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Ethereum Spot ETFs Approval Skepticism Persists, As ETH Recovers

Ethereum Spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) approval odds continue to witness notable pessimism as the cryptocurrency space awaits the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) decision on the products scheduled for May.

The expectation surrounding the SEC’s decision highlights how important ETF approval is in terms of giving conventional investors more convenient access to Ethereum’s spot market. Presently, data from Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, shows that ETH ETF approval odds have fallen to a mere 11%.

Pessimism Deepens As Ethereum ETFs Remain Uncertain

As the May deadline draws near, doubt and skepticism loom large on the horizon, casting a dark shadow for the products. One of the most recent figures to voice doubts about the SEC’s willingness to approve the exchange-traded products this May is Nate Geraci, the president of ETF Store.

According to Geraci, the regulatory watchdog is eerily silent on Ethereum spot ETFs. He further suggested that the products might not be approved due to the SEC’s significantly lower level of engagement with ETF issuers than in previous interactions.

“Logic says that is correct, but also wonder if SEC learned a lesson from clown show with spot Bitcoin ETFs,” he added. Thus, he has pointed out two possible options for the products, which are either an approval or lawsuit from the Commission.

Commenting on the president’s insights, a pseudonymous X user questioned if there is a possibility that activities are taking place behind closed doors in order to avoid disrupting the pre-launch market. Geraci responded, saying he believes that could be possible, drawing attention to Van Eck CEO Jan Van Eck’s review, which might prove otherwise.

It is worth noting that Van Eck is one of the earliest firms to submit its application for an Ethereum exchange product. Even though the company was the first to file for an application, Jan Van Eck is pessimistic about the approval of the ETPs, saying they will probably be rejected in May.

He stated:

The way the legal process goes is the regulators will give you comments on your application, and that happened for weeks and weeks before the Bitcoin ETFs. And right now, pins are dropping as far as Ethereum is concerned.

In light of this, investors prepare for an unpredictable result while managing market swings and modifying their investment plans in the face of changing regulations.

ETH Price Sees Positive Movement

While Ethereum ETFs might be experiencing negative sentiment, ETH, on the other hand, has witnessed a positive uptick lately. ETH has revisited the $3,000 level again after falling as low as $2,888 during the weekend.

Today, ETH price rose by over 4%, reaching around $3,234, indicating potential for further price recovery. At the time of writing, Ethereum was trading at $3,215, demonstrating an increase of 1.40% in the past day.

Also, the asset’s market cap and trading volume are up by 1.40% and 5.96% in the last 24 hours. Given the anticipated impact of the recently concluded Bitcoin Halving on cryptocurrencies, ETH could be poised for noteworthy moves in the coming months.

Ethereum

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Coinbase Seeks to Take Core Question in U.S. SEC Case to Higher Court

Coinbase is seeking to rip the bandage off of a legal impasse at the center of the crypto industry’s fight with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), filing an interim appeal on Friday that would ask a higher federal court to drill into the heart of the regulator’s stance on digital assets, even as the broader SEC case proceeds through the judicial system.

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Analyst Warns Of Bitcoin Pre-Halving Retrace Echoing Troubling 2020 Trend

Rekt Capital, a cryptocurrency expert and enthusiast, has identified a similar pattern between the recent Bitcoin pre-halving retrace and the one that took place in 2020 before the crypto asset witnessed an upsurge to its previous all-time high.

Bitcoin Pullback Is Almost Identical With 2020 Pre-Halving Retrace

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency asset, is presently demonstrating momentum, rising over $70,000 and recovering from a recent downward trend. Following the recovery, Rekt Capital believes that the pullback might be over, citing a similarity to the 2020 pre-halving retrace.

Given the uncertainty of the crypto market, the analyst is not sure if the recent upsurge marks the end of the pre-halving retrace. However, if that is the case, then Bitcoin would have nearly matched the pre-halving correction from 2020.

Bitcoin

According to the analyst, the digital asset has recorded a pullback of over 18% in this cycle. Meanwhile, in the 2020 cycle, it retraced by over 19%, suggesting the potential of the asset mirroring the 2020 movement this cycle.

A further dive into the correction made by the analyst reveals that Bitcoin has been trapped inside the Weekly range (black-black) ever since it retraced by over 18%. Both the upside-wicking 2021 peak and the candle-bodied 2021 peak combine to create the weekly range that Rekt Capital has indicated.

Thus, he claims that BTC reclaiming the $69,200 ‘range high’ as support, which has already played out, could signal the conclusion of the recent decline. In addition, this demonstrates that Bitcoin is poised to move over its weekly range and soar higher.

