Cryptocurrency News

The memecoin market has experienced a whirlwind year, climbing from a $29 billion market cap in February to a staggering $122 billion by December. Leading the charge are $SPX and $MOG, which have outperformed traditional giants like $DOGE and $SHIB with price increases of over 200% in December. This growth reflects the speculative nature of memecoins, fueled by social media buzz and a strong year-end rally. The memecoin market has experienced a rollercoaster in 2024, skyrocketing from $29B in February to $122B by December. $SPX and $MOG have outperformed traditional memecoins like $DOGE and $SHIB, with price increases over 200% The post 2024 Memecoin Market Surges Amid Volatility, Closes Year On A High appeared first on The Merkle News.

Bitcoin continues to trade above the critical $100,000 price level, bolstered by steady capital inflows. Long-term holders are seizing the opportunity to capitalize on this liquidity, realizing record profits of $2.1 billion and distributing supply at scale.   #Bitcoin continues trading above the psychologically important $100k price level, supported by a consistent inflow of capital. Long-Term Holders are capitalizing on this liquidity, taking the opportunity to distribute supply at scale, setting a new ATH in profit realized of… pic.twitter.com/sW8EUM1UBe — glassnode (@glassnode) December 18, 2024 Historical patterns from 2017 and 2020 suggest that Bitcoin may follow a predictable trajectory in its The post Bitcoin Surges Past $100K: Whales And ETFs Drive Market Momentum appeared first on The Merkle News.

• #bitcoin

The price of $PENGU has plummeted by over 50% from its all-time high (ATH) in the past 19 hours following the highly anticipated airdrop. This sharp decline has left many wondering how the top 11 $PENGU airdrop claimants are managing their tokens amid the selloff. A total of 991.36 million $PENGU tokens, valued at $68.4 million at their peak, were claimed during the airdrop. Of this, 351 million $PENGU (worth $10.7 million) have already been sold, representing 35.4% of the claimed amount. The remaining 620.29 million $PENGU, now valued at $18.6 million, are still held by claimants. The $PENGU price The post $PENGU Drops 52% Post-Airdrop: What Are Top Claimants Doing With Their Tokens?  appeared first on The Merkle News.

Long-term holders of Ethereum (ETH) have demonstrated unwavering conviction in 2024, with their collective holdings steadily increasing. Currently, around 110 million ETH is held by these long-term investors, marking a significant rise in their stake over the past two years. Social sentiment surrounding Ethereum has turned notably negative, reaching its lowest point since December 18, 2023—traditionally seen as a bullish signal. In fact, Ethereum surged by 30% in price when sentiment was at its lowest during that period, providing a potential indicator for future growth. According to the latest Ethereum Hodler Report from @intotheblock, long-term ETH holders have accumulated approximately The post Ethereum Shows Strong Conviction As Long-Term Holders Ramp Up Accumulation appeared first on The Merkle News.

Tether has been a driving force in the ongoing crypto bull rally, with an average of $40 million USDT moving onto exchanges daily over the past eight weeks. This consistent influx of stablecoin liquidity, often referred to as “dry powder,” has played a key role in fueling historic market pumps and maintaining momentum as the final stretch of 2024 unfolds. 💸 Among traceable wallets, there is a net average of ~$40M Tether per day moving on to exchanges over the past 8 weeks. Helping to fuel this bull rally and the many historic crypto pumps, look for stablecoin 'dry powder' The post Tether Powers Market Momentum As MiCA Deadline Approaches appeared first on The Merkle News.

The crypto space is abuzz with significant developments across NFTs, stablecoins, and Bitcoin’s historic performance. Here’s a closer look at the top trending topics shaping the market this week. Pudgy Penguins and the Rise of $PENGU The Pudgy Penguin NFT project continues to captivate the market with the launch of its native token, $PENGU. Recently listed on major exchanges such as OKX and Binance, $PENGU has sparked excitement with its active trading and community engagement. Discussions around its airdrops and market performance underscore its growing influence in the NFT sector. Ripple’s RLUSD Debuts as a Game-Changing Stablecoin Ripple’s USD-pegged stablecoin, The post Crypto Trends: Pudgy Penguins, Ripple’s RLUSD, And Bitcoin’s Record-Breaking Rally appeared first on The Merkle News.

