JOON HYOUNG LEE

Stripe blockchain 'Tempo' launches mainnet… also unveils standard for agent payments

Global fintech company Stripe has launched the mainnet for its layer-1 blockchain, 'Tempo'. Tempo said via its official website on the 18th (local time) that it has launched the mainnet. Tempo is a stablecoin-only layer-1 blockchain co-developed by S

Israel says it has eliminated Iran’s intelligence minister… ‘major additional surprise attack’ today

Israel said it assassinated Iran’s intelligence minister in a targeted airstrike. According to foreign media outlets including CNBC in the US on the 18th (local time), Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told a wartime situation assessment meeting u

US February producer prices rise 0.7% m/m, topping forecasts

US wholesale prices in February last year came in above market expectations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics at the US Department of Labor said on the 18th (local time) that the producer price index (PPI) rose 0.7% from the previous month in February.

UK parliament: “Political parties must immediately halt crypto donations”…growing concerns over foreign interference

The UK Parliament has said political parties should suspend cryptocurrency donations altogether, citing opaque funding sources. According to Cointelegraph on the 17th (local time), the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, a cross-party

$2.2bn in Tether flows into Binance in a single day…highest in four months

A total of $2.2bn worth of Tether (USDT) was deposited into global cryptocurrency exchange Binance on the 18th (local time), data showed. Amr Taha, a contributor at CryptoQuant, said that day, “$2.2bn worth of Tether flowed into Binance today,” addin

XRP moves beyond a ‘payments asset’… Ripple Prime: “Used as collateral in institutional trading”

Ripple Prime, an institutional-services affiliate of Ripple, is using XRP as collateral for institutional trades, according to reports. According to The Crypto Basic on the 18th (local time), Mike Higgins, CEO of Ripple Prime, said in a recent interv

Binance to Delist Eight Tokens Including A2Z, HOOK and FORTH

Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance will delist eight tokens next month, including ArenaZ (A2Z) and Hooked Protocol (HOOK). Binance said on the 18th (local time) that it will delist the eight tokens starting next month on the 1st. The tokens slate

[Analysis] "Ethereum enters a 'consolidation phase'…potential for a structural uptrend"

An analysis suggests that Ethereum (ETH) investors have entered a "consolidation phase" in the derivatives market. Arab Chain, a CryptoQuant contributor, said via CryptoQuant on the 17th (local time) that "Ethereum’s 'Open Interest 30D Change (Open I

Hyperliquid’s market cap tops $10.7bn, cracks top 10—overtakes Cardano

The market capitalization of global decentralized exchange (DEX) Hyperliquid (HYPE) has surpassed $10.7bn. According to CoinMarketCap on the 18th (local time), Hyperliquid’s market cap stood at about $10.76bn as of the day. The increase comes as Hype

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix exceed 40% of KOSPI market cap for the first time ever

Shares of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix surged on the 18th, pushing their combined share of the KOSPI’s total market capitalization above 40% for the first time on record. According to the securities industry, Samsung Electronics’ market cap stood

"Institutions are back"…U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF posts longest net inflow streak in six months

U.S. spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) posted net inflows for seven consecutive trading sessions—the longest such streak in the past six months. According to SosoValue on the 17th (local time), spot Bitcoin ETFs had recorded net inflows

Bill to establish Major Crimes Investigation Agency passes National Assembly security committee… to probe virtual-asset price manipulation

A bill defining the organization and operations of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency (MCIA) has passed the full meeting of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee. The MCIA is also expected to investigate crimes relat

[Analysis] "Bitcoin sees bullish sentiment strengthen in the futures market…near-term upside expectations rise"

Bitcoin (BTC) appears to be seeing an expansion of bullish sentiment in the perpetual futures market. On the 17th (local time), on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant said in its weekly report that "ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed) rate decisio

US Speeds Toward Perpetual Futures…Will the Crypto Derivatives Landscape Shift?

