Coin360 Daily Dispatch | Crypto Market Updates & Highlights | July 16, 2024

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Crypto Market Update

Table of Contents

Bitcoin and Major Cryptocurrencies

• Bitcoin Volatility Amid Mt. Gox Moves
• Spot Ether ETFs Get SEC Approval
• Bitcoin ETFs Net $300 Million Inflows
• Metaplanet Expands Bitcoin Holdings

Institutional and Regulatory Developments

• Bitcoin for French Pension Plans
• Tokenized US Treasurys to Reach $3 Billion by 2024
• Chainlink Whales Accumulate $167 Million
• Stripe Partners with Coinbase for Global Crypto Purchases
• Zcash Allocates 20% Block Rewards to Grants
• Craig Wright Ordered to Deny Being Satoshi

Blockchain Technology and Innovations

• Polygon Labs Launches Plonky3 for Ethereum Scalability
• Solana Reclaims $70B Market Cap
• Uniswap Extension Supports 11 Blockchains
• Aethir Achieves $36M in Revenue
• Worldcoin Extends Token Lock-Up Period
• Pendle Boosts Liquidity with New Pools
• Polyhedra Network Launches Staking Program V2

Token and Project Developments

• Render Token Sees Increased Whale Activity
• OM Hits All-Time High of $1.31
• Mocaverse Introduces Mario Kart-Inspired Game
• ApeCoin Launches ApeChain Testnet
• Pixelverse Integrates Pudgy Penguin
• Hermetica Develops BTC-Backed Stablecoin

Security and Risk

• Li.Fi Hack Results in $9 Million Theft
• Degen Chain User Loses 90% of Funds

NFT and Gaming

• NFT Sales Surge Despite Fewer Traders

Bitcoin Volatility Amid Mt. Gox Moves

Bitcoin soared to $65,000, then dipped below $63,000 as Mt. Gox moved $2.8B BTC to internal wallets, impacting the broader market, before coming back above $64,500. Kraken announced it would distribute Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash to Mt. Gox creditors within 7-14 days. Today, Genesis Trading transferred 600 BTC ($37.72M) to Coinbase, part of a larger trend involving over 12,000 BTC. 

Analysts noted that Bitcoin’s price, which had retested $64,000, could face volatility due to upcoming Mt. Gox repayments. Despite a brief recovery, Bitfinex analysts warned the downturn might continue.

Spot Ether ETFs Get SEC Approval

BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and VanEck received preliminary approval from the SEC for their spot Ether ETFs, potentially starting trading by July 23, provided no last-minute issues arise. Expected to attract over $5 billion in inflows within the first six months, Citi projects up to $5.4 billion in inflows, although actual returns may be lower. 

Institutional investors have shown more confidence in Ether than retail investors, with institutional Ether exposure rising from 6.54% to 14.29%. Analysts believe Ether could outperform Bitcoin due to its diverse use cases, potentially doubling its price to over $6,800 by the end of 2025.

Bitcoin ETFs Net $300 Million Inflows

Bitcoin ETFs received $300 million in net inflows, marking a seventh consecutive day of growth driven by rising investor interest. BlackRock's IBIT led with $117.25 million, reflecting broader confidence in Bitcoin as a financial asset. Despite lower trading volumes compared to March peaks, this sustained momentum signals increasing mainstream acceptance and investment in cryptocurrency ETFs.

Metaplanet Expands Bitcoin Holdings

Metaplanet recently bolstered its Bitcoin reserves with a $1.26 million purchase, acquiring 21.88 BTC. This move expands their total holdings to 225.61 BTC. Following the purchase, Metaplanet's stock surged by 25.8% to ¥117 per share, reflecting a bullish market sentiment tied to Bitcoin's price recovery.

Bitcoin for French Pension Plans

VanEck and Inter Invest have collaborated to introduce Bitcoin to French pension plans through a new exchange-traded note (ETN). This $407 million initiative marks the first digital asset inclusion in France's retirement savings, offering regulated access to Bitcoin with transparency and a 1% expense ratio, appealing to long-term investors seeking portfolio diversification.

Tokenized US Treasurys to Reach $3 Billion by 2024

Tokenized US Treasurys are poised to hit $3 billion by 2024, driven by growing adoption in decentralized finance, according to Tom Wan, a research strategist at 21.co. This market expansion underscores significant opportunities in financial asset tokenization, potentially paving the way for a multitrillion-dollar global market, as indicated by leading consulting firms.

Chainlink Whales Accumulate $167 Million

Chainlink (LINK) whales have withdrawn $167 million worth of LINK from Binance since June 24, 2024, through 93 wallets, indicating significant accumulation. This move aligns with a broader market recovery, suggesting bullish sentiment towards LINK. Analysts predict potential price targets between $19 to $22, buoyed by recent whale activity and positive market conditions.

Stripe Partners with Coinbase for Global Crypto Purchases

Stripe has teamed up with Coinbase to enable crypto purchases in 150 countries, leveraging Stripe's extensive payment infrastructure. This collaboration aims to facilitate faster and cost-effective transactions, initially targeting crypto marketplaces and vendors. Users can now buy crypto using credit cards via Stripe's onramp, bridging fiat and digital currencies seamlessly.

Zcash Allocates 20% Block Rewards to Grants

The Zcash community has approved a significant change by allocating 20% of block rewards to a decentralized grants system. This move aims to enhance community involvement and accountability in funding decisions, replacing the current direct-funding model. The decision follows a strong community endorsement, marking a pivotal moment for the privacy-focused blockchain.

