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Bitcoin rises, but is still below US$70,000

FinCrypt Staff

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Bitcoin rises, but is still below US$70,000

Key Takeaways

  • The price of bitcoin fell last week ahead of inflation and Federal Reserve news, but has not recovered as much as other risk assets.
  • US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden continue to show that encryption is a notable election issue.
  • Terraform Labs has agreed to a $4.5 billion settlement with the SEC.
  • Binance founder Changepeng Zhao was considered one of the 25 richest people in the world.
  • This week, crypto analysts are closely watching the price of bitcoin to see if the recent volatility is over.

The past week has been a wild ride for the price of bitcoin (Bitcoin).

The price of bitcoin fell below $67,000 on Tuesday ahead of May inflation data and the Federal Reserve meeting. Bitcoin regained some ground on Wednesday before falling again on Friday. While other risk assets such as stocks have rallied on cooler-than-expected inflation data, bitcoin has failed to recoup losses.

Despite bitcoin’s performance last week, crypto is having a moment in the US presidential election campaign. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump met with bitcoin miners last week and a leaked email showed that members of President Joe Biden’s administration will meet with members of the crypto community.

Elsewhere, Terraform Labs agreed to a massive $4.5 billion deal with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) About 2022 TerraUSD stablecoin debacleand an investigative report concluded that Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is one of the 25 richest people in the world.

Growth of Crypto as a US Presidential Election Issue

Former President Donald Trump has changed his stance on cryptocurrencies during the current election cycle, now actively courting the crypto community to gain an edge over rivals Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

After meeting with bitcoin miners at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump urged cryptocurrency enthusiasts on his Truth Social platform to “vote for Trump,” positioning himself as a defender against what he calls “hate from Biden to Bitcoin.”

This new approach follows Trump’s previous strong criticism of cryptocurrencies during his presidency, where he labeled them as highly volatile and unregulated assets that facilitate illegal activities. Now, however, the Trump campaign has announced plans to accept cryptocurrency donations, with the aim of mobilizing a “crypto army” to ensure his electoral victory.

On the other side of the aisle, the Biden administration’s approach to Bitcoin and crypto has been criticized, especially with a recent veto on legislation supporting the custody of cryptocurrencies by financial institutions and proposed taxes in Bitcoin mining. According to a report from The Block, Biden is also expected to start accepting campaign contributions via cryptography.

People on Biden’s side will participate in a roundtable discussion on Bitcoin and blockchain next month, according to Bitcoin Magazine.

Terraform Labs Agrees to $4.5 Billion SEC Settlement

Last Wednesday, a court filing revealed that Terraform Labs consented to a nearly $4.5 billion settlement to resolve an SEC lawsuit. The filing asked for court approval of the deal, which would end a legal battle over the company’s role in the dramatic failure of TerraUSD in May 2022, which led to an estimated $40 billion loss for investors.

The settlement comprises about $3.5 billion in restitution, more than $460 million in prejudgment interest and $420 million as a civil penalty. Former CEO Do Kwon will also personally contribute more than $200 million to Terraform’s bankruptcy estate and is barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company.

This agreement, originally reached before a hearing on May 29, aims to impose substantial financial remedies and facilitate rapid recovery for investors. The SEC highlighted that these penalties are intended to prevent future fraudulent activities in the cryptocurrency market. Terraform Labs declared bankruptcy earlier this year, shortly before his SEC trial, where he was found guilty of defrauding investors.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is estimated to be the 24th richest person in the world

Since his arrest, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has seen a significant increase in his net worth.

Forbes now estimates that Zhao’s fortune is $61 billion, making him the 24th richest person in the world.

This increase comes from its 90% stake in Binance, valued at US$33 billion. Zhao stepped down as the company’s CEO in November 2023 as a result of a judicial agreement with the US Department of Justice. Despite the company’s legal challenges and a $4.3 billion fine, Zhao’s personal financial impact was limited to a $50 million fine. Since then, Binance has continued to grow, with its market share rising from 38% to 42% before Zhao’s departure.

A big boost to Zhao’s wealth comes from his holdings in Binance Coin (BNB). Forbes estimates that he owns around 94 million tokens, which represents 64% of all BNB tokens. Despite Binance’s legal troubles, BNB rose 100% in 2024, reaching a market cap of $110 billion.

Binance’s 2017 initial coin offering was undersubscribed and forensic analysis indicates that Zhao and Binance retained a significant portion of the unsold tokens. BNB currently trades heavily on the Binance platform, and the token’s performance has continued to add billions to Zhao’s net worth even as he serves his sentence.

What to expect from the markets this week

All eyes are on the price of bitcoin this week as digital asset investment products, which include US-based bitcoin ETFs, have experienced more than $600 million in outflows amid the bitcoin price crash in last week, according to CoinShares.

