Cohen Syndrome

• The exchange rate between Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) has dropped rapidly in recent weeks.
• Financial stability concerns are disproportionately benefiting Bitcoin as a safe-haven asset.
• Ethereum, though robust and decentralized, is not seen as a safe-haven asset to the same degree as Bitcoin.

Ether Price Drop

The exchange rate between Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, and Ether (ETH), the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization that powers the Ethereum blockchain, has fallen rapidly in recent weeks. ETH/BTC was last changing hands on Binance (as per TradingView) around 0.0625, down around 15% from earlier monthly highs in the 0.0735 area and at its lowest level since July 2022.

Reasons for Price Drop

ETH/BTC’s downward trend isn’t due to Ether performing poorly; at current levels in the $1,750s, Ether is up just shy of 10% this month and over 27% versus earlier monthly lows under $1,400. The problem is that other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been outpacing it due to global banking system instability creating a „safe haven“ bid for assets like BTC.

Bitcoin As Safe Haven Asset

After three major regional US banks went under earlier this month followed by Credit Suisse being bought out by Swiss rival UBS over the weekend, investors remain worried about more banks going under leading them to flock back to gold or digital gold such as Bitcoin as a form of safety.

Ethereum Features

Ethereum can also make the claim of being robust, decentralized, and independent of traditional financial systems but it is not viewed as a safe-haven asset to the same degree as Bitcoin because of its smart programming capabilities which allow users to build an independent decentralized finance ecosystem directly on top of it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ethereum’s price has dropped recently due to Bitcoin outperforming it amid global financial instability leading investors looking for safety to flock towards safe havens such as gold or digital gold like BTC instead of ETH despite its own features making it robust and independent from traditional financial systems.

• US lawmakers held a meeting with the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Friday to discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).
• Democratic US Representative Maxine Waters expressed her concerns and appreciation of the DFPI and FDIC’s action in response to SVB’s failure.
• US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also met with banking regulators, including the FDIC, on Friday to discuss the situation.

Lawmakers Seek Answers From Fed & FDIC

US lawmakers held a meeting with the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Friday to discuss the swift and stunning collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Democratic US Representative Maxine Waters reportedly discussed with officials from the two federal bank regulators, as well as the Treasury Department, hours after SVB collapsed. Lawmakers from both parties were present at the meetings.

Maxine Waters‘ Statement

In a statement, Rep. Maxine Waters expressed her alarm at SVB’s failure which she noted was „the second largest bank failure in U.S. history.“ She also appreciated DFPI and FDIC for taking decisive action, expressing confidence in America’s financial markets and its regulators‘ ability to protect consumers and investors.

Other Lawmaker Reactions

Other lawmakers such as Rep. Ro Khanna have also reached out to both the White House and Treasury Department to discuss SVB’s collapse. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with banking regulators on Friday to assure that they have effective tools available to address such events.

Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

Silicon Valley Bank, one of the most popular lenders to tech startups in Silicon Valley, failed on March 10th falling into FDIC control who established Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara for insured deposits from SVB customers. The swift collapse came just two days after crypto-friendly bank Silvergate suffered a run following FTX’s November fall resulting in Silvergate having to sell $5.2 billion worth of debt securities it was holding on its balance sheet at a significant loss .

Conclusion

Overall it appears that lawmakers are taking an active interest in understanding what happened with Silicon Valley Bank’s swift collapse while federal banking agencies are responding quickly by creating new avenues for customers affected by this closure as well as reassuring market stability going forward amidst these unprecedented times

• Crypto scammers are targeting elderly Japanese singles on social media and dating apps.
• Scammers are directing their victims onto bogus crypto trading platforms and offering “crypto mining packages” with “guaranteed” monthly earnings.
• The government is responding by providing more financial education to junior and senior high school students.

Crypto Scammers Targeting Elderly Japanese Singles

Crypto scammers have been preying on elderly Japanese individuals who use online dating services and social media sites. Middle-aged lonely hearts have also found themselves in the cross-hairs of fraudsters. And there are even reports of younger people being targeted by these scams.

Schemes Offered To Victims

The schemes involve convincing victims to invest in Bitcoin (BTC) using certain platforms or buy „crypto mining packages“ that offer „guaranteed“ monthly earnings. Some scammers even pose as wealthy, attractive young men in order to dupe women into signing up for „bogus“ crypto investment training sessions.

Government Response

In response to this scam epidemic, the government has increased its provision of financial education to junior and senior high school students in Japan. This is intended to teach them how to stay vigilant against crypto scams and other fraudulent activities online.

Advice From Financial Advisor

Kuroiwa Yasushi, a financial advisor, has advised single elderly people to be cautious when using chat apps as they become increasingly vulnerable targets for crypto asset scammers. He also warned them of the dangers posed by such schemes and urged them not to fall prey to them if contacted by any suspicious persons online.

