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    XRP vs. Bitcoin: Expert Trader Breaks Silence on What Happened in 2017

    In the middle of this, an unexpected yet intriguing question emerges – whether XRP can eventually overthrow Bitcoin NEXT? A trader-expert known in the crypto space under the nickname “DonAlt” stood up to answer that question.Noting that XRP’s fully diluted valuation (FDV) is now double that of Solana and rapidly approaching Ethereum, DonAlt has drawn parallels to 2017, when XRP briefly overtook Bitcoin. However, he cautions that while such growth may excite optimists, going too far could destabilize the market as it did then. DonAlt suggests that even a realistic upside scenario, such as a 1,000% increase, could lead to catastrophic corrections if the market fails to maintain balance.But there is still a bit of skepticism out there. Looking at what has happened in the past and what is going on in the market right now, it is clear that growth like this needs to be managed carefully. There are a lot of risks involved, and the 2017 market crash is a good example of what can happen if things get out of control.This article was originally published on U.Today More

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    How the EU should deal with Trump’s tariff threat

    Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the worldDonald Trump says tariff is a “beautiful word”. But he also prides himself on being a dealmaker. So the EU approach to the president-elect’s tariff threats suggested by European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde in an FT interview — “not to retaliate, but to negotiate” — makes sense, at least initially. Any EU offer to buy more US goods to head off a rancorous trade war should, though, be backed up by the understanding that the bloc is ready to retaliate robustly if the returning president does opt for punitive tariffs. Trump would surely seize on anything less as a sign of weakness.The trade threat was amplified when Trump last week pledged day-one tariffs on Canada and Mexico and additional duties on China — highlighting a willingness to blow up supply chains even with America’s biggest trading partners. On Saturday, he threatened tariffs of 100 per cent on Brics countries if they undermined the dollar. But tariffs appear as much a negotiating tool as an ideological goal. Managing trade with the Trump’s US is set to be a central task of the new European Commission, whose term officially began on Sunday — particularly given the EU’s sizeable trade surplus with the US. Brussels has already floated buying more US energy, military and agricultural goods as a concession. Importing more US liquefied natural gas would help the EU finally to ban remaining Russian LNG imports. Europe will need US-made weaponry, too, if it is to shoulder more of the burden of defending Ukraine. This approach neatly targets two Trump priorities at once: the EU can say it is bolstering its energy and military security while helping US producers.But the European Commission is right to keep a stick to hand as well as carrots, with plans to hit back if Trump plumps for tariffs. It is understood to have drawn up retaliatory duties that would particularly hit Republican-led US states. Indeed, EU duties on bourbon whiskey, power boats and motorcycles, imposed in 2018 after Trump introduced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the EU and elsewhere, are currently suspended until March. These could provide a bargaining chip — though Trump seems to care relatively little about hits to the US real economy from his arm-twisting on trade. Maintaining EU unity over its response will be vital given the temptation for member states to seek US favours to protect their own interests. To improve the chances of the global trading system weathering the Trump storm, Brussels should also try to ensure any deal with the US — and response to potential “collateral” damage from Chinese imports diverted from the US — does not ride roughshod over trade laws. The 2018 package offered by then commission president Jean-Claude Juncker that fended off US tariffs on EU car exports, which Brussels’ approach today partly echoes, bent some internal EU rules, but was not a terrible abrogation of WTO law.There are already inevitable calls — including from new European Commission vice-president Stéphane Séjourné — for a “Europe first” strategy for key business sectors. Certainly, if Trump does increase US tariffs on Chinese goods, the EU is likely to face tricky talks with Beijing on limiting a flood of Chinese exports, similar to western talks with Japan in the 1980s, or have to restrict them — with likely knock-on effects on its own exports to China.Though the EU punches below its weight geopolitically, on trade it has a credible record of trying to uphold the rules-based order. Onerous trade-offs lie ahead. But even as it seeks to defend Europe’s economic interests, Brussels should do all it can to remain a positive force on trade, rather than being sucked into the vortex of an all-out trade war. More

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    After Bitcoin’s record run is Ethereum next?

