Category: News

Shares of crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN) climbed to their highest level since its April 2021 Nasdaq debut on Thursday, bringing the stock nearly full circle after plunging more than 90% during the depths of 2022’s crypto winter.

COIN hit $382 Thursday before paring some of the gains and closed higher by 5.5%. The stock’s more than doubled since plunging alongside April’s tariff-induced market panic.

Coinbase’s 2021 listing marked a watershed moment for the digital asset industry, but also signaled a peak in crypto. The stock rose as high as $382 before sliding over 90% amid the prolonged 2022 bear market.

Now, investors are increasingly positioning Coinbase as a long-term winner in the next phase of crypto growth, defined by rising stablecoin adoption, institutional participation and increasing U.S. regulatory clarity.

The company recently launched Coinbase Payments, a new service aimed at expanding the exchange’s footprint in global commerce. Built on Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, Base, the platform allows merchants to accept 24/7 USDC stablecoin payments without needing blockchain expertise. It already integrates with platforms like Shopify, the company said.

Coinbase also benefits from the rapidly-growing stablecoin sector, having a revenue-sharing agreement with Circle (CRCL), issuer of the USDC stablecoin, giving it a cut of the yield generated by reserve assets.

The broader backdrop is supportive as well. The S&P500 and Nasdaq equity indexes notch record highs, and crypto-related businesses such as Robinhood (HOOD) has also enjoyed renewed investor interest.

Some analysts expect further upside.

Benchmark raised its price target to $421 on COIN, saying the company is well positioned to capitalize on potential U.S. legislation, including bills to regulate stablecoins and digital asset market structure.

Meanwhile, Bernstein set a more ambitious $510 target, calling Coinbase crypto’s emerging “universal bank,” bridging retail users, institutional investors and on-chain infrastructure at global scale.

Read more: Coinbase Is the Most Misunderstood Business in Crypto, Says Analyst With Highest Wall Street Price Target

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Bitcoin BTC traded in a tight range just during U.S. hours Thursday ahead of a big options quarter expiry on Friday.

The top cryptocurrency is currently trading for $107,500, down 0.2% in the past 24 hours, while the CoinDesk 20 — an index of the top 20 coins by market capitalization, except for stablecoins, exchange coins and stablecoins — lost 0.9% in the same period of time.

“This Friday marks one of the largest option expiries of the year on Deribit,” Jean-David Péquignot, chief commercial officer at Deribit, told CoinDesk. BTC options open interest stands at $40 billion, Péquignot said, and 38% of these contracts will expire on Friday.

“Max pain price for Friday is at $102,000, with a put/call ratio of 0.73,” said Péquignot.

Bitcoin’s implied volatility, measured by Deribit DVOL, dropped to 38% from 50% in what was a wild April, signaling perhaps that the market is increasingly confident in the cryptocurrency’s macro-hedge role, according to Péquignot. Meanwhile, put-call skews show no clear directional positioning for traders in the short-term.

“Bitcoin’s $105,000 level is pivotal, with technicals suggesting caution if support fails,” Péquignot said. “Low open interest in perps and fairly depressed Bitcoin implied volatility and skew are indicative of limited expectations for sharp price movements going into Friday’s expiry.”

A number of crypto stocks are managing gains on Thursday, with Core Scientific (CORZ) surging more than 33% off of a Wall Street Journal report that the bitcoin miner may soon be acquired by AI Hyperscaler CoreWeave (CRWV).

Circle (CRCL), Coinbase (COIN), Riot Platforms (RIOT) and Hut 8 (HUT) were higher by 5%-7%, while Strategy (MSTR) was lower by nearly 1%.

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Despite initially calling it a completely compliant, fan-focused gift she was happy to build, Haliey Welch, greater known as” Hawk Tuah Girl,” is now distancing herself from the failed HAWK memecoin from December. Welch claimed in a recent episode of her Speak Tuah podcast that she was questioned by the FBI and handed over her phone to the SEC, but was finally” cleared” of crime. They removed my mobile after looking through it. I was all set to go,” she said. ” I wish we knew then what we know today.” She also avoided direct liability, instead framing herself as an unwitting pawn, saying,” I don’t have anything to hide.” Welch’s most recent remarks contrast starkly with her original statement from November 2024, in which she claimed she lacked knowledge of crypto and felt” sick” that fans believed her. Welch claimed at the time that she was “excited to be a part of video culture” and that she had “learned a lot” while collaborating with launch partners to deliver$ HAWK to life. The Solana-based token briefly hit a$ 491 million market cap before dropping to less than$ 100 million in time. Welch’s team claimed that the project was supported by a Cayman basis and that her tokens may be redeemed over the course of three years. Welch claims that while initial losses for customers were estimated to be as high as$ 1.2 million, actual losses are estimated to be$ 180,000. But, Solscan claims that there are still 10, 149 sign buyers, and that many of those recipients never sold, resulting in losses. These recipients are not included in the$ 180, 000 number. Critics on her radio aren’t understanding the narrative. She admits that she didn’t know anything about it, but she nonetheless chose to support and encourage it. one read YouTube reply. Another person said,” You should have not attached yourself to someone you didn’t understand.” As of Tuesday morning, HAWK prices are down 99 % from their December top, sitting at a small$ 104, 000 market liquidity.

