JH Kim

Global asset management firm and Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETF issuer Franklin Templeton announced on the 20th (local time) through its official X (formerly Twitter) account the launch of EZPZ, a cryptocurrency Exchange Traded Product (ETP) based on Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). EZPZ is an ETF that reflects market capitalization weightings of 87% BTC and 13% ETH, and the company explained that new cryptocurrencies could be included in the index in the future.

According to The Block, a cryptocurrency news media outlet, on the 20th (local time), Josh Stark, an Ethereum (ETH) Foundation representative, announced plans to hire a social media manager in response to criticism about insufficient community communication. The role will involve managing and operating the foundation's various social media accounts including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Farcaster, and Lens. The job posting states, "The Ethereum Foundation is neither a company nor a traditional non-profit organization," adding that "we do not control Ethereum, nor are we the only organization supporting Ethereum's core technical development." It further notes, "The Ethereum ecosystem consists of organizations, individuals, and companies that support it, and we are just one part of it," and "our mission is to do our best for Ethereum's long-term success."

According to CoinDesk, a specialized virtual asset (cryptocurrency) media outlet on the 20th (local time), Eric Demuth, CEO of Austrian virtual asset exchange Bitpanda, stated that "due to policy changes in the United States, banks and investors are investing more deeply in the virtual asset market," adding that "this is strengthening long-term positions." He explained, "The virtual asset market is undergoing fundamental changes. It's transitioning from rapid speculative betting to long-term, stable investments," noting that "less volatile and more committed institutional capital is flowing in." He emphasized that "under the Trump administration, the U.S. government's aggressive virtual asset adoption policy is forcing global markets to adapt to this situation," adding that "this is not a choice but an obligation." Furthermore, he analyzed that "while altcoins won't be adopted as quickly as Bitcoin (BTC), the situation will also change as U.S. regulations evolve and virtual asset ETFs gain approval," predicting that "U.S. banks will be the next to adopt." Lastly, he added that "as virtual assets become central to U.S. economic and financial policy, the world's largest financial sector is paying attention to virtual assets," noting that "this means banks must now conduct analysis on virtual assets and provide related services."

Bitcoin (BTC) has temporarily recovered to the $98,000 level. Meanwhile, as of 03:38 on the 21st, BTC is trading at $98,214 on the Binance USDT market, up 2.45% from the previous day.

Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin commented on his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 20th (local time) regarding the recent LIBRA memecoin incident involving the Argentine President, stating it "exemplifies the importance of education." He noted that "The Argentine Ethereum (ETH) community is full of amazing builders" and explained that "they have contributed to some of the core software in the Ethereum ecosystem." Furthermore, he analyzed that "Argentina is striving to build a prosperous 21st-century society utilizing virtual assets (cryptocurrencies) and other new technologies" and that "their resolve in this matter is genuine." He added that "The recent (LIBRA-related) news is not a reason to give up, but rather a prime example that emphasizes the importance of education."

Bloomberg reported on the 19th (local time), citing Nansen data, that an estimated 86% of LIBRA investors have suffered losses. The media outlet explained, "The scale of investor losses from this incident is approximately $251 million," adding that "Meanwhile, LIBRA team insiders appear to have gained $180 million in profits." Nicolai Sondergaard, a Nansen analyst, explained, "After analyzing 15,000 wallets, there is clear on-chain evidence that LIBRA insiders profited from retail investors."

According to the cryptocurrency media CoinDesk on the 19th (local time), a group of Ethereum (ETH) developers and leaders announced a new framework called OIF (Open Intents Framework) that simplifies and standardizes cross-chain token transfers. This is a modular open framework designed to improve cross-chain interoperability, streamline the cross-chain intent transfer process, and enhance cross-chain user experience. Meanwhile, initiated by Ethereum Foundation contributors, it is supported by 25 projects including Arbitrum, Optimism, ZKsync, and Scroll.

On the 19th (local time), crypto-focused media CoinDesk reported, citing SEC data, that institutional investors' Bitcoin (BTC) spot Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) holdings increased threefold to $38.7 billion in Q4 2024 compared to the previous quarter ($12.4 billion). The SEC requires institutions with assets over $100 million to report their stock holdings every quarter.

Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett posted on X (formerly Twitter) on the 19th (local time) that "the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) appears to be prioritizing cases with imminent court deadlines," suggesting that "this could be why there were no requests for stays in the XRP and Kraken cases." She stated that "XRP's next court deadline is April 16th, and Kraken's is March 31st," adding that "the SEC had previously requested an extension from the Manhattan Appeals Court for reviewing the Coinbase appeal." She further noted that "accordingly, the response deadline has been extended to March 14th," and added that "the SEC appears to be anticipating that Paul Atkins, nominated by President Donald Trump, will be confirmed as SEC Chairman around that time."

According to The Block, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, on the 19th (local time), Fidelity Digital Assets evaluated in a joint research report with Lightning payment provider Voltage that Lightning Network development would increase the value of Bitcoin (BTC) as an investment target. The report analyzed that "Lightning Network is an innovative technology that enhances Bitcoin's utility, expands transaction usage within the network, and accelerates adoption across various sectors," adding that "last year, we directly observed how companies scaled through the Lightning Network." It continued, "Payment reliability has improved, transaction costs have decreased, and adoption speed has become faster than ever," evaluating that "2024 was a crucial year for Lightning Network development." Furthermore, it added, "The network is maturing as major exchanges including Coinbase, Bitfinex, OKX, Kraken, and Binance have successively implemented the Lightning Network last year."

Bitcoin (BTC) has temporarily given up the $96,000 level. Meanwhile, as of 01:08 on the 20th, BTC is trading at $95,987.89 on the Binance Tether (USDT) market, up 0.52% from the previous day.

According to the CoinTelegraph's X (formerly Twitter) account on the 19th (local time), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially confirmed the receipt of CoinShares' application for a Litecoin (LTC) spot Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF).

According to cryptocurrency media CoinDesk on the 19th (local time), Fold (FLD), a Bitcoin (BTC) exclusive financial services application, has been listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The stock price surged in early trading, then showed a decline, and has now turned to an upward trend. Fold was listed through a merger with NASDAQ-listed FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corporation (FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp), a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). According to recently released data, Fold is known to hold 1000BTC.

Bitwise, a digital asset management firm and Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETF issuer, announced on the 19th (local time) through its official X (formerly Twitter) that it will donate $100,000 to support Ethereum (ETH) open source developers. Bitwise explained, "When we launched the Bitwise Ethereum ETF (ETHW), we announced that we would use 10% of ETHW's total profits annually for ecosystem development," adding "This marks our first Ethereum donation accordingly." According to Bitwise, the donations will be made to the Protocol Guild and PBS Foundation. Previously, Bitwise had announced a donation of $150,000 to support Bitcoin open source developers.

On the 18th (local time), crypto media DailyHODL reported, citing SEC documents, that BNY Mellon currently holds $13.28 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs. The holdings include 115,108 shares of WisdomTree BTCW worth $11.87 million and 25,309 shares of BlackRock IBIT worth $1.4 million.