Bitcoin Flirts With $100,000 on Optimism Over US Crypto Outlook
Bitcoin flirted with a run toward the landmark $100,000 level, buoyed by expectations of friendly US regulations and expanding investor interest courtesy of President-elect Donald Trump’s support for crypto.
The largest digital asset traded at $99,000 as of 11:00 a.m. Friday in Singapore. The crypto market as a whole has gained about $1 trillion since Trump’s Nov. 5 election win.
Trump Media Considering Crypto Payment Platform - NYT
Trump Media & Technology has recently filed a trademark application with plans to establish a cryptocurrency payment platform.
A report in The New York Times said that the Nov. 18 application from the parent company of social media platform Truth Social is looking to trademark the name TRUTHFI.
Among the goods and services that would be offered by TRUTHFI, according to the application, are: cryptocurrency payment processing; credit and cash card payment processing services; card payment processing services; financial asset management; financial custody services such as maintaining possession of financial assets for others for financial management purposes; and trading in digital assets.
Coinbase Eyes More Acquisitions as It Expands Payments Business
Coinbase Global, Inc. is ramping up its efforts in the digital-payments space, with ambitions to make additional acquisitions and generate more revenue from the business line.
The biggest US crypto exchange acquired payments startup Utopia Labs’ team this month, and it may buy more payments-related businesses to expand its capabilities, according to Shan Aggarwal, Coinbase’s vice president of corporate and business development. The company is also considering charging fees for some payment services in Coinbase Wallet, such as subscriptions for certain capabilities, Aggarwal said in an interview.
Former CFTC Boss Giancarlo a Top Contender for Trump's 'Crypto Czar' Role - Report
Chris Giancarlo, former chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is emerging as a frontrunner for the newly proposed "crypto czar" role, a position under consideration by President-elect Donald Trump's transition team to focus on crypto policy, according to a Thursday media report.
Giancarlo, who had served as CFTC chair during Trump's first term in the White House, has informed key officials within the transition team that he is open to taking on the crypto czar role, FOX Business reported.
Charles Schwab Eyes Spot Crypto Trading Once Regulations Change
Charles Schwab’s incoming chief executive officer, Rick Wurster, said the firm is looking to offer spot cryptocurrency trading once US regulations make doing so easier — something that’s more likely once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
“We will get into spot crypto when the regulatory environment changes, and we do anticipate that it will change, and we’re getting ready for that eventuality,” Wurster, currently Schwab’s president, said in a Bloomberg Radio interview Thursday.
Gary Gensler Plans to Step Down From SEC in January
“The Securities and Exchange Commission is a remarkable agency,” Gensler said in a statement on Thursday. “The staff and the commission are deeply mission-driven, focused on protecting investors, facilitating capital formation and ensuring that the markets work for investors and issuers alike.”Gary Gensler, whose ambitious agenda drew fierce resistance from Wall Street and the crypto industry, plans to step down on Jan. 20.
“The Securities and Exchange Commission is a remarkable agency,” Gensler said in a statement on Thursday. “The staff and the commission are deeply mission-driven, focused on protecting investors, facilitating capital formation and ensuring that the markets work for investors and issuers alike.”
iShares Bitcoin Trust Achieves $626.54 Million in Single-Day Inflows, Topping the List of Total Daily Net Inflows
The Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest net inflow on November 21 was iShares Bitcoin Trust, with a net inflow of $626.54 million. Following that was Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, with a net inflow of $133.94 million, according to Bloomberg data.
As of now, the total net asset value of Bitcoin spot ETFs is $103.37 billion, and the ETF net asset ratio (market value compared to total Bitcoin market value) is 5.42%.