Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (ARCA: ETH)

Ultime notizie per Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (ARCA:ETH)

Ethan Allen Interiors

The Trust is an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act and will therefore be subject to reduced reporting requirements.

Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust

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MSTR

Nella giornata di lunedì, Bernstein ha formulato previsioni audaci relative al mercato delle criptovalute per il 2025, sottolineando la crescita del Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), i cambiamenti normativi e la convergenza delle criptovalute con le tecnologie IA.

Bitcoin a $200.000 entro il 2025? Ecco le previsioni di Bernstein

Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest

Ethereum - United States Dollar

Coop Ethereum 2x Index - United States Dollar

iShares Ethereum Trust - iShares Ethereum Trust ETF

ETHBEAR - United States Dollar

ETHBULL - United States Dollar

ProShares Trust ProShares UltraShort Ether ETF

ETHDOWN - United States Dollar

Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETH) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest

Ether.fi - United States Dollar

Amplify ETF Trust Amplify Etho Climate Leadership U.S. ETF

ETHPad

Etherpay - United States Dollar

ProShares Trust ProShares Ultra Ether ETF

Ethereum - TrueUSD

Volatility Shares Trust 2x Ether ETF

ETHUP - United States Dollar

VanEck Ethereum ETF VanEck Ethereum ETF

Bitwise Ethereum ETF Common shares of beneficial interest

EthereumPoW - United States Dollar

Stader ETHx - United States Dollar

It takes a few years before you learn the most important words in investing (and most of life as well).
&#8220;I do not know.&#8221;
What is the market going to do over the next year?
I do not know.
How long will the trade war last?
I do not know.
No one knew that the Trump Administration would announce the level they did.
No one knew how the markets would respond.
I did not talk to one single person who thought he might pause the reciprocal tariffs.
No one knew, or even suspected, that Deep Seek would come out of nowhere to challenge the AI storyline.
What is the next breakthrough in technology?
I do not know.
Will AI reach Artificial General Intelligence?
I do not know.
If it does reach AGI, when will it happen?
I do not know.
As investors, we need to focus on what we can know.
What are we paying for assets owned by the business and the cash flow produced by operations?
That we can figure out quickly.
Once we know that, we can plan accordingly.
If a company is trading at a high multiple of earnings and assets, then we know everyone expects the good times to continue.
Everyone loves the company and everyone owns the stock.
Any surprises are likely to be negative and cause the price of the stock to drop precipitously as surprised and disappointed shareholders head for the exits.
If the valuation is low, then we can determine that no one expects anything good to happen and very few people own the stock.
Any surprises will likely be positive.
The unexpected positive news will bring buyers into the stock, and the resulting buying pressure will push the share price higher.
Unless you are an insider with some influence over the outcome, it makes more sense to own a collection of businesses trading at low valuations where the inevitable surprises can deliver large returns.
Owning what everyone else does will deliver at best average returns.
When we are in an environment like we are today where the average returns are likely to be quite low, the popular expensive stocks can deliver large doses of disappointment.
The furniture business is not at the top of anyone&#8217;s excitement list.
That&#8217;s especially true given that the proposed tariffs would have a negative impact on many furniture companies.
The layoffs in companies that sell to government also contribute to a lackluster environment for furniture and furniture stocks.
There is no one on CNBC or on the internet touting the exciting opportunity in couches and dining room tables.
Shares of Ethan Allen Interiors(Ticker: ETH), one of the higher quality furniture companies, have been bouncing around in a range for a long time now.
Ethan Allen is one of the leading furniture retailers in the United States and has been around since 1932.
Ethan Allen will be far less impacted by potential tariffs as 75% of their products are made in the United States.
No one is excited about the stock.
As a result, the shares trade at less than 8 times the cash being produced by the business.
A good portion of that cash is being returned to shareholders as a dividend.
Ethan Allen shares currently yield over 5%.
The company has been generous about sharing wealth and has grown the payout by about 15% annually over the past several years.
No one is expecting much from the company, and any positive news could send the stock higher quickly.
Growing earnings and modest multiple expansion over the next several years, along with the dividend, should help deliver excellent long-term total returns from current levels.
No one appears to expect much from shares of TEGNA (Ticker: TGNA) either.
There have been two failed takeover attempts over the past several years and they are in a boring business.
TEGNA operates a portfolio of television stations and digital properties across the United States. The company owns 64 television stations in 51 markets, reaching approximately one-third of all television households nationwide.
TEGNA&#8217;s stations operate under various network affiliations including NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX.
The stock is currently trading at less than six times the cash produced by the business.
Any good news or positive announcement will bring buyers back into the stock and push prices higher.
There is a 3.17% dividend yield to collect while you wait for good things to happen.
Management has consistently increased the payout by more than 10% annually for the past five years.
No one knows what will happen next.
We do know that there will probably be surprises and events we never saw coming.
It makes sense to own businesses where the surprises are likely to be positive and lead to a surge of buying interest.
Doing what everyone else does sets the stage for negative surprises.
I prefer positive ones.

Opinion

TGNA

Under the Radar: Low Expectations and High Yields Set These Stocks Apart

A Pennsylvania man could spend up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to concealing over $13 million in NFT sales <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-tax-software">from tax authorities</a>.
What Happened: Waylon Wilcox, 45, admitted to filing false individual income tax returns in 2022 and 2023, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/york-county-man-pleads-guilty-filing-false-income-tax-returns-omitted-more-13-million">according</a> to a Department of Justice statement released Friday and <a href="https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/04/14/man-pleads-guilty-tax-fraud-cryptopunks-sales/">reported</a> by Fortune on Monday.
The DOJ alleges Wilcox sold 97 NFTs from the iconic CryptoPunks collection between 2021 and 2022, generating over $13 million in proceeds that he failed to report to the IRS.
&#8220;When a taxpayer sells an NFT, including a Punk, then the taxpayer must report sales proceeds and any gains or losses from the sale of the NFT on their tax return,&#8221; the DOJ statement emphasized. 
By omitting these substantial sales, Wilcox allegedly reduced his tax liability by approximately $3.2 million over the two-year period.
Lawyers representing Wilcox did not respond to Fortune&#8217;s request for comment. 
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44794389/bitcoin-surges-back-to-85000-what-does-the-technical-analysis-show">Bitcoin Surges Back To $85,000: What Does The Technical Analysis Show?</a>
Why It Matters: The case comes during a transitional period for cryptocurrency tax reporting. 
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/42774313/did-the-irs-really-just-delay-crypto-tax-reporting-requirements">Earlier this year</a>, the IRS issued Notice 2025-7, providing temporary relief that allows crypto holders using centralized exchanges in 2025 to have more flexibility in their accounting methods rather than defaulting to the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) method. 
However, this relief doesn&#8217;t exempt traders from reporting cryptocurrency transactions.
According to the DOJ, Wilcox sold 62 CryptoPunks for over $7.4 million in 2021 during the height of the NFT boom, followed by another 35 Punks for nearly $5 million in 2022 as the market began to cool. 
CryptoPunks, created in 2017, is one of the oldest and most valuable NFT collections, with individual pieces once selling for as much as $23.7 million.
The floor price for a CryptoPunk currently sits at 42.42 Ethereum (CRYPOT: ETH), approximately $70,000. 
The case serves as a reminder to cryptocurrency investors that while the IRS has temporarily eased some reporting requirements for 2025, the fundamental obligation to report all cryptocurrency transactions remains unchanged.
The DOJ has not disclosed how they discovered the unreported sales.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44795865/xrp-spikes-13-in-7-days-what-is-going-on">XRP Spikes 13% In 7 Days: What Is Going On?</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