    Year to date Ethereum gained around 59% compared to Bitcoin’s 124% surge.However, Ethereum’s recent performance shows promise. Over the last 30 days, Ethereum has risen 46%, outperforming Bitcoin’s 41% gain, signalling a potential resurgence.Key factors driving this optimism include robust staking dynamics, steady transaction fees, and growing institutional interest, particularly through ETFs.Bernstein analysts note that while Ethereum faces competition from faster networks like Solana and fragmented user experiences on Layer 2 solutions, its underlying supply-demand dynamics remain favourable.Currently, 28% of Ethereum’s supply is locked in staking contracts, yielding an annual return of 3%. Another 10% is tied up in lending or bridged to Layer 2 chains. Moreover, nearly 60% of Ethereum’s supply has not been traded in over a year, implying a strong investor commitment.Institutional interest has also picked up, with Ethereum ETF inflows accelerating significantly. Assets under management now total $11 billion, and recent weeks have seen net inflows reversing the trend of outflows from Grayscale’s ETFs.Bernstein sees further potential for momentum, especially if regulatory approval allows asset managers to incorporate Ethereum staking yields into ETFs, which could enhance returns to 4-5% with increased blockchain activity.Ethereum’s scalability model, centered on Layer 2 chains, has driven significant blockchain activity, with daily transactions on Layer 2 solutions exceeding 15 million, compared to 1 million on Ethereum’s base layer.Ethereum retains a 63% share of total value locked in blockchains, indicating high level of trust for retail whale users and institutional users. More

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    Ctrl Wallet Launches Multichain Wallet to Set New Standard for Cross-Chain Crypto Management

    Ctrl Wallet, the self-custody wallet formerly known as XDEFI, has launched its new browser extension, addressing the challenges of crypto traders managing multiple wallets. Designed for navigating the complexities of multichain ecosystems, Ctrl Wallet consolidates assets from over 2,300 blockchains.With 75% of crypto traders using more than three wallets, Ctrl Wallet incorporates networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, and THORChain into a single multichain experience. Ctrl Wallet empowers users to seize opportunities across any blockchain without switching between wallets.Ctrl Wallet’s intuitive design and powerful features fill a critical gap in the crypto wallet space. Users can manage their entire portfolio in one place, track balances across all imported wallets, and uncover forgotten funds – a previously complex task when juggling multiple wallets and addresses. “Our vision is simple yet powerful: to build the most advanced multichain wallet in the world,” said Emile Dubié, Co-Founder and CEO of Ctrl. “Crypto should be accessible to everyone, and Ctrl Wallet bridges the gaps in user experience and functionality that other wallets have failed to address.”Core features include:Since rebranding to Ctrl, the wallet has seen rapid growth, surpassing 600,000 users and ranking as one of the top five multi-ecosystem wallets globally. It continues to lead the charge with the highest ratings on the Google Chrome Store. For existing XDEFI users, accounts and funds are seamlessly migrating to Ctrl Wallet, ensuring immediate access to its enhanced features. As blockchain opportunities increasingly extend across the multichain landscape, Ctrl Wallet enables users to take control of their crypto from a single, powerful, and intuitive platform.Download the Ctrl Wallet extension today at Ctrl’s official website.About CtrlFounded in 2020, Ctrl is a leading self-custody wallet that provides access to over 2,300 blockchains in a secure, easy-to-use interface. Serving a global user base of over half a million, Ctrl offers a reliable platform for managing crypto assets, executing token swaps, and connecting with decentralized applications. Ctrl Wallet is designed for both crypto enthusiasts and newcomers, making self-custody accessible for all.ContactCtrl Marketing Teammarketing@ctrl.xyzThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

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    HTX’s Flexible Crypto Loans Debut: Crypto Finance with Flexible, Efficient, and Worry-Free Borrowing