Example Of A Victim

Kuroiwa gave an example of one of his clients – a man in his 60s – who was contacted by a woman on a dating app asking him to invest in BTC via a certain platform. Fortunately, Kuroiwa managed to help the client recognize the suspicious nature of this person before any money was lost or stolen from him through fraudulent means.

• Coinbase has announced the launch of its own layer 2 blockchain for Ethereum (ETH) called Base.
• Base brands itself as a „secure, low-cost, developer-friendly“ way to build decentralized applications (dApps).
• There are no plans for issuing a native token and the plan is to „progressively decentralize the chain over time.“

Coinbase Launches Layer 2 Blockchain

Coinbase, one of the major US-based crypto exchanges has announced the launch of its own layer 2 blockchain for Ethereum (ETH), called Base. It is designed to serve as both a home for Coinbase’s on-chain products and an open ecosystem for developers. The exchange also stated that Base will be interoperable with other popular Layer 1 blockchains like Solana (SOL) as well as with Ethereum’s base layer and other Ethereum second-layer networks.

Features of Base

Base is meant to offer a “secure, low-cost, developer-friendly” way to build decentralized applications (dApps). Coinbase plans to progressively decentralize the chain over time and there are no plans to issue a native token. Furthermore, Coinbase has also stated that it will provide more detailed roadmap information and developer resources in the upcoming weeks.

Coinbase Stock Price Reacts Positively

The stock price of Coinbase listed on Nasdaq rose by 1.93% after news about this new network was announced. The stock slipped by 1.36% in pre-market trading on Friday but overall it has seen an 85.6% increase since the beginning of 2023 due to improved sentiment in the crypto sector.

Commentaries from Industry Professionals

Adam Cochran, partner at Cinneamhain Ventures commented on how this move by Coinbase gives them unparalleled reach across different networks and therefore could provide opportunities for greater innovation not just within their own products but within entire DeFi space too. He further went onto say that “it’s exciting when these types of projects give developers access outside traditional Web3 networks too”

Conclusion

Coinbase’s launch of its own layer 2 blockchain could have positive implications not only for their own products but also for other DeFi projects as well given their reach across different networks now which may lead to greater innovation in this space going forward

• China has begun a „cross-border“ digital yuan pilot with Hong Kong.
• The event is the brainchild of the central People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and the Luohu District local government.
• Transactions are capped at 999 yuan, and similar pilots are planned for Macau.

China Launches Digital Yuan Pilot with Hong Kong

Shenzhen, China has commenced a retail-focused “cross-border” digital yuan pilot with Hong Kong. The event is a joint effort by the central People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and the Luohu District local government.

Token Giveaway

As part of promoting this initiative, almost $1.5 million tokens will be given away in Luohu during the course of the event. Recipients will be able to spend their digital yuan holdings in multiple sectors such as restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, jewelry and home appliances – but transaction sizes are capped at 999 yuan (around $145).

Cross-Border Credentials

The PBoC had earlier stated that the digital yuan was intended as an M0 cash/bank card alternative – not for international trade. But recently their views on its cross-border payment credentials have changed; should these trials prove successful across both Hong Kong and Macau, then there may be scope to expand its use further still. Furthermore, Russia has expressed interest in using this coin to trade with Beijing if they can develop suitable interoperability solutions for its own digital ruble currency.

Promotion Activities

The PBoC branch located in Shenzhen has invested around $83 million on promotional activities such as token giveaways to promote usage of the token. This includes those based in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan who have access to a digital yuan wallet serviced by Industrial Bank since September last year.

Conclusion

• Ordinal NFTs, a recently deployed Bitcoin protocol, have pushed the 14-day Exponential Moving Average of transactions on the Bitcoin network to its highest level since April 2021.
• Despite taking up 526MB of block space and associated with a 6.77 BTC spend, the Ordinal NFTs do not appear to have had any impact on network fees thus far.
• Whether or not Ordinals will result in a wider uptick in Bitcoin’s network activity that benefits its price is uncertain at this point.

Impact Of Ordinal NFTs On The Bitcoin Network

Ordinal NFTs are a recently deployed Bitcoin protocol that has pushed the 14-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) of transactions on the Bitcoin network to its highest level since April 2021, according to data from crypto analytics firm Glassnode. As of February 7th, over 13,000 Ordinal NFTs had been minted directly onto the Bitcoin blockchain, taking up 526MB of block space and associated with a spend of 6.77 BTC (worth around $150,000 at current prices).

Ordinals And Network Fees

The deployment of Ordinal NFTs directly onto the Bitcoin blockchain has been controversial, with some claiming it goes against pseudonymous Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto’s original vision for only financial purposes on the blockchain. Despite this debate over their existence, they are making an impression on the network – but so far without impacting network fees significantly. According to Glassnode data there has been no notable uptick in fees yet; as such miner revenue relative to its recent history remains suppressed.

