The latest moves in crypto markets, in context Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here. |
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Good morning, and welcome to First Mover. I’m Lyllah Ledesma, here to take you through the latest in crypto markets, news and insights. Price point: Ether is ending May 35% down, as investors look to safer risk profile investments. Market Moves: Decreasing NFT interest causes the amount of volume traded on ethereum to drop significantly. Feature: Stepn gets banned in China, sending its GMT token spiralling.
This newsletter was produced by Parikshit Mishra. Let us know what you think of First Mover by replying to this email. CORRECTION: Yesterday's newsletter incorrectly said ether dropped by $1,000. The price decline was $100. |
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Bitcoin (BTC) was down 1% over the last 24 hours, trading at around $28,850. BTC was headed for a ninth-straight weekly decline, its longest-ever losing streak, based on pricing data going back to 2011. Ethereum is down 10% on the day, trading around $1,700. Ether opened the month trading at $2,800 and has dropped 64% since. Bitcoin, by comparison, has dropped by 23% in May. |
Ethereum monthly chart performance (TradingView) |
Other altcoins also slid, with Avalanche's AVAX dipping 10%, Solana's SOL by 7% and NEAR Protocol by 7%. As altcoins continue to suffer and bitcoin dominance rises (currently at 46%), traders are seeing bitcoin as a “safer risk profile relative to altcoins,” said Sean Farrell in Fundstrat’s crypto weekly note. In traditional markets, stock futures edged higher on Friday. The S&P 500 futures rose slightly. Bitcoin has largely followed the S&P 500 downwards this year – but it appears the recent rally hasn’t helped the crypto market. |
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On-chain metrics Activity on Ethereum has been declining. Ethereum’s transaction volume is down by 80%, which is one-fifth of what it was a year ago, according to data from IntoTheBlock. |
According to IntoTheBlock, activity on Ethereum and most smart contract platforms have suffered from the decreasing interest in NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. “As large NFT sales have become less common and there is lower demand for blockchains, the amount of volume traded on Ethereum has been decreasing,” said IntoTheBlock’s head of research, Lucas Outumuro. “Decreasing NFT interest along with lower yields in DeFi have led to volumes dropping significantly.” NFTs managed to appreciate in the first quarter of 2021 in contrast to other assets, but the recent decline has caused a knock on effect on activity on the Ethereum network. The takeaway for ether here is that in the near-term, there becomes less demand for it as this is the main currency used to purchase NFTs. “It also means that less ether is getting burned since NFT drops used to be the largest source,” said Outumuro. |
In the money, out of the money The percentage of addresses profiting from their ether positions also dropped to the lowest point since July 2020 according to data from IntoTheBlock. A metric used to see whether investors are profiting or losing out from their investments, labeled In/Out of the Money (IOM), identifies the average price at which the tokens were bought and compares it to the current price. If the current price is greater than the average cost, the investor is “in the money,” if current price < average cost, the address is “out of the money.” Currently, 55% of the addresses currently holding ether are “in the money,” and 43% are “out of the money.” The metric shows when prices were at similar levels and compares the percentage making profits and gets an idea of whether more/less investors are profiting. “The IOM around price is helpful to determine price ranges where buying activity has been concentrated, showing an on-chain equivalent of support and resistance levels,” said Outumuro. |
In/out of the money chart (IntoTheBlock) |
Matthew Dibb attributes altcoins’ recent price action to rotation from major crypto and altcoins to BTC. This trend looks set to continue if market weakness persists, with the BTC dominance index breaking out to multi-month highs. “Speculators are moving exposure from altcoins to bitcoins in search of a more stable asset to hold throughout market volatility,” said Dibb in a conversation with CoinDesk. |
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The SEC wants to hear from investors, like you. As part of Grayscale’s filing to convert Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (Symbol: GBTC) to an ETF, the SEC provides a 240-day review period for anyone to submit comments for consideration.If you support the conversion, write to the SEC by clicking here. Your submission matters because: We can level the playing field. To date, the SEC has only permitted Bitcoin Futures ETFs, while rejecting “physically-backed” or Spot Bitcoin ETFs. The choice should be yours. If you’ve been waiting for the familiarity and protections of a Bitcoin ETF, we believe you should not be forced into a Futures-based product simply because it’s the only one that exists. You can help take GBTC to the next level, conversion to an ETF. It’s already the world’s largest Bitcoin fund and regularly reports to the SEC on a voluntary basis as an SEC-reporting company. Learn more here. This information should not be relied upon as investment advice or a recommendation regarding any security. Visit here for important disclosures. |
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The following are the biggest movers in the CoinDesk 20 digital assets over the past 24 hours: |
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Biggest Gainers There are no gainers in CoinDesk 20 today. Biggest Losers |
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Sector classifications are provided via the Digital Asset Classification Standard (DACS), developed by CoinDesk Indices to provide a reliable, comprehensive, and standardized classification system for digital assets. The CoinDesk 20 is a ranking of the largest digital assets by volume on trusted exchanges. |
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Stepn to Bar Gameplay in China, Sending 'Move-to-Earn' Token GMT Spiraling |
Solana-based “move-to-earn” game Stepn will effectively bar gameplay in China in mid-July, the company announced Thursday, sending its GMT token spiraling as the markets digested the news. Stepn said it will stop providing GPS services to users whose IP address or GPS location shows them in China on July 15. Without GPS services, players who own its membership-like shoe non-fungible token (NFT) will not be able to earn tokens for their steps. The price of GMT was down 38% in the last 24 hours, according to CoinGecko. Stepn NFT shoes were trading around 8.5 SOL on Magic Eden at press time, 3.5 SOL below Wednesday's price. “STEPN has always attached great importance to compliance obligations and always strictly abides by the relevant requirements of local regulatory agencies,” the company said in a tweet, without citing a specific policy. It further stated that Stepn has never engaged in business in China. China’s crypto regulatory landscape is vague, however, and Chinese banking associations' scrutiny of NFTs has been on the rise. Considering users need to purchase NFT sneakers to participate in the game, Stepn could be the next target for a crackdown. Stepn did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. |
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And check out the CoinDesk TV show “First Mover,” hosted by Christine Lee, Emily Parker and Lawrence Lewitinn at 9:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern time. - Urs Bernegger, co-head, markets and investment solutions, SEBA Bank
- Yawn Rong, co-founder, Stepn
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Consensus 2022, the must-attend crypto and blockchain experience of the year, is heading to Austin, Texas, from June 9-12. This is the only festival showcasing and celebrating all sides of the blockchain and crypto ecosystems and their wide-reaching effect on commerce, culture and communities. Register now for the lowest price. |
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Disclaimer: The information presented in this message is intended as a news item that provides a brief summary of various events and developments that affect, or that might in the future affect, the value of one or more of the cryptocurrencies described above. The information contained in this message, and any information liked through the items contained herein, is not intended to provide sufficient information to form the basis for an investment decision. The information presented herein is accurate only as of its date, and it was not prepared by a research analyst or other investment professional. You should seek additional information regarding the merits and risks of investing in any cryptocurrency before deciding to purchase or sell any such instruments. |
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