Join Nick and Simon as they preview the election in the final hours before voting, discuss Bitcoin’s strength challenging news highs and the impact of more MicroStrategy buying.Key Takeaways Bitcoin fails to break through to a new all-time high.Bitcoin is showing strength with ETF flows, open interest and dominance all approaching highs.Solana continues to stand up as Ethereum struggles.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down payments giant Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge, a stablecoin company. They also talk about Goatseus Maximum (GOAT), Truth Terminal, certain Solana metrics hitting all-time highs, and more.Key Takeaways The crypto market slid last week as all eyes remain on the U.S. presidential election. Solana (SOL) was one of the few exceptions to record a weekly gain. Stripe's acquisition of stablecoin company Bridge will be looked back on as one of the highlights of 2024. Not only does it help legitimise the crypto industry, it should help accelerate stablecoin growth.Kraken announced Ink, an Ethereum L2 built on Optimism’s OP Stack. It is expected to go live in early 2025.Among the other altcoin updates covered: growth in Solana’s metrics and Maker’s disappointing rebrand.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss Bitcoin's recent surge and Stripe's alleged $1.1B  acquisition of stablecoin company Bridge. They also cover a16z's annual report on the state of crypto, the disappointing launch of World Liberty Financial (WLFI), and more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) hit a three-month high of $69,400 and BTC dominance climbed to its highest level since March 2021 of 58.5%. This latest rally comes as several other traditional assets are posting all-time highs.Payments giant Stripe reportedly acquired stablecoin company Bridge in a $1.1B deal. If true, the acquisition would be the largest in the crypto industry’s history and should fuel further stablecoin growth.a16z crypto published its annual report on the state of crypto, highlighting stablecoin adoption, rising levels of onchain activity, and more.Among the altcoin updates covered: Arbitrum lost its long-held lead as the top Ethereum L2 by total value locked (TVL) and World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token sale disappoints despite its affiliation with Donald Trump and his three sons.

Join Nick and Simon as they cover Trump-linked World Liberty Financial's massive token sale, Uniswap dropping its Ethereum L2, Unichain, memecoin promoter Murad Mahmudov getting doxxed after his viral ‘memecoin supercycle' presentation and a new crypto game attracts attention from web2 gamers.Key Takeaways Donald Trump’s affiliated cryptocurrency, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), will hold a token sale this week to raise $300M at a valuation of $1.5B.Uniswap, the largest DeFi application, announced Ethereum L2 called Unichain.‘Off The Grid’ debuted to strong interest on the Epic Games Store, making it one of the most successful first-day launches of a crypto game.Memecoin promoter Murad Mahmudov has risen to fame after his viral ‘memecoin supercycle’ presentation, causing onchain sleuths to dox his wallets.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss the latest developments in the crypto market, Bitcoin’s resilience amid market uncertainty, Swift pushing further into crypto, the ongoing legal battle between the SEC and Ripple Labs, and more. They also discuss one of the biggest insider secrets after a week to forget for EigenLayer (EIGEN) and Celestia (TIA).Key Takeaways Crypto encountered increased volatility as uncertainty in the Middle East rose. The market has since rebounded but is ultimately still trading rangebound, with Bitcoin (BTC) now in its eighth straight month between $54K and $72K.ANZ became Australia’s first bank to join Project Guardian, an initiative steered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Watch out for Chainlink’s SmartCon later this month, where other banks and financial institutions may share announcements.Sui (SUI) continues to grow strongly in terms of total value locked (TVL) as more market participants look to take advantage of incentives. It’s clear that Sui has been one of the strongest-performing blockchains of 2024.Celestia (TIA) and EigenLayer (EIGEN) were involved in controversy after awareness spread of people selling their staking rewards, despite them having locked tokens. While TIA and EIGEN were arguably singled out, given this has been happening for years, it what ultimately a good thing that this news surfaced.Among the other altcoin updates covered: Bitwise’s spot XRP ETF application and Sui’s native Ethereum bridge.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss how Bitcoin put in its strongest September in over a decade. They also cover U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ first comments about blockchain; crypto announcements from Visa and PayPal; altcoins; and more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) put in its strongest September in over a decade. We now enter Q4, which is BTC’s best quarter based on past performance.BNY Mellon, the world’s largest custody bank, received approval from the U.S. SEC to custody the spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. It was also granted an exemption from SAB 121, essentially making it commercially viable for BNY Mellon to start offering crypto custody services.U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said she wants the country to “remain dominant” in blockchain and other emerging technologies. While it is somewhat encouraging to see Harris finally mentioning crypto, we still lack any clear details about her crypto policies would be if she wins November’s election.PayPal and Visa each announced their latest crypto offering, a promising sign for adoption.While FTX distributions are likely to start in Q4, the process will likely extend into 2025. This story is not as bullish as many are making it out to be.Among the altcoin updates covered: Celestia’s $100M funding round, EigenLayer’s EIGEN token becomes transferable, and Ethena’s new stablecoin tied to BlackRock’s BUIDL fund.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down Token2049 and Solana Breakpoint 2024, two of the largest crypto conferences of the year. They also discuss the latest with World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the upcoming crypto project associated with Donald Trump and the Trump family.Key Takeaways The U.S. central bank cut rates for the first time in more than three years. Further cuts are expected by year-end and throughout 2025, ideal conditions for risk-on assets such as crypto.Donald Trump and other Trump family members shared limited information about World Liberty Financial and its WLFI token.Token2049 was likely the largest crypto conference to date. Key themes included DePIN and Crypto x AI.Solana Breakpoint was an overwhelming success. It featured Firedancer development updates, multiple project announcements, and more. Next year’s will be in Abu Dhabi from December 11–13.Among the altcoin updates covered: USDC stablecoin arrives on Sui and Maker officially rebrands to Sky.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down Trump’s new crypto project, World Liberty Financial, and Japan’s largest energy company expanding into Bitcoin mining. They also discuss certain altcoin updates related to Solana, EigenLayer, Ethereum Name Service, and more.Key Takeaways Crypto prices have rebounded, led by BTC. Notably, the ETH/BTC pair hit its lowest level since April 2021.World Liberty Financial, the upcoming DeFi project tied to the Trump family, is gearing up for launch. More details to come this week when Donald Trump appears on an X Space.A subcommittee of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee gathered for a 90-minute hearing devoted to DeFi for the first time. More crypto hearings will take place before the end of the month.Japan continues to adopt crypto and blockchain technology, with recent news highlighted by the country’s largest energy company announcing that it had started mining BTC with excess energy.Coinbase’s launch of cbBTC, a wrapped BTC token, may spur additional growth in the Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem.Among the altcoin updates covered: Solana Breakpoint 2024; Chainlink SmartCon 2024; EIGEN stakedrop; and ENS integrating into PayPal and Venmo.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the crypto market sell-off, the state of crypto regulations in the U.S., Wells Fargo’s potential Bitcoin ETF push, and more. They also discuss certain altcoin updates including Arbitrum Stylus and Polygon’s token migration.Key TakeawaysThe crypto market slid amid weakness in stock markets, with ETH temporarily hitting a year-to-date low under $2,200.Last week’s Bitcoin ETF flows totalled -$706M. Net outflows have now occurred for eight straight trading days.Wells Fargo reportedly plans to start actively pitching the spot Bitcoin ETFs to certain clients as of this month. Access to these ETFs should only keep improving over the coming months and years.Qatar announced a comprehensive framework for regulating crypto in a bid to attract global businesses.There are seven altcoin-specific conferences in the next seven weeks: Solana Breakpoint, Cardano Summit, Chainlink SmartCon, Ripple Swell, Stellar Meridian 2024, Cosmoverse, and Avalanche Summit LATAM.Among the altcoin updates covered: Arbitrum Stylus, MATIC to POL token migration, and Ripple USD (RLUSD).