BTC Price Impact Of Network Activity

The minimal impact on network fees means that it can be assumed that these new protocols have had little effect on the BTC price thus far either. Meanwhile, though transaction traffic has increased due to them, there does not seem to have been any significant change in unique daily users of the blockchain either according to Glassnode data.

Long-Term Impact On The Network & Price?

Whether or not Ordinals will result in a wider uptick in activity that benefits the BTC price is uncertain at this point; however some analysts and commentators have voiced concerns that if it led to an increase in network fees then miners would benefit long-term and security would be improved for everyone using bitcoin – but until now this does not seem likely given how low fees remain currently.

Conclusion

The deployment of Ordinal NFTs onto the bitcoin blockchain has had an impact on transactions and traffic without affecting mining revenues or pushing up fees yet – therefore its effects on bitcoin’s price remain unclear for now until further developments take place within this new protocol space which could affect wider levels of activity across all areas around bitcoin usage and value.

• A 47-year-old man from Orenburg, a southwestern city near Russia’s border with Kazakhstan, has been sentenced to four years in prison for crypto mining-related fraud.
• The court heard that the man had duped a local entrepreneur into investing in a mining project and promised profits by buying and reselling mining hardware.
• The man was ordered to pay the entrepreneur full compensation and fined just under $4,300.

Russian Crypto Mining Fraudster Sentenced to Four Years

A Russian man has been sentenced to four years in prison for crypto mining-related fraud. The 47-year-old resident of Orenburg, a southwestern city near Russia’s border with Kazakhstan, had duped a local entrepreneur into investing in a crypto mining project. He promised the entrepreneur profits by buying and reselling crypto-mining hardware.

Project Failed To Deliver On Any Promises

The court heard that the entrepreneur had given the man some $108,000 of his own money to invest in the project – as well as an additional $172,000 investment from a company founded by the entrepreneur. However, none of these promises were fulfilled and no cryptocurrency mining equipment was delivered – leaving both parties out of pocket.

Court Finds Man Guilty Of Two Counts Of Fraud

Despite pleading not guilty and claiming he had “no intention” of deceiving anyone, the court ruled otherwise and found him guilty on two counts of fraud. In addition to his four year sentence, he was also ordered to pay full compensation to both the entrepreneur and his firm – as well as a fine of just under $4,300.

Crypto Mining Popular Across Russia And Beyond

Crypto mining has become increasingly popular across many parts of Russia – particularly in areas such as Irkutsk where industrial crypto mining is growing rapidly due to its low energy prices. Additionally, there are numerous gas powered crypto mining projects being launched at oil drilling sites across Russia’s borders in Kazakhstan.

Criminals Targeting Crypto Miners On The Rise

Unfortunately this popularity has made it an attractive target for criminals too; earlier this year three individuals were arrested for scaling their neighbor’s balcony to steal 30 video cards from his cryptocurrency rigs!

• Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Bitcoin futures open interest has risen to a near all-time high at 21%, indicating increasing institutional participation in BTC futures.
• Bitcoin prices have surged to over $23,000, up by more than 35% YTD, which has been backed by institutional participation in BTC futures.
• CME is one of the largest derivatives exchanges in the world that offers futures and options trading services in various industry segments, including cryptocurrencies.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Bitcoin futures open interest has been on the rise, reaching a near all-time high at 21%. This indicates increasing institutional participation in BTC futures, according to a recent report by Arcane Research. As Bitcoin prices have surged to over $23,000, up by more than 35% YTD, institutional participation in BTC futures has been increasing as well.

CME is one of the largest derivatives exchanges in the world that offers futures and options trading services in various industry segments, including cryptocurrencies. Generally, a rise in crypto-related trading volumes on the platform suggests an influx of institutional investors into the digital asset space. According to Arcane, CME’s January push comes as investors started to purchase the heavily discounted GBTC and hedge through CME futures after Genesis disclosed that Gemini had sold 30.9 million GBTC shares during its bankruptcy filings.

Another reason for the surge in open interest in Bitcoin futures on CME is that the contracts have started trading at a premium to the spot market, the first time this has happened since the fall of FTX. This suggests that the recent rally in Bitcoin prices has been driven by institutional investors. As more institutional investors enter the market, the demand for futures contracts on the CME platform is likely to continue to increase.

Furthermore, CME has been providing access to derivatives for institutional investors for some time now, and its growing market dominance in the world of BTC futures is likely to attract more institutional investors to the platform. This could have a positive impact on the price of Bitcoin in the long run, as institutional investors have deeper pockets than retail investors.

Overall, the rise in open interest in Bitcoin futures on the CME exchange is a positive sign for the future of the cryptocurrency market. As more institutional investors enter the market, the demand for Bitcoin is likely to increase, which should result in higher prices. Furthermore, CME’s dominance in the world of BTC futures is likely to attract more institutional investors to the platform, which could have a lasting positive impact on the price of Bitcoin.