Crypto Crafters

[PRESS RELEASE – San Francisco, California, December 31st, 2024]

Open (also known as webisOpen on X, collective includes RSS3) is transforming virological research and decentralized science (DeSci) through its innovative Open Virtual Machine (OVM). This technology, integrated with the Compute Wormhole, facilitates the on-chain analysis of genetic similarities between two viruses: SARS-CoV-2 (sequenced in Wuhan, 2019) and SARS-CoV (sequenced in Toronto, 2003).

This analysis is performed fully on-chain using Open’s Open Virtual Machine (OVM) within a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) (together known as Open’s Compute Wormhole) utilizing and bridging decentralized compute from Hyperbolic Labs, to ensure integrity, immutability, determinism, and resistance to tampering. Additionally, OVM guarantees verifiability through on-chain transactions, promoting transparency and trust in the results.

This demo and experiment of Open Desci Platform Alpha and its record on-chain (on Open Chain) has also been released to the public to showcase the power of OVM to the public. Users can check out this link for more information.

The Research Challenge

Decoding the genetic fingerprints of viruses has traditionally required expensive supercomputers and extensive infrastructure—resources often out of reach for many researchers. For years, virologists have been constrained by financial and logistical challenges, forcing them to focus more on acquiring equipment than advancing scientific discovery. Moreover, the reliance on private or centralized computing resources has limited peer reviews, making it difficult to reproduce results and raising concerns about the integrity, reliability, and trustworthiness of the findings.

Entering the OVM Revolution

The Open Virtual Machine (OVM) offers a high-performance, decentralized, and verifiable compute layer, designed to democratize access to advanced computational resources. Its implementation begins with a demonstration and experimental applications on Open Chain, showcasing its capabilities in bridging decentralized computation with the immutability of blockchain technology. By bridging powerful decentralized computation with blockchain immutability, OVM is a Data Wormhole for innovations like verifiable and transparent AI and DeSci. The Open collective includes @RSS3_, @_RSSHub, and @openinfo.

RSS3 is a decentralized network indexing and structuring data, delivering accessible and valuable Open Information to the next X (prev. Twitter), Google, OpenAI, and beyondfor AI and decentralized science (also known as DeSci).

Key Features of OVM in Decentralized Science

• Reproducibility Guaranteed: Every computation is verifiable and reproducible, a critical feature for peer-reviewed scientific research.
• Secure Data Processing: A built-in Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) safeguards sensitive data, ensuring integrity and tamper resistance throughout the computational process.
• Effortless Genomic Analysis: Researchers can now compare viral genomes, such as [SARS-CoV-2] and [SARS-Tor-2], in a decentralized and democratized manner, without permission and access to exclusive and expensive hardware.

These capabilities highlight the expanding potential of OVM in decentralized science (DeSci), paving the way for further innovations in transparent and democratized research.

The Bridge Between Blockchain and Beyond

OVM’s architecture introduces a framework that integrates blockchain’s on-chain immutability with scalable, decentralized computing resources, including GPU support for demanding computational tasks. This design enables efficient execution of compute-intensive applications, such as:

• AI and Machine Learning Training
• DeFi Risk Assessments and Financial Modeling
• Real-Time DeSci, Gaming, and Metaverse Simulations

Whether it’s simulating virus interactions, optimizing decentralized finance protocols, or powering the next-gen virtual worlds, OVM provides immutable, verifiable, and transparent computational solutions. These advanced capabilities demonstrate the potential of decentralized systems to address complex, real-world challenges.

Democratizing Research, Unlocking Discovery

OVM enables researchers worldwide to access advanced computational resources without reliance on costly infrastructure. By prioritizing accessibility, the platform emphasizes scientific innovation over financial constraints. This approach fosters global collaboration, empowering researchers to address critical challenges such as pandemics and climate change.

Open and Modular by Design

OVM’s modular architecture allows decentralized applications to tap into scalable computing power through partnerships with decentralized providers like Hyperbolic, Gensyn.ai, and Aethir Cloud, or virtually anyone with spare computational resources. This design supports the creation of an open and transparent ecosystem for research and development, accessible globally and at any time.