US CFTC: "We will introduce perpetual futures" Announcement likely next month Aiming to draw hundreds of billions of dollars in liquidity into the US US institutions may also enter in force "We need to bring liquidity that has gone offshore back to t

"A full-fledged Bitcoin rebound likely in the second half"

Crypto Now Failed to break above the key resistance level of $73,000 In the 'Extreme Fear' zone so far this month Bitcoin, which had been swinging on spillovers from Iran-linked tensions in the Middle East, is now moving sideways around $70,000. The

Bitcoin nears $72,000… “If it breaks above $73,000, $430 million in short positions could be liquidated”

If Bitcoin (BTC) prices break above $73,000, short (sell) positions totaling $430 million are likely to be liquidated. BlockBeats, citing on-chain analytics firm CoinGlass data, reported that if Bitcoin rises above $73,000, short-position liquidation

[Key Economic & Crypto Calendar for the Week Ahead] U.S. and Japan Rate Decisions, and More

<Key Economic Events Next Week> ▶︎16 (Mon): △U.S. February industrial production (KST 22:15, U.S. 08:15) ▶︎17 (Tue): △U.S. ADP weekly employment change report (KST 21:15, U.S. 07:15) ▶︎18 (Wed): △South Korea February unemployment rate (KST 08:00, U.S

Dogecoin Active Addresses Surge…Up 176% in a Week

Dogecoin (DOGE) has seen its number of active addresses surge by nearly 180% over the past week. Crypto analyst Ali Martinez said on the 14th (local time) that “the number of Dogecoin active addresses jumped 176% over the past week, from 41,557 to 11

South Korea’s Blue House on Trump’s call to dispatch warships: “Will review carefully before deciding”

South Korea’s Blue House said on the 15th that it would “communicate closely with the United States and make a decision after careful review” in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. A Blue House

Iran war forces F1 cancellations… impact seen for OKX, Crypto.com and others

The spillover from a Middle East conflict triggered by Iran has led to the cancellation of the Formula One (F1) races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain that were scheduled for next month. Some cryptocurrency companies, including Crypto.com, an F1 sponsor,

US Bitcoin ETFs log $760 million of net inflows this week…BlackRock accounts for 80%

US spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw net inflows totaling $760 million this week. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, led the buying. According to crypto data analytics firm SoSoValue on the 15th (local time), spot Bitcoin

Ethereum Foundation sells 5,000 Ether in an OTC deal… BitMine bought

The Ethereum Foundation has sold about $10 million worth of Ether to BitMine. According to CoinDesk on the 15th (local time), the Ethereum Foundation recently sold 5,000 Ether to BitMine through an over-the-counter (OTC) transaction. The average tran

Two Indian Tankers Pass Through Hormuz…Crude Futures on Hyperliquid Slip Below $100

Two Indian tankers are reported to have passed through the Strait of Hormuz. On the news, crude futures on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) briefly fell below $100 a barrel. According to foreign media including BlockBeats on the 15th (local time), the

Adrift, the US CLARITY Act… “If it slips past April, passage this year will be difficult”

A view has emerged that if the US crypto market structure bill—the CLARITY Act—fails to clear a key hurdle in the US Senate by next month, the likelihood of it passing this year will drop sharply. According to Cointelegraph on the 14th (local time),

Former UK PM Calls Bitcoin a 'Ponzi Scheme'—Saylor and Others Push Back

After former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticized Bitcoin (BTC) as a “Ponzi scheme,” figures in the crypto industry moved to rebut the claim. According to CoinDesk on the 14th (local time), Johnson said in a recent column for the UK’s Daily Mai

Aave seeks to cut annual buyback budget from $50 million to $30 million

Aave (AAVE), a decentralized lending protocol built on Ethereum (ETH), is pushing a plan to sharply reduce its annual token buyback budget. According to Odaily on the 15th (local time), Aave’s decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) has recently

Trump: “Iran shows willingness for a ceasefire… I’m not ready to agree yet”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 14th (local time) that “Iran is showing a willingness to enter ceasefire talks.” Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with NBC that day. He said, “Iran wants a deal, but I don’t want to make a deal yet,”

Indicators look strong… Why Ethereum remains stuck in a ‘$2,000 range’

On-chain metrics at all-time highs Yet ‘Ethereum’ stays in the $2,000s Widening gap between price and network Fears emerge it could ‘drop into the $1,000s’ “Ethereum (ETH) is facing the ‘Adoption Paradox.’” That is CryptoQuant’s recent assessment of

Trump: "Preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is more important than rising oil prices"

U.S. President Donald Trump said preventing Iran’s nuclear development is more important than the rise in international oil prices. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on the 12th (local time), Trump wrote, "The United States is the w

Tether invests $5.2 million in Ark Labs, aiming to bring stablecoins to Bitcoin infrastructure

Tether (USDT), issuer of the dollar-pegged stablecoin, has made a strategic investment in Ark Labs, a Bitcoin (BTC) infrastructure developer. Tether said on the 12th (local time) it has decided on a $5.2 million strategic investment in Ark Labs. Ark