bitcoinist.com

There was a good level of optimism in the crypto market heading into the past week, with many investors speculating on a potential “Xmas Rally” for Bitcoin. While the premier cryptocurrency did make a play for the $100,000 mark on Christmas day, it didn’t take long for the bears to resume control.

It was pretty much the same story for most of the other large-cap assets, including Ethereum, Solana, and the in-form XRP. The recent bearish climate of the crypto market has pushed a cloud of skepticism over the digital asset sector as the historic year 2024 draws to a close.

Why Is Trading Activity Dwindling In The Market?

In its latest post on the X platform, market intelligence firm Santiment shared an interesting insight into the crypto market in the final days of 2024. According to the blockchain company, market trading volume is steadily dropping across various cryptocurrency sectors.

Data from Santiment shows that the trading volume is down by 64% in the past week, with sectors like AI/Big Data and meme coin reaching new weekly lows. This seems like a complete turnaround from a positive market trend considering that the price of Bitcoin only just set a new record high of $108,135 in the previous week.

At the same time, Santiment believes that everyone should have anticipated the downturn of trading volume, especially that of speculative altcoins. “With the holidays here and traders getting their year-end finances in order, the final week of December is often one of the least active times of each year,” the analytics firm explained.

Similarly, a Quicktake analyst with the pseudonym Grizzly mentioned that the Coinbase Premium Index, which tracks the percent difference between Coinbase Pro price (USD pair) and Binance price (USDT pair), has been on a decline due to similar reasons. Grizzly said reduced market participation during the holiday season, alongside limited cash flow, has likely contributed to the price decline.

However, Santiment noted that the crypto market could see at least “one final big unexpected” rally before 2024 ends if whales continue to exhibit their strong accumulation tendency. This market pump could happen even with the current lack of retail attention and participation.

Total Crypto Market Capitalization

As of this writing, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization stands at around $3.43 trillion, reflecting a 2.2% decline in the past 24 hours. With the crypto market cap up by more than 100% year-to-date, there is no question that, regardless of how the year ends, 2024 has been an excellent period for the digital asset sector.

Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market are grappling with a significant downturn, with the risk of a deeper correction looming. After reaching an all-time high of $108,300, Bitcoin’s momentum appears exhausted, and bearish sentiment has dominated the market. The pullback has left investors cautious, raising concerns about whether BTC can reclaim its bullish trajectory.

Amid this challenging environment, a fascinating trend has emerged. Key metrics reveal that the number of BTC exchange deposits has plummeted to a record low of 30,000—a level not seen since 2016. This sharp decline suggests a notable shift in investor behavior.

Rather than engaging in short-term trading, many BTC holders are adopting a long-term “HODL” (hold on for dear life) strategy. This approach reflects their belief in Bitcoin’s enduring value and potential as a hedge against economic uncertainties. By keeping their coins off exchanges, these investors are also contributing to a reduction in selling pressure, which could help stabilize the market during this correction phase.

While BTC’s immediate price action seems bearish, the reduced exchange activity offers a silver lining, indicating confidence among long-term holders. As the market navigates these volatile times, this shift could play a pivotal role in shaping Bitcoin’s next move.

Changing Bitcoin Dynamics

Bitcoin has faced persistent challenges staying above the $100,000 level since losing this critical psychological mark. The decline has prompted many analysts and investors to predict a deeper correction, potentially driving prices even lower. Despite these concerns, data indicates a strong long-term commitment from BTC investors, suggesting a more optimistic outlook for the asset’s future.

Key metrics shared by renowned analyst Axel Adler on X highlight a significant shift in Bitcoin holder behavior. The number of BTC deposits on exchanges has dropped to a record low of 30,000 per day, a figure not seen since 2016.

This is a stark contrast to the 10-year average of 90,000 daily deposits. Moreover, the cycle’s peak of 125,000 deposits occurred when Bitcoin was trading near $66,000, signaling intense selling pressure at that time.

The current decline in exchange deposits suggests that BTC holders are opting to “HODL” their coins rather than sell them during market fluctuations. This behavior reduces selling pressure, even in the face of potential price drops. It appears that more investors are adopting a long-term perspective, believing in Bitcoin’s value as a store of wealth and hedge against macroeconomic uncertainties.

Price Action: Breakdown Or Breakout?

Bitcoin is trading at $94,400 after repeated attempts to reclaim the $100,000 level fell short, while support at $92,000 continues to hold firm. This price range places BTC at a critical juncture, with its next move likely to determine the direction of the market in the near term.

If Bitcoin loses the $92,000 mark, it risks entering a deeper correction phase, potentially triggering a wave of selling pressure that could drive the price significantly lower. This scenario has many investors and analysts watching closely, as a breakdown below this level could challenge bullish sentiment in the current cycle.

On the other hand, Bitcoin still has the potential to reclaim its upward momentum. A decisive push above the $100,000 mark in the coming days would signal a strong resurgence of bullish control, likely propelling the price to new all-time highs. Such a move would reaffirm Bitcoin’s status as the leading asset in the crypto market and could encourage fresh inflows from investors seeking to capitalize on its upward trajectory.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

As Bitcoin (BTC) hovers around $92,000 and the critical $100,000 resistance level, the cryptocurrency market is rife with speculation about its next movements. Prominent crypto analyst Ali Martinez recently outlined potential scenarios for BTC’s future, suggesting that a steep correction may be on the horizon.

Crypto Experts Signal Concerns

In recent social media posts highlighted by Martinez, several well-known analysts have indicated that Bitcoin could experience a significant drop. Martinez noted a bearish sentiment within the market, citing that Bitcoin may crash to as low as $60,000. 

Tone Vays, a respected figure in the crypto space, warned that trading below $95,000 is “very, very bad,” as it heightens the probability of a correction toward $73,000. Similarly, Peter Brandt pointed to a potential breakdown of a “broadening triangle,” projecting a retracement toward the $70,000 range.

Adding to the bearish outlook, Mark Newton of Fundstrat suggested that while Bitcoin could eventually reach $250,000 by 2025, a downswing to $60,000 is likely in the near term. 

Meanwhile, another analyst, known as Intocryptoverse, speculated that Bitcoin might mirror the price action of the QQQ index offered by Invesco, with a flash crash potentially coinciding with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration day on January 20.

From an on-chain perspective, the analysis indicates that if Bitcoin falls below $93,806, it could face open air down to $70,085, reinforcing the likelihood of a correction. 

Notably, savvy investors seem to be preparing for a bearish scenario; over the past week, more than 33,000 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $3.23 billion, were transferred to exchanges. Additionally, on December 23 alone, over $7.17 billion in profits were realized by traders.

