News & Research

Cryptocurrency data platform CoinGecko is exploring a sale at a potential valuation of around $500 million, CoinDesk reported. Global investment bank Moelis is advising on the process. Citing an anonymous source, the report noted that the sale process began late last year and the final valuation has not yet been confirmed. The move comes amid a growing trend of mergers and acquisitions within the cryptocurrency industry.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that the December Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.7% year-over-year, in line with market expectations.

UK clearing bank ClearBank has selected digital asset infrastructure firm Taurus as its partner for stablecoin services, CoinDesk reported. Through the collaboration, ClearBank plans to implement Taurus's wallet infrastructure solution, Taurus-PROTECT, to provide digital asset-related services.

JPMorgan has presented a base case scenario in which the U.S. benchmark interest rate will remain unchanged this year, with a 25 bp increase projected for the third quarter of 2027, CoinDesk reported, citing Reuters. The bank's forecast contrasts with current market expectations, as the CME Federal Funds futures market is pricing in two 25 bp rate cuts within the year. However, JPMorgan added that the possibility of rate cuts could re-emerge if the labor market weakens again or if inflation slows rapidly.

Global asset manager VanEck predicts a potential risk-on environment for assets in the first quarter of this year but maintains a cautious outlook for Bitcoin, citing the breakdown of its four-year cycle theory, Cointelegraph reported. In a report released on Jan. 13, VanEck stated that a positive investment environment has been created as U.S. fiscal and monetary policies have become clearer. However, the firm noted that the short-term forecast for BTC is complicated by several factors, including record-breaking forced liquidations in October of last year, a deteriorating correlation with stocks and gold, and the aforementioned cycle theory collapse. VanEck advised that a cautious approach is warranted for the next three to six months.

Arguments against including Bitcoin in 401(k) retirement plans due to its volatility are unfair, according to Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan in an interview with Investopedia. His comments follow an executive order signed by the Trump administration allowing pension and retirement funds to hold cryptocurrencies, a move that U.S. Senator and crypto opponent Elizabeth Warren warned would create risks for investors. Hougan countered that BTC's volatility over the past year has been lower than that of NVIDIA (NVDA), adding that it is unreasonable to apply a stricter standard to a single asset class. He emphasized that cryptocurrencies will eventually be normalized within the institutional framework, just like other assets.

The United States is considering legislation that would regulate cryptocurrencies included in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) similarly to BTC and ETH, according to a report from Eleanor Terrett, host of Crypto in America. The bill proposes that if a cryptocurrency is part of an ETF listed on a national securities exchange and registered under Section 6 of the Securities Exchange Act, it would be exempt from disclosure obligations. Under this framework, assets including XRP, SOL, LTC, HBAR, DOGE, and LINK would be subject to the same regulations as BTC and ETH from the day the law is enacted.

KRAKacquisition, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by an affiliate of crypto exchange Kraken, is seeking to list on Nasdaq, The Block reported. The company has filed an S-1 form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an initial public offering. It aims to raise $250 million and, if approved, will trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker KRAQU. KRAKacquisition has not yet identified a specific merger target. The move comes as Kraken itself has previously stated it is pursuing an IPO with a target of listing this year.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell one point from yesterday to 26, remaining in the fear category, according to data from Alternative. The index measures market sentiment on a scale from zero, indicating extreme fear, to 100, representing extreme greed. It is calculated based on volatility (25%), trading volume (25%), social media mentions (15%), surveys (15%), Bitcoin's market cap dominance (10%), and Google search volume (10%).

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins has taken a noncommittal stance on the possibility of the U.S. seizing Bitcoin allegedly held by Venezuela, Cointelegraph reported. Speaking to Fox Business, Atkins addressed claims that Venezuela may hold as much as $60 billion in BTC. He said he could not verify the authenticity of those reports and that it remains unclear what action the U.S. would take if such an opportunity arose. Speculation about a secret vault of BTC and USDT—allegedly used by Venezuela to evade international sanctions—intensified after the U.S. captured President Nicolás Maduro. While some estimates place the country’s holdings as high as $60 billion, officially confirmed on-chain reserves amount to only about 240 BTC.