Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US Acquired Nearly 4x the Amount Mined Market Update - January 10, 2025
Takeaways
Spot bitcoin ETFs in the US acquired 51,500 bitcoin in December, nearly quadruple the 13,850 BTC mined: Spot bitcoin ETF-driven demand could create a supply shock that would drive prices higher in the coming months. But the price of bitcoin pulled back below $93,000 this week after reports the US government might sell $6.5 billion worth of bitcoin seized from Silk Road.
Backpack Exchange has reportedly acquired FTX EU after regulatory approval: The exchange, founded by ex-FTX and Alameda staff, would be the managing entity for FTX EU bankruptcy claims. But the FTX bankruptcy estate released a statement claiming Backpack has no control over redistributing the funds, adding that the press release announcing the sale went out without approval.
Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges in US court following extradition: Prosecutors allege he misled investors about terraUSD's stability. Kwon's case is expected to go trial in January 2026.
Metaplanet is aiming to quintuple its bitcoin holdings to 10,000 BTC by leveraging capital markets: The Tokyo-listed firm already holds 1,761.98 bitcoin, currently worth close to $180 million. The move continues a recent trend of corporate and investment entities stockpiling bitcoin as a reserve asset.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Accumulate nearly four times December’s Mined BTC Amid Supply Squeeze
Spot bitcoin ETFs in the US acquired 51,500 bitcoin in December 2024, dwarfing the 13,850 produced by miners during the same period. This ETF-driven demand reportedly represented 272% of the monthly supply. Bitcoin's price peaked at an all-time high of $108,135 on December 17, driven by surging spot market activity.
A January 6 report also highlighted bitcoin exchange balances hitting record lows, with researchers predicting a potentially imminent supply shock. On Friday last week, spot bitcoin ETFs added over $900 million in inflows. But the price of bitcoin has subsequently pulled back this week, dropping below $93,000 on Thursday as the market weighed the veracity of a report that the US government was poised to sell some $6.5 billion in bitcoin originally seized from Silk Road.
In mining, MARA Holdings led December’s production with 9,457 bitcoin. Riot produced 516 bitcoin and Cleanspark came in third with 668 bitcoin mined. Other contributors included Bitfarms (211 BTC) and Terawulf (158 BTC). With total US bitcoin ETF holdings now nearing $110 billion, some analysts have projected bitcoin to see more significant gains throughout the year.
Dogecoin (DOGE): The Birth of the Original Memecoin
Dogecoin (DOGE) started out as a parody of cryptocurrencies and, in particular, the proliferation of altcoins. Its founders have publicly stated that DOGE was a joke, and the currency hasn’t received a significant technical update since 2015. Despite these facts, market forces have kept the cryptocurrency alive. According to the founders, it was never about the value of DOGE, but rather about giving people an accessible introduction to the world of cryptocurrency through a face many already knew from an internet meme — Doge. The founders sought to overcome Bitcoin’s and other cryptocurrencies’ barriers to entry — for example, news of hacks and scams, as well as technological complexities. To that end, they created a fun and friendly cryptocurrency to welcome newcomers to the crypto space.
Read more!
Onward and Upward,
Team Gemini Bitcoin Pushed Past $100kMarket Update - December 6, 2024
Bitcoin breaks contain: The price of bitcoin surged past the $100,000 mark on Wednesday night, setting off celebrations within the digital asset ecosystem.
XRP surpasses Tether’s USDT to claim the third spot in market cap: A new regulatory regime in the United States has boosted the coin’s prospects.
Trump chooses crypto advocate for next SEC chair: President-elect Donald Trump has selected Paul Atkins, a long-time crypto industry advocate, to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Alex Mashinsky pleaded guilty to fraud related to Celsius’ collapse: Facing up to 30 years in prison, his plea represents a broader reckoning after the 2022 crypto winter.
DMM Bitcoin will cease operations after a $305M hack, transferring accounts and assets to SBI VC Trade next year: The hack, linked to suspected Lazarus Group activity, caused widespread service disruptions and financial losses.
Bitcoin Surges Past $100K Mark As Momentum Continues
The price of bitcoin surged past $100,000 on Wednesday night, breaking through significant selling resistance to reach an all-time high around $104,000 before dipping back below $100,000 Thursday afternoon. Still, the price of bitcoin has risen nearly 50% over the past 30 days, driven by steady spot bitcoin ETF inflows, continued buying from Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy, and anticipation of a crypto-friendly administration from president-elect Donald Trump.