Join Matt and Nick as they break down August’s market performance, stablecoin supply hitting all-time highs, and the market outlook for September. They also discuss certain altcoins updates including outages for the TON blockchain and MakerDAO’s rebrand.Key Takeaways August was a rough month for crypto—led by BTC (-8.7%), ETH (-22.3%) and SOL (-21.1%)—while major U.S. stock indices managed to record their fourth straight monthly gain.Seasonality indicates that it will be more of the same in September, given it has historically been one of BTC’s worst months.Stablecoin supply hit all-time highs, indicating increased demand to use blockchains.Among the altcoin updates covered: TON struggles with network performance and MakerDAO rebrands to Sky.

Join Matt and Nick as they cover the Federal Reserve's plan to cut rates, the arrest of Telegram’s co-founder and what it means for TON, Marathon becoming a new buyer of Bitcoin (BTC), and more.Key TakeawaysCrypto rallied after the U.S. central bank all but confirmed it’d cut rates in September. It remains unclear whether the cuts will be 25 basis points or 50 basis points.Telegram’s co-founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, was reportedly arrested by French authorities, crashing the price of TON. While Telegram has not been involved in TON for a few years, the market still treats TON as if it is Telegram’s cryptocurrency. This is unlikely to change any time soon. Therefore, events related to Durov may affect price in the short term.September will feature a number of key events, including the first presidential debate between Trump and Harris (Sep. 10) and the Fed’s rate cut (Sep. 18).Among the altcoin updates covered: Solana ETF application setback and ARB staking vote goes live.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down crypto’s chaotic week. They also discuss Ethereum vs Solana, the Ethereum ETFs, the SEC vs Ripple Labs court ruling, and more.Key Takeaways The market bounced strongly off last week’s lows of less than $50,000 for BTC. For now, it appears the technical reasons for the flash crash have passed.Kamala Harris overtook Donald Trump in U.S. election prediction markets for the first time. This likely contributed to last week’s sell-off, given that a would-be Trump win would likely bolster risk assets.Solana is catching Ethereum across a number of key adoption metrics. There is a strong argument that both can do well in the long term.Among the altcoin updates covered: XRP soars after SEC vs Ripple Labs judgment and Arbitrum to be used by Franklin Templeton.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down why Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market have sold off heavily, exploring potential reasons such as growing recessionary fears, changing election odds, and the strengthening Japanese yen.Key Takeaways Crypto prices have tumbled amid broader selling of risk-off assets caused by several reasons.These reasons include growing fears of a U.S. recession, a tightening of the election race, and heightened uncertainty surrounding Japan’s economy.Among the altcoin updates covered: Avalanche used by the Californian DMV and Lido’s institutional offering.

