Asia Morning Briefing: Polymarket Bettors Foresee $5K ETH by End of August

Good Morning, Asia. Here is what’s making information within the markets: Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a each day abstract of prime tales throughout U.S. hours and an summary of market strikes and evaluation. For an in depth overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk’s Crypto Daybook Americas. As Asia begins its buying and selling day, ETH is buying and selling above $4600, up 10% within the final 24 hours, as the possibility of a rate cut in September works its method by means of the market. Some merchants see it seemingly that ETH may quickly challenge its all-time high of $4876 set in 2021. Polymarket bettors are going a step additional; they imagine that $5000 is possible earlier than the top of August, and they’re additionally giving a 28% likelihood of the asset’s worth crossing $5800 earlier than the month ends. The surge has helped pull bitcoin dominance down from 65% to 59% as merchants rotate into altcoins. In a latest report, analysts at Glassnode wrote that ETH is now nearing the +1 commonplace deviation “Lively Realized Worth” band round $4.7K, a stage that has triggered heavy promoting in previous cycles. However behind the scenes, there is a rising liquidity sink that may weigh closely on ETH’s subsequent part of progress. A brand new CryptoQuant report exhibits that Ethereum is more and more serving as a liquidity supply for TRON’s USDT ecosystem. On Aug. 9, CryptoQuant information exhibits {that a} report $7.7 million price of ETH was bridged to TRON and transformed into USDT, whereas June 25 noticed $19 million price of ERC20 tokens, principally USDC, make the identical transfer. Inflows from TRON again to Ethereum stay minimal, highlighting a one-way move of worth that helps TRON’s stablecoin economic system however siphons liquidity from Ethereum’s native DeFi exercise. Over time, persistent outflows can weigh on spot demand and scale back Ethereum’s ongoing fee revenue and staking rewards as extra of the stablecoin economic system clears elsewhere. If this development persists, Ethereum’s function may more and more resemble that of a wholesale funding layer, powering liquidity for rival networks slightly than capturing the transactional exercise itself. That dynamic could not derail the present rally within the quick time period, but it surely may restrict the sustainability of upper valuations if capital flight towards quicker, cheaper settlement layers like TRON continues unchecked. However for now, the market has its eyes on $5K ETH. Market Movers BTC: Bitcoin holds $119,943 (+0.4%) with bullish momentum intact, although resistance looms at $123K amid ETF outflows and ETH’s rally, in keeping with CoinDesk’s market insights bot. ETH: ETH is buying and selling above $4600 as the opportunity of a 50 bps price minimize looms giant. Gold: Gold edged as much as round $3,350 as U.S. inflation information bolstered Fed price minimize bets, whereas easing U.S.-China commerce tensions restricted features. S&P 500: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit report highs as July CPI information met expectations, boosting bets on a September Fed price minimize and lifting tech shares. Nikkei 225: Asia-Pacific markets opened increased Wednesday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 up 1% after a report shut Tuesday. Elsewhere in Crypto Polymarket active traders jump 18% as six-month slump ends, but average trade size falls (The Block) Top crypto VC Matt Huang to lead Stripe blockchain Tempo as CEO, stay at Paradigm (Fortune) Who is Patrick Witt, President Trump’s Next Senior Adviser on Crypto? (CoinDesk) Powered by WPeMatico

Ether, Cardano, XRP Among Cryptos Taking New Leg Higher as Scott Bessent Floats 50 Basis Point Rate Cut

Altcoins added to their rally throughout late Tuesday U.S. afternoon hours after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent advised the Federal Reserve ought to think about a 50 foundation level price reduce at its upcoming September assembly. “The actual factor now to consider is ought to we get a 50 basis-point price reduce in September,” Bessent advised Fox Information. Bessent added that the Fed might have reduce charges in June if it had been given correct knowledge, which he described as a “foundational situation” on the central financial institution. Markets had already about absolutely priced in a 25 foundation level transfer in September, however the concept of fifty foundation factors appeared to juice issues additional. To make sure, Bessent is Treasury Secretary and never a member of the Federal Reserve, not to mention its chairman. Bessent, nonetheless, has been tasked by President Trump with deciding on a alternative for Fed Chair Powell, so his phrases certainly carry some weight. Already greater on the day, ether jumped additional, now greater by almost 9% over the previous 24 hours and above $4,600 for the primary time since November 2021. Different strikes embody cardano (ADA), solana (SOL) and litecoin (LTC), every forward about 8% over the previous 24 hours, whereas XRP (XRP) is up 3.5%. Bitcoin (BTC) bulls stayed on the sidelines throughout in the present day’s rally, which additionally lifted fairness markets by greater than 1%. The cryptocurrency is buying and selling at $120,000, little modified over the previous 24 hours. The greenback weakened in opposition to all main currencies. The rally acquired began early on Tuesday morning after new knowledge confirmed shopper costs rising roughly according to estimates in July. Powered by WPeMatico