Despite the price drop, the notorious bitcoin bulls on MicroStrategy (MSTR) announced another $500 million convertible note offering for the purpose of buying more bitcoin before upgrading the offering to $700 million later in the week.

Although bitcoin has traded in a relatively narrow range this month, the crypto asset has been outperformed by several bitcoin mining stocks, as noted by a JPMorgan report. This is believed to be a response to Core Scientific (CORZ) deal with CoreWeave related to artificial intelligence.

SEC approval of spot ether ETFs also now appears to be a question of “when” rather than “if.” SEC Chairman Gary Gensler indicated at a Senate hearing last week that the matter will be resolved over the summer. Furthermore, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas gives a 50% chance that approval will occur by July 2. Prediction Market Polymarket puts the odds of trading a spot ether ETF by July 4th at 75%.

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We are the editorial team of FinCrypt, where seriousness meets clarity in cryptocurrency analysis. With a robust team of finance and blockchain technology experts, we are dedicated to meticulously exploring complex crypto markets with detailed assessments and an unbiased approach. Our mission is to democratize access to knowledge of emerging financial technologies, ensuring they are understandable and accessible to all. In every article on FinCrypt, we strive to provide content that not only educates, but also empowers our readers, facilitating their integration into the financial digital age.

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Markets

Crypto Markets Rebound as Spot Bitcoin ETFs Attract Massive Inflows

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Crypto Markets Rebound Ahead of Early Ethereum ETF Approval

This week saw $722 million worth of Bitcoin spot ETF inflows, including the largest daily inflow in a month.

Cryptocurrency markets rallied on Wednesday, driven by inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The price of Bitcoin (BTC) is up 3% over the past 24 hours to last change hands at $65,200, according to CoinGecko. Ethereum (ETH) is up 2% and is trading at $3,471. Solana (SUN) and Polkadot (POINT) increased by 4%.

Bitcoin spot ETFs saw $422 million in daily inflows on Tuesday, the highest in the past 30 days, according to Far side data, . The all-time record for a single day was $1.05 billion on March 12.

Among Tuesday’s top contributors, BlackRock’s IBIT led with $260 million in inflows, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC with $61 million. This week has already seen more than $722 million in inflows.

Among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap, Worldcoin (WLD) led with a 28% increase, followed by Helium (HNT) with 20% and Lido DAO (LDO) with 15%.

Worldcoin, a decentralized identity project led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, announced is extending the lockups for early investors and team members. This means that tokens will be gradually released through 2029, instead of the original 2027 plan. Token unlocks are generally seen as a negative because they increase supply and early investors can sell their tokens for profit.

Meanwhile, XRP, the token of the XRP Ledger network, jumped 8% after the CME and CF benchmarks introduced new indices and reference rates for XRP.

U.S. stocks faced a downturn on Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 1%, while the Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average both fell 2%.

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Altcoins on the cusp of a major breakout – WLD, AR, and INJ prices could surge by 20% in the coming days

FinCrypt Staff

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Altcoins on the cusp of a major breakout – WLD, AR, and INJ prices could surge by 20% in the coming days

Crypto markets appear to have been taken over by the bulls as major tokens have surged above their crucial resistance zone. Bitcoin surged above $65,000 while Ethereum was above $3,500, and XRP, which had remained passive for quite some time, surged over 40% in the past few days to hit $0.6. The uptrend has been captured in most altcoins, with Worldcoin (WLD), Arweave (AR), and Injective (INJ) leading the rally. Here’s what to expect for these tokens in the coming days.

Worldcoin (WLD) Price Analysis

O Worldcoin Price has been trading inside a descending wedge since it marked a new ATH near $12 in the final days of Q1 2024. The recent price action helped the price break out of the upper resistance of the wedge, breaking above the crucial resistance zone between $2.21 and $2.39. Market sentiments have changed, but technicals suggest that the bulls may remain passive for a while, which could offer some room for a bearish pullback.

The price broke out of the wedge with a significant increase in volume, but the current volume suggests that the bulls have taken a step back. Meanwhile, the RSI is about to reach the upper boundary, which could attract bearish forces. Additionally, the DMI has undergone a bullish crossover, but the decline in the ADX suggests that the rally may remain consolidated above the gains. Therefore, the WLD price is expected to maintain a horizontal consolidation between $3 and $3.3 and trigger a fresh rally to $4.4 during the next bullish rally.

Arweave (AR) Price Analysis

Arweave formed a strong base around $25, which helped the rally trigger a recovery during the bearish attack. Mt. Gox and German terror forced the price to fall below $20. However, the recent price action has brought the altcoin within the bullish range and raised expectations of maintaining a decent uptrend for a few more days.

