XENON98

$BTC
Bitcoin is a digital currency -- also called cryptocurrency -- that can be traded for goods or services with vendors that accept Bitcoin as payment. With Bitcoin, holders can buy, sell and exchange goods or services without a central authority or bank as an intermediary.

Bitcoin is one of the most well-known virtual currencies today, with its value rising dramatically since its launch in 2009. Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of Bitcoin's creator, stated the purpose of Bitcoin is as an electronic payment system that is based on cryptographic proof, instead of trust. Some holders buy bitcoin as an investment, wanting it to increase in value, while individuals and businesses use or accept payments as currency. PayPal, for example, currently supports Bitcoin transactions, and the country of El Salvador has accepted Bitcoin as a currency.

Bitcoin-to-bitcoin transactions are made by digitally exchanging anonymous, heavily encrypted hash codes across a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. The P2P network monitors and verifies the transfer of bitcoin between users. Each user's bitcoin are stored in a program called a digital wallet, which also holds each address the user sends and receives bitcoin from, as well as a private key known only to the user.

In the U.S., bitcoin are controversial because they can be used to anonymously transfer illicit funds or hide unreported income from the Internal Revenue Service. Bitcoin policy now requires transactions that involve traditional, government-backed currencies to be attached to an identity.

By design, bitcoin supply is limited to 21 million coins of which 18.77 million have already been mined. This makes bitcoin scarce and controls the inflation that might occur if there was an unlimited supply of the cryptocurrency. According to the Gadgets 360 article titled "Bitcoin mining: How Many Coins Can Be Mined in Total and How Does It Impact Pricing?" 83% of all the bitcoin that will ever exist has already been circulated.

#CryptoRoundTableRemarks
Good afternoon and welcome everyone to the second installment of the Crypto Task Force’s Roundtables.

Today, we focus on crypto trading. This topic is of particular interest to me because it wades into some of the practical implications, questions, challenges, and risks that impact actual investors who own – and, therefore, trade – crypto of all varieties. Any conversation about crypto trading quickly reveals the immense complexity and unique nature of these transactions.

In thinking about these complexities, I can’t help but consider them from the perspective of a retail investor. What is a retail investor’s expectation for how their crypto investments move through a trading platform? What protections do they naturally assume they have based on crypto companies’ marketing and their experience with more traditional investments? Do they actually have the benefit of those protections in practice? In my view, they should. But… do they? And if they don’t, how are they warned of that?

In addition to investor expectations, we, of course, have to consider how crypto trading platforms may (or may not) fit into our existing regulatory regime for national securities exchanges and alternative trading systems. Crypto trading platforms are unique because, among other reasons, they often perform multiple services under one roof, sometimes including brokerage, clearing, and custody. Each of these functions is vitally important to maintaining the safety and integrity of assets entrusted by investors to such entities. In traditional finance, they are typically performed by separate registered entities. That’s because of the high risk of conflicts of interest and risks for investors. Because many of these entities are not registered with any regulator (not the SEC, not the states, and not an SRO), they do not comply with laws designed to minimize these risks and potential conflicts.

#CryptoCPIWatch
The US CPI details market inflation statistics that updates every month. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) measures the changes in consumer market prices. The BLS publishes two indexes per month:
‍
- The CPI-U, which surveys urban consumers,

- and the CPI-W.

The CPI-U index covers urban consumers, over 90% of the US. The CPI-W surveys the approximate 30% of US citizens who work hourly jobs. The US CPI is the weighted average of a basket of goods. The basket represents US customer spending patterns on common goods.

The US CPI is also one of the most popular measures of inflation and deflation in the economy. It covers over 90% of the US population’s spending and uses over 94,000 price quotes to gather data.

It also calculates the rise (or fall) in rental prices in the US, covering over 43,000 housing units. Altogether, the CPI is useful in analyzing the cost of living and consumer spending ability. When the CPI is too high, it’s an indication the standard of living is diminishing

#ETHCrossed2500
Ethereum’s price rally continues. It’s trading above $2,500 for the first time ever.Crypto’s leading smart contract platform, Ethereum, has set a new all-time high at $2,500.