Kazakhstan’s Fonte Capital Introduces Central Asia’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF

Kazakhstan, one of many world’s largest bitcoin mining international locations, has turn out to be the placement of central Asia’s first spot bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF). Astana-based Fonte Capital mentioned the Fonte Bitcoin Trade Traded Fund OEIC (BETF) will begin buying and selling Aug. 13 on the Astana Worldwide Trade (AIX). The ETF will likely be priced in {dollars}. Kazakhstan shot up the bitcoin mining rankings after China banned the business in 2021, pushing operations overseas. Kazakhstan benefited from its considerable coal-powered electrical energy and favorable laws. Not like exchange-traded notes, BETF holds the bitcoin straight, with custody supplied by U.S.-regulated custodian BitGo that insures as much as $250 million of holdings. BitGo makes use of offline chilly storage and safe vaults — measures designed to reassure each institutional buyers and retail consumers cautious of hacks and counterparty dangers. The fund is regulated by the Astana Worldwide Monetary Centre (AIFC), a jurisdiction that its backers say can defend belongings from freezes linked to worldwide sanctions whereas avoiding dependence on overseas issuers. The AIFC has sought to construct on that place by introducing a authorized framework for digital belongings, permitting licensed exchanges, custodians and funding merchandise to function inside its jurisdiction. Neighboring international locations in Central Asia, resembling Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, have taken extra cautious approaches, leaving Kazakhstan as probably the most open marketplace for crypto funding within the area. For a rustic trying to diversify its monetary sector, a regulated crypto product might draw overseas capital and combine native markets into the broader digital asset financial system The ETF’s construction permits for in-kind settlements and goals to maintain the full expense ratio low whereas decreasing monitoring error in opposition to the bitcoin value. BETF’s debut aligns Kazakhstan with a rising world roster of jurisdictions — together with the U.S., Canada and Hong Kong — which have accredited spot bitcoin ETFs. In observe, it signifies that an investor in Almaty or London might purchase shares within the fund by way of AIX with no need to handle non-public keys or navigate crypto exchanges. Fonte Capital, which registered with AIFC in 2022, manages diversified funding funds and mentioned BETF will give buyers a simple manner so as to add bitcoin to a portfolio whereas retaining “a excessive stage of management and reliability.” Powered by WPeMatico

Circle Dips 6% After Hours on 10M Share Secondary Offering

Circle (CRCL), the stablecoin issuer agency behind the USDC token, announced on Tuesday a secondary inventory sale of 10 million shares. The corporate is providing 2 million of Class A typical inventory on the market, whereas promoting stockholders are unloading one other 8 million, based on an S-1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC). The underwriter greenshoe possibility is for an additional 1.5 million shares. Circle’s inventory declined 6% in after hours buying and selling to $154. That is down practically 50% from the document excessive of $299, however nonetheless up about five-fold from the IPO value of $31. The providing comes roughly two months after Circle’s debut on the New York Inventory Alternate, which noticed its inventory value skyrocket amid investor urge for food to achieve publicity to the booming stablecoin market. Earlier on Tuesday, the agency reported $428 million loss for the second quarter of the 12 months. Learn extra: Circle Unveils Layer-1 Blockchain Arc, Reports $428 Million Q2 Loss Powered by WPeMatico

