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Who is Roaring Kitty and why are meme coins increasing after her return?
The return of Roaring Kitty after three years of silence has thrilled the cryptocurrency community and the meme coin market. What is known about the Massachusetts merchant?
In May, the meme coin market and video game retailer GameStop stocks have experienced a new wave of growth following the return of Roaring Kitty, the trader behind the GameStop stock pump of 2021. Who is this “kitten” and how did he become an example for traders who want to challenge Wall Street?
A kitten who believed in GameStop
In mid-2019, Reddit user Keith Gill, a former financial planner for a Massachusetts insurance company known as Roaring Kitty, shared a single $53,000 investment in GameStop. The post attracted little attention, except for a few people who ridiculed the bet on the troubled company. But that didn’t stop him.
Throughout the year, he actively discussed GameStop on Twitter and revealed details of his investments on YouTube and TikTok. She also started spreading her financial ideas, which Reddit users started following.
A short squeeze in GameStop
Keith Gill, or Roaring Kitty, became widely known for his role in the GameStop stock price surge in January 2021. This event is otherwise called a short squeeze.
The young analyst actively promoted the idea that GameStop shares were severely undervalued. At that time, the pandemic was raging across the world. Consumer spending had fallen and investors had more money in their hands due to historically low rates. Some were angry at Wall Street hedge funds and were happy to spite them.
Inspired by Gill, online traders invested in GameStop shares, driving up prices by buying so-called options contracts that offer a cheap way to bet on the stock price.
Working away from wealthy financial offices, Gill and his associates communicated on Reddit and YouTube and used free online trading platforms. Many traders were so dedicated to their investments in GameStop that they spent hours chatting under Gill’s videos, poring over the company’s financial documents and cryptic details about cash flow and game consoles.
The rise of GameStop
Before all these events, GameStop could have done better. Many institutional investors and hedge funds believe GME stock is overvalued. Therefore, they often took short positions, betting that the company’s stock would fall.
A share of GME was worth around $4.56 on January 4, 2021. However, on January 27, the price hit a high of $347.51 per share, according to TradingView data.
Source: TradingView
This jump is thanks to users of the r/WallStreetBets subreddit, including Keith Gill. Noticing an increase in the number of short positions in GME, they decided to create a short squeeze, fueling interest in GameStop.
Due to the short squeeze, the number of views on r/WallStreetBets jumped to 73 million in just 24 hours. Meanwhile, the subreddit community has grown from one and a half million to six users.
And so, when the price of GME broke through the high, hedge funds with short positions in GameStop began panic buying shares at whatever price they could to cover their losses.
In response to all these events, stock trading platform Robin Hood temporarily limited GameStop stock purchases on January 28, 2021. At that time, the price of GME reached $492 but soon fell to $193.
“We continually monitor the markets and make adjustments where necessary. In light of recent volatility, we have limited transactions for some securities to closing positions only.”
Robinhood statement
The 2021 crackdown on meme stocks led to congressional hearings, including testimony from Gill, on brokerage practices and the gamification of retail stock trading. Gill also faced several class action lawsuits, including one alleging that he pretended to be an aspiring trader even though he was a licensed professional.
The return of Roaring Kitty
A few years later, in May 2024, Roaring Kitty returned to social networks. For the first time in three years you have published a drawing of a man sitting in a chair while playing a video game. Within 24 hours, the message received more than 24 million views.
Community members took Roaring Kitty’s return to social media as a sign. Hoping for something big to come, they bought GameStop shares and pumped out meme coins.
Market reaction
GameStop’s stock price skyrocketed 75%, immediately reaching $53 on the news. Also, one of the most popular meme coins, Pepe (PEPPER), reached an all-time high, and the market capitalization of the entire meme coin sector increased by more than 6%.
News
How Ether Spot ETF Approval Could Impact Crypto Prices: CNBC Crypto World
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CNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and gives viewers a glimpse of what’s to come with high-profile interviews, explainers and unique stories from the ever-changing cryptocurrency industry. On today’s show, Ledn Chief Investment Officer John Glover weighs in on what’s driving cryptocurrency prices right now and how the potential approval of spot ether ETFs could impact markets.
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Miners’ ‘Capitulation’ Signals Bitcoin Price May Have Bottomed Out: CryptoQuant
According to CryptoQuant, blockchain data shows signs that the Bitcoin mining industry is “capitulating,” a likely precursor to Bitcoin hitting a local price bottom before reaching new highs.
CryptoQuant analyzed metrics for miners, who are responsible for securing the Bitcoin network in exchange for newly minted BTC. As outlined in the market intelligence platform’s Wednesday report, multiple signs of capitulation have emerged over the past month, during which Bitcoin’s price has fallen 13% from $68,791 to $59,603.
One such sign includes a significant drop in Bitcoin’s hash rate, the total computing power that backs Bitcoin. After hitting a record high of 623 exashashes per second (EH/s) on April 27, the hash rate has fallen 7.7% to 576 EH/s, its lowest level in four months.
