ChainCatcher news, according to Blockworks, the Solana ecosystem decentralized exchange platform Raydium has launched a meme coin issuance platform called LaunchLab. The platform offers linear, exponential, and logarithmic curve pricing models, allows third-party UI customization of fees, supports multiple quote tokens, and integrates Raydium's liquidity locking feature.Previously, Pump.fun planned to launch its own AMM, reducing reliance on Raydium, which led to a 25% drop in Raydium's native token RAY in February. Raydium core contributors stated that LaunchLab is not intended to replace Pump.fun, but rather to provide more options for teams that do not want to develop contracts on their own.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, multiple analysts have warned that the ETH/BTC exchange rate may further decline in the coming weeks. Crypto analyst Alessandro Ottaviani described the current situation as a "falling knife" scenario, indicating that it is experiencing a rapid and steep decline, which typically discourages buyers from entering too early. The "falling knife" metaphor suggests that attempting to "catch the knife" when one believes the asset is at a low point can lead to greater losses, especially when the downward trend continues.Technically, the relative strength index (RSI) on the ETH/BTC two-week chart has fallen to a historical low of 23.32. While an RSI below 30 typically indicates an oversold condition that may trigger a rebound, Ethereum's RSI has continued to decline for two months after being oversold, indicating that the downward trend is accelerating rather than stabilizing. If it cannot rebound from the 0.022 BTC level, ETH/BTC may continue to drop to the 0.020-0.016 BTC range, representing a further decline of about 30% from the current price.Fundamental factors also support a bearish outlook. Ethereum faces strong competition from rivals like Solana, with VanEck data showing that Solana's decentralized exchange trading volume has surpassed that of Ethereum. Additionally, the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs has disrupted traditional cryptocurrency market cycles, with $129 billion flowing into Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 draining liquidity from the altcoin market, including Ethereum.

ChainCatcher news, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan was asked at a budget forum about U.S. President Trump's plan to host a cryptocurrency summit or the potential inclusion of five cryptocurrencies in the U.S. strategic reserve. Chan responded that virtual assets may pose risks to the financial system. Hong Kong is one of the first jurisdictions to announce policies regarding virtual assets. Industry professionals welcome the inclusion of virtual assets in an appropriate regulatory framework, believing that Hong Kong's status as an international financial center provides legitimacy to operations, which is beneficial for marketing. He also emphasized that Hong Kong is never afraid of competition, as competition can lead to a favorable business environment.

ChainCatcher news, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on the X platform, hinting that the company might venture into the social application space. In response to the news about Meta planning to launch a standalone Meta AI app, he stated, "Well, maybe we will make a social app," and joked that it would be very interesting if Facebook (Meta) tried to challenge OpenAI, and OpenAI countered Meta.

ChainCatcher news, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino posted on the X platform stating that USDT is the most successful tool for dollar hegemony and emerging market distribution. Over the past decade, Tether has built the most extensive physical and digital distribution network, from thousands of self-service terminals in Africa and South America to digital remittance platforms, from payment backbones to institutional tools.Our team and portfolio companies work on the ground every day in countless regions of developing countries, helping communities increase the utilization, trust, and education level of USDT, thereby impacting the U.S. economy. This is how USDT currently helps over 400 million people and grows at a rate of 35 million new wallets per quarter, with a focus on developing countries, while strengthening the dollar and holding over $115 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds, making Tether the 18th largest holder of U.S. debt.While competitors' business models should focus on creating better products and larger distribution networks, their true intention is to "eliminate Tether." Every business or political meeting they hold has this goal as the ultimate aim. While this may seem exaggerated, it is the truth.For a competitor trying to use legal means to kill off rivals instead of focusing on better products, Tether will not sit idly by. Tether will not allow these attacks to succeed, nor can it permit such a situation to occur. Tether will steadfastly protect the hundreds of millions globally who have been left behind by the traditional financial system, helping them access dollars through USDT.

ChainCatcher message, previously there were rumors in the community that a certain cryptocurrency exchange was negotiating a sale. Binance co-founder He Yi posted on platform X, seemingly responding to the related news. She stated: "So the crisis public relations strategy of our competitors is to buy articles in bulk to create rumors about Binance to divert attention? Since the price of Bitcoin broke a new high, as a business model established by ecological verification, trading platforms, following the principle of leading investments, receive inquiries every month from institutions asking if Binance is open to investment and cooperation. We do not rule out the introduction of strategic partners and are open to mergers and acquisitions. If other trading platforms have sale plans, we welcome them to contact us."

