As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume office for his second term, significant changes in the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies are on the horizon. A wave of crypto ETFs is expected to gain approval in the coming year, signaling a potentially transformative shift for digital assets in the United States. Emerging Entrants In Crypto ETFs […]
In a potential win for the crypto industry, the Senate Banking Committee has canceled its vote on the reappointment of US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw, known for her critical stance on Bitcoin and other digital assets. This development, reported by FOX Business journalist Eleanor Terrett, means that Crenshaw will not secure […]
In a recent interview with CNBC, Michael Saylor, founder and chairman of MicroStrategy, drew an interesting parallel between Bitcoin (BTC) and New York City, referring to the market’s leading cryptocurrency as “cyber Manhattan.” ‘Every Day Is A Good Day To Buy Bitcoin’ Saylor expressed a long-term bullish outlook on Bitcoin, stating, “We’ll just keep buying […]
The crypto ecosystem is on the cusp of yet another significant week, ushered in by several major developments taking place across different networks. This week’s spotlight falls on Bitcoin, Fantom, Avalanche, Stacks, and LayerZero, each of which is facing a pivotal milestone. The broader macro backdrop is also critical, particularly the December 18 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest-rate decision in the United States. #1 Bitcoin And Crypto Await The FOMC Decision Bitcoin traders and investors are watching the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, at 2:00 pm ET, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference to follow at 2:30 pm ET. Saxo Bank writes in their latest investor note, “The Federal Reserve is widely expected to deliver a 25 basis-points (bps) rate cut this week, reducing the target range for the federal funds rate to 4.25-4.50%.” According to futures data, there is a 95% probability of this move, which follows a similar cut in November. While the rate cut is seemingly priced in, the market will scrutinize the Fed’s Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and its “dot plot,” which depict the expected path of policy rates for 2025 and beyond. Any signal that the Federal Reserve could limit the pace of future cuts—particularly if it revises the dot plot from four rate cuts in 2025 down to three or even two—might weigh on risk-on assets such as Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Many analysts point to the labor market, which has been softening, and to easing shelter inflation, evidenced by slowing rental price growth, as key justifications for additional rate cuts. Related Reading: Crypto Market Hit Hard With $1.7 Billion Liquidated, Largest Event Since 2021 However, the Fed may convey a more cautious stance and highlight so-called “Trump-flation” risks, referencing the possibility of renewed trade tariffs under the incoming Trump administration that could push inflation higher. If such inflationary risks remain persistent, the Fed might pause or reduce the pace of cuts in 2025, which would be viewed as a hawkish twist. The new dot plot for 2025 is currently expected to show around 3.625%—a baseline assumption of three rate cuts next year—but the market has speculated that this could move to 3.875% if the Fed becomes more cautious. The immediate reaction in Bitcoin will likely hinge on the meeting’s tone, with a less dovish Fed potentially introducing volatility to BTC price action. #2 Fantom (FTM) Fantom is entering a new era with the upcoming Sonic L1 mainnet launch, a transformative upgrade that will dramatically improve network throughput and cost efficiency. Developers behind Fantom have highlighted that Sonic is capable of processing approximately 10,000 transactions per second, with near-instant finality—a marked leap from current network capabilities. The planned modifications are also set to cut operational expenditures, with a reported 66% decrease in validator node costs and minimized storage requirements. Another important detail is Fantom’s decision to maintain compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, which should make it straightforward for EVM-based applications to migrate to the upgraded chain without modifying their underlying code. Sonic will also debut a new token, denoted as S, which will replace the existing FTM token at a one-to-one ratio. The crypto trader Jacob Canfield stated via X, “Shared this setup x subs last week, but FTM is close to a price discovery break. Needs to clear the bearish impulse base and close a 4 hour candle and we will probably see swift price discovery. The chart coincides nicely with the SONIC launch.” #3 Avalanche (AVAX) Avalanche will be another focal point in the crypto industry, as the Avalanche9000 upgrade is set to go live on the mainnet today, on December 16. This follows a testnet debut on the “Fuji” testnet on November 25. Related Reading: Crypto Market Outlook: VanEck Issues 10 Predictions, Including Bitcoin Nearing $200,000 The highly anticipated mainnet launch is described by Avalanche’s core developers as the most significant upgrade