SnapShot 191

Ethereum Introduces ‘Etherealize’, Bitcoin ETFs hit $125 billion, and Jupiter begins buying back tokens

Hello SnapShotters,

It’s been a positive week for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, as U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recently saw net inflows of $40 billion; Solana’s overall stablecoin supply grew sharply from $5.1 billion to $11.3 billion, a 121% increase since the start of January; and Ethereum introduced ‘Etherealize’.

Additionally, Ethereum-based Layer-2 networks are willing to forgo millions in revenue fees to create a unified blockchain ecosystem. The AI agents sector has recently taken off, with top tokens showing exponential increase in market cap in the past few months, and Jupiter unveiled plans to buy back JUP tokens with 50% of its platform revenue fees.

Read on for more crypto news.

Market Spotlight

Note: Market prices captured in USD at the time of sending. Explore more on Crypto‌.com/Price. 
Want more? Get weekly Market and DeFi Updates from Crypto.‌com’s Research Team.

News Snaps

🪪  Crypto.com Receives MiCA License

In a landmark milestone, this week Crypto.com received its full MiCA license, which allows Crypto.com to offer its services across the European Economic Area.

🇺🇸 Fed Holds Rates Steady

The U.S. Federal Reserve “kept its benchmark fed funds rate range steady at 4.25%–4.50%, in line with market expectations.” The accompanying policy statement was “hawkish, with the central bank saying inflation remains ‘somewhat elevated’.”

⛓️ L2s Favor a Unified Ethereum

Ethereum-based Layer-2 networks are willing to forgo millions in revenue fees to create a unified blockchain ecosystem. During a call with Ethereum developers, leaders from networks like Base and Optimism were willing to implement based and native rollups, aiming for deeper integration with the Ethereum chain.

📚 Ethereum Introduces ‘Etherealize’

Ethereum has introduced ‘Etherealize’, led by Wall Street veteran Vivek Raman, to promote the network among institutional investors and expand its presence in traditional financial markets. The initiative aims to educate financial institutions and develop tools for securely tokenizing and trading high-value assets on the Ethereum blockchain. 

₿  U.S. Bitcoin ETFs Hit $125 Billion

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recently saw net inflows of $40 billion, bringing the total market cap to $125 billion (at the time of writing). BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust currently leads with $60.6 billion in assets under management (AUM), followed by Fidelity with $22.28 billion.

🏦 Crypto.com Custody Launched Globally for Institutional Clients

This week, Crypto.com announced the launch of Crypto.com Custody services, the group’s institutional-grade custody offerings serviced out of the United States and Singapore. With Crypto.com Custody, institutional clients can now leverage a secure digital asset custody solution from one of the largest regulated digital asset platforms in the world.

What’s Ahead

🪙 Jupiter Begins Buying Back Tokens

Solana-based decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator, Jupiter, unveiled plans to buy back JUP tokens with 50% of its platform revenue fees; the other half would be allocated for the protocol’s growth and operations.

Number of the Week

Chart of the Week

Bitcoin reached a new all-time high above $109,000 on January 20, the day of U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration. At the same time, BTC’s daily trading volume spiked to $126 billion on the day, according to CoinMarketCap, compared to the $56 billion average month-to-date.

This was also the highest daily volume since December 5, 2024, when it reached $149 billion as Bitcoin hit the $100,000 milestone.

Research & Insights

Monthly Feature Article |  AI Agent Landscape

The AI agents sector has recently taken off, with top tokens showing exponential increase in market cap in the past few months. This report looks into the AI agent landscape and delves into some major players and emerging use cases.

Read the full report.

Crypto Trivia

What does the term ‘range-bound market’ describe in cryptocurrency trading? 

A) A market with significant price volatility

B) A market where prices trade consistently between a defined high and low level

C) A market experiencing a steady upward trend

Find the correct answer at the end of this newsletter.

NFT Spotlight

Dropping on Wednesday, February 5, is “a unique NFT collection that combines art, storytelling, and creativity in a sci-fi universe full of deep and charismatic characters.” Brought to you by Adrián Balastegui, a “multidisciplinary digital artist” based in Barcelona, ‘Starlight Echoes’ features “intricate design and a unique story, inviting collectors to explore the lore behind each character.”

