● MicroStrategy spent about $209 million to increase its holdings by 2,138 bitcoins
According to PANews, Michael Saylor announced on the X platform that after increasing his holdings by 2,138 BTC at a price of US$209 million, MicroStrategy's holdings reached 446,440 BTC as of December 29, with a quarterly return rate of 47.8% and an annual return rate of 74.1%.
According to BlockBeats, QCP released a daily market watch saying that as expected, we saw the typical volatility selling after the end of the quarter, and volatility has fallen 2-3 fluctuation points since the record option expiration last Friday. Although BTC is consolidating near the bottom of the 1-month range and the returns this month are mediocre, BTC and ETH performed well in the fourth quarter: BTC rose 48%, while ETH rose 30%.
However, it may be too early to draw conclusions about the quarter. "While there may be another round of buying, we do not expect much in the new year, especially with healthy funding. Average returns in January (+3.3%) were relatively similar to December (+4.8%), and we expect spot prices to remain in this range in the short term until February starts to pick up."
Options flows reflected similar sentiment, with front-end volatility gradually declining and risk reversals mainly driven by stronger demand for March calls, partly due to large March option buying last Friday.
● Peter Brandt predicts Bitcoin may enter “Hump Slump Bump Dump Pump” mode
According to Odaily Planet Daily, veteran trader Peter Brandt recently speculated in an article on X that Bitcoin may be turning to the "Hump Slump Bump Dump Pump" mode. This mode shows that Bitcoin's price trend first rises (Hump), then falls (Slump), followed by a recovery (Bump), then further falls (Dump), and then rebounds (Pump). CryptoQuant founder and CEO Ki Young Ju shared Brandt's post and agreed.
According to Odaily Planet Daily, CoinGecko blockchain researcher Prem Reginald pointed out in a report released this month that Bitcoin has performed best in the past decade, with an increase of more than 26,000%. Data shows that Bitcoin's return rate in 2024 is 129%, making it the best performing asset. Gold has a year-to-date return rate of 32.2%, and the S&P 500 index has a return rate of 28.3%.
According to Cointelegraph, historical data shows that Ethereum (ETH) performed strongly in the first quarter of the new year after the US election and Bitcoin halving, such as rising 518% and 161% in 2017 and Q1 2021 respectively.
Farside Investors data shows that the spot Ethereum ETF has seen inflows on 22 of the past 24 trading days, with total net inflows exceeding US$2.5 billion, and net inflows are expected to exceed US$50 billion in 2025.
CK Zheng of ZX Squared Capital expects a new government to introduce more crypto-friendly policies in 2025, driving a significant increase in capital inflows.
However, Markus Thielen of 10x Research believes that the macro environment may suppress Ethereum's performance in 2025. The Federal Reserve's cut in its 2025 interest rate expectations may lead to an unfavorable environment for risky assets.
● Grayscale holds $6.62 billion worth of Ethereum, becoming the largest institutional holder
According to BlockBeats, on December 30, Arkham data showed that Grayscale currently holds $6.62 billion worth of Ethereum, becoming the largest institutional holder.
● Tether CEO says USDT is safe
According to Odaily Planet Daily, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said, “Don’t believe FUD. Competitors are just eager to make you believe in things that don’t exist. USDT is safe, keep moving forward.”
● Grayscale adds six new crypto assets in Q1 2025, focusing on the US election and decentralized AI
According to Odaily Planet Daily, Grayscale Research lists the top 20 assets in the crypto industry every quarter, representing diversified assets and future potential. In Q1 2025, Grayscale will focus on three core market themes: the impact of the US election on industry regulation, breakthroughs in decentralized AI technology, and the growth of the Solana ecosystem.
● Blockchain Association sues US IRS over digital asset reporting rules
According to Cointelegraph, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued new regulations requiring brokers to report digital asset transactions, including decentralized exchanges (DEXs). The new regulations will take effect in 2027 and require brokers to disclose taxpayer information and total proceeds from the sale of their crypto assets.
Under the new rules, decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms may be considered brokers if they have sufficient control or influence over the trading process. The Blockchain Association and the Texas Blockchain Commission filed a lawsuit, claiming that the new rules are unconstitutional.
