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SEC rumored to be reconsidering spot Ether ETF denial, say analysts

ETF analysts James Seyffart and Eric Balchunas said they had increased their odds of the SEC approving a spot Ether exchange-traded fund from 25% to 75%.

Two exchange-traded fund analysts have said they are reevaluating the chances of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approving a spot Ether (ETH) exchange-traded fund after “hearing chatter” about the financial regulator.

In May 20 X posts, Bloomberg ETF analysts James Seyffart and Eric Balchunas said the SEC might be “doing a 180” on their expected denial of spot Ether exchange-traded funds this week. Filings from the regulator, public statements from SEC Chair Gary Gensler and reports of investigations previously suggested that the commission may have been preparing to deny spot Ether ETF applications.

However, according to Seyffart and Balchunas, the two analysts changed their prediction on the odds of spot Ether ETF approval from 25% to 75%. Seyffart hinted that the investment vehicle was becoming an “increasingly political issue.”

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Blockchain gaming investments reached nearly $1B in April

The investment figures come alongside a record high 2.9 million daily unique active wallets (dUAW) for the month.

Blockchain gaming saw investments totaling $988 million in the month of April, the highest since January 2021. The number of daily unique active wallets also reached a record-setting 2.9 million for blockchain gaming. 

DappRadar, in partnership with the Blockchain Gaming Alliance, released its April blockchain gaming report on 17 May. The banner month for the sector accompanies similar trends in the overall decentralized applications (Dapp) market.

According to the report, the recent boon can be attributed to several factors including renewed consumer interest in digital assets within the context of gaming:

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How and when to sell your crypto — a simple guide

In the latest Cointelegraph video, we explain how to set up a successful exit strategy in crypto using a few simple steps.

Missing out on a crypto bull market is tough, but what’s worse is watching your crypto wealth skyrocket only to crash before you can take profits.

In the latest Cointelegraph video, we explain how to build your crypto exit strategy in a few simple steps.

Taking profit means turning your digital gains into real money. There are two main ways to cash out in crypto: convert your assets into stablecoins and transfer them to your crypto wallet, or sell your crypto for fiat and transfer the money to your bank account.

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Filing suggests SEC is exploring grounds to deny spot Ether ETFs

A March 4 filing for BlackRock's spot Ether ETF called for feedback on whether the investment vehicle could be listed as a commodity.

Analysts have unearthed details from a March filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that suggest the regulator may consider labeling Ether (ETH) a security.

In a May 13 X post, Davis Polk and Wardwell Associate Scott Johnsson reviewed a March 4 filing from BlackRock over its application to list and trade a spot Ether exchange-traded fund on the Nasdaq. The filing delayed the deadline for the commission to decide on a spot Ether ETF from BlackRock until June but also called for public feedback on whether the investment vehicle could be filed as a commodity.

“The obvious purpose is to potentially deny on the basis that these spot filings are improperly filed as commodity-based trust shares and do not qualify if they are holding a security,” said Johnsson.

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JPMorgan’s Onyx to industrialize blockchain PoCs from Project Guardian

Traditional firms like JPMorgan and WisdomTree are seeking to turn Project Guardian’s blockchain proofs-of-concept into scalable financial products.

Wall Street giants are looking at how to industrialize proofs-of-concept developed within the blockchain experiment Project Guardian. 

According to Stephanie Lok, product manager of JPMorgan’s blockchain platform Onyx, one of the company’s “very big focus area” is turning the learnings of the pilot program with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) into products. Lok shared these details during the TokenizeThis event in Miami on May 10:

Another traditional firm “really focusing on the blockchain-enabled finance migration” is the asset manager WisdomTree. Speaking at the event, Maredith Hannon, head of business development for WisdomTree, said the company is targeting portfolio personalization in addition to blending portfolios with checking accounts.

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Despite Bitcoin price volatility, factors point to BTC’s long-term success

Bitcoin’s volatility persists after the halving, but surging ETF inflows and thriving L2 ecosystem growth fuel long-term optimism.

Bitcoin’s long-awaited halving event concluded on April 20, cutting the asset’s block mining reward from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC. 

It was the fourth time Bitcoin has undergone a halving since its inception, and substantial price surges have historically followed these events.

After the 2012 halving, Bitcoin’s value skyrocketed by an impressive 9,500%, while the 2016 halving saw a 3,000% increase over the following year. However, the price rally following the 2020 halving was more modest, with Bitcoin’s value rising by only 650%.

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Susquehanna International Group adds $1B in Bitcoin ETFs to portfolio

According to a filing with the U.S. SEC, Susquehanna International Group invested more than $1 billion in Bitcoin ETFs in Q1 2024.

According to a 13F-HR filing on May 7, quantitative trading firm Susquehanna International Group purchased more than $1 billion worth of shares of Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the first quarter of 2024.

The firm disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission ownership of 17,271,326 shares in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), with a market value of approximately $1.09 billion as of March 31, 2024. Additionally, Susquehanna reported owning 1,349,414 shares of the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), valued at roughly $83.74 million on the same date.

Moreover, the firm increased its stake in the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO), which gives investors exposure to Bitcoin futures contracts. According to investment research firm Fintel, Susquehanna owned 7,907,827 shares of BITO as of March 31, valued at approximately $255.42 million — up 57.59% from a February filing that listed 5,021,149 shares.

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Warren Buffett compares AI to nukes after seeing deepfake doppelganger

The financial mogul’s commentary came during Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting.

Berkshire Hathaway co-founder Warren Buffett recently sounded off on artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes and the perpetuation of scammers at the company’s annual shareholder meeting. 

Buffett, the ninth richest person in the world (as of April 2024), has seen his own net worth grow by some $16 billion through the first five months of 2024 alone. During the shareholders meeting held in Omaha, Nebraska he lauded the company’s growth and perseverance despite the November 2023 death of vice chairman Charlie Munger.

However, the commentary quickly turned to AI as the meeting wore on. Speaking during a Q&A session, Buffett said “I don’t know anything about AI but that doesn’t mean I deny its existence or importance or anything of the sort."

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Venture capital pours $2.4B into crypto startups in early 2024

Investments in the first quarter were influenced by innovation in areas like restaking, modularity, Bitcoin layer-2 solutions, and macroeconomic factors.

After three consecutive quarters of decline, crypto and blockchain startups have witnessed a significant uptick in venture capital investment.

According to data compiled by Galaxy Research, investors injected $2.49 billion across 603 deals in the first quarter of 2024, representing a 29% increase in funding and a 68% rise in deal count from the previous quarter. A sustained recovery must be confirmed by subsequent quarters of growth, the report states, adding:

Several factors influenced this quarter’s investment dynamics, including the introduction of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), innovations in areas such as restaking, modularity, and Bitcoin layer-2 solutions, as well as macroeconomic factors such as interest rates.

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The reasons Bitcoin price is down 11% since the halving

Bitcoin’s current price action is “hardly a surprise” given the extraordinary bullish action leading up to the fourth halving.

The Bitcoin (BTC) price has sharply declined over the past few days, which might have triggered some concerns from those who thought Bitcoin would surge after its fourth halving.

The price of Bitcoin has dropped 11% since the fourth Bitcoin halving, which occurred on April 20, at 12:09 am UTC.

On the halving date, Bitcoin traded around $64,000. In the immediate aftermath of halving, Bitcoin saw a short rally, topping above $67,000 on April 22. But since then, Bitcoin has been gradually selling off, tumbling below $57,000 on May 1, according to CoinGecko data.

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