The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has released a report with policy suggestions for regulating crypto and digital asset markets, aiming to address investor protection and market integrity risks posed by crypto asset service providers (CASPs) and establish a robust global regulatory foundation.
Trading interest in DOGE bets increased over 40% in the past 24 hours, reaching the highest level since April, but this spike could be a bearish indicator due to historically marking local price tops in crypto markets.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler's speech triggered backlash from the crypto community, with Ripple's lawyer and other members criticizing him for contradicting his actions and prejudging cryptocurrencies.
Analyst "The Flow Horse" predicts a potential 130% appreciation for altcoin Fetch.ai (FET) as the total crypto market cap approaches $1.5 trillion, while also highlighting bullish momentum for Bitcoin (BTC) and digital collectibles platform Ordinals (ORDI).
The price of Cardano (ADA) has experienced a rapid increase, reaching above $0.40 for the first time since April, with the possibility of further gains if it remains above the $0.35 support area and follows a bullish trend. However, a close below $0.35 could result in a significant drop to the next support at $0.30.
The US crypto industry has already spent $20 million on lobbying efforts in 2023, surpassing last year's record-breaking amount, with Coinbase leading in spending.
Macroeconomics commentator Lyn Alden believes that Bitcoin will appreciate in price over the next two years, despite the possibility of short-term downward movements or trading in a range. Alden cites the upcoming supply halving in 2024 and the potential demand boost from a spot ETF as potential bullish catalysts.
German Bundestag member Joana Cotar has expressed her support for recognizing Bitcoin as legal tender in Germany, aiming to create a legal framework that balances regulation and innovation while addressing risks associated with its usage, such as money laundering and tax evasion. Cotar has launched the "Bitcoin in the Bundestag" initiative to educate her peers about the benefits of Bitcoin and has emphasized the importance of financial privacy and avoiding excessive restrictions. If successful, this move could position Germany as a pioneer in adopting decentralized digital currency and potentially impact Bitcoin's value positively.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore plans to launch a live wholesale CBDC for settlements by local banks, aiming to pilot the use of a CBDC as a settlement asset for domestic payments.
Avalanche's AVAX and Near Protocol's NEAR tokens held steady as the broader market fluctuated, with AVAX gaining 8.2% and NEAR trading 6% higher, while bitcoin and ether experienced declines. Avalanche's inclusion in MAS's Project Guardian and positive announcements during the Nearcon conference likely boosted investor interest.
German lawmaker Joana Cotar is leading an initiative to make Bitcoin a legal tender in Germany, expressing the need for legal security while addressing concerns about money laundering and tax evasion.
Despite all the attention on Bitcoin, altcoins are also displaying strength in market patterns, signaling a potential bull market cycle similar to previous years. Altcoin strength is evident in the uptrend and cross of the 50-week SMA barrier, although it is still early for altcoins as the total altcoin market cap has yet to break out from its accumulation range. However, the “Supertrend Indicator” has flipped to a buy signal for altcoins, and Blackrock has acknowledged that altcoins are challenging Bitcoin dominance, suggesting a promising future for altcoins in the cryptocurrency market.
The Polygon network experienced a surge in gas fees, reaching $0.10, due to the excitement and high demand for minting the POLS token, which resulted in over 102 million MATIC tokens being used as gas.
The unexpected shutdown of the Forever Voices platform has left users without their AI girlfriends, leading to a global ghosting event for online daters.
Crypto analysts predict the arrival of a bull market as recent price shifts and discussions about the potential approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF indicate the likelihood of favorable price dynamics and institutional funds entering the market.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy unveiled his "Three Freedoms of Crypto" policy framework, becoming the first GOP contender to incorporate cryptocurrency into his campaign platform, and outlined his plan to reduce the federal government's workforce by 75% while criticizing the regulatory approach of the SEC and its chairman Gary Gensler.
Hong Kong exchanges, including Hashkey Exchange and BC Technology Group's OSL, are making significant developments with insurance coverage, strategic investments, and listing approvals, while facing high barriers to entry for users and token developers. Meanwhile, crypto media publication The Block has received a $60 million investment and plans to expand its operations in Asia and the Middle East, and a Chinese court has ruled that cryptocurrencies are not protected by law in civil disputes. Additionally, the Philippines' Bureau of Treasury is issuing tokenized bonds as part of its effort to digitalize the government bond market.
Space technology firm Astrobotic plans to send a physical Dogecoin to the moon on the Peregrine Lunar Lander in December, with the cryptocurrency being stored in DHL's MoonBox time capsule.
Bitcoin (BTC-USD), Ethereum (ETH-USD), and Solana (SOL-USD) are highlighted as high-profile and profitable cryptocurrencies with promising risk-adjusted returns, driven by robust networks, user engagement, and deflationary models.
Ripple (XRP) price continues to struggle below key support levels despite the strong defense put up by Ripple Labs against the SEC, and there is a possibility of further declines if critical support is invalidated; however, a move above $0.7000 could invalidate the bearish outlook.
Multiple U.S. states have ordered GS Partners to cease operations due to accusations of defrauding investors in various crypto schemes, including tokenized assets and metaverse property, with regulators stating that the company made misleading claims and sold unqualified securities.
Bitcoin's price experienced a sharp decline, dropping 5% to under $36,000 after a surge to almost $38,000 triggered sell orders and liquidations of leveraged long positions, resulting in approximately $340 million of liquidated positions; meanwhile, the SEC's delay in approving HashDex's spot BTC ETF application may further slow down the cryptocurrency market's momentum.