Exploring OVM-Powered Genomic Analysis (Coming Soon on Mainnet)

The OVM-powered infrastructure will enable users to analyze the genetic sequences of:

The Open DeSci team is preparing to release the Alpha version of its demo and experimental platform. This release will showcase the capabilities of OVM in performing DNA sequence alignment, providing a practical example of its potential in decentralized science.

The Future of Compute is Open

Available now on Open Chain for demo purposes, with support for more platforms on the horizon, OVM is ushering in a new era of decentralized science. By bridging the gap between blockchain and advanced decentralized computation, OVM unlocks the true potential of the Open Web and DeSci, paving the way for breakthroughs in Science, AI, and beyond.

OVM removes infrastructure barriers, enabling scientific progress to be driven by creativity and innovation. This approach represents a significant step forward in the evolution of open science.

About Open (aka webisOpen on X, coll. Incl. RSS3)

Open is a series of endeavors aimed at propelling the Open Web forward. Collectively, Open is the Data and Compute Wormhole for innovations like verifiable and transparent AI and DeSci. The Open collective includes @RSS3_ @_RSSHub & @openinfo_. webisOpen.

RSS3 is a decentralized network indexing and structuring data, delivering accessible and valuable Open Information to the next X (prev. Twitter), Google, OpenAI, and beyond.

Pepe (PEPE) is making moves again, rallying 12% since yesterday as the rest of the meme coin market stays relatively flat.

Trading volume for the popular frog coin has also exploded.

Meanwhile, the new frog coin Wall Street Pepe (WEPE) is turning heads in its presale, having now raised $38.5 million.

PEPE Price Jumps – What’s Behind the Rally?

After ten days of sideways trading, PEPE is finally showing signs of life, climbing to $0.000019.

That’s its highest price since December 18.

PEPE has rebounded strongly, posting a 36% gain from its December 20 low – and the coin’s technicals suggest there might be more room to run.

Looking at the 4-hour chart, PEPE has just broken out of a wedge pattern to the upside, climbing above the 50-period EMA in the process.

With the daily RSI still hovering around 50, the coin could continue rising before it reaches overbought territory.

PEPE’s trading volumes back up the growing excitement.

Spot volumes have rocketed 140% in the past day, hitting $3.1 billion and making PEPE the most traded meme coin in the world.

It’s also the eighth most actively traded crypto globally.

Derivatives market activity is picking up too, with open interest jumping 26% to $91.9 million.

Elon’s PEPE Profile Picture & Bitcoin Bounce Fuel Pepe’s Recovery

PEPE’s rebound isn’t tied to any significant project announcements or updates.

This suggests technical factors and broader market momentum are driving the coin’s rally.

However, Elon Musk unexpectedly boosted PEPE this week by changing his X (formerly Twitter) profile picture to Pepe the Frog.

This could be why traders are rushing to get more PEPE tokens.

The broader crypto market is also providing a tailwind, with Bitcoin bouncing back to $93,900 after finding support at $92,000.

MicroStrategy’s latest shopping spree – adding another 2,138 BTC to its holdings – seems to have caused this price uptick.

This upward pressure creates the ideal conditions for meme coins (including PEPE) to bounce back.

The big question is whether PEPE can keep up this momentum.

PEPE rallied between December 20 and December 21, only to drop 15% immediately after.

This shows that, although PEPE has posted some impressive gains today, there’s still a chance the bullishness could be short-lived.

Wall Street Pepe Passes $38M in Presale as Traders Seek Utility-Focused Meme Coins

The current market conditions that have helped PEPE surge could set the stage for smaller meme coins to follow suit – especially those that offer something new.

While “pure” meme coins like PEPE still have their place, projects that combine degen appeal with actual utility have caught more attention in late 2024.

Wall Street Pepe stands out in this regard.

Although it’s still in presale, Wall Street Pepe has raised over $38.5 million so far.

Presale’s flowing. Candles are growing. $WEPE ain’t slowing. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/vqHonzkn1v

— Wall Street Pepe (@WEPEToken) December 30, 2024

Early investors can secure WEPE tokens during the presale for just $0.0003661 each before they hit the open market.

Most of the excitement around Wall Street Pepe is because it takes the popular Pepe theme and adds an actual use case.