Bitcoin’s push past $100,000 set off a series of celebrations in the crypto community and served as a victory lap for bulls that endured a 2022 crypto winter that saw the price of bitcoin drop below $17,000. Now just two years later, traditional financial actors have increasingly embraced crypto, with analysts setting a $120,000 near-term price target. Analysts at Bernstein said the price could reach $200,000 by the end of 2025.
During an interview at the DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell added more legitimacy to the asset class by comparing it to digital gold. The market price of bitcoin measured in gold has hit 39 ounces, an all-time high.
“It’s just like gold, only it’s virtual, it’s digital,” Powell said. “ People are not using it as a form of payment or as a store of value. It’s highly volatile. It’s not a competitor for the dollar, it’s really a competitor for gold.”
➕Topic of the Week: Polymarket: A Decentralized Prediction Market
🫱 Read more here Crypto Prices Rally After US Election ResultsMarket Update - November 18, 2024
Donald Trump secured presidential win: The news is widely seen as a boon to the crypto space because of Trump’s pro-crypto policies. Bitcoin prices hit an all-time high.
Solana reached a record 123 million active addresses in October, up over 42% from September: The network’s user engagement is now reportedly surpassing that of Ethereum by some measures.
Spot bitcoin ETFs in the US reported $541 million in outflows on Monday, marking their largest daily decline since May: But they charged back on Wednesday to make up for the losses, pulling in more than $621 million.
Lawyers for Binance and ex-CEO Changpeng Zhao have filed a motion to dismiss an amended SEC complaint: The motion argues that the SEC has failed to provide standards for defining crypto securities.
Mt. Gox transferred roughly $2.19 billion worth of BTC to unknown wallets on Monday: The move follows a recent repayment delay announcement, with creditors still awaiting funds from the exchange’s 2014 collapse.
Trump Wins Presidency After Securing Every Swing State
Donald Trump was re-elected president of the United States this week, defeating vice president Kamala Harris by securing the 270 votes needed to win the electoral college.
The win is widely seen as a positive for the crypto ecosystem. Over the past few months, Trump has pledged his support for digital assets. In July, he spoke at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, promising to set up a national strategic bitcoin reserve and to fire SEC chair Gary Gensler, who has filed numerous lawsuits against a range of cryptocurrency exchanges. Additionally, Trump recently launched World Liberty Financial, a DeFi company that plans to sell $30 million in tokens.
Meanwhile, Harris never took an official policy stance on regulating crypto. And as vice president, the Biden administration largely had a hawkish stance against crypto companies, with Gensler taking a regulation by litigation approach that largely alienated an asset class that has become increasingly entrenched within traditional finance.
The price of bitcoin hit an all-time high this week, surging to more than $76,500 by Thursday afternoon. The crypto ecosystem received another boost earlier in the day when the Federal Reserve said it would cut interest rates by 25 basis points, bringing the target range to 4.5%-4.75%.
Solana Hits Record 123M Monthly Active Addresses Amid Memecoin Boom
Solana achieved its highest monthly count of active addresses in October, reaching over 123 million, marking a notable increase from September’s figure and showcasing a recent surge in user activity. Analysts have attributed the growth to the popularity of memecoin trading, spurred by platforms like the token creation app Pump.fun.
Some industry reports have also been highlighting Solana’s rising engagement levels, noting there are over 100 million active addresses compared to Ethereum’s 57 million. Additionally, the rise of AI-linked memecoins have reportedly led to this increased activity.
With Solana designed as a lower-cost network in comparison to other smart contract compatible chains, this may be playing a role in increased engagement as well, as innovators have difficulty accepting comparatively expensive Ethereum gas prices.
🎈 Topic of the Week: Helium Network (HNT)
🫱 Read more here Bitcoin Approaches All-Time HighMarket Update - November 1 2024
Fueled by positive market sentiment, the price of bitcoin exceeded $73,100, just shy of its all-time high: The Fed’s decision on rate cuts could further fuel a price increase, but bitcoin pulled back Thursday toward $70,000 amid a broader tech sell-off.