Specializing in “creating dreamlike and tribal worlds,” Balastegui’s work is “defined by unique, distorted characters that stem from reality and come to life through a vibrant and expressive color palette.” He “seeks to step out of his comfort zone with every project, blending techniques and visual languages to craft pieces that tell powerful and unique stories.”

The collection is “inspired by classic sci-fi aesthetics and anime with a focus on conveying emotion and personality through its characters, offering an immersive and captivating experience.” Each NFT “represents a character from the Starlight Echoes universe,” but also “reflects their importance and uniqueness within the lore.”

Do you hear the Echoes? From an artist representing “oniric and tribal worlds.”

Product Updates

4 New Ways to Trade and Make the Most of Your Sonic (S) and Animecoin (ANIME) Tokens

Sonic (S) is now available on Recurring Buy, Target Price Orders, TWAP, and Onchain staking*, and ANIME is now available on Target Price Orders, allowing users to purchase or sell S and ANIME at a target price without having to monitor the market. Additionally, users are also able to automatically purchase S on a recurring basis, following the Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) strategy, as well as easily purchase large volumes of S and earn rewards from Onchain staking. Launch the App.

*Onchain staking is only available in select jurisdictions.

Win $88 of CRO by Spreading Good Fortune

Usher in the Year of the Snake with eRed Packets on Crypto.com Pay.  Stand a chance to receive $88 of CRO simply by sending at least one eRed Packet worth $50 or more to a friend who is not yet a Crypto.com App user. Once they sign up for the Crypto.com App, you’ll be eligible to win $88 of CRO in a lucky draw, with 88 reward recipients in total! Terms and eligibility apply. Learn more.

New Sports Events Are Live in the Crypto.com App in the US

Ready to put your sports knowledge to the test? We’re excited to share that two major championships have been added to Crypto.com Sports: the European Soccer Championships and North American Basketball Championships! You can now profit by correctly predicting the outcome of these events in the Crypto.com App or on the Crypto.com Web. Get started here.

This is informational content only and should not be considered as an investment recommendation. Some Crypto.com products may not be available in some jurisdictions.

Crypto Learn

A Brief Introduction to Crypto and Blockchain Bonds

Once reserved for traditional finance, bonds have now evolved with the emergence of blockchain and crypto.

Traditional Bonds: Fixed-income securities where investors lend money to issuers like governments or corporations in exchange for regular interest payments.

Blockchain Bonds: Digital bonds that operate on a blockchain, providing greater transparency, faster settlement times, and lower costs thanks to smart contracts.

Crypto Bonds: These are a subset of blockchain bonds that pay investors in cryptocurrency and offer higher yields, but with higher volatility and risks.

While traditional bonds are more stable, blockchain and crypto bonds promise potentially higher yields and blockchain advantages, like smart contract automation and speed. 

Learn more about these three types of bonds in this University article. 

CryptoIRL

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Hashtag #CryptoIRL with your Crypto.‌com Card on your social profiles to get featured! Your 15 minutes of fame in the #CROFam awaits you!

Security Tips

Fake U.S. Treasury XRP Wallet Exposed

Amid the political buzz in America, a fraudulent XRP wallet masquerading as the U.S. Treasury has been uncovered. 

On January 22, influencers circulated the wallet’s information, claiming it was connected to major institutions like JPMorgan and Bank of America. The story quickly spread across social media but was disproven through on-chain analysis, revealing that the wallet was based in the Philippines — and therefore not the U.S. Treasury.

Here’s how to stay safe from scams:

1. Stay educated about on-chain analysis to perform due diligence on suspicious transactions or wallets.

2. Remain alert to risks like impersonation, phishing, and misinformation.3. Protect your private keys and use secure wallets.

Crypto Trivia Answer

B) A market where prices trade consistently between a defined high and low level

That’s it for this week’s SnapShot. Want more? Find out what’s trending in the crypto world.