Crypto Long & Short: Licences, Liquidity and the Shifting Geography of Exchange Quality

Core Insights - The center of gravity for crypto regulation is shifting from Europe to the U.S., with North America now leading in licensing for digital asset exchanges [6][10][12]. Group 1: Regulatory Developments - The EU's MiCA regulation is facing challenges, with a 33% drop in registrations since April, and only 16 exchanges currently holding MiCA authorization [10]. - The Netherlands experienced an 83% decline in registrations after its transition period ended, indicating increasing regulatory pressures in Europe [10]. - Stricter rules in Europe are causing mid-sized firms to consolidate or shift operations to more permissive jurisdictions [7][10]. Group 2: Institutional Investment Trends - Harvard University's endowment made a significant investment of $443 million in BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF, representing about 20% of its U.S. public equity holdings [3]. - Sygnum's report indicates that portfolio diversification (57%) is now the primary reason for institutional investment in digital assets, surpassing the focus on short-term returns [4]. Group 3: Market Performance - Cryptocurrency prices have dropped over 13% in the past week, with Bitcoin losing 12.6% of its value [5][23]. - Despite the price decline, institutional interest remains strong, suggesting a potential disconnect between market performance and institutional sentiment [5][20]. Group 4: Market Structure and Liquidity - The CoinDesk Exchange Benchmark highlights a shift towards execution quality over mere size, with top-tier exchanges losing market share from 60% in Q1 to 41% in Q3 [12][13]. - A new Composite Liquidity Score emphasizes actual execution conditions rather than displayed order book depth, reflecting a more mature market [8][9]. Group 5: Future Outlook - The digital asset class is facing uncertainty as it approaches the end of the year, with concerns about potential poor performance in 2025 [17][19]. - The market is witnessing a culling of less significant assets, allowing for a more focused investment landscape [22][24].