This Week on Unchained: 2023 in Review, Solana's Rise, The Next Bull Market, and More!
Don't miss this week's content! And happy new year from all the Unchained team! 🎉
As 2023 nears its end, the crypto community is abuzz with speculation: will the relentless crypto winter give way in 2024? Crypto OG Arthur Hayes is confident that crypto is on an upswing. According to Hayes, these market cycles are historically recurrent, indicating a potential bull run in the near future.
In this episode, Hayes offers his insights on a range of compelling topics, from what he believes will be a resurgence of central bank money printing between 2024 and 2027 to the effect spot Bitcoin ETFs will have on crypto markets.
He also shares his views on the post-FTX blockchain landscape, the dynamics of Ethereum and memecoins, and why he thinks Tether won’t last.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Or watch it on YouTube.
The Chopping Block: How Jito Helped Put Solana on the Map Again
This week, Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra are joined by Lucas Bruder, co-founder and CEO of Jito Labs, an infrastructure provider that mitigates the impact of maximum extractable value (MEV) on Solana — specifically spam and wasted block space. He and the gang discuss how the Jito airdrop this month helped rejuvenate Solana; how Jito differs from Flashbots, its counterpart on Ethereum; Solana’s potential scalability; and how Solana believers have been vindicated by the developments of the last few months.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Or Watch it on YouTube.
In 2023, the crypto industry began with post-FTX fallout such as Operation Chokepoint 2.0, the failures of banks serving the crypto industry and the SEC's Wells Notice against Coinbase.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin Ordinals brought innovation to the Bitcoin network, while Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade introduced new functionalities.
The criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried was the dramatic climax of the year, as lawmakers’ concerns about crypto being used for terrorist financing brought crypto into the mainstream conversation. The year ended with Binance's substantial settlement with the U.S. government and spot Bitcoin ETFs in the horizon, ushering in what looks like the beginnings of another bull market.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Or Watch it on YouTube.
💡 BITCOIN ETFs
Deciding on Bitcoin: Should New Investors Jump In Now or Wait for an ETF?
US first-time Bitcoin investors grapple with a choice: buy now amid rising prices or wait for a potential spot Bitcoin ETF, balancing immediacy and ETF advantages.
Why The Spot Bitcoin ETF Is a Big Deal
Spot Bitcoin ETFs, possibly arriving by January 10th, offer a new way to invest in Bitcoin’s value, potentially boosting institutional involvement and regulatory clarity in crypto.
In Case You Missed It 👀
Here are some of the most important news of this week:
Terraform Labs, Do Kwon Sold Unregistered Securities, U.S. Judge Rules
A federal district judge issued summary judgments siding with the SEC in a case that resulted in $45 billion in losses, but ruled that the parties must move to a trial on fraud charges.
Bitcoin Is Finishing Out 2023 as More Valuable Than the Rest of the Entire Crypto Ecosystem
Bitcoin’s dominance stands at roughly 51%, a more than 20% increase from about 42% at the start of the year.
Optimism’s Governance Token OP Reaches All-Time High
OP has had the eighth-largest growth in 2023, per CoinDesk Market Indices. Optimism’s total value locked has reached $5.65 billion.
DCG CEO Silbert, President Murphy Exit Grayscale Board
The Digital Currency Group-owned crypto asset manager, currently a spot bitcoin ETF candidate, has named two other DCG execs and its own CFO to the board.
Creditors Report Double Reimbursements from Mt. Gox Trustee
Users report receiving notices from the Mt. Gox rehabilitation trustee requesting the return of duplicate reimbursements.
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