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Showing posts from December, 2023

SEC may approve Bitcoin ETF for imminent launch: Here’s when

Speculations about the ETF approval’s potential effects on Bitcoin (BTC) have been widespread. Greeks.live, an options platform, provides insights into how the exchange-traded fund could influence the value of the leading cryptocurrency. Potential Bitcoin ETF approval imminent The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly set to inform asset managers seeking to launch a spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETF about the approval status of their applications as early as next week. A seasoned trader, renowned for accurately predicting the year’s crypto breakout, now provides insights on Bitcoin’s optimal trajectory post potential approval of spot market BTC exchange-traded fund applications (ETF). DonAlt, the pseudonymous analyst, says a prolonged consolidation period would be the most favorable scenario for Bitcoin after potential ETF approval. According to The Daily Hodl, he anticipates a “sell-the-news” reaction to the upcoming ETF announcement on Ja...

JPMorgan named AP in final Bitcoin ETF filings; Pullix traction hits $2M milestone

Bitcoin ETF applicants submit S-1 filings as euphoric market pours into Pullix presale JPMorgan, Jane Street named brokers in Bitcoin ETF S-1 filings. Pullix presale has attracted more than $2 million just weeks after its launch. The countdown to the first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approved for the US market is now down to just days. This is after BlackRock, Valkyrie, Fidelity and several other applicants submitted their final S-1 amendments on deadline day Friday, December 29. Elsewhere in the market, a market bullish on crypto going into 2024 has poured into the presale of new hybrid exchange Pullix. JPMorgan, Jane Street named APs in final Bitcoin ETF filings A proper countdown for a spot Bitcoin ETF approval by the SEC has been on for months. For most analysts, Grayscale’s legal victory against the regulator marked the turning point. Now consensus is the SEC will approve the first batch of spot Bitcoin ETFs early January – pro...

Judge rules Terraform Labs violated rules: LUNA and MIR deemed securities

Federal Judge Rakoff rules $LUNA and $MIR as securities, finding Terraform Labs violated U.S. laws. SEC trial, scheduled Jan 29, 2024, centres on Terra’s UST stablecoin collapse and $25M alleged fraud. Jump Trading’s involvement adds complexity; the SEC insists Judge Rakoff, not a jury, decides securities status. In a recent legal development, Federal Judge Jed Rakoff ruled in favour of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Do Kwon and Terraform Labs. The judgment asserts that Terraform violated U.S. securities laws by selling unregistered securities, specifically LUNA and MIR tokens. This decision sets the stage for a trial scheduled to commence on January 29, 2024, shedding light on alleged fraudulent activities and the involvement of the SEC . LUNA and MIR tokens deemed securities In the summary judgment, Federal Judge Jed Rakoff sided with the SEC in the case against Do Kwon and Terraform Labs. The ruling established tha...

Canadian crypto exchange CatalX suspends services following security incident

Canadian cryptocurrency exchange CatalX halted operations following a suspected insider job that resulted in a “security breach.” CatalX CTS Ltd., the Canadian crypto exchange operator, said in a press release on Dec. 28 that it had suffered a “ security breach” resulting in the loss of crypto assets held on behalf of its clients. The breach, suspected to involve an employee, prompted the company to consent to a cease trade order issued by the Alberta Securities Commission, the exchange said. “Management suspects that this security breach, which may involve an employee, has resulted in the loss of a portion of the crypto assets held by the company on behalf of its clients.” CatalX You might also like: Canadians allocate over $1b in WonderFi’s two crypto exchanges As a response to the incident , CatalX has temporarily halted all crypto and fiat currency withdrawals from its platform, along with a suspension of all trading activities. T...

Defi trends of 2023: emerging developments in decentralized finance

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Discover the latest 2023 defi trends. Explore breakthroughs and developments that shaped the landscape of decentralized finance this year. De centralized finance , more commonly called defi, has gained prominence in crypto in the last few years. It came from a need to change the way traditional financial systems worked, making them more open, unrestricted, and inclusive. Throughout 2023, despite a few hiccups, defi made several strides, introducing de centralized fintech solutions across numerous financial services. The demand surge is such that analysts project the worldwide defi market will hit $239.19 billion by 2030, a significant leap from $13.61 billion in 2022. Let us take a closer look at the trends in defi that shaped the sector in 2023. Major defi trends in 2023 Rise of layer-2 solutions Among the many trends in defi in 2023, one of the biggest was the growth of layer-2 (L2) sidechains and rollups.  These protocols were developed to solve the high transaction fees...