US spot bitcoin ETFs recorded $870 million in inflows on Tuesday, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $629 million: It’s believed that bitcoin’s swelling price might be contributing to investment in these funds.
Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis has requested an evaluation of the feasibility of adding bitcoin to the state’s public pension funds: The state of Florida has typically shown keen interest in crypto initiatives, with Governor DeSantis having made proposals to allow businesses to pay tax in bitcoin in 2022.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. (HKEX) will launch the “HKEX Virtual Asset Index Series” on November 15, providing reference prices for BTC and ETH during the Asian trading day: The indexes aim to offer transparency and support for virtual asset investment decisions in the region.
Weekly sales of NBA Top Shot NFTs have hit a six-month peak, with 43,600 NFTs sold as of October 27, marking a 94% jump from the previous week: Renewed excitement from the season opener is driving the surge in activity after a slow offseason.
Bitcoin Surges Past $73,000, Pulls Back on Thursday
Bitcoin climbed above $73,000 Tuesday, marking the first time it breached this level in over seven months. The renewed surge comes near the end of a strong year for bitcoin, partly driven by the SEC’s approval of spot bitcoin ETFs and anticipated rate cuts in the US. Tuesday was also reported to be bitcoin’s biggest trading day in months, as volumes skyrocketed. However, the price of bitcoin retreated Thursday, pulling back toward $70,000 as the broader tech market recorded mixed earnings results.
Federal Reserve decisions in particular have been playing a role in bitcoin’s recent rally, with bitcoin rising from around $54,000 in early September as expectations for a rate cut increased. A majority of analysts currently anticipate a 25 bps cut November 7, which could drop rates to the 4.5% to 4.75% range. If this comes to be, it would most likely add to the current bitcoin trading frenzy.
Some analysts are bitcoin to climb even higher before the end of the year as market conditions become more favorable. It could depend on numerous factors, and will most likely be influenced in some form by the results of the upcoming US presidential election.
💱 Topic of the Week: Traditional Lending vs. Crypto Lending
🫱 Read more here US Spot Bitcoin ETFs Reverse Inflow StreakMarket Update - October 25, 2024
US spot bitcoin ETFs saw $79 million in net outflows Tuesday, reversing a seven-day inflow streak that had brought in over $2.6 billion: The outflows came mainly from Ark and 21Shares' ARKB fund.
Bitcoin prices inched closer to $70,000 at the start of the week when futures open interest surged to over $40 billion: But prices subsequently pulled back mid-week as investors pared their gains.
Tether’s USDT has hit a record $120 billion market cap, which could set the stage for a bullish October finish in the crypto market: Historical trends suggest that a rise in stablecoin supply can precede rallies in bitcoin and ethereum.
Bitcoin's hashrate has reached a new peak of 703 EH/s, a 6% gain over the past week: This surge coincides with higher mining profitability as transaction fees rise and Bitcoin's price strengthens.
Binance exec leaves prison: Binance’s Tigran Gambaryan was released from Nigerian prison Wednesday so he can receive medical treatment for the numerous ailments he suffered while in captivity.
US Spot Bitcoin ETFs Record $79 Million in Outflows, Ending Seven-Day Inflow Streak
After a week-long run of positive net inflows, US spot bitcoin ETFs reported a shift back to the negative on Tuesday, with net outflows totaling $79.09 million. It was ARKB fund from Ark and 21Shares was responsible for the entirety of these outflows, losing nearly $135 million. Despite the overall outflows, some funds still recorded gains. BlackRock’s IBIT, the largest spot bitcoin ETF by net assets, attracted just under $43 million, while Fidelity’s FBTC saw $8.85 million in inflows.
The recent outflows bring the cumulative net inflows for the 12 spot bitcoin ETFs down to $21.15 billion as of Tuesday. Trading activity also slowed, with the total daily volume for these ETFs declining to $1.4 billion from $1.76 billion the day before. This reversal comes after the ETFs saw more than $2.67 billion in net inflows over the past seven trading days, a figure similar to their peak inflow levels recorded in March this year.
Spot ether ETFs saw more positive activity, with net inflows of $11.94 million on Tuesday – all from BlackRock’s ETHA. Other ether ETFs recorded no change. Trading volume for ether ETFs also noticeably dropped to roughly $118 million on Tuesday, down from around $163 million the previous day.
