Today's News Highlights:
VINE's market cap briefly surpasses $200 million, currently reported at $165 million
Chainalysis: 94% of TRUMP and MELANIA are held by about 40 whales
U.S. Marshals previously sold 144,000 bitcoins seized from Ross Ulbricht at $334 each
BlackRock CEO: Bitcoin could reach $700,000 amid concerns over currency devaluation
Cathie Wood: TRUMP is part of a new phase in the crypto revolution, may have future utility
Truth Terminal establishes a foundation and completes over-the-counter trading of $FARTCOIN
Bithumb to list ARDR and QKC on the Korean won market
Regulation/Macro
Berkshire Hathaway, led by Buffett, invests millions in crypto-related Brazilian bank Nu Holdings
According to Fortune magazine, Berkshire Hathaway CEO and Chairman Warren Buffett has repeatedly stated his position on cryptocurrencies and has never hidden his disdain for them. However, recent actions suggest that Berkshire Hathaway and some other investment managers may be gradually embracing cryptocurrencies. It is reported that Berkshire Hathaway has invested millions in Nu Holdings Ltd., a Brazilian bank related to cryptocurrencies, whose stock has risen 34% year-on-year. The company has its own cryptocurrency platform and supports the cryptocurrency market. According to documents from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Berkshire Hathaway's stake in Nu increased from 0.1% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 to 0.4% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. This means that by the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, Berkshire Hathaway holds over 86 million shares of Nu stock, valued at nearly $1.2 billion, while Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway are benefiting from an industry they previously claimed to know little about. It seems that Berkshire Hathaway is now making investments related to cryptocurrencies, and Buffett may need to revise his earlier statements about cryptocurrencies not having a significant impact.
Nasdaq's official X account allegedly hacked to promote fake Meme coins
According to The Block, Nasdaq's official X account was hacked and used to promote fraudulent Meme coins. The hackers linked a fake X account as an affiliate of Nasdaq and used the official Nasdaq account to retweet their posts, promoting a Meme coin named STONKS created on the same day. The post has since been deleted, and the fake X account has been suspended. The Meme coin appears to be an imitator of an existing Meme coin of the same name on Solana, which holds the intellectual property rights to the meme. According to data from DEXscreener, the market cap of the fake Meme coin STONKSD soared to $80 million but soon crashed. This incident follows a pattern of well-known X accounts being hacked to promote scam tokens, with previous incidents involving celebrities and institutions.
French media @LeFildInfo has released an update stating that they have obtained important new information regarding the Ledger case. A detailed post will be published soon. Previously, the media reported that Ledger founder Eric Larch was allegedly kidnapped, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom in Bitcoin. However, Cointelegraph reported that close associates of the Ledger founder responded warning: the late tech entrepreneur John McAfee's X account appears to have been hacked and posted a token contract
The late tech entrepreneur John McAfee's X account appears to have been hacked, with the attacker impersonating McAfee claiming to "return" and posting a token contract address, urging users to remain vigilant. Previously, in 2021, cryptocurrency advocate and antivirus pioneer John McAfee committed suicide in a Spanish prison.
Rumors of kidnapping suggest his current personal safety is at risk.
U.S. House Democrats call for an ethical investigation into Trump's crypto project
According to Cointelegraph, U.S. Democratic Congressman Gerald Connolly from Virginia has called for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to investigate whether President Trump's cryptocurrency venture conflicts with his presidential duties. In a letter to Committee Republican Chairman James Comer on January 21, Connolly stated that Trump may have profited from his World Liberty Financial (WLFI) platform and the Meme coin TRUMP, which could violate ethical standards and pose national security risks; Trump's WLF platform is "particularly concerning" because its largest investor, Tron founder Justin Sun, is a foreign entrepreneur, and the SEC has charged him with securities fraud. He added that such financial "entanglements" raise "serious national security concerns" about foreign powers potentially influencing U.S. policy. Connolly wrote, "If such behavior is allowed to continue unchecked, it will send a signal to the American people that the oversight committee is unwilling or unable to enforce the standards it claims to uphold." He also stated that without the committee's intervention, Trump is unlikely to comply with "any provision" of the Presidential Ethics Reform Act, which requires financial disclosures and conflict of interest checks.