• #bitcoin

2024 has been a transformative year for Chainlink, with remarkable strides made through its Build and Scale programs. Both initiatives have fostered growth, collaboration, and innovation within the Chainlink ecosystem, attracting developers and projects from across the blockchain industry. Scale Program Milestones   The Scale program has expanded significantly this year, with 16 blockchain networks now participating and over 4,000 developers leveraging Chainlink’s technology. The program has achieved a key milestone of over 300 million Total Verified Messages (TVM), reflecting its growing adoption. Hackathons have played a pivotal role in driving innovation, with 1,878 participants creating 176 projects across Scale chains The post Chainlink’s Build And Scale Programs Shine In 2024 As Whale Activity Sparks Market Buzz appeared first on The Merkle News.

Significant shifts are unfolding in the cryptocurrency arena as Dogwifhat and Avalanche continue their ascent. Yet, it’s the astonishing 6,900% surge of XYZVerse that is capturing attention, hinting at a potential game-changer for early 2025. This unexpected development is stirring curiosity and speculation about its impact on the digital asset landscape. Score Big with XYZ: [...] The post Dogwifhat (WIF) and Avalanche (AVAX) Rising, But XYZVerse’s 6,900% Surge Could Redefine Q1 2025 appeared first on Blockonomi.

A prominent PEPE whale has transferred 300 billion $PEPE, worth $6.77 million, to Kraken just two hours ago, stirring interest in the token’s market activity. This whale has been an active trader, accumulating 775.5 billion $PEPE ($9.28 million) via Kraken between March and September at an average price of $0.000012. So far, the whale has sold 482.2 billion $PEPE at an average price of $0.000021, pocketing a hefty profit of $4.82 million. Despite these sales, the whale still holds 263.3 billion $PEPE, currently valued at $5.82 million. In another strategic move, the same whale recently sold 100.14 billion $PEPE tokens, The post PEPE Whale Moves $6.77M To Kraken, Spends Big On Pudgy Penguins For $PENGU Airdrop appeared first on The Merkle News.

Tron continues to see increased whale activity, with one prominent whale completing over 1 million transactions. On-chain data reveals that whale dominance in Tron has reached 68.41%, a significant jump from 56% in January 2024. Over the course of the year, whales have expanded their share of the total supply by 16%, now controlling nearly two-thirds of Tron’s circulating supply. In contrast, individual investors’ holdings have dropped from 32% to 23%, underscoring the growing influence of whales. Since November 2024, whale activity has surged noticeably, with their dominance rising by more than 10% in just 45 days. This increase has The post Tron Whales Strengthen Dominance As Accumulation Intensifies appeared first on The Merkle News.

Ethena Labs has unveiled its latest product, $USDtb, a stablecoin backed by BlackRock’s BUIDL. Designed to maintain a 1:1 peg, each $USDtb token is supported by cash or cash-equivalent reserves, ensuring its stability. Users can freely transfer $USDtb tokens without facing any restrictions. A standout feature of $USDtb is its backing by BlackRock’s BUIDL, which acts as the primary reserve asset for the stablecoin. This innovative structure allows $USDtb to scale efficiently, as BUIDL constitutes 90% of the total reserves, offering a robust foundation for growth. The $USDtb stablecoin is powered by LayerZero, enabling effortless cross-chain transfers across multiple supported The post Ethena Labs Launches $USDtb Stablecoin Backed By BlackRock’s BUIDL appeared first on The Merkle News.

The NFT market is heating up, and Blur is taking the spotlight with an impressive 5x increase in trading volume. As activity surges, many are wondering whether this could ignite a rally for the platform’s native token, $BLUR. 🔥 Blur NFT Market Trading Volume Surges 5X! The #NFT market is heating up, and Blur is leading the charge with a 5x surge in trading volume. Will this spark a rally for $BLUR? 🚀 Bullish or bearish on NFTs? Can $BLUR sustain this momentum, or is it just a temporary spike?… pic.twitter.com/qdFuA6Gzfp — Cheeky Crypto (@CheekyCrypto) December 16, 2024 In line The post Blur NFT Marketplace Sees 5X Surge In Trading Volume appeared first on The Merkle News.