Join Matt and Nick as they cover Donald Trump’s speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference, the launch of the Ethereum ETF launch in the U.S., and plenty more in what was one of the most important weeks for crypto so far this year.Key TakeawaysBTC and SOL continued climbing while ETH underperformed yet again. Notably, this price action unfolded despite stock markets around the world putting in another week to forget.The spot Ethereum ETFs went live in the U.S. and has $342M of net outflows after three days of trading. This was mainly due to holders selling Grayscale’s ETHE, which was expected. Once ETHE outflows subside, assessing the level of demand for these ETFs will get easier.U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said that, if elected, his administration would make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet” and “keep 100% of all the bitcoin the U.S. government currently holds or acquires into the future.” He also promised to remove SEC Chair Gary Gensler.Trump headlined a particularly eventful Bitcoin 2024 conference, which featured several announcements, including Senator Cynthia Lummis introducing a bill for the U.S. to buy one million BTC.Among the altcoin updates covered: Jito’s expansion into Solana restaking and Aave’s push to drive more value to the AAVE token.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the strong bounceback in crypto prices after a week that involved BlackRock CEO Larry Fink touting Bitcoin, Trump naming a pro-crypto vice presidential nominee, and more. They also preview a week that is likely to feature the launch of spot Ethereum ETFs in the U.S. and presidential candidate Donald Trump speaking at the world’s largest Bitcoin conference.Key TakeawaysBTC, ETH and SOL all hit their highest prices in at least five weeks. Notably, this coincided with stock markets suffering one of their worst weeks of the year.BlackRock CEO Larry Fink shared his bull case for BTC. Given his power and influence, it’s hard to understate how significant it is to now have Fink flying the flag for Bitcoin.The spot Ethereum ETFs are widely expected to launch this week in the U.S. Don’t expect ‘the Grayscale factor’ to be as relevant as when the Bitcoin ETFs launched in January.It is extremely difficult to predict the initial level of demand for these ETFs. However, it does feel as though the market is not pricing in a rather tempered launch. If this is true, the ETFs would have to seriously flop in order for ETH’s price to fall.The Mt. Gox trustees started sending BTC to exchanges, who will then distribute it to individual creditors. Within the next few months, expect the vast majority of these redistributions to have been completed.U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump will speak at Bitcoin 2024, the world’s largest conference on all things Bitcoin.Among the altcoin updates covered: Polygon’s upcoming token migration and Grayscale’s decentralised AI fund.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss why crypto prices rallied after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. They also break down Germany’s heavy selling of nearly 50,000 Bitcoin; upcoming cash payments to some FTX creditors; Ethereum ETFs; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways Cryptocurrency prices rallied after the attempted assassination of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. In the hours after this event, Trump’s odds of winning November’s election jumped from 60% to 70%, according to Polymarket.Speaking of Trump, last week he was confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin’s largest annual conference, Bitcoin 2024. His 30-minute speech is scheduled for 2pm CT (7pm UTC) on July 27. This event will likely generate plenty of mainstream attention for crypto.The German government seemingly finished selling its stash of nearly 50,000 BTC it seized in late January. While it’s unknown how much BTC was actually sold—and how much is left to be sold—the market will likely stop caring about this story.Certain FTX creditors are set to receive $12B–$16B later this year. While this will create some short-term buy pressure, it’s unrealistic to expect all of this to go straight back into the crypto market.Among the altcoin updates covered: Solana’s progress on ‘Firedancer’ client and Starknet’s proposal to add a staking functionality to STRK.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss the crypto market sell-off; Mt. Gox starting to redistribute Bitcoin; Germany selling more Bitcoin; Circle becoming the first compliant stablecoin issuer in the EU; Ethereum ETFs; key altcoins updates; and more.Key Takeaways Defunct exchange Mt. Gox started redistributing a portion of the ~142,000 BTC it owes creditors. The deadline for its rehabilitation creditor repayments is Oct. 31, 2024.German and U.S. authorities continued to move BTC to exchanges, presumably to sell. It is unclear how much they intend to sell and over what time frame. Long term, these sales are meaningless.The spot Ethereum ETFs are still tracking to launch in July. While estimates of the combined net inflows of these ETFs vary greatly, the long-term effect is undoubtedly positive for ETH.USDC stablecoin issuer Circle became the first compliant stablecoin issuer under the EU’s new crypto laws.Among the altcoin updates covered: Solana’s sliding stablecoin transfers; Polkdaot’s exorbitant marketing costs; and Bittensor’s blockchain issues.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss the state of the market; Ethereum and Solana ETF updates; the SEC suing Consensys; the MegaETH funding round; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways Mt. Gox will start incrementally distributing its ~142,000 BTC to creditors this month. While some BTC will be instantly sold by recipients, the amount of sell pressure will likely not be as large as some may expect.Spot Ethereum ETFs are expected to go live slightly later than most expected. Still highly likely they launch in July.The SEC sued Consensys, alleging that it violated federal securities laws because some of its offerings are brokers of ‘crypto-asset securities’. In the lawsuit, the SEC alleged that Lido (LDO) and Rocket Pool (RPL) were securities, causing a sell-off.Among the altcoin updates covered: BLAST valuation opens at less than market expectations and Solana introduces blockchain links, or blinks.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss the SEC closing its investigation into the initial sales of ETH; Germany selling its large Bitcoin holdings; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways Prices have continued falling amid market conditions with very few new buyers. These types of pullbacks are consistent with all past crypto bull markets, and we still expect prices to be much higher by year-end.Consensys said the SEC "would not bring charges alleging that sales of ETH are securities transactions." A significant concession by the SEC, potentially reflecting a shift in positioning towards crypto.The German government has been selling some of its BTC holdings. It still owns slightly less than 47,000 BTC (≈$2.9B). If the sales continue, it may drive BTC’s price lower in the short term. Long term, these sales are meaningless.Among the altcoin updates covered: LayerZero’s controversial token launch, Lens’ migration to ZKsync, and Jupiter’s proposed token supply decrease.