Kansas' new bill proposes to invest the state's public employee retirement fund in Bitcoin ETFs
According to Bitcoin Magazine, Kansas Senator Bowser has introduced Senate Bill No. 34, which aims to invest the public employee retirement fund in Bitcoin ETFs. According to the text of the bill, it seeks to authorize the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) Trust Committee to invest up to 10% of the funds in the Kansas public employee retirement fund in Bitcoin ETF products.
U.S. Marshals previously sold 144,000 bitcoins seized from Ross Ulbricht at $334 each
According to Fortune magazine, although Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht has regained his freedom, the wealth he lost cannot be recovered. In 2013, the FBI seized 144,000 bitcoins held by Ulbricht, and the U.S. Marshals arranged a series of auctions in 2014 to sell over 144,000 bitcoins belonging to Ulbricht. Due to poor timing, the Marshals sold these bitcoins in early 2014 when the price of Bitcoin fell from over $1,000 to nearly $300, a modern low. Today, the value of 144,000 bitcoins is approximately $14 billion, but they were sold for just over $48 million at the time, equivalent to about $334 each—less than 0.5% of their current value. Ulbricht challenged the seizure legally but ultimately abandoned it in 2017, relinquishing any claim to those bitcoins. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the auction was venture capitalist Tim Draper, who bought about 30,000 bitcoins. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has since pursued other cryptocurrency seizure cases related to "Silk Road," including the seizure and sale of bitcoins stolen by corrupt federal agents during the initial investigation, as well as thousands of bitcoins seized from an anonymous hacker who also robbed Ulbricht, for which a court order was obtained this month for sale.
Harry Jung to lead the CFTC's work related to cryptocurrencies, DeFi, and digital assets
According to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) official website, CFTC Acting Chair Caroline D. Pham announced today a leadership change at the CFTC, with Harry Jung, in addition to serving as Chief Advisor to Acting Chair Pham, also leading the CFTC's work in the areas of cryptocurrencies, DeFi, and other digital assets. He will further promote the development of these areas based on his previous experience as a designated federal official on the CFTC Global Markets Advisory Committee. Harry joined the CFTC in 2023, serving as an advisor and senior policy advisor to then-Commissioner Pham. Before joining the CFTC, Harry worked in the CEO's office and the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) office at Citigroup.
Trump-appointed U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar holds at least $1 million in Bitcoin
According to Bloomberg, based on forms released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics on Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services appointed by Trump, holds assets valued between $6.9 million and $29.5 million. According to his ethics agreement, he holds at least $1 million in Bitcoin, which is his most valuable asset, and he does not plan to sell it. Trump has promised to provide a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment than the previous administration under President Joe Biden.
CoinShares applied for a Dogecoin-related ETF in Delaware last month
According to Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart, CoinShares submitted documents to the state of Delaware in December last year to register the COINSHARES DOGE ETF.
CME website hints that XRP and SOL futures will debut in February
According to Cointelegraph, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) website hinted at the launch of SOL and XRP futures contracts, which may debut as early as February 10, pending regulatory approval. According to information from the website (which has since removed the page), contracts for both assets will be available in standard and micro sizes, with the standard SOL contract size being 500 SOL and the micro contract size being 25 SOL. The standard XRP futures contract size is 50,000 XRP, while the micro futures contract size is 2,500 XRP. All XRP and SOL contracts will be settled in U.S. dollars.
Bitwise applied for a Dogecoin-related ETF in Delaware
According to the official website of the Delaware Secretary of State, Bitwise has submitted documents to Delaware to register the Bitwise Dogecoin ETF. The formation date is January 22, 2025, and the registered agent is CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart commented, "Note: This is just a trust registration and not yet a formal ETF filing submitted to the SEC. At least not at this time."
