Weekly Market Index
Last week’s crypto market prices were up +10.99%. Volume and volatility increased by +9.29% and +35.61%, respectively.
Chart of the Week
The two major cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum, extended their gains last week to reach new yearly highs. Bitcoin crossed the key level of US$50K at one point while Ethereum is closing in on US$2.7K.
Weekly Performance
Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) rose by +15.0% and +10.9%, respectively, in the past seven days. Price action for other selected top-cap tokens was also positive.
Selected key categories were all up in terms of market cap change in the past seven days, led by Gaming.
News Highlights
- Crypto.com launched Crypto.com Prime, a recognition programme created to empower high net worth traders to capture growth and build wealth that lasts generations. Prime members can access unrivalled benefits such as near-zero trading fees, institutional-grade trading and deep liquidity, bespoke tax and inheritance services, and much more.
- Franklin Templeton is the latest firm to apply for a spot Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the US. BlackRock, VanEck, Fidelity, Invesco Galaxy, Grayscale, and Hashdex are the other spot Ether ETF applicants.
- The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has delayed its ruling on the Invesco Galaxy spot Ether ETF, which could potentially be pushed to July 2024.
- US inflation came in at +3.1% YoY (as measured by the consumer price index) for January, above market expectations.
- Ethereum developers have scheduled the “Dencun” upgrade for 13 March. The upgrade aims to enhance the Ethereum network’s scalability and efficiency by reducing costs for Layer-2 transactions.
- Following the recent introduction of the ERC-404 token standard, a team of Ethereum developers launched DN-404, which aims to improve upon the former. DN-404 aims to be an NFT with native fractionalisation built in. Both ERC-404 and DN-404 contracts are experimental and unofficial.
- Argentina reportedly has the largest purchases and holdings of stablecoins in Latin America over the past six months.
- Ethereum’s staking participation rate crossed 25% recently, meaning that around a quarter of ETH’s circulating supply was locked into the network. Higher participation is often interpreted as the network becoming more decentralised and secure.
Recent Research Reports
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Navigator: Quest for Alpha [January 2024] | Research Roundup Newsletter [January 2024] | Crypto ETFs |
| Alpha Navigator: Quest for Alpha [January 2024] |
|---|---|
| Research Roundup Newsletter [January 2024] |
| Crypto ETFs |
- Alpha Navigator: Quest for Alpha [January 2024]: Fed signals rate cut in March unlikely. Asset class performance was mixed in January, with crypto and equities up slightly.
- Research Roundup Newsletter [January 2024]: We present to you our latest issue of Research Roundup, featuring trending market insights in January, charts of the month, and our deep dive into the world of crypto ETFs.
- Crypto ETFs: This report explores what crypto ETFs are, providing an overview of the current crypto ETF market and looking into how they work as investment vehicles. Plus, we explore their features, significance, advantages, and drawbacks.
Recent University Articles
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| What Is NEAR Protocol (NEAR)? How It Works and How to Buy NEAR | What Is Bitcoin (BTC) Dominance? | Crypto Market Makers vs Market Takers — What They Are and How They Influence |
| What Is NEAR Protocol (NEAR)? How It Works and How to Buy NEAR |
|---|---|
| What Is Bitcoin (BTC) Dominance? |
| Crypto Market Makers vs Market Takers — What They Are and How They Influence |
- What Is NEAR Protocol (NEAR)? How It Works and How to Buy NEAR: NEAR protocol is designed to incentivise a network of computers to operate a platform for decentralised applications, utilising sharding for more efficient data retrieval and scaling.
- What Is Bitcoin (BTC) Dominance?: In this beginner’s guide, learn the ins and outs of BTC dominance — what it means, and what happens when BTC dominance goes up or drops.
- Crypto Market Makers vs Market Takers — What They Are and How They Influence: Crypto market makers provide liquidity by placing buy and sell orders, while market takers seek immediate execution of their orders. Here’s how they interact with each other.
Catalyst Calendar
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