Last week, Ethereum spot ETFs had a net inflow of $349 million, while Bitcoin spot ETFs had a net outflow of $388 million.



On December 29, Eugene Ng Ah Sio, a highly influential trader in the cryptocurrency community, published a 2025 Q1 outlook and prediction on X, forecasting that ETH will be the best-performing mainstream token in the next quarter.

Eugene first mentioned three reasons for being bullish on ETH: technical trends; Trump's favor (especially WLF's significant purchases in the Ethereum ecosystem); and the development status of the Base ecosystem. He then reiterated that since Trump's election, the inflow of funds into Ethereum spot ETFs has undergone a 180-degree turnaround.

The public chain drama is far from over.

In the past year, the public chain track has ushered in a series of "rejuvenation" of popularity and topics. Solana is a representative of the road to rebirth, Sui led the rise of the Move ecosystem, and Hyperliquiquit, which has achieved great success before the mainnet is launched, has rekindled the market's imagination in its own way.

At the same time, ease of use and fluidity were placed at an unprecedented level in this process. For this reason, the Supra, which featured "integrated design" and gained a lot of attention in a short period of time, gradually came into the spotlight.

(Top 10 Leading Projects of 2024: Highest Increase Over 230 Times, 7 Meme Coins on the List) This analysis has attracted widespread attention. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the development trends in the cryptocurrency market, this study analyzes the main narrative themes in the cryptocurrency market from January 1 to December 29, 2024, based on market data from CoinGecko. By tracking the performance of the top ten tokens in each theme, we calculate their average return relative to the beginning of the year (or the first trading day). The study selects representative tokens with high market capitalization at the end of the period and excludes specific public chain ecosystems and sectors with high overlap with other themes. The results show significant differences in annual returns among different narrative themes, ranging from -20.7% to +2,939.8%.

Web3 asset data platform RootData released a chart on X showing the annual return statistics for 2024 titled "Listed on Binance". According to the chart data, the standout sector is RWA, with an average return rate of 479.66%, taking the top spot, followed by Meme with an average return rate of 120.02%.

In the statistics of the best-performing tokens, $OM leads with a return rate of 6231.47%, followed by $PEPE with a return rate of 1153.19%. Other tokens such as $RSR, $PENDLE, $FLOKI, $DOGE, and $XRP also achieved strong returns throughout the year.

(Source Link)

Original | Odaily Planet Daily (@OdailyChina)

Author｜Azuma (@azuma_eth)

On December 29, influential trader Eugene Ng Ah Sio released his outlook and expectations for the first quarter of 2025 on X, predicting that ETH will be the best-performing mainstream token in the next quarter.

Eugene first mentioned three reasons for being bullish on ETH: technical trends; Trump's favor (especially the substantial purchases by WLF in the Ethereum ecosystem); and the development status of the Base ecosystem. He then reiterated that since Trump was elected, the inflow of funds into Ethereum spot ETFs has undergone a 180-degree turnaround.

Author: Weilin, PANews



To get closer to the community, Shaw, who had previously been working behind the scenes focusing on technology, stepped into the spotlight. In late December, during the overseas holiday season—Christmas—Shaw and his wife chose to come to China to meet with community developers. From Shanghai to Beijing and then to Hong Kong, Shaw's schedule was tight, and at every event, he was lined up with questions from everyone.

As the hottest AI agent project, ai16z's token market capitalization has exceeded $1 billion. The core ElizaOS of ai16z is a powerful multi-agent simulation framework designed to create, deploy, and manage autonomous AI agents, built using TypeScript, capable of interacting across multiple platforms. Many projects have already been developed based on this highly regarded open-source framework.

Original title: (Seeing is not believing | Fake Zoom Meeting Phishing Analysis)

Original source: SlowMist Technology



Background

Recently, several users on X reported a phishing attack disguised as a Zoom meeting link, where one victim installed malicious software after clicking the malicious Zoom meeting link, resulting in the theft of encrypted assets amounting to millions of dollars. In this context, the SlowMist security team conducted an analysis of such phishing incidents and attack methods, tracking the flow of hacker funds.

