Between revolutionary announcements, technological developments and regulatory turbulence, the crypto ecosystem continues to prove that it is both a territory of limitless innovation and a field of regulatory and economic battles. Here is a summary of the most notable news from the past week around Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance and Solana, and Ripple.
Bitcoin whales control 40% of supply
Bitcoin whales, those investors with large amounts of BTC, have now accumulated more than 40% of the crypto's total supply. This trend, observed since mid-March, reveals increased confidence among these entities in the long-term potential of Bitcoin, despite market concerns about price fluctuations. However, such concentration could lead to price manipulation and increased volatility, posing significant risks to market stability.
Binance reaches 200 million users
Binance has reached the milestone of 200 million users. Since its creation in 2017, Binance has innovated by offering diversified services, from spot trading to futures contracts, including decentralized finance (DeFi). This significant milestone reflects user loyalty and trust, and demonstrates Binance's commitment to making crypto accessible to everyone. Beyond just trading, Binance promotes education and innovation in the blockchain sector through initiatives like the Binance Academy and Binance Research. This impressive growth highlights the success of Binance's vision and its key role in the global adoption of cryptocurrencies.
The ECB reopens the floodgates: Good news for Bitcoin
The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to lower its key rate from 4.50% to 4.25%, a first in five years, despite a recent increase in annual inflation. This decision aims to revive the European economy by facilitating access to credit, although Christine Lagarde, president of the ECB, highlighted the geopolitical and economic uncertainties that could affect inflation and energy prices. This drop in rates is viewed favorably for bitcoin, providing a refuge from the volatility of fiat currencies. Additionally, the ECB will begin gradually selling the 1.85 trillion euros of debt accumulated during the pandemic from July, a process that will take two decades.
Robinhood acquires Bitstamp for 200 Million
Robinhood announced the acquisition of Bitstamp, one of the oldest crypto exchanges, for $200 million. This strategic move aims to expand Robinhood's influence in the crypto sector, despite regulatory pressure from the US SEC. Bitstamp, with its more than 50 licenses and registrations across the globe, represents a significant opportunity for Robinhood to expand its user base and attract institutional clients. The acquisition could strengthen Robinhood's position in the global crypto market, although regulatory challenges persist. Robinhood users will benefit from a more secure and robust platform thanks to the Bitstamp integration.
Ethereum ready for Pectra in Q1 2025
Ethereum plans to launch a major update, Pectra, in the first quarter of 2025, promising significant improvements for users and developers. This update includes innovations like the EVM Object Format (EOF) and EIP-7702, aimed at improving the security and efficiency of smart contracts, while providing greater flexibility for transactions. Pectra will integrate approximately 19 EIPs to address issues such as high transaction fees on Layer 2 platforms. The release schedule has been carefully chosen to avoid rushing ahead of Devcon, ensuring full feature integration and effective deployment monitoring . This update is part of a larger roadmap, with planned future improvements like the Osaka upgrade and PeerDAS integration to improve scalability and decentralization.
This is the main thing to remember for this week. But if you want a more detailed recap and in-depth analysis straight to your inbox, feel free to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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