| | Hello and welcome to Crypto Intel, the twice-weekly newsletter covering the latest updates, breaking news, and exciting opportunities in the crypto world. If you’re not looking for more emails from us, just click here to unsubscribe! | Today, we're diving into the latest crypto shake-up, from Ethereum's battle against rising competition to a new stablecoin bill aimed at boosting the dollar’s dominance. Plus, Missouri is making moves to add Bitcoin to its state reserves, and we've got the biggest gainers, upcoming token launches, and a quick DeFi breakdown—let’s get into it! |
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| | | | Regulation | US Lawmakers Push Stablecoin Bill to Strengthen Dollar Dominance | | US lawmakers French Hill and Bryan Steil have introduced a discussion draft for a stablecoin regulatory framework aimed at bolstering the US dollar's dominance. The bill would place a two-year moratorium on self-issued stablecoins, preventing issuers from backing tokens with their own digital assets. Additionally, the US Treasury Department would be required to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of stablecoins. | House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill emphasized that the legislation seeks to provide clear rules for payment stablecoins, ensuring a federal framework for issuers. The Trump administration has signaled support, with Crypto Czar David Sacks stating that stablecoins could play a key role in extending the dollar's dominance internationally. | The bill aligns with a broader push to regulate and integrate stablecoins into the US financial system. A similar effort is underway in the Senate, where Senator Bill Hagerty recently introduced the "GENIUS Act," which aims to establish the US as a leader in stablecoin innovation. Lawmakers argue that bringing stablecoins under Federal Reserve oversight will ensure market stability while maintaining the dollar's global position. |
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| | Adoption | Missouri Lawmakers Propose Bitcoin Reserve Fund for State Investments | | Missouri Representative Ben Keathley has introduced House Bill 1217, proposing the creation of a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Fund to diversify the state's investment portfolio. If enacted, the bill would allow Missouri's treasurer to hold, invest, and manage Bitcoin as part of state reserves, positioning BTC as a hedge against fiat currency inflation. | The legislation would also require all Missouri government entities to accept crypto payments for taxes, fees, and fines, provided that payees cover transaction fees. Additionally, the bill includes a long-term Bitcoin "HODL" strategy, mandating that BTC collected under the fund be stored for a minimum of five years before being used or liquidated. | Missouri is the latest US state to explore Bitcoin reserves, following similar initiatives in Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, and North Dakota. At last count, 17 US states have begun discussions on incorporating Bitcoin into their financial strategies. With Utah's proposal nearing approval, Missouri could soon follow in establishing Bitcoin as a key state-held asset. |
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| | | | Blockchain | JPMorgan Warns of Intensifying Competition for Ethereum | | Ethereum is facing "intense" competition from rival blockchains, causing ETH to underperform Bitcoin and other altcoins, according to a recent JPMorgan report. Analysts note that Ethereum lacks a strong narrative like Bitcoin, which is widely seen as digital gold and a store of value. Meanwhile, competing networks such as Solana have gained traction, particularly due to increased memecoin activity and faster transaction speeds. | Despite recent upgrades like Dencun, Ethereum's mainnet usage is declining as activity shifts to layer 2 networks, which could hurt its long-term growth. JPMorgan highlights that major decentralized applications (dApps) like Uniswap, dYdX, and Hyperliquid are migrating to other chains for better efficiency. Uniswap’s upcoming move to Unichain is particularly concerning, as it is one of Ethereum’s largest gas consumers, and its departure could reduce Ethereum’s overall transaction fees and validator revenue. | Ethereum still dominates key sectors like stablecoins, DeFi, and tokenization, but its slower growth compared to competitors could be a long-term risk. The shift of dApps to other chains might also increase ETH supply inflation, as fewer transactions mean less ETH is burned through gas fees. While Ethereum may attract more institutional demand for tokenization use cases, JPMorgan warns that competition will remain fierce in the foreseeable future. |
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| | 🪙 Coin Leaderboard | | | ⚡ Crypto Pulse | The crypto market never sleeps, and in the last 24 hours, a few coins have surged with significant gains. 📈 | Karrat (KARRAT) $0.22 (+59%) SwftCoin (SWFTC) $0.0289 (+32%) Pythia (PYTHIA) $3.36 (+36%)
| | | | ⏩ Future Forward | Big moves are on the horizon! Here are some major crypto events to keep on your radar, from industry-leading conferences to highly anticipated airdrops and token launches. Mark your calendars! 📅 | Crypto Conferences: | 💎 Bitcoin Technical Unconference 2025 (Feb 8, 2025 – Feb 10, 2025) | 💎 New York EduBlockathon 2025 (Feb 8, 2025 – Feb 9, 2025) | 💎 Web3 Dev London 2025 (Feb 10, 2025 – Feb 12, 2025) | Upcoming Airdrops: | 🎁 Alpha (ALPHA) Airdrop (Feb 15, 2025) | 🎁 Data Ownership Protocol (DOP) Airdrop (Feb 17, 2025) | 🎁 IoTeX (IOTX) Airdrop (Mid-Feb, 2025) | Upcoming Token Launches: | 🚀 Fractality IDO on Fjord Foundry (Feb 8, 2025) | 🚀 Wagmipad (WAGMI) IDO on Dappad+ (Feb 8, 2025) | 🚀 TerpLayer (TERP) IDO on Fjord Foundry (Feb 10, 2025) | Which event are you most excited for? Let us know! |
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| | 🧠 Crypto Know-How | Today, we're diving into Decentralized Finance (DeFi)—one of the most transformative innovations in crypto. | DeFi eliminates traditional financial intermediaries like banks and brokers, enabling users to lend, borrow, trade, and earn cryptocurrency through decentralized protocols powered by smart contracts. | Unlike traditional finance, DeFi operates on public blockchains like Ethereum and Solana, offering greater transparency, security, and accessibility to anyone with an internet connection. With $106.8 billion locked in decentralized finance applications, this sector continues to reshape global finance. 🚀 |
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| | Everything Else | Donald Trump's meme cryptocurrency, $Trump, has inspired over 700 imitation coins, creating opportunities for scams and fraud in the crypto space. Coinbase must face a lawsuit in New York alleging that it sold cryptocurrencies as unregistered securities, a federal judge has ruled. Barron’s highlights that younger investors are increasingly favoring high-risk assets like crypto and options, raising concerns about financial instability. MicroStrategy, now rebranded as Strategy, reported major financial losses and paused its Bitcoin-buying spree while holding substantial crypto assets.
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| | That's our coverage for today; thanks for reading! Reply to this email with feedback or any cryptocurrencies you want me to check out. | Best Regards, —Noah Zelvis Crypto Intel | |
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