Craig Wright Ordered to Deny Being Satoshi

Craig Wright, known for his claims of being Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, was ordered by a UK court to publicly state he is not Nakamoto. The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), emphasizing his lack of evidence. Wright must post this disclaimer on various platforms for up to six months.

Polygon Labs Launches Plonky3 for Ethereum Scalability

Polygon Labs has launched Plonky3, a next-generation zero-knowledge proving system aimed at enhancing Ethereum scalability. Plonky3 offers improved configurations and modular flexibility for developers, supporting faster computations and optimizing proof size. This upgrade builds on its predecessor, Plonky2, with open-source availability under the MIT/Apache license, promoting wider adoption and innovation in blockchain technology.

Solana Reclaims $70B Market Cap

Solana (SOL) surged, reclaiming a $70B market cap and surpassing $160 in price, previously peaking above $150. Raydium leads DEX trading volume on Solana, surpassing Uniswap and Ethereum, with its market share growing from 36% to 66% this year. Solana also excels in weekly NFT blockchain user adoption, dominating with 33%.

Uniswap Extension Supports 11 Blockchains

Uniswap Labs has launched the Uniswap Extension, supporting 11 blockchains with a new sidebar interface. This browser wallet extension aims to streamline user experience by enabling seamless swaps and integration across multiple blockchains. Praised for design and functionality, it sets a new standard in DeFi innovation.

Aethir Achieves $36M in Revenue

Aethir, a decentralized GPU network, achieved $36M in revenue with 10% monthly growth driven by demand for AI, cloud gaming, and edge computing. Utilizing idle GPU capacity, Aethir offers scalable, cost-effective services up to 60% cheaper than competitors. The network supports projects like AI training and game development, positioning itself as a robust player in decentralized cloud infrastructure.

Worldcoin Extends Token Lock-Up Period

Worldcoin has decided to extend the lock-up period for early contributors' tokens from 3 years to 5 years, triggering a 20% surge in WLD's price, reaching $2.42. This move by Tools for Humanity aims to secure the project's long-term sustainability, although recent regulatory challenges in Hong Kong have kept WLD below the $5 mark.

Pendle Boosts Liquidity with New Pools

Pendle has launched new pools on the Arbitrum network to boost liquidity, targeting assets like UNI, LINK, and ETH. Partnering with Karak Network allows Pendle users to stake Principal Tokens and earn Karak points, aiming to recover from a recent TVL decline exacerbated by market maturation.

Polyhedra Network Launches Staking Program V2

Polyhedra Network launches Staking Program V2 on July 18, 2024, offering rewards including ZKJ tokens. Participants can stake tokens to earn from a 2,000,000 ZK prize pool, with initial distributions set for the launch date. Current participation stands at 45,000, with incentives for early adopters locking in funds before deadlines.

Render Token Sees Increased Whale Activity

Render, the governance token for distributed GPU rendering, has recently experienced increased whale activity, indicating heightened interest from large investors. Such activity historically correlates with price uptrends, despite a recent 8.85% dip. With a current market cap of $2.4 billion, RNDR also shows improved network metrics and positive market sentiment, suggesting potential future growth despite short-term fluctuations.

OM Hits All-Time High of $1.31

OM has surged to a new all-time high of $1.31, driven by anticipation for MANTRA's upcoming 50 million OM token giveaway starting July 17. This milestone underscores MANTRA's growing market presence and strategic initiatives, including partnerships aimed at tokenizing real-world assets. The announcement has sparked a 16.5% price increase for OM in the last 24 hours.

Mocaverse Introduces Mario Kart-Inspired Game

Mocaverse introduces Cosmic Royale, a Mario Kart-inspired game featuring 40-player go-kart races and a survival-themed finale. It integrates with the Cosmic Club platform, enhancing community engagement through MOCA token incentives. This collaboration aims to pioneer social gamification within the Mocaverse ecosystem.

ApeCoin Launches ApeChain Testnet

ApeCoin's ApeChain 'Testnet Curtis' launched on July 16, setting the stage for its upcoming mainnet supporting decentralized applications like Otherside. The announcement spurred ApeCoin's price to exceed $0.80, driven by strategic branding and anticipation for Project Dragon's imminent debut in the coming weeks.

Pixelverse Integrates Pudgy Penguin

Pixelverse integrates Pudgy Penguin into its Telegram mini-game, joining characters like Doge and Mew. Despite a recent NFT market downturn, the Pudgy Penguins collection boasts significant sales, emphasizing its enduring popularity and market leadership. The move aims to enhance engagement within the Web3 gaming community, leveraging the brand's strong digital presence.

Hermetica Develops BTC-Backed Stablecoin

Hermetica, developers of USDh, are pioneering a BTC-backed stablecoin using the Rune token standard, promising investors a 12% to 25% yield in bullish markets. This innovation merges the stability of fiat pegged-assets with the potential of Bitcoin's blockchain, aiming to enhance liquidity and yield opportunities for cryptocurrency holders.

Li.Fi Hack Results in $9 Million Theft

Li.Fi, a cross-chain DeFi protocol, recently suffered a significant hack, resulting in the theft of approximately $9 million in Ethereum and stablecoins. The breach underscores ongoing security challenges within the DeFi sector, where vulnerabilities can lead to substantial financial losses for users and projects alike. Such incidents highlight the importance of robust security measures and auditing protocols in decentralized finance. 

Degen Chain User Loses 90% of Funds

A Degen Chain user suffered a substantial loss of 90% of their funds, totaling 785,000 DEGEN, due to low liquidity during a cross-chain transfer. The incident sparked community concern, prompting the platform to promise a full refund to affected users while acknowledging the need for system improvements to prevent such losses in the future.