Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest buys another $3.2 million worth of Coinbase shares

  • Ark Invest has invested another $3.2 million in Coinbase, bringing its total shares to 5.8 million.

  • COIN is up by nearly 4% during Thursday’s pre-market trading session.

  • Coinbase has underperformed this year and could record losses by the end of the year.

Ark Invest purchases $3.2 million worth of Coinbase shares

Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest revealed a few hours ago that it had purchased $3.2 million worth of Coinbase shares (COIN). The investment firm continues to increase its exposure to the company despite the ongoing bear market.

Following this latest development, Ark Invest now holds 5.8 million COIN shares, worth approximately $228 million. COIN is a part of its tech-focused ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) as the company doubles down on investments during the bear market.

The latest investment comes a few days after Ark Invest purchased 78,982 shares of Coinbase shares at $3,184,554.24. 

COIN has responded positively to the news of Ark Invest’s latest investment. The stock price is up by 3.8% during Thursday’s pre-market trading session and is now trading at $40.19. 

COIN is down by 83% YTD

Despite performing well over the past few hours, COIN has underperformed since the start of the year. Year-to-date (YTD), COIN has lost 83% of its value, thanks to the broader cryptocurrency market experiencing a bearish trend.

COIN began the year trading at $251 per share but is now trading just above $40 per share. Bitcoin and the other leading cryptocurrencies have lost more than 75% of their value over the last 12 months, a major factor that affected COIN’s performance.

Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, revealed earlier this month that he expects the company’s 2022 revenue to decline by 50% or more compared to what they recorded in 2021. He said;

“Last year in 2021, we did about $7 billion of revenue and about $4 billion of positive EBITDA, and this year with everything coming down, it’s looking, you know, about roughly half that or less.”

In 2021, the company generated around $7 billion in revenue, but market analysts expect the figure to drop to $3.2 billion in 2022. 

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Revealed: 5 Best Altcoins to Buy and hold long-term in 2023

Altcoins consistently return the biggest percentage increases out of any digital asset class. Early-stage blockchain projects have the potential to attract millions of users over time and the level of innovation in the space is oftentimes staggering.

With that said, the recent prices look like a prime opportunity to purchase some altcoins for anyone aiming to make longer-term gains, so an altcoin price prediction for 2025 would make for a solid base of comparison. Here is a list of our 5 best altcoin price predictions indicating massive gains by 2025.

#1 Metacade (MCADE) – Best Altcoin – The Biggest Arcade On-Chain

Overview

Metacade is a brand-new GameFi platform that looks ready to take off. The team is building an advanced play-to-earn platform that will become the biggest digital arcade in the world of Web3. Metacade aims to connect GameFi players with endless earning opportunities, as well as provide them with new methods of generating crypto rewards, by taking advantage of some unique features.

The platform aims to become a hub for blockchain gaming, as users are rewarded with MCADE tokens for sharing everything they know about the GameFi space. Through sharing the latest insights, methods, and top play-to-earn titles, the Metacade community can earn an income paid in MCADE. On top of this, Metacade will display the most valuable GameFi alpha directly on the platform, providing a convenient method of accessing the latest information for all blockchain gamers.

MCADE token holders will also be able to vote for which new GameFi projects they would most like to play in the future, helping direct funding to creative developers in the Metagrants program. In this way, the community themselves get a chance to contribute to the development of some of the best up-and-coming gaming applications, freshly built for the platform. 

Among common factors affecting altcoin price prediction in 2025, staking is high on the list. Users at Metacade can stake MCADE tokens to earn a passive yield and will be able to vote in governance proposals as the project matures and aims to become a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO).

Tokenomics

There are 2,000,000,000 MCADE tokens in total. 70% of this supply, which amounts to 1,400,000,000 MCADE, is being released for the altcoin presale. The Metacade presale is the earliest stage of investment and has been attracting widespread attention from investors across GameFi and the wider world of Web3.

Why buy MCADE?

Metacade has a highly skilled team that is building an advanced GameFi platform with some unique functionality. Not only can players access a wide range of different play-to-earn titles, but they can also directly influence the future of the GameFi industry by voting on Metacade governance initiatives and by providing funding to game developers.