Bitcoin Must Reclaim $100,000 To Avoid Bearish Outlook

Recent data from Binance further shows a notable shift in trader sentiment, with the percentage of traders holding long positions in Bitcoin dropping from 66.73% to 53.60%. This decline reflects a growing caution among investors as Bitcoin recently broke below a significant support zone at $97,300.

For the bearish outlook to be invalidated, Martinez asserts that BTC must reclaim this critical support area and close above $100,000 on a daily basis. If it can achieve and maintain this level, he believes the cryptocurrency could embark on a new upward trajectory, potentially reaching as high as $168,500.

Despite the prevailing bearish sentiment, Martinez also presented a more bullish scenario. He suggested that a correction of 20% to 30% could actually set the stage for a stronger recovery. 

According to his analysis, a 30% drop would see BTC plummet to approximately $65,000 for current trading prices, a level not witnessed since October. This correction could serve to reset market sentiment and provide a foundation for future growth.

At the time of writing, the market’s leading crypto trades at $94,560, posting losses of 2% and 3% on the 24-hour and weekly time frames, respectively. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Coincodex’s machine learning (ML) algorithm has provided a bearish outlook for the Dogecoin price. The ML algorithm predicted that the meme coin would suffer a double-digit crash in January 2025. 

Dogecoin Price To Suffer A Double-Digit Crash? 

Coincodex predicted that the Dogecoin price would suffer a 10.62% crash by January 27, 2025. This projected price crash will cause Dogecoin to drop to $0.28 from its current price level. This price prediction is based on technical indicators showing that the current sentiment towards the foremost meme coin is bearish. 

The Fear and Greed Index for the Dogecoin price is showing 74, which indicates greed. Coincodex noted that Dogecoin has recorded 14/30 (47%) green days with 11.78% price volatility over the last 30 days. Based on this DOGE price forecast, the ML algorithm stated that now is a bad time to buy the meme coin. 

Coincodex’s Dogecoin price prediction for February 2025 is also bearish, as the ML algorithm predicts that the foremost meme coin will continue to range around $0.28 that month. However, things could change in March as the algorithm predicts that Dogecoin could finally rally above the much-anticipated psychological $1 level.

Specifically, Coincodex predicted that the Dogecoin price could rally to as high as $1.3 in March 2025. While this is bullish for Dogecoin, further predictions suggested that the $1.3 price level would mark the top for the foremost meme coin in this market cycle. 

This is contrary to predictions made by several analysts, such as Trader Tardigrade, who predicted that the meme coin could rally to double digits in this market cycle. Trader Tardigrade predicted that the Dogecoin price could reach as high as $30 by March 2025 if it replicates the 2021 bull run. 

Rally To $11 On The Cards 

In an X post, crypto analyst Dima James predicted that the Dogecoin price would rally to $11 in 2025. This came as he analyzed Dogecoin’s monthly chart with a focus on the meme coin’s fourth year in each cycle. The analyst noted that in the first cycle, DOGE’s year four started at $0.00023 and ended at $0.000851, representing a 37 times price increase. 

Something similar happened in year four of the second cycle as the Dogecoin price started at $0.00460 and ended at $0.17064, representing a 37 times price increase. In line with this, Dima James predicted that Dogecoin will end 2025, this cycle’s year four, at around $11.65 if 2024 closes at around $0.315 and history repeats itself with the 37x price rally. 

At the time of writing, the Dogecoin price is trading at around $0.31, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from TradingView

A recent report warned about a new sophisticated phishing scam targeting unsuspected crypto users. The scheme involves fake Zoom meeting links to trick investors into downloading malicious software to steal their assets.

Fake Zoom Link Steals Private Data

On Friday, Blockchain security firm SlowMist warned investors that hackers had been targeting crypto users with a sophisticated phishing scam to access their sensitive data. The investigation revealed that malicious actors used “social engineering and trojan techniques” to steal the victim’s private keys, wallet data, and other sensitive information.

According to the report, several X users posted online about a phishing attack disguised as Zoom meeting links, with some victims installing malicious software and losing assets worth millions of dollars.

One victim narrates being manipulated into clicking a fake Zoom meeting link and tricked into downloading and installing the malicious program on their computer. This resulted in the theft of 1 million USD0++ from the victim’s crypto wallet.

SlowMist explains that hackers use a fake domain resembling the original Zoom meeting link. Additionally, the website closely mimics the Zoom meeting interface, which deceives users into clicking the “Launch Meeting” button.

However, this action doesn’t open the Zoom app. Instead, it downloads the malicious software, leading users to “Reinstall” the platform. After being installed, users are tricked into executing a malicious script and entering their system password.

The blockchain security firm found that this script collects information from the user’s device and sends it to the hacker:

After the malicious code collects system information, browser data, cryptocurrency wallet data, Telegram data, Notes data, and Cookie data, it compresses the gathered information and sends it to a server controlled by the hacker.

Additionally, the software executes other scripts that collect KeyChain data from the computer to try to decrypt it. This allowed the hacker to access wallet mnemonic phrases and private keys, facilitating the theft of crypto assets.

SlowMist also tracked the related wallets, finding that over $1 million in crypto, including USD0++, MORPHO, and ETH, sat in the addresses linked to the hacker. Per the report, the MORPHO and the recently stolen USD0++ tokens had been swapped to 296 Ethereum (ETH) on December 23.

The funds were transferred to various crypto platforms, including Binance, Bybit, and Gate.io, to try and disguise the ill-gotten profits. The security firm advised users to carefully verify links before clicking and avoid executing unknown software and commands to protect their sensitive data and funds.

Crypto Hacks Rise In 2024

According to a recent Chainalysis report, crypto hacks persisted in 2024, rising 21.07% from last year. The industry saw over $2.2 billion lost to hackers, recording the third-largest year by total value stolen.

Additionally, it became the year with the most individual hacks, registering 303 incidents by the time of the report. Private key compromises were the largest compromise type, accounting for 43.8% of the incidents, while centralized exchanges (CEXs) were the most targeted platforms in Q2 and Q3.

This year also saw some of the largest heists in the industry’s history, with the DMM Bitcoin and WazirX exploits taking around $540 million between May and July. Meanwhile, North Korean hackers were responsible for 60% of the total value stolen, with $1.34 billion linked to their attacks.

Ultimately, it noted the industry’s need to address the “increasingly complex and evolving threat landscape,” suggesting a “collaborative approach between the public and private sectors” to combat these challenges effectively in the future.

In a significant development for the cryptocurrency landscape, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has finalized regulations that will require decentralized finance (DeFi) brokers to report gross proceeds from digital asset transactions. 

IRS Classifies DeFi Platforms As Brokers

Under the new regulations, which will take effect in 2027, DeFi platforms acting as front-end service providers will be classified as brokers. This designation compels them to fulfill stringent reporting requirements similar to those faced by traditional financial intermediaries. 

Notably, these platforms will be required to provide customers with Form 1099, detailing user transaction information, including names and addresses.