“Historically, extreme hash rate drawdowns have been associated with price bottoms,” CryptoQuant wrote. In particular, the 7.7% drawdown is reminiscent of an equivalent hash rate drawdown in December 2022, when Bitcoin’s price bottomed at $16,000 before rallying over 300% over the next 15 months.
This latest hash rate drop follows Bitcoin’s fourth cyclical “halving” event in April, which cut the number of coins paid out to miners in half. According to CryptoQuant’s Miner Profit/Loss Sustainability Indicator, this has left miners “mostly extremely underpaid” since April 20, forcing many to shut down mining machines that have now become unprofitable.
CrypotoQuant said that miners faced a 63% drop in daily revenue after the halving, when both Bitcoin block rewards and transaction fee revenues were much higher.
During this time, Bitcoin miners were seen moving coins from their on-chain wallets at a faster rate than usual, indicating that they may be selling their BTC reserves“Daily miner outflows reached their highest volume since May 21,” the company wrote.
Among the sales of Bitcoin miners, whales and national governmentsBitcoin’s price drop in June also hurt Bitcoin’s “hash price,” a metric of Bitcoin Miner Profitability per unit of computing power.
“Average mining revenue per hash (hash price) continues to hover near all-time lows,” CryptoQuant wrote. “Hashprice stands at $0.049 per EH/s, just above the all-time low hashprice of $0.045 reached on May 1st.”
By Ryan-Ozawa.
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US Congressman French Hill Doubles Down on Trump’s Pro-Crypto Stance
US lawmaker French Hill has noted that Donald Trump will take a more pro-crypto approach than the current administration. The run-up to the presidential election has seen cryptocurrencies become an issue with lawmakers making huge statements ahead of the polls. Donald Trump has also been reaching out to the industry, making a pro-crypto case.
French Hill Backs Trump’s Pro-Crypto Stance
Republican Congressman French Hill has explained the type of cryptocurrency regulatory framework he believes Donald Trump could adopt in the country. In a recent interview with CNBC, French Hill said that the recently passed FIT21 bill is the type of regulatory framework the Trump administration will adopt in the sector.
#FIT21 passed the House with 71 Democratic votes, it’s exactly the kind of digital asset regulatory framework former President Trump would support if re-elected.
See more on @SquawkCNBC🔽 photo.twitter.com/ceTmU4LApU
— French Hill (@RepFrenchHill) July 3, 2024
THE FIT21 Bill It is intended to protect investors and consumers in the market by establishing clear rules and powers for the various regulators in the sector. According to Hill, Trump will adopt it because it directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on the specific regulatory framework needed in the market.
“… for people who are innovating and starting a crypto token, a related business, custody of those assets, how to ensure consumer protection, so I think that framework is the right approach and that’s what I’m going to recommend to the President to pass, which is that we have not passed it between now and the end of this Congress.”
He also called Trump an innovative and pro-growth president in financial matters.
Cryptocurrency is going mainstream
This election cycle saw the cryptocurrency industry taking a place in mainstream issues following broader adoption across demographics. From candidates moving toward enthusiasts to recent pro-Congress legislation, cryptocurrencies have become a rallying point for officials. The U.S. regulatory landscape has been criticized for stifling growth due to frequent SEC LawsuitsThis has led executives to push for pro-cryptocurrency laws and raise money for pro-industry candidates.
Read also: Federal Reserve Predicts “AI Will Be Deflationary” to Stimulate Economy
David is a financial news contributor with 4 years of experience in Blockchain and cryptocurrency. He is interested in learning about emerging technologies and has an eye for breaking news. Keeping up to date with trends, David has written in several niches including regulation, partnerships, cryptocurrency, stocks, NFTs, etc. Away from the financial markets, David enjoys cycling and horseback riding.
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US Court Orders Sam Ikkurty to Pay $84 Million for Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme
A federal court has ordered Jafia LLC and its owner, Sam Ikkurty, to pay nearly $84 million to cryptocurrency investors after ruling that the company was operating a Ponzi scheme.
The ruling, issued by Judge Mary Rowland in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, follows a lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 2022 after the fund collapsed.
Judge Rowland found that Ikkurty, based in Portland, Oregon, did numerous false claims on his company’s hedge funds.
These included misleading statements about his trading experience and the promise of high and stable profits. Instead, Ikkurty used funds from new investors to pay off previous investors, a hallmark of a Ponzi scheme.
The Ponzi Scheme
The court found that Ikkurty misappropriated investment funds for personal use without the knowledge of the investors. These funds were used for personal use and were reported as Fraudulent Investmentscausing significant financial losses to customers.
This non-transparent operation violated Transparency Commission regulations, which led to the imposition of a hefty fine to compensate defrauded investors and restore some public confidence in the financial system.
Judge Rowland emphasized that fraudulent activity such as this violates the law and undermines the integrity of modern financial markets. The $84 million award seeks to address the financial harm inflicted on investors and reinforce the importance of legal compliance in cryptocurrency trading.
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