🕸️ Topic of the Week: Web 3.0: The Next Evolution of the Internet
🫱 Read more here Mt. Gox Delays Repayment Deadline, Bitcoin RalliesMarket Update - October 18, 2024
Mt. Gox has delayed its bitcoin repayment deadline by a year: This delay is viewed as a greenshoot for bitcoin prices, with traders arguing it reduces selling pressure on the broader market. The price of bitcoin was just short of $67,000 by Thursday afternoon.
US spot bitcoin ETFs saw notable net inflows of more than $555 million on Monday, the highest since June: Spot ether ETFs also saw $17 million in inflows, continuing positive momentum for both investment vehicles.
Coinbase is pursuing partial summary judgment to obtain SEC documents about crypto regulation: The regulator has previously delayed in responding to a Freedom of Information request made by the exchange over the same issue.
US spot bitcoin ETFs saw $18.66 million in net outflows on Tuesday, led by Fidelity’s FBTC, which recorded $48.82 million in withdrawals: BlackRock’s IBIT was the only ETF to see inflows, with $39.57 million entering the fund.
Monochrome will introduce Australia's first spot ETH ETF on Tuesday, following on from the launch of its spot Bitcoin ETF in August: Notably, the Monochrome ether ETF will allow both cash and in-kind redemptions, which could garner interest from institutional investors.
🌶️ Topic of the Week: Chiliz (CHZ): Bringing Blockchain and Crypto to Sports Fandom
👉 Read more here New HBO Documentary Hints at Identity of Bitcoin InventorMarket Update - October 11th 2024
Takeaways
HBO documentary seeks to unveil Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity : HBO released a documentary, “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” on Tuesday that suggests an early Bitcoin developer named Peter Todd invented the cryptocurrency.
Crypto.com has filed a lawsuit against the SEC after receiving a Wells notice, claiming the agency has overextended its authority : The lawsuit challenges the SEC's stance that most cryptocurrencies are securities and the agency's regulatory practices.
Bitcoin's price pulled back this week : The US Department of Labor announced that inflation rose 2.4% year-over-year in September, slightly above analyst expectations. Crypto reacted negatively to the news, with bitcoin dropping back below $60,000.
US spot bitcoin ETFs saw $18.66 million in net outflows on Tuesday, led by Fidelity’s FBTC, which recorded $48.82 million in withdrawals : BlackRock’s IBIT was the only ETF to see inflows, with $39.57 million entering the fund.
The head of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) says the body plans to approve more crypto exchanges before the end of 2024 : The news comes after the regulator received criticism for implementing a strict approach to licensing.
New HBO Documentary Suggests Peter Todd is Bitcoin’s Founder
An HBO documentary, “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” released Tuesday hints that early Bitcoin developer Peter Todd is the cryptocurrency’s founder and man behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. In a clip late in the documentary, Todd denied he is the founder of Bitcoin and continued to deny it in a subsequent interview with Coindesk and other media outlets.
The film provided minimal concrete evidence that Todd created Bitcoin, but focused instead on his technical skills, his love of cryptography, and his relationship with Adam Back, the Blockstream CEO and investor of Hashcash. "Money Electric" director Cullen Hoback also pointed to a 2010 forum post from Satoshi Nakamoto in which Todd responded, arguing that Todd had forgotten to switch his accounts and his post was a continuation of Satoshi’s original post.
"This is going to be very funny when you put this into the documentary and a bunch of bitcoiners watch it," Todd said in the documentary clip while standing alongside Back. "I suspect a lot of them will be very happy if you go this route because it's yet another example of journalists really missing the point in a way that's very funny."
This is not the first time Hoback has made a documentary film about trying to uncover the identity of a secretive figure. For his 2021 HBO documentary “Q: Into the Storm,” Hoback spent three years attempting to find the creator of Qanon.
Crypto.com Sues SEC After Receiving Wells Notice
Crypto.com has officially sued the SEC after the company received a Wells notice from the regulatory agency, which typically precedes enforcement actions. The platform said the SEC's continued regulatory enforcement against crypto companies forced them into taking legal action.
According to Crypto.com, the SEC is unjustly expanding its jurisdiction over digital assets by labeling most cryptocurrencies as securities. The lawsuit is part of a broader industry pushback against the SEC's regulatory approach, which many crypto companies claim is outdated and unsuitable for digital assets.