The IRS asserts that these front-end service providers facilitate digital asset transactions and therefore must report gross proceeds from cryptocurrency sales. This move reportedly aims to enhance transparency in the crypto market and ensure that taxes owed on unreported transactions are collected effectively.

The regulations specifically target DeFi trading front-ends, which enable users to access decentralized exchanges. By treating these platforms as brokers, the IRS intends to create a framework that aligns digital asset trading with traditional financial practices. 

The IRS stated, “The provision of a suite of software that enables a customer to interact with a distributed ledger network and effectuate transactions using DeFi trading applications is an example of providing a service that effectuates transfers.”

The Future Of Crypto Taxation In Question

While the regulations are designed to close tax loopholes highlighted in the 2021 federal infrastructure law, they have raised concerns within the DeFi community. 

Jake Chervinsky, a well-known lawyer supporting cryptocurrency, has expressed significant disagreement with the new regulations. He stated, “This unlawful rule is the dying gasp of the anti-crypto army on its way out of power. It must be struck down, either by the courts or the incoming administration.”

Chervinsky further emphasized that the regulations exceed the IRS’s statutory authority and violate constitutional principles, arguing that Congress did not intend for “broker” to encompass DeFi platforms.

The IRS has acknowledged the concerns raised by stakeholders and announced that brokers who make a “good-faith effort” to comply with the reporting requirements in 2027 will be granted relief from penalties for failing to report digital asset sales. 

This provision extends to backup withholding tax liabilities for transactions in 2027 and certain sales in 2028, offering some leeway as the industry adapts to the new regulatory landscape.

With an estimated 650 to 875 DeFi brokers potentially affected by the regulations, this move could reshape the operational landscape for decentralized exchanges. 

While the IRS clarified that the rules do not apply to internet service providers or hardware manufacturers, the classification of DeFi front-ends as brokers indicates a shift toward stricter regulatory oversight.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradinView.com

In a decision that concludes a series of prolonged legal proceedings, Montenegro’s Minister of Justice, Bojan Božović, has signed an order for the extradition of Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon to the United States. The announcement was confirmed to the Montenegrin daily newspaper Vijesti on Friday, marking the end of months of legal wrangling that pitted the United States against the Republic of Korea in a dual effort to bring the controversial entrepreneur to trial.

Do Kwon Will Be Extradited To The US

The Supreme Court of Montenegro had already determined that all legal prerequisites for Do Kwon’s extradition were met upon receiving separate requests from both the Republic of Korea and the United States. Their ruling permitted Minister Božović to review the facts and decide which jurisdiction would take priority.

“In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Department of Justice has considered all the facts and circumstances and assessed criteria such as the gravity of the crimes, the place of commission, the order in which the request was submitted, the nationality of the requested person, the possibility of further extradition to another country, as well as other circumstances,” said the Department of Justice in a statement provided to Vijesti.

The statement continued: “Given the above, it was concluded that most of the criteria provided for by law support the extradition request of the competent authorities of the United States of America, and the Minister of Justice has issued a decision allowing the extradition of Kwon Do Hyeong to the United States of America, while at the same time refusing extradition to the Republic of Korea.”

Do Kwon attracted scrutiny from both US and South Korean authorities for his alleged role in one of the most significant collapses in crypto history. In May 2022, the values of TerraUSD and Luna—two tokens created by Kwon—imploded. This event wiped out approximately $40 billion from the broader crypto market, triggering a cascade of bankruptcies among other digital asset firms.

Investigators contend that Do Kwon misled investors and further suspect he concealed sizable wealth linked to the TerraUSD/Luna crash. The crypto entrepreneur and the former finance officer of Do Kwon’s company Terraform Labs, Han Chang-joon, were arrested at Podgorica airport on March 23 of last year after authorities determined they were traveling with forged passports en route to Dubai. Do Kwon subsequently received a four-month prison sentence in Montenegro—a development that spurred both US and South Korean officials to step up extradition requests.

Following his release from Spuž Prison on March 23, Montenegrin authorities transferred Do Kwon to an immigration inspector. After a five-hour interrogation, he was escorted to the Immigration Center, where he remains pending final arrangements for his extradition.

At press time, Terra Luna Classic (LUNC) traded at $0.00011565.

The Bitcoin (BTC) ‘kimchi premium’ has returned to South Korea’s cryptocurrency market as the country grapples with political instability. This has led to a weakened Korean won (KRW) and a higher price for the leading cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin Kimchi Premium Surges In South Korea

According to CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju, the KRW-USD trading pair has reached a 15-year low, reflecting dwindling confidence among South Koreans in their fiat currency. The depreciating won has driven South Koreans to invest in emerging assets like Bitcoin to safeguard the purchasing power of their KRW during times of economic uncertainty.

In a post on X, Ju explained that South Korean crypto traders are increasingly converting KRW into cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and USD-pegged stablecoin USDT on the Upbit exchange, where BTC is trading at a premium of 3-5%. This price difference, commonly referred to as the Bitcoin ‘kimchi premium,’ occurs when BTC trades at a higher price on South Korean exchanges compared to global platforms.

Typically, the so-called kimchi premium arises due to high local demand, increasing regulatory barriers, and limited arbitrage opportunities in South Korea’s cryptocurrency market. However, in this instance the premium is primarily driven by the weakening KRW due to rising political turmoil in the country.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading in South Korea for 145,000,000 KRW or approximately $98,600, while on a global exchange like Binance, BTC is trading at $95,315. The difference between these platforms highlights the impact of the kimchi premium.

What’s Causing The KRW Decline?

The South Korean won’s decline can be attributed to ongoing political unrest, which has intensified since December 3. On this date, the now-impeached, former president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law for six hours before reversing the decision. Following this, South Korea’s parliament impeached Han Duck-soo, the country’s prime minister and acting president.

These dramatic developments have sent shockwaves through global markets, undermining confidence in South Korea’s democratic institutions and raising fears of the country facing its worst political crisis in decades. The monthly chart below illustrates how the KRW has plunged to its lowest value against the USD since March 2009.

In a separate post on X, Jeff Park, head of alpha strategies at investment manager Bitwise, highlighted that South Korea’s political turmoil centers on allegations of election fraud and a loss of trust in the country’s National Election Commission (NEC). Park commented:

The use of impeachment as a political tool, combined with allegations of foreign election interference, underscores the fragility of democracy in the face of disinformation. This is not just a Korean story; it’s a warning for democracies worldwide.

The political unrest in South Korea has sent its cryptocurrency market into a frenzy, leading to record-breaking trading volumes. At press time, BTC trades at $95,315, down 0.2% in the past 24 hours.

The moves of the Bitfinex whales have been reliable indicators for moves in the price of Bitcoin itself, as explained by this analyst.