Institutional activity surrounding Uniswap’s $UNI token has surged over the past two days, with significant deposits being made to major exchanges. This trend highlights growing movement in the $UNI market, including transactions from high-value wallets and previously dormant accounts. One notable transaction came from a whale address, “0x59a,” with a portfolio valued at $89.4 million. This wallet transferred 1.495 million $UNI (worth $24.3 million) to Binance just an hour ago. The move secured the whale an estimated profit of $13.7 million—a 129% gain—after holding the tokens for five months. Institutions have been depositing $UNI into exchanges over the past 2 The post Institutions Deposit $UNI Into Exchanges As Dormant Wallets Wake Up appeared first on The Merkle News.

Bitcoin price is down 11% from its current record high, now eyeing the $88,000-90,000 region for a potential bounce.

• #bitcoin

Initially owing creditors $4.2 million, Cryptopia’s liquidator Grant Thornton has distributed at least $225 million in crypto to hack victims in December.

Bitcoin ETFs saw a record $671.9M outflows on Dec. 19, coinciding with Bitcoin’s price dip and marketwide liquidations.

• #bitcoin

Diminishing user activity and stiff overhead resistance are driving Cardano’s prices lower today, with bears focused on driving ADA lower toward $0.80.

• #Cardano

Ethereum layer-2 networks now lock over $13.5 billion in stablecoins, driving total market capitalization to $205 billion.

The UK FCA previously said that almost 90% of annual crypto license applications had failed as of September.

Ethereum’s price is down today after it failed to hold the $3,500 support level, and panic selling threatens deeper corrections.

A new multi-territory licensing agreement between Audius and ICE opens up royalty opportunities for over 330,000 music rights holders.

Cathie Wood predicts a surge in M&A; activity under Trump’s administration, driven by deregulation and reduced FTC barriers.

• #bitcoin

2024 cemented the UAE’s status as a global crypto hub as its landscape changed substantially with new stablecoin regulations, tax exemptions and stricter marketing rules.

BPCE’s crypto subsidiary, Hexarq, is the second banking crypto outfit to receive a nod from French regulator AMF after Société Générale’s Forge.

BTC price weakness finds support at familiar levels with Bitcoin traders seeing historical patterns playing out.

• #bitcoin

The company announced the acquisition of $1 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on Dec. 20, triggering a 10% drop in its stock.

• #bitcoin

A memecoin bearing Haliey Welch’s likeness rose to a market capitalization of roughly $500 million after its launch on Dec. 4 before dropping by 90%.

A solid recovery in Bitcoin price is a hint that bulls have not given up on BTC and altcoins as they continue to buy dips below key support levels.

• #bitcoin

Strong price performance and staking could propel Ether ETF inflows in 2025, analysts say.

The acquisition brings Metal Blockchain solutions to Bonifii’s portfolio of credit unions.

According to data from DefiLlama, restaking protocol EigenLayer currently has approximately $15.4 billion in total value locked.

Need to know what happened in crypto today? Here is the latest news on daily trends and events impacting Bitcoin price, blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, Web3 and crypto regulation.

Bitcoin traders’ realized losses have likely peaked, possibly marking the bottom of the current BTC price sell-off.

• #bitcoin

This week’s Crypto Biz explores Coinbase's wBTC controversial delisting, Deutsche Bank’s blockchain, USDT in Europe, FTX creditors repayment and BVNK’s move to the United States.

Developers will soon be able to deploy Solana-based AI agent applications on Injective and bridge a variety of cryptocurrencies between them.

By 2025, more than 1 million AI agents could populate Web3, with staking and trading as likely early use cases, industry execs told Cointelegraph.

Users typically leave an application that does not respond within three seconds, and Web3 apps can have load times of up to 20 seconds.

Tether has announced a $775 million strategic investment with video sharing platform Rumble just weeks after the platform announced it would be adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet.

Crypto analyst Rekt Capital says that Ether could keep consolidating between the $3,000 and $4,000 range, though a pullback to the lower $3,000s remains a possibility following its 10% fall over the past seven days.

Google said that advertisers who want to promote crypto exchanges and software wallets in the United Kingdom must be registered with the FCA.

