Bitcoin
Ether Stumbles After ETF Nod, Bitcoin Briefly Falls Below $68K
Key Takeaways
- Bitcoin and Ether fell on Tuesday after strong increases last week.
- Ether rose last week amid optimism over the SEC’s approval for a spot ether ETF.
- The regulator has set the stage for spot ether ETFs through a rule change that allows the listing of such products, but it could be months before a spot ether ETF is available for trading.
- The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that will provide more clarity and divide regulatory jurisdiction for cryptocurrencies. The project faces the Senate and does not have the support of President Joe Biden.
- Former US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his endorsement of crypto, claiming he will pardon the convicted founder of darknet marketplace Silk Road.
After brief but sharp price jumps last week, bitcoin (Bitcoin) and ether (ETH) fell on Tuesday.
Bitcoin briefly fell below $68,000 after trading above $70,000 early last week. Meanwhile, ether is up around 25% in 24 hours amid optimism surrounding the approval of spot ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs). However, the increase was short-term despite the regulatory green light for the product.
Other big news included increasing mentions of crypto by US presidential candidates as they seek to woo voters, a UK judge’s scathing opinion on why Craig Wright’s claim to be bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto doesn’t hold up, and a prison sentence for a former FTX executive.
Regulators Set the Stage for Spot Ether ETFs
On Thursday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) unexpectedly opened the way for spot ether ETF listing on US stock exchanges. Ether, the cryptocurrency that powers the Ethereum network, is the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, behind only Bitcoin.
Although the SEC’s decision marked a significant regulatory changethe listing of these ETFs by companies like BlackRock (BLACK), Grayscale and Fidelity could still be months away. Products must first receive approval for their S-1 Log Fileswhich could take until July or August, according to Galaxy Digital.
If they receive final approval, a key question is whether ether ETFs will generate demand similar to the historic launch of spot bitcoin ETFs in the US, which have racked up around $13.5 billion in inflows, according to Farside Investors .
While some are optimistic about new listings attracting institutional and retail investors, others remain cautious, noting that the Ether market is smaller and less recognized than Bitcoin. Furthermore, the lack of access to staking for the ETF held in ETF presents a notable limitation for investors.
House changes on crypto regulation bill
The crypto industry scored a significant victory in Washington last week when the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21).
The bill proposes to elevate the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as the primary overseer of digital assets, granting it sole authority over spot or spot markets for digital commodities, while the SEC would regulate digital assets with non-decentralized blockchains. . This clear division of regulatory responsibilities is what the crypto industry has long sought.
Despite the strong vote in the Chamber, by 279 votes to 136, the project faces a challenging path in the Senate, where approval is uncertain. President Joe Biden opposed FIT21, citing insufficient consumer and investor protections.
Former President Trump doubles down on crypto endorsement
In an attempt to appeal to libertarian voters and position himself as the pro-crypto candidate, Donald Trump called for a commutation of Ross Ulbrichtthe sentence. Ulbricht, the convicted operator of the Silk Road online marketplace, is serving a life sentence for running a platform where illegal drugs and other illicit items were purchased using bitcoin.
During a speech at the Libertarian party convention, Trump promised: “If you vote for me, on day one I will commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence. He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to take him home.”
This move reflects Trump’s strategy to broaden his support base ahead of his rematch with President Joe Biden in November, seeking to neutralize the threat from third-party candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Trump’s public embrace of crypto is a major departure from his previous comments when he defended his strong preference for the US dollar over bitcoin.
Judge rules Craig Wright is a fraud
According to WIRED, a UK Supreme Court judge ruled that the computer scientist Craig Wright lied extensively and committed large-scale forgeries in an attempt to prove that he was Satoshi Nakamoto.
In a detailed judgment published on May 20, Judge James Mellor concluded that Wright fabricated numerous documents to support his false claims and used the courts to perpetrate fraud.
“I am entirely convinced that Dr. Wright extensively and repeatedly lied to the Court,” Mellor wrote.
This ruling marks the end of a six-week trial initiated by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), which sought a declaration that Wright is not the creator of Bitcoin to prevent him from pursuing multiple lawsuits against Bitcoin developers and others. parties.
Despite Wright’s intention to appeal, his credibility was significantly damaged.
What to expect from the markets this week
Regulators and cryptocurrency market watchers will be keeping an eye on the fate of the FIT21 bill as it heads to the Senate.
Additionally, another former executive at the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX was convicted. The exchange’s Bahamian entity’s former co-CEO, Ryan Salame, received 90 months in prison for violations of campaign finance laws and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitter.