The platform is far from the first to take such legal action; Coinbase and Consensys have also previously sued the SEC, similarly challenging the agency’s stance on categorizing cryptocurrencies as securities. The SEC has reiterated the need for crypto exchanges to register with the agency, while firms argue that current regulations are impractical for the digital asset sector.
🌉 Topic of the Week: What is Bridging?
➡️ Read more here SEC Allows Options Trading on BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Market Update - September 27th, 2024
Takeaways
The SEC has approved Nasdaq's request to list and trade options on BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF: The decision introduces new hedging tools for investors but comes with a 25,000 contract limit which has been criticized by the exchange as “conservative.”
Crypto investment products saw a second consecutive week of inflows, totaling $321 million, after the Fed's decision to cut rates: Bitcoin investment products led the pack with $284 million in inflows last week.
More than 40 Republican lawmakers called on SEC chair Gary Gensler to withdraw the crypto custody rule (SAB 121): They argue the rule increases consumer risk and stifles innovation.
Caroline Ellison, ex-CEO of Alameda Research, was sentenced to two years in prison for her role in the FTX fraud case: Despite her cooperation with law enforcement in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried, the judge ruled that Ellison must still serve time.
On Monday, OpenAI’s official news account on X was compromised, with hackers using it to promote a fake "$OPENAI" token: The fraudulent post claimed the token would grant access to future beta programs and directed victims to a spoof website.
PayPal to accept crypto payments: Payments giant PayPal announced Wednesday it would allow business accounts to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies.
SEC Allows Options Trading on BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF on Nasdaq's ISE
The SEC has approved a rule change permitting the listing and trading of options on the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, on Nasdaq’s International Securities Exchange (ISE).
BlackRock had been pushing for this approval since March, following the launch of several bitcoin-linked ETFs in the US. Earlier proposals faced concerns around market manipulation. Regulators also expressed concerns around introducing more crypto derivatives products to the market, due to their nascency. To address these concerns, the SEC approved an amendment that limits positions on IBIT options to just 25,000 contracts. The limit has been described as "extremely conservative" by Nasdaq.
The regulator also concluded that the exchange’s surveillance systems would be an adequate deterrent for market manipulation. Currently, BlackRock’s IBIT spot bitcoin ETF is the largest in the world, with more than $17 billion in assets under management.
🏦 Topic of the Week: What Are Central Bank Digital Currencies?
➡️ Read more here Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates by 50 BPS, Crypto RalliesMarket Update - September 20th, 2024
Takeaways
The Federal Reserve cuts rates: The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it will cut the federal benchmark interest rate by a half-percentage point (50 basis points), lowering the range to between 4.75% and 5%. Crypto markets responded well to the move, with the price of bitcoin pushing past $63,000.
US crypto legislation still possible this year: US senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said in an interview Tuesday she thinks crypto legislation could be passed during the lame-duck session of Congress.
US spot bitcoin ETFs pull in $187 million in inflows: US spot bitcoin ETFs drew $187 million in inflows Tuesday, marking the fourth consecutive day of inflows after a significant drawdown.
Republicans ask for clarity on crypto airdrops: US representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and other top Republican lawmakers sent a letter to SEC chair Gary Gensler asking for clarity on crypto airdrops.
Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates by 50 BPS, Crypto Rallies
The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it is lowering the benchmark federal funds rate by a half-percentage point (50 basis points) to between 4.75% and 5%. It marked the first interest rate cut in more than four years and signaled the Federal Reserve is ready to ease up on its fight against inflation.
The move marked the first time since 2008 the Federal Reserve had cut interest rates by 50 basis points at one meeting. Many analysts had expected a quarter-point percentage cut, but cooling inflation and a soft labor market allowed Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell to be more aggressive. In August, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key inflation metric, dropped to 2.5% year-over-year, roughly hitting Powell’s 2% inflation target.
The long-anticipated move sparked the broader markets. And crypto prices also rallied, with bitcoin pushing to roughly $63,500 and ether increasing to roughly $2,350 respectively.
A low interest-rate environment is widely viewed as a greenshoot for risk assets including crypto, but it remains to be seen if a rate-cutting campaign will ultimately shoot bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to all-time highs.
