‍Institutional Investors Maintain Strong Confidence in Digital Assets Amidst Market Volatility New research from Sygnum indicates that over 61% of institutional investors plan to increase their cryptocurrency holdings, despite recent market corrections. This sustained interest is driven by expectations of higher future returns, even amid regulatory uncertainties. Key catalysts like altcoin ETFs and the potential for staking ETFs are anticipated to further boost institutional demand. Over 80% of surveyed institutions expressed interest in crypto ETFs beyond Bitcoin and Ether, with 70% indicating they would increase investments if staking rewards were offered. Lucas Schweiger of Sygnum noted that 2025 will be characterized by measured risk, pending regulatory decisions, and strong demand catalysts.
‍Bitget Launches Stock Index Perpetual Futures Bitget has introduced three new stock index perpetual futures: CSCOUSDT, PEPUSDT, and ACNUSDT. These contracts aim to bridge traditional finance with the cryptocurrency ecosystem, offering traders exposure to major companies like Cisco, PepsiCo, and Accenture. Key features include USDT settlement, isolated margin, 24/5 trading, hourly funding fees, and up to 10x leverage. This expansion enhances Bitget's derivatives offerings for its 120M+ users.
‍Willy Woo's Seven-Year Bitcoin Plan for Quantum Safety Bitcoin veteran Willy Woo has proposed a strategy to protect digital assets from future quantum computing threats. His recommendation involves securing Bitcoin (BTC) in a Segregated Witness (SegWit) wallet for approximately seven years. Woo suggests this as a temporary measure until quantum-resistant protocols are widely adopted. He explains that SegWit addresses hide public keys until a transaction is logged, potentially offering a shield against quantum attacks that could derive private keys from public keys. However, this strategy requires users to refrain from initiating any transactions from the SegWit address. Some experts, like Charles Edwards, dispute SegWit's efficacy as a long-term defense, advocating for immediate network upgrades. Others argue the quantum threat is currently overblown and decades away from being viable.
‍Gemini Reports Significant Q3 Loss Post-IPO, but User Growth Surges Gemini has announced its first financial results as a public company, revealing a net loss of $159.5 million for the third quarter. This wider-than-expected loss, attributed to IPO expenses, marketing, and stock-based compensation, caused GEMI shares to drop 12% after hours. Despite financial setbacks, Gemini reported strong user acquisition, fueled by a surge in credit-card activity. Net revenue reached $49.8 million, up 52% from the previous quarter, with trading volume hitting $16.4 billion. The Gemini credit card exceeded 100,000 accounts and generated over $350 million in quarterly spend.
‍Buterin: ZK Proofs Alone Insufficient for Full Privacy, Hybrid Solutions Key Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has stated that Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) alone cannot guarantee full protection against coercion in privacy applications like voting. He emphasized the need for ZKPs to be combined with other advanced cryptographic technologies, such as Multi-Party Computation (MPC), Threshold Fully Homomorphic Encryption (tFHE), and Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). Buterin proposed a layered approach, citing ZK+FHE as a powerful combination. This strategy ensures that privacy properties are retained even if one component is compromised. This multi-faceted design is crucial for building resilient decentralized applications that offer robust user privacy and autonomy.
‍Gamma AI Secures $68M Series B, Reaches $2.1B Valuation with a16z Lead AI-powered presentation tool developer Gamma has closed a $68 million Series B funding round, elevating its valuation to $2.1 billion. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). Gamma, founded in 2020, leverages AI to transform text into presentations and social media content. The platform boasts 70 million users globally, including over 600,000 paying customers, and reports approximately $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). The company has maintained profitability since 2023 with a lean team of 52 employees. The new capital will be used to expand enterprise offerings and scale the team. The investment from a16z highlights investor confidence in advanced generative AI solutions.
‍MegaETH Implements Strict Token Lockup, Penalizes Resale Discussions MegaETH has introduced stringent lockup rules for its token sale participants, including penalties for publicly discussing OTC trades or hedging plans. Co-founder Namik Murodoglu announced on X that participants with over a year-long lockup must hold tokens for personal use, prohibiting transfers, resales, or hedging. Violators face a full refund and forfeiture of tokens. The sale was oversubscribed 28 times, with MegaETH prioritizing long-term holders. This strategy aims to prevent immediate reselling and foster commitment to the project's future. The move is intended to maintain market integrity and prevent price manipulation from early investors.
‍Crypto Wallet Forfeits $30M Amid Giggle Academy Token Surge A single crypto wallet reportedly missed out on an estimated $30 million profit after selling its GIGGLE token holdings prematurely. The token, linked to Zhao Changpeng's Giggle Academy, saw a significant price rally following a public endorsement from the prominent crypto figure. GIGGLE's market capitalization surpassed $200 million post-endorsement. Analysis by Bubblemaps revealed that several addresses "front-ran" the launch, acquiring 180,000 GIGGLE tokens (valued at $28 million) within the first minute. The wallet in question, which held 20% of the initial offering, sold a significant portion before the catalyst that drove the token's value up, resulting in the missed profit.
‍BNY Mellon: Stablecoin & Tokenized Cash Market to Reach $3.6 Trillion by 2030 BNY Mellon forecasts that stablecoins and tokenized cash could reach a combined market cap of $3.6 trillion by 2030. Stablecoins are projected to account for $1.5 trillion, with tokenized deposits and money market funds making up the remaining $2.1 trillion. Key benefits identified include accelerated settlements, reduced counterparty risk, and improved collateral liquidity. Regulatory developments, such as the EU's MiCA, are seen as crucial drivers for this growth, fostering a more stable environment for adoption. BNY Mellon suggests blockchain will complement, rather than replace, traditional financial infrastructure.
‍Coinbase Launches 3.75% APY Savings Account in the UK Coinbase has introduced a new savings account for select UK customers, offering a competitive 3.75% annual interest rate (AER) on GBP balances. This service, backed by Clearbank, provides instant access to funds and is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000. The move signifies Coinbase's strategic expansion into traditional financial products within a key international market.