WEPE holders gain access to an ecosystem containing trading tools, insights, strategies, signals, and more.

There will even be trading competitions offering tokenized rewards.

In simple terms, Wall Street Pepe provides traders with the resources to improve their market performance.

Not only that, but the project also has a built-in staking app for WEPE, offering annual yields of 34%.

Traders have already locked up more than 23.6 billion WEPE in this app.

With well-known crypto personalities like Matthew Perry backing the project and a clear focus on utility, Wall Street Pepe is in a great spot to capitalize on the current meme coin momentum – and potentially surge as PEPE has.

Visit Wall Street Pepe Presale

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Grayscale Research has updated its top 20 altcoin list for the first quarter of 2025, adding six new digital assets.

The list highlights cryptocurrencies the company believes demonstrate strong potential for the upcoming quarter.

The Six Tokens

According to the December 30 report, this update emphasizes tokens linked to three primary market themes: the U.S. election and its potential regulatory implications for decentralized finance (DeFi) and staking, breakthroughs in decentralized AI technologies and blockchain adoption by AI agents, and the growth of the Solana ecosystem.

Based on these factors, Grayscale has added Hyperliquid (HYPE), Ethena (ENA), Virtual Protocol (VIRTUAL), Jupiter (JUP), Jito (JTO), and Grass (GRASS) to its Top 20 list.

Hyperliquid, a Layer 1 blockchain, powers financial applications and operates a decentralized exchange for perpetual futures with a fully on-chain order book. On the other hand, Ethena introduced USDe, a stablecoin backed by hedged positions in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), offering staking opportunities tied to price differences between spot and futures markets.

Virtual Protocol enables the creation of tokenized AI agents on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network. This functionality allows agents to interact autonomously with their surroundings and users.

Jupiter, the leading decentralized exchange aggregator on Solana, has the highest total value locked (TVL) of any application on the network. Another Solana project, Jito, is a liquid staking protocol that generated over $550 million in fee revenue in 2024.

The last of the six, Grass, operates as a decentralized data-sharing platform. It compensates users for sharing unused internet bandwidth via a Chrome extension. This bandwidth is then sold to AI developers for training machine learning models, offering a unique approach to monetizing data.

In addition to these new entries, Grayscale rotated out some tokens, including Celo (CELO), from the Top 20. While these removed tokens remain relevant to the broader crypto ecosystem, the company explained that the updated selection better reflects the risk-adjusted returns expected for the upcoming quarter.

Smart Contract Platforms

Grayscale’s latest report also highlighted the intensifying competition among smart contract platforms. Despite major wins in the final quarter of 2024, Ethereum faces growing pressure from competitors like Solana and The Open Network.

The research explains that these platforms are gaining traction by addressing the ‘blockchain trilemma,’ balancing scalability, security, and decentralization with innovative solutions.

Fee revenue also continues to play a critical role in driving the value of smart contract platform tokens. For that reason, Grayscale included Ethereum, Solana, Sui, and Optimism in its top 20 list for Q1 2025 as standout smart contract platforms.

According to the asset manager, these projects can generate sustainable fee revenues while delivering long-term value to their ecosystems.

The bull market in the cryptocurrency market is in serious jeopardy as BTC’s price has slumped by over $16,000 since its all-time high registered on December 17.

Interestingly, there has been an ongoing negative trend following the latest acquisition streak related to MicroStrategy, as the firm continues to announce new purchases every Monday.

BTC Dumps to Monthly Lows

It was less than two weeks ago when the landscape around the primary cryptocurrency seemed highly bullish. It kept charting consecutive all-time highs, with the latest coming on December 17 at just over $108,000. Thus, the asset had gained roughly $50,000 since the US presidential elections on November 5.

However, this was when the US Federal Reserve concluded its last FOMC meeting for the year, and even though the interest rates were slashed as expected, some hawkish comments by Chair Jerome Powell turned the entire market upside down.

BTC started dumping hard in value and slumped to $92,000 three days later. Although it managed to bounce off in the following week and even challenge $100,000 on a couple of occasions, it ultimately failed, and the subsequent rejections drove it south hard.