With the 2024 Bitcoin halving drawing closer, the cryptocurrency is having difficulty in reclaiming its most recent peak of $73,000. However, there are rumors that today’s increase could mean the pre-halving decline is coming to an end.

Considered Catalysts For BTC’s Strength This Cycle

As of the time of writing, BTC has rebounded to around $70,806, indicating a daily increase of over 5%. Its market cap and trading volume are also showing strength, rising by 5.49% and 47.82%, respectively, in the past day.

One of the main drivers of Bitcoin’s growth this cycle is thought to have been the approval of spot BTC ETFs in January 2024. With the acceptance of the product, investors now have a convenient way to profit from Bitcoin’s value without actually owning any of it. 

Since then, the crypto asset has witnessed increased adoption from industry leaders and a massive inflow of capital, propelling its price as well. The BTC price has increased from $46,000 to a peak of $73,000 since the ETFs were approved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Another catalyst considered to have impacted the coin’s price is the anticipation surrounding the upcoming Bitcoin Halving set to occur in April. In the past, these kinds of events have led to notable price upticks. Due to this, investors will shift their attention to BTC to position themselves for significant gains following the halving event.

Bitcoin

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U.S. SEC Asking for More Millions, Dozens of Lawyers to Beef Up Crypto Oversight

Gary Gensler wants 33 more people in the enforcement division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to deal with “new and emerging issues,” according to the regulator’s annual budget pitch. Much of that office’s recent, emerging workload has come from the agency’s pursuit of cryptocurrency businesses, such as Coinbase Inc., Kraken and Binance.

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Coinbase’s Allies Join Crypto Firm’s Case Against SEC

Several allies joined Coinbase Inc. (COIN) in its court fight against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to force the agency to rethink its refusal to write specific rules to govern the crypto industry, with Paradigm, the Crypto Council for Innovation and others filing outside arguments with the circuit court.

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Bitcoin Price Soars: Analyst Sets 2025 Price Target At $200,000

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency asset by market cap, suddenly took off on Monday, reaching the $57,000 price mark for the first time in the last 26 months, prompting several predictions of a new all-time high before the end of 2025.

Bitcoin Could Hit $200,000 Before 2025 Closes

Amid the recent market surge, cryptocurrency analyst and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Factor LLC, Peter Brandt, has expressed his optimism towards Bitcoin, while sharing an intriguing prediction with the crypto community on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Peter Brandt’s analysis delves into Bitcoin’s recent price action and how high the crypto asset could go before 2025 closes. With BTC’s current bull market cycle, Brandt has set an ambitious goal of $200,000 next year.

Bitcoin

Brandt’s initial Bitcoin price target for 2025 was $120,000, but with the recent rally, he has placed his mark at the aforementioned price. His modifications came in light of BTC exhibiting a bullish trend, surpassing the “upper boundary of the 15-month channel.”

Furthermore, he highlighted that the current market bull cycle might “end in August or September 2025” if this bullish trend continues. However, according to him, this interpretation will be void if there is a Bitcoin “close below last week’s low.”

The post read:

With the thrust above the upper boundary of the 15-month channel, the target for the current bull market cycle scheduled to end in August or September 2025 is being raised from $120,000 to $200,000. A close below last week’s low will nullify this interpretation.

The analyst’s daring predictions have since caused quite a stir within the crypto space. Several community members have expressed their pleasure in the crypto expert’s analysis.

A pseudonymous X user commented on Brandt’s forecast, saying his overview shares “fascinating insights into Bitcoin’s market projection.” They asserted that “the upward momentum breaking through barriers is indeed intriguing.”

Additionally, they also believe that a close below last week’s low would change Brandt’s narrative, which will highlight the fragile balance in the cryptocurrency space.

Factors That Could Be Responsible For BTC’s Rally

BTC’s current rally is believed to be buttressed by several developments that have garnered attention in the crypto market today. These include increased demand from investors through Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and additional BTC purchases by Microstrategy.

It is noteworthy that since the start of the year, investors’ demands through ETFs have served as a major support for BTC. On January 11, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved 11 Bitcoin spot ETFs, which has triggered confidence ever since.

Meanwhile, Michael Saylor’s Microstrategy made an additional 3,000 BTC purchase, valued at $155 million before the uptick. This development suggests institutional interest in BTC, indicating confidence in its long-term potential.

Over the past day, the price of Bitcoin has increased by more than 9%, and it is presently trading at $56,321. Its market cap is up by 9% and its trading volume is up by over 235% in the last 24 hours.

