01 August Cryptocurrency Newsletter

If you are interested in cryptocurrencies, this newsletter is for you. [img] [img]( [FeedBinary Newsletter]( [Last Time This Bitcoin Statistic Hit A New High, BTC Surged 3.5x—And It’s Back]( The so-called “HODLwave” of Bitcoin has hit a new all-time high. The metric indicates the amount of unmoved BTC on the blockchain in the past 12 months. It typically suggests that investors are increasingly accumulating the dominant cryptocurrency. Researchers at Cryptowatch, a crypto market data company owned by U.S. exchange Kraken, wrote: “Bitcoin’s 1-year HODL wave—BTC unmoved on the blockchain over the last 365 days—has hit a new all-time high of 63%. Bitcoin’s HODL wave is up 1% since the start of July.” The last time this many users held onto Bitcoin without transferring it to other addresses was in early-2019. At the time, BTC rallied from around $4,000 to $14,000, recording a 250% uptrend. Various On-Chain Metrics Hint At Improving Bitcoin Market Sentiment The “HODLing” activity of Bitcoin has continuously hit new highs since late last month. On June 30, Altana Digital Currency Fund’s chief investment officer Alistair Milne said the metric hit 62%. He predicted that it could hit 70% at its peak during the ongoing cycle. Milne said: “HODL’ing for a year or more just made a new ATH of 62%. Similar levels of HODL last seen during a 3-month consolidation at around $400 before starting a two-year bull run. Guesstimate that this cycle will peak around 70%?” Since then, within a month, the price of Bitcoin rallied from $9,187 to over $11,000. On July 27’s peak, BTC rose to as high as $11,417 on spot exchanges, such as Bitstamp. Apart from the HODLwave, other on-chain metrics and statistics suggest that the market sentiment around Bitcoin remains positive. Most recently, market data firm Glassnode said the number of Bitcoin addresses holding at least $1 million surged to 18,000. The statistic shows that new “whales”—investors holding a significant amount of Bitcoin—have increased in prominence over recent months. Historically, when new whales bought Bitcoin, it led to strong rallies. For instance, data from Glassnode shows the number of new whales increased in December 2017 and July 2019. In those two months, Bitcoin surpassed $20,000 and $14,000, respectively. Other Data That Suggest More Volatility Is Likely Incoming On July 29, Grayscale said that the assets under management (AUM) of the company reached $5.1 billion. Accredited and institutional investors in the U.S. usually gain exposure to BTC through the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust. Grayscale’s record-high holdings indicate that the involvement of institutions in the cryptocurrency market is still high. The daily trading volumes of the spot, options, and futures markets are continuing to increase, showing heightened demand for crypto. Atop the exchange data, Ki Young-ju, the CEO of on-chain analysis firm CryptoQuant, said whales have begun sending Bitcoin and stablecoins to exchanges. He said: “BTC whales are sending Bitcoins to exchanges. #Stablecoin whales are sending stablecoins to exchanges as well. This week will be a battle between Stablecoin and Bitcoin exchange inflows. These inflows indicate potential buy/sell pressures.” A confluence of optimistic on-chain statistics, an overall increase in trading activity, and the rising involvement of whales could further improve the sentiment around Bitcoin. [Read Full Newsletter]( [Read Full Story]( ------------------ [Mastercard and Visa Are Making Bold Moves Toward Mass Crypto Adoption]( Global payment processors Mastercard and Visa are laying the foundations for crypto support that may drive adoption on a global scale.Leading global payment companies Mastercard and Visa have been making moves to accelerate the support of cryptocurrency payment processors by opening up new options for users around the world. Both companies made strong statements in support of the use of cryptocurrencies in July by announcing respective projects and collaborations that are driving the adoption of cryptocurrencies. The positive attitude toward cryptocurrency exchanges and payment platforms from the world’s largest traditional payment processors signals a shift in perception from the traditional financial space. Mastercard has been actively encouraging exchanges and payment service providers to enlist in its recently expanded cryptocurrency card program, becoming partners in just a few weeks as part of its Accelerate program. Meanwhile, Visa outlined its vision of the cryptocurrency space with an overarching theme of positivity toward the market and the role it will play. The payment service provider noted digital currencies as an exciting avenue to expand existing network-of-networks to support the latest technology powering global commerce. These two global giants are not just offering lip service, either; their payment cards and technology are already powering a number of platforms and service providers within the crypto space. The likes of Coinbase and Binance crypto exchanges use either Visa or Mastercard to power their crypto debit card services. Visa’s and Mastercard’s relationship with crypto is growing Visa’s public affirmation of its positive stance toward cryptocurrency payment services reflects its drive to remain a leading player in the global payment network. As highlighted in its “outlook on new digital currency payment