Crypto advocates say Bitcoin’s price slide is just a temporary blip in an otherwise upward trajectory. Bitcoin prices continued on a modest upward trajectory on February 8, rising by around 3% day-on-day to just about $71,000 at the time of writing. But this followed a sharp drop on February 6, which saw prices tumble close to the $60,000 mark. “Every time Bitcoin drops by 10%, the haters jump in, crowing that it’s just a digital pet rock with no value,” the hedge fund manager and founder of the Deep Kn ...

Core Points - The Senate Agriculture Committee has postponed the markup of the cryptocurrency market structure bill to the last week of January, allowing more time for discussions and refinements [1][2][3] Group 1: Legislative Progress - Chairman John Boozman indicated that the delay is intended to finalize details and ensure broad support for the legislation [3] - The committee has reportedly made "meaningful progress" and engaged in "constructive" bipartisan discussions over the weekend [2] Group 2: Key Obstacles - Analysts from Bernstein highlighted that the legislation must advance by the second quarter to avoid being stalled by midterm election politics, with stablecoin rewards identified as a significant obstacle [4] - Concerns have been raised by TD Cowen analysts that the bill could face delays until 2029 due to the implications of President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency ventures [4] Group 3: Political Implications - Democrats are advocating for provisions that would restrict senior government officials and their families, including Trump, from owning or operating cryptocurrency businesses [5] - Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, expressed skepticism about the bill's passage in the first quarter, suggesting that Democrats may leverage an anti-cryptocurrency stance in midterm elections [6]

Core Viewpoint - JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon refuted claims that the bank debanked Trump Media & Technology Group, stating that actions were taken in compliance with court orders [1][2]. Group 1: JPMorgan's Position - Dimon emphasized that the bank does not debank individuals based on religious or political affiliations, asserting that their actions were legally mandated [2][3]. - He expressed a dislike for debanking practices, attributing them to systemic compliance issues within the regulatory framework [3]. Group 2: Trump Media & Technology Group's Financial Moves - Trump Media & Technology Group plans to raise $2.5 billion to invest in Bitcoin and held 11,542 Bitcoins valued at approximately $1.05 billion as of the end of September [6]. - The experience of being debanked influenced Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump’s views on cryptocurrencies, leading to a shift towards digital assets [5][6]. Group 3: Broader Context of Crypto Involvement - The Trump family is involved in various crypto projects, including the Official TRUMP memecoin and World Liberty Financial, which have faced scrutiny for transparency and potential conflicts of interest [7].

Core Insights - Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have shown resilience despite macroeconomic challenges, with large holders maintaining their positions following significant market liquidations earlier this month [1][3] - The "dolphin" cohort, defined as entities holding between 100 BTC and 1,000 BTC, has continued to accumulate Bitcoin, which historically correlates with upward price momentum [2][3] - A recent report indicates that while annual holdings growth for this group is strong at 907,000 BTC, short-term demand appears to be waning as the 30-day balance has dipped below its moving average [3] Market Dynamics - Following a 30% to 40% rise in open interest, there is a 75% probability of positive returns for Bitcoin over the next three months, with historical data suggesting a mean performance of approximately 25.9% in the following 90 days [4] - Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen a modest increase of around 2% over the past 24 hours, while altcoins like World Liberty Financial, Hyperliquid, and Solana have experienced returns of 13%, 5.9%, and 5.8% respectively [4] - An increase in altcoin volume dominance relative to Bitcoin and Ethereum suggests a renewed interest in the broader crypto market, with altcoin trading volume rising by 33% to 46% since October 21 [5]