Ethereum just crossed $2,500 for the first time in its history.
The second-ranked crypto has enjoyed a parabolic run in recent months, fuelled by growing interest in the digital currency space.

Ethereum has fared particularly well over the last few days; it’s up over 25% in the last week.

Various other assets have soared amid heated market conditions. DeFi staples like Aave, Uniswap, and Synthetix all jumped in price today. Binance Coin, Ripple, and Cardano also hit new highs throughout the week. But the biggest gainer has been Dogecoin, which is trading at $0.18 after a 200% rise this week.

Aside from the ongoing bull run, Ethereum has had various notable developments that have helped its surge this year. Earlier today, the blockchain successfully completed its Berlin hard fork (though there was a brief setback shortly after the event, involving a consensus error at block 12,244,294). Ethereum’s next major upgrade is happening this summer, when the long-awaited EIP-1559 “ETH buyback” proposal will ship as part of its London hard fork. After that, the move towards Proof-of-Stake is expected to follow sometime later this year.

$XRP
XRP is a digital asset and cryptocurrency native to the XRP Ledger (XRPL), a decentralized blockchain technology. Unlike some cryptocurrencies that are mined, XRP was created with a total supply of 100 billion coins. It's primarily used for cross-border transactions and as a bridge currency, facilitating quick and efficient transfers between different fiat currencies. XRP is known for its fast transaction speeds and low fees, making it a popular choice for financial institutions.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Key Features and Uses:
Bridge Currency:
XRP helps bridge different currencies in cross-border payments, allowing banks to transfer funds quickly and cheaply.
Fast Transactions:
The XRP Ledger's consensus mechanism enables near-instantaneous transactions.
Low Fees:
XRP transactions are generally much less expensive than traditional bank wire transfers.
Decentralized:
The XRP Ledger is an open-source, permissionless, and decentralized blockchain.
Pre-Mined:
XRP was pre-mined, meaning the total supply was created at once, not through a mining process.
Used but not owned by Ripple:
While Ripple Labs is a prominent company in the XRP space, XRP is not owned by Ripple.

$USDC
USD Coin (USDC) is a digital currency that is fully backed by U.S. dollar assets. USDC is a tokenized U.S. dollar, with the value of one USDC coin pegged as close to the value of one U.S. dollar as it can get. The value of USDC is designed to remain stable, making USDC a stablecoin.

Stablecoins are commonly backed by reserve assets like dollars or euros to achieve price stability. The price stability of USDC contrasts sharply with the notorious price fluctuations of other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Keep reading to understand more about USDC, including how it works and the various use cases for the digital currency.

Key Takeaways
USD Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin that is backed by U.S. dollars and U.S. Treasury instruments.
The USDC Circle Reserve Fund is held at The Bank of New York Mellon and is managed by BlackRock.
Cash is held in segregated accounts with U.S.-regulated financial institutions.
The U.S. government does not issue USDC.
Understanding USD Coin (USDC)
USD Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin, a cryptocurrency backed by U.S. dollars or dollar-denominated assets like U.S. Treasury securities. USDC's cash assets are held in segregated accounts with regulated U.S. financial institutions and its reserve portfolio is held at the Bank of New York Mellon.

$BTC
Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency (a virtual currency) designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. This removes the need for trusted third-party involvement (e.g., a mint or bank) in financial transactions.
Bitcoin was introduced to the public in 2008 by an anonymous developer or group of developers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It has since become the most well-known and largest cryptocurrency in the world. Its popularity has inspired the development of many other cryptocurrencies.
Read on to learn more about the cryptocurrency that started it all—the history behind it, how to buy it, mine it, and what it can be used for.
Key Takeaways
Bitcoin is the end product of the work of many people, but it is generally accepted that Satoshi Nakamoto created it and introduced it in 2008.
Bitcoin is the public blockchain used to create and manage the cryptocurrency of the same name.
Bitcoin mining is the race between miners to hash block information, find the solution to a hashing problem, and add a block to the blockchain. The winning miner is rewarded with bitcoins.
Bitcoin can be used by speculators, investors for investing purposes, and consumers for purchases or value exchange.
There are many risks involved with investing in and using bitcoins, including volatility, fraud, and theft.