🌐 Topic of the week: Global Stablecoin Ecosystem
🫱 Read more here Centralized Exchanges See Uptick In Trading VolumesMarket Update - September 6, 2024
Takeaways
The market faced a broad decline over the past week: More than $162 million in crypto liquidations occurred last weekend, primarily from long positions, as US bitcoin ETFs experienced net outflows totaling $276 million. As of Thursday, the price of bitcoin had dropped to nearly $56,000.
The SEC has expressed concerns over FTX’s proposed distribution of stablecoins to creditors: While FTX’s plan aims to repay 98% of creditors in cash, the SEC may take the stance that remaining distributions made in crypto violate federal securities laws.
Cardano implemented its “Chang” upgrade, shifting control from its founding bodies to a decentralized governance structure using the ADA token: The long-awaited enhancement allows the community to vote on proposals and elect governance representatives.
High-ranking Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, detained in Nigeria since February, appeared in court on Monday in pain after being denied a wheelchair: His lawyers have filed for bail on medical grounds, citing multiple health issues, but the prosecution has opposed the request.
Trading volumes on centralized cryptocurrency exchanges saw a roughly 6.6% MoM increase in August, reaching $1.2 trillion: Exchanges in North America experienced more than a 21% increase in activity compared to July.
🎾 Topic of the Week: Fetch.AI (FET): An AI Solution to Data Inefficiency
➡️ Read more here Traders bet big on US election with $345M in optionsMarket Update - August 22, 2024
Harris policy adviser talks digital assets: Speaking at a Bloomberg roundtable event, Kamala Harris policy adviser Brian Nelson said Harris will support policies to grow crypto and other emerging technologies.
Spot bitcoin ETF holdings total $4.7 billion: Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley invested in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, among other ETFs.
Bitcoin crossed over $61,000 as volatility remains high: With the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision looming, traders are cautious about future price movements.
Tether has launched its USDT stablecoin on the Aptos blockchain: The move comes as Tether’s main competitor, Circle, announced that USDC will soon have tap-to-pay functionality enabled.
Traders have invested heavily in bitcoin options linked to the US election, with over $345 million in open interest: The majority of the interest is in call options, suggesting traders could be anticipating potential record highs in bitcoin.
The SEC has rejected Cboe BZX’s filings for two proposed spot Solana ETFs, citing concerns about Solana's classification as a security: The decision has halted the approval process, with VanEck and others still vying to launch Solana ETFs.
▶️ Read more here
⛰️ Topic of the Week: What is Mt. Gox?
Inflation Pulls Back Again, Building Case for September Rate CutTakeaways
Inflation cools again: Consumer prices in the US increased just 2.9% in July compared to the previous year, the slowest mark in three years, according to the US Department of Labor.
Kamala Harris has overtaken Donald Trump in odds to win the US presidential election on Polymarket: Harris's campaign has reached out to the crypto industry, but it's unclear where she stands on regulating digital assets.
Three Arrows Capital’s liquidators have filed a $1.3 billion lawsuit against Terraform Labs: The suit, stemming from losses during the 2022 Terra network collapse, alleges market manipulation by Terraform.
Tether hit back at a $2.4 billion lawsuit from Celsius Network, deeming it unfounded and asserting its compliance with prior agreements: The dispute revolves around the liquidation of bitcoin assets to offset Celsius's debt.
US spot ETH ETFs experienced $4.9 million in net inflows on Monday, ending a three-day streak of outflows: Grayscale’s ETHE logged zero flows, while VanEck’s ETHV was the only ETF to report negative flows.
Grayscale has launched a new fund investing in MakerDAO’s governance token (MKR): The token saw a price increase following the announcement, with the fund structured as a closed-end product available to accredited investors.
Inflation Pulls Back Again, Building Case for September Rate Cut
The Consumer Price Index increased just 2.9% year-over-year in the US in July, giving the Federal Reserve ample reason to cut the benchmark federal funds rate at their next meeting in September. The Fed uses CPI, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, as a key gauge to measure inflationary pressures on the economy. They have held rates at 5.3% since July 2023, the highest mark in roughly two decades.
Cryptocurrency prices had a muted reaction to the positive report Wednesday, with bitcoin and ether staying relatively flat. Both are widely viewed as “risk assets” that perform better when interest rates are lower. But bitcoin has faced continued selling pressure from defunct exchange Mt. Gox distributing billions in repayments to creditors. On Wednesday, a wallet associated with the US government sent almost $600 million bitcoin previously seized from Silk Road to a Coinbase Prime wallet.
