Author: Max Bauer

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…

The possibility of a Solana (SOL) exchange-traded fund (ETF) launching in the U.S. by the end of 2025 is looking increasingly likely, with several key developments pointing towards regulatory approval. Cboe BZX Exchange recently filed four applications for spot Solana ETFs, submitted by VanEck, 21Shares, Bitwise Asset Management, and Canary Capital. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly engaging with these applications, with a final deadline expected around early August 2025, according to Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart. The shift in regulatory sentiment following the election of President Trump and a pro-crypto Congress, coupled with the resignation of…

Kraken, the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, has unveiled an ambitious roadmap for listing 19 new tokens, signaling a potential surge in activity following the recent presidential election. The move suggests a more permissive regulatory environment under the Trump administration, easing restrictions on token listings within the U.S. Kraken’s roadmap outlines plans to integrate new blockchains and list their native tokens for trading, including BNB Smart Chain (BNB) and Arweave (AR). Additionally, the exchange intends to list various tokens on pre-existing supported blockchains. This expansion encompasses a diverse range of projects, from decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to meme…

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Jaime Lizárraga has announced his resignation, effective late January 2025. This follows the announcement of SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s departure, also scheduled for January, leaving the commission with only one Democratic commissioner, Caroline Crenshaw. Lizárraga cited personal reasons for his departure, stating his desire to spend more time with his family, particularly his wife, who is battling breast cancer. In a statement released Friday, he expressed gratitude for the support received during this challenging time and hope for his wife’s full recovery. Lizárraga’s announcement, initially reported by Bloomberg Law, marks another significant shift in…

Investment management firm VanEck has released a bullish report predicting Bitcoin’s price could reach $180,000, fueled by the pro-crypto stance of the Trump administration. The firm believes the recent post-election rally, mirroring a similar surge in 2020, marks the beginning of the next phase of a Bitcoin bull market. VanEck cites several factors contributing to this optimistic outlook. First, the removal of regulatory hurdles is expected to drive significant growth. The report anticipates that the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) will be rewritten with market- and privacy-friendly terms. Furthermore, new stablecoin legislation is expected to…

Intelligent Alpha, a $30 million investment fund managed by a trio of artificial intelligence systems, has set a bullish target of $140,000 for Bitcoin. The fund’s AI investment committee, comprised of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude, has demonstrated impressive performance in traditional finance and has recently turned its attention to the cryptocurrency market. Intelligent Alpha’s founder and CEO, Doug Clinton, revealed in an interview with CoinDesk that the AI committee has been experimenting with Bitcoin price predictions over the past five months. Based on a scenario involving a Trump victory and a favorable regulatory environment, the AI has…

The ME Foundation is poised to launch its Solana-based ecosystem token, ME, on December 10th, according to a representative speaking to Decrypt. The token, closely aligned with the leading NFT marketplace Magic Eden, is generating significant anticipation with a pre-market valuation estimated to exceed $500 million. The airdrop will reward users of Magic Eden’s Bitcoin exchange and cross-chain NFT marketplace, claimable exclusively through the Magic Eden Wallet app. While the exact conversion rate of Magic Eden Diamonds, the platform’s current rewards program, to the ME token remains undisclosed, the spokesperson indicated that allocation will be based on several factors. These…