    In today’s dynamic crypto market, users are increasingly seeking financial products that offer flexibility and efficiency. To meet this demand, HTX has officially launched its highly anticipated flagship Crypto Loans product, featuring flexible and dynamic interest rates, at 03:00 UTC on December 2, 2024. This product offers many key advantages, such as dynamic interest rates, high loan-to-value (LTV) ratios, no loan limits, and zero fees, enabling users to enjoy a more flexible, efficient, and worry-free crypto borrowing experience. Flexible loans in USDT, BTC, and ETH are currently supported, with collateral assets such as USDT, BTC, and ETH accepted. There are plans to expand the range of loanable and collateral assets for Flexible Crypto Loans in the future. Meanwhile, the first phase of HTX’s limited-time “Borrow & Earn” event will also kick off, with a prize pool of 2,700,000,000 $HTX up for grabs.Flexible, Efficient, and Worry-Free LoansHTX’s Flexible Crypto Loans, a groundbreaking lending product, is designed with both market demand and user experience in mind. It introduces three key features:Dynamic Interest Rates: Optimizing Borrowing CostsHTX’s Flexible Crypto Loans product empowers users with competitive interest rates within the industry by real-time adjustments according to market conditions. This mechanism helps users avoid the cost burdens of fixed rates while ensuring favorable terms throughout their borrowing, without the need for frequent strategy adjustments.Ultimate Flexibility: No Loan Limit, Flexible Repayment Tailored for a broad range of users—from retail investors to institutional investors—this product supports both small turnovers and significant capital deployments. Users can borrow and repay at any time based on their specific needs, benefiting from a tailored capital management solution in dynamic market conditions.High LTV Ratios and Zero Fees: Lowering Thresholds and Cutting CostsWith a highly effective staking mechanism, users can maximize their leverage with fewer assets. The product caters to diverse investment and trading needs, enhancing asset utilization efficiency. Additionally, the elimination of extra fees ensures a more efficient and cost-effective borrowing experience.Exclusive Benefits: Split 2,700,000,000 $HTX Prize Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) by Joining “Borrow & Earn” #1To celebrate the launch of Flexible Crypto Loans, HTX is also unveiling the “Borrow & Earn” event, offering a prize pool of 2,700,000,000 $HTX. During the event period (03:00 (UTC) on December 2 – 03:00 (UTC) on December 8), a user who borrows USDT via Flexible Crypto Loans will share the $HTX prize pool based on the proportion of their interest expenses on USDT flexible loans relative to the platform’s total interest earnings from the same product (limited to USDT flexible loans). The larger the proportion of the user’s cumulative interest expenses, the greater their share of the $HTX prize pool.A surprise bonus also makes this event more exciting. If the platform’s lending volume of USDT flexible loans reaches 30 million USDT by the end of the event, the prize pool for the next phase of the “Borrow & Earn” event will be doubled, providing more rewards to users.Catering to Diverse User Needs, Reshaping the Future of Crypto LendingHTX has always upheld a user-first philosophy, backed by a world-class technical team that deeply understands user needs. From flexible, dynamic interest rates to zero-fee features, HTX continually optimizes its products with user demand at the core. As a result, HTX can deliver tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of retail investors, high-frequency traders, and institutional investors alike. For High-Frequency Traders and Arbitrageurs: The flexibility to borrow and repay freely, along with a high LTV ratio, empowers traders to seize fleeting market opportunities. The streamlined process also eliminates the cumbersome steps typically found in traditional lending products. For Long-Term Investors: The product enables users to access additional capital for investment and maintain their existing asset holdings.For Institutional Investors: HTX minimizes financing costs by offering a high LTV ratio and zero fees. It also provides customizable fund management solutions, helping enhance the operational efficiency of institutional investors.Looking ahead, HTX will remain committed to developing more innovative products that meet evolving market needs. With improved services and cutting-edge technology, the platform aims to help users grow their assets and inject fresh momentum into the global crypto market. Experience HTX’s Crypto Loans product with flexible and dynamic interest rates now and explore a new chapter in crypto finance.About HTXFounded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.As a world-leading gateway to Web3, we harbor global capabilities that enable us to provide users with safe and reliable services.HTX’s growth strategy – “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance”, underpins their commitment to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.Website: https://www.htx.com/ContactRuder Finn Asiahtx@ruderfinn.comThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

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    Ancient8 Secures Optimism Grant to Empower Builders and Transform Onchain Gaming

    Ancient8 has received a major grant from Optimism’s Governance Fund, an important step forward in their mission to shape the future of Web3 gaming. As a proud member of the Superchain, Ancient8 is eager to step onto the acceleration phase of establishing a solid innovative ecosystem of developers, gamers, and creators, leveraging the interoperability offered by the Superchain.This collaboration with Optimism highlights their mutual goal of creating scalable, decentralized, and user-friendly solutions. With the Ancient8 Layer2 chain proudly built on the Superchain, they’re fully integrated with Optimism’s infrastructure and well-positioned to leverage its powerful ecosystem.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2p5cw5TPD4&ab_channel=Ancient8How the Grant Will Be Used The Optimism grant will drive their efforts to expand the Ancient8 ecosystem, empower builders, and onboard a broader community to Web3. Key areas of focus include:1 . Empowering Existing ProjectsThis grant is a key step toward advancing the vision Ancient8 has been working on from the start – paving the way for a stronger Web3 gaming ecosystem and fostering greater adoption by collaborating with Optimism and the Superchain. In the months ahead, their focus will be on empowering developers, expanding the Ancient8 ecosystem, and strengthening collaboration across the Superchain. Here’s how Ancient8 plans to move forward:Built on the Superchain, Built for the FutureAncient8 is built on the Superchain, aligning with Optimism’s vision of scalable and inclusive blockchain solutions. With this grant, they will amplify efforts to onboard millions of gamers and builders into Web3, fostering a vibrant and innovative gaming ecosystem.As part of these efforts, Ancient8, in collaboration with Kyros Ventures, ZKP Labs, and Orochi Network, is hosting the Ancient8 Builder Jam Hackathon, a Web3 hackathon to empower innovators, builders, and entrepreneurs to turn bold ideas into reality, offering prizes of up to $400,000. Readers can join the movement to shape the future of Web3 gaming by participating in the Builder Jam Hackathon at https://builderjam.ancient8.gg/.About Ancient8Ancient8 is building an ETH gaming Layer 2 built with OP Stack. They offer a suite of Web3 gaming infrastructure tools that serve as the distribution and marketing channel for games globally. With Space3 Game Publishing Platform, Ancient8 Gaming Guild, ReneVerse Web3 Ads engine, A8ID, and Gosu Network, Ancient8 is dedicated to onboard millions of gamers to Web3 gaming, while providing support to game developers looking to reach more players. Ancient8’s products have helped 100+ Web3 games and 200K+ users better navigate Web3.Ancient8 has raised $10M in total financing from leading investors including Pantera, Dragonfly, Hashed, Makers Fund, Mechanism, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), IOSG, Jump, and Animoca.Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Blog | Discord | Facebook (NASDAQ:META) | Telegram | YouTubeContactCore contributor at @ancient8_ggZane NguyenAncient8zane@ancient8.ggThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