$ETH

CryptoPunk, Tax Flunk: NFT Seller Pleads Guilty In $13M Fraud Case

The shares of Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) plunged 9.24% during the Monday pre-market trading session as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) tumbled 7% amid President Donald Trump&#8216;s tariff woes.
What Happened: Strategy, one of the largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency, felt the brunt after Bitcoin hit a low of $77,097.74<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/04/44659799/bitcoin-plunges-below-80000-ethereum-dogecoin-crash-as-cryptocurrencies-mirror-stocks-amid-trump-tariff-mayhem-analyst-flags-critical-support-level-for-btc"> before slightly</a> recovering to $78,000 on Sunday. Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) experienced a more severe fall, dipping below $1,600 for the first time since October 2023.
The trading volume for Bitcoin and Ethereum surged by 179% and 272%, respectively, indicating a high selling pressure. This drop followed a period of relative stability in cryptocurrency prices amidst intense stock market volatility on Friday.
Although Bitcoin initially demonstrated resilience, it is now mirroring the growing unease in the broader market. According to data from&nbsp;CoinGlass, in the past 24 hours, the crypto market experienced $570 million in liquidations, with long positions making up $493 million of the total. Bitcoin alone was responsible for more than $121 million of these liquidations.
As Bitcoin fell below the $80,000 threshold, prominent economist and Bitcoin skeptic Peter Schiff questioned Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor on whether he could stop the cryptocurrency from dropping further below his average purchase price of $68,000 by borrowing more funds to make large-scale purchases. 
At present, Strategy owns 528,185 BTC on its balance sheet
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="600" height="188" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/07072024/image-60.png" alt="" class="wp-image-859692" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/07072024/image-60.png 600w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/07072024/image-60-300x94.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></figure>
SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44658863/peter-lynchs-advice-if-you-cant-explain-to-an-11-year-old-in-two-minutes-or-less-why-you-own-the-stock-yo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peter Lynch&#8217;s Advice: &#8216;If You Can&#8217;t Explain to an 11-Year-Old in Two Minutes or Less Why You Own the Stock, You Shouldn&#8217;t Own It&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters:  Earlier this month, investment banking firm Monness, Crespi, Hardt &amp; Co. predicted that Strategy&#8217;s aggressive bitcoin purchases may soon face a roadblock as funding options become limited. The firm also downgraded MSTR stock to &#8216;Sell&#8217; after initiating coverage at &#8216;Neutral&#8217; two weeks ago.
This recent crash in the cryptocurrency market comes in the wake of warnings from renowned cryptocurrency analyst Michaël van de Poppe. The analyst predicted that Bitcoin <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44661331/bitcoin-could-test-70k-amid-fears-of-black-monday-panic-says-analyst-van-de-poppe-as-global-markets-slide-on-trump-tariff-shock">could test</a> the $70,000 level amid panic selling, which he referred to as "Black Monday". This prediction seems to be coming true as the cryptocurrency market experiences its worst selloff since March 2020.
Meanwhile, analyst Ali Martinez has anticipated a significant price movement for Bitcoin, while economic analyst Jesse Colombo identified $77,500 as&nbsp;a &#8220;critical support level&#8221; for&nbsp;the cryptocurrency, warning of a sharp plunge if this level fails.
<ul>
<li>READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/25/04/44644765/tom-lee-predicts-a-market-rebound-after-april-9-as-absurd-tariffs-could-spur-potential-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Lee Predicts a Market Rebound After April 9 As &#8216;Absurd&#8217; Tariffs Could Spur Potential Negotiations &#8211; Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (ARC</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Equities

Markets

Tech

MSTR Stock Falls Over 9% In Monday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

As Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) continues its downward slide since Eric Trump recommended buying the second-largest cryptocurrency, renowned economist Peter Schiff cautioned against taking investment advice from the Trump family on Sunday.
What Happened:&nbsp;Schiff was reminded by an X user of the famous&nbsp;&#8220;It&#8217;s a great time to add ETH&#8221; remark by Eric Trump, the Executive Vice President of&nbsp;The Trump Organization and President Donald Trump&#8217;s second son.
&#8220;Yes, it&#8217;s best not to take any investment advice from the Trumps,&#8221; Schiff stated.
Schiff&#8217;s views were countered by another user, JB rocks, who wondered if the cryptocurrency critic would say the same if the <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44512448/as-gold-hits-record-high-peter-schiff-points-to-dollar-distrust-and-inflation-gold-is-not-rising-due-to-uncertain">Trumps promoted gold</a>. 
It&#8217;s worth noting that Schiff is an avid advocate of gold, aggressively pitching the yellow metal as an investment.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Yes, it&#39;s best not to take any investment advice from the Trumps.
&mdash; Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterSchiff/status/1908957697107697684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44648898/shiba-inu-burn-rate-surges-1973-in-a-day-why-is-shib-not-going-up" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shiba Inu Burn Rate Surges 1,973% In A Day: Why Is SHIB Not Going Up? &#8211; Benzinga</a>
Notably, ETH has plunged 45% since Eric&#8217;s advice. Moreover, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) has slid over 12% since he <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44642256/eric-trump-pitched-buying-the-bitcoin-dip-when-it-fell-below-90000-5-weeks-later-btc-is-yet-to-rip-but-is-there-still-hope">wrote</a>, &#8220;₿uy the dips,"&nbsp;in an X post from late February.
However, the declines haven&#8217;t been limited to the market heavyweights. President Trump&#8217;s Official Trump (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TRUMP</a>), which POTUS called <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/03/44451586/trump-meme-coin-spikes-retreats-after-potus-takes-to-truth-social-for-greatest-of-them-all-post-whale-takes-losses">&#8220;the greatest of them all&#8221; last month</a>, has cratered by 37% since the remark.
Cryptocurrency markets have faced persistent pressure from Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44656945/74-billion-wiped-out-since-tariff-declaration-see-how-much-the-billionaires-lost">tariff policies</a> this year, mirroring the losses in equities. In the last month, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization has shrunk 13%, with nearly $380 billion in investors&#8217; wealth eroded.
Price Action:  At the time of writing, ETH was exchanging hands at $1,539.37, down 14.78% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Bitcoin traded at $77,534.51, down 6.87%.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44603859/bitcoin-braces-for-trump-tariff-announcement-short-term-optimism-has-the-upper-hand-experts-say" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin Braces For Trump Tariff Announcement: &#8216;Short-Term Optimism&#8217; Has The Upper Hand, Experts Say</a></li>
</ul>

$TRUMP

Peter Schiff Warns Against Taking Investment Advice From Trumps As ETH Crashes 45% Since Eric Trump's Push

Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has charted a diametrically opposite trajectory when compared to its older sibling, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), over the past year.
Consider this. Bitcoin has jumped 32% in a year, reaching an all-time high of $109,000. Its share in the overall cryptocurrency market has expanded from 52% to 60%.
Ethereum, on the other hand, contracted 39% during the same time, reducing its market share from 16% to 8%.
The widening gap has sparked discussions about Ethereum's role in the cryptocurrency hierarchy and its future course Benzinga spoke to a few analysts to understand the factors contributing to the ecosystem's ongoing downturn.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Inflationary Problem</h2>
Jeffrey Hu, Head of Investment Research at digital asset manager HashKey Capital, believed the fault lies in Ethereum's economic model.
"The activation of EIP-1559 allows more Ether to be burned for deflation when Ether activity is high on Ethereum; however, in order to further support on-chain applications, Ethereum must scale," Hu stated.&nbsp;
The Ethereum London Hard fork, dubbed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/09/22898549/what-happens-in-the-ethereum-network-after-the-eip-1559-launch-lets-find-out">EIP-1559</a>, introduced a token burn mechanism for the network. Under this mechanism, the base fee, i.e., the minimum fee per transaction, is removed to add deflationary pressure to ETH and boost its value.
So, what exactly is the problem?
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/06/39359780/dogecoin-shiba-inu-floki-are-dino-coins-says-trader-he-likes-these-3-other-meme-coins-as-b?itm_source=parsely-api"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44410262/why-bitcoin-pulls-back-and-then-gains-after-economic-uncertainties-like-tariffsbitwise-cio-explains-dip-then-rip-phenomenon">Bitcoin&#8217;s Crisis Paradox Decoded: Bitwise CIO Explains &#8216;Dip Then Rip&#8217; Phenomenon</a>
Hu asserted that the rise of&nbsp; Layer-2 blockchains and the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/03/37667987/ethereum-dencun-upgrade-drops-layer-2-fees-by-99">Dencun Upgrade</a>, which slashed fees on L2s by orders of magnitude, diverted on-chain activity away from the base Ethereum chain, resulting in inflation.
According to Ultrasound Money, ETH's deflation rate started slowing down in May 2024, and since early February, the coin's supply has been net increasing.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="858" height="441" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532.png" alt="" class="wp-image-834628" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532.png 858w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532-300x154.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532-768x395.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: Ultrasound Money</figcaption></figure>
Trever Koverko, Web3 investor and co-founder of Sapien, echoed these observations.
"Ethereum is struggling to establish a narrative around how L2&#8217;s are accretive and not extractive to the main chain," he added.&nbsp;
However, L2s were not the only competition that Ethereum encountered.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Competition From Solana&#8217;s Meme Frenzy</h2>
"Ethereum is also not doing well in terms of community culture. In contrast, Solana clearly places more emphasis on meme coin community culture, which has attracted more application development and on-chain transactions," Hu said.
Over the past year, Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) has indeed become a meme coin hotspot, helped by its <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/01/43376047/are-fartcoin-moodeng-tokens-securities-memecoin-creator-pumpfun-slapped-with-class-action-lawsuit">user-friendly meme coin generator</a> Pump.fun. In fact,&nbsp; President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also chose Solana to launch their Official Trump (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TRUMP</a>) and Official Melania (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">MELANIA</a>) coins, respectively.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The &#8216;Middle Child&#8217; Sentiment?</h2>
It&#8217;s worth remembering that Ethereum remains the only cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin to have<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/ethereum-etf"> its spot exchange-traded fund</a> on Wall Street, however, inflows have been relatively <a href="https://sosovalue.com/assets/etf/us-eth-spot">subdued</a>.
Himanshu Maradiya, Founder &amp; Chairman, CIFDAQ Global, stated this is due to a lack of a clear consensus on Ethereum's narrative. 
&#8220;Lacking a pure store-of-value proposition and often perceived as the "middle child" of the crypto ecosystem, Ethereum struggles to capture the same institutional confidence,&#8221; Maradiya argued. 
He also noted that the absence of staking rewards has made Ethereum ETFs less appealing, which <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43690757/are-ethereum-staking-etfs-on-the-way">may be remedied</a> given that fresh applications have been filed to allow them.
A spokesperson for the Ethereum Foundation—a non-profit dedicated to promoting and developing Ethereum-related technologies—declined to comment on ETH's shrinking market share but said that their focus remained on ecosystem development and research.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Ethereum was exchanging hands at $1,978.99, down 2.17% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Year-to-date, the coin has slipped 41%.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44410584/amid-bitcoins-decline-gold-backed-cryptos-have-returned-solid-gains-this-year">Bitcoin&#8217;s Recent Struggles Aside, Gold Hit A New All-Time High Shining A Bright Spotlight On These Precious Metal Cryptos That Rocked In 2025</a></li>
</ul>

Exclusives

$MELANIA

$SOL

Why Ethereum Is Lagging Bitcoin—Analysts Cite Inflationary Problems, Dencun Upgrade Blowback, And Solana's Meme Coins

Medical technology company&nbsp;BioNexus Gene Lab Corp.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BGLC#NASDAQ">BGLC</a>) announced the adoption of Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) as a&nbsp;treasury reserve asset on Wednesday, following the cryptocurrency&#8217;s inclusion in the U.S. strategic reserve.
What Happened: The company&#8217;s board approved the&nbsp;new Ethereum-focused treasury strategy, according to a press release.
&#8220;This decision marks BGLC as the first Nasdaq-listed company to exclusively prioritize Ethereum as a strategic treasury asset, and is in line with recent announcements of Ethereum being included in the U.S. "Crypto Strategic Reserve," BioNexus said.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44133314/el-salvadors-president-bukele-remains-defiant-amid-imfs-concerns-on-bitcoin-accumulation-it-wont-stop-now-and-it-wont-stop-in-the-future">El Salvador&#8217;s Nayib Bukele Defiant Amid IMF&#8217;s Bitcoin Accumulation Concerns: &#8216;It Won&#8217;t Stop Now, And It Won&#8217;t Stop In The Future&#8217;</a>
Alongside this, the company also unveiled its Ethereum Strategy Whitepaper, outlining the rationale behind opting for Ethereum. 
The whitepaper highlights Ethereum&#8217;s strengths in decentralized finance, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/stablecoin">stablecoin </a>settlements, and the ability to generate passive income through <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-stake-ethereum-eth#:~:text=Staking%20is%20a%20process%20in,provides%20you%20with%20a%20reward.">staking</a>.
The whitepaper provides a deep dive into Ethereum&#8217;s&nbsp;institutional adoption, staking capabilities, and&nbsp;forthcoming protocol upgrades, all of which strengthen&nbsp;its long-term value and corporate&nbsp;utility.
The company also credited the blockchain-friendly laws of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/40014390/university-of-wyoming-launches-first-ever-academic-bitcoin-research-institute">Wyoming</a>, where it is incorporated, for influencing the decision.
Why It Matters: BioNexus&#8217; move comes amid strengthening discourse around stacking cryptocurrency in corporate reserves to benefit from long-term gains.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) treasury company Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) has been the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44135791/investor-mike-alfred-alleges-wall-street-giants-are-targeting-michael-saylor-led-strategy-by-driving-bitcoin-lowercritic-dismisses-it-as-conspiratorial-thinking">market leader</a>, accumulating a stockpile worth over $43.84 billion, <a href="https://bitcointreasuries.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to bitcointreasuries.net.
Both Bitcoin and Ethereum would be at the &#8220;heart&#8221; of a U.S. strategic cryptocurrency reserve, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44107003/trump-faces-backlash-over-crypto-reserve-plan-from-bitcoin-supporters-including-his-own-dont-think-the-government-should-be-pumping-our-crypto-bags-with-taxpayer-money">declared </a>last week.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Ethereum was exchanging hands at $2,303.40, up 5.53% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. 
Shares of BioNexus were up 5.39% in after-hours trading, after closing 3.37% higher at $0.3416 during Wednesday&#8217;s trading session.
Read Next:&nbsp;
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</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

BGLC

MSFT

BioNexus Stock Pops As It Embraces Ethereum-Focused Treasury Strategy, Says It Is First On Nasdaq To Do So

Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) shares rose 3.94% in Wednesday&#8217;s pre-market trading, as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) moves closer to the $90,000 mark, according to data from <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro.</a>
What Happened: Strategy, a major Bitcoin holder, saw its shares rise as the cryptocurrency recovered&nbsp;its previous losses amid bargain buying and hopes of a tariff relief. On Tuesday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick signaled that President Donald Trump could give concessions to Canada and Mexico, after imposing a 25% tariff.
Bitcoin has been quite volatile in the week so far. Over the weekend and Monday, it moved higher as Trump announced plans of a crypto reserve. However, the optimism was short-lived and the cryptocurrency gave up the gains following tariff concerns. Furthermore, several pro-Trump Bitcoin supporters <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44107003/trump-faces-backlash-over-crypto-reserve-plan-from-bitcoin-supporters-including-his-own-dont-think-the-government-should-be-pumping-our-crypto-bags-with-taxpayer-money">criticized the President </a>for including Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>), Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) and Cardano (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ada/usd">ADA</a>) in the reserve, rather than creating an exclusive Bitcoin reserve. Notably, Trump did not talk about Bitcoin in his address to Congress on Tuesday. 
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44136859/asml-faces-uncertainty-as-us-sanctions-on-china-cut-demand-stock-down-24-in-12-months">Chip Equipment Maker ASML Faces Uncertainty As US Sanctions On China Impact Demand</a>
Why It Matters: MSTR witnesses gains as the company&#8217;s co-founder Michael Saylor strengthens his ties with the Donald Trump administration. He is also scheduled to participate in an industry roundtable at the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44125213/white-house-crypto-summit-to-feature-roundtable-with-industry-leaders-including-michael-saylor">White House Crypto Summit </a>later this week.
Earlier in March, a regulatory filing revealed that&nbsp;Strategy Inc. had not sold or bought additional Bitcoin in the week from Feb. 24 to March 2, 2025. Saylor also stated that the company generated&nbsp;profits of $2.6 billion in&nbsp;the first two months of&nbsp;2025.
Meanwhile, Mike Alfred, a renowned investor and Bitcoin backer, accused Wall Street giants of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44135791/investor-mike-alfred-alleges-wall-street-giants-are-targeting-michael-saylor-led-strategy-by-driving-bitcoin-lowercritic-dismisses-it-as-conspiratorial-thinking">manipulating Bitcoin prices</a> to put pressure on companies like Strategy that possess substantial Bitcoin holdings.
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</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

$ADA

$XRP

MSTR Stock Rises Nearly 4% in Wednesday Pre-Market Trading: What's Going On?