Breaking: ARK Invest Sells GBTC, Invests $100 Million in BITO ETF

ARK Investment Management has sold its entire position in GBTC (Grayscale Bitcoin Trust). The move follows GBTC being the most significant holding in ARKW just a month ago. ARK swiftly reinvested around $100 million in $BITO, the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF. Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, on social media platform X, announced that ARK Investment Management sold its remaining GBTC (Grayscale Bitcoin Trust) position. This strategic move comes just a month after GBTC claimed the title as ARKW’s most significant holding. Notably, ARK has swiftly reinvested approximately $100 million into $BITO, the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF, marking a significant shift in their investment strategy. The decision to transition from GBTC to BITO appears to be a calculated move by ARK, serving as a liquidity transition tool. Balchunas hinted at the move as a step to maintain beta for Bitcoin while the investment gradually shifts into other ETFs under the ARK umbr...

MicroStrategy boosts Bitcoin holdings with $615M purchase, eyes 1% of supply

MicroStrategy acquires 14,620 BTC for $615.7M, pushing total holdings to 189,150 BTC at $5.9B. CEO Michael Saylor remains bullish on Bitcoin, considering it the world’s most valuable asset class. The company’s proactive crypto strategy aligns with growing institutional interest, eyes 1% of Bitcoin supply. MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), the business intelligence giant led by CEO Michael Saylor, has reaffirmed its belief in the long-term potential of Bitcoin. In a recent disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), MicroStrategy revealed the acquisition of 14,620 BTC between November 30, 2023, and December 26, 2023. This substantial purchase amounts to $615.7 million, at an average price per Bitcoin of $42,110.  The recent purchase comes after the company purchase d another 5,445 bitcoins in September 2023. MicroStrategy’s total Bitcoin holdings have now reached an impressive 189,150 BTC, acquired at an approximate cost...

Binance surpasses 170m users worldwide

The number of Binance users has exceeded 170 million, the head of the exchange said. The head of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, Richard Teng, said the number of platform users worldwide has exceeded 170 million. Taking to X, he made the announcement. GM – we have crossed 170m global users . Thanks for your support . Keep building #Binance pic.twitter.com/zahRq57PJo — Richard Teng (@_RichardTeng) December 27, 2023 In the post, Teng did not indicate any country specific data. In early August, the founder and former CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, noted that the number of registered users of the world ’s largest crypto exchange reached 150 million. The number of users on the largest American crypto exchange, Coinbase, currently stands at approximately 98 million. This week at #Binance (so far): – Binance Japan officially launched – Binance secured an Operational MVP License in Dubai (first exchange in the world to do so) – 2x new Binan...

Delphi Digital’s Report Anticipates a Promising Year for Web3 Gaming

Delphi Digital shared a report titled “The Year Ahead for Gaming 2024.” The Philippines, Nigeria, and Pakistan are the top three main markets for blockchain games.  In 2023, blockchain gaming saw 23 times more on-chain transactions than DeFi protocols. Delphi Digital recently published a report titled “The Year Ahead for Gaming 2024,” claiming that the main markets for blockchain games are the Philippines, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, and the United Arab Emirates.  Stacy Muur, a Web3 marketer, shared key insights from Delphi Digital’s report in an X post. The insights highlighted the stability of the total combined market capitalization of 183 projects, which ranged between $4 billion and $7 billion throughout the year. Despite being 86% lower than the all-time high in 2022, Muur emphasized the significant potential for growth. Additionally, Muur noted that the OP Stack framework has emerged as the preferred ch...