flows,” the company admits that a growing body of players in the traditional financial sphere has been looking to plug into the crypto space: “It’s a concept that is gaining traction beyond fintechs.” The company has already established a working relationship with some leading cryptocurrency-based firms in 2020, including Coinbase and Fold. This is in addition to more than 25 cryptocurrency wallets that are connected to Visa’s systems. Visa also has its fintech-focused accelerator program called FastTrack, which allows tech firms including cryptocurrency and blockchain-based companies to access its systems and network. The company has also been developing its own cryptocurrency projects that include an investment into tech firm Anchorage, which builds security infrastructure for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Its research team has also been working in the blockchain space for a number of years, culminating in the creation of the white papers for the Zether and FlyClient projects. Furthermore, Visa has been involved in helping shape regulations and policies toward cryptocurrencies around the world. It has worked with the World Economic Forum to develop recommendations for central banks looking into the use cases of central bank digital currencies. Cointelegraph reached out to Visa for additional insights, but the company declined to provide any further information other than its blog post. Mastercard has been actively encouraging crypto exchanges and payment service providers to sign up to their Accelerate platform in an effort to expedite the process to become partners by fast-tracking the onboarding of new crypto debit and credit card providers while providing added assistance for market entry and expansion in different countries. Nevertheless, prospective partners need to meet stringent requirements set by Mastercard. This includes high levels of consumer protection and compliance with AML/KYC regulations. This move to collaborate with the crypto industry comes off the back of the news that Wirex became the first cryptocurrency platform granted a Mastercard principal membership. Part of the functionality allows users the ability to instantly convert cryptocurrencies into conventional fiat currency. An added benefit is a rewards program that gives users 1.5% of purchases made with these cards in Bitcoin. Bridging the divide Recently, Binance confirmed that a limited run of its Binance Cards is being shipped to Europe. The move adds real substance to the statements made by Visa and Mastercard, as users are beginning to have access to these card services through some of the biggest players in the cryptocurrency exchange space. According to Josh Goodbody, the director of European and Latin American growth and institutional business at Binance, traditional banking cards are a “bridge between the crypto and traditional finance,” adding: “Crypto debit cards provide a tangible and frictionless way to spend your crypto, and it provides users with the ability to incorporate crypto into their day-to-day lives.” Goodbody declined to go into detail about the direct working relationship with Visa but stated that the acquisition of cryptocurrency payment platform Swipe would allow Binance to tap into an established network of regional service providers where the company hopes to bring new users into the cryptocurrency space. Crypto analyst Mati Greenspan also complimented the move by Mastercard and Visa in the Quantum Economics email newsletter from late July, saying: “As far as fundamentals are concerned, this is about as bullish as it gets for Bitcoin and the gang.” Netanel Kabala, the chief analytics officer and co-founder of payment platform Simplex, told Cointelegraph that his company has been working alongside Visa and Mastercard for seven years. The relationship has allowed the company to open up cryptocurrency offerings to new users exploring alternative investment methods: “Crypto adoption is growing globally as people seek out alternative investment avenues.” Kabala identified a lag time for new users being introduced into crypto, but the integration of mainstream financial institutions like Mastercard and Visa. Simplex CEO Nimrod Lehavi believes that there is a more receptive perception to the potential benefits of cryptocurrency, mainly driven by people who want to wrestle back control of their assets and ability to transact independently: “Anything that lowers friction and helps people gain full control of their assets will spread adoption, and crypto-connected debit and credit cards are a key component in that regard.” Financial industry leaders like Mastercard and Visa vocally supporting and actively working with cryptocurrency and blockchain firms add more credence to the value and utility of these services. Lehavi believes that this will open the door to more users that have not been exposed to digital assets: “The support of major players removes a great deal of the uncertainty people might have regarding cryptocurrencies and will enable them to discover digital assets for what they are.” [Read Full Newsletter Here]( [Read Full Story]( ------------------ [fb](  [tw]( ------------------ You received this email because you operate or create content for a website/service and based on your website it seemed like this could be important information to you and your users. Want to change how you receive these emails? [Update your preferences]( or [Unsubscribe](