Crypto

• We are swiftly approaching the fourth Bitcoin halving, which is expected to take place at block number 840,000.
• Currently, the network has reached a block height of approximately 837,700.
• Bitcoin experiences a halving event every 210,000 blocks.

• As we predicted in the last few weeks’ Crypto Crisp, the crypto market has been relatively stable in recent weeks.
• However, things are beginning to shift.
• During a speech in San Francisco on Friday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell mentioned that robust economic growth in the US allows Federal Reserve officials to take their time with interest rate cuts.

• We are witnessing an unexpected showdown in the crypto world.
• On one side stands Larry Fink, co-founder and CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager.
• On the opposite side is Gary Gensler, the chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• Last Wednesday, on March 13th, Ethereum launched its biggest upgrade in the past 18 months, marking a significant milestone since the Ethereum Merge on September 15, 2022.
• Dubbed Dencun or Cancun-Deneb, this upgrade introduced the eagerly awaited Proto-Danksharding feature, aimed at dramatically enhancing the scalability of Ethereum’s Layer 2, also known as rollups, and slashing the costs associated with rollup transactions, while making them less volatile.
• Proto-Danksharding brought to the table so-called ‘blobs’.

• Recently, we have voiced our concerns about the excessive use of leverage in the crypto market.
• Just last week, traders were facing annual rates of up to 150% to maintain long positions in Bitcoin on the perpetual market.
• By the end of the week, it became evident that this approach was unsustainable, leading to a significant market correction and extensive liquidations in the futures market.

• It has been exactly eighteen months since Ethereum made the big switch from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake, an event widely known as the Merge.
• In simple terms, after the Merge, the responsibility for verifying transactions and proposing new blocks on the Ethereum network shifted from miners to holders, provided they choose to become stakers.
• To maintain the blockchain as stakers, holders lock up their Ether in the network.

• There has been a renewed wave of optimism towards web3 in light of recent events, including the approval of the long-awaited spot Bitcoin ETF; and the surge in market activity in the early months of 2024.
• On the regulatory front, we have seen the conclusion of several high-profile court cases and lawsuits, including some of the charges involving Ripple and Binance.
• Beyond the results of the rulings (which many argue are in favour/support of web3), the resolution of these cases in itself has provided greater clarity and stability to the ecosystem.

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• This week is off to a great start.
• Bitcoin surged past $70,000, and Ethereum exceeded $4,000 today, marking a new all-time high for Bitcoin and Ethereum’s first breach of this level in over two years.
• At the office, there is a running joke that the crypto bull run has made me overly confident, leading my colleagues to secretly hope for a downturn.

• The cryptocurrency market is probably the most speculative, largely because it has not had enough time for price discovery, lacks consistent and measurable metrics, and has seen minimal institutional involvement.
• The crypto market is unique for its overwhelming number of retail investors compared to institutional ones, a rarity in most other markets where institutions lead the way.
• This dynamic has led to significant volatility, primarily driven by the emotional reactions of retail investors, more so than in any other market.

• Last week was notably positive for the cryptocurrency market, particularly for Bitcoin and Ethereum, which both experienced impressive gains.
• Bitcoin’s price has surged to $65,000, marking an increase of over 25%, while Ethereum has increased to $3,510, up by approximately 15%.
• This puts Bitcoin close to its highest ever price, just below $69,000.