Financing
According to Bloomberg, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation are fully supporting a new startup that aims to make Ethereum the best cryptocurrency on Wall Street. The company, named Etherealize, was founded by Vivek Raman, who previously worked as a bond trader at Nomura Holdings and UBS Group, and has received investment from Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation. While Buterin's organization confirmed the investment, neither party disclosed the specific amount. Raman stated that he and a team of eight full-time employees have begun operations in New York this month, promoting Ethereum to financial companies while developing products to make it easier for banks to use the Ethereum network.
AI
Pionex: John McAfee's X account was not hacked, Alntivirus token is related to his AI avatar
Security company Pionex released an update on the X platform stating that the late tech entrepreneur John McAfee's X account was not hacked. They provided a screenshot of a tweet from John McAfee's X account, which claimed that the Alntivirus token is related to John McAfee's AI avatar. Data shows that Alntivirus (Ainti) once reached a market cap of $76.98 million but has now fallen back to $48.1 million.
According to Financial界, OpenAI's Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil stated that OpenAI expects to release a smarter GPT o3 model in February or March. Additionally, the company will launch its first batch of AI agent tools in the first quarter, enabling ChatGPT to perform real actions on computers. Weil provided an example of how ChatGPT could help his child fill out and submit a soccer registration form. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted in an interview on the 21st that AI surpassing human intelligence could emerge within two to three years. Weil hinted that this could even happen before 2027.
OpenAI and SoftBank to each invest $19 billion in the "Stargate" project, each holding 40% stake
According to Interface News, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed on the 22nd local time that OpenAI and SoftBank Group will each invest $19 billion in the "Stargate" data center joint venture, each holding 40% of the joint company. It is reported that Oracle and MGX will each contribute about $7 billion, with the remaining funds coming from limited partners and debt financing. Trump announced on the 21st at the White House that SoftBank Group, OpenAI, and Oracle will invest $500 billion to build infrastructure in the U.S. to support AI development. Trump stated that these three companies have teamed up to create a project called "Stargate," planning to build data centers in the U.S. to support AI development. The tech giants have pledged to immediately allocate $100 billion to build data centers and physical parks, with the ultimate investment goal reaching $500 billion.
Project Updates
OKX Ventures, The Open Platform (TOP), and Folius Ventures have jointly launched a $10 million Telegram Growth Hub, selecting the first seven projects to join. These projects will develop practical applications based on the TON ecosystem and leverage Telegram's vast user base for growth. Selected projects include: ShareX: Bringing real assets into TON through the Deshare Protocol, focusing on the development of a shared economy framework. Up Network: Developing environmental intelligence solutions for decentralized physical infrastructure. Zoo Finance INL: Launching Liquid Node Tokens (LNT) to standardize node ownership and trading. Aria: Building a gaming ecosystem on TON. Heyo: Developing location-based social experiences. Metya: Combining AI with DePIN technology to create the next-generation dating platform. FunX: Launching the mini-game "Coin Wars" to inspire creativity and fun. These teams will participate in a two-month acceleration program, receiving support for talent recruitment, community building funding, and development resources (such as OKX Mini Wallet), expert guidance, and marketing services.