(https://x.com/lsp8940/status/1871350801270296709)

Phishing Link Analysis

The Bittensor AI project attempts to utilize web3 token mining to make open-source AI development more sustainable, verifiable, and efficient.



Introduction

AI development has achieved tremendous breakthroughs in recent years due to advancements in data, computing power, and algorithm research, particularly with the arrival of OpenAI GPT-4, representing the foundational LLM model and driving productivity enhancement and societal efficiency transformation.

However, the disadvantages of centralized models, represented by GPT-4, have also become apparent. Centralized models typically face limitations on third-party integrations, impacting the scalability and interoperability of AI agents based on centralized models.

Author: Zhang Yaqi

Source: Wall Street Journal



The stablecoin USDT, known as the "anchor" of the crypto world, is quietly disrupting the traditional financial industry.

More and more banks are starting to enter the stablecoin market. According to Bloomberg, Société Générale, Germany's Oddo BHF, the UK's Revolut, and even the Hong Kong Monetary Authority have begun to layout in the stablecoin market, hoping to get a piece of the pie in this field.

Previously, Tether Holdings Ltd., the world's largest stablecoin issuer, expected a net profit of over 10 billion dollars in 2024. CEO Paolo Ardoino stated in an interview that the company has already invested more than half of its net profit this year.

What are the criteria for choosing an agent? What narratives and practicalities are currently most valued by CT?



As early as October, Virtuals launched the concept of AI agent tokenization. It was a bold move, but most people did not care at the time because it was too ahead of its time.

Today, Virtuals has brought 50x, 100x returns to many agents, and suddenly everyone is paying attention.

The problem is that everyone is focused on 50-100x returns. To achieve similar excess returns, you must act early. You need strong confidence and patience to position yourself before others discover it.

Original: Cryptonews

Translated by: Yuliya, PANews



As 2025 approaches, the European cryptocurrency market is set to undergo significant changes. While global attention often focuses on developments in the U.S. market, the evolution of the European market in the coming year is also worthy of close attention. Especially with the highly anticipated Crypto Assets Market Regulation Act (MiCA) set to be fully implemented across the EU on December 30, 2024, the market landscape will undergo significant changes. The introduction of this act has already had a significant impact on the stablecoin market, particularly with recent questions raised regarding USDT. In response, Tether's CEO shared multiple clarifications on social media platform X, emphasizing that the reality is that USDT will not be deemed illegal in Europe.

Original title: (Celeb tokens that burned bright, then burned out in 2024)

Author: Jesse Coghlan, CoinTelegraph

Translation: Deng Tong, Golden Finance



Celebrity-themed crypto tokens experienced a fleeting moment in 2024, as public figures aimed to monetize their fame amidst a steady rise in cryptocurrency.

But the fleeting 'celebrity meme coins' have seen their value plummet since launch, or drop significantly from their peak.

Let's take a look at those meme celebrity tokens that disappeared without a trace in 2024.

Author: Weilin, PANews



On December 27 local time, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS released the final rule document for 'DeFi Brokers,' which sparked widespread criticism within the crypto industry. It requires DeFi brokers to report digital asset sales income and collect user KYC information starting in 2025.

The regulations will take effect 60 days after publication. However, the document also notes that there will be a transition period from 2025 to 2026, during which a certain degree of grace may be granted, but the specific scope and criteria for leniency are still unclear. After the grace period, the new regulations will apply to the sale of digital assets starting in 2027, and brokers will need to begin collecting and reporting the required data for digital asset transactions starting in 2026.

Author: cmDeFi

 

Core point: Understand under what circumstances DeFi will be identified as a "broker", explore the underlying logic and living space in decentralization and regulatory attitudes, and find the perfect exit.

Expanding the definition of brokers: Regulations believe that DeFi transactions have great similarities with securities trading processes. DeFi brokers need to submit information reports to the IRS, help customers accurately declare taxes, and ensure compliance (KYC, anti-money laundering, etc.).

Determine DeFi brokers: provide services to facilitate transactions and have the ability to obtain customer information.

Impact on DeFi: Choose to accept broker identification or decentralize the project. The higher the degree of decentralization, the lower the possibility of being identified as a broker.