MicroStrategy CEO’s Drastic Change in BTC Perspective: Analysis

Crypto lawyer sheds light on Michael Saylor and Gary Gensler’s contrasting views on crypto that evolved. Saylor previously viewed Bitcoin as similar to gambling, but he emerged as one of the greatest proponents of BTC. Gensler previously advocated crypto but later became a strong supporter of Senator Warren’s anti-crypto stance. The ever-evolving crypto space has been witnessing the community’s altering perspectives on digital assets. Crypto lawyer James Murphy, known as MetaLawMan on X, who is a prominent voice in the industry, shared insights on the distinct approaches of key figures, including Michael Saylor and Gary Gensler, which overturned in years. Murphy drew his readers’ attention to the drastic change in MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor’s view of Bitcoin. On December 19, 2013, MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor shared an X post stating, Bitcoin days are numbered. It seems like just a matter of time before it suffers the same fate as online gambli...

SEC Commissioner calls out colleagues for ‘imprecise legal reasoning’

Hester Peirce, a commissioner with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), clapped back at her colleagues for imposing a $1.7 million fine on defi protocol BarnBridge DAO. Although I did not write a dissent (yet?), I voted against the action. It's another example of the SEC's imprecise legal reasoning in crypto cases, which only adds to the uncertainty for crypto projects in the US. — Hester Peirce (@HesterPeirce) December 23, 2023 BarnBridge DAO, along with its two founders — Tyler Ward and Troy Murray — agreed to settle charges that it sold structured crypto asset securities known as SMART Yield bonds. The firm agreed “to disgorge nearly $1.5 million of proceeds from the sales, and Ward and Murray each agreed to pay a $125,000 [in] civil penalties,” the SEC announced in a statement. “The use of blockchain technology for the unregistered offer and sale of structured finance products to retail investors runs afoul of the securities laws,...

BitMEX Co-Founder Predicts the Death of Bitcoin Following ETF Launch

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes predicts the destruction of Bitcoin following the ETF launch. Hayes asserts that the success of traditional finance platforms’ ETFs will result in the death of BTC. The prediction is based on the findings that Bitcoin’s existence is completely dependent on its use. BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, who is known for his bold comments on crypto, recently predicted the potential debacle of the largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, following the Spot Bitcoin ETF launch. Elaborating on his prediction, Hayes asserted that Bitcoin would be completely destroyed if “ETFs managed by TradFi asset managers are too successful.” In a tweet dated December 23, Hayes introduced his final article of 2023 under the title “Expression.” The article concentrates on “expressions of the crypto investment theme that will ultimately prove to be worthless.” "Expression" is my last article of 2024. I offer some thoughts on expressions of the #crypt...

Arthur Hayes dumps Solana for Ether, cites divine inspiration

Solana may be the talk of the crypto investment crowd these days, but one eccentric investor is betting that Ether will come up trumps. Arthur Hayes, co-founder and former CEO of crypto exchange BitMEX says he has exited his Solana investments in favor of Ether. In an X post on Dec. 22, Hayes “confessed” to pivoting from Solana to Ether based on divine inspiration , “a msg (sic) from the Lord while meditating,” he said. Hayes backs Ether Hayes has previously been critical of Solana, even expressing scathing reviews of the project when he acquired the tokens in November 2023. However, the former BitMEX chief did state that Solana could exceed the $100 price mark based on its current rally. By dumping Solana for Ether, Hayes seems to be bucking the existing narrative. Solana has outperformed Ether amid the current renaissance in the crypto market. Solana’s spot price is up over 667% this year compared to Ether which has only managed 88.5%. You might also like: Solana can be...

Ethereum Gears Up for Data Storage Breakthrough with Dencun

Ethereum developers are accelerating testing for Dencun, a highly anticipated network upgrade set for 2024. It will introduce data storage capabilities and scale the blockchain through a process called “proto-danksharding.” The new functionality promises to reduce fees for layer 2 rollups—solutions built on top of Ethereum to improve transaction speeds and costs—and expand data capacity on the blockchain by enabling the storage of large “blobs” of data. Also read: Binance Coin Christmas Price Prediction: How High Can BNB Go? Ethereum targeting testnets first In a recent biweekly call, Ethereum developers discussed targeting January 17th for a test run of Dencun on Goerli, one of the network’s test networks used to trial changes in a low-risk environment. “Obviously if we find a major issue or something crazy before then, we can always cancel,” said Tim Beiko, protocol support lead at the Ethereum Foundation. “This would mean, ...