LINK Surges 10% as Chainlink Reserve, ICE Partnership Fuel Explosive Rally

Oracle service Chainlink’s (LINK) native token surged 10% on Tuesday to a recent seven-month excessive amid new conventional finance partnership and a current token buyback initiative. The token topped $24 for the primary time since February, extending its rally to 42% in per week. That is the largest achieve throughout among the many high 50 tokens by market capitalization, CoinDesk data exhibits. Among the many catalysts was a fresh collaboration between Chainlink and Intercontinental Alternate, the guardian firm of the New York Inventory Alternate, to deliver overseas change and treasured metals pricing knowledge on-chain. The partnership underscores the community’s increasing position as a bridge between conventional finance and blockchain rails. A token buy program dubbed the Chainlink Reserve, introduced final week in a blog post, goals to transform income from Chainlink’s providers and enterprise integrations into LINK tokens, establishing persistent shopping for momentum. Technical Indicators Sign Continued Upside LINK now trades above its 50-day and 200-day shifting averages, validating bullish momentum, CoinDesk’s market evaluation mannequin confirmed. Close to-term resistance emerged close to $24, with assist round $21.00–$21.30. Relative energy index (RSI) measurements method overbought circumstances at 72.72, indicating potential for near-term consolidation. A conclusive breakthrough above the $24.10-$24.13 resistance zone might set off the following rally part. Learn extra Disclaimer: Components of this text have been generated with the help from AI instruments and reviewed by our editorial group to make sure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For extra data, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy. Powered by WPeMatico

Bitcoin Miner MARA Steps Into HPC With Majority Stake in EDF Subsidiary: H.C. Wainwright

MARA Holdings (MARA) is making a shock pivot from its bitcoin (BTC) mining roots, announcing late Monday that it’ll purchase a 64% stake in Exaion, a high-performance computing (HPC) subsidiary of French vitality large EDF, dealer H.C. Wainwright stated in a analysis report Tuesday. Whereas MARA has lengthy floated the thought of serving to energy corporations steadiness grid masses, H.C. Wainwright analyst Kevin Dede stated he anticipated that to stay inside a mining-centric technique, not a direct plunge into HPC buildouts. However with bitcoin halving occasions looming in 2028 and 2032, and synthetic intelligence (AI) demand driving premium returns on compute energy, MARA is betting HPC provides stronger margins than mining alone, the analyst wrote. MARA is the most recent bitcoin mining firm to pivot to AI and HPC. Core Scientific (CORZ) was first to the get together final June, when it introduced a 12-year deal with AI cloud supplier CoreWeave (CRWV). The AI firm agreed to buy CORZ final month in an all-share deal. The pivot to HPC additionally positions MARA in sovereign cloud AI companies, a distinct segment the place information stays non-public and segregated behind company firewalls, however the place scaling requires deep networking and compute experience, the report stated. H.C. Wainwright stated the acquisition is a brilliant entry into HPC, giving MARA credibility it won’t obtain by itself. The dealer reiterated its purchase score on the shares with a $28 worth goal. The shares had been 0.6% greater, buying and selling round $15.76 at publication time. Whereas MARA’s valuation has been buoyed by bitcoin’s latest rally, treasury adoption, and exchange-traded fund-fueled inflows, dangers stay. These vary from BTC worth volatility and community problem to capital dilution and the operational challenges of knowledge middle improvement, the report added. Learn extra: MARA, Holder of Nearly $6B BTC, Raises $950M to Buy More Bitcoin Powered by WPeMatico

Coinbase Revives Stablecoin Funding Program to Bolster DeFi Liquidity

Crypto change Coinbase (COIN) said on Tuesday it’s reviving its Stablecoin Bootstrap Fund, aiming to spice up stablecoin liquidity on decentralized finance (DeFi) markets. The initiative will probably be managed by Coinbase Asset Administration and begins with deployments on Aave, Morpho, Kamino and Jupiter, in line with a weblog submit. The change first launched this system in 2019 to assist protocols seed early buying and selling swimming pools for USDC stablecoin. That effort supported early platforms like Uniswap (UNI), Compound (COMP) and dYdX (DYDX) and helped spearhead USDC within the DeFi ecosystem, which continues to be essentially the most extensively used stablecoin within the sector. In its new iteration, the initiative will allocate capital throughout each established and rising protocols, aiming to make sure customers can entry steady yields and environment friendly markets. Whereas Coinbase has not disclosed the scale of the fund or particular quantities for every deployment, an organization spokesperson informed CoinDesk it would take a look at placements throughout a number of networks earlier than scaling additional. At the moment, the fund offers capital in USDC and EURC, Circle’s euro-pegged stablecoin, the corporate added. Coinbase’s transfer comes because the DeFi sector’s progress is accelerating amid red-hot crypto markets and easing regulatory headwinds within the U.S. There are nearly $200 billion of property held throughout DeFi protocols collectively, almost doubling since April however nonetheless under its 2021 peak, DefiLlama data exhibits. Learn extra: Decentralized Finance and Tokenization Growth Still Disappoints: JPMorgan Powered by WPeMatico