Discover the risks of fake crypto liquidity pools, common scam tactics and practical strategies to identify and steer clear of fraudulent projects.

Pudgy Penguins, LilPudgys, Azuki and Doodles topped last week’s charts as the best-performing collections.

Bitcoin buying led by Coinbase launches BTC price action back toward the six-figure mark.

• #bitcoin

Michael Saylor creates strategic digital asset policy for the US that involves Bitcoin

• #bitcoin

Since the start of December, Ethereum ($ETH) has seen a marked outflow from exchanges, with over 400,000 ETH leaving since December 1. This trend of accumulation suggests increased confidence among investors, particularly as the price of ETH recently pushed back above the $4,000 mark, solidifying this level as strong support. Since the beginning of December, the $ETH netflow from exchanges has predominantly been negative. Over 400k ETH have flowed out since December 1st, suggesting a trend of accumulation. pic.twitter.com/5pD8Ct7SIl — IntoTheBlock (@intotheblock) December 16, 2024 The demand for Ethereum remains robust, with 7.2 million ETH purchased at prices just under The post Ethereum Shows Strong Accumulation Trend As Whale Activity Grows appeared first on The Merkle News.

Michael Saylor, co-founder and chairman of business intelligence firm MicroStrategy, has unveiled a comprehensive crypto framework aimed at further integrating Bitcoin and other digital assets into the US economy.  Shared via social media on Friday, Saylor’s proposal comes at a time of increasing institutional interest in cryptocurrencies and aims to position the United States as […]

• #bitcoin

Bitcoin’s surge to a new all-time high of $107.8K and Ethereum’s rally back above $4K have reignited bullish narratives across the crypto market. Amid this momentum, a few tokens are gaining significant social media traction, driven by major developments and price action. Bitcoin ($BTC): Bitcoin continues to dominate discussions as it unexpectedly broke through its previous all-time high. After weeks of rising impatience among investors, this milestone has shifted attention back to Bitcoin’s market dominance and its influence on altcoins. With Bitcoin setting the tone for the broader market, speculation about its next move remains high. Vanachain ($VANA): Vanachain has The post Bitcoin Hits $107.8K ATH, Ethereum Breaks $4K: Top Tokens Dominating Social Media Buzz appeared first on The Merkle News.

• #bitcoin

The Hyperliquid trend has attracted smart money, but outcomes remain split as profits and losses highlight the volatility of this emerging market.   Trader 0x37c (believed to be GiganticRebirth, GCR) Renowned for shorting altcoins at the 2021 peak and correctly predicting LUNA’s collapse in 2022, GCR continues to showcase sharp market instincts. Wallet 0x37c topped up with 3.16M USDC and currently holds a $15.48M portfolio. The holdings are dominated by $HYPE (53.7%), $HFUN (20.9%), and $PURR (17.6%). GCR’s impressive moves have resulted in a $12.58M profit (+397%), solidifying his legendary status. Whale 0x9b4  Not all players are sharing the same success. The post Smart Traders Dive Into Hyperliquid Trend: Mixed Results Unfold appeared first on The Merkle News.

Curve Finance founder Michael Egorov (@newmichwill) has made a significant move, purchasing 1.08 million CRV tokens worth $1.2 million at an average price of $1.114 in the past three hours. This marks his first notable CRV buyback since the liquidation event on June 13, drawing attention to the potential resurgence of CRV’s price momentum. https://twitter.com/spotonchain/status/1868837898570940920?t=K5jO_cQu0mUFU56LXQgkZA&s=19 The purchase comes at a pivotal moment, as CRV’s price has faced a recent decline of approximately 7.8% over the last 24 hours. However, Egorov’s buyback signals renewed confidence in the token and could serve as a catalyst for reversing the downward trend. Adding to The post CRV Price Rally Anticipated As Curve Finance Founder Executes $1.2 Million Buyback appeared first on The Merkle News.

AAVE, the native token of the Aave protocol, is experiencing remarkable growth, recently reaching its highest price in two years. This surge comes as key indicators highlight increasing activity and strong investor confidence. $AAVE is experiencing a period of significant growth & positive momentum, recently it hit its highest price in 2 years! On Dec 12, it recorded 1.39k large txs, a peak since April 2022. Could this be driven by rising lending, institutional interest, & strong market sentiment? pic.twitter.com/TvTiYd3Fwi — champagne mami 💕 (@EkponoAkwaowo) December 16, 2024 On December 12, Aave recorded 1,390 large transactions—the highest since April 2022—indicating The post AAVE Surges To Two-Year High Amid Rising Lending Activity And Institutional Interest appeared first on The Merkle News.