Matt breaks down why cryptocurrency prices slid after the U.S. central bank’s big update. He also covers how Donald Trump and Joe Biden are warming to crypto; MicroStrategy’s latest capital raise; Bitcoin ETFs in Australia; and altcoin updates.Key Takeaways Cryptocurrency prices after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it now anticipates just one rate cut in 2024, down from the three cuts estimated in March.Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden continue to up their engagement with the crypto industry, a promising development given both have historically opposed crypto. However, time will tell whether it lead to any favourable outcomes after November’s election.Australia’s largest stock exchange, the ASX, approved its first spot Bitcoin ETF. This milestone should bring greater credibility to Bitcoin and crypto more broadly.Among the altcoin updates covered: Lido’s involvement with Symbiotic and Mellow Finance, and Polygon and Arbitrum announce well-funded growth initiatives.

Matt breaks down why Bitcoin’s price is not surging despite there being such strong ETF demand. He also covers the big week ahead for macro, Coinbase Smart Wallet, continued institutional adoption, and altcoin updates.Key Takeaways Spot Bitcoin ETF demand continued to surge, yet prices held steady. It is becoming increasingly evident that more hedge funds are buying these ETFs while shorting BTC on the futures market (i.e. executing a cash-and-carry trade).The big macro event to watch this week will be the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision (June 12). The U.S. CPI data release (June 12) will also be closely watched. If these are in line with expectations, a relief rally is highly likely.Coinbase announced its smart wallet in an effort to dramatically simplify onboarding, eliminate network fees, and remove recovery phrases.Among the altcoin updates covered: Arweave’s upcoming AO token, Optimism’s important upgrade, and airdrop details for ZKsync (ZK).

Matt breaks down the most important events in crypto from the past week. Topics include the Ethereum ETF, U.S. President Biden denying the crypto custody bill, celebrity memecoins and altcoin updates.Key Takeaways The Ethereum ETF applicants started submitting their S-1 filings to the U.S. SEC. Eric Balchunas, a senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, expects the ETFs to start trading in early July.  U.S. President Biden vetoed legislation that would have made it easier for banks to offer custody services for cryptocurrencies.Celebrities such as Caitlyn Jenner and Iggy Azalea launched their own cryptocurrencies on Solana. These are extremely risky and will likely lose relevance very soon.Among the altcoin updates covered: Arweave’s upcoming AO token, PayPal’s stablecoin launching on Solana, and Sei v2 preparing to go live

