2025-12-17 Wednesday

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On the Eve of the Bank of Japan's Interest Rate Hike, Why Did Bitcoin Fall First?

On December 15, Bitcoin fell over 5% to $85,616, while gold remained almost unchanged. The drop was not driven by crypto-specific news but by expectations of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raising interest rates on December 19—its highest rate in 30 years. The decline is linked to the unwinding of the "yen carry trade," where investors borrowed cheap yen to invest in higher-yielding assets like Bitcoin. BOJ rate hikes increase borrowing costs and strengthen the yen, forcing global funds to sell assets—including Bitcoin—to repay loans. Historically, Bitcoin has seen significant sell-offs following BOJ tightening moves, as it is often liquidated first due to its high liquidity and volatility. Bitcoin’s correlation with risk assets like the Nasdaq has risen sharply since the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, integrating it into traditional risk management frameworks. This has diminished its role as "digital gold" or a safe-haven asset, instead positioning it as a high-beta risk asset sensitive to global macro liquidity. While markets have largely priced in the expected rate hike, the BOJ’s forward guidance could determine the severity of further impacts. If the BOJ signals ongoing tightening, Bitcoin may face continued pressure. However, some analysts suggest the sell-off could be less severe than in previous instances due to shifted market positioning and broader Federal Reserve easing. In the ETF era, Bitcoin’s price is increasingly influenced by global macroeconomic events—making it more exposed to decisions made in Tokyo or Washington than to crypto-native factors.

深潮30m ago

On the Eve of the Bank of Japan's Interest Rate Hike, Why Did Bitcoin Fall First?

深潮30m ago

Bitcoin could go ‘sub-$50K if quantum isn’t solved by 2028: Capriole

Charles Edwards, founder of Capriole Investments, warns that Bitcoin could fall below $50,000 by 2028 if it is not made quantum-resistant. He argues that quantum computing poses a serious threat to Bitcoin's security by potentially exposing private keys and enabling theft of funds. While some critics believe the risk is overhyped and distant, Edwards insists the threat is imminent and that Bitcoin must upgrade to post-quantum encryption by 2026 to avoid a severe bear market. He emphasizes that, unlike traditional finance, Bitcoin transactions are irreversible, making it a more urgent target. Others, like Michael Saylor, have downplayed these concerns as exaggerated.

cointelegraph37m ago

Bitcoin could go ‘sub-$50K if quantum isn’t solved by 2028: Capriole

cointelegraph37m ago

Deciphering a16z's New Concept "Staked Media": "Written Pledge + Staking Money" Online, an Economic Solution to Fake News

a16z has proposed a new concept called "Staked Media" to address the proliferation of AI-generated fake news and misinformation on social media. The idea involves using cryptographic techniques like zk-proofs to allow media entities or individuals to prove their credibility by making verifiable, on-chain commitments. In addition to making a claim, content creators must also stake cryptocurrency (such as ETH or USDC) as collateral. If the content is proven false, the staked assets are slashed. This creates an economic incentive for truthfulness. For example, a YouTuber endorsing a product would stake tokens to back their claims. If the content is misleading, they lose their stake. Staking amounts could vary based on the creator’s influence and the importance of the content. To determine truthfulness, a combination of community voting (by users who also stake tokens) and algorithmic verification would be used. Disputes could be escalated to an arbitration committee. The system also incorporates a reputation mechanism: repeated violations lead to higher staking requirements and loss of trust. While wealthy actors might still attempt manipulation, the combined cost of financial loss, reputational damage, and potential legal consequences makes dishonesty economically unviable. Staked Media may emerge within two years as a practical solution to foster accountability in digital content.

marsbit51m ago

Deciphering a16z's New Concept "Staked Media": "Written Pledge + Staking Money" Online, an Economic Solution to Fake News

marsbit51m ago

SaucerSwap Unveils Redesigned Platform and New Brand Identity for Hedera DeFi

SaucerSwap Labs, the team behind Hedera's leading decentralized exchange, has unveiled a fully redesigned platform and a refreshed brand identity. The update modernizes navigation, integrates analytics, and introduces a new visual design, while preserving the existing audited smart contracts and non-custodial architecture. CEO Peter Campbell stated the platform is rebuilt to feel "fast, trusted, and intuitive." Since its 2022 launch, SaucerSwap has grown into Hedera's dominant DeFi protocol. The redesign organizes the platform into clear, action-driven sections for trading, liquidity provisioning, staking, and governance. It also features a bridge to external networks like Base and BNB Chain. The interface is designed to serve all user types, from retail to professional traders, and scales to accommodate future upgrades. The core protocol remains unchanged; all existing user positions and rewards are intact. This marks the beginning of SaucerSwap's next chapter with a new design and capabilities, upholding its mission to be Hedera's most efficient and secure liquidity protocol.