in the chain’s history. Compounding the buzz is Avalanche’s December 12 announcement of a $250 million private token sale led by Galaxy Digital, Dragonfly, and ParaFi Capital, with more than 40 other entities participating. According to official statements, this fundraising round strengthens Avalanche’s treasury, already valued at around $3 billion in AVAX tokens, and comes on the back of a previous $230 million token sale in 2021. Avalanche9000 incorporates the Etna Upgrade and key community proposals ACP-77 and ACP-125, altogether reimagining how Avalanche’s subnets function—now referred to as layer-1s. In doing so, Avalanche transitions from a costly validator system requiring 2,000 AVAX per instance to a more subscription-like model that charges 1.33 AVAX per month. The upgrade also focuses on cross-chain connectivity, enabling more sophisticated interchain communication within Avalanche’s broader ecosystem. #4 Stacks (STX) Stacks is another name to keep on the radar as it prepares to launch sBTC on Tuesday, December 17, at 11:00 am ET. This new BTC-backed asset is designed to bring Bitcoin’s liquidity directly into the DeFi sphere on Stacks, offering a rewards program that is notably free of staking requirements. According to the project’s official announcement, the sBTC Rewards Program provides a 5% annual Bitcoin reward, paid out in bi-weekly installments, and the distribution is made in actual Bitcoin, not third-party tokens. The program’s first phase, commencing on December 17, will focus on deposit functionality and immediate rewards accrual for sBTC holders. The second phase, currently planned for March 2025, is expected to layer in more advanced DeFi capabilities and reward structures, thereby broadening the utility of sBTC. #5 LayerZero (ZRO) LayerZero rounds out the week’s watchlist with a governance milestone. On December 20, 2024, at 00:00 UTC, ZRO token holders will engage in the network’s first-ever fee switch referendum, a vote that could activate a protocol fee on every LayerZero message. The referendum is straightforward, posing the single question, “Turn the fee switch on?” A majority vote of “Yes,” assuming quorum is met, would enact a fee that matches the underlying DVN and Executor costs for each message, effectively doubling the cost of each cross-chain transmission. The collected fees would then be used to buy back and burn ZRO, potentially reducing the circulating supply and impacting the token’s economics. ZRO balances across Ethereum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, BNB Chain, and Arbitrum are all factored into each holder’s voting power, consolidated seamlessly through LayerZero’s lzRead feature. The referendum will last seven days, concluding on December 27, 2024. A 60% quorum of the circulating supply is required for the vote to be valid; if that threshold is not met, the outcome defaults to “No.” If the referendum passes, the protocol fee would be immediately activated, potentially shifting the dynamics of how developers and users manage cross-chain communications. This governance mechanism is set to repeat every six months, though the quorum requirement would decrease by 5% each time if it is not met, down to a minimum floor of 20%. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $104,748. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
According to a recent Bloomberg report, Donald Trump’s crypto initiative, World Liberty Financial (WLF), is making significant strides by acquiring three altcoins worth millions. This move comes amid growing speculation that the decentralized finance (DeFi) platform is on the brink of “becoming operational.” Trump’s Crypto Venture Secures Major Token Purchases Since December 11, World Liberty […]
Increasingly more analysts and chart patterns are pointing to an imminent Ether breakout to an all-time high, bolstered by BlackRock doubling its Ether ETF holdings.
In an important victory for the crypto industry, Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Arkansas, is expected to become the next chair of the House Financial Services Committee after being endorsed by the GOP’s steering committee. This move implies a favorable trend in cryptocurrency regulation under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, which has already made key […]
On Thursday, the Texas House of Representatives took a significant step toward integrating cryptocurrency into state financial strategy by introducing a bill aimed at establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve. Sponsored by Republican state Representative Giovanni Capriglione, the proposed legislation seeks to allow the state to accept taxes, fees, and donations in Bitcoin, with the intention […]
The locked-token sale saw participation from more than 40 companies.
“I feel like this is turning into ‘Digital Currency for Dummies,‘” Jon Stewart said to the billionaire during an interview on his weekly podcast.
Instead of holding physical money, crypto wallets store private keys — digital codes that give you access to your cryptocurrencies.
In likely his last committee hearing before leaving office in January, the Ohio senator suggested a looser approach to digital assets could only benefit the “corporate elite.”