BNB Continues Uptrend After Overcoming The $260 Barrier

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Dec 21, 2023 at 11:42 // Price Author Coin Idol The price of Binance Chain Native Token (BNB) has resumed its uptrend after breaking above the overhead resistance of $260.  Price Analysis by Coinidol.com. BNB price long-term forecast: bullish Since November 6, the resistance at $260 has halted the upward movement. At the time of writing, the cryptocurrency has reached a high of $270.70. If the uptrend continues, the market will reach the highs of $300 and $315. However, on November 21, the altcoin reached a high of $274 before falling again....

Dogefather’s Digital Dog Park Closed: X Outage Leaves Users Howling

Elon Musk’s X platform, formerly Twitter, had a significant outage lasting over an hour. Users worldwide experienced disruptions on both mobile apps and the web, unable to refresh timelines. Down Detector reported 80,800 users affected, with 71% facing app issues and 23% reporting website problems. Elon Musk‘s X platform, formerly known as Twitter, experienced a major outage, leaving users worldwide in suspense for more than an hour. The Dogefather’s Dog Park faced temporary disruptions, both on mobile apps and the web. Users found themselves unable to refresh timelines. X users were greeted only by a placeholder message that read, “Welcome to X! This is the best place to see what’s happening in your world. Find some people and topics to follow now.” According to the details from Down Detector, over 80,800 users have reported about the issue. The data shows that 71% reported issues with the app and 23% reported issues with the...

BTC has 80% Chance of Hitting $44K+ But a Fall Below $35k Could Invalidate It: Analyst

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A crypto analyst stated BTC could either reach above $44K+ directly or retrace to $35K. BTC could present an excellent entry point if it hits $35K. A fall below $35K could invalidate the analyst’s bullish prediction. A crypto analyst who goes by the pseudonym tedtalksmacro speculated on two possible routes that BTC could take in the macro view. Firstly, the analyst expects BTC to have a sharp and short-lived nuke into $35k, followed by a quick recovery. Secondly, he anticipates BTC to surge above $44K and hit Target 2, as shown in the tweet below.   Updating the macro-view for BTC For me, I've invalidation on the bull thesis up to 35k. Acceptance back below that level would make for an ugly chat. From here, I think that two scenarios stand out: A) A sharp and short-lived nuke into 35k (I give a 20% probability of… https://t.co/brunxO6v5q pic.twitter.com/XfzSlanmQu — tedtalksmacro (@tedtalksmacro) December 18, 2023 Stating the probabil...

Solana Saga called by tech-industry critic as worst smartphone of 2023

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Famed technology YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) ranked the smart phone s of 2023, calling the smart phone from the Solana ecosystem, Saga, the worst . The bonkers trend of the Solana Saga phone has been slammed by a technology industry expert. In a round-up of the top phones of 2023, Marques Brownlee, who boasts 18 million followers on YouTube and is well known for reviewing top industry products by the likes of Apple and Microsoft, called the Saga Solana phone an absolute “failure of 2023.” Brownlee said that the smart phone has good build quality and design. However, other than that, buying such a device is a “terrible idea.” The Solana Saga smartphone stands out for its integration of blockchain technology, specifically designed to enhance the experience of cryptocurrency users and developers. It uniquely combines advanced mobile technology with Solana’s blockchain capabilities, offering a new level of functionality and connectivity for the crypto community. In Ap...

DWF Labs announces investment into user-generated gaming

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DWF Labs announced its investment in MOBOX, a prominent player in web3 gaming known for its interoperable assets and ecosystem of games. New capital from DWF Labs is said to further accelerate MOBOX’s growth strategy, increasing liquidity across multiple exchanges, fostering synergy between portfolios, forging key regional partnerships, and facilitating collaboration on public relations and offline events.  Pleased to announce our investment partnership with @MOBOX_Official, a leading force of Web3 gaming with interoperable assets within its thriving ecosystem of games. pic.twitter.com/gkFlT3udQC — DWF Labs (@DWFLabs) December 19, 2023 As shared on Medium, in 2021, MOBOX secured its listing on Binance Launchpool, positioning itself as a pioneer in web3 gaming with a community of over 3 million users. You might also like: DWF Labs buys $1.25m of FLOKI, coin sees 18% growth in 24 hours At the beginning of December, MOBOX introduced the alpha launch of D...