Summary
gm, Bitcoin surges past $90,000 amid easing U.S.-China trade tensions. This rally has led to over $500 million in liquidations for short positions. Altcoins like Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana also experienced substantial gains. Institutional interest in crypto continues to grow, with ARK Invest adding staked Solana to two of its ETFs and reports of a potential $3 billion Bitcoin acquisition deal involving SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex. Meanwhile, regulatory developments continue, with Paul Atkins being sworn in as the new SEC chairman, potentially signaling a more crypto-friendly approach from the agency.

News Headlines
📈 Galaxy Digital Swaps $100M ETH for SOL

  • Mike Novogratz's Galaxy Digital exchanged $105 million worth of Ethereum (ETH) for $98.37 million in Solana (SOL).
  • This move comes as SOL has surged 8% in the past month while ETH declined nearly 20%.

🐋 Solana whale sits on $153M profit after 4-year staking play

  • A Solana whale with over 1 million tokens has realized a profit exceeding $153 million after a four-year staking endeavor.
  • The whale initially staked nearly 1 million SOL tokens in 2021, costing approximately $27 million when SOL was valued at $27.

🤝 Cantor Teams With SoftBank, Tether, Bitfinex on Possible $3B Bitcoin Deal

  • Brandon Lutnick is leading a new venture called 21 Capital that aims to acquire $3 billion in Bitcoin.
  • The initiative is backed by partners including SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex, contributing $1.5 billion, $900 million, and $600 million, respectively.

💼 Trump Media to Invest $250 Million in 'Made in America' ETFs Tracking Crypto, Energy Securities

  • Trump Media & Technology Group will invest up to $250 million in ETFs and separately managed accounts focusing on cryptocurrency and energy securities.
  • This investment is part of a partnership with Crypto.com, aiming to diversify services into financial products centered around digital assets.

Market Metrics

Fundraising & VC
1. Bitdeer (Post IPO Debt, $179M) - Blockchain and high-performance computing platform
2. Analog (Private Token Sale, $15M) - Liquidity hub for autonomous chains
3. Tally (Series A, $8M) - Software layer for onchain organizations
4. Inflow (Pre Seed, $1.1M) - Cross-border payment platform

On-chain Data
1. MANTRA DAO (OM) token unlocked today ($9.66M, 1.75%)
2. Renzo (REZ) token unlocked today ($9.51M, 30.05%)
3. Venom (venom) token unlock in 1 day ($9.05M, 3.1%)
4. AltLayer (ALT) token unlock in 2 days ($5.73M, 6.04%)

Regulatory
🚨 SEC Charges Crypto Executive in $198M Scheme

  • The SEC has charged PGI Global CEO Ramil Palafox for allegedly running a $198 million Ponzi scheme involving unregistered securities.
  • This is the SEC's first case under new Chair Paul Atkins, targeting fraudulent AI-powered trading platform claims.

🌐 ECB Calls for MiCA Amendments Due to US Crypto Policies

  • The European Central Bank is pushing for changes to the EU's Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) legislation due to concerns over US crypto support.
  • ECB fears that US policies could enhance the influence of dollar-backed stablecoins, potentially threatening EU financial stability.

💼 Jay Clayton Appointed Interim US Attorney for Manhattan

  • Former SEC Chair Jay Clayton has been appointed as the interim US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
  • Clayton will serve for up to 120 days, focusing on public safety, financial system integrity, and combating fraud.

🏆 SEC Drops Case Against HEX Founder Richard Heart

  • The SEC has officially dropped its fraud case against Richard Heart, founder of HEX, PulseChain, and PulseX.
  • This marks a significant legal defeat for the SEC, being the only crypto case entirely dismissed by a federal judge.

🔒 Europe Introduces Blockchain Data Privacy Guidelines

  • The European Data Protection Board has approved draft rules for storing and sharing personal data on blockchains.
  • The guidelines emphasize Data Protection by Design and by Default, warning against conflicts with privacy principles.

Governance & Code
📐 Paraswap DAO | Rewards Distribution for Epoch 28 on OP Mainnet
- This proposal seeks to execute a test rewards distribution of 15.57 ETH for Epoch 28 on OP mainnet, targeting users staking sePSP1 and sePSP2.

👻 Aave DAO | Aave and ether.fi Cash: A Proposal for Real-World Utility
- This proposal aims to create a unique Aave market on an EVM L2, in collaboration with ether.fi, "to facilitate onchain credit for everyday payments through the ether.fi Cash credit card program."