Top 3 Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple Price Predictions: BTC, $ETH and $XRP Point to a Rally
Bitcoin investors withdraw $331 million from BlackRock's IBIT ETF in record outflow
BlackRock's Bitcoin Spot Exchange-Traded Fund
saw a record outflow of $330.8 million, or more than 3,500 bitcoins, on Jan. 2, according to Thomas Fahrer, CEO of cryptocurrency-focused review site Apollo.
It is the largest outflow since the product launched in January 2024, eclipsing the previous record of $188.7 million on Dec. 24, according to Farside Investors.
Artificial intelligence agents for cryptocurrencies: a fad or a game-changer?
Cryptocurrencies powered by AI agents are booming, with tokens like VIRTUAL, ZEREBRO and AI16Z hitting all-time highs, fueled by OpenAI’s upcoming “Operator” tool, which promises advanced task automation.
These agents, capable of automating blockchain interactions and complex processes, are seen as a transformative force in the cryptocurrency market.
Experts are divided, with some predicting a new meme coin frenzy and others emphasizing the potential for improved development efficiency and payment systems.
However, most agree that the market is highly speculative, with real-world applications still emerging. Platforms like Coinbase’s “Based Agent” and projects like FET, VIRTUAL, and Lightchain AI are driving innovation, with the AI agent token market projected to grow from $13 billion to $40 billion by 2030.
Elon Musk posts cryptocurrency investment meme mocking IRS tax complexity issues
Estimated leverage ratio across all cryptocurrency exchanges hits 0.26, highest in two years;
Bloomberg: New SEC Chairman 'Almost Certain' to Take Less Hostile Regulatory Stance Toward Crypto Markets;
MetaPlanet aims to surpass 10,000 Bitcoin holdings by 2025;
Cryptocurrency firms raised $1.576 billion in December 2024, the highest since October 2022
Cryptocurrency venture capital funding is projected to reach $18 billion in 2025 after a recovery to $13.6 billion in 2024
According to a DeFi report, venture capital funding for blockchain startups reached $13.6 billion in 2024, reflecting a remarkable recovery from $10.1 billion recorded in 2023.
While this marks progress, the industry is still well below the 2021 peak of $32.4 billion. Analysts at Galaxy Research and PitchBook project a substantial increase in 2025, with funding expected to exceed $18 billion. This growth is attributed to declining interest rates, increased regulatory clarity, and renewed interest from mainstream investors.
Several major funding rounds in 2024 highlighted the sector’s resilience. Monad Labs secured $225 million to develop its layer-1 smart contract network, while Berachain raised $100 million for its modular blockchain platform.
Securitize, a tokenization platform, received $47 million from BlackRock, and Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon raised $70 million. Usual, a French stablecoin startup, raised $10 million from Binance Labs and Kraken Ventures. Its stablecoin, Usual USD, backed by real-world assets, had over $1.7 billion in total value locked (TVL) at the end of 2024.
Tether's general counsel steps down after MiCA stablecoin regulations come into effect