The union’s adoption was facilitated by a “get off zero” donation and partnership with Proof of Workforce.
As President-elect Donald Trump approaches his inauguration on January 20, the cryptocurrency market has experienced a significant surge, with Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $104,000 on December 5. This increase, nearly 50% since Trump’s election, has sparked expectations of a new era for crypto regulations in the United States. Sources close to Trump indicate […]
On Tuesday, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse revealed that the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS) has granted final approval for the firm’s inaugural stablecoin, RLUSD. Ripple Set To Enter Stablecoin Market With the release of RLUSD, Ripple hopes to provide a reliable option for clients interested in digital currencies while limiting the volatility […]
The company’s board opposed the resolution, citing Bitcoin’s purported volatility as a negative factor.
President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to establish a national Bitcoin reserve has ignited a wave of criticism from economic experts, including former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. Summers, who managed the US national gold reserve during Bill Clinton’s administration, described the idea as “crazy” and lacking a clear purpose in a recent interview. Bitcoin Reserve Proposal As […]
The broader crypto market experienced a major crash on December 9. While the Bitcoin price dropped from $101,109 to as low as $94,150, marking a -7% decline, the altcoin market suffered significantly more severe losses. Ethereum fell by as much as -12% at one point, XRP by -22%, Solana by -15%, Cardano by -23%, Dogecoin by -19%, and Shiba Inu by -25%. According to Coinglass data, more than 562,000 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours, and total liquidations reached $1.7 billion. The largest single liquidation order took place on Binance in the ETHUSDT pair, valued at $19.69 million. Of the $1.7 billion in total liquidations, $1.55 billion involved long positions. Notably, Bitcoin’s leverage flush was relatively modest compared to that of altcoins, with $143 million in BTC longs liquidated. By contrast, ETH saw $219 million in liquidations, SOL $57 million, DOGE $86 million, XRP $53 million, and ADA $22 million. Across the entire crypto market, this represented the largest leverage flush since April 2021, when a record $10 billion in crypto futures liquidations occurred in a single day. This surpassed the previous record of $5.77 billion. Related Reading: November Crypto Performance: Memecoins Up 95%, ADA, SOL, And DOT Follow With Strong Gains Following the flush out, Bitcoin and most altcoins staged a sharp upward recovery, although they have yet to return to their pre-crash levels. Over the past 24 hours, BTC remained down by -2.4%, ETH by -4.8%, XRP by -9.6%, SOL by -6.4%, and DOGE by -8.4%. What Caused The Crypto Market Crash? According to crypto analyst ltrd (@ltrd_), the underlying dynamic began with increased selling pressure on Coinbase, where traders started selling aggressively almost an hour before the major cascade. Although the ultimate plunge was triggered by a chain reaction of liquidations, this prolonged selling in the spot markets was critical in pushing prices into zones where overleveraged traders had little choice but to unwind. Overheated funding fees and rising open interest levels meant that once the initial cracks appeared, heavily leveraged positions had no chance to escape. “How can we tell that the market was overheated? It’s simple—the Funding Fee plus the increase in Open Interest. These two factors are drivers of the current market and indicate that people are overleveraged,” ltrd explained. When the market finally broke down, its effects were uneven. Bitcoin displayed characteristics distinct from other instruments, and Ethereum showed encouraging signs of accumulation on the way down, hinting that a major buyer could have been taking advantage of the opportunity. Yet the truly astonishing developments occurred with XRP on Coinbase, where, as ltrd put it, “You can see something crazy—the market impacts for XRP on Coinbase are mind-boggling. Something absolutely strange happened. On a large, relatively mature market, we witnessed a cascade of big sell orders that caused the market to drop by over 5%. We don’t know exactly what happened, but it’s certainly unusual.” Ltrd speculated that these enormous and abnormal sell orders may have come from a significant player forced to liquidate at any price. Related Reading: Trump’s Crypto Czar David Sacks Is Super Bullish For Solana: Here’s Why “It might be worth monitoring this situation over the next few days. Perhaps a major player was forced to sell as if there were no tomorrow,” he mused. The consequence of such an event, even in supposedly deeper markets, was a swift crash that spilled over into perpetual swaps trading elsewhere, triggering further liquidations. According to ltrd, “When something like this happens, it’s typically a cascade of unintentional orders. Market makers absorb this selling pressure and hedge it, causing signal propagation across the exchanges.” Even large-cap altcoins like XRP, which have market caps on par with major US companies, still face liquidity constraints that