President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/03/44069381/cardano-surges-57-whales-pile-on-xrp-solana-heres-how-the-3-altcoins-reacted-to-inclusion-in-us-crypto-reserve">announcement of a strategic cryptocurrency reserve</a> marked a tectonic shift in U.S. fiscal policy, contrasting with the restrictive approach of the previous Joe Biden administration.
What happened: Aside from blue-chip coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, said to be at the &#8220;heart&#8221; of the reserve, popular altcoins such as XRP, Cardano, and Solana have been confirmed for inclusion.
While the rationale behind selecting these cryptocurrencies hasn't been provided, they all boast high market capitalization and have a history of delivering strong returns to investors.&nbsp;
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44101649/whale-leveraged-50x-short-sees-81-million-in-paper-gains-as-ethereum-plummets-after-trumps-tariff-confirmation">Whale Leveraged 50x Short Sees $81 Million In Paper Gains As Ethereum Plummets After Trump&#8217;s Tariff Confirmation</a>
As clear from the table, Solana has been the most profitable investment over the last five years, netting an eye-popping 16946% return to its holders.&nbsp;
Cardano&#8217;s native coin, ADA, has risen by 1796%, while BTC, ETH, and XRP have all gained over 800%.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>5 Year Gains +/-</td>
<td>1 Year Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price (Recorded at 1:20 a.m. ET)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td>
<td>+894%</td>
<td>+29.52%</td>
<td>$87,096.73</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)</td>
<td>+870%</td>
<td>-41.38%</td>
<td>$2,179.01</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)</td>
<td>+931%</td>
<td>+276.91%</td>
<td>$2.42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>)</td>
<td>+16946%</td>
<td>+7.29%</td>
<td>$141.81</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cardano (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ada/usd">ADA</a>)</td>
<td>+1796%</td>
<td>+20.91%</td>
<td>$0.9299</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
On a lower timeframe, though, some cryptocurrencies haven't been as exciting.
ETH, notably, has plunged 41% over the last year, while Solana has eked out a comparatively narrow gain of around 7%.
XRP has maintained the bullish impulse, surging an impressive 276% in the last year, while BTC and ADA have risen 29.52% and 20.91%, respectively.
Details on the weightage of the coins in the reserve remain unclear, and the industry eagerly awaited the upcoming <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44064928/trump-to-host-first-ever-white-house-crypto-summit-next-friday-btc-surges-past-85000-doge-surges-over-10">cryptocurrency summit</a> at the White House to learn more.
That said, the announcement has already invited backlash, with even Trump's supporters <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44070857/coinbase-ceo-brian-armstrong-thinks-having-a-bitcoin-only-crypto-reserve-best-option-while-arthur-hayes">questioning the need</a> to include cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin to build a reserve.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
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</ul>

Trump-Announced Crypto Reserve Will Include These Coins, But One Name Has Made Investors Exceptionally Rich Over 5 Years

President Donald Trump&#8216;s recent crypto reserve plan has sparked discontent among his tech community supporters. The plan, announced on Sunday, has led to a significant divide among his tech allies.
What Happened:  The crypto enthusiasts have not welcomed President Trump&#8217;s decision to establish a strategic crypto reserve for the U.S., CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/pro-trump-techies-enraged-by-crypto-reserve-plan-causing-early-rift.html">reported</a> on Tuesday. The reserve will comprise not only Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) but also other digital currencies such as Ether (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>), Solana&#8217;s SOL token (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>), and Cardano (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ada/usd">ADA</a>).
Trump&#8217;s initial moves to cut regulations and form a digital assets working group were applauded. However, this recent move is seen as an overreach. The tech community had anticipated an exclusive strategic Bitcoin reserve, which would involve purchasing Bitcoin with cash, a decentralized currency seen as a viable alternative to hard money.
Tyler Winklevoss, co-founder of crypto exchange Gemini, stated, "I have nothing against XRP, SOL, or ADA but I do not think they are suitable for a Strategic Reserve."&nbsp;Winklevoss had supported Trump during his election campaign.
Explaining the issue with other coins, &nbsp;Alexander Blume, CEO of Two Prime said, "They're not scarce in the same way and they're not decentralized in the same way. So it reduces the value and signal of creating a Bitcoin reserve.&#8221;
The decision to include riskier assets in the reserve has faced criticism. Detractors argue that this could potentially enhance&nbsp;the net worth of a&nbsp;select group of coin owners, using U.S. taxpayer money. This is particularly troubling to those who support Elon Musk&#8216;s mission to decrease government spending at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Creator of blockchain startup Civic, Vinny Lingham wrote on X, "Call me old fashioned but I don't think the government should be pumping our crypto bags with taxpayer money while we are running a near $2trn deficit."
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44105530/tesla-introduces-0-apr-financing-on-model-3-purchases-to-check-falling-demand">Elon Musk&#8217;s Tesla Introduces 0% APR Financing On Model 3 Purchases Amid Falling Demand</a>
Why It Matters: Previously, analysts at Bernstein <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44077079/analysts-doubt-us-crypto-reserve-expansion-beyond-bitcoin-cite-funding-challenges">expressed doubts </a>about the U.S. expanding its crypto reserve beyond Bitcoin due to funding challenges, as reported. The rationale for including other assets remains unclear.
On the other hand, Strategy&#8217;s Michael Saylor told CNBC that it was no surprise that the reserve included other cryptocurrencies too. "There's no way to interpret this other than this is bullish for Bitcoin and bullish for the entire U.S. crypto industry," stated Saylor.
To add to the concerns, David Bailey, CEO of Bitcoin Magazine, revealed that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44100824/china-working-behind-closed-doors-to-create-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-says-bitcoiner-who-orange-pilled-trump">China was secretly </a>discussing&nbsp;the creation of a strategic&nbsp;Bitcoin reserve. This could potentially put the U.S. at a strategic disadvantage if it does not focus on Bitcoin.
After a weekend rally, crypto prices on Monday witnessed a significant decline. Bitcoin dropped about 9%, while Ether fell 15%. XRP and SOL also witnessed substantial drops. This decline is believed to be linked to President Trump&#8217;s confirmation of upcoming tariffs.
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Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Trump's Crypto Reserve Plan Sparks Backlash From Fans For Adding Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano: 'Don't Think The Government Should Be Pumping Our Crypto Bags With Taxpayer Money'

Ben Zhou, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange&nbsp;Bybit, has revealed that&nbsp;77% of the funds stolen&nbsp;in a record-breaking hack are still traceable.
What Happened: According to a post on X by Zhou today, the upcoming week is critical for securing the funds, as they will begin clearing through exchanges, OTC, and P2P channels. The hackers stole 417,348 Ether (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), worth nearly $1 billion, which remains traceable on the blockchain despite being transferred through the privacy-focused THORChain, a decentralized platform built for exchanging assets across multiple blockchains. 
Nevertheless, 20% of the funds—approximately 79,655 ETH or $200 million—have become untraceable through ExCH. Zhou also stated that 3% of the hacked funds have been frozen.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="590" height="428" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/04063123/image-1-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-807886" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/04063123/image-1-3.png 590w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/04063123/image-1-3-300x218.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px" /></figure>
A smaller sum of 40,233 ETH, equivalent to $100 million, moved through OKX's Web3 proxy, but 23,553 ETH, valued at $65 million, remains untraceable. Zhou revealed that the hackers exchanged 83% of the stolen ETH for BTC through THORChain, distributing it across 6,954 wallets, with an average of 1.71 Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) per wallet.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44103584/plug-stock-drops-as-hydrogen-leader-struggles-with-margins-initiates-cost-reduction-plan">Plug Power Tightens Its Belt: Plans Massive Cost Cuts &amp; Cash Burn Control In New Strategy</a>
Why It Matters: The $1.4 billion Ethereum theft from Bybit has not only sent shockwaves through the market but also revived a long-standing contentious debate—implementing a hard fork to recover hacked funds. The enormity of the hack, considered the biggest in cryptocurrency history, and the involvement of North Korea&#8217;s state-backed Lazarus Group have motivated these demands. The scale of the hack highlights the growing risk of state-sponsored cybercrime and the urgent need for stronger security measures in the blockchain space.
Blockchain technologist Samson Mow argued that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/44038042/bybits-mega-ethereum-hack-sparks-hard-fork-divide-a-choice-between-preventing-kim-jong-uns-nuclear-ambitions-and-blockchain-immutability">rolling back the Ethereum</a> chain would hinder Kim Jong Un-ruled North Korea from using the funds to fund its nuclear weapons program. At the same time, Aneirin Flynn, co-founder and CEO of FailSafe, spoke with Benzinga about the Bybit exploit, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44067486/bybit-breach-is-a-wake-up-callsecurity-must-be-a-mindset-not-just-a-department-says-failsafes-aneirin-flynn">potential preventive strategies</a>, and why an Ethereum rollback isn&#8217;t a feasible solution.
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</ul>