The project looks to be popular among crypto enthusiasts already as it certainly shows a lot of promise for the future. MCADE is being launched at just $0.008 per token and looks set to explode from that level during the presale as more investors get involved. It is worth bearing in mind that the presale comes before the public IDO, which could mean some major price movements from this current level due to the significant long-term potential of the project. 

Altogether, in terms of altcoin price prediction looking ahead to 2025, Metacade stands out as a promising candidate to become the best, with a high multiple thanks to its convergence at the centre of both gaming and crypto p2e. MCADE altcoin price prediction in 2025 stands at $6.00 – $8.00 – a 750 to 1000x increase – hence why it has made the top of our list as the best altcoin to buy.

>>> You can participate in the MCADE presale here <<<

#2 XRP (XRP) – A Global Reserve for Financial Institutions

Overview

XRP is a cryptocurrency that was created by Ripple Labs in 2012. It is the native asset of XRPL (XRP Ledger), the decentralised blockchain network created by Ripple Labs. The XRP protocol aims to provide a faster and cheaper way to send money globally. As well as facilitating cross-border payments, XRP can be used by financial institutions as a reserve currency.

XRP is one of the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation and is often mentioned in the same breath as Bitcoin and Ethereum. It is one of the original cryptocurrencies, being launched 3 years after Bitcoin and 3 years before Ethereum. However, XRP is quite different from these other assets, both in terms of its technology and its use case, as it is designed to serve the central banking system with a low-cost alternative to fiat currency.

Tokenomics

The maximum total supply of XRP tokens is 100,000,000,000. There are currently just over 50,000,000,000 tokens in circulation or approximately 50% of the total supply. There is a schedule built into the protocol to release 1,000,000,000 XRP tokens per month, which started in December 2017.

Why buy XRP?

As cryptocurrency and blockchain technology continues to gain traction across the world, central banks have been looking into adopting digital currencies as a means of facilitating cross-border payments. These digital currencies are known as CBDCs and there has been increasing talk about introducing these altcoins to the global economy.

It is widely believed that XRP will play an important role in facilitating this transition. One piece of evidence that supports this view, is that Ripple Labs have already formed partnerships with some major banks and financial institutions, such as Santander, The Bank of England, and JP Morgan.

The XRP altcoin has been the subject of a long-winded trial with the SEC to determine whether it is a cryptocurrency or a security. However, this is expected to end positively for XRP. Price action for XRP was held back somewhat during the 2021 bull market due to the ongoing SEC trial, but as this concludes, the sky could be the limit for XRP.

XRP Altcoin price prediction 2025: $4.42. This is approximately a 10x increase with a bullish price prediction from the token’s current price, and why it makes it to number 2 on our list of best altcoins to buy. This is due to the fact that the altcoin has a strong use case within the global financial system and looks set to be unshackled from its trial with the SEC in the not-too-distant future.

#3 The Graph (GRT) – APIs for Developers

Overview

The Graph is a decentralised protocol for building applications (dApps) on the Ethereum blockchain. The Graph allows developers to query data from Ethereum using GraphQL, a query language for APIs. GRT is the native token for The Graph, which is used to secure the network and provide access to APIs in the database.

The Graph is a useful tool for blockchain developers, as it collects and collates a broad set of APIs which can be used at the foundation of decentralised applications on the Ethereum network. The Graph is a purely decentralised service that is secured by the Ethereum blockchain, meaning no malicious actor can alter the data being held on The Graph. It is also open source, which ensures transparency.

Tokenomics

GRT has a total supply of 10,000,000,000 tokens, with 69% of this total currently in circulation. The release schedule is set to unlock the remaining tokens at regular intervals over the next 10 years.

Why buy GRT?

The Graph serves an important function in the Ethereum ecosystem. Since Ethereum is open source and provides permissionless access to builders, it also provides open-source tools that enable anyone to freely build using the official resources.

The Graph can extend this functionality, and provide developers with a comprehensive toolkit that can directly help to expand the Ethereum ecosystem. Over time, as more decentralised applications are built and more developers use The Graph, the altcoin price prediction for GRT is that it could rise significantly.

GRT altcoin price prediction 2025: $1.14. This altcoin looks set to reclaim a significant portion of its recent dip and may even push onwards towards its all-time high of $2.34.