Truth Terminal establishes a foundation and completes over-the-counter trading of $FARTCOIN
Truth Terminal founder Andy Ayrey announced that Truth Terminal has established a foundation to manage its related intellectual property and wallet assets, ensuring the independence and development space of the AI project. The foundation aims to protect Truth Terminal from external interference and assist in achieving its current goals, including providing legal and development support. This structure is seen as a short-term solution, with the ultimate goal of making Truth Terminal an autonomous entity. Additionally, the financial committee of Truth Terminal and Ayrey discussed in early January how to properly manage its wallet assets and avoid impacting the token market. Ultimately, they accepted an anonymous over-the-counter trading offer and completed the sale of part of the $FARTCOIN assets held by Truth Terminal on January 21 at noon. The trading conditions required the buyer not to sell in a way that would affect market prices. Part of the proceeds has been used to increase Truth Terminal's $GOAT holdings, with plans for long-term holding and exploring cooperative reward mechanisms. Ayrey also stated that the foundation has the capital capacity to hire teams, issue grants, and purchase GPUs and other equipment. In the future, the focus will be on building a sustainable council structure and supporting Truth Terminal's self-improvement infrastructure.
According to official news, BNB Chain has completed its 30th quarterly BNB burn, destroying a total of 1,634,200.95 BNB, with a dollar value of approximately $1.116 billion at the time of the burn.
Vine co-founder: Developer-held VINE will be locked until Vine restarts
Vine co-founder Rus Yusupov announced on the X platform that the VINE tokens held by developers have been locked until April 20. He also assured that these tokens will continue to be locked until Vine restarts. Previously, the short video platform Vine co-founder announced the issuance of VINECOIN and released a video confirming that the account had not been hacked. Earlier, Musk stated on January 19 that the X platform is considering restarting Vine services. Vine was a well-known 6-second short video platform under Twitter, established in 2012 and closed its core services in 2017.
TON Core Releases Roadmap for the First Half of 2025: Including Accelerator Mainnet Upgrade and More
According to official news, TON Core has released its roadmap for the first half of 2025, which includes: Accelerator mainnet upgrade; new tools for validators; a new version of the Toncenter API with new features; user experience (UX) guidelines and collaborations with leading community products DeDust, MyTonWallet, TonScan, TON Diamond, and Stakee; the launch of a Layer2 payment network; sidechain research; a new version of the TOLK 1.0 programming language, which includes structures, pattern matching, and smart contract interfaces; and assistance in launching TON BTC Teleport.
Vine Co-Founder Announces the Issuance of VINECOIN, Current Market Cap Approximately $27 Million
Rus Yusupov, co-founder of the short video platform Vine, announced the issuance of VINECOIN on the X platform and released a video confirming that the account had not been hacked. The market cap of VINECOIN once exceeded $90.65 million but has now fallen back to $27 million. Previously, Musk stated on January 19 that the X platform is considering restarting Vine services. Vine was a well-known 6-second short video platform under Twitter, established in 2012 and closed its core services in 2017.
Bithumb to Launch ARDR and QKC on KRW Market
According to an official announcement, the South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb will launch ARDR and QKC on the KRW market.
Animecoin Launches ANIME Airdrop Check Page, Claims Open at 9 PM Tonight
The anime project Animecoin has launched an ANIME airdrop check page, with claims opening at 9 PM Beijing time tonight. According to the previously released ANIME token economics, the total supply of ANIME is 10 billion, with an initial circulation of 7.69 billion. Of these, 37.5% of the tokens will be allocated to the Azuki community, 13% will be used for AnimeDAO, 24.44% will be allocated to the Animecoin Foundation, 2% will be allocated to partner communities, 15.62% will be allocated to the team and advisors, and 7.44% will be used for Azuki company.
Frax Finance Proposes Up to $10 Million Investment in Trump Family Crypto Project WLFI
The community of the decentralized stablecoin protocol Frax Finance has initiated a new proposal to authorize an initial investment of $5 million in the Trump family crypto project World Liberty Financial (WLFI), positioning FRAX as part of the WLFI ecosystem, with subsequent investments potentially reaching up to $10 million, depending on the success of the collaboration.
Binance.US to List Official Trump (TRUMP)
According to an official announcement, Binance.US will list Official Trump (TRUMP). TRUMP deposits are now open on Binance.US, and trading for the TRUMP/USDT pair will begin at 6 AM Eastern Time on January 23 (7 PM Beijing time on January 23).
