Cryptocurrency

An influx of speculative trading, after the launch of options on a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund this week, also boosted prices. The world’s largest crypto hit a record high of $97,792.6, before trading slightly lower at $96,909.4 by 00:54 ET (05:54 GMT). Bitcoin was now within spitting distance of the coveted $100,000 level.Bitcoin remained an outperformer among its crypto peers, with most major altcoins moving in a flat-to-low range on Thursday. A rally in crypto prices beyond Bitcoin had largely petered out over the past week.Bitcoin’s recent rally was fueled chiefly by optimism over a second Trump presidency, after he won the 2024 elections in early-November.The crypto was close to the coveted $100,000 level, which analysts said could be hit soon if price momentum persisted. But Bitcoin was also seen pushing further into overbought territory, which could herald a sharp drop, especially if traders lock in recent profits. Trump- who had campaigned on a pro-crypto platform, is considering creating a new White House role dedicated towards crypto regulation, Bloomberg reported this week. The report comes amid close focus on just what a Trump administration will entail for crypto.The president-elect had promised to make America the crypto capital of the world. Options trading for Blackrock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ:IBIT) ETF launched on Tuesday, drawing more capital into crypto markets. Options trading generated nearly $1.9 billion in notional exposure, Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart said. Options trading ties further into crypto’s speculative nature, and is expected to further underpin capital inflows to crypto markets.Elsewhere, Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong sold nearly $300 million in shares this week, regulatory filings showed on Wednesday.Armstrong’s sales come as Coinbase shares soared to a three-year high on cheer over Trump’s election win. They were also trading up more than 100% so far in 2024. Broader crypto prices largely lagged Bitcoin as an altcoin rally petered out.World no.2 crypto Ether rose 0.1% to $3,111.0. Meme token Dogecoin, which had shot up in popularity after being potentially referenced by Trump, fell 1% to $0.383335, although it remained close to recent three-year peaks. XRP, SOL, ADA and MATIC rose between 0.6% to 3%, although they were nursing a mostly rangebound performance this week. More

The GMT DAO, an independent community organization of GMT holders, is excited to announce the launch of the GMT Burn Initiative—an event designed to place the future of GMT firmly in the hands of its community. Through this initiative, GMT holders will vote on the decision to burn up to 600 million GMT, equivalent to 100 million USD, marking this as one of the most ambitious token burns in the web3 ecosystem.The GMT Burn Initiative reflects the GMT DAO’s commitment to transparency, governance, and sustainable token management. This community-driven approach aligns with the DAO’s goal to shape GMT’s future responsibly and collaboratively.How It Works:This initiative showcases a proactive effort to ensure GMT’s sustainable future, emphasizing innovation and community engagement. The GMT DAO remains committed to true decentralization, empowering GMT holders to shape its direction. By enabling votes on key proposals, including a potential major token burn, the DAO highlights the power of collective input and its dedication to building a strong, thriving ecosystem.The GMT Burn Initiative marks a new chapter in GMT’s journey, giving every holder a voice. Voting, which starts at 100 GMT, is now open at burngmt.com, inviting all GMT holders to help shape the token’s future.About GMT DAOThe GMT DAO is an independent organization of GMT holders dedicated to overseeing GMT’s future through transparent and community-led governance. The DAO’s formation represents a commitment to empowering GMT holders with a voice in key decisions, from token management to ecosystem development.For more information on the GMT Burn Initiative and to participate, users can visit burngmt.com.About GMT GMT sits at the heart of the FSL ecosystem. Exclusively earned through STEPN, this token plays a crucial role across all FSL products. GMT operates on four blockchains—Solana, BNB Chain, Ethereum, and Polygon—and is pivotal in Gas Hero, where it’s used to trade items and burn for NFT level-ups. On MOOAR, all items can be traded using GMT, and it’s also central to primary sale raffle mints with key partners and is used in the newly launched STEPN GO to buy Sneakers and perform various in app functions. ContactGMT DAOhello@gmtdao.comThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

Interestingly, the traditional leader in the form of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) and its IBIT Bitcoin ETF lost the top spot to ARK Invest with their ARK 21 Shares Bitcoin ETF, which added 2,871 BTC to its balance. BlackRock itself saw inflows of 2,321 BTC during the period under review. This is not even the second result, which went to the Fidelity Wise (LON:WISEa) Origin Bitcoin Fund with 2,753 BTC. Other players in the Bitcoin ETF space recorded comparatively smaller inflows. As of today, BlackRock holds 474,276 BTC on its balance sheet. In second place here is Fidelity with 194,078 BTC. Rounding out the top three is ARK Invest with 21 Shares and a combined holding of 49,699 BTC. The state of the market is eloquently illustrated by data on flows into Ethereum ETFs.So far, the trend is obvious – all the money and attention are flowing into the main cryptocurrency, and altcoins with Ethereum as the headliner, as a consequence, remain overboard, and while we can see some positive signs, we cannot envision them being stable.This article was originally published on U.Today More