Ethena’s $USDe stablecoin is rapidly approaching a supply of $6 billion, marking a remarkable 140% increase since its October lows. While this growth is significant, $USDe still holds just a 2.83% market share, highlighting its potential for further expansion as it continues to gain traction in the stablecoin sector. Although far from challenging dominant players like USDC and USDT, the upward trend positions Ethena as a strong contender in the space. Driving this momentum is the resurgence in on-chain leverage demand, where Ethena Labs has emerged as a key beneficiary. Favorable funding rates have propelled sUSDe yields to exceed 20% The post Ethena’s $USDe Supply Nears $6 Billion Amid Explosive Growth And Rising On-Chain Demand appeared first on The Merkle News.

Bitcoin has shattered its previous record, hitting an all-time high of $107.1K, marking another milestone in its remarkable bull run. As the price surges, the number of non-empty wallets on the network has risen to 54.62 million, reflecting a 5.2% increase in the past year. This surge in activity signals growing confidence in Bitcoin’s market dominance and long-term potential. In the last 48 hours alone, Bitcoin whales have made significant moves, purchasing over 70,000 BTC, worth a staggering $7.28 billion. Two major institutional players were responsible for a bulk of this activity: #Bitcoin whales bought over 70,000 $BTC in the The post Bitcoin Sets New Record With $107.1K ATH, Whales And Institutions Drive Massive Activity appeared first on The Merkle News.

• #bitcoin

The crypto market is buzzing with anticipation as the winter of 2024/2025 approaches. Three altcoins are emerging as potential game-changers, poised to make significant impacts during the upcoming altcoin season. This article explores these standout digital assets, unveiling what makes them candidates for explosive growth. Discover the tokens that could lead the next wave in [...] The post Don’t Miss These 3 Explosive Altcoins of Winter 24/25 Altcoin Season! appeared first on Blockonomi.

• #litecoin

Dogecoin (DOGE) sets ambitious path to $0.4 as rebound resumes

Bitcoin price is down 11% from its current record high, now eyeing the $88,000-90,000 region for a potential bounce.

• #bitcoin

Initially owing creditors $4.2 million, Cryptopia’s liquidator Grant Thornton has distributed at least $225 million in crypto to hack victims in December.

Bitcoin ETFs saw a record $671.9M outflows on Dec. 19, coinciding with Bitcoin’s price dip and marketwide liquidations.

• #bitcoin

Diminishing user activity and stiff overhead resistance are driving Cardano’s prices lower today, with bears focused on driving ADA lower toward $0.80.

• #Cardano

Ethereum layer-2 networks now lock over $13.5 billion in stablecoins, driving total market capitalization to $205 billion.

The UK FCA previously said that almost 90% of annual crypto license applications had failed as of September.

Ethereum’s price is down today after it failed to hold the $3,500 support level, and panic selling threatens deeper corrections.

A new multi-territory licensing agreement between Audius and ICE opens up royalty opportunities for over 330,000 music rights holders.

Cathie Wood predicts a surge in M&A; activity under Trump’s administration, driven by deregulation and reduced FTC barriers.

• #bitcoin

2024 cemented the UAE’s status as a global crypto hub as its landscape changed substantially with new stablecoin regulations, tax exemptions and stricter marketing rules.

BPCE’s crypto subsidiary, Hexarq, is the second banking crypto outfit to receive a nod from French regulator AMF after Société Générale’s Forge.

BTC price weakness finds support at familiar levels with Bitcoin traders seeing historical patterns playing out.

• #bitcoin

The company announced the acquisition of $1 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on Dec. 20, triggering a 10% drop in its stock.

• #bitcoin

A memecoin bearing Haliey Welch’s likeness rose to a market capitalization of roughly $500 million after its launch on Dec. 4 before dropping by 90%.