Bitfinex Whales Have Shown Smart Money Behavior In Recent Years

In a new post on X, analyst James Van Straten has discussed about the trend in long Bitcoin positions present on the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex. Here is the chart shared by the analyst:

As is visible in the above graph, the Bitfinex long positions have shown some interesting changes with respect to the BTC price during the last few years. It would appear that the movements on the platform have generally come ahead of price action in the asset.

“Bitfinex whales have been a great indicator of BTC price movements,” notes Van Straten. During the 2022 bear market, the large investors on the platform opened massive bullish positions and sat tight on them until 2024 rolled around.

These investors then closed a notable amount of positions during the rally that took place in the first quarter of the year and what followed this trend was a downturn in the asset’s price.

During the consolidation phase, the Bitfinex whales gradually opened up fresh long positions. Once the recent leg of the bull run came, these humongous entities again showed smart money behavior as they realized their profit.

Since this profit-taking event has come from this cohort, the Bitcoin price has once more been showing signs of bearish momentum. So far, the Bitfinex long positions haven’t reversed their downtrend, implying the whales don’t think the current market conditions are right for setting up new bullish bets.

Naturally, it’s possible that the Bitfinex whales could turn out to be wrong about the cryptocurrency this time around, but considering that they have tended to be right about the market’s direction, a surge in their long positions may have to take place if BTC has to restart its run.

Speaking of cryptocurrency exchanges, the total Exchange Reserve, a measure of the amount of Bitcoin held by the wallets of all centralized platforms, has registered an increase recently, as an analyst has pointed out in a CryptoQuant Quicktake post.

Generally, one of the main reasons why investors use exchanges is for selling-related purposes, so a large amount of deposits don’t tend to be good news for the cryptocurrency’s price.

During the latest Exchange Reserve jump, the various platforms have received a total of 20,000 BTC in inflows. This could prove to be another obstacle in Bitcoin’s attempt at restarting bullish momentum.

BTC Price

Bitcoin has overall shown sideways movement during the past week as its price is still trading around the $96,000 mark.

In 2024, Bitcoin experienced an extraordinary rise in popularity on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. According to recent data, mentions of Bitcoin on X increased by 65% year-over-year, with users publishing over 140 million tweets about the cryptocurrency.

This uptick reflects a growing interest in Bitcoin, driven by significant developments in the market and a vibrant community of investors and enthusiasts.

Major Events Fueling Interest

This spike in Bitcoin-related discourse occurred at a time when critical events were unfolding in the crypto space. In the first quarter of the year, the US Securities and Exchange Commission had granted its long-awaited approval for spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

The ETF complex raised over $110 billion in assets within a short time, even more than that attributed to Bitcoin’s enigmatic creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Institutional acceptance in this way further legitimized the alpha crypto, attracting both new and old investors.

140 million posts containing the word “bitcoin” were published on X in 2024, an increase of 65% year over year.

H/T @visibrain pic.twitter.com/HmAxRRr4pB

— Jameson Lopp (@lopp) December 26, 2024

But with time, the enthusiasm about Bitcoin kept oscillating. The buzz subsided in February, then rose again in November due to the election of Donald Trump as US President, promising America would be the epicenter for cryptocurrency innovation.

Bitcoin again picked up pace when it reached a new record high of $108,000 in early December and breached a crucial psychological threshold.

Market Factors And Challenges

Despite the euphoria, the price of Bitcoin has come under pressure lately. As of late December, it traded at around $95,000, which indicated potential pullback after the holiday season. Analysts have warned of a possible decline if some critical support levels are broken.

Crypto trader Ali Martinez warned that Bitcoin could fall by nearly 27% if it fails to hold above key price points.

It’s not lost to anyone that substantial outflows from US spot Bitcoin ETFs have lately touched $1.5 billion. That has, at least to some extent, sowed uncertainty in the institutional investment community.

That again indicates broader trends within the crypto sector. Though bitcoin manages to remain resilient, its recovery path is going to heavily depend on maintaining support above crucial levels.

Future Of Bitcoin On X

Under Elon Musk’s leadership, the platform itself is changing but discussions about Bitcoin still dominate X. While they are supposed to increase user engagement, new content methods could also impact the spread and viewpoint of crypto-related content.

Featured image from PCMag, chart from TradingView

Ethereum had an underwhelming 2024, underperforming against Bitcoin and many top altcoins throughout the year. While BTC soared to new all-time highs, ETH struggled to reclaim its bullish momentum, leaving investors questioning its position in the market. However, next year could tell a different story, as historical trends suggest altcoins, including ETH, tend to shine during the post-halving year.

One of Ethereum’s strengths lies in its growing adoption and solid investor base. According to key metrics from IntoTheBlock, ETH’s hodler ratio has surpassed BTC’s, indicating a shift in long-term holding sentiment. This milestone is particularly notable as Bitcoin holders have recently taken profits following BTC’s new highs, reducing their stake in the market.

This dynamic could set the stage for ETH to reclaim dominance and lead a potential altseason in 2025. With more ETH being held by committed investors, the supply available for trading is limited, which could act as a catalyst for price appreciation once demand returns.

As Ethereum enters a new cycle, the market eagerly watches for signals that could drive its recovery and potential breakout in the coming months. Whether ETH can capitalize on these metrics remains to be seen, but optimism for a brighter year ahead is building.

Is Ethereum Losing Power? 

Many analysts and investors are starting to believe that Ethereum is approaching a potentially dark period after struggling to break its yearly highs and continuing to set lower highs. Despite the growing optimism surrounding Ethereum’s long-term potential, the lack of bullish price action has left many questioning its near-term outlook.

Ethereum’s price movements have been lackluster compared to Bitcoin and other altcoins, leading some to speculate that ETH could be heading for a more challenging phase in the market.

Top analyst Maartunn recently shared valuable insights on X, revealing that Ethereum’s hodler ratio has surpassed Bitcoin’s. This shift is significant as it highlights that more investors are holding onto ETH for the long term, especially with Bitcoin’s recent profits prompting many holders to take their gains. This has led Maartunn to ask an important question: Could Ethereum hodlers follow suit when ETH finally breaks its previous all-time highs?

While the outlook for 2025 could be bright for Ethereum, with its growing adoption and the potential for an altseason, there is a risk in keeping the current trend. If ETH fails to break its previous ATH and continues its pattern of lower highs, it could signal a more prolonged consolidation phase or even a deeper correction.

The market sentiment and key data points will be critical in determining whether Ethereum can capitalize on the positive trends in the coming year or face a more challenging road ahead.

ETH Testing Liquidity Before The Next Push

Ethereum is currently trading at $3,400 after several days of consolidation below the key $3,550 level. Price action appears bearish, as ETH has failed to hold this level as support, instead continuing to form a series of lower highs. This ongoing trend suggests that selling pressure is dominating the market, and unless ETH manages to regain strength, the downside could extend further.