Investors who are susceptible to recency bias may be quick to assume that this event will unfold as it did in December-January, when the bull momentum faded, with prices quickly falling back into six figures before eventually falling as low as$ 75, 000. The bitcoin business today appears stronger than it did in December and January, according to the following six charts, which suggests a higher likelihood of a further upward trend. Financial conditions refer to a variety of economic variables, including interest rates, inflation, credit availability, and market liquidity ( DXY, 10y, 30y yields vs. BTC ). The standard government bond supply, the 10-year Treasury produce, the money exchange rate, and other variables all have an impact on these. While more stringent monetary laws have the same effect, they dissuade risk-taking in the economy and financial industry. Financial conditions, as reported by the 10-year offer and the dollar index, seem much easier now than they did in January, allowing for a sustained rise in BTC. The money index, which measures the value of the dollar against major currencies, was 99.60 at the time of writing, down 9 % from January peaks of 101.90. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note of the United States was 4. 52 %, down 30 basis points from the previous high of 4. 8 % in January. The 30-year yield has increased above 5 %, which is still above the levels seen in January, but is largely seen as favorable for bitcoin and gold. More dry powderThe combined market cap for the top two stablecoins with USDT and USDC is now at a record high of$ 151 billion. That’s almost 9 % more than the typical$ 139 billion in December-January, according to data source TradingView. In other words, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies today have access to more dried powder for possible opportunities. Bold vertical betsBTC’s move higher from early April highs near$ 75, 000 is characterized by organizations that place a preference for optimistic vertical bet over arbitrage bets. The booming inflows into the U.S. listed spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) and the persistently subdued open interest in the CME BTC futures demonstrate this. The theoretical empty curiosity in CME cryptocurrency futures has increased to$ 17 billion, the highest level since February 20 according to information source Velo. It is still significantly below the December great of$ 22. 79 billion. Contrary to what was reported by data provider Farside Investors, the combined flows into the 11 place ETFs are now at a report$ 42.7 billion, up from$ 39.8 billion in January. No indication of fanciful fervor In the broader business, speculative fervour has been at its highest historically, including the December-January one, which has caused a sharp increase in market prices for non-serious tokens like DOGE and SHIB. With the combined market cap of DOGE and SHIB effectively below their January peaks, there are no such signs right now. No indication of overheatingThe demand for optimistic utilized bets is evident in the bitcoin eternal futures market, which is understandable given that BTC is trading at near record highs. The entire positioning, however, is still mild, with no indications of excessive leverage build-up or optimistic overheating, as demonstrated by funding rates that are well below December highs. The map displays the cost of holding eternal futures bets, which are referred to as funding rates. The good determine hints at a bias toward long positions and willingness for bulls to invest in short positions to maintain their positions. It reflects the upbeat business attitude. The bitcoin business appears much calmer this day, with Deribit’s DVOL index, which measures the 30-day intended or implied volatility, substantially below the levels seen in the January and March 2024 cost tops. The small IV suggests that traders are not pricing in the intense price swings or uncertainty that are typical in overheated markets, which suggests a more determined and possibly more long-term uptrend.

Coinsilium Group, the second bitcoin company to go public in 2015, has announced a £1.25 million boost as it tries to build its bitcoin BTC government program. 14 million securities of Coinsilium Group changed hands on Friday, marking a record-high for the stock exchange’s level. Shares are currently trading at$ 0.04 after rising by 24 % in the last 24 hours. CoinDesk scientist James Van Straten, who told CoinDesk, said it was “grateful to see history trading volumes as Coinsilium announces a cryptocurrency bank.” He continued,” I am still focused on educating the UK market about bitcoin and promoting the UK as a market leader in this field. The U.S. government also outlining plans to stockpile BTC in March, with the intention to set up a bitcoin treasury following in the footsteps of a number of other businesses, including Strategy ( previously MicroStrategy ) and Metaplanet. Disclaimer: James Van Straten is the owner of Coinsilium Group and MSTR stock on CoinDesk.

CoinDesk Indices provides its regular market update, highlighting the positions of the CoinDesk 20 Index’s leaders and losers. The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 3238.87, up 1.3 % ( + 41.2 ) since 4 p. m. ET on Thursday. 19 out of 20 goods are higher-trading. Leaders: AAVE ( + 7.4 % ) and ETH ( + 2.9 % ). Laggards: XRP (-0.6 % ) and APT ( + 0.2 % ). The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based score that is traded on various websites in various global markets.