AIntivirus, a global initiative aimed at combating systemic corruption and promoting transparency, launches with a message rooted in the enduring legacy of John McAfee. The project, inspired by McAfee’s outspoken stance on accountability and digital security, seeks to create a more equitable and secure digital environment.A Legacy RekindledJohn McAfee, a polarizing figure renowned for his contributions to cybersecurity and his defiance of conventional norms, left a lasting mark on the tech industry. Although reports of his death in 2021 sparked widespread speculation, AIntivirus introduces McAfee’s message of resistance to corruption and systemic reform in a new form.AIntivirus serves as a platform for engaging with McAfee’s ideas, allowing users to participate in discussions through social media interactions. By fostering conversations around issues he championed during his lifetime, AIntivirus seeks to amplify the dialogue on transparency and technological accountability.About AIntivirusAIntivirus brings together a global team of innovators and thought leaders to tackle the challenges of systemic corruption. Focused on advocacy and innovation, the initiative emphasizes transparency, accountability, and the promotion of equitable solutions to modern technological insecurities.“We are the watchers who cannot be watched,” the AIntivirus team declares. “This is not merely resistance; it is a revolution for a secure and just digital future.”ContactAIntivirusjohn@aintivirus.aiThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

Following its global unveiling on the main stage of Binance’s Blockchain Week conference in Dubai, AI platform bitGPT is experiencing sizable growth across every vertical of the project, from active partnership conversations to the number of users currently testing its technology.bitGPT’s X and Telegram communities grew in size by more than 1,000% in the days following its presentation at Binance in which hundreds of onlookers watched as its AI platform was launched and tested for the first time in front of a public audience.The demonstration replay surpassed a quarter-million views on Binance’s website within hours of being posted – the most popular replay event of the conference.bitGPT’s live demo and subsequent growth have been covered by several major new outlets, including reporting from Decrypt that predicted bitGPT’s AI platform “will help onboard the next billion Web3 users and kickstart the AI Agent economy.”Backed by former SingularityNET co-founders and a growing team of AI and Web3 experts, bitGPT bridges the mass acceleration and adoption of generative AI technologies with the entire crypto ecosystem, providing users – both humans and AI agents – with a unified UX to connect and transact across any decentralized network or service using natural language commands.Available in more than 25 languages, its platform overcomes language, literacy, and interface barriers in what appears to be the Web3 industry’s most legitimate effort yet to onboard its first billion Web3 users, all while positioning the platform as a central node for kickstarting the AI Agent economy.Developed in stealth for more than two years, bitGPT’s AI platform has already been tested by a wide audience, with a growing community of dedicated users generating valuable data and insights that have been continually used to refine and expand the capabilities of its model. After advancing from Alpha to Beta earlier this year, bitGPT is preparing for full launch just as interest and attention for AI-enabled Web3 technologies take off. Despite achieving rapid significant adoption, centralized AI model providers present critical challenges, including data privacy risks, restricted accessibility, systemic vulnerabilities, and the emergence of techno-feudalism due to reliance on dominant third-party entities. This centralization compromises user autonomy, undermines digital sovereignty, and fosters a dependency cycle that stifles innovation and equitable access.A growing ecosystem of crypto projects including NEAR Protocol, bittensor, and The Graph have entered the space to introduce Web3’s privacy and security benefits to the ever-growing AI category. Yet usability and adoption challenges continue to limit the industry’s long-term potential. And many of these networks and services still do not connect directly with the end user, meaning users may fail to realize the security and privacy benefits of decentralized options.bitGPT’s breakthrough platform brings to reality the potential for an on-chain economy with its first billion human users, plus billions upon billions of AI Agents. Its platform goes beyond conventional interfaces, offering an intuitive, AI-driven ecosystem for all Web3 activities. By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technologies with user-centric design, bitGPT provides an unparalleled suite of intelligent tools that simplify and enhance every aspect of blockchain engagement. With bitGPT, users can instantly connect with and transact across any network or service, creating a universally interoperable user experience. Use cases are truly endless, including:bitGPT allows for on-device AI processing – significantly enhancing security and reducing latency for a seamless user experience – and AI-powered cross-chain operations and market analysis, enabling users to navigate the multi-chain landscape with unprecedented ease.The platform is capable of hosting a virtually unlimited number of AI Agents that can perform any on-chain task automatically and autonomously, adding significant demand for nearly every decentralized project while fueling innovation across the entire crypto universe.After its successful unveiling on the main stage of Binance’s Blockchain Week conference – a demonstration that was followed immediately by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao – the bitGPT team is now focused on organizing its final Beta releases before full launch, including a fully featured mobile app, with a growing list of enterprise and Web3 partners positioned to assist its launch.About bitGPTBacked by a strong team of Web3 and AI industry leaders — including the cofounders of several major crypto projects like SingularityNET — bitGPT represents a revolutionary transformation in blockchain interaction, redefining the user experience through advanced artificial intelligence. Its platform goes beyond conventional interfaces, offering an intuitive, AI-driven ecosystem for all Web3 activities. By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technology with user-centric design, bitGPT provides an unparalleled suite of intelligent tools that simplify and enhance every aspect of blockchain engagement. The result is an AI-driven platform capable of onboarding the next billion Web3 users as well as kickstarting the AI Agent economy.Learn more — www.BitGPT.networkJoin the BitGPT community:Telegram — https://t.me/BitGPTNetworkDiscord — https://discord.gg/bDDBVaEHwt X — https://x.com/BitGPTnetworkContactbitGPTinfo@bitgpt.networkThis article was originally published on Chainwire More