Bitcoin took another turn for the worse today as its price dumped by a few more grand, slumping to $91,330 (on Bitstamp), which became its lowest price tag since November 27. The altcoins have joined the negative ride, with XRP and ADA dumping by over 6%, while many meme coins have been hit even harder.

MicroStrategy to Blame?

Today’s price slump came just a few hours after the Nasdaq-listed business intelligence software giant announced its consecutive BTC purchase. MicroStrategy has now made such announcements for eight consecutive Mondays.

Although taking BTC off the free market sounds like a bullish development, almost all Monday purchases by the Saylor-founded company have been followed by immediate corrections. On November 25, BTC stood above $99,000 but quickly slumped to under $91,000.

On December 2, bitcoin had jumped to $98,000 but dropped to $93,000 after MicroStrategy’s announcement. On the following Monday, BTC was above $101,000 before it crashed to $94,000. On December 16, it stood north of $106,000 but retraced to $103,500 within the same day. Lastly, It traded at $96,200 on December 23 before another correction drove it south by three grand.

Today’s price decline has resulted in a drop to a multi-week low, for now, but BTC risks dumping even further if it loses the $90,000 support level. In fact, some analysts argue that if it breaks that support, it could slump to and below $80,000.

South Korea has experienced a dramatic surge in cryptocurrency adoption. In fact, a new report suggests that more than 15.5 million citizens now hold digital assets which represents roughly 30% of the country’s population.

By November 2024, the number of crypto investors had increased by 610,000 compared to October amidst a broader trend of growing market participation.

South Korea’s Crypto Market Doubles in Value

This surge is closely tied to heightened market activity following US President-elect Donald Trump’s pro-crypto policy announcements, which sparked optimism among investors. The latest report by the Bank of Korea highlighted that, by the end of November, total crypto holdings in South Korea reached 102.6 trillion KRW (worth $69 billion), nearly doubling from the previous month’s 58 trillion KRW (worth $39 billion).

The average crypto holdings per person also saw a significant rise, climbing from 3.87 million KRW (worth $2,655) in October to 6.58 million KRW (worth $4,400) in November. This spike in investor engagement is mirrored by a surge in trading volumes, which reached daily averages of $10.2 billion in November, rivaling the combined volumes of South Korea’s main stock markets.

In a statement, Rep. Lim Gwang-Hyun noted,

“The virtual asset transaction volume is rapidly increasing to a level comparable to that of the stock market. We need to make thorough preparations at the government-wide level to establish sound market transactions that enhance the stability of the virtual asset market and protect the rights and interests of users.”

This accelerating pace of cryptocurrency adoption in South Korea has been driven by favorable market conditions as well as growing investor confidence. However, while this rapid growth presents opportunities, it also highlights the need for strong regulatory measures to safeguard investors and ensure market stability, an aspect that South Korean leaders are currently struggling with.

Delays in Crypto Taxation

It is important to note that South Korea’s long-delayed cryptocurrency tax was postponed once again, now set to take effect in 2027, as announced by the Democratic Party (DP), the largest faction in the National Assembly. This is the third delay since the initiative was first introduced in 2021, with the original deadline for implementation scheduled for January 2022.

The DP announced the latest delay on December 1, following tense discussions with the People Power Party (PPP). The former stressed that more time was needed to build a comprehensive framework for the tax and ensure effective regulation of digital assets. Meanwhile, critics argue that small crypto traders may be negatively affected by this delay.

But real quick first—

XRP’s price could be in for another big pump soon, according to the technical signals.

Legendary chart trader Peter Brandt recently shared a bullish wedge pattern suggesting another leg up for XRP’s price to above $2.70. The average exchange rate in US dollars for XRP on Saturday, Dec. 28, was $2.19.

So if this rally materializes, it would represent a 24% increase over Saturday’s price in potentially a matter of mere days or weeks.

Here are two views of $XRPUSD a weekly chart and a daily chart
Strong opinions, weakly held
A chart is not an opinion and an opinion is not necessarily a position – this is a concept hard to understand by rookies pic.twitter.com/SvaT5hojLW

— Peter Brandt (@PeterLBrandt) December 27, 2024

While this is not abnormal for crypto markets in general or for Ripple token prices in particular, these kinds of gains are significantly headier for investors’ finances than the typical performance of corporate equity shares— even for high-flying tech stocks like those on the Nasdaq.