A solid recovery in Bitcoin price is a hint that bulls have not given up on BTC and altcoins as they continue to buy dips below key support levels.

• #bitcoin

Strong price performance and staking could propel Ether ETF inflows in 2025, analysts say.

The acquisition brings Metal Blockchain solutions to Bonifii’s portfolio of credit unions.

According to data from DefiLlama, restaking protocol EigenLayer currently has approximately $15.4 billion in total value locked.

Need to know what happened in crypto today? Here is the latest news on daily trends and events impacting Bitcoin price, blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, Web3 and crypto regulation.

Bitcoin traders’ realized losses have likely peaked, possibly marking the bottom of the current BTC price sell-off.

• #bitcoin

This week’s Crypto Biz explores Coinbase's wBTC controversial delisting, Deutsche Bank’s blockchain, USDT in Europe, FTX creditors repayment and BVNK’s move to the United States.

Developers will soon be able to deploy Solana-based AI agent applications on Injective and bridge a variety of cryptocurrencies between them.

By 2025, more than 1 million AI agents could populate Web3, with staking and trading as likely early use cases, industry execs told Cointelegraph.

Users typically leave an application that does not respond within three seconds, and Web3 apps can have load times of up to 20 seconds.

Tether has announced a $775 million strategic investment with video sharing platform Rumble just weeks after the platform announced it would be adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet.

Crypto analyst Rekt Capital says that Ether could keep consolidating between the $3,000 and $4,000 range, though a pullback to the lower $3,000s remains a possibility following its 10% fall over the past seven days.

Google said that advertisers who want to promote crypto exchanges and software wallets in the United Kingdom must be registered with the FCA.

Discover the risks of fake crypto liquidity pools, common scam tactics and practical strategies to identify and steer clear of fraudulent projects.

Pudgy Penguins, LilPudgys, Azuki and Doodles topped last week’s charts as the best-performing collections.

Bitcoin buying led by Coinbase launches BTC price action back toward the six-figure mark.

• #bitcoin

Two Southern California men, Gabriel Hay and Gavin Mayo, face charges for allegedly defrauding investors of over $22 million in cryptocurrency through fraudulent NFT and digital asset schemes. The indictment reveals they conducted a series of “rugpulls,” soliciting funds for NFT projects that were abandoned after collecting investments. The alleged scams involved projects like Vault […]

ADA rose 15% to briefly hit $1 mark

• #Cardano

Massive amount of XRP moved over past day

Tether appears to have now been affected by regulatory adjustment in Europe. Particularly, with the EU’s new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations scheduled to fully take effect in its member states by the end of the year, the crypto landscape is being reshaped. Intended to increase oversight as well as eliminate illegal practices, MiCA requires […]

Bitcoin price is down 11% from its current record high, now eyeing the $88,000-90,000 region for a potential bounce.

• #bitcoin

Initially owing creditors $4.2 million, Cryptopia’s liquidator Grant Thornton has distributed at least $225 million in crypto to hack victims in December.

Bitcoin ETFs saw a record $671.9M outflows on Dec. 19, coinciding with Bitcoin’s price dip and marketwide liquidations.

• #bitcoin

Diminishing user activity and stiff overhead resistance are driving Cardano’s prices lower today, with bears focused on driving ADA lower toward $0.80.

• #Cardano

Ethereum layer-2 networks now lock over $13.5 billion in stablecoins, driving total market capitalization to $205 billion.

The UK FCA previously said that almost 90% of annual crypto license applications had failed as of September.

Ethereum’s price is down today after it failed to hold the $3,500 support level, and panic selling threatens deeper corrections.

A new multi-territory licensing agreement between Audius and ICE opens up royalty opportunities for over 330,000 music rights holders.

Cathie Wood predicts a surge in M&A; activity under Trump’s administration, driven by deregulation and reduced FTC barriers.

• #bitcoin

2024 cemented the UAE’s status as a global crypto hub as its landscape changed substantially with new stablecoin regulations, tax exemptions and stricter marketing rules.

BPCE’s crypto subsidiary, Hexarq, is the second banking crypto outfit to receive a nod from French regulator AMF after Société Générale’s Forge.

BTC price weakness finds support at familiar levels with Bitcoin traders seeing historical patterns playing out.

• #bitcoin