However, there is still hope for Ethereum if it can break above the critical $3,750 resistance level. A push above this mark would signal a potential reversal and could set the stage for a strong rally. If bulls can reclaim $3,750 and hold it as support, ETH is likely to see a massive surge, with the potential to reach new highs in the coming weeks.

In the short term, Ethereum’s ability to break and hold above $3,750 will be crucial for determining the next major move. If this level is rejected once again, ETH could continue its bearish trend and face deeper corrections. Therefore, investors and analysts will be closely watching for any signs of a breakout to confirm the next direction for Ethereum’s price.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin‘s potential for a significant upside move in the short term continues to gain traction as a positive price trend emerges on its daily chart. With upward momentum currently building, the much-anticipated next move will put the digital asset back above the pivotal $100,000 mark.

A Bullish Price Breakout For Bitcoin On The Horizon?

In a recent analysis, Trader Tardigrade, a technical expert and trader, cited a price trend that suggests Bitcoin could be poised for a notable spike in the upcoming days. Bullish predictions like this are rising within the community again following BTC’s recent rally that brought its price close to the $100,000 point on Christmas.

Trader Tardigrade, navigating BTC’s price action, highlighted that the asset continues to maintain Ascending Channel formation despite recent waning price performances. With the potential of a breakout on the upside, this development signals robust market confidence and resilience.

According to the expert, the Bitcoin Ascending Channel has held steady after making a false break from the pattern’s lower support line. Since the recovery of the channel, BTC has retested the support line just below $98,000 once again which is crucial for its next trajectory.

In the event that Bitcoin sustains this level, Trader Tardigrade expects a move to the channel’s upper resistance line located at the $110,000 level. As institutional interest and retail investor sentiment grow, BTC’s breakout from this bullish pattern may fuel a much larger rally to uncharted territory. Thus far, the market is closely monitoring for catalysts that may trigger the much-expected surge to this cycle’s peak as confidence in BTC’s prospects grows.

Bitcoin has demonstrated positive price moves over the last few days, indicating renewed strength. On Wednesday, Trader Tardigrade revealed that the crypto asset closed above a key resistance level, marking a breakout from a Descending Channel formation.

The descending channel pattern is characterized by two downward parallel trend lines representing lower highs and lower lows. As the cryptocurrency escapes the downside action that has defined the channel for several weeks, this breakout indicates a change in price trend. Due to this, the analyst is confident that BTC could rally to the $100,000 mark shortly and reach new all-time highs.

Daily Price Outlook Turning Positive

After starting the day on a bearish note, BTC is gradually transitioning toward a bullish outlook. Presently, the digital asset is valued at $96,510, indicating a 1% increase in the past day.

Bitcoin’s recent decline is partially attributed to a significant inflow of BTC into crypto exchanges. This development is often seen as a sign of a potential sell-off in the market, causing investors to secure gains. Following a protracted decline in exchange reserves, this shift may serve as a precursor to short-term market turbulence.

The altcoin season could be closer than ever, as the Bitcoin Dominance has entered a historically favorable phase for alternative digital assets. According to a crypto analyst, the altcoin season has officially entered the 140-day Golden Window, a period marked by significant growth for altcoins. This phase is driven by a shift in Bitcoin’s dominance fueled by a change in investor interest from the leading cryptocurrency to other assets. 

Altcoin Season Set For Epic Surge In Q1 2025

A market expert known as ‘the crypto bullet,’ has revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that altcoins have entered the “140-day Golden Window,” a historical 20-week period during which non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies skyrocket as Bitcoin’s dominance plummets. Earlier in November 2024, the Bitcoin Dominance peaked, indicating that the pioneer cryptocurrency was commandeering a more significant portion of the market then. 

This spike in Bitcoin‘s dominance coincided with its rise to an all-time high, as the massive demand and dwindling supply of the cryptocurrency led to a price spike above $104,000. 

Despite topping in the past month, Crypto Bullet disclosed that the Bitcoin Dominance faced a rejection at the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement level. This level, corresponding to a 60% Bitcoin dominance, indicates that a trend reversal could be in play after the rejection. 

Crypto Bullet has revealed that historically, Bitcoin dominance takes about 20 weeks to reach a bottom after topping out. As of writing, the market is in week 5 of this 140-day cycle, with only 15 weeks left for the Bitcoin Dominance to decline further. 

Over the next 15 weeks, the analyst expects a Bitcoin dominance meltdown, predicting an aggressive decrease from its current level of approximately 58%, as indicated on the chart. This decline often signals a shift in investors’ demand and interest in Bitcoin to altcoins, leading to the start of the anticipated altcoin season. 

Based on the chart, the analyst suggests that by April 7, 2025, marking the end of the 140-day cycle, the Bitcoin dominance is projected to reach a bottom near 40%. If the Bitcoin Dominance enters this projected meltdown stage, Crypto Bullet has predicted that the First Quarter (Q1) of 2025 will be “epic.” 

Understanding Bitcoin Dominance 

The Bitcoin Dominance represents the percentage of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization attributed to Bitcoin. This key technical indicator is usually used to measure investors’ sentiment and predict market trends.

When Bitcoin Dominance declines, it signals that capital flows from Bitcoin to other alternative digital assets, indicating that investors are becoming more risk-on and exploring altcoins. In contrast, when this dominance is high, Bitcoin holds a more significant portion of market value, as investors are generally more focused on it than on other cryptocurrencies. 

A severe drop in Bitcoin Dominance often indicates that altcoin season may be on the horizon. The last significant altcoin season was seen during the previous bull run in 2021. At the time, Bitcoin’s dominance had fallen significantly, followed by a steep drop in its price. 

In a wide-ranging two-hour livestream on December 26, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson addressed ongoing discussions around partnering with Ripple, advancing a Chainlink integration, and bridging Bitcoin into the Cardano ecosystem. Speaking from Gillette, Wyoming, Hoskinson provided new details and timelines for these initiatives, emphasizing security requirements and technical collaboration across multiple blockchains.

Update On The Potential Cardano And Ripple Partnership

Hoskinson described the relationship with Ripple as “early days,” highlighting a desire to incorporate Ripple’s infrastructure into Cardano’s upcoming privacy-focused sidechain, Midnight. “We’d like to include Ripple in the Midnight ecosystem,” he stated, underscoring that his team and Ripple CTO David Schwartz have pursued technical conversations about how both platforms could benefit from each other.

“There are ongoing talks between the Midnight people and the Ripple people and a lot of technological talks as well. And we’ve been trying to learn more about how their stack works,” Hoskinson confirmed.