Another XRP watcher recently targeted a $4 all-time high Ripple price for the cross-border settlement token on the next big pump. That would represent an astounding 82% gain over the current price.

Looking back, here’s how Ripple got here over the course of 2024:

1. Ripple Expert Touts XRPL’s DeFi Powers (Jan. 1)

Ripple made some waves to start the year when XRPL developer Wietse Wind settled some misconceptions about the platform. The developer who started the XRP Ledger for decentralized finance using XRP tokens cleared up the confusion once and for all:

With XRP Ledger, the native tokens can be used on a fully decentralized platform with smart contract issuance. That makes it more like Ethereum and Solana than many cryptocurrency investors are aware of even today.

Wind also blasted through the FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) around regulatory threats to XRP’s economy with a recap of Ripple Labs’ decisive victories against the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the US District Court Southern District of New York.

2. XRP Ethereum Integrations Launch (Feb. 11)

One of the key supports for continued, robust growth in XRP’s market valuation is its aggressive expansion into new business partnerships around the world and new integrations with support for XRP on other blockchain networks like Ethereum.

In February, the CEO of Peersyst Technology, a Ripple Partner, announced a new Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain of the XRP Ledger would begin rewarding validator nodes with XRP tokens.

That’s something nice for die-hard XRP Army types, who don’t have to sell the tokens to use them with Ethereum smart contracts.

3. XRP Expands in Korea and Japan (July 21)

While fighting off SEC allegations of securities fraud in US court, Ripple Labs continued to advance its platform with several new overseas business partnerships this year. They will be key to growing the Ripple economy and seriously competing with SWIFT for daily payment share.

In July, Ripple Labs achieved two new international expansions in the Asia-Pacific region— one in South Korea and another in Japan.

In Korea, the nation’s only government-licensed VASP (virtual asset service provider), Infinite Block, announced new XRP Ledger support. The integration came mere days after Ripple Labs’ announced the creation of a new XRPL Japan and Korea Fund.

4. SEC Lawsuit Fine Cut From $2B to $150M (Aug. 8)

On Aug. 8, US Judge Analisa Torres handed Ripple a resounding win in the US District Court Southern District of New York in Manhattan. The SEC was seeking a $2 billion disbursement or fine for Ripple Labs over allegations of selling XRP as an unregistered security.

After the judge delivered the company three other landmark wins last year, both for Ripple Labs and for the blockchain sector in general, Torres struck a devastating blow to the government litigant in this case in August.

Instead of the $2 billion the SEC sought, Torres ordered Ripple to pay a comparatively paltry $125 million.

5. Grayscale Launches XRP Trust (Sept. 12)

In September, the XRP economy made a massive stride toward market adoption by regulated institutional players trading on Wall Street. Cryptocurrency asset management company Grayscale announced on Sept. 12 the creation of a new US-regulated XRP trust product.

That’s similar to the Bitcoin ETFs and Ether ETFs (exchange-traded funds) that the SEC greenlit on Jan. 11 and May 23. The difference between an ETF and a trust, however, is that the former are open funds, and the latter are closed-ended.

That means ETFs can issue new shares to meet demand, while trusts have a fixed number of shares from the outset. Trusts can also only be traded once per day at the end of the trading day in New York City.

According to Grayscale data, the new XRP trust is set to close out 2024 with 300% gains for investors.

6. SEC Lawsuit Expedited Judgement For Ripple (Nov. 28)

Ever since the SEC first sued Ripple Labs in Dec. 2020 for allegations of selling unregistered securities, Ripple has repeatedly prevailed against the US regulator in court.

The judge over the case ruled in July 2023, for example, that secondary sales of XRP are not an investment contract and, therefore, it is not an unregistered security.

Then, in Oct. 2023, the SEC dropped Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and founder Chris Larsen from their litigation, who were originally named as defendants in its multi-year lawsuit, leaving just Ripple Labs to fight in court.

Finally, after getting its fine cut this August from $2 billion to $150 million, Ripple Labs won another battle on Nov. 28, when Judge Torres ruled to expedite the final judgment in the case.