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the latest market uptick; the state of Wisconsin’s investing in Bitcoin ETFs; the U.S. Senate voting to override an anti-crypto rule; Solana vs Ethereum; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways The U.S. SEC shocked the market by approving all eight spot Ethereum ETF applications. No indication of when these ETFs will go live. The issuers still need to get their filings approved, which may take months.ETH rallied by more than 20% after news circulated that the SEC was all of a sudden likely to approve the ETFs.U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump doubled down on his support of crypto, pegging himself against the Biden administration. While it’s unclear whether Trump is simply just trying to win votes, it’s encouraging to see increased publicity surrounding crypto.Among the altcoin updates covered: Chainlink’s involvement in another asset-tokenisation pilot and Uniswap Labs’ response to the SEC’s Wells notice.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the latest market uptick; the state of Wisconsin’s investing in Bitcoin ETFs; the U.S. Senate voting to override an anti-crypto rule; Solana vs Ethereum; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways Cryptocurrencies traded higher following the latest U.S. CPI data coming in line with expectations.The U.S. Senate approved a rule change that would make it easier for banks to offer crypto-custody services. However, President Joe Biden said he would not be signing off on this.Nearly 1,000 entities reported owning spot Bitcoin ETFs as of the end of March. Worth noting, however, the vast majority of these are likely not holding for investment purposes.The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) was one that reported owning roughly $160M worth of these ETFs for investment purposes. This is very bullish and may prompt other state pensions to follow Wisconsin’s lead.Solana overtook Ethereum mainnet in terms of daily economic value (i.e. transaction fees plus MEV) for the first time. Yet another sign that Solana should not be overlooked.The SEC must approve or deny two spot Ethereum applications by the end of this week. A denial is widely anticipated. If this happens, the SEC’s rationale will be a must-follow, as will any public statements from the relevant applicants (i.e. VanEck, Ark Invest and 21Shares).Among the altcoin updates covered: news regarding zkSync and Blast’s airdrops; and Syntetix’s sUSD losing its peg.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down this week’s key market event; the spot Ethereum ETF applications; the SEC’s potential lawsuit against Robinhood; Donald Trump’s pro-crypto speech; memecoin prices soaring; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways The market continues to trade sideways ahead of this week’s inflation data in the U.S. Consensus forecast is 3.4%, which would be slightly lower than the 3.5% recorded last month.The SEC flagged its intent to sue Robinhood in relation to its crypto offerings. Unlike previously, Robinhood plans to defend a would-be lawsuit.Bitcoin ETFs saw net inflows for the first time in five weeks. A major asset manager in Boston was revealed to hold roughly $360M worth of bitcoin ETFs.The spot Ethereum ETF application is still widely expected to be denied. The SEC must approve or deny VanEck’s application by May 23.U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke positively about crypto, contrasting the views held by the Biden administration. Time will tell whether he is just trying to win votes.‘Roaring Kitty’, a key figure behind the ‘meme stock’ mania of 2021, posted on social media after a long hiatus. This caused memecoins to rally.Among the altcoin updates covered: Infinex announces 30-day campaign; EigenLayer opens token claim window; and Botanix Labs secures funding.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss the price volatility in the crypto market; the U.S. central bank’s latest rate decision; the prison sentencing of Binance’s co-founder; weakening demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs; EigenLayer controversy; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways The crypto market slid further, with BTC declining to as low as $56,500 for the first time since late January. Standard correction as far as crypto bull markets go.The U.S. central bank’s policy update was largely in line with market expectations. The likelihood of a rate cut by September increased on the back of weaker-than-expected jobs data on Friday.Binance’s co-founder and former CEO was sentenced to four months in prison. Risks associated with Binance have decreased significantly in the past year.Demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. continued to weaken. Accessibility to these ETFs should only increase in the months ahead.Among the altcoin updates covered: EigenLayer airdrop controversy; Telegram Open Network (TON) momentum; and Aave V4 plans.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the busy week ahead in the macro economy; Stripe’s return to crypto payments; Morgan Stanley bitcoin ETF rumours; altcoin updates; and more.Key Takeaways The crypto market continues to slide, with ETH a notable outperformer among the majors.This week’s policy update from the U.S. Federal Reserve will likely impact investor sentiment. Other macro factors to monitor are the U.S. Treasury’s refinancing announcement and the weakening Japanese yen.Major payment company Stripe announced it will once again support crypto payments. Support will initially be for the USDC stablecoin.Morgan Stanley is reportedly preparing to allow its 15,000 brokers to recommend that customers buy spot bitcoin ETFs on an unsolicited basis. Accessibility to these ETFs should only expand as the year continues and should increase demand for BTC.Among the altcoin updates covered: Hedera and BlackRock confusion; Jupiter Mobile Initiative; and Stacks rolling out long-awaited ‘Nakamoto’ upgrade.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the Bitcoin halving; the rollercoaster week for cryptocurrency prices; worsening sentiment towards altcoins; Hong Kong approving spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs; and more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) dominance rose to three-year highs amid what was one of the most volatile weeks for cryptocurrencies in recent memory.Bitcoin’s fourth halving came and went. There are now roughly 450 BTC being mined per day.Hong Kong approved the launch of spot ETFs for BTC and ETH. While Hong Kong’s ETF market is miniscule, relative to the U.S., these approvals help investors gain convenient exposure to BTC and ETH.Among the altcoin updates covered: Solana’s network update, Arbitrum BOLD and Jupiter’s LFG Launchpad (Round 2).

Join Matt and Nick as they explain the recent volatility in crypto markets; the Bitcoin halving; why SEC vs Uniswap Labs is among crypto’s most important legal battles to date; Ethereum’s next upgrade; and more.Key Takeaways The market experienced some of the highest volatility of this bull market so far, triggered by Iran’s attack on Israel. This volatile price action flushed out hundreds of millions of dollars in positions.The next Bitcoin halving is set for April 20. Very hard to predict which way prices will go in the days after the halving.Uniswap Labs said it received a Wells notice from the SEC, indicating that it will likely be sued in the coming weeks or months. Should the lawsuit be filed, it has the potential to be among the most important legal cases to date with regard to altcoins in general.Among the altcoin updates covered: Monad Labs’ monster investment round and EigenLayer’s mainnet release.