He also referenced Cardano’s smart contract language, Marlowe, suggesting it could be of particular interest to Ripple developers. “There’s some tech we invented, in particular Marlowe, that would be tremendously useful with the Ripple ecosystem, and it would be a lot of fun to see what we can do there and also just some things in Ripple like Flare, for example, are pretty cool, pretty interesting” he explained.

Nonetheless, Hoskinson noted that partnership agreements require time to “ferment,” adding, “First step was just technical conversations and that’s what we did with David [Schwartz] who’s been tremendously helpful and a great asset. Then at some point once you’ve got beyond that, then there’s actual integration work and other things to get done, but overall they’ve been easy to work with.”

Chainlink Integration

Addressing Chainlink’s absence on the Cardano blockchain to date, Hoskinson recalled initial discussions from 2021 in which the two teams had reached an agreement to integrate oracle services. Despite the early enthusiasm, the project never fully materialized.

“We talked about integration. They agreed to do it and, for a long time, I thought they had integrated on the chain,” Hoskinson said, describing how the initiative became stalled. “Where I don’t think there’s a commercial issue or an integration or technical issue, something got cross-wired […] we’ll circle back and I’ll find out what happened there.”

He reiterated Cardano’s interest in oracles—crucial infrastructure that feeds real-world data onto the blockchain—mentioning alternatives such as Charlie3 and Flare. At the same time, Hoskinson reaffirmed that no bad blood exists between the parties.

“I know Sergey [Nazarov], the Chainlink ecosystem has always been very friendly to us,” he continued, reiterating plans to reopen discussions.

Bridging Bitcoin To Cardano

In one of the AMA’s more in-depth technical segments, Hoskinson outlined plans to integrate Bitcoin into Cardano’s ecosystem—discussions that involve multiple teams exploring trustless bridging solutions.

“Anytime assets move from one blockchain to another blockchain, that is a point of attack,” he said, pointing to the string of exploits that have plagued cross-chain protocols in recent years. “We’ve witnessed literally billions of dollars in hacks.”

Hoskinson stressed the importance of formal methods and security proofs in building a robust BTC–ADA bridge, warning that “the single most important bridging project” cannot be rushed to match shorter market cycles. Instead, the goal is to unveil a reliable, cryptographically rigorous design by Bitcoin 2025, the industry conference slated for May 2025.

“We can’t put our fingerprints on it until we know the cryptography works,” he said, “because if we build something and a year down the road there’s a billion dollars worth of Bitcoin in it and it gets hacked, that’s a catastrophe.”

Alongside the core IO (Input Output) developers, several community-driven teams have been experimenting with bridging approaches under monikers like Bitcoin OS. Hoskinson noted such parallel efforts are welcome in an open ecosystem, though he emphasized that his own organization’s effort focuses on “belt-and-suspenders” security. “We’re really good at understanding what’s real and what’s not real, and building things that stand the test of time,” he concluded.

At press time, ADA traded at $0.90.

Ever since the crypto industry gained momentum, Bitcoin ($BTC) and Ethereum ($ETH) are the two names that have been dominating the market. No one ever managed to come close. But the tables turned in 2022. For the first time ever, Solana ($SOL) has managed to beat both in multiple areas.

$SOL experienced an all-time low in 2022 with the collapse of FTX. Since then its value grew by 2,000%. As per a Glassnode report, in the 727 days since the FTX collapse, $SOL outperformed both $BTC and $ETH on 344 days.

Similarly, in that timeframe, $SOL has witnessed more capital inflow than both $BTC and $ETH.

One of the biggest reasons behind this sudden growth is the increase in meme coin activity on the Solana blockchain.

$SOL powers all these meme coin transactions. This means that demand for Solana-based meme coins pushes demand for $SOL, which took its value to an all-time high of $263 earlier this year.

But $SOL Is Down 22% So Far. What Does This Mean?

Despite outperforming both $BTC and $ETH, $SOL’s price has been on a consistent decline since early December. Today alone its price went down by 3.6%.

One of the biggest reasons for that are the limitations of the Solana mainnet. It wasn’t ready to handle the sudden surge in traffic, which led to congestion and slower transactions.

This is where Solaxy comes in – a new layer-2 scaling solution for Solana that addresses all the problems of the main network.

Simply put, it aims to offload part of the transactions from Solana to reduce network congestion. Investors will also enjoy lower trading fees thanks to faster processing.

Is Solaxy’s New Token Worth Investing In? 

Solaxy’s Layer-2 network also introduces a new token called $SOLX. The token is currently on presale and has already raised more than $6.2M.

One $SOLX is currently available at $0.001582. However, the price will increase gradually before we’ll see the token on exchanges. This means there will be no lower entry point into Solaxy’s ecosystem than now.

While there’s no way to guarantee gains in the crypto market, analysts expect $SOLX to explode at least 10x. Some industry experts go as far as to speculate that $SOLX might be the next 100x token owing to its early momentum. However, it’s a little too soon to say that with confidence.

A Solaxy Full of Opportunities

To join the $SOLX presale, visit the official Solaxy website, connect your wallet, and pay with $ETH, $BNB, or $USDT. You can also pay with a bank card, but the transaction fee might be higher.

Remember, always do your own research before putting your hard-earned money in any meme coin. Diversify your portfolio (indexes like $MEMEX can help you in this) and don’t invest more than you can afford to lose.

A huge part of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was based on cryptocurrency. He promised to introduce a new regulatory framework for crypto and promote it as a more mainstream asset.

Cut to the present, Donald Trump has won the election, which is why the crypto industry is pushing to see him fulfill these promises.

Trump officially starts his term in the White House on January 20, 2025. On his very first day, he’s likely to announce a number of executive orders on important subjects ranging from immigration to energy.

The crypto industry wants him to make similar executive orders on digital assets. Investors hope that Trump will bring his claims to life within the first 100 days of his term and expect him to announce at least one crypto-related order on January 20.

Bo Hines to Lead Trump’s Crypto Council

Rebecca Rettig, chief legal and policy officer at Polygon Labs, said “Given the tenor of the campaign, it would be imperative for executive orders to really set out what the actual priorities will be on day one and provide some kind of roadmap.”

On December 22, Trump took to his Truth Social account and announced the new team that will be working with White House A.I. & Crypto Czar, David O. Sacks, in the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets (commonly called the ‘crypto council’).

Notable nominees include Bo Hines, who will take the position of the executive director of the council, and Scott Kupor as director of the Office of Personnel Management.

On top of that, pro-crypto pols have managed to block the reelection of Caronline Crenshaw for her second term as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commissioner. Crenshaw was known for aggressive stance on the crypto market. She would have never favored Trump’s ambitions for this industry.

Impact of Trump’s Win On the Crypto Industry

Trump’s presidential win has huge implications for the crypto industry. With his promise of taking crypto forward, investors are feeling more and more confident in putting their money down. And these effects are not limited to the US; they are noticeable worldwide.