Hawk Tuah Girl, much known as” Hawk Tuah Girl,” is now separating herself from the failed HAWK memecoin, despite having previously described it as a completely compliant, fan-focused gift she was proud to start. Welch claimed in a recent episode of her Speak Tuah podcast that she was questioned by the FBI and gave her phone to the SEC, but was finally” cleared” of crime. They removed my mobile after looking through it. I was all set to go,” she said. ” I wish we knew then what we are now.” Welch’s most recent statements, which claimed she didn’t know bitcoin and felt” sick” that fans trusted her, stand in stark contrast to her original statement from November 2024. She also avoided direct responsibility. Welch claimed at the time that she was “excited to be a part of video culture” and that she had “learned a lot” while collaborating with launch partners to deliver$ HAWK to life. The key, which was introduced on Solana, recently hit a$ 491 million business cap before falling to a$ 100 million hour low. Welch’s group claimed the job was backed by a Cayman basis and was officially compliant, and that her tokens would be vested in three years. Welch claims that while initial customer losses were thought to be as high as$ 1.2 million, the actual loss is$ 180, 000. But, Solscan claims that there are still 10, 149 token buyers, and that many of those recipients never sold, resulting in losses. These buyers are not included in the$ 180, 000 number. The critics on her radio aren’t believing in the narrative. She admits that she didn’t hear anything about it, but she nonetheless decided to support it and market it. one read YouTube post. Another person said,” You should have not attached yourself to someone you didn’t understand.” As of Tuesday morning, Hawk prices, which were at their lowest point on December 12, are down 99 %, tying them to a tiny$ 104, 000 market cap.

Investors who are susceptible to recency bias may be quick to assume that this event will unfold as it did in December-January, when the bull momentum faded, with prices quickly returning to six figures and eventually dropping as low as$ 75, 000. The bitcoin business today appears stronger than it did in December and January, according to the following six charts, which suggests a higher likelihood of a further upward trend. Economic conditions include interest rates, prices, record supply, and market liquidity. These are influenced by the standard federal relationship supply, the 10-year Treasury offer, the money exchange rate, and other variables. Financial markets and the market are less receptive to risk-taking, whereas more favorable economic conditions do the same. Financial conditions, as reported by the 10-year offer and the dollar index, look much easier now than they did in January, allowing for a sustained rise in BTC. The money index, which measures the value of the dollar against major currencies, was 99.60 at the time of writing, down 9 % from January peaks of 101.90. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note from the previous high of 4.8 % in January dropped by 30 basis points to 4.52 %. The 30-year yield has increased above 5 %, which is still above the levels seen in January, but is largely seen as favorable for bitcoin and gold. More dry powderThe combined market cap for the top two stablecoins with USDT and USDC has reached a record high of$ 151 billion. That’s almost 9 % more than the typical$ 139 billion in December-January, according to data source TradingView. In other words, more dry powder is then available for use in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Bold vertical betsBTC’s move higher from early April highs near$ 75, 000 is characterized by organizations that place a preference for optimistic vertical bet over arbitrage bets. The booming inflows into the U.S. listed spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) and the persistently subdued open interest in the CME BTC futures demonstrate this. The theoretical open involvement in the CME cryptocurrency futures has increased to$ 17 billion, the highest level since February 20 according to information source Velo. It is still significantly below the December great of$ 22. 79 billion. Contrary to what Farside Investors claims, the combined flows into the 11 place ETFs are now at a document$ 42.7 billion, up from$ 39.8 billion in January. No indication of fanciful fervor In the broader marketHistorically, time and significant cryptocurrency tops, including the December-January one, have experienced speculative fervour, leading to a sharp increase in marketplace valuations for non-serious tokens like DOGE and SHIB. With the combined market cap of DOGE and SHIB effectively below their January peaks, there are no such signs right now. No indication of overheating The demand for optimistic leveraged bets is evident in the bitcoin permanent futures market, which is understandable given that BTC is near record highs. The general positioning, however, is still mild, with no indications of excessive leverage build-up or optimistic overheating, as demonstrated by funding rates that are well below December highs. The map displays the cost of holding permanent futures bets, which are referred to as funding rates. The positive find hints at a discrimination between cows ‘ willingness to pay shorts to maintain their positions. It reflects the upbeat business attitude. The bitcoin business appears far calmer this moment, with Deribit’s DVOL index, which measures the 30-day intended or implied volatility, considerably below levels seen in December-January and March 2024 cost tops. The small IV suggests that traders are not pricing in the intense price swings or uncertainty that are typical in overheated markets, which suggests a more determined and possibly more lasting uptrend.