#StripeStablecoinAccounts
Stripe Stablecoin Accounts allow businesses to hold balances in stablecoins (like USDC and USDB), receive payments via both traditional fiat rails (ACH, SEPA) and cryptocurrency, and send stablecoins globally. These accounts, managed by Stripe's subsidiary Bridge, provide financial flexibility, especially in countries with volatile currencies. Businesses can transfer funds via ACH, wire transfer, or crypto wallets, and support transfers to bank accounts or crypto addresses. Stripe also plans to offer Visa card services denominated in USDC, further expanding the use of stablecoins.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Purpose:
To provide a stable and flexible financial solution for businesses, especially those in emerging markets or with global operations.
Key Features:
Hold balances in stablecoins (USDC, USDB).
Receive payments via traditional and crypto methods.
Send stablecoins globally.
Potential for Visa card services denominated in stablecoins.
Benefits:
Hedge against inflation in volatile currencies.
Facilitate easier access to the global economy.
Simplify global payments and cross-border transactions.
Global Availability:
Available in 101 countries and regions.
Underlying Technology:
Powered by Stripe's acquisition of Bridge, a stablecoin orchestration firm.
Noteworthy:
The accounts are not for individual consumers; they are designed for businesses.

#BTCBreaks99K
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a digital asset that uses cryptography to control its creation and management rather than relying on central authorities. Originally designed as a medium of exchange, Bitcoin is now primarily regarded as a store of value. The history of bitcoin started with its invention and implementation by Satoshi Nakamoto, who integrated many existing ideas from the cryptography community. Over the course of bitcoin's history, it has undergone rapid growth to become a significant store of value both on- and offline. From the mid-2010s, some businesses began accepting bitcoin in addition to traditional currencies.

Prior to the release of bitcoin, there were a number of digital cash technologies, starting with the issuer-based ecash protocols of David Chaum and Stefan Brands.The idea that solutions to computational puzzles could have some value was first proposed by cryptographers Cynthia Dwork and Moni Naor in 1992.

#BTCPrediction
Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s largest cryptocurrency, has entered May 2025 with strong momentum and heightened investor attention. After a volatile start to the year, Bitcoin is trading near $95,000 – not far from its all-time high of about $109,000 set in January.

The market has rebounded from a sharp spring drawdown, and analysts are now assessing where Bitcoin’s price could head next. In this May 2025 edition of our Bitcoin price prediction, we review the current price action, technical and on-chain trends, and a range of short-term and long-term forecasts.

We also examine market sentiment – including the impact of newly launched Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – and consider the key factors that could drive prices higher or lower. The goal is a clear, objective outlook on Bitcoin’s trajectory in 2025, with insights grounded in data and expert analysis.Bitcoin’s price in early May 2025 reflects a remarkable recovery and growth trend. The cryptocurrency started the year strong, but saw a “slump” in Q1 2025 before regaining its footing.

In January, BTC briefly touched $109,000 – a new record high – before profit-taking and macroeconomic jitters triggered a pullback. By April 8, Bitcoin hit its lowest price of the year around $74,000, marking a nearly 30% drawdown from the peak. However, the decline proved short-lived. Within weeks, Bitcoin surged by 24% off that low, climbing back to the mid-$90,000s.

As of the first week of May, BTC hovers near $95K, up roughly 15% from a month ago and well above key support levels established during the spring correction.

#MEMEAct
A meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices, that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena with a mimicked theme. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate, and respond to selective pressures. In popular language, a meme may refer to an Internet meme, typically an image, that is remixed, copied, and circulated in a shared cultural experience online.