Tuesday also saw a big deal brewing. Bitcoin infrastructure company Riot Platforms (REBELLION) said it wants to acquire bitcoin mining company Bitfarms in a part-cash, part-stock deal. Riot’s tender offer is $2.30 per Bitfarm share, a 24% premium over the stock’s one-month volume-weighted average price on May 24, for a total equity value of $950 million . Riot already owns a 9.25% stake in Bitfarms and claims the deal would result in “the world’s largest publicly listed bitcoin mining company.”
Bitcoin
RIOT, MARA and CLSK shares at risk
Bitcoin (BTC) Mining stocks like Riot Platforms (RIOT), Marathon Digital (MARA) and CleanSpark (CLSK) retreated in pre-market trading as BTC retreated.
RIOT, MARA and CLSK all fell more than 2%, while other crypto-related stocks such as MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Coinbase (COIN) fell 1.5%.
Bitcoin sell-off continues
Crypto-linked stocks retreated as Bitcoin resumed its downtrend on Wednesday. After rising to $63,750 on Monday, BTC is hovering at $60,0000 and it is unclear whether it will recover.
More importantly, Bitcoin is dangerously close to the crucial support at $58,273, which is the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA). The next support level for Bitcoin is $56,426, representing its lowest level in May.
Bitcoin Price Chart
If Bitcoin drops below this price, it will be a sign that the bears have prevailed, which could take it to the $50,000 level, if not below.
This decline happened after a whale deposited nearly 2,000 Bitcoins to Binance in two separate transactions. While this isn’t always the case, deposits to exchanges often happen when holders are exiting their positions.
The whales’ action coincided with a period in which the German government continues to sell off its Bitcoin holdings. It transferred $52 million worth of coins to exchanges on Tuesday.
As a result, data from CoinGlass shows that the volume of Bitcoin balances on exchanges has started to increase. The volume rose to 2.49 million on Tuesday, from last month’s low of 2.47 million.
Bitcoin balances on exchanges
Bitcoin Mining Companies at Risk
If the Bitcoin sell-off continues, it will put Bitcoin mining companies like Marathon, CleanSpark, and Riot Platforms at risk. These companies have tended to have a close correlation with Bitcoin in the past.
This drop is happening a few months after the halving event, reducing the amount of Bitcoins that miners receive.
To compensate for this drop, most of these companies have added their mining equipment. CleanSpark has reached a hash rate of 20 EH/swhich helped her mine 445 coins in June after mining 417 coins the previous month. She did this after purchasing 5 mining sites in Georgia.
Digital Marathon mined 590 coins in June, down 40% from the same month in 2023 and flat from May.
Riot Platforms, on the other hand, focused on acquiring Bitfarms, a company that mined 189 coins in June.
Bitcoin
Michael Saylor Issues Statement on Bitcoin Amid Crypto Market Sell-Off by U.Today
U.Today – Amid an ongoing sell-off in the cryptocurrency market, Michael Saylor, a prominent advocate and president of MicroStrategy, made a statement on X (Twitter) that reverberated across the crypto space: “Just Bitcoin.”
This two-word tweet comes as the cryptocurrency market faces significant sell-offs as the price of Bitcoin plummets.
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market value, began its decline in Tuesday’s trading session, hitting $63,223 at one point before falling further.
Losses deepened on Wednesday as investors considered remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, with Bitcoin hitting intraday lows of $59,509. At the time of writing, BTC is down 2.85% over the past 24 hours to $60,274.
According to data from CoinGlass, the sell-off has resulted in a significant amount of cryptocurrencies being liquidated in the past 24 hours, totaling over $166 million. However, this has not deterred Saylor’s confidence in Bitcoin, as he reiterates his longing for the crypto asset in his tweet.
Cryptocurrency market crashes
Cryptocurrencies fell on Tuesday after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank needs to see more progress on inflation before cutting interest rates, which are now at 5.25%-5.50%. Powell revealed at a monetary symposium in Sintra, Portugal, that the United States is moving closer to a disinflationary path.
“We want to be more confident that inflation is moving sustainably downward toward 2% before we begin the process of tapering or easing policy,” Powell said.
Market losses deepened after Wednesday’s economic releases that indicated the labor market is cooling. Recent data showed weaker-than-expected private payroll growth in June, but weekly jobless claims were higher than economists had forecast. The latest figures come ahead of the highly anticipated June nonfarm payrolls report on Friday.