Bitcoin

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Bitcoin ETF Surges: Last 4 Days Inflows Outpace Initial Weeks

Bitcoin (BTC) Spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are currently in the limelight as the products have seen massive net inflows in the past few days than in the initial weeks of introduction, dominating the market of crypto investment products.

Bitcoin ETF Inflows Surges In The Last 4 Days

Thomas Fahrer, the co-founder of Bitcoin tracking platform Apollo, took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share the development with the community. Fahrer pointed out that BTC spot ETFs are presently experiencing a “total acceleration” of inflows.

Meanwhile, the products in the past 4 days have witnessed an inflow of 43,000 BTC tokens valued at $2.3 billion. This latest surge in inflows suggests renewed adoption of the products from crypto players and investors.

Data from Apollo reveals that Grayscale is the leading firm in Assets Under Management (AUM). Registered as Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), the company boasts a whopping $23.7 billion AUM.

However, this is a notable drop from $28 billion in assets it had on January 11, after transitioning to an ETF. This is due to the daily net outflows the fund has seen since it was approved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Blackrock comes in second after Grayscale, with an asset under management of over $5 billion since it started trading. It is followed by Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust (FBTC) and Ark/21Shares Bitcoin Trust (ARKB), which come in third and fourth place, respectively.

Investment firm Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF (BITB) is the latest company to reach the billion-dollar milestone. As of the press, the company’s BTC ETF is the fifth largest behind the aforementioned asset management companies.

Blackrock Records Its Largest Inflow

On Tuesday, Blackrock recorded its largest inflow day ever since Bitcoin ET products were approved. A senior Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, Eric Balchunas, revealed information regarding the update on X.

He stated that Blackrock’s BTC ETF was booming on Tuesday, seeing almost “half a billion” inflow. According to the data shared by Balchunas, IBIT made $493 million in revenue during the trading day.

IBIT’s previous largest daily net inflow was $386 million, recorded on the second trading day of January 12. Consequently, Blackrock’s Bitcoin ETF overall inflow exceeded the $5 billion mark after the Tuesday event. So far, of all ETFs, Blackrock’s IBIT leads by “7% by size in just 23 days of trading.”

These developments came in light of the recent rally around Bitcoin in the past few days, which took BTC’s price above $ 50,000. Many market enthusiasts believe that a major factor in the rally is the reason surrounding the BTC ETF flows.

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XRP Bulls Looming: Analyst Predicts 400X With Historical Trend

XRP is one of the most affected crypto assets amid the general bearish sentiment within the market, as the token has been on a downtrend for a while now, struggling between the $0.49 and $0.50 price marks.

XRP Could Be Poised For A Massive Surge To $10

Even though the digital asset is now in a bearish phase, a substantial price rally might be in store for the coin. Several crypto analysts have been bullish on the token, predicting significant upward movement that could take XRP to a new all-time high.

One of the popular crypto experts who has shared an optimistic projection for the asset is Crypto Patel. Patel shared his latest forecast on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) with his thousands of followers. The analyst believes that this is finally the “time for XRP to shine” and go parabolic due to past trends.

According to Patel, during the last bull market, the crypto asset “failed” to perform very well alongside other tokens like Bitcoin. He highlighted that while Bitcoin reached its all-time high in the last bull market, XRP failed to surpass its 2017 peak of $3.30.  However, he asserted that this was because of the legal battle between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding XRP’s non-security nature.

XRP

So far, Patel believes that with the recent SEC victory over Ripple, perhaps the “floodgates” might be open for a breakout. He pointed out that a 2017 triangle breakdown, which formed before XRP went parabolic, is reappearing on the yearly chart.

Patel has asserted that if the coin mirrors the trend in 2017, it could be poised for a massive rally. “If 2017’s 40,000% pump repeats, we could see mind-blowing $10+ XRP,” he stated.

A 6-Year Long Brutal Bear Days

Over the past six years, XRP’s price has unquestionably gathered more positive fundamental qualities after consolidating in a triangle range. “Survived 2,291 – 6+ Years brutal bear days, this coiling pattern signals Ripple’s ready to erupt,” Patel stated.

Due to this, the cryptocurrency analyst anticipates that the price of XRP will rise to $0.90. However, this is expected to occur following a successful breakout from the $0.40 and $0.50 price range.

After that, the crypto expert believes there will be no doubt as to the route to a new peak and a parabolic rise to $10. He further underscored several price targets for XRP, while putting his accumulation range between “40 and 50 cents.”nPatel has urged the community to look out for the digital asset, as it might be on the “launching pad again.”

As of the time of writing, XRP’s price is trading slightly below $0.50, indicating a 2% decrease in the past week. Despite the price decline, its trading volume has increased by over 15% in the past day, according to CoinMarketCap.

XRP