Here are the top 20 most important cryptocurrency news stories of 2024:
Bitcoin Reaches Record Price: Bitcoin has surpassed the 100,000 USD mark for the first time in history, marking a new peak period for cryptocurrency.
Approval of Bitcoin Spot ETF: The U.S. SEC has officially approved the Bitcoin spot ETF, opening the floodgates for capital flow from institutional investors into the cryptocurrency market.
Bitcoin Halving: The fourth Bitcoin mining reward halving occurred in April, affecting supply and driving prices up.
Mt. Gox Event: Mt. Gox has begun repaying Bitcoin to users affected by the 2014 collapse, creating a large supply influx back into the market.
MicroStrategy and Bitcoin: MicroStrategy continues to buy Bitcoin in large quantities, with CEO Michael Saylor claiming that this strategy is akin to developing real estate in Manhattan.
Binance and CEO Changpeng Zhao: CZ and Binance have acknowledged violations of U.S. anti-money laundering regulations, leading to a major change in leadership.
Ethereum and Dencun Upgrade: Ethereum has implemented the Dencun upgrade, improving scalability and reducing transaction fees, boosting the development of projects on this platform.
Stablecoin and USD Coin (USDC): USDC has surpassed Tether (USDT) to become the largest market cap stablecoin.
Launch of Ethereum Spot ETF: The SEC has approved a spot ETF based on Ethereum, expanding investors' access to Ethereum.
The Collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried: Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of FTX, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and must pay billions of USD in fines for fraud.
Trump and Cryptocurrency: Donald Trump's victory in the election brought hope for a more favorable legal environment for cryptocurrency.
Grayscale Expands Watchlist: Grayscale has added six new cryptocurrencies to its watchlist of the top 20 cryptocurrencies.
PancakeSwap Records Record Trading Volume: PancakeSwap ended the year with a trading volume of up to 310 billion USD.
The Growth of Layer 1 Blockchain: Layer 1 blockchains like Solana and Sui have seen a strong increase in user numbers and value.
Chiliz and Soccer Tokens: Chiliz continues to drive the widespread adoption of soccer tokens, expanding partnerships with major clubs.
Airdrop Events: 2024 witnessed many 'massive' airdrop events, attracting the attention of the cryptocurrency community.
Growth of DeFi: The DeFi ecosystem continues to grow with many new projects and total value locked (TVL) reaching new highs.
HackerNoon Predicts Trends: HackerNoon has presented the top 15 trends for the cryptocurrency bull run, emphasizing widespread adoption and new blockchain technology.
Vietnam's Cryptocurrency Market: Vietnam has made strides in establishing a legal framework for cryptocurrency, attracting many domestic investors.
Citi Highlights the Future of Cryptocurrency: Citi has highlighted 6 key factors that will shape the future of cryptocurrency by 2025, including ETF activity and regulatory frameworks.
These news items reflect a tumultuous 2024, with developments and changes in both the cryptocurrency market and its legal framework.