become glaringly apparent under stress. “Relative to these market caps, the liquidity in the market is still poor,” he noted, explaining how this contributes to the observed volatility and the dramatic nature of such events. As prices eventually stabilized and began to bounce from their lowest points, ltrd highlighted how this pattern is common in overheated markets: “The next thing you always see in a hot market is a quick price reversal from the lowest point. There are a huge number of liquidations, limited liquidity, and still many players in profit who want to buy the dip. Let’s see who comes out as the winner.” Macro analyst Alex Krüger placed the entire event into a broader perspective. “Nothing’s changed. Expect prices to still go up,” he stated, while noting that future conditions, such as a pro-crypto US administration under Donald Trump, could set a more constructive backdrop for digital assets. Although Krüger cited the possibility of more leverage flushes in the coming months, he viewed these events as a normalizing force. “Today’s was a major leverage flush out. Mainly for altcoins. Very normal in hot and highly levered markets. This is how crypto baptizes newcomers and keeps crypto natives disciplined,” Krüger said, and added “Never fun to be caught long in a leverage flush out. But that’s what this is. Funding back to the base line across the board. This time alts as well. Expect a few more of this in the next few months.” At press time, Bitcoin traded at $97,401. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
In a recent interview with CNBC, Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and son of president-elect Donald Trump, articulated a vision for the United States to become the leading global hub for crypto. Eric Trump emphasized that a set of “sensible” regulatory guidelines could pave the way for this transformation, particularly in […]
Bitcoin was an outperformer, but still lower by 5% over the past 24 hours to just above $95,000.
The recent Bitcoin price surge, which surpassed $100,000 for the first time, is creating ripples in the long-struggling crypto lending sector, particularly through decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. According to a Bloomberg report, the speculative excitement surrounding Bitcoin has not only invigorated its trading but is also spilling over into lending platforms, signaling a potential resurgence […]
The prime minister said Czech residents would not have to report crypto transactions under $4,200 per year or pay taxes for selling digital assets held for more than three years.
Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal claimed the letters provided evidence that an alleged US government attempt to debank firms “wasn’t just some crypto conspiracy theory.”
Bitcoin has recently made headlines by breaking through the $100,000 mark for the first time, a milestone that has prompted increased trading activity and strategic hedging among investors. According to a Bloomberg report, this surge has led some traders to seek protection against potential price declines, as demand for put options—contracts that allow buyers to […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made headlines with his recent remarks on using Bitcoin and the need for his country to reconsider its reliance on foreign currency reserves. Russian President Emphasizes Bitcoin’s Role Speaking at an investment conference in Moscow, Putin argued that the current geopolitical climate, particularly following the West’s freezing of approximately $300 […]
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering appointing prominent figures with pro-crypto stances to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an agency poised to play a pivotal role for the digital assets industry. This move aligns with Trump’s campaign promises to transform the United States into the “crypto capital of the planet” and a “Bitcoin […]
President-elect Donald Trump is set to nominate former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), reinforcing his commitment to a crypto-friendly administration. This announcement follows the resignation of current SEC Chair Gary Gensler, whose last day in office will coincide with Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Clearer Crypto Regulations Ahead? […]
As the cryptocurrency market experiences a notable uptrend, altcoins have begun to take center stage while Bitcoin (BTC) consolidates just below its recent record high of $99,540. This shift has led to significant capital rotation toward altcoins such as Cardano (ADA) and XRP, both of which have outperformed many of the top ten cryptocurrencies over […]
Ripple Labs is on the verge of receiving approval from New York’s top crypto regulator for its new stablecoin, RLUSD. According to a Fox Business report, the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) is expected to greenlight the stablecoin, with a potential launch date set for December 4. Ripple Set To Launch RLUSD Stablecoin […]
In a major move towards successfully regulating digital assets in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that creates a new legal framework for taxing Bitcoin mining and transactions, recognizing them as property and setting the stage for formal taxation. Russia’s New Bitcoin And Crypto Tax Law According to local media reports, […]