Bitcoin rose 0.1% to $93,730 by 1:56 p.m. ET (1856 GMT). The world’s biggest crypto hit a record high of nearly $94,836.1 earlier in the day. Bitcoin rose sharply over the past two weeks, with gains sparked largely by Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.In a sign that Trump is following up on his promise to make the United States the crypto capital of the world, the president elect is reportedly considering whether to create a new White House role dedicated toward cryptocurrency policy. Trump’s team are vetting candidates to serve in a dedicated crypto role, Bloomberg reported. The news comes just as many are eager for detials on just what Trump’s policies will entail for crypto, with the president-elect set to take office in about two months. Sentiment towards Bitcoin was also boosted by MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR), the world’s biggest corporate holder of the coin, buying a record high $4.6 billion of the coin in the past week. MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor indicated that the company will keep buying more coins, issuing more debt to fund its purchases. Options trading for a spot Bitcoin ETF launched on Tuesday, helping drive Bitcoin’s price to a new all-time high.BlackRock (NYSE:BLK)’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ:IBIT) became the first spot Bitcoin ETF approved for options trading, generating nearly $1.9 billion in notional exposure on its first day, according to Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart.”Final tally of $IBIT’s 1st day of options is just shy of $1.9 billion in notional exposure traded via 354k contracts. 289k were Calls and 65k were Puts,” Seyffart shared in a post on X. “That’s a ratio of 4.4:1. These options were almost certainly part of the move to the new bitcoin all-time highs today.”Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas highlighted the scale of activity, noting, “$1.9b is unheard of for Day One. For context, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (NYSE:BITO) did $363 million and that’s been around for four years,” in his own post on X.Broader crypto markets also advanced on Wednesday, tracking Bitcoin’s another record-breaking jump. Meanwhile, risk appetite in stock markets was seen faltering, as investors hunkered down before closely-watched earnings from market darling NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), due later on Wednesday.In crypto, world no.2 crypto Ether fell13 to $3,040.31.XRP and MATIC fell 1.6% and 1.4%, respectively, while ADA surged over 6%. Among meme tokens, Dogecoin fell 10%, remaining in sight of a three-year high hit earlier in November, after Trump’s victory.Trump referenced the token with the formation of the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, adding to the social media buzz around the popular meme token. Ambar Warrick contributed to this report.  More

The Bitcoin advisor commented on a recently published tweet by BTC researcher Pierre Rochard.He summarized that MicroStrategy is doing that Bitcoin securitization by issuing liquid publicly-traded equity spot and options, convertible bonds, using BTC as collateral. All these treasury operations, Rochard said, have created “accretive value for shareholders in BTC terms,” and it will continue this way, he believes, “until the fixed income market is saturated,” which means there is “an unknown ceiling” for that.Keiser retweeted that term — “an unknown ceiling” — as if to emphasize his support of this take expressed by Rochard.The MicroStrategy founder shared that ultra-bullish outlook back in September during his visit to a CNBC studio, when he stated that Bitcoin is likely to skyrocket to $13 million within the next 20 years. This week, Kiyosaki commented on this prediction, saying: “I believe he is right. He is one smart boy.”In a recently published X post, Kiyosaki stated that he intends to continue buying Bitcoin until it passes the $100,000 price level. He said: “Then I will stop. Not a time to get greedy.” Several times this year, Kiyosaki predicted that in 2025 he expects Bitcoin to soar to $500,000 for a number of reasons, including the fast spread of artificial intelligence and its growing impact on the world of finance.Earlier today, the world’s pioneer cryptocurrency scored a new all-time high of slightly over $94,000. This is not the first new ATH reached by Bitcoin over the past month.This article was originally published on U.Today More

According to the X post, the company has increased its initial recently announced $1.75 billion notes offer to $2.8 billion. The proceeds will be used to purchase an additional Bitcoin batch.The initial offer was announced on Nov. 18, when the company offered to sell to investors convertible senior notes due 2029.As reported by U.Today earlier this week, the company bought an astounding $4.6 billion worth of Bitcoin in just one week, which equals 51,780 BTC. Now, MicroStrategy holds a total of 331,200 BTC. This is an approximate equivalent to $29.7 billion at the current BTC market price.On Tuesday, Bitcoin soared to a new historic peak of $94,000 per coin.This article was originally published on U.Today More