Proponents theorize that memes are a viral phenomenon that may evolve by natural selection in a manner analogous to that of biological evolution. Memes do this through processes analogous to those of variation, mutation, competition, and inheritance, each of which influences a meme's reproductive success. Memes spread through the behavior that they generate in their hosts. Memes that propagate less prolifically may become extinct, while others may survive, spread, and (for better or for worse) mutate. Memes that replicate most effectively enjoy more success, and some may replicate effectively even when they prove to be detrimental to the welfare of their hosts.

A field of study called memetics arose in the 1990s to explore the concepts and transmission of memes in terms of an evolutionary model. Criticism from a variety of fronts has challenged the notion that academic study can examine memes empirically. However, developments in neuroimaging may make empirical study possible. Some commentators in the social sciences question the idea that one can meaningfully categorize culture in terms of discrete units, and are especially critical of the biological nature of the theory's underpinnings. Others have argued that this use of the term is the result of a misunderstanding of the original proposal.

#TradeStories #NewsTrade
News trading is a strategy that seeks to take advantage of opportunities that arise in the markets when relevant economic data and information hit the headlines. In any trading session, economic news and data are one of the major triggers of volatility or notable price changes.

This means that news trading provides regular trading opportunities, but these opportunities are not without their risks. News trading is essentially event-driven, and this trading style has some differences from the regular technical and fundamental trading methods.

In technical analysis the belief is that past price action will influence future price behaviour, with the assumption being that all essential information about the value of an asset is reflected in its current price.
price charts
Technical traders watch the and take trades depending on trends, chart patterns and mathematical indicators. In contrast, news traders only depend on the signals that will be generated in the market when a trigger event occurs.

On the other hand, fundamental analysis involves assessing all underlying economic, social and political factors that impact the value of a particular asset. News trading is sometimes considered a basic subset of fundamental analysis, but it has its differentiating features.

Regular fundamental analysis considers a broader set of information to derivea fair value of an underlying asset, but news trading only takes into account a specific event. Regular fundamental analysis also takes a long-term view and seldom changes its outlook, whereas news trading is very short-term, and its impact/outlook can change very quickly.

#TradeStories #StrategyTrade
Trend channels: they are exploited by accompanying the trend, or by individually exploiting each of its rises and falls; riskier is trying to predict and anticipate the change in the trend.
Lateralizations: most of the time the market is not trending, but lateral, and in these circumstances the regression to the average can be exploited.
Volatility explosions: they can occur as a market reaction to news or external events, and open exploitation opportunities in short time frames.
Momentum: the force or impulse underlying the price action is evaluated because it is estimated that, if it is sufficient, it makes the continuation of the movement more likely.
The strategy incorporates short sales as a significant part of its activity. Shorting a stock entails borrowing securities from another party, most often a broker, and agreeing to pay an interest rate as a fee. A negative position is subsequently recorded in the investor’s account. The investor then sells the newly acquired securities on the open market at the current price and receives the cash for the trade. The investor waits for the securities to depreciate and then re-purchases them at a lower price. At this point, the investor returns the purchased securities to the broker. In a reverse activity from first buying and then selling securities, shorting still allows the investor to profit.
Short selling is much riskier than investing in long positions in securities; thus, in a investment strategy, a manager will put more emphasis on long positions than short positions. Short-selling puts an investor in a position of unlimited risk and a capped reward. For example, if an investor shorts a stock trading at $30, the most they can gain is $30 (minus fees), while the most they can lose is infinite since the stock can technically increase in price forever.

#TradeStories #StrategyTrade
Trend channels: they are exploited by accompanying the trend, or by individually exploiting each of its rises and falls; riskier is trying to predict and anticipate the change in the trend.
Lateralizations: most of the time the market is not trending, but lateral, and in these circumstances the regression to the average can be exploited.
Volatility explosions: they can occur as a market reaction to news or external events, and open exploitation opportunities in short time frames.
Momentum: the force or impulse underlying the price action is evaluated because it is estimated that, if it is sufficient, it makes the continuation of the movement more likely.

