets) 8. **Meld** — $7M (Payments) **Signal:** Investors are prioritizing trading infrastructure, payments, security, and automation — not speculative narratives. Capital is clustering where long-term usage is inevitable. [Post from @CoinMarketCap on X](https://twitter.com/CoinMarketCap/status/2013225931624591637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2013225931624591637%7Ctwgr%5E4c1e3830e9089c8e4e08e0bb34950c3f5ea85b27%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblockster.com%2Fmarket-pulse-ethereum-scales-rwas-expand-more-wallets-step-irl) ## 3. RWAs & Macro Signals Are Moving Together Real-world assets continue to gain relevance as macro signals push investors toward defensiveness and yield. Trending stats this week, according to **[Nexo.com](http://Nexo.com)**: - Gold is trading around **$4,600 per ounce**, hitting record highs as investors move into safe-haven assets. - Markets see just a **5% chance of a Fed rate cut on January 28**, according to CME FedWatch. - Goldman Sachs expects **global equities to return about 11% over the next 12 months**, including dividends. - VanEck estimates **Bitcoin could reach $2.9 million long term** if it’s widely adopted for global settlements and reserves. Silver has jumped to around **$85 per ounce**, outperforming as investors position defensively. [Post from @Nexo on X](https://twitter.com/Nexo/status/2012902811076616559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2012902811076616559%7Ctwgr%5E4c1e3830e9089c8e4e08e0bb34950c3f5ea85b27%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblockster.com%2Fmarket-pulse-ethereum-scales-rwas-expand-more-wallets-step-irl) But beyond price action, RWAs are now showing real adoption and volume. In 2025,**[ BTCC alone recorded $5.72B in tokenized gold futures volume](https://blockster.com/btccs-tokenized-gold-volume-hits-5-7b-reaching-10-7-of-2025-futures-activity)** — about 10.7% of its total futures activity — a clear sign that tokenized commodities are becoming real, high-volume markets. Yield is now being layered on top. As gold hits record highs, exchanges such as Bybit have introduced **[products like XAUT Flexible Earn, offering up to ~11% APR on tokenized gold](https://blockster.com/bybit-launches-xaut-flexible-earn-with-up-to-11-apr-as-gold-hits-4-600)**, blending safe-haven exposure with crypto-native liquidity. On the product side, Solana continues to expand its RWA footprint, with Remora Markets launching tokenized gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and copper — all tradable 24/7 onchain.  Taken together, these developments show RWAs evolving from narrative to infrastructure: liquid, yield-generating, and increasingly integrated into both centralized and decentralized markets. [Post from @RemoraMarkets on X](https://twitter.com/RemoraMarkets/status/2012215130801537430?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2012215130801537430%7Ctwgr%5E4c1e3830e9089c8e4e08e0bb34950c3f5ea85b27%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblockster.com%2Fmarket-pulse-ethereum-scales-rwas-expand-more-wallets-step-irl) ## 4. Wallets Are Going IRL — and This Trend Is Just Starting The IRL wallet trend continues this week, with **[WalletConnect](https://blockster.com/dtcpay-partners-with-walletconnect-to-push-stablecoin-payments-mainstream)** making its first-ever in-person debut. **[Wallets are rapidly evolving from background infrastructure](https://blockster.com/why-wallets-are-becoming-cryptos-most-important-apps-according-to-phantom-ceo-brandon-millman)** into consumer-facing platforms, brands, and real-world access layers. And WalletConnect won’t be the last.   We’re already seeing this shift accelerate: - **[Walmart accepting crypto payments](https://blockster.com/crypto-steps-back-into-the-spotlight-as-banks-washington-and-mainstream-adoption-align)**, pushing blockchain rails closer to everyday commerce - **[AEON](https://blockster.com/dash-goes-irl-aeon-brings-dash-payments-to-50m-merchants-and-the-ai-economy)**, enabling crypto payments across **50M+ merchants**, bridging payments with AI-driven economies - **[Binance Pay](https://blockster.com/why-binance-still-reigns-supreme-in-crypto-from-34-trillion-in-volume-to-300-million-users)**, now powering payments for **20M+ merchants globally** - **[Bybit Pay](https://blockster.com/bybit-in-2025-80m-users-9-1b-daily-spot-volume-and-2-88b-in-institutional-inflows)**, expanding exchange-to-merchant payment rails - **[Phantom](https://blockster.com/why-wallets-are-becoming-cryptos-most-important-apps-according-to-phantom-ceo-brandon-millman)**, positioning wallets as the most important consumer apps in crypto, according to its leadership **What this signals:** Wallets are becoming the front door to crypto — not just for DeFi, but for payments, identity, RWAs, events, and IRL commerce. Expect far more physical activations, partnerships, and consumer integrations in 2026. [Post from @Houlgrave on X](https://twitter.com/Houlgrave/status/2012942058919489894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2012942058919489894%7Ctwgr%5E4c1e3830e9089c8e4e08e0bb34950c3f5ea85b27%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblockster.com%2Fmarket-pulse-ethereum-scales-rwas-expand-more-wallets-step-irl) ## 5. “A Crash Is Coming” — Context Matters Finally, a familiar headline resurfaced.   “The Big Short” investor Michael Burry warned that a major market crash is coming — a message he’s repeated in various forms over recent years.   **Editor’s note:** This isn’t a reason to panic. > **"Markets can stay irrational longer than anyone expects, and timing systemic resets is notoriously difficult. Even former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan famously noted that markets don’t move on prediction — they move on liquidity, confidence, and structural shifts."** > > **Fed Chair Alan Greenspan** More importantly, today’s crypto landscape isn’t what it was in previous cycles.   Well-capitalized, infrastructure-level Web3 companies — exchanges, wallets, payment rails, and RWA platforms — are built to survive volatility, not depend on perpetual risk-on conditions. The industry is maturing, not disappearing. [Post from @cryptorover on X](https://twitter.com/cryptorover/status/2013204729057116565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2013204729057116565%7Ctwgr%5E4c1e3830e9089c8e4e08e0bb34950c3f5ea85b27%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblockster.com%2Fmarket-pulse-ethereum-scales-rwas-expand-more-wallets-step-irl) ## Closing Thought Ethereum scaling, RWAs going live, wallets moving IRL, and capital concentrating around real utility all point in the same direction: crypto is embedding itself into financial and consumer infrastructure — not drifting away from it.   Short-term volatility will come and go. The builders shaping payments, markets, and access layers are playing a much longer game. And that story is still unfolding.