As the cryptocurrency market goes through a period of uncertainty, the coming days and weeks will be crucial in determining the direction of BTC’s price.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin and Ethereum in GTA 6? Still rumors — for now
Rumors that the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 will use cryptocurrency that has been circulating for more than a year now—and they’re spinning again.
On Wednesday, a pseudonymous Crypto Twitter influencer named Gordon — apparently named after Gordon Gekko from the iconic 1987 film “Wall Street” —shared to his nearly 500,000 followers that “GTA 6 will allow cryptocurrency payments” and that “so far only Bitcoin, EthereumIt is USDT [are] confirmed.”
But in reality, no cryptocurrency has been confirmed for Grand Theft Auto 6, despite ongoing chatter about the rumors. Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two have made no such announcements this week on the subject, nor have they made any prior announcements, and official trailers and announcements have made no mention of cryptocurrency being included.
However, the tweet — which also included a fake trailer for the game — quickly went viral, with over 500,000 views as of this writing in a matter of hours. When Twitter users asked Gordon for his sources, he would jokingly respond that his “uncle works there” or say that previous reports on the matter were “old” at this point.
But really, nothing has changed since then. DecipherGG’s reported in previous rumors in May 2023, not even since the first official trailer — which initially leaked with “BUY BTC” stamped on itApparently by the leaker in question—premiered last December.
DecipherGG reached out to Rockstar Games for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Could Grand Theft Auto 6 implement a crypto element when it releases in 2025? It’s certainly possible, and if so, it would be a transformative moment for cryptocurrency adoption by the traditional gaming industry.
Take-Two Interactive has explored the space before, acquiring casual gaming giant Zynga in early 2022, when Take-Two founder and CEO Strauss Zelnick suggested there were “Web3 opportunities” that they could explore better as a team. Zynga has launched its first blockchain game on Ethereum, called Sugartownbut Take-Two has yet to get involved with other brands.
Rockstar Games, on the other hand, prohibited the use of cryptocurrency or NFTs on player-run Grand Theft Auto 5 servers in late 2022, following a rise in the use of NFTs to represent unique player-owned assets on modded game servers.
And given Grand Theft Auto’s satirical tone, the game may be more likely to criticize cryptocurrency and poke fun at caricatures of crypto fans and NFTs, for example, rather than trying to launch its own on-chain currency. But that’s all speculation at this point, as there are relatively few official details about GTA 6.
For now, at least, don’t believe the hype. While Rockstar Games hasn’t officially closed the door on cryptocurrency usage in Grand Theft Auto 6, it hasn’t confirmed anything about it either. However, it’s sure to remain a hot topic in the long run leading up to release, which is currently scheduled for fall 2025.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.
Bitcoin
Crypto President Trump’s ‘Lesser’ Regulation Will Bless Coinbase’s Bitcoin Leverage, Expert Says – Coinbase Glb (NASDAQ:COIN)
Chris SenyekChief Investment Strategist at Wolfe Researchrecently expressed his opinion on the potential impact of a Donald Trump win the 2024 elections in the cryptocurrency market.
What happened: Senyek suggested that a Trump presidency could ease cryptocurrency regulations, benefiting companies like Coinbase Global Inc. COIN due to its importance Bitcoin BTC/USD Leverage.
“Trump would be less harsh on crypto regulation, and Coinbase would be a big beneficiary of that given its influence on bitcoin,” Senyek said during CNBC’s “Last Call” on Tuesday.
See too: Enhance Your Retirement Portfolio: The Benefits of Adding Cryptocurrency
Why does this matter?:Senyek’s comments come in the context of the former president Donald Trump‘s reported plans to participate at the Bitcoin 2024 convention, which could reinforce his image as a “Crypto President”.
Trump’s potential participation in the Bitcoin 2024 convention, a major event on the cryptocurrency calendar, could have significant implications for the industry.
Pratik KalaHead of Research in DigitalX Limitedhe has predicted a Trump victory in the upcoming elections, but warns that immediate cryptocurrency-friendly regulations may not be a priority.
A recent report by 10x Search explore the recent rise in Bitcoin price and its potential connection to Trump’s strong position in the 2024 election race. The report, titled “Is the Bitcoin Trump Pump Sustainable?”, highlights a 4% spike in Bitcoin’s price following the news that the president Joe Biden will remain in the race despite a poor performance in the presidential debate.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading 2.10% lower at $60,860.66, according to Benzinga Pro.
Read next:
Image created using photos from Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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