Bybit CEO Says 77% Of Stolen $1.4 Billion Ethereum Still Traceable After Historic Hack: 'This And The Coming Week Is Critical'

Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) has announced that it has not sold any shares or bought additional Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) in the week from Feb. 24 to March 2, 2025. The company has also declared a quarterly cash dividend on its preferred stock.
What Happened: According to an SEC filing dated March 3, Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) and its subsidiaries currently hold around 499,096 Bitcoins, which were bought for a total of about $33.1 billion. This averages to roughly $66,357 per Bitcoin, including fees and expenses.
The company announced a quarterly cash dividend for its 8.00% Series A perpetual preferred stock, trading under the ticker symbol STRK on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. The dividend, nearly $1.24 per share, will be paid on March 31, to shareholders who are recorded as of the close of business on March 15.
Furthermore, Michael Saylor, co-founder and executive chairman of Strategy, predicted during an interview with CNBC on Monday that the market cap of Bitcoin would surge to $200 trillion. &#8220;Right now we're about $2 trillion in Bitcoin. It's going to $20 trillion, then it's going to $200 trillion, then it's growing 20% a year. And that capital is coming from overseas. It's coming from China, from Russia, from Europe, from Africa, from Asia,&#8221; stated Saylor.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44099748/tim-cook-says-theres-something-in-the-air-new-macbook-air-or-a-surprise-product-launch-on-the-cards">Tim Cook Says &#8216;There&#8217;s Something In The Air&#8217; — New MacBook Air Or A Surprise Product Launch On The Cards?</a>
Why It Matters: On Monday, Strategy&#8217;s shares saw a 12.6% rise <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44073346/mstr-stock-up-nearly-13-in-monday-pre-market-whats-going-on">in the pre-market </a>trading session, following a surge in Bitcoin&#8217;s value. This surge was triggered by President Donald Trump&#8216;s announcement of a U.S. strategic cryptocurrency reserve, wherein the President declared his preference for Bitcoin and Ethereum. The stock also surged after Saylor announced in a post on X that the company&#8217;s Bitcoin investments generated $2.6 billion in profits during the first two months of 2025.
Saylor hailed Trump&#8217;s plan as "a more liberal economic policy," and emphasized that a well-organized digital asset policy would foster economic growth and encourage innovation. 
Despite the pre-market rise, the stock ended 1.77% lower to close at 250.92 on Monday, as per <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">BenzingaPro</a>. 
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<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44079509/preparing-for-worse-doesnt-mean-dumping-stocks-investing-wisdom-from-market-guru-sam-ro">&#8220;Preparing For Worse Doesn&#8217;t Mean Dumping Stocks&#8221;: Investing Wisdom From Market Guru Sam Ro</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

MSTR Retains Bitcoin, Declares Preferred Dividend As Michael Saylor Predicts $200 Trillion Market Cap For Bitcoin

In the pre-market trading session on Monday, the shares of Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) climbed 12.6% following the surge in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>). This rally was triggered by President Donald Trump&#8217;s announcement of a U.S. strategic cryptocurrency reserve.
What Happened: Strategy Inc., a major corporate Bitcoin holder witnessed an increase in share price after the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44068814/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-rally-on-trumps-strategic-crypto-reserve-announcement-cardano-xrp-solana-skyrocket-analyst-says-btcs-new-ath-possible-later-in-the-mon">cryptocurrency rebounded</a> from its dip below $80,000 on Friday, soaring beyond $95,000 on Sunday. Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) also witnessed significant gains, rising above $2,500, following a 31% drop in February.
The announcement of a strategic cryptocurrency reserve by Trump, made via his Truth social account, spurred this rally. Initially, the post referenced XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>), Cardano (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ada/usd">ADA</a>), and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>), leading to a surge in their prices. Later, Trump declared that Bitcoin and Ethereum would play a key role in the reserve, emphasizing his preference for these two assets.
Additionally, MSTR stock also climbed in today&#8217;s pre-market trading as Michael Saylor, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Strategy announced through a post on X that the company's Bitcoin investments yielded profits of $2.6 billion in the first two months of 2025.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="596" height="420" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/03064410/image-10.png" alt="" class="wp-image-805862" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/03064410/image-10.png 596w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/03064410/image-10-300x211.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px" /></figure>
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/03/44065932/mark-cuban-was-asked-how-hed-invest-100k-his-answer-buy-bulk-toothpaste-and-soup-for-the-best-guaranteed-return-on-investment">Mark Cuban Was Asked How He&#8217;d Invest $100K — His Answer? Buy Bulk Toothpaste And Soup For The &#8216;Best Guaranteed Return On Investment&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: For the past few sessions, MSTR had been on a decline following the downturn in Bitcoin prices amid tariff woes. However, the surge in the cryptocurrency underpinned the stock&#8217;s growth today. 
Chris Kline, COO and Co-Founder of BitcoinIRA, told Benzinga that<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44068814/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-rally-on-trumps-strategic-crypto-reserve-announcement-cardano-xrp-solana-skyrocket-analyst-says-btcs-new-ath-possible-later-in-the-month"> Trump&#8217;s announcement</a> could &#8220;fuel cryptocurrency prices overall headed into spring.&#8221; He predicted that Bitcoin could soon reach $100,000 again and possibly hit new all-time highs later this month if the positive momentum continues. Additionally, market strategist Tom Lee had expressed optimism about Bitcoin&#8217;s long-term prospects. In a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44070486/bitcoin-will-surge-in-value-and-adoption-in-long-term-says-tom-lee-while-casting-doubt-on-near-term-performance-im-not-really-bearish-on-it-but">RiskReversal Podcast</a>, he stated that he expected the trust around Bitcoin to grow over the next five years.
<ul>
<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44069015/bitcoin-is-digital-gold-but-whats-the-rationale-for-an-xrp-reserve-asks-peter-schiff-cardano-founder-charles-hoskinson-says-trump-made-the-right-decision">Bitcoin Is Digital Gold But &#8216;What&#8217;s The Rationale For An XRP Reserve&#8217;, Asks Peter Schiff: Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson Says Trump Made The Right Decision</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

MSTR Stock Up Nearly 13% In Monday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

President Donald Trump&nbsp;is set to host the inaugural cryptocurrency summit at the White House next Friday. This event marks a significant step in his administration&#8217;s engagement with the crypto industry.
What Happened:&nbsp;The summit will feature speeches from Trump and include key figures such as&nbsp;founders, CEOs, and investors from&nbsp;the cryptocurrency sector, along with members of the president&#8217;s Working Group on Digital Assets, according to a statement from the White House.
David Sacks, a venture capitalist and the White House&#8217;s crypto czar, will lead the event, with&nbsp;Bo Hines&nbsp;serving as the executive director.
Shortly after assuming office, Trump signed an executive order establishing a working group to advise on digital asset policy.
This group comprises the Treasury and Justice Departments, the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission (SEC,)&nbsp;and the Commodity Futures Trading&nbsp;Commission (CFTC.)
During his 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to streamline regulations and support a stablecoin framework, a promise that has yet to be fully realized.
The administration&#8217;s approach contrasts with the previous administration&#8217;s stringent regulatory stance following the collapse of the FTX exchange.
Trump&#8217;s involvement in the crypto space includes launching a memecoin and supporting World Liberty Financial,&nbsp;a project involving his sons.
Price Action: Reacting to the news, major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>), Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), and others surged.
BTC shot past the $85,000 mark, while Dogecoin surged more than 10% over the past 24 hours at the time of writing.
Why It Matters: The upcoming summit is pivotal as it comes amid a complex landscape for cryptocurrencies.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/44041389/bitcoin-will-still-hit-500000-before-trump-leaves-office-standard-chartered-analyst-maintains">Geoff Kendrick</a>, Standard Chartered's Head of Digital Assets Research, recently expressed optimism about the crypto market&#8217;s medium-term prospects under Trump&#8217;s administration. He highlighted the removal of SAB 121, which has eased restrictions on U.S. financial institutions entering the crypto space.
However, the initial excitement surrounding Trump&#8217;s presidency and its potential deregulatory impact on the crypto industry has begun to wane. As discussed at a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/44063764/cryptos-trump-era-honeymoon-fades-as-regulatory-reality-sets-in">Denarii Labs panel</a>, legal experts are questioning whether the administration can fulfill its blockchain promises or if international competitors will capitalize on the opportunity first.
Additionally, recent market volatility, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43987636/bitcoin-tumbles-below-85000-amid-president-trumps-eu-tariff-threats">Bitcoin&#8217;s slide</a>&nbsp;below $85,000 following Trump&#8217;s EU tariff threats, underscores the challenges facing the crypto sector. The summit could provide clarity on the administration&#8217;s direction and its potential impact on the market.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44064917/trump-says-ukraines-zelensky-is-not-ready-for-peace-after-oval-office-spat-he-disrespected-the-united-states-of-a?upcache=23">Trump Says Ukraine&#8217;s Zelensky Is &#8216;Not Ready For Peace&#8217; After Oval Office Spat: &#8216;He Disrespected The United States Of America&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image created via photos on Shutterstock

$DOGE

Trump To Host First-Ever White House Crypto Summit Next Friday: BTC Surges Past $85,000, DOGE Surges Over 10%

The $1.4 billion Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) theft from cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has not only sent shockwaves through the market but also revived a long-standing contentious debate—implementing a hard fork to recover hacked funds.
The enormity of the hack, <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43901287/north-koreas-lazarus-group-suspected-in-1-4-billion-bybit-crypto-hack">considered</a> the biggest in cryptocurrency history, and the involvement of North Korea's state-backed Lazarus Group have motivated these demands.
Blockchain technologist Samson Mow argued that rolling back the Ethereum chain would <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43903598/bitcoin-enthusiast-proposes-ethereum-chain-rollback-post-14b-bybit-cyber-heist">hinder</a> Kim Jong Un-ruled North Korea from using the funds to fund its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41198689/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-war-but-souths-president-calls-it-a-bid-for-us-attention">nuclear weapons program</a>. 
However, several analysts that Benzinga spoke to said such a move would be detrimental to the network and the broader cryptocurrency industry.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&#8216;Hard Fork Could Trigger Exodus of Applications To Other Chains&#8217;</h2>
Kadan Stadelmann, blockchain developer and Chief Technology Officer of Komodo Platform, said that any rollback would end up causing "extensive ripple effects" for any individuals or companies using ETH as settlement
"In addition, it would be a big shock across the Dapp layer, potentially causing an exodus to other blockchains as developers lose confidence in the immutability of the Ethereum blockchain," Stadelmann emphasized.&nbsp;
A hard fork splits the blockchain into two separate versions, typically initiated after a significant security violation.&nbsp;
The most notable case was the $50 million <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/02/25746078/this-austrian-programmer-was-behind-the-2016-dao-hack-that-defined-ethereums-history-says-">Decentralized Autonomous Organization hack</a> in 2016, which resulted in the creation of the new Ethereum blockchain as we know it today and the unaltered network known as Ethereum Classic (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/etc/usd">ETC</a>). The move helped confiscate the stolen funds and placed them in a new program.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44032261/michael-saylor-advocates-for-us-leadership-in-bitcoin-and-crypto-to-house-financial-services-committee"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/44033154/jamie-dimon-was-a-believer-in-smart-contract-cryptos-long-before-jpmorgan-started-piling-on-ethereum-etfs-heres-what-he-said">Jamie Dimon Was A Believer In Smart Contract Cryptos Long Before JPMorgan Hit The Buy Button On Ethereum ETFs: Here&#8217;s What The CEO Said</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Difference Between DAO 2016 And Bybit 2025</h2>
"Ethereum is now roughly 300 times larger than it was in 2016—if the entire network forked around one hack, it would risk confidence and trust in the platform at large,&#8221; said Austin King, former Ripple (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) executive and CEO of Omni Labs.
Amir Forouzani, co-founder of Ethereum-based Puffer Labs, reiterated this sentiment, stating that many more decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and stablecoins have been built atop Ethereum since the 2016 hack, and a hard fork would "heavily disrupt" these.
Indeed, Ethereum had a total value locked worth nearly $50 billion, <a href="https://defillama.com/chain/Ethereum">according</a> to DeFiLlama, making it the world's most valuable blockchain at the time of writing.&nbsp;
Forouzani also highlighted the scale difference between the two hacks. While the 2016 event led to the theft of nearly 5% of ETH's supply, the Bybit hack affected only 0.33% of the total supply. He said that had the hack been larger, different considerations might have come into play.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Debate Around Immutability</h2>
One of the influential proponents of the idea of the rollback is Arthur Hayes, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX and Chief Investment Officer at Maelstrom Fund.
"My own view as a mega ETH bag holder is ETH stopped being money in 2016 after the DAO hack hardfork. If the community wanted to do it again, I would support it because we already voted no on immutability in 2016, [why] not do it again?"
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">My own view as a mega <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> bag holder is <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> stopped being money in 2016 after the DAO hack hardfork. If the community wanted to do it again, I would support it because we already voted no on immutability in 2016 y not do it again?
&mdash; Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) <a href="https://twitter.com/CryptoHayes/status/1893070933482737805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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However, Trever Koverko, Web3 investor and co-founder of Sapien, believed that immutability is a core principle of Ethereum, and reversing transactions will undermine trust and decentralization.&nbsp;
"Instead of rewriting history, the focus should be on stronger security practices and on-chain insurance solutions," Koverko suggested.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Ethereum was exchanging hands at $$2,111.37, down 9.74% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. 
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44032261/michael-saylor-advocates-for-us-leadership-in-bitcoin-and-crypto-to-house-financial-services-committee">Michael Saylor Presents &#8216;Digital Assets Framework&#8217; To House Committe, Pitches For US Supremancy In Bitcoin, Crypto</a></li>
</ul>

$ETC

Bybit's Mega Ethereum Hack Sparks Hard Fork Divide—A Choice Between Preventing Kim Jong Un's Nuclear Ambitions And Blockchain Immutability?

The criminal entity that stole $1.4 billion worth of Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) from cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has laundered roughly 30% of the hacked funds.
What happened: The hacker has washed about 145,065 ETH, worth $360.92 million, in five days since the hack, <a href="https://platform.spotonchain.ai/en/entity/2440">according</a> to data from Spot On Chain.
The hacker has been splitting the funds into smaller amounts across multiple addresses and using the liquidity protocol THORChain (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/rune/usd">RUNE</a>) for cross-chain swaps into Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) and other assets.
With over 354,330 ETH still in their possession, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43906580/would-you-believe-it-bybit-hacker-now-holds-more-eth-than-vitalik-buterin-and-the-ethereum-foundation">scammer holds more </a>ETH than Vitalik Buterin, the blockchain's creator, and the Ethereum Foundation. 
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43931332/peter-schiff-questions-michael-saylor-led-strategys-leverage-bitcoin-play-amid-share-price-decline-massive-dilution-has-destroyed-shareholder-value">Peter Schiff Questions Michael Saylor-Led Strategy&#8217;s Leverage Bitcoin Play Amid MSTR Decline: &#8216;Massive Dilution Has Destroyed Shareholder Value&#8217;</a>
Widely followed on-chain analyst EmberCN said that at the current rate, the funds will be laundered in another 8-10 days.
&nbsp;Laundering is the process of concealing the origins of illegal money through transfers involving legitimate mediums. 
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Bybit 黑客在过去 24 小时洗走了 4.59 万枚 ETH ($1.13 亿)。目前他们一共已经洗走了 13.5 万枚 ETH ($3.35 亿)，接近三分之一了。 现在 Bybit 黑客地址里还有 36.39 万枚 ETH ($9 亿)。以目前的频率只需要再有 8~10 天就洗完了。 本文由 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitget?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitget</a>｜<a href="https://twitter.com/Bitget_zh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bitget_zh</a> 赞助 <a href="https://t.co/nNwpWP0uEE">https://t.co/nNwpWP0uEE</a> <a href="https://t.co/tpIi3LD7FU">pic.twitter.com/tpIi3LD7FU</a>
&mdash; 余烬 (@EmberCN) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmberCN/status/1894561919010574773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It Matters: The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43901287/north-koreas-lazarus-group-suspected-in-1-4-billion-bybit-crypto-hack">massive breach</a>, allegedly carried out by North Korea&#8217;s notorious Lazarus Group, stunned the market, raising concerns about the safety of assets kept in exchange custody and a run on deposits.
While Bybit revealed that it <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43905078/bybit-nears-recovery-after-crypto-heist-freezes-42-89-million-in-stolen-funds-secures-1-23-billion-in-eth-through-whales-and-loans">"fully closed" the ETH gap</a>, returning to a 1:1 backing of its client assets, the likelihood of a massive dump of the hacked funds shook the markets. 
Price Action: At the time of writing, Ethereum was exchanging hands at $2,483.25 down 7.68% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Since the hack, the second-largest cryptocurrency has fallen over 12%.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Read Next:&nbsp;
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43931639/riot-platforms-ceo-reaffirms-plan-to-boost-bitcoin-yield-but-not-looking-too-closely-at-strategys-maneuvers">Riot Platforms CEO Reaffirms Plan To Boost Bitcoin Yield But &#8216;Not Looking Too Closely&#8217; At Michael Saylor-Led Strategy&#8217;s Maneuvers</a></li>
</ul>

$RUNE

Bybit Hacker Launders Nearly 30% Of Hacked $1.4 Billion ETH In 5 Days — Needs Only 8-10 Days To Finish The Job

The cryptocurrency market encountered headwinds last week, although a few under-the-radar coins notched up significant gains.&nbsp;
What happened: IP, the native token of Layer-1 blockchain Story, powered above the rest of the market with a whopping 138% jump last week.&nbsp;
Launched just 10 days ago, the token spawned a billion-dollar valuation last week, cruising to a peak value of $7.11.
The blockchain project helps creators register, license, and monetize their intellectual property assets, with IP used for paying transaction fees.
S, the native token of the high-speed blockchain platform Sonic, came a distant second, surging 58% over the week. The coin has been on an upward curve in February, up over 56% over the last month.
Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)-based MKR token, serving as the utility and governance token of stablecoin issuing protocol Maker, rallied 53% to become the third-most successful coin last week.&nbsp;
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Story (IP)</td>
<td>+138.85%</td>
<td>$3.96</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sonic (S)</td>
<td>+58.32%</td>
<td>$0.865</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Maker (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/mkr/usd">MKR</a>)</td>
<td>+53.28%</td>
<td>$1,536</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43826697/bitcoin-early-in-bull-market-can-compete-with-gold-etfs-blockstream-ceo-says">Bitcoin &#8216;Early In Bull Market,&#8217; Can Compete With Gold ETFs, Blockstream CEO Says</a>
Market barometer Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) contracted 0.83%, while ETH eked out a gain of 1.69%.&nbsp;
Other large-cap currencies like Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) and Cardano (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ada/usd">ADA</a>) bled 13.57% and 8.56%, respectively. XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) also slipped 3.71%.
Popular meme coins like Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/shib/usd">SHIB</a>) were also hit by the bearish wave, slumping 12.50% and 6.52%, respectively.&nbsp;
The sentiment was majorly hit by the massive $1.4 billion ETH hack on cryptocurrency exchange Bybit, <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43901287/north-koreas-lazarus-group-suspected-in-1-4-billion-bybit-crypto-hack">allegedly executed</a> by North Korean state-backed actors.
Overall, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization contracted 1.8% over the week to $3.13 trillion.
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43825637/donald-trump-says-us-is-successfully-negotiating-with-russia-over-ukraine-but-polymarket-traders-arent-convinced">Donald Trump Says US Is &#8216;Successfully Negotiating With Russia&#8217; Over Ukraine, But Polymarket Traders Aren&#8217;t Convinced</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

$MKR

$SHIB

Bitcoin, Dogecoin Stumble, But This New Crypto Skyrockets 140% In A Week

Ethereum's (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) recent weekend pump to $2,826 sparked hopes of a sustained rally. But the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/ethereum-eth-price-predictions">optimism was short-lived</a>.
What Happened: A quick retrace to $2,700 left traders questioning whether the uptrend is merely delayed or if Ethereum remains vulnerable.  
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Price&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>Market Cap</td>
<td>24-Hour Trend</td>
<td>7-Day Trend</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)</td>
<td>&nbsp;$2,677.31</td>
<td>$322.7 billion</td>
<td>-4.4%&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;+0.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td>
<td>&nbsp;$95,415.78</td>
<td>$1.89 trillion</td>
<td>-0.9%</td>
<td>-1.6%&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>)</td>
<td>&nbsp;$2.55</td>
<td>$147.9 billion</td>
<td>-4.6%&nbsp;</td>
<td>+3.6%&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Trader Notes: Crypto trader Michael van de Poppe commented that Ethereum's failure to close above key levels means the "party got delayed" and expects another test of the lows before a potential move higher.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Seems like the party got delayed. Daily couldn&#39;t close above the crucial area for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a>. Another test of the lows before rotating upwards? <a href="https://t.co/zHplZBHyPo">pic.twitter.com/zHplZBHyPo</a>
&mdash; Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) <a href="https://twitter.com/CryptoMichNL/status/1891791518102384981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Santiment <a href="https://x.com/santimentfeed/status/1891625787620577568">data</a> shows Ethereum supply on exchanges dropped to a record low of 6.38%, signaling long-term accumulation. Community interest has risen in February, with traders anticipating a recovery after ETH underperformed against large caps in 2024.
Daan Crypto Trades <a href="https://x.com/DaanCrypto/status/1891770650814976112">observed</a> that ETH has fully retraced in both price and open interest, shedding most of the $1.5 billion added during the pump. He warns that aggressive long positioning on small green days is unsustainable without stronger spot demand—which is currently lacking.
Statistics: Industry expert Quinten <a href="https://x.com/QuintenFrancois/status/1891751960107192496">highlighted</a> that Ethereum whale holdings (10,000 to 100,000 ETH) have surged from 3,400 in January to over 4,000 currently, per CryptoQuant.
IntoTheBlock data shows Ethereum large transaction volume expanded by 83.3% and exchanges netflows by 815.2% in a single day. Daily active addresses dropped by 1.7%. Transactions greater than $100,000 surged from 3,711 to 6,682.
Glassnode <a href="https://x.com/glassnode/status/1891487193140543632">data </a>shows U.S. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of 145,000 ETH in February—nearly 7x the total inflows of January.
Coinglass data shows Ethereum open interest spiked to $24.4 billion, highest since Feb 4. In the past 24 hours, Ethereum liquidations stood at $48.5 million.
Community News: Asset manager Brevan Howard Digital's Abu Dhabi branch allocated $20 million to Kinto, an Ethereum layer-2 platform with built-in compliance mechanisms, CoinDesk <a href="https://x.com/CoinDesk/status/1891493268807885136">reported</a>.
Also, Ethereum's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43763591/ethereum-slashes-fees-by-70-ahead-of-pectra-fusakas-april-rollout">network fees dropped by 70%</a> over the past week, ahead of Pectra and Fusaka upgrades in April 2025.
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Ethereum Struggles To Hold $2,700: Is The Rally Just Delayed?