Polkadot’s DOT Advances Over 4% Amid Robust Recovery

DOT demonstrated resilience with a sturdy restoration rally, rising over 4% to $4.12 after defending pivotal help ranges round $3.84-$3.86, in line with CoinDesk Analysis’s technical evaluation mannequin. The mannequin confirmed that the cryptocurrency breached resistance at $3.92 with distinctive quantity exceeding 7 million, suggesting institutional accumulation and continued upward momentum in the direction of $4.15-$4.20 targets. Developer exercise knowledge reveals Polkadot positioned eighth in core improvement with 72 commits, while rating 2nd in ecosystem improvement with 4,337 commits, trailing Ethereum, in line with the mannequin. The rally in DOT got here as the broader crypto market additionally rose, with the broader market gauge, the Coindesk 20, just lately up 1%. In latest buying and selling, Polkadot was 4% larger over 24 hours, buying and selling round $4.12. Technical Evaluation: DOT established strong help across the $3.84-$3.86 zone after reaching a session minimal of $3.82. Excessive-volume breakthrough above $3.92 resistance with distinctive quantity exceeding 7 million alerts institutional accumulation. Profitable defence of the $3.88-$3.92 consolidation vary suggests continued upward momentum. Clear ascending channel shaped with help accumulating round $4.00-$4.02 zone in the course of the remaining hour. Fibonacci extension targets recognized at $4.15-$4.20 ranges based mostly on measured transfer evaluation. Quantity surge exceeding 216,000 throughout 15:23-15:28 UTC window confirms bullish breakthrough above $4.060. Disclaimer: Elements of this text had been generated with the help from AI instruments and reviewed by our editorial crew to make sure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For extra data, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy. Powered by WPeMatico

ATOM Holds Firm in Range as Institutions Dictate Price Action

ATOM traded in a good vary over the previous 24 hours, with value motion dominated by institutional flows. Between Aug. 11 at 15:00 and Aug. 12 at 14:00, the token swung 4% between $4.65 and $4.47. Heavy promoting from $4.65 to $4.45 on Aug. 11 gave strategy to robust shopping for the next morning, with volumes spiking to 1.93 million tokens. Resistance fashioned at $4.60, whereas repeated bounces from $4.47–$4.48 highlighted a agency help zone. The Cosmos ecosystem additionally acquired a lift from Coinbase’s itemizing of dYdX (COSMOSDYDX), which jumped from $0.59 to $0.63 on the information. ATOM’s current value habits matches an accumulation sample between $4.47 and $4.60, with strategists eyeing potential upside to $5.48 by 2025 as institutional adoption grows. The ultimate hour of buying and selling noticed renewed volatility, with ATOM sliding 1% from $4.57 to $4.51 in 22 minutes as sellers overpowered help at $4.55 and $4.53. Elevated volumes throughout the drop confirmed profit-taking and repositioning, underscoring a consolidation section with clear institutional boundaries on each side. Market Analysts Establish Combined Technical Outlook Total institutional buying and selling vary of $0.18 representing 4% unfold between most of $4.65 and minimal of $4.47. Pronounced institutional promoting from August 11 at 16:00 by 22:00, declining from $4.65 to $4.45. Distinctive institutional buying and selling quantity of 1,927,633 models throughout August 12 11:00-12:00 restoration section. Key institutional resistance stage established at $4.60 the place profit-taking occurred on robust quantity. Institutional help zone materialized round $4.47-$4.48 with a number of profitable accumulation phases. Clear institutional resistance at $4.57 stage with intensified promoting strain throughout closing buying and selling hour. Accelerated institutional repositioning by help ranges at $4.55 and $4.53. Modest institutional restoration try from $4.51 help establishing consolidation vary $4.52-$4.53. Disclaimer: Elements of this text had been generated with the help from AI instruments and reviewed by our editorial staff to make sure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For extra data, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy. Powered by WPeMatico

error: