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Hitting the Tip of the Iceberg: The Untapped Potential of Bitcoin Defi
Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views and opinions of the crypto.news editorial.
Since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has emerged as a hedge against inflation. Some countries like it El Salvador even made it a legal tender currency. In March 2024, the market valuation of the circulating supply of BTC reached up $1.4 trillion, overtaking silver to become the eighth most valuable property globally.
Despite BTC’s dominance over other cryptocurrencies, most BTC has remained dormant in users’ wallets. BTC’s huge liquidity reserves have remained underutilized and unproductive due to the network’s limited scalability. Additionally, Bitcoin does not support programmable smart contracts and has a block finality time of 10 minutes. These challenges hinder developer activity on Bitcoin, impact growth, and prevent the growth of decentralized financial services on Bitcoin.
The origins of Bitcoin defi
The lack of Bitcoin security apps has prevented users from capitalizing on the vast reserves of BTC assets. However, developers have long worked to improve the functionality and performance of Bitcoin to make it suitable for def.
For example, the July 2017 Segregated Witness (SegWit) update reduced transaction times and increased block capacity beyond 1 MB. It was followed by the Taproot update in November 2021 to introduce protocols such as Pay-to-Taproot (P2TR) and Taproot Asset Representation Overlay (Taro). However, during the long crypto winter, developers focused more on building robust Bitcoin Defi protocols.
For example, Casey Rodarmor launched Ordinals in January 2023 to create NFT-like inscriptions on the Bitcoin chain. Ordinals have rejuvenated the “Building on Bitcoin” movement and opened a Bitcoin NFT market that can scope $4.5 billion by 2025.
Rodarmor also launched the Runic Protocol after Bitcoin halving mint fungible tokens like memecoins on Bitcoin. In the first week, users coined over 11,000 Rune tokens, representing 45% of Bitcoin transactions.
At the same time, layer 2, like Stacks, launched in 2021, brought smart contract functionality to Bitcoin. The Nakamoto Stacks update, introduced in mid-April 2024, reduces transaction processing time to 5 seconds and provides 100% Bitcoin block finality.
Thus, developer activity is expanding Bitcoin’s usefulness and improving scalability, thus ushering in Bitcoin’s definitive moment.
The potential of Bitcoin defi
After a long bear market, total value has been locked into Defi protocols got through the $80 billion mark in February 2024. However, the important thing to note is that TVL excludes any liquidity from BTC reserves.
Most funds for Defi apps Come from Ethereum with a dominant market position of almost 60%. If DeFi protocols had the opportunity to access even a fraction of Bitcoin’s market capitalization, TVL would reach unprecedented levels.
According to Spartan research relationship, Bitcoin Defi presents a 7x growth opportunity without taking into account any additional liquidity inflows. Let’s prove the point with available market data.
In December 2023, Bitcoin’s market capitalization was $850 billion, which is 3.1 times larger than Ethereum’s $270 billion. However, Ethereum’s defi app, TVL, was worth $76 billion, or 28% of its market capitalization, compared to just $320 million for Bitcoin defi.
If we hold the data constant, Bitcoin Defi presents a $238 billion market opportunity as of December 2023. These figures do not consider any increase in adoption or increased incoming capital that we are seeing today.
Therefore, it is safe to say that we have simply touched the tip of the iceberg of the Bitcoin Defi market. The market will expand further with the launch of more smart contract capabilities and scalable defi apps in 2024.
The ultimate Bitcoin summer is coming
Protocols like Ordinals, Runes, and layer 2 networks like Stacks are crucial to the growth of Bitcoin’s definition. They allow users to tap into vast, underutilized BTC reserves, while taking advantage of the security and decentralization of the underlying Bitcoin chain.
However, some Bitcoin maximalists think that memecoins and frivolous NFTs have damaged Bitcoin’s legacy and led to network congestion. Despite this, perhaps it is necessary to insist on the playful aspect of cryptocurrencies to popularize Bitcoin Defi and lead to mass adoption.
Meme tokens could eventually lead to increased developer activity and user participation in Bitcoin-based lending, trading, yield farming, staking, and GameFi and SocialFi protocols. These apps will finally realize Nakamoto’s dream of an alternative financial system.
As we approach defi summer, the true potential of Bitcoin defi will begin to unravel as Bitcoin-based permissionless financial services become accessible to users around the world.
Mikhil Pandey
Mikhil Pandey is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Persistence. Founded in 2019, Persistence is a purpose-built Tier 1 with a mission to maximize yield and security through liquid staking and restakes, building to the forefront of the proof-of-stake landscape. Persistence Labs has multiple products in its ecosystem, including pSTAKE Finance, Dexter, and others.
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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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