#4 BNB (BNB) – The Biggest CEX

Overview

BNB is the official token of Binance, the biggest centralised exchange (CEX) in the world. BNB was initially an ERC-20 altcoin built on the Ethereum blockchain, but has since migrated to Binance Smart Chain, Binance’s native blockchain. Binance Smart Chain is a fork of Ethereum and serves the same functionality as the original Proof of Work protocol that Ethereum has before The Merge in September 2022.

BNB has a number of use cases on Binance, including as a means of paying fees, as a staking vehicle, and as a unit of account for the Binance ecosystem. BNB is also used to power Pancake Swap, a decentralised exchange (DEX) built on Binance Smart Chain.

Tokenomics

There are 200,000,000 BNB in total, with just under 160,000,000 now in circulation. This amount will continue to decrease as tokens are burned on a quarterly basis until the total supply reaches 100,000,000 BNB.

Why buy BNB?

BNB’s price is closely tied to the success of Binance and as the exchange has grown in popularity, so too has the altcoin price prediction of BNB. As cryptocurrency continues to expand across the world, centralised exchanges like Binance are expected to play an important role. They provide a useful and easily accessible method of buying and trading cryptocurrencies.

BNB also has a burning mechanism as part of its protocol, where a percentage of the total fees paid on the network is taken, and the equivalent number of BNB tokens are removed from circulation every quarter. This means that the total supply of BNB declines every 3 months, which also means that every BNB in circulation becomes more valuable over time.

BNB altcoin price prediction 2025: $2800. As Binance no longer needs to compete with FTX at the top of the CEX charts, BNB altcoin looks set to skyrocket during the next bull market as these moments typically attract more users. Combined with a deflationary supply, the token could rise 10x from its current price.

#5 Splinterlands (SPS) – Popular TCG

Overview

Splinterlands is a digital trading card game that uses blockchain technology. The Splinterlands platform allows players to purchase, trade, and battle with digital cards that have been released as NFTs. The game is very popular, with over 1 billion different battles having taken place between players in PvP matches.

Splinterlands uses Splintershards (SPS) as a governance token for the platform. Players can use SPS to vote for different proposals that can directly influence the future of the platform, including new features, and treasury management. Splinterlands has a second native token called Dark Energy Crystals (DEC) which is used for rewards.

Tokenomics

There are 967,721,814 SPS tokens in total, with approximately 87% of this total currently in circulation.

Why buy SPS?

As the Splinterlands platform grows in popularity, demand for SPS is expected to grow alongside it. Splinterlands offers an advanced trading card game that can serve a large number of users across the world with Play-to-Earn functionality.

Through trading digital assets on the platform’s integrated exchange, Splinterlands gives more control back to gamers and generates liquidity for token rewards. The game is well-designed and has already seen major user growth even though it only launched in July 2021.

SPS price prediction 2025: $1.63. Having attracted a significant number of users in a short space of time, Splinterlands looks ready to expand upon its recent success. If the project continues to grow, then the SPS altcoin will benefit from higher demand and the price prediction is that it could rise significantly as a result. Whist it hasn’t made the top list, we still consider this one of the best altcoins you can buy right now.

Conclusion: Metacade is the Best Altcoin to Buy – A Big Opportunity Despite Bear Market Blues

Altcoin price crashes can be brutal, that much is certain. We have seen several key projects capitulate during recent months, including both the FTX and Terra ecosystems. The knock-on effects of these projects collapsing have been catastrophic for altcoins, and prices have dipped across the board.

However, attentive investors see a huge opportunity ahead of them. The 5 best altcoins in this list have high price predictions for 2025.

MCADE price prediction 2025: $6-$8 (750x-1000x from current price)

XRP price prediction 2025: $4.42 (10x from current price)

GRT price prediction 2025: $0.55 (9x from current price)

BNB price prediction 2025: $2800 (10x from current price)

SPS price prediction 2025: $1.63 (40x from current price)

Projects that remain strong fundamentally represent a prime buying opportunity at these low prices and these altcoins are very likely to make serious gains even before the next bull market comes around.