For example, Yonhap News revealed that crypto industry in South Korea saw significant growth. In November alone, more than 610K new users joined the crypto ecosystem, bringing the total number of investors in the country 15.6M. The total value of crypto assets in Yonhap News right now is valued at $70.3B.

For context, Trump won the elections on November 5, and many experts believe his victory might have influenced this surge.

With such tremendous global enthusiasm and support from authorities, the crypto industry might be entering its golden era marked by greater investor confidence, market security, and stability.

A Golden Time for $WEPE

Crypto’s new golden era is a great time for new investors to make their way in through reliable tokens like Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE). The project has already raised $36M on the ongoing presale and is currently priced at $0.0003658.

$WEPE was initialy selling at $0.00020 per token and has already seen a 82.9% increase in price. Experts predict the price to soar 200% by the end of 2025, reaching $0.001094 per token.

Hop In, But DYOR

Trump’s pro-crypto policies could boost the entire crypto market and meme coins like $WEPE in particular. So, there may be no better time to buy $WEPE than now – before the presale ends or the price increases further.

However, it’s always a good idea to do your own research before investing because no gains are guaranteed in the crypto market.

The Dogecoin and Shiba Inu prices have crashed in the last 24 hours as the broader crypto market correction continues. This price crash is due to several developments, including the holiday season, with several traders choosing to stay out of the market during this period. 

Why The Dogecoin And Shiba Inu Prices Crashed

CoinMarketCap data shows that Dogecoin and Shiba Inu prices have crashed over 3% in the last 24 hours. The holiday season has contributed to the price crash for the foremost meme coins. Traders are known to stay out of this market during this period, which sparked a wave of sell-offs, leading to these price declines. 

Historical data also shows that it isn’t out of place for the Dogecoin and Shiba Inu prices to record a significant correction during this period. DOGE has closed December in the red in two out of the last three years, including during the 2021 bull run. Like Dogecoin, the Shiba Inu price has also closed December in the red in two out of the last three years. 

Meanwhile, another reason Dogecoin and Shiba Inu prices could have crashed is the increasing likelihood that Donald Trump will not create the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as promised. Bitcoin began to price into this initiative right after Trump won the US presidential elections. 

However, in the past few days, experts like Bitwise’s Jeff Park have suggested that it is unlikely that the Bitcoin Reserve will be created in 2025. The Bitcoin price has corrected on the back of this development, dragging the Dogecoin and Shiba Inu prices alongside. These meme coins share a strong positive price correlation with the flagship crypto. As such, it is normal for them to experience such price crashes as BTC corrects. 

A Price Recovery Is On The Cards

Despite this recent crash, the Dogecoin and Shiba Inu prices are still expected to witness a bullish reversal. Crypto analyst Master Kenobi predicted that the Dogecoin price could reach a new peak by January 2025. The analyst alluded to the 2021 bull run when DOGE experienced a bullish reversal in January 2021 after a significant price correction in December 2020. 

Crypto analyst Trader Tardigrade also provided a bullish outlook for the Dogecoin price, suggesting that the next phase will begin soon. In an X post, he stated that DOGE has started the bull run, revealing that the meme coin follows a particular bullish pattern. 

Meanwhile, Javon Marks provided a bullish outlook for the Shiba Inu price, suggesting that a bullish reversal was imminent. He stated that Shiba Inu has added bullish signals, and the road to $0.000081 looks like it will continue. In line with this, he remarked that a rally of over 234% is on the cards. 

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Strive Asset Management is joining the ETF bandwagon by formally filing the Strive Bitcoin Bond ETF with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In a 475A filing submitted on December 26th, Strive aims to leverage the changing investment landscape favoring Bitcoin, digital assets, and the blockchain.

According to the prospectus shared on the SEC website, the Strive team aims to offer investors access to MicroStrategy’s convertible funds. These funds are now popular thanks to a friendly political climate and the expected passage of friendly crypto regulations.

Strive’s primary investment strategy is to allocate at least 80% of its funds to Bitcoin, with the remaining on short-term money market instruments, like US government securities.

Strive’s first of many planned Bitcoin solutions will democratize access to Bitcoin bonds, which are bonds issued by corporations to purchase Bitcoin. We believe these bonds provide attractive risk-return exposure to Bitcoin, yet they are not available to be purchased by most… pic.twitter.com/F7oiKDuDb7

— Strive (@StriveFunds) December 26, 2024

Strive Takes A Bold Step Towards Bitcoin-First Policy

Strive takes a bold investment step at a time when Bitcoin and digital assets are becoming more popular in the financial market. Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy, which leads the industry in Bitcoin adoption, has become the template for many up-and-coming investment houses looking to succeed.

Strive’s prospectus highlights its investing strategy that leverages MicroStrategy’s successes. A MicroStrategy-based Bitcoin investment thesis is now a popular template for many, and it helps Bitcoin continue to test the $100k level. In addition, there are also expectations that a Donald Trump presidency will be beneficial for the crypto niche.

Through its CEO, Matt Cole, Strive Funds has supported a Bitcoin strategy. In a recent statement, Cole explained that the company is exploring investments that will fit the current Bitcoin and blockchain-friendly administration.

In preparation for its involvement with Bitcoin ETF bonds, Strive has published a Bitcoin Primer on its official website, explaining the basics, including history.

Strive files for “Bitcoin Bond” ETF…

Would seek exposure to convertible securities issued by MicroStrategy. pic.twitter.com/ybJjbVFWUN

— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) December 26, 2024

Strive Investments Bitcoin Bonds ETF Strategy

According to its prospectus, Strive’s Fund is an actively managed ETF whose team will invest its assets through derivative instruments, options, and swaps to gain exposure to the convertible securities of MicroStrategy.

As part of its plan, the fund will invest at least 80% of its funds in Bitcoin. Strive, founded in 2022 by Ramaswamy, uses MicroStrategy as its benchmark, being the world’s largest and original Bitcoin treasury company. In short, Strive is offering its investors an opportunity to invest and potentially earn from Bitcoin without owning it or even enduring its highly volatile nature.

In addition to direct investments in Bitcoin, the company aims to specialize in other Bitcoin-related products to diversify its portfolio.

Bitcoin And Blockchain Continue To Gain Acceptance Among Firms

Using MicroStrategy’s investments as a template, Strive joins other firms to test new investment strategies that fit today’s financial developments.

Strive’s interest in Bitcoin ETFs will be helped by Ramaswamy’s background and his closeness to Trump’s administration. Along with Elon Musk, Ramaswamy was appointed to head a new agency called D.O.G.E., which aims to promote government efficiency.

Featured image from The Motley Fool, chart from TradingView

2024 seems set to go out with a sigh, rather than a bang.

After a hectic two months during which $BTC saw record-setting, all-time highs and the crypto market cap surged dramatically, investors have settled down considerably.