Join Matt and Nick as they discuss the U.S. government’s massive Bitcoin holdings, PayPal’s continued push into the stablecoin market, VanEck’s outlook for Ethereum L2 tokens, and more.Key Takeaways The crypto market fell slightly last week. Notably, BTC fell by less than major altcoins such as ETH and SOL.Speculation that the U.S. government will sell some BTC increased after onchain activity from connected addresses. The U.S. government holds roughly 200,000 BTC and has previously signalled its intent to sell over time.PayPal dramatically improved the accessibility of its PYUSD stablecoin and Ripple announced its upcoming expansion into the lucrative stablecoin market.VanEck published a report in which it predicted that the combined market cap of L2 tokens would hit $1T by 2030. Despite this, it remains “generally bearish” on the long-term value drivers of L2 tokens.Expect talks about ‘fee switches’ to increase in the weeks ahead, particularly in relation to Uniswap (UNI) and Aave (AAVE).The tokens for Ethena (ENA) and Wormhole (W) launched last week and initial airdrops were distributed.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down Bitcoin’s record price growth, Ethereum’s thriving L2 ecosystem, why this week may be the biggest yet for altcoins, and much more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) recorded its seventh consecutive monthly gain for the first time. Short-term consolidation would be unsurprising. Still expecting higher prices by year-end.FTX co-founder Sam-Bankman Fried was sentenced to 25 years for seven counts of conspiracy and fraud charges. This event should help the industry and asset class move on from the dark days of late 2022.Concerns over KuCoin arose after U.S. authorities charged the mid-tier exchange. While fears have been allayed somewhat, users should strongly consider withdrawing—at least while we wait for the dust to settle.Ethereum’s L2 ecosystem is thriving on the back of the ‘Dencun’ upgrade, with Base being the biggest beneficiary.This week may be the biggest yet for airdrops. Among the projects set to launch tokens are Wormhole (W), Ethena (ENA) and Zeus Network (ZEUS).

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the crypto market rebound and BlackRock’s historic Ethereum announcement. They also cover an Ethereum ETF update, Solana network issues, important altcoin updates, and more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded after the U.S. central bank’s policy update was not as bad as risk-seeking investors had feared. Three rate cuts of 25 basis points are still expected this year.BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, launched a tokenised fund on Ethereum in partnership with Securitize. Plans to do the same on other blockchains.The Ethereum Foundation reportedly received a confidential inquiry from an authority in the U.S. Hard to read into this too much with such little information.Among the altcoin updates covered: Stacks approves upcoming ‘Nakamoto’ upgrade, Solana’s UX issues and Optimism’s prover goes live on testnet.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down Bitcoin’s run to all-time highs of $73,600 and Solana breaking $200 for the first time since late 2021. They also cover Ethereum’s successful upgrade, another record day for Bitcoin ETFs, important altcoin updates, and more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) reached a fresh all-time high of $73,600 while Solana (SOL) surpassed $200 for the first time since late 2021. Matt is not looking to sell SOL any time soon.Ethereum’s ‘Dencun’ was successful, with fees falling dramatically on L2s. For example, it currently costs less than one cent to use Uniswap on Optimism.Stronger-than-expected demand for ETFs continued. Daily net inflows topped $1 billion for the first time on March 12.Among the altcoin updates covered: Arbitrum’s $400M gaming fund, Starbucks to sunset its Polygon NFT loyalty program and Avalanche’s memecoin fund.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down Bitcoin’s run to all-time highs, why ETF demand may just be getting started, Ethereum’s major upgrade, upcoming airdrops, and lots more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) hit record highs of $73,000 USD and Ethereum (ETH) hit $4,000 for the first time since late 2021.Net inflows for all the new bitcoin ETFs are nearing $10B. As stronger-than-expected demand continues, these products are still not as accessible as you may think. This should improve as the year progresses.Ethereum’s ‘Dencun’ upgrade is about to go live, slashing the cost of transacting on L2s such as Optimism and Arbitrum.Among the altcoin updates covered: Eclipse’s $50M raise, Wormhole’s token airdrop and Uniswap fee-sharing.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the price rally in the crypto market, Bitcoin ETF demand, signs of retail investors returning, memecoin mania, the ETHDenver conference and lots more.Key TakeawaysBitcoin (BTC) hit record highs against the Australian dollar and other major currencies. The USD-denominated all-time high of $69,000 is certainly within striking distance.Coinbase suffered an outage after its traffic increased by more than 10x. Combined with recent growth in its app downloads, this signals that more retail investors are returning to the crypto market.Memecoins, the market’s riskiest sector, have strongly outperformed in recent weeks. Expect just about every sector to have a period of outperformance in this bull market.The key themes from ETHDenver, one of Ethereum’s largest annual conferences, were restaking, crypto x AI, parallel EVMs and Bitcoin L2s.Among the altcoin updates covered: Arbitrum’s integration with the Robinhood Wallet app and Blast’s mainnet release.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down the ongoing crypto rally, soaring demand for Bitcoin ETFs, Reddit’s crypto investments, and why Uniswap’s fee proposal is such a big deal for the broader altcoin market.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) continues to rally, hitting a fresh two-year high of $56,700 early this week. Strong demand for ETFs is seemingly helping drive prices higher, with Monday seeing record daily volume ($2.4B) across the new nine ETFs.Ethereum (ETH) has returned to the spotlight as the ‘Dencun’ upgrade draws nearer and speculation over a potential spot ETF in the U.S. continues.Reddit revealed that it holds BTC and ETH as investments on its balance sheet and that it may buy more in the future.The Uniswap Foundation proposed to upgrade Uniswap’s fee mechanism so that UNI stakers and delegators can earn a portion of protocol fee revenue. It’s hard to understate the significance of this proposal and how it could affect the performance of the DeFi sector.Among the other altcoin updates covered: Ethena’s USDe controversy and Blast’s mainnet release.