Lido Co-Founder Clarifies: Ethereum's "Second Foundation" Has Not Been Established
According to The Block, in response to rumors that the Ethereum Foundation would separate into a new organization called the "Second Foundation," Lido co-founder Konstantin Lomashuk issued a statement saying, "In fact, the Second Foundation has not been established." He continued, "Ethereum is the ultimate world computer, and every Ethereum enthusiast can help it grow, evolve, and succeed. If the Second Foundation is really established, it must have a clear goal to complement the tremendous work of current contributors. I appreciate everyone's support and believe we need more organizations to contribute to Ethereum." Lomashuk's statement came after he participated in posts related to the "Second Foundation," leading some to believe he was a behind-the-scenes driver for the launch of this new organization. Given the strong community response, some believe the "Second Foundation" may be related to Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin's promise of a "significant transformation" for the Ethereum Foundation. Previously, on January 18, Vitalik stated that the leadership structure of the Ethereum Foundation, its communication with the developer community, and its support for them would undergo "significant changes" due to criticism over the lack of participation in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Coinbase to List Toshi (TOSHI)
Coinbase Assets announced on the X platform that Coinbase will add support for Toshi (TOSHI) on the Base network. Please do not send this asset through other networks, as funds may be at risk of loss. If liquidity conditions are met, trading will begin at 9 AM Pacific Time on January 23 (1 AM Beijing time on January 24) or later. Once the asset supply is sufficient, trading for the TOSHI-USD pair will be launched in phases.
Opinions
David Einhorn, founder of Greenlight Capital, expressed skepticism about the hype in the crypto market in his latest letter to investors, stating that digital assets are approaching dangerous speculative levels. He noted that the market has entered the "shitcoin" phase and criticized the speculative rise of meme coins. This year, "shitcoins" have risen nearly 60%, but Einhorn believes their utility is limited and is supported only by trading and speculation. Additionally, Einhorn warned about the hype surrounding the recently launched Trump coin and other meme coins, suggesting that the market may become even crazier in the future. He also questioned the feasibility of the U.S. government purchasing Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, calling it a "suspicious" use of taxpayer funds. Greenlight Capital has established short positions on MicroStrategy-related leveraged ETFs, as Einhorn believes these products are destined to fail due to high volatility and costs. He also criticized the market's bullish predictions and speculative behavior regarding Bitcoin, aligning with other Wall Street heavyweights in questioning the actual value of cryptocurrencies.
According to Fox Business News reporter Eleanor Terrett, a spokesperson for CME Group clarified that the information regarding XRP and SOL futures contracts that appeared on the Beta website was a miscommunication, and no official decision has been made regarding the launch of these two cryptocurrency futures contracts. Update: The CME spokesperson stated that XRP and SOL futures contracts have not been confirmed for launch, and the website information was a miscommunication.
BlackRock CEO: Bitcoin Could Reach $700,000 Amid Concerns Over Currency Devaluation
According to Cointelegraph, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink discussed the future of digital currencies during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He stated that due to concerns over currency devaluation, the price of Bitcoin could rise to $700,000. Fink said, "A small allocation of 2% to 5% from asset management companies could drive up the price of Bitcoin. If you are worried about currency devaluation or the economic or political stability of a country, you can have an internationally-based tool—Bitcoin—that can overcome these localized fears." However, he stated that he is not promoting Bitcoin. Fink also expressed concerns that inflation may rise in the next 12 months and warned that assuming inflation has peaked is dangerous.
Cathie Wood: TRUMP Is Part of a New Phase of the Crypto Revolution, May Have Utility in the Future
Cathie Wood, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of ARK Invest, stated in an interview with Bloomberg TV, "We don't know how much utility President Trump's meme coin has, but Trump is 'leading the next phase of the cryptocurrency revolution.'" Additionally, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas posted on the X platform, stating, "We asked Wood about her views on TRUMP; she said it is a meme coin, and she personally would not buy it, as she only holds BTC, ETH, and SOL, but she does not think it is something terrible, believing it is part of a new phase that is coming and may have some utility in the future."