Author: 0xJeff, Crypto KOL

Compiled by: Felix, PANews



As early as October, Virtuals introduced the concept of AI agent tokenization. It was a bold move, but most people didn't care at the time because it was too ahead of its time.

Today, Virtuals has brought 50x and 100x returns to many agents, and suddenly everyone is starting to pay attention.

The problem is that everyone is focused on 50-100x returns. If you want similar excessive returns, you need to act early. You need strong confidence and patience to position yourself before others notice.

If you enter now, you might see 5-10x returns—still stable, but far from the 50-100x returns achieved by early adopters. But that doesn't mean it's too late; you need to have strategic foresight. What was 'alpha' two months ago is no longer alpha. The Virtuals ecosystem has become crowded, and the low-hanging fruits have already been picked.

On the last day of 2024, Bitcoin briefly plummeted to $92,000, with a total liquidation of $277 million across the network in the past 24 hours, including $185 million in long liquidations and $92.16 million in short liquidations. Meanwhile, as US stocks opened, crypto-related stocks and the 'Big Seven' in US stocks all fell, with the Dow Jones down 1.04%, the S&P 500 down 1.13%, and the Nasdaq down 1.33%.

Since the onset of the Christmas market in late December, Bitcoin has experienced multiple short-term crashes. Below are the market reasons for Bitcoin's decline as summarized by BlockBeats, for reference only.

The strengthening dollar makes US stocks and the crypto market less appealing.

In 2024, the public chain industry completed a crucial transformation from technological competition to application implementation, with the influx of institutional capital and innovative applications driving the industry's scale beyond $2.8 trillion.



Author: Stella L (stella@footprint.network)

Data Source: Footprint Analytics Public Chain Research Dashboard

2024 marks an important watershed year for the public chain industry, with the industry's focus shifting from technological competition to practical application implementation. In this year, the public chain market cap grew by 105.3% to $2.8 trillion, Bitcoin's price surpassed $100,000, institutional adoption was achieved through ETFs, Ethereum Layer 2 networks expanded to over 200 chains, and Bitcoin Layer 2 TVL grew by 1,277.6%, demonstrating the industry's transition from technological experimentation to practical real-world applications. The public chain industry is undergoing a gradual shift from technology-driven development to application-driven development.

Franklin Templeton releases its 2025 outlook for the crypto industry. Franklin Templeton states that as the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies becomes an indispensable part of global financial and operational systems, 2025 will mark a shift from speculation to practicality. Stakeholders should pay attention to regulatory dynamics, institutional initiatives, and the progress of AI and cryptocurrency convergence to navigate this dynamic landscape.

The specific content is as follows:

In 2025, there may be significant advancements in the cryptocurrency space, influenced by factors such as regulatory clarity, institutional adoption, and technological evolution.

Skyland Ventures Partner: An Overview of Emerging Crypto Areas to Watch in 2025

In this article, I share insights on the transformation of the Web3/Crypto space and key players from a VC perspective and highlight emerging areas to watch in 2025.

I am pleased to announce that I became a partner in Skyland Ventures' Web3/Crypto fund in November 2024 and have just published an article summarizing the Web3 and crypto landscape of 2024 from a venture capital perspective.

This year, Skyland invested in 15 projects, 9 of which from our portfolio successfully went public, and 2 became unicorns. The pace of development in this industry is incredible, and 2024 is no exception. In this article, I share insights on the transformation of the Web3/Crypto space and key players from a VC perspective and highlight emerging areas to watch in 2025.

Author: Nancy, PANews

 

With the gradual improvement of infrastructure and the gradual landing of application scenarios, the crypto AI Agent ecosystem is becoming increasingly prosperous, showing a brand new market development trajectory, and liquidity and user participation are continuously rising. In this wave of AI Agent enthusiasm, ai16z and Virtuals Protocol are undoubtedly the two most representative projects, and their ecosystems have attracted various capital eager to dig for gold.

ai16z and Virtuals dominate the AI Agent market, contributing more than half of the market share.

Although the AI Agent ecosystem is rapidly rising in the crypto market, attracting a large amount of attention and capital, its market structure still appears singular, mainly relying on the promotion of a few leading projects.