Crypto Banking Under Pressure Amid Renewed Debanking Concerns Banking giant JPMorgan Chase has reportedly closed the personal accounts of Strike CEO Jack Mallers, reigniting fears of widespread debanking in the cryptocurrency sector. Mallers, whose company facilitates Bitcoin Lightning Network payments, stated on X that the bank provided no explanation for the account closures. “Every time I asked why, they said the same thing: We aren’t allowed to tell you,” Mallers said, highlighting the lack of transparency in the decision. The move has intensified worries about a resurgence of Operation Chokepoint 2.0, a term used by critics to describe potential government…
Author: Blockto Team
Tokyo-listed Company Accelerates BTC Purchases Through Collateralized Loans Metaplanet, a Tokyo-listed Bitcoin treasury company, has drawn an additional $130 million in Bitcoin-backed credit, signaling a continued push to scale its BTC holdings and income-generating programs. The new loan was executed under a previously announced $500 million credit facility, bringing the company’s cumulative borrowing to $230 million, up from $100 million drawn earlier in October. The firm noted that using Bitcoin as collateral exposes it to margin calls if BTC prices decline, but it expressed confidence in its reserve size, stating that it maintains “sufficient collateral headroom” to absorb potential volatility.…
Producer prices edge higher while retail sales cool, signaling a mixed outlook for economic growth Newly released U.S. economic data for November point to a slight easing in underlying inflation and cooler consumer spending, suggesting that economic momentum remains steady but subdued. The latest readings for Core PPI, PPI, Core Retail Sales, and Retail Sales provide fresh insight into pricing pressures and household demand as policymakers assess the path ahead. Inflation Indicators Show Mild Movement The Core Producer Price Index (Core PPI) increased 0.1%, coming in below the 0.2% forecast, though still an improvement from the –0.1% decline recorded previously.…
Heavy Put Positioning at $80K Raises Volatility Risks Ahead of Monthly Expiry Bitcoin is approaching one of its largest monthly options expiries of the year, with $13.3 billion in notional open interest set to expire on Friday. The market enters the expiry week under pressure after a sharp correction drove BTC down to $81,000 before stabilizing near $87,000. Massive Options Expiry Highlights Market Stress Data shows 153,778 BTC in total open interest is due to expire, consisting of 92,692 BTC in calls and 61,086 BTC in puts. The put-call ratio of 0.66 indicates call options still dominate, but demand for…
New compliance move enables regulated operations, local fiat on-ramps, and partnerships for licensed futures offerings Crypto exchange KuCoin has officially registered with Austrac as a Digital Currency Exchange (DCE), a move that places the platform under formal regulatory oversight in Australia. The registration marks a major step as the country increases scrutiny on offshore trading platforms and pushes crypto firms to comply with existing financial laws. KuCoin Strengthens Regulatory Footing in Australia KuCoin’s new DCE status grants it legal permission to offer crypto exchange services within Australia’s regulated framework.The registration is mandatory for digital currency exchanges operating in the country…
Major deals from Revolut, Kraken, and Erebor dominate inflows as institutional appetite slowly returns to blockchain startups Crypto venture capital is showing renewed signs of strength, with $4.65 billion poured into blockchain and digital asset startups in Q3 — the second-highest level since the collapse of FTX in late 2022. The rebound, highlighted in a new market report, signals that investor confidence is slowly returning even as the industry continues to mature and shift away from early-stage speculation. Concentration of Capital in a Few Mega Deals According to industry research, Q3 saw 414 VC deals, but only seven accounted for…
Project Says USDC Movements Were Internal Reallocations, Not Large-Scale Selling Pump.fun’s pseudonymous co-founder, Sapijiju, has pushed back against allegations that the Solana-based memecoin platform quietly cashed out more than $436 million in USDC, calling the claims “complete misinformation” circulated by blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain. Co-Founder Says Funds Weren’t Sold In a detailed response posted on X, Sapijiju insisted that none of the shifted USDC was off-ramped or liquidated, explaining that the stablecoins originated from the project’s PUMP token initial coin offering. “What’s happening is a part of Pump’s treasury management, where USDC from the PUMP ICO has been transferred into…
The trader who earned nearly $200M in the October downturn increases his exposure as analysts watch for an ETH market reversal A mysterious trader known for accurately predicting the major October 2024 crypto crash has placed a massive bet on Ether once again. The Hyperliquid “OG Whale,” who reportedly made close to $200 million during previous market swings, has now built a $44.5 million long position on ETH, signaling renewed confidence in the asset’s potential rebound. Whale Expands Position Amid Market Uncertainty Data from blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence shows that the whale added another $10 million to his existing…
Six U.S. Funds Bring in $58 Million in a Single Day, Signaling Growing Confidence in Solana U.S. spot Solana exchange-traded funds have recorded 20 consecutive days of net inflows, extending an uninterrupted streak that began when the products launched in late October. The consistent demand highlights expanding institutional interest in Solana even as the broader crypto market undergoes a period of risk reduction. Strong Momentum Across Solana Funds Fresh data shows the six Solana ETFs added $58 million in net inflows on Monday, with Bitwise’s BSOL leading the day at $39.5 million. It marked the third-largest single-day increase since the…
Founder rejects claims that Brevan Howard received special treatment in $25M Series B agreement Berachain is pushing back against reports that one of its key Series B investors, Brevan Howard’s crypto vehicle Nova Digital, secured a year-long right to reclaim its $25 million investment. A recently surfaced side letter raised questions about preferential treatment, but Berachain’s leadership insists the interpretation circulating online is “inaccurate and incomplete.” Berachain Challenges the Interpretation of the Refund Deal A report earlier this week suggested that Nova Digital was granted an unusual option to recover “some or all” of its investment during the 12 months…