7. XRP Flips BNB and Solana (Dec. 1- 2)

XRP tokens traded on crypto exchanges have been racing two other altcoins neck-and-neck for the total market capitalization or market value of their economies.

After flying up the price chart following Donald Trump’s reelection to the White House in November, XRP’s price managed to flip BNB (Binance Coin) in terms of total market cap on Dec. 1. Then it flipped SOL (Solana) on Dec. 2, ranking XRP the third largest cryptocurrency (excluding stablecoins) in the world, behind only Bitcoin and Ethereum.

8. XRP Notches 7-Year High Price (Dec. 2)

In addition to flipping BNB and SOL tokens, XRP soared to a 7-year record high price on Dec. 2 of almost $3. That portends vigorous support for its market prices going forward as Bitcoin continues to track through its fourth quadrennial macro-market cycle based on its scheduled supply adjustments.

The cryptocurrency market has been in a particularly painful slump for the past ten days or so and has failed to produce the much-anticipated Santa Claus rally.

With the year coming to an end in just a few days, on-chain data actually shows that this could all change in a rather unexpected fashion.

Trading Volumes Mean Gains?

The broader end of 2024 was quite spectacular as BTC skyrocketed from under $70,000 to over $108,000 within less than two months after the US presidential elections. On a micro-scale, though, the asset has been struggling for the past ten days as it tumbled from that aforementioned all-time high to $92,000 in days and sits at $94,000 now.

Moreover, the trading volumes have slumped in the past week, which is quite expected given the Holiday season. That, though, could actually be the propeller of a price rally, according to data from Santiment.

The analytics platform indicated that in times of low trading volumes, whales play a particularly important role if their accumulation levels continue.

In the final days of 2024, trading volume is way down across crypto sectors. Overall, there has been -64% less trading in the past week compared to the previous week (which included Bitcoin’s all-time high).

The trading downtrend of trading, particularly among speculative… pic.twitter.com/ZTGbED2rak

— Santiment (@santimentfeed) December 27, 2024

Many large investors have been on a shopping spree lately for different assets, not just BTC. In fact, “speculative altcoins” are even more susceptible to price gains on such occasions, which could be beneficial for meme coins such as DOGE.

On-chain data shared by Ali Martinez indicates that Dogecoin whales used the dip to acquire more of the largest meme coin in the past few days.

Whales bought over 90 million #Dogecoin $DOGE in the past 48 hours! pic.twitter.com/lGsMtz0iPp

— Ali (@ali_charts) December 27, 2024

Stablecoins on Binance

The other factor is the growing stablecoin reserve on the world’s largest crypto exchange. Binance has seen a massive intake of such assets, which are typically deployed to accumulate BTC or altcoins. According to CryptoQuant, the exchange now holds $29 billion in USDT and USDC, which “underlines Binance’s pivotal role in providing liquidity and stability to the market during this explosive growth phase.”

“Stablecoins like USDT and USDC are critical for traders and institutions, serving as a bridge between fiat and crypto while enabling seamless trading during volatile periods,” – reads the report. It concluded that this particular surge of the two biggest stablecoins by market cap is a “bullish signal.”

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has pledged nearly $300,000 to Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, taking on the role of adoptive father to Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo who inspired the viral MOODENG meme coin.

Buterin’s Christmas gift will go toward upgrading the zoo’s facilities and supporting its Wildlife Sponsorship program.

Crypto Meets Conservation

In a letter addressed to Khao Kheow’s director shared on X, the Russian-born programmer explained that his involvement stemmed from a recent visit to the facility, where he was captivated by its commitment to animal welfare and community engagement. He thanked the zoo for welcoming him and highlighted Moo Deng’s unique role as a cultural ambassador for Thailand.

Buterin praised the animal sanctuary’s efforts and reiterated the importance of improving the pygmy hippo habitat. He also acknowledged Thailand’s hospitality to the Ethereum community, especially during Devcon SEA in Bangkok last November.

The 30-year-old said he would donate no less than 10 million baht, approximately $300,000 in Moo Deng’s name, to be delivered in two installments. The first contribution was made on December 26, with the date for the second set to be communicated later. Buterin has also promised an extra 88 ETH to ensure ongoing support for the zoo’s projects.