Join Matt and Nick as they explain why the crypto market, led by Bitcoin and Ethereum, keeps soaring higher. They also cover the Ethereum ETF race, the importance of token unlocks, and more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) surpassed $52,000 for the first time since late 2021, while Ethereum (ETH) hit a 19-month high above $2,850.Demand for the new spot Bitcoin ETFs remains stronger than expected, and is likely a major reason for BTC’s strong price action.A bankruptcy judge approved fallen crypto lender Genesis to liquidate roughly $1.3B worth of GBTC as part of its efforts to reimburse creditors. Importantly, this potential sell pressure on BTC is not as bad as the news headlines lead on.The Starknet Foundation announced an airdrop for Starknet (STRK) in what was one of the most controversial and divisive airdrop announcements to date. Claims open February 20.

Join Matt and Nick as they break down Bitcoin’s rise to two-year highs and why all crypto investors should monitor Ethereum’s big upgrade in March. They also cover Solana’s outage, EigenLayer restaking mania, and more.Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) closed at its highest price since December 2021 as it nears $50,000. Strong demand for ETFs has likely been one of several reasons for this latest rally.Ethereum (ETH) is set to undergo its ‘Dencun’ upgrade on March 13. This will slash the cost of using L2s (e.g. Optimism, Arbitrum, Base).Solana (SOL) suffered a five-hour outage, its first in nearly a year. While sentiment was not materially damaged in this instance, it likely would be if Solana were to experience repeat outages over the coming weeks. (Read the post-mortem.)EigenLayer saw a near tripling in total value locked (TVL) after the restaking protocol lifted its deposit caps temporarily. TVL is now worth $6.1B.

Matt and Leon break down Bitcoin’s price growth, the controversial Jupiter token airdrop that made people several thousands of dollars, why Ethereum’s major ‘Dencun’ upgrade could come next month, and much more. Key TakeawaysBitcoin (BTC) finished January higher, posting its fifth straight monthly gain—a streak that hasn’t happened since late 2020. Don’t be surprised to see BTC trade sideways for a while.U.S. interest rates are no longer expected to fall in March after public comments from the Fed chair and stronger-than-expected economic data. Rate cuts are generally good for crypto.Jupiter (JUP) executed one of the largest-ever airdrops, with many early users receiving thousands of dollars worth of JUP. The launch mechanism was widely misunderstood and criticised. Matt and Leon both hold JUP.Ethereum’s upcoming major upgrade (‘Dencun’) was successfully deployed on a second testnet. Third and final testnet deployment is on February 7. If all goes well, a mainnet release date should be revealed next week. Will likely be mid to late March.

Join Matt and Nick as they cover why so many large Bitcoin holders are selling (e.g. U.S. government, Celsius, FTX) and when it will end. They also cover exciting altcoin updates that they looking forward to.Key TakeawaysThe U.S. government filed its intent to sell roughly $117M worth of BTC. Importantly, this is just a slither of its total BTC holdings worth roughly $9 billion, which will presumably be sold in time.This week, the U.S. Federal Reserve meets for the first time in 2024. No rate change is expected. Chair Jerome Powell’s post-meeting press conference will be a must-follow.A bug in a popular Ethereum execution client (i.e. Nethermind) sparked some concerns last week about client diversity, resulting in a push to improve Ethereum’s client diversity.The ‘Dencun’ upgrade will be deployed on the final two Ethereum testnets by February 7. If they go smoothly, expect a mainnet release date to be finalised and increased anticipation over the upgrade.The JUP airdrop is happening on January 31. This will be one of the biggest airdrops in 2024. Be extra mindful of attempted scams.

Matt, Nick, and Leon discuss whether the Bitcoin ETF launches were successful. They also share updates on Ethereum’s upcoming catalysts as well as various altcoins.Key Takeaways The recently launched Bitcoin ETFs already have nearly $30B in assets under management, surpassing the $11B held in silver ETFs.As expected, the SEC delayed a decision on Fidelity’s spot Ethereum ETF application. The dates to watch are May 23 and May 24 because the SEC must approve or deny two active applications.Testing of Ethereum’s upcoming ‘Dencun’ upgrade continued with some minor hiccups. While there is no official mainnet launch date yet, many expect Dencun in late March or early April.Jupiter confirmed its JUP token will launch on January 31. In a year that will feature many airdrops, JUP is one of the most highly anticipated.