Metacade looks set to explode during its presale with native MCADE being launched at only $0.008 per token. While it could do some major percentage increases over time, all the altcoins listed here look set to have a big future ahead. This recent dip looks more like a flash sale than anything else, which means that long-term investors have plenty to look forward to.

Buy XRP on eToro here.

Buy GRT on eToro here.

Buy BNB on eToro here.

Buy SPS on PancakeSwap here.

You can participate in the MCADE presale here.

The post Revealed: 5 Best Altcoins to Buy and hold long-term in 2023 appeared first on CoinJournal.

Crypto winter may not end anytime soon


Key Takeaways

  • Crypto is one year into a vicious bear market
  • This is the first time crypto has experienced a bear market in the wider economy, too
  • With too many negative macro variables, and the zero-interest rate era over, it seems naïve to think crypto can bounce significantly in the short-term

 

Anyone betting on a swift recovery in the crypto markets might want to reassess.

If you are familiar with my analysis, you will know I have been bearish for a while. This mainly comes down to the macro setup, as the economy reels in the face of this new paradigm of high-interest rates.

Crypto represents one of the highest-risk asset classes around, and hence was always going to the struggle once the rug was pulled out from under it. And that is what has happened, with Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve pulling that rug out mercilessly.

With this macro backdrop in this position, there is a ceiling in place. Crypto will not rise until inflation is beaten and interest rates peak. Currently, T-bills are trading at 4%, but this will likely rise to 5% in early 2023.

There is still concern that inflation, which does seem as if it has peaked, will nonetheless persist for some time. The labour market has yet to feel real tightness, while demand has been subdued but not significantly.

More bad news

This landscape what was led me to declare that crypto could be one bad event away from a  meltdown. It was range-bound at the $20,000 mark for too long, unable to break out while restrained by the bearish sentiment in the wider markets.

I didn’t expect that event to be quite so seismic, however. FTX’s implosion represents a watershed moment for crypto. I believe it will cause even greater harm than what most forecast.

We saw credit agency Moody’s place Coinbase’s bonds on review for downgrade, hinting at the detrimental action that could follow the exchange’s insolvency. I wrote a piece analysing the deluge of Bitcoin flowing out of exchanges, showing that trust had been broken and was at an all-time low.

In fact, a pretty staggering 200,000 bitcoins flowed out of exchanges less than a month after the FTX collapse. And even Cathie Wood is warning of a pullback in institutional adoption.

 
 

They say “be greedy when others are fearful”, but I’m not sure that applies here. Cryptocurrency is at a fork in the road. It has never existed during a bear market in the wider economy before – remember, Bitcoin was launched in 2009, and hence has experienced nothing but an explosive bull market in financial assets.

Now, it is different. Contagion is again swirling, crypto’s reputation is in tatters and the money printer is no longer propping everything up. Times are tough.

Previous crypto winters

Against this context, this environment is unprecedented for crypto. This is why I believe that extrapolating past cycles to current conditions is naïve. It is a lot easier to bounce back when interest rates are at 0% and the rest of the economy is booming. Not only that, but the scale of the capital destruction this time around is much greater, given crypto grew so much during the pandemic years.

Having said that, there will come a time when inflation is beaten. There will come a time when interest rates are no longer being hiked. This is the cyclical world we live in, and hence risk assets will rise again.

I just believe that this time, the winter may last a little longer than a lot are expecting. And when looking at previous cycles, the winters lasted long then, too. The below chart plots the Bitcoin price back to 2014, showing this well.

 

Following the peak of close to $20,000 in December 2017, it was not until Q4 of 2020, deep into the pandemic, that Bitcoin once again breached this mark. That marked a near 3-year fallow period, where investors failed to enjoy any significant gains in the crypto world.

We are one year into this bear market now, both in crypto and financial assets in general. Forecasting the future in crypto will only ever end with you looking silly, but I’ll try anyway. I would be surprised if we were beyond halfway through this bear market.

As the winter snap hits hard in Europe and people feel those high energy prices, the war in Ukraine rages on, and inflation continues to persist stubbornly, it just feels naïve to think crypto could rise anytime soon.

Of course, that could theoretically change in an instant. Positive news out of Ukraine could send markets north in an instant, but that is impossible to predict. I think the base case, however, is a longer period of pain ahead than a lot of people realise.   

 

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