ChainCatcher news, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated on social media, "At the PlanB forum in El Salvador, I was asked this question: Are you worried about competitors to USDT? My answer: Many people do not realize that Tether has built one of the most extensive digital and physical distribution networks in human history over the past 10 years.While some competitors are raising funds from investors and increasing the market value of their stablecoins on their balance sheets by paying incentives to banks, Tether already has hundreds of thousands of partners, establishing service terminals in all developing countries, creating digital platforms with tens of millions of users and amazing technology. The scale of our network is what sets us apart.This is why USDT has been able to successfully empower 400 million users in emerging markets, enabling them to access the global financial system through the USDT stablecoin. There are still billions of people who cannot access basic financial services; these are good people who are simply overlooked by banks because they are too poor. We will continue to fulfill our mission to help them.And in the process, we are helping the U.S. economy by repurchasing hundreds of billions of U.S. Treasury bonds and strengthening the dollar's position as the most widely used fiat currency in the world. So no, I am not worried at all."

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, JPMorgan analysts pointed out in their latest research report that Ethereum is facing ongoing pressure from competitors. The report shows that despite an overall rise in the crypto market, Ethereum has underperformed compared to Bitcoin and other tokens, with its market capitalization share dropping to a four-year low.Analysts believe there are two main reasons: the competitive pressure from public chains like Solana and layer two networks that offer lower fees and higher scalability, and the lack of a strong narrative logic for Ethereum compared to Bitcoin's positioning as a store of value. Even after the Dencun upgrade, activity continues to migrate towards layer two networks.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, Ark Investment Management founder and CEO Cathie Wood stated in a recent interview: "DeepSeek has brought a shock to the American tech industry, but competition is a good thing. I believe competition is beneficial for the U.S., lowering costs is good for the world, and the decline in innovation costs should help all regions of the world. This field is forming a tug-of-war.American artificial intelligence is like the internet in the early 1990s; we don't even know what we have. Although there was excitement at that time, now is not the time for strict regulation. Trump may like competition in the tech industry. For Bitcoin, the U.S. will gain significant clarity in regulation and will also achieve legislation. Moreover, the executive branch is very supportive of the crypto industry, such as the inclusion of Bitcoin in the Treasury reserves, which has received support from U.S. government departments. This is a huge change."

ChainCatcher news, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently shared his views on the current discussions regarding the U.S. government's establishment of a national digital asset reserve program. Despite Ripple's growing influence in the U.S., Garlinghouse reiterated the company's commitment to a multi-chain future and collaboration in the cryptocurrency space.He stated in an X post: "Let me be as clear as I can—if we work together instead of undermining each other, the crypto industry has a chance to achieve many of the goals we all share right now. This is not, and will never be, a zero-sum game. I hold a few tokens like XRP, BTC, and ETH—we live in a multi-chain world, and I advocate for fair competition, not one token against another.If a government digital asset reserve is created—I believe it should represent the entire industry, not just one crypto asset (whether it's BTC, XRP, or any other cryptocurrency). Maximizationism remains the enemy of crypto progress, and I’m glad to see fewer and fewer people subscribing to this outdated and incorrect notion."

ChainCatcher news, Jump Trading has filed a lawsuit against its former software engineer Liam Heeger, accusing him of now operating a "competing business," in violation of non-compete obligations.The company claims that Heeger, who co-led the large blockchain project Firedancer at Jump, violated the non-compete agreement after resigning from the company on November 11. Documents show that Heeger has launched a new blockchain development venture that "directly competes with Jump."Jump states that Heeger secured $3 million in funding at a $50 million valuation within a month of his resignation, which directly violates his contractual non-compete obligations. Jump also alleges that Heeger secretly raised funds for his new business at the Breakpoint conference in Singapore while he was still working at the company, co-leading the Firedancer project.

ChainCatcher message, Ethereum early developer Eric Conner posted on x, stating that as Vitalik gradually steps back, the opacity of the Ethereum Foundation (EF) and the sense of disconnection from the community are becoming stronger. He pointed out that EF currently exhibits a "defeatist and competitive mindset," which has led many community members to question whether to continue staying.Eric stated that leadership, culture, and community are important, but currently, EF tends to focus more on "goodwill" and emotional issues rather than understanding the community's demands for change. As an early participant in the Ethereum ecosystem and one of the founders of Ethhub, Eric mentioned that he may have lost his passion for Ethereum, but still hopes for its success.

ChainCatcher message, Mechanism Capital partner Andrew Kang posted on X: "Since the launch of DOGE, TRUMP has become its first legitimate competitor.Trump is the only person in the world who has more mindshare than DOGE's main supporter Elon Musk.TRUMP $6 billion market cap vs DOGE $60 billion market cap."