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Ondo Finance Joins BlackRock Tokenized Fund As Inflows Surpass $160M

BlackRock, one of the largest asset managers globally, has witnessed notable success with its newly launched tokenized money-market fund, BUIDL. The fund, which records shared ownership on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain, has attracted over $160 million in just one week since its debut. 

BlackRock’s BUIDL Fund

According to a Bloomberg report, the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) primarily invests in cash, US Treasury bills, and repurchase agreements. The fund rewards its holders with a cryptocurrency, BUIDL, valued at $1 per token. 

Shareholders can transfer these tokens to other validated addresses using digital wallets approved by Securitize, BlackRock’s partner for the investment vehicle. The tokenized fund serves several key use cases, including treasury management for crypto companies, support for derivatives of Treasury bills, and acting as collateral for borrowing and trading, thus providing an alternative to stablecoins.

It is worth noting that Securitize Markets, an SEC-registered alternative trading system, plays a critical role in facilitating the transfer of tokens between market participants. 

While the SEC has recently increased its scrutiny of Ethereum’s native token, ETH, Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo emphasizes that the investigations should be separate from the underlying blockchain infrastructure. Domingo also highlights the battle-tested nature of the public Ethereum blockchain, which provides a “robust foundation” for tokenization activities.

As previously reported by our sister website, Bitcoinist, BlackRock has emerged as an advocate for cryptocurrencies and tokenization within mainstream financial institutions. Chairman and CEO Larry Fink believes every financial asset will eventually be tokenized. 

The company’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has already attracted more than $13 billion in inflows since its launch as an exchange-traded fund (ETF) in January. With the BUIDL fund’s launch, BlackRock continues to demonstrate its willingness to explore new digital asset solutions.

Ondo Finance To Transfer $95 Million In Assets To BlackRock

Ondo Finance, a platform specializing in tokenized real-world assets (RWA), has moved $95 million worth of assets to BlackRock’s BUIDL fund. This strategic move enables Ondo Finance to facilitate instant settlements for its US Treasury-backed token, OUSG. 

This makes Ondo Finance a major participant in the BUIDL ecosystem. According to on-chain researcher Tom Wan, it currently holds $15 million worth of BUIDL tokens, which, in addition to those above $95 million, will result in a substantial $110 million worth of BUIDL tokens.  

The researcher noted that this collaboration further strengthens the tokenized US Treasury market, with the potential to reach $1 billion in value. In its announcement, the team behind the Ondo Finance platform summarized:

We’re excited to see BlackRock embracing securities tokenization with the launch of BUIDL, especially its broad cooperation with ecosystem participants. Not only does this further validate our original concept of a tokenized US Treasury fund, but it also bolsters our thesis that tokenization of traditional securities on public blockchains represents the next major step in the evolution of financial markets.

Blackrock

At the time of writing, the native token of Ondo Finance, ONDO, is trading at $0.909, exhibiting a surge of over 4% within the past 24 hours. This positive momentum adds to its impressive price uptrend of 115% recorded over the past 30 days. 

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Bitcoin ETF Breaks Records: BlackRock’s IBIT Joins Elite ‘$10 Billion Club’ Amidst Soaring Demand

The demand for spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has surged since their recent approval on January 10, with BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF leading the way. This ETF has reached impressive milestones in less than two months, attracting significant investor interest and opening doors for various market participants to invest in the largest cryptocurrency directly. 

As institutional and retail investors flock to these new investment vehicles, market experts predict a bullish trend and anticipate a potential price surge.

Bitcoin ETF Frenzy

According to Bloomberg ETF expert Eric Balchunas, BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF has quickly joined the esteemed “$10 billion club,” reaching the milestone faster than any other ETF, including Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), noting that only 152 ETFs out of 3,400 have crossed the threshold.

Balchunas notes that IBIT’s ascent to this club was primarily driven by significant inflows, which accounted for 78% of its assets under management (AUM). This reflects the growing appetite for Bitcoin exposure among investors seeking diversified and regulated investment options.

In particular, the current trajectory of the ETF market paints a picture of resilience and bullish sentiment in the market. Equity ETF flows, and leveraged trading levels are positive indicators, although they have not yet reached the euphoria seen in 2021, Balchunas notes. 

However, Bloomberg’s new BI ETF Greed/Fear Indicator, which incorporates various inputs, highlights the optimistic outlook shared by ETF investors, as seen in the chart below.