Important Data
A Suspected VINE Insider Currently Has Floating Profits Exceeding $12.5 Million
According to Onchain Lens monitoring, an insider of VINE has gained over $12.5 million in floating profits. This insider purchased 66.98 million VINE with 18.48 SOL (worth $4,582) in one wallet and sold 14.67 million VINE for 879 SOL (worth $219,445). In another wallet, this insider holds 65.52 million VINE (currently worth over $12.2 million).
VINE Market Cap Briefly Surpasses $200 Million, Currently at $165 Million
According to GMGN data, VINE's market cap briefly surpassed $200 million and is currently reported at $165 million. Previously, the co-founder of the short video platform Vine announced the issuance of VINECOIN and promised to lock the VINE held by developers until Vine is restarted.
Chainalysis: 94% of TRUMP and MELANIA Held by About 40 Whales
Chainalysis stated on X that TRUMP and MELANIA are mostly held by 40 cryptocurrency whales, with each token held by these giants valued at $10 million or more, accounting for 94% of the total token share. Holders of any token valued between $1 million and $10 million only account for 2.1% of total holders, while wallets holding between $100,000 and $1 million account for 1.7%. About 2.2% of TRUMP and MELANIA holders hold less than $100,000 in value.
Total Net Inflow of $249 Million for U.S. Bitcoin Spot ETFs Yesterday, Continuing 5-Day Net Inflow
According to SoSoValue data, yesterday (January 22, Eastern Time), the total net inflow for Bitcoin spot ETFs was $249 million. Yesterday, Grayscale's ETF GBTC had a net outflow of $47.9268 million, with a historical net outflow of $21.702 billion. Grayscale's Bitcoin mini trust ETF BTC had a net outflow of $0.00 yesterday, with a historical total net inflow of $1.096 billion. The Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest single-day net inflow yesterday was BlackRock's ETF IBIT, with a net inflow of $344 million, bringing IBIT's historical total net inflow to $39.418 billion. As of the time of writing, the total net asset value of Bitcoin spot ETFs is $121.403 billion, with an ETF net asset ratio (market cap compared to total Bitcoin market cap) of 5.87%, and a historical cumulative net inflow of $39.231 billion.
A Whale Sold $24.97 Million in TRUMP and MELANIA 4 Hours Ago, Making a Profit of $12.4 Million
According to Spot On Chain monitoring, 4 hours ago, a savvy whale sold 604,988 TRUMP and 740,495 MELANIA worth $24.97 million, netting a profit of $12.4 million. This marks the end of the whale's third TRUMP trade and second MELANIA trade, with total profits of: $26.7 million from TRUMP (+44%), with a win rate of 100%; and $5.32 million from MELANIA (+108%), with a win rate of 50%.
A Smart Money Address Made a Total Profit of $34.76 Million on TRUMP and MELANIA
According to Lookonchain monitoring, a smart money address that made a profit of $7.7 million on PNUT last November has once again reaped huge returns: $28.4 million profit on TRUMP and $6.36 million profit on MELANIA.
Trump Family DeFi Project WLFI Uses 9.84 Million USDC to Purchase 94.9 WBTC Again
According to on-chain analyst Yu Jin's monitoring, in the past 25 minutes, the DeFi project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) supported by the Trump family used 9.84 million USDC to purchase 94.9 WBTC. So far, WLFI has spent a total of $232 million to acquire seven tokens and is currently facing an unrealized loss of $8.9 million, with only TRX showing unrealized gains.
A Whale Uses 43.12 Million USDT to Purchase 414.7 WBTC Again
According to on-chain analyst Yu Jin's monitoring, a whale that made $19.62 million from five trades of WBTC re-purchased WBTC 8 hours ago: using 43.12 million USDT to buy 414.7 WBTC at an average price of $104,000.
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