It was only September – barely four months ago – when investor confidence, as measured by the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, was at a yearly low of 26.

In November, it peaked at 85 – ‘Extreme Greed’, and extremely good for investors and markets alike.

The market now sits at a steady 54 – decidedly ‘Neutral’, not leaning one way or the other.

But behind the scenes, the market’s as frantic as ever. Here are the 5 best altcoins to buy as $BTC’s price bounces up from its monthly low.

$SOLX – A Solaxy Not Far Away

The time is now, not long long ago, and the galaxy isn’t far away at all. It’s actually right next door, on the Solana blockchain.

That’s right, Solaxy aims to launch the first-ever Solana Layer-2 solution. No failed transactions, faster processing than ever, less congestion. It’s a Solana upgrade that can’t be missed.

The boosters are getting hot on the presale – the project has already blown past the $6M mark.

The project features a balanced tokenomics structure and promises enough utility to set it apart from typical meme coin offerings.

There’s no better time to go intergalactic. 

$MEMEX – The First-Ever Meme Coin Index

Having just launched its presale, the world’s ‘first decentralized meme coin index’ is starting to build some early momentum.

The idea is simple:

1. Put all the meme coins in one place.
2. Watch them like a hawk.
3. Profit.

$MEMEX is part of a growing trend of meme coins that seek to combine cultural appeal with real-world utility. It aims to categorize meme coins into four indices, each offering a different volatility level.

As it currently stands, the $MEMEX presale has gathered nearly $600K in just a few days, fueled by multi-k token purchases, with the promise of far bigger things to come. This means now is the perfect time to jump into the project.

$PENGU – Penguins Shuffle To Big Gains

Up 42% in a single week, $PENGU continues to make massive gains in the crypto world.

Pudgy Penguins began in 2021 as an NFT collection and benefited from an avid collector’s community. After the successful launch of the $PNEGU token in 2024, there’s now a shop with real-world merchandise to build on the digital hype.

$PENGU adds a bird of a different feather to other noteworthy meme coins. The combo of NFTs, merchandise, and now a leading token with a $2B+ market cap makes Pudgy Penguins a noteworthy project to watch.

$WEPE – Wall Street’s Green Frog Marches On

Wall Street Pepe continues to build on its ongoing and successful presale, with a whopping $36M raised.

Investors keep flooding in with big buys including a recent $42K purchase. 

$WEPE promises investor insights and a vibrant trading community, but its key appeal lies in its meme coin combo tagline, ‘Trade like PEPE, buy WEPE!’

 

It’s a golden opportunity for meme enthusiasts and investors, alike. $WEPE follows on the continued success of the original $PEPE and of newcomers like Pepe Unchained ($PEPU), which surpassed a $38M market cap. 

Could $WEPE be the next big green boss?

$FARTCOIN – Meme Coin with a $1B Market Cap

It’s not every day you see a meme coin hit the $1B mark, and it’s always big news when it happens.

$FARTCOIN currently trades at $1.04; up 180% in the past month, with little sign that the momentum is flagging. Circulating supply is also at the 1B mark, putting Fartcoin in an interesting position; it could go nowhere – or it could explode even further.

That potential makes Fartcoin one of the more intriguing meme coins in the current market.

Big Meme Coin Potential for 2025

$BTC’s price prediction for the next decade looks promising, and its continued success will only spell good things for the meme coin market.

Keep your eyes on these coins. Each project listed here has major potential for the new year and looks set to end the season on a positive note. But don’t take our word for it; visit their official pages and do your own research.

The Best Wallet presale has raised over $5.8M. In the four days before Santa did his rounds, it garnered an additional $500K, easing any ‘Decembear’ doubts. 

Still, this month has presented unfavorable times for the broader crypto market. On December 17, $BTC was valued at a hefty $108K, but it’s dropped by 12.5% since and is now trading at $96K. 

Digital assets often rise and fall depending on the crypto king Bitcoin’s performance. However, it’s not deterred $BEST from attracting new investor interest, thanks to it being the bedrock of a novel crypto wallet. 

Crypto Market Suffers Amid US Interest Rate Uncertainties 

Many factors have contributed to the wider crypto market’s downturn – one of which is the US Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance on interest rate cuts in 2025. 

The Fed might slash interest rates only twice next year, possibly resulting in tighter liquidity in traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) markets. 

Such uncertainty has contributed to many major meme coins dropping in value this past week, including: 

• $PEPU (–25%) 
• $HOPPY (–25%) 
• $PEPECOIN (–12%) 

However, a Santa rally might create a bullish lift by the end of this year, potentially boosting investment sentiment in coins like $CHO, $DOGE, and $ARB.

Additional good indicators for the new year include ‘Crypto President,’ Donald Trump, assuming office on January 20, plus, Paul Atkins taking over Gary Gensler’s role as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair. 

Gary Gensler’s strict regulations have hindered Web3 innovation over the past years, creating uncertainty for investors and creators alike. Atkins, by comparison, is much more crypto-friendly.  

Trump is also pushing for a Bitcoin reserve, which is projected to drive the price of $BTC to greater heights and offset US debt. 

To make the most of these developments, however, investors need a trustworthy crypto wallet like Best Wallet. 

$BEST Unlocks Promising Early Projects

Best Wallet’s new altcoin project offers better pricing for users swapping digital assets because it integrates with 200+ decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and 60+ blockchain networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. 

Another bonus is its off-ramping functionality. Best Wallet users can seamlessly convert crypto into 100+ fiat currencies (including $USD, $EUR, and $GBP) and directly deposit funds into their chosen bank accounts.

Nevertheless, its standout feature is ‘Upcoming Tokens,’ which spotlights promising presales before they attract mainstream attention. Users can join these low-cap new projects at their lowest-ever prices. 

Showing the power of this functionality, it featured Pepe Unchained while on presale for just $0.00992, which later spiked to $0.06858 – a commendable 591% gain for early investors. 

It also features Crypto All-Stars ($STARS), whose presale started at just $0.00138 and has achieved an impressive 1373.91% return since being listed on major exchanges. 

How to Join the Best Wallet Presale

Joining the Best Wallet presale is straightforward. Head to the official website, connect your crypto wallet to the widget, and buy tokens using a variety of currencies, including $ETH, $USDT, $FLOKI, and $BNB.

$BEST can also be acquired directly from the Best Wallet app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store using fiat or crypto, currently for just $0.023375. However, you must swap $ETH or $USDT for the token. 

Notably, you can integrate existing crypto wallets, like MetaMask, into Best Wallet to manage all your crypto assets in one safe space. 

For more information, follow Best Wallet on X and Discord.

Visit Best Wallet today.

Disclaimer: This isn’t financial advice. Be sure to always do your own research and never invest more than you can afford to lose.