AR price has hit one of the major resistances around $30 to $31.5, which could act as a strong base once overcome. The buying volume is slowly increasing, which could keep the bullish hopes for the rally high. Moreover, the supertrend has just flashed a buy signal, indicating a clean reversal of the trend. Therefore, AR price seems primed to maintain a healthy uptrend and rally above $40. However, if the bulls maintain a similar trend, making new highs above $50 may not be a tedious task for the bulls.

Price Analysis of Injective (INJ)

Injective price has been showing sharp strength since the beginning of the year and hence, the recent turnaround is expected to revive a good uptrend going forward. The bears engulfed the rally to a large extent, but the recent price action suggests that the bulls have regained their dominance. Therefore, INJ price is expected to maintain a strong uptrend with a bearish interference on the way down.

INJ price has surged above the lower support zone and has registered consecutive bullish candles. Although the volume is below the required levels, the OBV is maintaining a sharp uptrend. Furthermore, the Ichimoku cloud lead span B is heading towards the lead span A and a healthy crossover indicates the start of a new uptrend. However, INJ price may be out of the bears’ reach once it secures the resistance zone between $30.77 and $32.12, which seems to be on the horizon.

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Ethereum at $3.5K, Exchange Supply Hits 34-Month High

FinCrypt Staff

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Ethereum at $3.5K, Exchange Supply Hits 34-Month High

Ethereum (ETH) supply on exchanges has hit a 34-month high as the asset’s price surpassed the $3,500 mark.

ETH has risen 2.3% over the past 24 hours and is trading at $3,490 at the time of writing. The second-largest cryptocurrency — with a market cap of $419 billion — briefly touched an intraday high of $3,517 earlier today.

ETH Price, Whale Activity, RSI, and Exchange Supply – July 17 | Source: Santiment

Ethereum’s daily trading volume also increased by 7.6% to reach $19.8 billion.

According to data provided by Santiment, the supply of Ethereum on exchanges has reached $19.52 million ETH. This level was last seen in September 2021, when the asset was trading around the same price.

On the other hand, data from the market intelligence platform shows that the number of whale transactions has fallen by 12% in the last day — falling from 8,730 to 7,629 unique transactions per day.

The move shows that the supply of Ethereum on exchanges has been increasing with small deposits rather than large transactions from whales.

Additionally, the ETH Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently hovering at the 60-mark, per Santiment. The indicator shows that Ethereum is slightly overbought at this price point, but it may not be in a critical position due to its large market cap.

One of the main drivers of Ethereum price increase is ETH spot expectations ETFs in the US Investment products are scheduled to start trading on July 23rd.

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Bits + Beeps: How to Play the ‘Trump Trade’ in Cryptocurrencies After the Assassination Attempt

FinCrypt Staff

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Bits + Bips: How to Play the ‘Trump Trade’ in Crypto After the Assassination Attempt

Also, how much will the Fed cut rates (and when)? What will be the inflows into ETH ETFs? And what is the near future for Bitcoin?

Posted on July 17, 2024 at 12:00 PM EST.

Listen to the episode at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Capsules, Source, Podcast Addict, Pocket molds, Amazon Musicor on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of Bits + Bips, hosts James Seyffart, Alex Kruger and Joe McCann, joined by guest Jack Platts, dive into the market reaction to the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, analyzing how this event will influence the 2024 US presidential election and the cryptocurrency markets.

They also cover potential rate cuts: Could there be a cut in July? How big could the September rate cut be? Could the decision be influenced by the upcoming election?

They also give their predictions on what percentage of BTC ETF inflows the ETH ETFs will reach, and James talks about what he expects for Grayscale’s ETHE (hint: his outlook would be positive for ETH).

Finally, they delve into what’s next for Bitcoin as the German government runs out of BTC and Mt. Gox distributions begin. Just now?

Program Highlights:

  • Whether Trump’s shooting decided the election and whether the event caused a “flight to safety”
  • How election markets are becoming a place to watch election probabilities and whether cryptocurrencies “lean right”
  • Whether rate cuts will occur in July or September and by how much they will cut: 25 bps or 50 bps
  • How Joe sees the relationship between global liquidity cycles, rate cuts, and the potential rise of Bitcoin
  • What are the new updates about Ethereum ETFs and their expected launch?
  • Why Solana Hasn’t Performed Significantly Better Since Trump News
  • What Market Breadth Indicates About the Current Market Rally and the Impact of Rates on Small Caps
  • Everyone’s predictions on ETH ETF inflows and how much outflow we’ll see on Grayscale’s ETHE
  • What’s Next for BTC After German Government Exits Bitcoin and Mt. Gox Giveaways Starting This Week

Hosts:

Guest:

  • Jack PlattsCo-Founder and Managing Partner of Hypersphere Ventures

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