ChainCatcher news, Pantera Capital executive partner Paul Veradittakit stated that there are significant opportunities in the cryptocurrency space to leverage AI agents. He believes that cryptocurrency trading is a reasonable domain for the integration of AI agents and predicts that AI-driven trading volumes could grow exponentially, as AI agents are both smart and fast, capable of taking action on behalf of users.They can seamlessly enter and exit different types of products and engage in DeFi trading, which truly represents the future of financial services.

ChainCatcher news, according to a tweet by Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, sources revealed that the U.S. SEC is very interested in "staking" and has even requested the industry to provide a memorandum detailing the different types of staking and their benefits.The source expects that the U.S. SEC will issue some form of guidance regarding staking in the near future, as it is a topic they are keen on.

ChainCatcher news, crypto analyst Miles Deutscher pointed out that since the election frenzy, the inflow of funds into Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs has noticeably slowed down. As the market is forward-looking, most ETF buyers have already positioned themselves for the potential benefits that a Trump presidency could bring. With this demand being pre-absorbed, the market is now waiting for the next catalyst that could drive prices up.

ChainCatcher news, according to @ai_9684xtpa's monitoring, the quantitative investment firm Manifold Trading is suspected of reducing its position in the 3 million OM purchased at the low point in November 2023. If sold, it would yield a profit of 22.7 million USD. OM is replicating last November's surge scenario, and the institution's cumulative profit from OM has exceeded 50.57 million USD.

ChainCatcher news, according to a post by CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju, the demand for Bitcoin ETFs has slowed down but remains in a net inflow state.He stated that the current bull market cycle will continue until there is a noticeable outflow of ETF funds, while sustained net outflow demand will signal the beginning of a bear market cycle.Ki Young Ju emphasized that in the market, only supply and demand truly matter; other factors are just market noise.

ChainCatcher news, CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju tweeted that there will be no bear market this year, and we are still in a bull market cycle. Prices will eventually rise. Even if Bitcoin drops 30% from its ATH (like 110K → 77K), the bull market cycle can still continue, as seen in past cycles.

ChainCatcher news reports that according to the 13F filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), large institutions such as pension funds or hedge funds doubled their holdings in spot Bitcoin ETFs in the fourth quarter of 2024.As of Q4 2024, institutional investors held $38.7 billion worth of spot Bitcoin ETFs. This figure is more than three times that of Q3, where the reported holdings were only $12.4 billion. Among them, the Wisconsin Investment Board increased its holdings in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) to just over 6 million shares. Billionaire hedge fund investor Paul Tudor also raised his stake in IBIT from 4,428,230 shares to 8,048,552 shares, nearly doubling his investment.Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas stated that IBIT currently has 1,100 institutional holders reporting their holdings through 13F filings. In contrast, most newly launched ETFs typically have fewer than 10 institutional holders.

ChainCatcher news, according to Coindesk, the Blockchain Association, along with 75 participants from the cryptocurrency industry, including Coinbase, a16z, Kraken, and others, has sent a letter to the U.S. Congress calling for the repeal of the IRS's new regulations on DeFi brokers. This rule was urgently introduced before the Trump administration was about to leave office, requiring DeFi brokers to provide information reports similar to those of securities brokers.Senator Ted Cruz has introduced a resolution to repeal this rule under the Congressional Review Act. The industry letter points out that the rule misunderstands DeFi technology, exceeds congressional intent, and suggests using congressional power to rescind the rule before it takes effect to avoid negative impacts on the industry.

ChainCatcher news, three Dutch companies Quantoz Payments, NPEX, and Dusk announced a collaboration to launch the stablecoin EURQ.According to the company, the establishment of EURQ complies with the regulations of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA).This collaboration involves a licensed securities exchange, an EMT provider, and a blockchain foundation. These three Dutch companies stated that they are working together to bridge the gap between the traditional financial system and blockchain-driven decentralized applications (dApps).

ChainCatcher news, Coinbase calls on the U.S. Congress to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) comprehensive authority to regulate the cryptocurrency spot market and has proposed six legislative priorities. Coinbase's Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad emphasized in the proposal that Bitcoin and Ethereum should be classified as commodities rather than securities, and therefore the CFTC should be responsible for regulating the cryptocurrency spot market to ensure market transparency and prevent fraud and manipulation.The six core recommendations of the proposal include: clearly defining tokens and trading, granting the CFTC authority to regulate the spot market, establishing SEC capital raising rules, creating a regulatory framework for stablecoins, protecting decentralized finance (DeFi) and digital commerce, and ensuring regulatory clarity for centralized entities.

