JH Kim

On the 15th (local time), according to the cryptocurrency-focused media Watcher Guru, U.S. Oklahoma State Representative Cody Maynard officially proposed the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act, a bill to adopt Bitcoin (BTC) as a strategic reserve asset. Cody Maynard emphasized, "Bitcoin is a decentralized currency that cannot be manipulated or issued by government agencies," adding, "It is the ultimate store of value for those who believe in financial freedom and sound money." The bill is scheduled to be referred to the next legislative session on February 1st (local time).

On the 16th, the domestic virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange Upbit announced on its official website that it would temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals for Zilliqa (ZIL) due to blockchain network issues, effective from the time of the notice registration.

On the 15th (local time), cryptocurrency media Cointelegraph reported that "Ripple (XRP) has risen by 31.5% since the beginning of the year, surpassing a market capitalization of $159 billion," and "it is currently ranked 3rd, following Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), surpassing the market cap of the U.S. asset management firm BlackRock." Meanwhile, XRP is trading at $2.9868, up 15.91% from the previous day, based on the Binance Tether (USDT) market as of 00:42 on the 16th.

Bitcoin (BTC) temporarily recovered to the $97,000 level. Meanwhile, BTC is trading at $97,003.80, up 5.30% from the previous day, as of 04:36 on the 15th, based on the Binance Tether (USDT) market.

On-chain analyst David Puell from Ark Invest, the issuer of the Bitcoin (BTC) spot exchange-traded fund (ETF), analyzed in a monthly report on the 14th (local time) that "the outlook for Bitcoin this year is optimistic." The report explained, "BTC has recorded gains in the year following past halvings, and currently, 62% of the total supply has not moved for over a year," adding, "Despite recent price movements, realized volatility remains relatively low, indicating that there is still room for market expansion." It further added, "However, in the short term, the scale of short position liquidations was larger than that of long position liquidations, suggesting that the derivatives market may be overheated, which could be the cause of the recent correction." Meanwhile, BTC is trading at $97,021.99, up 5.33% from the previous day, as of 04:34 on the 15th in the Binance Tether (USDT) market.

Blockstream CEO and Bitcoin maximalist Adam Back stated on the 14th (local time) via X (formerly Twitter) that "Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, once mentioned that he held Bitcoin (BTC) in the past," adding, "The specific amount was not disclosed, but it was significant at the time, and the price has risen considerably since then." Meanwhile, BTC is trading at $96,992.50, up 5.39% from the previous day, based on the Binance Tether (USDT) market as of 04:26 on the 15th.

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple (XRP), criticized on the 14th (local time) via X (formerly Twitter) that "Gary Gensler, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is still pushing his failed 'regulation by enforcement' agenda to the end."

Stuart Alderoty, the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) of Ripple (XRP), stated on the 14th (local time) via X (formerly Twitter) that "with Gary Gensler, the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), resigning on January 20th (local time), the war with the crypto industry will also end," adding that "Ripple requested an extension for submitting appeal documents to the SEC, but the SEC refused." He further added, "We are confident of winning the appeal and hope to resolve this issue in cooperation with the new SEC leadership." Ripple and the SEC have been in a legal battle over unregistered securities sales since December 2020. In August 2024, a U.S. court ordered Ripple to pay a penalty of $125 million in the first trial, and the SEC appealed. Meanwhile, January 15th was the deadline for the SEC's opening brief submission.

According to The Block, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, on the 14th (local time), Geoff Kendrick, head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, recently stated in an investor memo that "if Bitcoin (BTC) completely falls below $90,000, it could drop approximately 10% in the short term to the low $80,000 range." He mentioned, "After the U.S. election, the BTC spot Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) has reached its breakeven point, and there is a risk of additional panic selling driven by macroeconomic factors," adding that "BTC has already fallen to around $90,000, and the market risk is likely to expand." He further added, "However, if a second Trump administration comes into power, institutional funds will flow back in, and BTC could reach $200,000 by the end of 2025." Meanwhile, as of 02:16 on the 15th, BTC is trading at $96,084.77 on the Binance Tether (USDT) market, up 4.69% from the previous day.

According to The Block, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, on the 14th (local time), cryptocurrency research firm K33 Research recently reported that it is unclear whether a 'sell the news' trend will emerge at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The report stated, "Bitcoin (BTC) surged last year following Trump's election due to expectations of pro-cryptocurrency policies, but the market cooled due to macroeconomic headwinds." It added, "As the inauguration approaches, Trump's tax cut policies, expected to boost the prices of risk assets, may make the 'sell the news' strategy less attractive." Additionally, it noted, "The impact of Trump's second administration on BTC is optimistic in the long term."

Bitcoin (BTC) temporarily returned to the $96,000 level. Meanwhile, BTC is trading at $95,768.47, up 3.99% from the previous day, as of 01:04 on the 15th, based on the Binance Tether (USDT) market.

According to cryptocurrency-focused media Watcher Guru on the 14th (local time), Gary Gensler, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stated in an interview with CNBC that "Bitcoin (BTC) is a highly speculative asset, but 7 billion people want to trade it." He added, "Just like gold has been around for 10,000 years, BTC is the same." Meanwhile, Gary Gensler has announced plans to resign from his position as SEC Chairman on January 20th (local time).

According to the cryptocurrency-focused media WuBlockchain on the 14th (local time), the on-chain data platform and token supply audit tool Bubblemaps has officially announced the issuance of a total of 1 billion platform tokens, BMT. These tokens are set to be issued on the Solana (SOL) network. Alongside this, they plan to launch Intel Desk, the first community-driven on-chain investigation platform. Users can submit investigation cases or participate in voting and allocate on-chain resources using BMT.

According to Watcher Guru, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, on the 13th (local time), Jay Jacobs, Head of Active ETFs at BlackRock, stated in a report that "cryptocurrency is outpacing the growth speed of mobile phones and the internet." He noted that "it took 21 years for mobile phones, 15 years for the internet, and only 12 years for cryptocurrency to reach 300 million users." He analyzed that "unlike older generations, younger generations are more open to accepting Bitcoin (BTC)," and that "due to inflation, global political divisions, and banking and economic issues, the demand for decentralized assets like Bitcoin is increasing." Additionally, he emphasized that "as the global economy digitizes, new use cases for Bitcoin are emerging," and that "Bitcoin now leads the world with a market capitalization of 2 trillion dollars, being the most widely adopted cryptocurrency."

On the 13th (local time), the cryptocurrency specialized media The Block reported, citing the Binary Market report, that last year's virtual asset over-the-counter (OTC) market recorded an annual growth rate of 106% thanks to the interest of major institutions and macroeconomic and political changes. In particular, the OTC trading volume in the fourth quarter increased by 177% compared to the previous year. The report stated, "The listing of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the election of virtual asset supporter Donald Trump as president, and the continuous institutionalization of virtual assets were major factors." It also explained, "As the industry enters a mature stage, traditional financial leaders are shifting from a skeptical stance to a neutral or accepting stage," adding, "Institutions are planning acquisitions to enter or establish their position in the virtual asset market."