Despite the recent volatility, bitcoin and ethereum have had a positive 2024 so far, rising 28.8% and 8.1% year-to-date, respectively.
🖼️ Topic of the Week: NFTs and the Art Industry: A Cryptoart Revolution
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Bitcoin Rallies Back to $60K Despite Soft Economic Data & MoreTakeaways
Bitcoin's value dropped below $50,000 early this week, marking its lowest point since mid-February: But prices quickly bounced back, briefly pushing near $60,000 on Thursday, as major indices regained their footing despite fears of a US recession.
Amid global market turbulence, US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $168.4 million in net outflows on Monday: Grayscale’s GBTC led the withdrawals, while macroeconomic issues and crypto-specific factors intensified the market selloff.
Crypto coalition asks for clarity on digital assets: A group of more than 50 crypto asset firms, dubbed The Crypto Market Integrity Coalition, wrote a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris asking the White House for more regulatory clarity around digital assets.
New Ethereum wallet addresses have fallen to their lowest level this year amid the launch of spot ether ETFs: Solana, however, saw an uptick in new addresses due to its growing DEX ecosystem and interest in memecoins.
Ripple is advancing its stablecoin strategy with the upcoming launch of Ripple USD (RLUSD): Set to debut on XRP Ledger and Ethereum, RLUSD will reportedly help advance the company’s focus on cross-border transaction innovation.
Bitcoin Drops Below the $50,000, then Pushes Back to $60,000 Amid Economic and Geopolitical Concerns
Bitcoin saw its fourth consecutive day of decline during Asian trading on Monday, plummeting under $50,000 before recovering to around $60,000 at the midpoint of the week. The cryptocurrency's downturn is attributed to increasing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and growing concerns about the global economy, both of which have shaken investor confidence. Many are also concerned the Federal Reserve has not been fast enough in responding to signs of a weakening US economy.
Gemini data indicates that bitcoin hit a low of $49,540 before slightly rebounding. Meanwhile, ether fell to almost $2,000, its weakest point since early January this year. This sell-off resulted in more than $1 billion worth of liquidations in the crypto futures market, with ether accounting for more than $350 million.
The sharp decline in cryptocurrency values was part of a broader market downturn fueled by fears of a global recession, turmoil in Japan’s market, and heightened tensions in the Middle East. The start of the week was not positive for global markets. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index tumbled by 12.4%, the Stoxx Europe 600 Index decreased by 2.8%, and S&P 500 micro futures lost 2.9%. The NASDAQ also tumbled by almost 2.5%. This panic selling reflects investor anxieties about potential economic instability and geopolitical unrest.
🏖️ Topic of the Week: Solana (SOL): Scaling Crypto to the Masses
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Fed Signals Possible Rate Cuts, but Crypto Markets Rattled
Federal Reserve officials signaled the possibility of a September rate cut during their July meeting: But crypto prices pulled back after Iran pledged it would retaliate against Israel for assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil.
Donald Trump expressed strong support for cryptocurrency at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville: Trump pledged to set up a strategic bitcoin reserve, stop the US from selling its bitcoin, and fire SEC chair Gary Gensler if he gets re-elected.
Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick announced the firm's plan to establish a Bitcoin financing business with an initial $2 billion investment: The initiative aims to provide leverage to bitcoin investors and strengthen the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
The nine US spot Ethereum ETFs saw $98.29 million in outflows on Monday, extending their negative flow streak: BlackRock’s ETHA and Fidelity FETH led the inflows, while Grayscale Ethereum Trust faced significant outflows.
The SEC is looking to amend its complaint against Binance, which could delay a court ruling on the security status of specific tokens: This move involves third-party crypto asset securities and adheres to a court directive for further proceedings.
Fed Signals Possible Rate Cuts, but Middle East Tensions Rattle Crypto Markets
Federal Reserve officials at their July meeting on Wednesday opted to keep interest rates unchanged at 5.25%-5%, after the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, a key inflation measure, increased by only 0.1% in June. This brought the year-over-year rise to 2.5%, down from 2.6% in May, moving closer to the Fed’s 2% inflation target.