Join Matt, Nick, and Leon as they dissect last week’s Bitcoin ETF approval, one of the most important milestones in Bitcoin’s 15-year existence. They also discuss a potential Ethereum ETF, upcoming airdrops, and more.Key Takeaways The U.S. securities regulator approved a spot bitcoin ETF, ending a decade of rejected applications.All ETFs started trading on Thursday. Too early to confidently assess investor demand. Expect anticipation to continue growing over a potential spot Ethereum ETF.BlackRock’s CEO spoke positively about asset tokenisation and a spot Ethereum ETF.Upcoming airdrops for Jupiter (JUP) and Dymension (DYM). Claim window for DYM ends on January 21.

Join Leon and Nick as we take a step back and review the year that was, diving into the lessons, surprises, wins and losses in what proved to be another action-packed year.Key Takeaways The SEC sets the last date for amendments to ETFs, with industry experts estimating a 90% approval rating.A significant year for crypto; SBF jailed, Bitcoin ETFs, BlackRock enters, Solana’s shifted narrative and Ethereum’s protocol upgrades. What surprised us; Bitcoin inscriptions, Coinbase with L2 Base, major sentiment changes and fierce competition for volume between CEXs & DEXes.What we got right; L2 tokenisation & adoption, Solana and appropriate portfolio management.What we got wrong; DeFi & stablecoins and artificial intelligence underwhelming Leon. What we learnt; Crypto development still takes a long time, banks continue to enter crypto & not using rational thought to analyse an irrational market. The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent.

The team discusses the latest Ledger security issue and whether they still trust the company’s hardware wallets. They also break down the U.S. central bank’s new outlook to cut rates multiple times in 2024—which should help cryptocurrency prices—and other key events from the past week.Key Takeaways Cryptocurrencies and other risk-on assets jumped on the news that the U.S. central bank expects to cut rates three times in 2024, more than previously expected.Ledger suffered a security breach impacting users of various dapps. The issue was fixed within an hour, with some users losing funds. Ledger’s internal security practices continue to attract criticism. Ultimately, the hardware wallet itself was unaffected by this news.Bitcoin ETFs continue to dominate the crypto news and market’s attention. We still expect the SEC to approve most or all spot ETF applications by January 10.Senator Elizabeth Warren’s anti-crypto bill continues to threaten the U.S. crypto industry. Monitoring this bill’s progress will be important for investors in 2024.

The team discusses why Bitcoin surpassed and is staying above 40k. They also discuss banks and their continued experimentation with crypto while Airdrop season on Solana is starting to heat up.Key Takeaways BTC surged above $44,000, its highest level in nearly 20 months.Catalysts include: Upcoming ETF denial or approval, diminishing supply on exchanges and a general consensus of BTC being accepted as a separate asset class.More major banks (Societe Generale and Nubank) announced further pushes into crypto, while the CEO of JPMorgan expressed his negative view of crypto once again.Airdrop season is kicking off, particularly in the Solana ecosystem after last week saw Jito (JTO) become one of the largest airdrops to date.

The team discusses Bitcoin reaching $40,000 while Michael Saylor adds more Bitcoin to his balance sheet. The team further delves into the Solana ecosystem with highly anticipated airdrops from Jupiter & Jito.Key Takeaways Bitcoin climbed to a 20-month high of $40,100 after confidence increased in a bitcoin ETF approval by Jan. 10, 2024.The cause of this increased confidence was the SEC submitting certain filings last week that effectively enables it to make a decision on all ETF applicants at once in early January.Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy bought an additional 16,130 BTC for $593M in November, bringing its holdings to 174,540 BTC. It may soon raise $750M to buy more BTC.Airdrop season is heating up in the Solana ecosystem. Last week, Jito announced its JTO token and Jupiter shared its website for checking eligibility for its upcoming JUP airdrop.

The team discusses Binance's $4.3 billion settlement and criminal charges, alongside Kraken's SEC lawsuit over unregistered securities. They also cover the Australian Tax Office's controversial crypto tax guidance and Blur's new Blast chain launch. Key Takeaways Binance settled with the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal authorities for $4.3 billion and pleaded guilty to various criminal charges.The SEC sued Kraken for failing to register its exchange. It also alleged 16 cryptocurrencies as being unregistered securities.The Australian Tax Office updated its non-binding guidance on the tax treatment of cryptocurrencies. This received backlash from several established industry participants.The team behind Blur announced Blast, a layer-two chain set to launch in February. This was one of the most significant project announcements of 2023 and will likely have various flow-on effects for certain altcoins.

The team discusses BlackRock and the recent ETF filing for spot Ethereum. They also discuss Disney, OKX's new Layer 2 and Tether wanting to mine Bitcoin.Key Takeaways Asset management giant BlackRock filed for a spot Ethereum ETF. Don’t expect any spot ETFs for other cryptocurrencies any time soon. Big banks JPMorgan and Apollo pleased with results of a proof-of-concept that used Avalanche, LayerZero, Axelar, and others.Disney licensed its IP to Dapper Labs, the team behind the Flow blockchain, to launch Disney Pinnacle platform.Major exchange OKX will soon launch X1, a layer-two blockchain built with Polygon CDK. Scheduled to launch in Q1 2024.Tether is reportedly expanding into Bitcoin mining. Targeting South America.Argentina officially has a new president, Javier Milei, and he is Bitcoin-friendly!