Earlier, the establishment had posted on X expressing its appreciation for the Ethereum developer’s generosity, calling him “an adoptive father to Moo Deng.” He responded, sharing his enthusiasm for the role and quoting a popular line from the Star Trek shows: “May they live long and prosper.”

Market Performance

Moo Deng, already a beloved symbol in Thailand, gained global fame as the face of the MOODENG coin. The token has captured the crypto community’s attention despite recent market fluctuations.

At the time of this writing, it was changing hands at $0.2693, with a 24-hour trading volume of $179.7 million, representing a 50.3% surge in activity compared to the previous day.

While the token’s price dipped 3.2% in the past 24 hours, it gained 6.1% over the past week, outperforming the broader crypto market, which had seen a 1.2% decline in that period.

Buterin previously liquidated over $1 million worth of meme tokens donated to him, including 10 billion MOODENG, giving the proceeds to various charities.

Interestingly, he was recently critical of the meme coin space, decrying the proliferation of celebrity-inspired tokens. He argued that it would be better if they had a public goal aimed at promoting a specific cause or at least incorporated fun mechanics going beyond trading.

Investor interest in the Best Wallet presale keeps rising as the project has now surpassed the $5.6 million threshold on Christmas Eve.

In the past four days alone, this Web3 crypto wallet raised an average of $500,000 daily to hit the current milestone.

Could the Best Wallet ($BEST) presale be one of the top crypto presales to watch in 2025?

Late Buyers Can Take Advantage of the Crypto Market’s Latest Setback

The price of Bitcoin ($BTC) has retraced from its December 17 all-time high of $108,268. In the past 7 days, it has dropped by 6.7% to $98,676, with the price going as low as $94,7000. However, traders agree that this is a natural take-profit move following the significant post-election rally that crypto assets experienced.

The Federal Reserve’s comments and outlook for interest rates and inflation, which were interpreted as hawkish by market participants, also influenced the market’s sentiment as they now expect to cut rates only two times compared to three times they initially planned.

Similarly, altcoins like Ethereum ($ETH), Ripple ($XRP), and Solana ($SOL) have also retreated in the past week by 10%, 8.7%, and 11.7%, respectively.

The crypto market as a whole saw a similar retreat of 6.5% during this same period as meme coins, layer-two protocols, blockchain games, and metaverse tokens, among others, have faced a similar faith.

However, traders are not discouraged by this setback as it provides a window of opportunity for late buyers to participate and further fuel the bullish cycle to a higher stage.

In addition, the so-called Santa Claus rally could positively influence the valuation of crypto assets before year-end.

This is a technical event that typically occurs from Christmas Eve to January 2, when the stock market and digital assets alike experience a boost.

Finally, as Trump gets ready to take office, the market is expecting that he, along with an army of lawmakers who will be entering the U.S. Congress next year, will push forward pro-crypto legislation that favors the sector’s growth.

One of the most immediate measures that Trump is expected to implement involves replacing the current head of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, who has been hostile to the industry during the Biden administration.

As investors gear up to start the new year, they will need a crypto wallet equipped with the best features to take advantage of a market that is ready to push forward. Best Wallet is a great alternative to store your digital assets safely.

Best Wallet’s Upcoming Tokens Feature Spots Multiple 10X Cryptos

Among all the features that Best Wallet has to offer, one stands out. It is called Upcoming Tokens, and it works as a screener that identifies the most promising projects that are currently at an early stage.

The success of this feature was evidenced by its ability to spot top-performing projects like Pepe Unchained ($PEPU) when it was still in presale at $0.00992. $PEPU surged to $0.06858 shortly afterward, delivering a 591% gain to early buyers.

Similarly, another meme coin called Catslap ($SLAP) produced returns of over 3,000% to investors who got in early after following the recommendation of the Upcoming Tokens feature.

The latest success case for this tool was Crypto All-Stars ($STARS), a meme coin staking protocol that recently concluded its presale at $0.00138. Once the token was listed on exchanges, it surged to $0.02043 to produce an eye-popping return of 1,374%.