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell for the first time hinted at the possibility of cutting rates in September, saying the move is “on the table” if the US continues to make progress on inflation. That would mark the first time the Fed has cut rates in four years.
The announcement did not appear to have much impact on cryptocurrency prices. On Wednesday, hitcoin dropped about 2%, below $65,000, while ether dropped more than 1%, hovering above $3,200. The negative price action came after a New York Times report indicated that Iran will take retaliatory action against Israel after Israel assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
🪙 Topic of the Week: What Are Stablecoins?
➡️ Read more here Bitcoin Surges after Donald Trump Assassination AttemptMarket Update - July 19, 2024
Bitcoin Rallied Amid Renewed Volatility Linked to Trump's Election Prospects
Mt. Gox Moves SEED_TVCODER77_ETHBTCDATA:9B in Bitcoin Ahead of Creditor Repayments
Investors Hedge Positions as US Spot ETH ETFs Near Launch
Coinbase Shifts Strategy for Gary Gensler Subpoena
Hong Kong to Release Stablecoin Consultation Results
Bitcoin Rallied Amid Renewed Volatility Linked to Trump's Election Prospects
Following an attempt on the life of Donald Trump on Saturday, crypto assets linked to the US Republican candidate’s chances of winning the November 4 election experienced increased volatility. Bitcoin surged by around 7% as the candidate's probability of winning rose to 70% on popular prediction market Polymarket.
After the event, Bitcoin broke above the crucial 200-day simple moving average (SMA), indicating a positive long-term trend. Additionally, Trump-themed Polifi tokens also surged on news of the attack. Recently, Trump has embraced crypto and been pictured with various high-profile figures, seeking a comparatively friendlier regulatory environment than the one President Biden has overseen. Consequently, some have viewed Bitcoin and the broader crypto market as bets on Trump's victory.
Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his vice presidential candidate was also seen as a positive choice for crypto. A former venture capitalist, the Ohio Republican has been supportive of the crypto industry and criticized the SEC for what he perceives to be regulatory overreach. Last year, Vance, along with other Republican lawmakers, sent a letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler expressing concerns about its lawsuit against crypto company DEBT Box. Vance is also believed to personally hold more than $100k worth of bitcoin.
⛏️ Topic of the Week: How to Mine Crypto
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Spot Bitcoin ETFs Rebound Ahead of Spot Ether ETF Launch
Crypto prices declined up to 7.5% to kick off week: The dip came as investors registered $150 million in liquidations, and the German government began unloading bitcoin it seized from a piracy site in 2013.
Defunct bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox will start distributing repayments in bitcoin and bitcoin cash in July: The upcoming move marks significant progress in compensating creditors following its 2014 collapse.
Tether ceased USDT minting on EOS and Algorand but will continue redemptions for the next 12 months: The company said it was reallocating resources to enhance security and efficiency on other blockchains.
US spot bitcoin ETFs received FWB:31M in net inflows Tuesday after seven straight days of outflows: Meanwhile, the launch of spot ethereum ETFs could come as soon as next week, with one analyst expecting up to $15 billion in inflows over the next 18 months.
A MakerDAO governance delegate fell victim to a phishing scam, losing $11M in tokens: The scam was the latest example of phishing in the crypto sector.
Major Coins Plunge at Start of Week Amid Large Liquidations and Market Movements
Cryptocurrency markets faced a sharp downturn on Monday, with major tokens experiencing declines up to 7.5%. The price of bitcoin dropped below $60,000, after investors liquidated over $150 million over the weekend.
Bitcoin dropped 3%, while ethereum, Cardano’s ADA, and BNB Chain’s BNG experienced comparable tumbles. Solana also took a big hit, plunging 7%. As a result of the declines, long positions, which bet on bitcoin to go higher, registered $150 million in liquidations. Spot bitcoin ETFs also saw outflows of nearly $175 million Monday as investors digested the news of bitcoin’s price dip.
The latest pullback in crypto prices comes as bitcoin miners face continuous selling pressure after their rewards were cut by 50% in the latest halving event. Additionally, the German government last week began selling bitcoin it seized from a piracy site 11 years ago, with plans to unload tens of millions of bitcoin (about 50,000 bitcoin) to various exchanges. The strength of the dollar index has also reportedly put pressure on the price of bitcoin.
Topic of the Week: What Are Decentralized Apps?
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