Author: Max Bauer
Bitcoin’s trajectory in 2025 was a key topic of discussion on CNBC recently, with Todd Rosenbluth and Dan Egan weighing in on the cryptocurrency’s prospects. With Bitcoin hovering just below the $100,000 mark, the conversation centered around institutional adoption, retail investor engagement, and potential market corrections. Rosenbluth highlighted the “tremendous year” for Bitcoin ETFs in 2024, pointing to the iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBTC) as a leader. He anticipates increased institutional involvement in 2025, fueled by the recent introduction of Bitcoin options trading on Nasdaq. This, coupled with a growing number of Bitcoin-linked products, such as the enhanced income ETF (BTCI)…
The cryptocurrency market is exhibiting signs of increasing caution as traders await the release of crucial U.S. economic data this week. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum are experiencing a shift in options implied volatility, suggesting growing uncertainty ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes and Wednesday’s Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation report. Analysts at QCP Capital highlight a notable shift in Ethereum’s implied volatility, with a marked increase in put options over call options. This trend mirrors a similar sentiment in Bitcoin, indicating growing concerns about potential downside risks. Traders are seeking clarity from the FOMC minutes…
World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance (DeFi) platform backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump and his sons, has received a significant injection of capital from crypto billionaire Justin Sun. Sun, the founder of TRON and an affiliate of the HTX crypto exchange (formerly Huobi), purchased $30 million worth of WLFI tokens, the platform’s native governance token. The purchase, confirmed by Sun on Twitter, follows a sluggish start for the World Liberty project. Launched in September 2024 with the ambitious goal of raising $300 million, the platform had only managed to secure $21 million in token sales prior to Sun’s…
Reports indicate a nationwide hold on Antminer S21 and T21 units, potentially linked to FCC investigation. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) is reportedly holding shipments of Bitmain Antminer ASICs at various ports of entry, causing significant disruption to the American bitcoin mining industry. According to seven anonymous sources within the industry who spoke to Blockspace, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requested the CBP to detain these shipments, some for as long as two months. The holds are affecting imports of Bitmain’s latest Antminer S21 and T21 series and appear to be occurring nationwide, including ports in San…
The Avalanche Foundation has launched the “Avalanche9,000” testnet, a significant upgrade designed to revolutionize Layer-1 (L1) development on the Avalanche network by making it more affordable and accessible. The testnet went live on Monday, marking a crucial step towards the upgrade’s planned mainnet deployment on the C-Chain in 2025. To incentivize development and adoption, the Foundation has announced a substantial $40 million in retroactive grants for builders on Avalanche, including a $2 million allocation specifically for referrals. Ava Labs Chief Protocol Architect Stephen Buttolph emphasized the cost-saving focus of the upgrade, stating, “[This latest upgrade] focuses on making every component…
Cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez has issued a bold prediction for Polygon (POL), forecasting a potential price explosion that could see the token surge to between $15.27 and $36.17. Martinez said that his analysis is independent and not sponsored. According to Martinez, the current market landscape for POL is surprisingly positive. He points out that a significant majority (84.89%) of wallets holding POL since the last bull market are currently underwater. While this might seem bearish at first glance, Martinez argues that it actually reduces the risk of a profit-taking sell-off, as long-term holders are unlikely to sell at a loss.…
Huobi’s Layer-1 blockchain, the HECO Network, will officially retire on January 15, 2025 (UTC). Users holding specific HRC20 assets on the network will have the opportunity to exchange them for HTX, the native token of the Huobi ecosystem. The HECO Chain, launched on December 10, 2020, is now entering its sunset phase. The retirement process involves the removal of several HRC20 tokens, including HRC20ETH, HRC20TUSD, HRC20LINK, HRC20USDC, HRC20UNI, HRC20SHIB, HRC20HBTC, and HRC20USDT. Holders of these assets are instructed to deposit them to a designated address provided on the HecoDAO official website before January 10, 2025. The value of deposited assets…
Cryptocurrency analyst Fred Krueger has suggested a potential link between the recent minting of $2 billion worth of Tether (USDT) and MicroStrategy (MSTR), a business intelligence firm known for its substantial Bitcoin holdings. In a statement released following a discussion on social media, Krueger outlined a scenario where MicroStrategy could be leveraging the newly minted USDT for a significant Bitcoin acquisition spree. According to Krueger, the $2 billion Tether mint occurred around 2 PM PST. He posits that MicroStrategy is the likely source of the funds, pointing to the company’s history of using USDT to purchase Bitcoin on various exchanges,…
Cantor Fitzgerald, a prominent Wall Street trading firm, is poised to acquire a significant minority stake in Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal, which has not been previously reported, raises questions about the intersection of finance, cryptocurrency, and political influence, particularly given Cantor CEO Howard Lutnick’s close ties to former President Donald Trump. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cantor Fitzgerald is expected to acquire approximately 5% ownership in Tether, a stake valued by Cantor at as much as $600 million, according to sources close to the deal. This…
In a recent podcast appearance, Arthur Hayes, former CEO of BitMEX and renowned crypto analyst, offered his bullish predictions for Bitcoin’s price trajectory. Hayes foresees Bitcoin reaching $100,000 by the end of 2024 and potentially soaring to $250,000 by the end of 2025. He also suggested Dogecoin could reach $1. Hayes bases his optimistic outlook on the anticipated fiscal policies of the Trump administration. He believes the administration’s focus on a weaker dollar, coupled with significant credit injections into the American economy, will drive inflation and benefit assets like Bitcoin with a fixed supply. He pointed to the correlation between…