Author: Max Bauer

The Open Network (TON) is undergoing a notable market shakeup, with recent data from cryptocurrency analytics firm CryptoQuant highlighting a dramatic deleveraging phase across its ecosystem. According to the report, the Total Value Locked (TVL) in decentralized exchanges (DEXs), centralized exchanges (CEXs), derivatives, and options tied to TON has plummeted, reflecting widespread investor disillusionment and aggressive position liquidation. This sharp decline in speculative activity suggests that retail traders have reached a “point of maximum pain,” with many capitulating and offloading their holdings. However, CryptoQuant argues that such conditions historically create fertile ground for large-scale investors, or “whales,” to accumulate assets…

Hopes of seeing the Dogwifhat meme, the face of the Solana-based token WIF, emblazoned on the Las Vegas Sphere have been dashed. A spokesperson for the iconic venue confirmed to Decrypt on Friday that no agreement exists with the Dogwifhat team, contrary to recent suggestions by the project’s organizers. Earlier this week, the official Dogwifhat account on X (formerly Twitter) posted an image hinting at a Q1 2025 appearance on the Sphere, accompanied by the phrase “Officially confirmed. Viva hat vegas.” This announcement, later amended to remove the “officially confirmed” claim, fueled a 34.7% surge in WIF’s price, pushing it…

Could President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on cryptocurrencies disrupt Bitcoin’s historical four-year cycle? According to Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, the answer is a resounding maybe. In a note to clients on Wednesday, Hougan acknowledged the traditional pattern of three years of growth followed by a significant correction. “If we were following the classic four-year cycle, 2025 would be a great year for crypto,” he wrote, predicting Bitcoin could double to over $200,000 this year, fueled by ETF inflows and institutional adoption. He even suggested this prediction might be conservative. However, Hougan also pointed to…

Just months after his release from prison, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the billionaire founder of Binance, has re-entered the cryptocurrency arena with a significant investment. His newly formed venture capital firm, YZi Labs, has led a $16 million funding round for Sign, a startup specializing in simplifying token distribution and on-chain credential verification. Zhao, who served a four-month sentence ending in September for AML compliance failures at Binance, emphasized the importance of secure and transparent token distribution in a statement: “Proper distribution builds trust, and verification is an essential part of it. As more people move on-chain, this is a critical…

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and self-described head of the “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” has waded into a heated crypto community debate, arguing that Bitcoin Cash advocate Roger Ver should not receive a presidential pardon due to his renounced U.S. citizenship. “Roger Ver gave up his US citizenship. No pardon for Ver. Membership has its privileges,” Musk posted on X, referencing Ver’s 2014 decision to relinquish his American status. The remarks carry weight given Musk’s reported influence over President Donald Trump, who last week fulfilled a campaign promise by pardoning Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht — a…

Cryptocurrency analytics firm CryptoQuant has unveiled a fresh analysis highlighting the growing dominance of “new whales” in the Bitcoin market, with their share of realized capitalization among large holders now reaching 60%. According to CryptoQuant, “new whales” are defined as entities holding over 1,000 BTC acquired within the last 155 days. These participants contrast with “old whales” (long-term holders with >1,000 BTC), who typically adhere to passive, multi-year strategies. New whales, however, are more reactive to market fluctuations, frequently trading during phases of accumulation, growth, or profit-taking. The report reveals that new whales’ share of the total realized capitalization among…

Digital payments firm Ripple has secured Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs) in New York and Texas, marking a strategic push to grow its U.S. operations under a regulatory environment increasingly favorable to crypto under the Trump administration. The licenses enable Ripple Payments to offer its blockchain-powered cross-border payment solutions to U.S. customers, with transactions fully managed by the company. Ripple reported strong demand from banks and crypto firms in both states for real-time global payment infrastructure. “Financial institutions and crypto businesses are eager to leverage blockchain for faster, cheaper, and 24/7 cross-border payments,” said Joanie Xie, Ripple’s Managing Director of North…

According to Fox reporter Eleanor Terrett, the U.S. President has officially signed an executive order on cryptocurrency, establishing the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to strengthen the nation’s leadership in digital finance. The group will develop a federal regulatory framework, including stablecoin oversight and an assessment of the feasibility of a national digital assets strategic reserve. Chaired by White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks, the group will include the Secretary of the Treasury, the SEC Chair, and other relevant department heads. Additionally, the order revokes the previous administration’s executive order on digital assets and the Treasury…

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) has been appointed Chair of the newly formed US Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, a move signaling increased focus on cryptocurrency regulation in the 119th Congress. The announcement, made by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC), lauded Lummis’s expertise and leadership in the digital asset space. Senator Lummis, a well-known Bitcoin advocate and proponent of blockchain technology, emphasized the importance of a proactive approach to digital assets for maintaining America’s financial leadership. “Digital assets are the future, and if the US wants to remain a global leader in financial innovation, Congress urgently needs to…

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has expressed a strong belief in Bitcoin’s potential, suggesting it could reach a price of $700,000. In recent comments, Fink positioned Bitcoin as a potential hedge against currency devaluation and geopolitical instability. Fink highlighted Bitcoin’s international nature, stating, “If you’re frightened of your debasement of your currency, or you’re frightened of your economic or political stability of your country, you can have an internationally based instrument called Bitcoin that will overcome those local fears.” He emphasized his belief in Bitcoin’s utility, stating, “I’m a big believer in the utilization of…