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    This new indicator shows Bitcoin bull market ‘still has room to run’

    The investment firm said Monday that its Crypto Euphoria Needham Diagram (CEND) suggests that despite Bitcoin’s recent rally to record highs, the market is not yet in the extreme euphoria phase that typically precedes a peak.The CEND index is designed to track where the crypto market stands within its cycle, combining seven metrics that gauge levels of retail enthusiasm, institutional sentiment, and market dynamics. By assigning scores to these inputs, the tool quantifies overall market sentiment, offering a structured approach to identifying periods of excessive optimism or disinterest.“The higher the score, the more euphoric the crypto markets and hence the more likely the market is to a peak,” Needham explains.Recently, the CEND hit its highest score of 2024 at 55, surpassing levels from earlier in the year during the “meme coin” mania but still far below the 82 recorded at the peak of the 2021 cycle.According to Needham, this gap indicates that the market has not yet reached the level of euphoria associated with a cycle top.“If this crypto cycle sees a full cycle as in prior years, we would expect the CEND to reach higher levels than currently and closer to those seen in 2021–which indicates to us that this market still has room to run longer term,” the firm continued.Among the key inputs to the CEND, app rankings for platforms like Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) have surged this year, signaling a revival of retail interest. Bitcoin’s MVRV Z-score, a measure of market value relative to realized value, has also been climbing, suggesting that the market is entering the middle to later stages of the cycle.Bitcoin dominance remains high, reflecting continued consolidation into the leading cryptocurrency rather than riskier altcoins—a trend consistent with earlier stages of bull markets.“Typically, bitcoin dominance reaches its highest levels near the bottom to the beginning of a bull cycle and reaches its lowest point near the top of the cycle,” Needham’s note states. “We note the introduction of bitcoin ETFs in 2024 could skew this metric more this cycle than prior cycles.”Other metrics, including DeFi leverage, are also on the rise, while Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) search interest for “Bitcoin” and “crypto” is recovering but still lags the peaks seen in 2021.Additional indicators in the CEND include Wall Street’s sentiment on crypto-linked stocks and premiums tied to Bitcoin holdings in publicly traded vehicles. The increasing consensus of “Buy” ratings on crypto-related stocks, such as brokerages and miners, points to rising market optimism.Meanwhile, MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR)’s stock premium relative to its Bitcoin holdings has become a new proxy for market sentiment in this cycle. More

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    usdx.money Secures $45m New Financing at $275m Valuation

    usdx.money, a stablecoin infrastructure project, announced it has raised $45 million in the latest round of financing. The round puts the project’s valuation at $275 million. Investors for this round include NGC, BAI Capital, Generative Ventures, and UOB Venture Management, with a portion of the investments made in the form of warrants. Its pre-existing investors are Dragonfly Capital and Jeneration Capital.usdx.money aims to build the next-generation stablecoin infrastructure, with USDX as its first stablecoin product. After concluding a successful funding round, usdx.money is accelerating its ecosystem efforts for increased adoption of USDX, with a focus on:usdx.money is a secure, decentralized, and bankless synthetic stablecoin issuer, dedicated to building the next generation of stablecoin infrastructure. By connecting decentralized finance (DeFi), centralized finance (CeFi), and traditional finance (TradFi), usdx.money provides efficient and stable financial solutions to meet the diverse needs of its users.About the support teamusdx.money is powered by Stables Labs and is committed to driving rapid growth in the stablecoin space through innovative technologies and proven solutions.For more information, users can visit usdx.money.ContactMarketing teamusdx.moneymkt@usdx.moneyThis article was originally published on Chainwire More