The strategy incorporates short sales as a significant part of its activity. Shorting a stock entails borrowing securities from another party, most often a broker, and agreeing to pay an interest rate as a fee. A negative position is subsequently recorded in the investor’s account. The investor then sells the newly acquired securities on the open market at the current price and receives the cash for the trade. The investor waits for the securities to depreciate and then re-purchases them at a lower price. At this point, the investor returns the purchased securities to the broker. In a reverse activity from first buying and then selling securities, shorting still allows the investor to profit.

Short selling is much riskier than investing in long positions in securities; thus, in a investment strategy, a manager will put more emphasis on long positions than short positions. Short-selling puts an investor in a position of unlimited risk and a capped reward. For example, if an investor shorts a stock trading at $30, the most they can gain is $30 (minus fees), while the most they can lose is infinite since the stock can technically increase in price forever.

$BTC
Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency (a virtual currency) designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. This removes the need for trusted third-party involvement (e.g., a mint or bank) in financial transactions.
Bitcoin was introduced to the public in 2008 by an anonymous developer or group of developers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It has since become the most well-known and largest cryptocurrency in the world. Its popularity has inspired the development of many other cryptocurrencies.
Read on to learn more about the cryptocurrency that started it all—the history behind it, how to buy it, mine it, and what it can be used for.
Key Takeaways
Bitcoin is the end product of the work of many people, but it is generally accepted that Satoshi Nakamoto created it and introduced it in 2008.
Bitcoin is the public blockchain used to create and manage the cryptocurrency of the same name.
Bitcoin mining is the race between miners to hash block information, find the solution to a hashing problem, and add a block to the blockchain. The winning miner is rewarded with bitcoins.
Bitcoin can be used by speculators, investors for investing purposes, and consumers for purchases or value exchange.
There are many risks involved with investing in and using bitcoins, including volatility, fraud, and theft.

#USHouseMarketStructureDraft
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of the U.S. Constitution to pass or defeat federal legislation, known as bills. Those that are also passed by the Senate are sent to the president for signature or veto. The House's exclusive powers include initiating all revenue bills, impeaching federal officers, and electing the president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College.

Members of the House serve a fixed term of two years, with each seat up for election before the start of the next Congress. Special elections also occur when a seat is vacated early enough. The House's composition was established by Article One of the United States Constitution. The House is composed of representatives who, pursuant to the Uniform Congressional District Act, sit in single member congressional districts allocated to each state on the basis of population as measured by the United States census, with each district having at least a single representative, provided that that state is entitled to them.Since its inception in 1789, all representatives have been directly elected. Although suffrage was initially limited, it gradually widened, particularly after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and the civil rights movement.

Since 1913, the number of voting representatives has been at 435 pursuant to the Apportionment Act of 1911. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 capped the size of the House at 435. However, the number was temporarily increased from 1959 until 1963 to 437 following the admissions of Alaska and Hawaii to the Union.

#FOMCMeeting
The FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) is the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy-making body. It holds eight regularly scheduled meetings per year, reviewing economic and financial conditions to determine the appropriate stance of monetary policy. These meetings aim to achieve the dual goals of price stability and sustainable economic growth. The FOMC uses tools like open market operations, the discount rate, and reserve requirements to influence the federal funds rate, which in turn impacts other interest rates and the overall economy.
Elaboration:
Purpose:
The FOMC's primary responsibility is to set monetary policy, which involves adjusting the federal funds rate to influence borrowing costs and economic activity.
Composition:
The committee consists of seven members of the Board of Governors and five Federal Reserve Bank presidents.
Meeting Frequency:
The FOMC holds eight regular meetings per year, with additional meetings as needed.
Decision-Making:
During these meetings, the committee reviews economic indicators, forecasts, and assesses the risks to the economy.
Tools:
The FOMC utilizes open market operations, the discount rate, and reserve requirements to manage the money supply and influence interest rates.
Impact:
Changes in the federal funds rate impact other short-term interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and long-term interest rates, ultimately influencing employment, output, and prices.