Whales collected hundreds of millions of dollars in Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), capitalizing on the world&#8217;s second-largest cryptocurrency&#8217;s subdued rates.
What Happened: Two substantial Ethereum withdrawals from cryptocurrency exchanges were reported by on-chain tracking platform Lookonchain in a Monday X post.
The first withdrawal involved 56,909 ETH, worth 151.6 million, from Binance, while the second whale accumulated a combined 64,603 ETH, valued at $171.8 million, from Binance and Bitfinex. Both transactions occurred within a 48-hour window.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">It seems that whales are accumulating <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a>! 0xb99a&#8230;BcF5 withdrew 56,909 <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a>($151.6M) from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Binance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Binance</a> 4 hours ago. 0xEd0C&#8230;4312 withdrew 64,603 <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a>($171.8M) from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Binance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Binance</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitfinex?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitfinex</a> in the past 48 hours.<a href="https://t.co/hLMs0ziEUI">https://t.co/hLMs0ziEUI</a><a href="https://t.co/TXrSYqOSKQ">https://t.co/TXrSYqOSKQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/a6Oe20q946">pic.twitter.com/a6Oe20q946</a>
&mdash; Lookonchain (@lookonchain) <a href="https://twitter.com/lookonchain/status/1889169910032650631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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These withdrawals were part of a market-wide phenomenon, as Ethereum recorded net exchange outflows of over $51 million in the last 24 hours, <a href="https://app.intotheblock.com/?end_offset=20">according </a>to data from IntoTheBlock. Typically, when more funds exit exchanges than they enter, it suggests a bullish outlook. 
Additionally, a 16% jump in transactions valued over $100,000 indicated a renewed interest among whale investors in accumulating ETH.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43584910/man-who-accidentally-lost-his-775-million-bitcoin-stash-expresses-desire-to-buy-the-landfill-site">Man Whose $775 Million Bitcoin Fortune Lies Buried In A Landfill Now Wants To Buy The Trash Heap</a>
Why It Matters: The accumulation by large investors comes at a time when Wall Street hedge funds <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43586765/wall-streets-ethereum-short-positioning-skyrockets-the-extreme-positioning-has-caused-eth-to-underperform-bitcoin-says-analyst">have been increasingly betting against ETH</a>. A report suggested that the short positioning has surged by 40% in a week&#8217;s time and 500% since November. 
ETH was also the least popular of the three largest cryptocurrencies, <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%201-m&amp;geo=US&amp;q=ethereum,XRP,Bitcoin&amp;hl=en">according </a>to Google Trends data, with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) and XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) generating much higher search interest.
Interestingly, Eric Trump, President Donald Trump&#8217;s son, <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43484922/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-drops-as-trumps-crypto-czar-announces-oversight-committee-eric-trump-says-great-time-to-add-eth">suggested last week on X</a> that "it's a great time to add ETH," potentially influencing decisions of certain players.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Ethereum was exchanging hands at $2,716.83, up 3.25% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Year-to-date, the coin has endured losses of over 18%.
Image via Shutterstock
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Week After Eric Trump Said 'Great Time To Add ETH,' Whales Stock Up Over $300 Million In Ethereum — What's Cooking

Cryptocurrencies themed on video game retailer GameStop Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NYSE">GME</a>) were up in the green Monday, buoyed by interest in CEO Ryan Cohen&#8217;s picture with Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor.&nbsp;
What happened: Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)-based GameStop soared nearly 50% in the last 24 hours, with its trading volume surging by 37% to $1.83 million, <a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/gamestop/">according</a> to CoinMarketCap.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price (Recorded at 10:30 p.m. ET)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GameStop (GME)</td>
<td>+49.52%</td>
<td>$0.0001924</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GmeStop (GME)</td>
<td>+3.54%</td>
<td>$0.001948</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The rise alleviated some of the coin&#8217;s problems, which had lost more than 33% over the last month.
Similarly, Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>)-based GmeStop, with a much lower market capitalization, rose over 3% in the last 24 hours.&nbsp;
It's worth noting that these coins aren&#8217;t directly tied to GameStop but rather seek to capitalize on the hype surrounding the meme stock.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43584910/man-who-accidentally-lost-his-775-million-bitcoin-stash-expresses-desire-to-buy-the-landfill-site">Man Whose $775 Million Bitcoin Fortune Lies Buried In A Landfill Now Wants To Buy The Trash Heap</a>
The uptick comes after <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/02/43605313/gamestop-stock-is-surging-monday-whats-going-on">Cohen posted a picture with Saylor</a> on X over the weekend, spurring speculations that the company could be leaning toward Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) investments.
Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, is the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, and Saylor is known for consistently <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43583287/michael-saylor-declares-death-to-blue-lines-long-live-green-dots-is-strategys-btc-purchase-streak-about-to-resume">pushing for the asset's adoption</a>.&nbsp;
GameStop has been one of the most popular retail stocks in the last few years, helped by the historic 2021 meme stock craze that saw the stock squeeze higher. Keith Gill, also known as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/roaring-kitty">&#8220;Roaring Kitty,"</a> has been influencing GameStop price action with cryptic posts on X.
Price Action: Shares of GameStop soared 9.66% to $27.12 during Monday&#8217;s regular session and were up 0.99% in after-hours trading, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. 
Photo by Igor Faun on Shutterstock
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GameStop-Themed Crypto Rallies 50% After Ryan Cohen Posts Intriguing Photo With Bitcoin Bull Michael Saylor

The cryptocurrency market saw multiple headwinds last week, resulting in a large decline in market value. However, a few coins overcame the slump to post significant gains.
What happened: HYPE, the native token of the decentralized exchange Hyperliquid, topped the biggest gainers list, rallying 7.5% over the week. The coin accumulated massive gains of 586% over the last year
Hyperliquid is a decentralized trading platform that utilizes its own Layer-1 blockchain.
Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)-based DEXE token was the second-highest gainer, marginally trailing HYPE in weekly returns. Like HYPE, DEXE was coming off a successful 2024, with a 625% increase over the year.
DeXe is the governance token of the DeXe Protocol—a tool used for creating and governing decentralized autonomous organizations.&nbsp;
Similarly, OM, the token associated with the layer-1 blockchain MANTRA, rallied over 6% to become the third-most cryptocurrency in the last 24 hours. The cryptocurrency hit a record high of $5.87 last week and is one of the few to record sizable year-to-date gains, at nearly 29%.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hyperliquid (HYPE)</td>
<td>+7.56%</td>
<td>$22.58</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DeXe (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">DEXE</a>)</td>
<td>+7.41%</td>
<td>$21.22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MANTRA (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/om/usd">OM</a>)</td>
<td>+6.28%</td>
<td>$4.97</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Elsewhere, the market didn't paint a rosy picture. Blue-chip coins like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) sank 7.11% and 20.56%, respectively.
XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) also corrected sharply on Sunday, bringing their weekly losses to 26.56% and 15.25%.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43425216/elon-musk-supports-putting-treasury-department-operations-on-blockchain-to-fix-irregularities">Elon Musk Says Treasury Officials &#8216;Breaking The Law Every Hour&#8217; By Approving Fraudulent Payments — DOGE Lead Wants A Blockchain Fix</a>
XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) also corrected sharply on Sunday, bringing their weekly losses to 26.56% and 15.25%.
Meme coin heavyweights also bled profusely, with Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/shib/usd">SHIB</a>) falling 28.93% and 19.65%, respectively.
Two significant events jolted capital markets last week. First, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43248978/could-bitcoin-see-a-deeper-dip-on-the-deepseek-ai-shock">China&#8217;s groundbreaking AI</a> model DeepSeek threatened the supremacy of U.S.-based IT behemoths, and second, President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43423781/trumps-trade-tariffs-to-close-e-commerce-loophole-favoring-chinese-online-retailers">tariff conflict</a> with neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico.
Overall, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization fell 11.66% over the week to $3.03 trillion.
Photo by CMP_NZ on Shutterstock
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$DEXE

Bitcoin, Dogecoin Ended Last Week On A Gloomy Note But These Coins Remained Resilient

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