In addition, this crypto wallet enables access to 200 different decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and can be used to swap digital assets across 20 cross-chain bridges.

Users who are new to the crypto space can enjoy the seamless experience of converting 100+ fiat currencies, including USD, EUR, and GBP, to crypto assets. In addition, they can deposit funds to their wallets by using a bank account or bank card as well.

$STARS Claim is Now Live!

It’s time to claim your $STARS! You can do it directly through Best Wallet or via the official @all_stars_coin claim website.

Claim Here:

Start claiming and secure your tokens today! pic.twitter.com/auhNqaKhZi

— Best Wallet (@BestWalletHQ) December 23, 2024

Best Wallet’s consistent track record is what has made the presale so appealing to investors. Raising over $5 million in such a short period indicates that market participants see the significant potential that this crypto wallet has to compete with well-established players like MetaMask or WalletConnect.

How to Join the Best Wallet Token ICO

The Best Wallet presale is available to investors across the globe. They simply need to visit the Best Wallet website to secure $BEST tokens at the current discounted price.

The Best Wallet app is available for download on Google Play or the Apple App Store. $BEST tokens can be grabbed directly through this app. Investors can either convert $ETH or $USDT tokens or use a bank card to complete the purchase.

Additionally, you can import your existing wallet into Best Wallet, allowing you to manage all your assets in one convenient app.

Interested investors could also join the project’s community on X and Discord.

Visit Best Wallet Presale

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[PRESS RELEASE – George town, Cayman Islands, December 27th, 2024]

SimpleSwap has announced a partnership with the popular cold wallet Tangem in response to community demand for in-app cryptocurrency swaps. Due to this collaboration, SimpleSwap users can now exchange cryptocurrencies directly within the Tangem wallet, keeping their assets secure in a trusted environment.

Swap Cryptocurrencies Safely in the Tangem App

SimpleSwap’s partnership with Tangem simplifies the process of exchanging one cryptocurrency for another. The newly integrated functionality not only saves users time but also enhances security by keeping transactions within a protected ecosystem. This streamlined approach reflects the shared mission of both SimpleSwap and Tangem: to provide a secure and user-friendly cryptocurrency experience. Now users can manage their crypto transactions conveniently and hassle-free.

Key Features of SimpleSwap

SimpleSwap offers many convenient features and tools, designed to make the Crypto World a better place for everyone:

• Cryptocurrency selection. SimpleSwap supports 2500+ cryptocurrencies, affording users the liberty to explore and trade a wide spectrum of assets. From established coins like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) to lesser-known tokens like Hana (HANA), users have diverse options to tailor their portfolios.
• Fixed and floating rates. SimpleSwap platform supports both fixed and floating exchange rates. While the fixed rate gives a predictable amount of crypto one will get, a floating rate often moves together with the market—sometimes up and sometimes down. So the decision is completely up to the user.
• Cross-chain swaps. This feature enables crypto exchanges across different blockchains and makes them interoperable. It allows SimpleSwap users to swap cryptocurrencies even when they are on diverse blockchains.
• Non-custodial. Crypto is sent directly to the wallet, it is not stored on the platform. This enhances exchange speed and adds another safety level to users’ funds.

Security and Convenience for Users

Tangem is known for its security-first stance on crypto assets. As a cold wallet, it boasts top-notch security features, making it a go-to choice for safeguarding crypto holdings. SimpleSwap’s integration upholds this priority, ensuring users can engage in crypto transactions without compromising safety.

This partnership melds together Tangem’s robust security with SimpleSwap’s user-friendly platform. The aim is to deliver an experience that’s both reliable and straightforward, helping users manage their assets confidently.

Turning User Feedback into Practical Solutions

SimpleSwap has always cherished insights from its user base. The Tangem partnership directly addresses these requests, showcasing SimpleSwap’s dedication to weaving user feedback into its growth. By listening to the user’s needs, SimpleSwap continues to adapt and offer solutions that match its community’s expectations.

About SimpleSwap

SimpleSwap is a popular crypto exchange platform offering users a convenient way to handle and trade cryptocurrencies. With a strong focus on safety, simplicity, and community engagement, SimpleSwap has become a preferred choice for crypto enthusiasts around the globe.