Bitcoin Hits ATH, Onchain Insights, and 2025 Crypto Outlook
Dec 18, 2024
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Joshua Pak, a CES Sales Trader at Coinbase, shares insights on Bitcoin reaching new heights, driven by institutional investments from companies like MicroStrategy. He discusses the increasing confidence in BTC, highlighted by BlackRock's recommendation for a 2% allocation. The conversation shifts to onchain trends, including the rise of stablecoins and AI-driven memes, and features the momentum of Pudgy Penguins' token launch. Lastly, Pak offers a glimpse into Coinbase's outlook for 2025, anticipating regulatory impacts and market dynamics.
Bitcoin's surge to a new all-time high illustrates significant institutional confidence, marked by corporate treasuries actively accumulating BTC amidst evolving regulatory landscapes.
The substantial growth of stablecoin supply, particularly on Ethereum, signals a shift towards practical crypto applications and potential altcoin market expansion.
Deep dives
Regulatory Developments and Future Opportunities
The regulatory environment surrounding cryptocurrency is evolving, with significant implications expected by 2025. A more defined regulatory framework could lead to the emergence of innovative use cases, particularly for institutional players and crypto natives alike. Stablecoins are gaining traction, shifting from traditional trading assets towards practical applications in commerce and payment systems. This transition is indicative of a broader acceptance of cryptocurrencies in everyday transactions, which will likely catalyze future growth and adoption.
Bitcoin's Strong Market Performance
Bitcoin has recently reached new all-time highs, reflecting a strong market momentum in December. The latest peak of $108,250 demonstrates significant demand, with both corporate treasuries and institutional investors actively acquiring Bitcoin. Corporate strategies, such as MicroStrategy's recent purchases, are influencing this trend, particularly following its addition to the NASDAQ 100 index, which may result in further passive inflows. The increasing interest from funds and institutions suggests a continued bullish outlook for Bitcoin's pricing in the near term.
The Impact of Stablecoin Supply Growth
The expansion of stablecoin supply is a crucial indicator of market health and the potential for altcoin growth. During December, over $10 billion was added to stablecoin supply, mainly on Ethereum and layer-2 solutions, signaling capital inflows into the cryptocurrency ecosystem. This increase provides liquidity and enables trading in altcoins, suggesting rising interest and investment outside of Bitcoin. As stablecoins continue to grow, they can be expected to drive further activity within the broader crypto market, indicating a robust position for alternative assets.
In this episode, we discuss Bitcoin’s breakout to a new all-time high and the factors driving it, including public companies like MicroStrategy, RIOT, and Semler continuing to stack BTC on their balance sheets. BlackRock’s recommendation of a 2% Bitcoin allocation further underscores growing institutional confidence in BTC as do conversations around global Bitcoin strategic reserves progressing in the U.S., Russia, and France. We also gather onchain insights into BTC active supply, with 4.1M BTC moving onchain in the last six months.
Onchain developments include the rise of stablecoin supply, AI agents driving meme token trends, and Lido’s phased withdrawal of Polygon support. We also spotlight Pudgy Penguins' momentum and token launch with PENGU. On the macro side, we preview the upcoming Fed meeting and its potential market impact. Finally, David provides an overview of Coinbase’s crypto outlook for 2025, offering a forward-looking perspective on the year ahead.