NEAR Gains 6.3% as Index Trades Higher From Thursday

CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index. The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 3949.35, up 1.1% (+41.73) since 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. Sixteen of 20 assets are trading higher. Leaders: NEAR (+6.3%) and LTC (+5.9%). Laggards: XLM (-3.4%) and HBAR (-3.3%). … Read more

Crypto Venture Capital Market Remained Difficult in 2024, Galaxy Digital (GLXY) Says

Crypto venture capital (VC) activity remains below the levels seen in previous bull markets despite the recent rally in digital assets, Galaxy Digital (GLXY) said in research report on Wednesday. Total capital allocated to VC funds in 2024 was $11.5 billion, less than in 2023. Galaxy noted that VC activity was highly correlated to crypto … Read more

Publicly Traded U.S. Crypto Miners Double Bitcoin (BTC) HODL to Almost 100K in a Year

Publicly traded U.S. crypto mining companies doubled their bitcoin (BTC) holdings last year, taking the total to 92,473 valued at $8.6 billion as of end-December while the price of the largest cryptocurrency rose 120%, according to data from TheMiningMag. The biggest amount, almost half of the total, is held by MARA Holdings (MARA) with 44,893 … Read more

Bitcoin’s (BTC) ‘Coinbase Premium’ Muted Amid Reports Trump Plans to Designate Crypto a National Policy

Stars cannot align more positively for crypto in the U.S., the world’s largest economy, if the latest media reports are anything to go by. Still, one key indicator shows a lack of excitement among U.S. investors. Late Thursday, Bloomberg reported that President-elect Donald Trump will likely issue an executive order announcing crypto as a national imperative … Read more

Trump Treasury Pick Scott Bessent Opposes Idea of U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency

U.S. senators questioning President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, didn’t spend much time on cryptocurrency issues in his nomination hearing on Thursday. But he had a chance to register strong opposition to a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC) and to note that he favors a modern outlook on crypto. The billionaire … Read more

Litecoin (LTC) ETF Could Attract Up to $580M of Inflows If Adoption Mirrors That of Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs

While a litecoin (LTC) exchange-traded fund is still only theoretical, investor demand for the product could soar as high as $580 million if Wall Street adopts it at the same rate it did LTC’s better-known cousin bitcoin. That calculation is based on the roughly 6% of bitcoin’s total supply now locked up in a variety … Read more

Crypto’s U.S. Senate Ally Lummis Pushes Federal Agencies on Digital Assets Issues

Republican U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis took aim at two federal agencies on behalf of the crypto industry this week, just days before the wide-reaching transition of the federal government when President-elect Donald Trump again takes office. Lummis warned the U.S. Marshals Office to slow down its crypto asset sales and she cautioned officials at the … Read more

U.S. SEC’s Last Major Legal Official Exits, Leaving Clean Slate for Trump Era

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s top lawyer, General Counsel Megan Barbero, will step away next week, joining the exodus of top agency officials who had been responsible for the SEC’s legal battles with the crypto industry in recent years. “Her measured advice and judgment have been critical to the decision making of the Commission,” … Read more

Texas Man Sues Attorney General Over DOJ’s Prosecution of Crypto Software Devs

A fellow at crypto think tank Coin Center filed suit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday, seeking a judge’s guarantee that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will not be able to prosecute his forthcoming crypto project for violating money transmitting laws in the future. The lawsuit, filled by blockchain entrepreneur Michael Lewellen, claims … Read more