TheNewsCrypto51m ago

SaucerSwap Unveils Redesigned Platform and New Brand Identity for Hedera DeFi

TheNewsCrypto51m ago

Why Bitcoin’s Current Weakness Is Structural, Not Emotional

Bitcoin has fallen below the critical $90,000 support and is now testing the $86,000 level, with minimal buyer resistance and weakening bullish momentum. Analysts are increasingly turning bearish as on-chain data reveals negative derivatives positioning and extreme fear in the market. The Bitcoin Positioning Index remains at -4, indicating short-sellers dominate futures markets, while the Fear and Greed Index has dropped to extreme fear levels. These conditions suggest the current selling pressure is structural rather than emotional, with a sustained downtrend likely until the positioning index turns positive and price consolidates above key resistance.

bitcoinist54m ago

Why Bitcoin’s Current Weakness Is Structural, Not Emotional

bitcoinist54m ago

Bhutan pledges 10K Bitcoin to develop its ‘mindfulness city’

The Kingdom of Bhutan has pledged 10,000 Bitcoin from its national reserves to fund the development of the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a new special administrative region and economic hub. Launched in 2024, GMC aims to create high-value jobs and curb youth emigration by attracting businesses in sectors like finance, crypto, fintech, tourism, and green energy. The city, which spans about 10% of Bhutan’s land area, will offer regulatory flexibility for crypto firms and support the country’s Bitcoin mining operations. The government plans to use the $875 million in Bitcoin through risk-managed strategies, treasury plans, and long-term holdings to preserve its value while ensuring sustainable development. Bhutan currently holds the fifth-largest national Bitcoin stash, estimated at 11,286 BTC worth over $986 million, mostly from its mining activities. This initiative is part of Bhutan’s broader Bitcoin Development Pledge, aiming to drive long-term economic growth and shared prosperity for its population. The project includes a new land policy to protect landowners and ensure equitable benefits. GMC will feature crypto-based payments, a gold-backed digital currency, and serve as an economic corridor between South and Southeast Asia, with development phased over 20 years.

cointelegraph56m ago

Bhutan pledges 10K Bitcoin to develop its ‘mindfulness city’

cointelegraph56m ago

Aave Founder's 2026 Focus: Aave V4, Horizon, and Mobile

Aave founder Stani Kulechov outlines the protocol's 2026 vision, focusing on three core pillars: Aave V4, Horizon, and the Aave App. Aave V4 will introduce a Hub & Spoke model to unify liquidity across chains, enabling the protocol to scale to trillions in assets. It is a complete architectural overhaul designed to serve as a global financial base. Horizon, the institutional RWA lending marketplace, aims to bridge traditional finance by allowing tokenized assets like U.S. Treasuries as collateral. It targets expanding to $1B+ in deposits and integrating assets like stocks, ETFs, and real estate. The Aave App is a mobile-focused product designed to onboard millions of new users by simplifying DeFi interactions. Integrated with Push for seamless fiat on/off ramps, it aims to become a leading savings and financial tech solution. Aave has achieved significant scale, with $750B in net deposits and $8.85B in annual protocol fees, capturing 59% of the DeFi lending market. The long-term goal is to become the foundational global credit layer for the on-chain economy.

marsbit1h ago

Aave Founder's 2026 Focus: Aave V4, Horizon, and Mobile

marsbit1h ago

Saylor’s Bitcoin stash will be very hard for anyone to match: Pomp

Anthony Pompliano, a Bitcoin entrepreneur, stated that Michael Saylor’s company, MicroStrategy, has accumulated such a significant amount of Bitcoin over time that it is highly unlikely any public company will be able to match its holdings. MicroStrategy currently owns 671,268 BTC, valued at approximately $58.61 billion, representing about 3.2% of Bitcoin’s total supply. Pompliano noted that while it's technically possible for another firm to catch up, the financial scale required—given MicroStrategy’s early and substantial purchases—makes it improbable. He also addressed concerns about the company's potential influence on Bitcoin’s price but highlighted that CEO Phong Lee has stated they do not plan to sell any Bitcoin until at least 2065. The company’s large purchases are conducted via over-the-counter desks to avoid market disruption.

cointelegraph1h ago

Saylor’s Bitcoin stash will be very hard for anyone to match: Pomp

cointelegraph1h ago

Lightning Network hits record capacity on crypto exchange adoption

Lightning Network (LN) has reached a new all-time high of over 5,600 BTC in capacity, driven by increased adoption from major crypto exchanges like Binance and OKX. This growth follows a period of decline and reflects more Bitcoin being added to the network, enabling faster and cheaper transactions. However, the number of nodes and channels has decreased, indicating that capacity growth doesn’t necessarily correspond to increased usage. Key developments include Tether leading an $8 million investment in Lightning startup Speed to support stablecoin payments, and Lightning Labs upgrading Taproot Assets to v0.7. The upgrade introduces reusable addresses, auditable asset supply, and more reliable transactions, aiming to make Bitcoin a multi-asset network capable of handling trillions of dollars in value.

cointelegraph1h ago

Lightning Network hits record capacity on crypto exchange adoption

cointelegraph1h ago

Will Quantum Computing Suppress Bitcoin Prices In 2026? Grayscale Answers

Grayscale's updated 2026 outlook addresses the growing discussion around quantum computing's threat to Bitcoin, concluding it is unlikely to suppress prices in 2026. While acknowledging the theoretical risk—where a powerful quantum computer could derive private keys from public keys—the report emphasizes expert estimates suggest such a machine is unlikely to exist before 2030 at the earliest. Therefore, 2026 is expected to be a period for accelerated research and preparedness rather than a market-moving event. Grayscale categorizes quantum risk as "high attention, low near-term impact," and anticipates institutional themes like macro demand, regulation, and ETF adoption will be the primary price drivers. The firm expects Bitcoin to reach a new all-time high in the first half of 2026, driven by structural shifts and institutional adoption, rather than quantum concerns.

bitcoinist1h ago

Will Quantum Computing Suppress Bitcoin Prices In 2026? Grayscale Answers

bitcoinist1h ago

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