Author: NBTC

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. 2025 is fast approaching and industry commentators are busy offering their two satoshis on what’s to come. With price predictions aplenty as bitcoin posts new all-time highs, we’ll stray away from those this time. One stock price expectation: Per Bitwise, Coinbase (~$324 Monday midday) will hit $700 as it surpasses Charles Schwab as “the most valuable brokerage in the world.” The investment firm correctly predicted MicroStrategy’s addition to the Nasdaq 100 index (announced Friday night) and believes COIN will join the S&P 500 next year. BLOK…

Linda Jones, a renowned financial expert and wealth mentor, has recently shared the significance of holding XRP, endorsing a popular video titled “Why Do I Hold XRP?” The video provides an in-depth look at Ripple’s role in the future of global digital payments and its strategic positioning within the financial ecosystem. It highlights Ripple’s partnerships with major financial institutions and its involvement in international organizations. Why Hold XRP? Founded in 2012, Ripple has gradually gained traction among global financial institutions. According to the analyst, Ripple’s strategic positioning, partnerships, and involvement in key financial initiatives suggest XRP’s integral role in the…

A prominent crypto analytics firm says one of the most important Bitcoin investor cohorts is unloading BTC at a rapid rate. Santiment says on the social media platform X that Bitcoin miners offloaded over $8.55 billion worth of BTC in just two days, representing the largest distribution of the last 10 months. While Bitcoin miners are heavily unloading their BTC stacks, Santiment notes that other deep-pocketed investors are picking up the slack. “Bitcoin’s collective mining balances have been dropping since April 2024. However, this latest drop of 85,503 BTC in just 48 hours is the most extreme we’ve seen since…

Grayscale announced that HZEN, its Horizen Trust, is now open to accredited investors. The firm has maintained this Trust for several years, but it has not been available OTC before now. Horizen recently underwent its final halving, and the general crypto bull market has given it a new bull rally. However, its token value is still a far cry from its 2021 peak, and a full recovery seems difficult. Grayscale Horizen Trust According to a recent blog post from Grayscale, HZEN is now available to accredited investors. This Trust product is based on Horizen (ZEN), a zero-knowledge cryptography network. Grayscale…

Staking protocol Lido has announced a timeline for the sunsetting of its products on Polygon in the coming months. The Lido Finance team announced on December 16 that it plans to discontinue all operations on Polygon following a DAO forum discussion and a community vote approving the move. According to the team, the decision to end Lido’s support on Polygon was made by Lido DAO (LDO) token holders, with the initial proposal forwarded by Shard Labs in 2021. You might also like: Grayscale launches Lido DAO and Optimism Trust Lido cited several challenges influencing the decision, including limited user adoption…

Amazon shareholders are requesting the company to consider adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet as a way to protect against inflation. This follows a trend where companies, including Microsoft and Tesla, are exploring Bitcoin as an asset. Amazon’s shareholders are asking the company to consider adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet, following in the footsteps of other big companies like Microsoft and Tesla. This proposal is part of a bigger trend where companies are considering Bitcoin to protect their money from inflation and make more money for their shareholders. Why Bitcoin for Amazon? As Inflation is going up, cash and…

A prominent Spanish bank has made waves in the financial world by allocating 2% of one of its managed funds to Bitwise’s Aptos Staking Exchange-Traded Product (ETP). Listed on the Swiss SIX Exchange, this ETP allows investors to stake Aptos (APT) tokens and earn passive income, making it an innovative option for traditional financial institutions looking to integrate crypto into their portfolios. The move is seen as a significant step toward mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies, with industry experts wondering whether other institutions will follow suit. Snap | Source: X This groundbreaking development was announced by Bitwise Asset Management CEO Hunter…

IOTA is preparing for a potential integration with Coinbase’s Rosetta, an open standard designed by Coinbase to streamline the incorporation of blockchain-based tokens on exchanges. Rosetta simplifies the compatibility process with exchanges, speeds up the integration of new blockchains, and protects customer funds by guaranteeing that essential security standards are met. IOTA is carving out its own niche in the cryptocurrency landscape by actively pursuing global adoption and breaking away from traditional norms. According to Salima, an IOTA fanatic, IOTA could be looking to integrate with Coinbase’s Rosetta standard, a move that would be instrumental in achieving seamless connectivity with…

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, emphasized the remarkable success of U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), describing them as the most successful ETFs in the nation’s history. He criticized skeptics who doubted the potential of digital assets. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s price dipped below the $100,000 mark in the past 24 hours. In a 60 Minutes interview, Garlinghouse noted that spot Bitcoin ETFs accumulated assets faster than any previous ETF in the U.S. Garlinghouse addressed long-standing skepticism toward blockchain technology, saying it is common for new industries to face doubt. However, the rapid success of spot Bitcoin ETFs shows cryptocurrencies are more…

MicroStrategy’s (MSTR) addition to the Nasdaq-100 index is a big deal, but its potential inclusion in the U.S’s S&P 500 index could be an even bigger opportunity in the medium-term, broker Benchmark said in a report Monday. The index provider announced on Friday that MicroStrategy would be added to the Nasdaq-100 on December 23. The company founded by Michael Saylor easily meets S&P 500 inclusion criteria in terms of market cap and trading volume, but currently does not meet two other requirements, the report said. The company needs to report positive earnings for the most recent quarter and “total positive…