Bitcoin ETF

On this matter, crypto analyst “On-Chain College” went to social media X (formerly Twitter) to emphasize the significant demand for Bitcoin as evidenced by its rapid departure from exchanges. 

In its analysis, On-Chain College highlights that Bitcoin ETFs buy approximately ten times the daily amount of BTC mined. At the same time, the upcoming halving event will further reduce the mining supply. The analyst predicts when demand will exceed available supply, leading to potential upward price pressure.

Highest Monthly Close Since 2021

Bitcoin’s recent market performance has caught the attention of wealth manager Caleb Franzen, who highlights the significance of the highest monthly close since October 2021. 

Franzen further emphasizes the bullish momentum by pointing out that the 36-month Williams%R Oscillator has closed above the overbought level for only the fourth time in history. Historical data reveals impressive returns following such signals, indicating the potential for substantial gains in the coming months. 

Bitcoin ETF

Additionally, Franzen notes the changing dynamics of the market, with increased institutional participation and the ease of retail onboarding through ETFs.

Franzen presents a compelling case for the bullish nature of overbought signals, urging market participants to view them as momentum indicators rather than signals to fade. Previous instances of overbought signals have resulted in significant Bitcoin price appreciation:

  • February 2013: +3,900% in 9 months
  • December 2016: +1,900% in 12 months
  • November 2020: +260% in 12 months

While acknowledging diminishing returns in each cycle, Franzen highlights the unprecedented level of institutional participation and the ease of retail access through ETFs. 

Even if Bitcoin were to match the +260% gain from the November 2020 signal, it would reach a price of $180,000, surpassing Franzen’s minimum cycle target of $175,000. 

Ultimately, Franzen notes that bull markets are typically characterized by a rising ETHBTC ratio and a falling BTC.D (Bitcoin dominance). While these characteristics have yet to manifest fully, Franzen suggests that a multi-quarter rally in the broader cryptocurrency market may be on the horizon.

Bitcoin ETF

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Analyst Labels Bitcoin Rally Strongest Pre-Bull Cycle Yet

The entire cryptocurrency space is fueled with excitement as the price of Bitcoin rallied today, demonstrating immense resilience, reaching the $59,000 threshold and even further in the past 26 months.

Bitcoin Rally Kicks Off The Strongest Pre-Bull Cycle So Far

Bitcoin is currently in the limelight as the crypto asset continues to rally, leading to several analysts identifying the surge as the start of the “biggest bull cycle ever.”

Analyst and trader Crypto Jelle has labeled the recent uptick as the “strongest start to a new cycle” as his analysis examines the strength of BTC‘s surge.

Jelle claims this resulted from Bitcoin’s latest “break out from the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement.” According to the analyst, “this marks the first time” the asset has made this kind of move “before the Bitcoin Halving event happens.”

Bitcoin

He also claims that with the ongoing rally, it seems like the market is “in for a new regime,” he believes things will play out “differently” in the market from how they usually do.

The post read:

This is the first time Bitcoin breaks that 0.618 Fibonacci retracements before the halving event even takes place. By far the strongest start to a new cycle, ever. Looks like we are in for a new regime, where things work a little different than how they used to.

The analyst claims that a shift in the narrative is ushering in a “new era of dynamics in the cryptocurrency landscape.” As a result, “exciting moments await” the space in the future.

Crypto Jelle declared that nothing can stop Bitcoin at the moment. “With BTC rising by another 2% in the past few hours, there seems to be no stopping it right now,” he stated.

Additionally, most of yesterday’s gains occurred outside the Exchange-Traded Funds’ trading hours. However, the analyst is waiting to see if they will “force boomers to pursue price.”

BTC ETFs See Massive Inflow

Research company BitMEX reported that Bitcoin Spot ETFs have seen increased adoption, witnessing a massive surge in daily inflow. Data from the platform shows that ETFs have witnessed a significant inflow of 10,167 BTC valued at $576.8 million.

BitMEX underscored that Blackrock’s iShares BTC ETF (IBIT) made up $520 million of the total inflow. Consequently, this marks the highest inflow the company has seen since the products were approved. 

So far, Blackrock’s asset holdings have risen to over 141,000 BTC, and its net inflow sits above $6.5 billion. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at $59,254, indicating a rise of over 4% in the past 24 hours. 

Bitcoin BTC BTCUSDT chart 1