The potential approval of a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) would likely boost bitcoin prices further, according to Pantera Capital analysts, as an ETF would fundamentally change access to bitcoin and those without exposure would effectively be short. The analysts also noted that previous events such as the launch of bitcoin futures and the Coinbase public listing had no impact on real-world access to bitcoin.
Bitcoin firm Strike has expanded its services globally, allowing users in 36 countries (soon to be 65+) to buy bitcoin through the app, with a 3.9% fee, and partnering with Bitrefill for instant and nearly free purchases using the Lightning Network.
Police have discovered a secret cryptomining rig in a Polish court that potentially stole thousands of dollars worth of energy per month, prompting an investigation by the Internal Security Agency to determine the exact amount of electricity stolen. This incident is not unique, as public institutions have been targeted before for electricity theft by dishonest miners seeking to mine cryptocurrency.
Gas fees on Polygon's proof-of-stake chain soared to over $0.10 due to increased PRC-20 activity, but later dropped down to around 270 gwei, marking a significant increase in fees compared to the previous day. The surge in activity was primarily driven by the minting of the POLS token through the PRC-20 protocol.
Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, praised Solana for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to Ethereum, leading to a significant price rally for Solana's SOL token.
Crypto analytics firm Glassnode says that Bitcoin needs to maintain a key support level at $30,000 or else a significant sell-off could occur.
Decentralized finance oracle network Pyth is launching an airdrop of approximately 255 million PYTH tokens to eligible users and community members, with over 90,000 wallets able to claim tokens across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum and Solana. The airdrop will be open until February 18, and users can check their eligibility and token allocation on the network's airdrop check page, although residents of certain countries, such as the US and UK, will be ineligible to participate.
A man in Cary, North Carolina lost over $750,000 in a crypto investment scam after being contacted on LinkedIn, prompting him to warn others about the dangers of fraudulent investment opportunities.
Ripple's Head of Payments, Brendan Berry, stated that U.S. banks and financial institutions are embracing XRP for international payments following a court decision not classifying XRP as a security.
BlackRock's application for an ETH Spot ETF has led to shifts in ETH trading patterns and increased interest in Ethereum derivatives, potentially bringing mainstream institutional recognition and capital allocation to Ethereum and pushing the price toward $3,000.
Crypto analyst predicts that Avalanche (AVAX) may increase by over 30%, while Bitcoin (BTC) is expected to drop to $35,000, and Chainlink (LINK) may retest lower Fibonacci levels.
Three men in the New York metropolitan area are accused of stealing over $10 million from banks by converting the funds to cryptocurrency after posing as victims of fraudulent money transfers.
ZetaChain aims to bring Bitcoin into the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem by integrating it with its blockchain platform, allowing developers to deploy smart contracts on Bitcoin and enabling users to swap Bitcoin across different networks on decentralized exchange (DEX) Sushi.
Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader altcoin market corrected lower as the Securities and Exchange Commission signals a delay in approving spot BTC ETF applications and traders reevaluate their expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in early 2024.
FTX's collapse and financial fraud allegations have left The Bahamas grappling with the aftermath of its association with the cryptocurrency exchange, raising questions about the government's involvement and impact on the nation's economy.
Aave Companies, a decentralized finance group, has rebranded to Avara in order to expand its user base in the Web3 ecosystem and streamline its suite of infrastructure products.
Crypto app Strike has partnered with payment processing platform Checkout.com to allow users in more than 65 countries to buy Bitcoin directly with their debit card, addressing the challenge of moving between fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies. The goal is to become the leading global payment provider for Bitcoin.
With the upcoming bitcoin halving in April and the potential approval of a bitcoin spot ETF, investors are considering how to position their portfolios to maximize gains from the expected surge in price.
Next week, decentralized finance (DeFi) users will receive an airdrop of 255 million tokens from Pyth, a pricing oracles network that competes with Chainlink, with the tokens being issued to 90,000 wallets.
On-chain tracking of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency transactions helps protect investors and improve adoption by providing a fully traceable audit trail that allows for the tracking of relationships between addresses, wallets, and entities.
JP Morgan's use of the Avalanche blockchain to tokenize portfolios has sparked a surge in the AVAX token's value, leading the rally of the top 20 coins and tokens and trading just under $23.
Sushi, a DeFi platform, is expanding to ZetaChain to enable native bitcoin support, introducing the first native bitcoin trading in DeFi and allowing users to swap the largest cryptocurrency across multiple networks without wrapping.
Bitcoin's price is predicted to continue experiencing downside volatility, with a deeper correction likely, as the market remains susceptible to pullbacks.
Investors are hopeful that regulatory approval of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) linked to Bitcoin will attract more people to invest in cryptocurrencies, potentially bringing a wave of money into the industry.
The overall crypto market cap could potentially increase by 6-7 times this cycle, reaching $8-$10 trillion, leading to the rise of systematic and factor-based trading strategies, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jamie Coutts.
South Korea's National Pension Service, the world's third-largest pension fund, has purchased $19.9 million worth of shares in Coinbase, marking the fund's first-ever investment in a crypto-related security.
Taproot Wizards, a Bitcoin-focused Ordinals project, has raised $7.5 million to change the perception of the blockchain and bring innovation back to Bitcoin by rebuilding its "wizard village" and introducing a new way of being a Bitcoiner.
The latest expansion of the game Aurory, called Seekers of Tokane, introduces "roguelike" role-playing gameplay and is set to launch on the Epic Games Store, offering unlimited exploration and battles with magical creatures in a procedurally generated world.