#EUPrivacyCoinBan
The European Union (EU) is implementing new anti-money laundering regulations (AMLR) that will bantions (AMLR) that will ban privacy coins and anonymous crypto accounts starting July 1, 2027. These regulations aim to tighten scrutiny on cryptocurrencies, particularly those that offer anonymity, to curb illegal activities and money laundering. This includes coins like Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC), and Dash.
Elaboration:
Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR):
The EU is implementing a new set of AMLR rules to strengthen its stance against financial crime in the crypto space.
Ban on Privacy Coins:
Under these rules, privacy coins, which are designed to offer transaction anonymity, will be prohibited from operating within the EU.
Anonymous Crypto Accounts:
The AMLR also targets anonymous crypto accounts, requiring financial institutions and crypto service providers to identify all users or face consequences, says Binance.
Impact on Cryptocurrencies:
This ban is expected to affect various cryptocurrencies, including Monero, Zcash, and Dash, which are known for their privacy features.
Identity Verification:
The AMLR also mandates identity verification for crypto transactions above €1,000, further tightening regulations and requiring crypto service providers to comply.
Compliance Requirements:
Financial institutions and crypto service providers will need to ensure they comply with the new regulations, which include collecting Know Your Customer (KYC) data for all users or face potential restrictions or legal action, according to Binance.
Motivation:
The EU aims to curb illicit activities and enhance transparency in the digital financial sector by enforcing these new regulations, reports Disruption Banking.
Controversies:
While some argue that the ban is necessary to fight financial crime, others express concerns about potential impacts on financial privacy rights and legitimate uses of privacy coins, says Binance.

$BTC
Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency (a virtual currency) designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. This removes the need for trusted third-party involvement (e.g., a mint or bank) in financial transactions.
Bitcoin was introduced to the public in 2008 by an anonymous developer or group of developers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It has since become the most well-known and largest cryptocurrency in the world. Its popularity has inspired the development of many other cryptocurrencies.

Read on to learn more about the cryptocurrency that started it all—the history behind it, how to buy it, mine it, and what it can be used for.

Key Takeaways
Bitcoin is the end product of the work of many people, but it is generally accepted that Satoshi Nakamoto created it and introduced it in 2008.
Bitcoin is the public blockchain used to create and manage the cryptocurrency of the same name.
Bitcoin mining is the race between miners to hash block information, find the solution to a hashing problem, and add a block to the blockchain. The winning miner is rewarded with bitcoins.
Bitcoin can be used by speculators, investors for investing purposes, and consumers for purchases or value exchange.
There are many risks involved with investing in and using bitcoins, including volatility, fraud, and theft.

$BTC
Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency (a virtual currency) designed to act as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. This removes the need for trusted third-party involvement (e.g., a mint or bank) in financial transactions.

Bitcoin was introduced to the public in 2008 by an anonymous developer or group of developers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It has since become the most well-known and largest cryptocurrency in the world. Its popularity has inspired the development of many other cryptocurrencies.

Read on to learn more about the cryptocurrency that started it all—the history behind it, how to buy it, mine it, and what it can be used for.

Key Takeaways
Bitcoin is the end product of the work of many people, but it is generally accepted that Satoshi Nakamoto created it and introduced it in 2008.
Bitcoin is the public blockchain used to create and manage the cryptocurrency of the same name.
Bitcoin mining is the race between miners to hash block information, find the solution to a hashing problem, and add a block to the blockchain. The winning miner is rewarded with bitcoins.
Bitcoin can be used by speculators, investors for investing purposes, and consumers for purchases or value exchange.
There are many risks involved with investing in and using bitcoins, including volatility, fraud, and theft.