ChainCatcher news, according to AggrNews, billionaire Mark Cuban announced the suspension of the Meme coin project, stating that significant changes are needed.On January 21, Mark Cuban posted: "If Meme coins are viable, maybe I would issue one. Same terms as TRUMP, 20% circulating supply, same release schedule. There is one difference, all proceeds from the sale of the tokens will go to the U.S. Treasury. The wallet address will be made public so everyone can track it. If you want to gamble, go ahead. But at least use it to reduce U.S. debt."

ChainCatcher news, HashKey Group's Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Ru Haiyang, pointed out in an exclusive interview with Phoenix TV's "Asia Finance Perspective" that the Consensus conference and the recent series of Web3 events landing in Hong Kong are just the beginning. The choice of Hong Kong is based on common considerations—Hong Kong not only has a compliant and transparent regulatory environment but also possesses a rich market customer base and a partner ecosystem.In response to the virtual asset development roadmap released by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission that day, Ru Haiyang analyzed that the 5 pillars and 12 initiatives of "A-S-P-I-Re" plan to anchor the direction for the development of the virtual asset industry in Hong Kong over the next three years. This includes opening staking services, attracting global liquidity, exploring derivatives trading and financing lending, adjusting the ratio of hot and cold wallets and insurance, and cross-departmental and cross-regulatory collaboration in innovative fields. Ru Haiyang stated that many contents in this roadmap stem from industry voices and feedback, and it is expected that at least three major initiatives will make substantial progress this year.

ChainCatcher news, Vitalik Buterin stated on social media that centralized sequencers actually have many advantages:Centralized sequencers can ensure that users' money won't be stolen through methods like frontrunning;Instant preconfirmations;It is very easy to turn a traditional application into a blockchain application, as the server directly becomes the sequencer.The decentralized characteristics of blockchain can mitigate the risks of centralized sequencers: the forced inclusion mechanism prevents sequencers from censoring users, and optimistic or zk proof mechanisms prevent sequencers from changing or violating the rules of the application (for example, suddenly inflating a token or NFT collection).However, centralized sequencers still carry risks, so we cannot rely entirely on centralized sequencers to solve problems. Having the ability for based rollups or direct transactions on L1 is also important. Therefore, I support the simultaneous promotion of both methods in the ecosystem, and then we can see which method is more suitable for which application.Maintaining the ability for ordinary users to make censorship-resistant transactions is certainly crucial.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the DeFi platform MANTRA has obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license issued by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). This license will enhance MANTRA's influence in the Middle East and support its focus on the tokenization of Real World Assets (RWA).

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, researchers from Microsoft Threat Intelligence have discovered a new type of malware that can target cryptocurrency wallets. XCSSET was first identified in 2020, allowing malicious actors to take screenshots, record user behavior, and steal data from Telegram. The updated version can also locate data within the Apple Notes application and uses obfuscation techniques to make the malware harder to detect. XCSSET theoretically also has the capability to manipulate what the end user sees in their browser. This could include modifying or replacing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency addresses, meaning funds may not be sent to their intended destination.Researchers added that users must always check and verify any Xcode projects downloaded or cloned from repositories, as malware often spreads through infected projects. They should also only install applications from trusted sources, such as the official app stores of software platforms.

ChainCatcher news, Nasdaq-listed company Quantum BioPharma announced an increase in its Bitcoin holdings worth $1 million. Last December, the company announced the launch of its Bitcoin strategy and purchased $1 million worth of Bitcoin. As of now, its total investment in Bitcoin has reached $2 million.Quantum BioPharma stated that its held cryptocurrencies will be stored by a compliant custodian, and it will explore cryptocurrency-based financing and other transactions in the future.

According to ChainCatcher news and Glassnode data, the open interest in the Meme sector has significantly shrunk since its peak. The 7-day moving average of DOGE open interest has dropped from $3.58 billion on December 9, 2024, to the current $1.49 billion, a decrease of 58.45%.Other Meme coins have seen even larger declines, with PEPE down 71.93% (from $1.25 billion to $351 million), BONK down 75.10% (from $715 million to $178 million), and WIF down 69.83% (from $653 million to $197 million).Although SHIB and FLOKI have relatively smaller open interest, their declines are also significant, falling 74.41% and 69.18% respectively, down to $83 million and $12.9 million. This trend clearly indicates a substantial correction in the open interest of the Meme sector. This may suggest an exit of leveraged funds and also reflects a shift in overall market sentiment in the Meme sector.