• Bitcoin first mined block is 13 years old on Monday
  • Polygon has quietly patched a security bug that risked $24 billion thanks to white hats
  • Samsung adds NFT features to its new TV
  • Goldman Sachs : Bitcoin has outperformed all capital markets in 2021
  • SEC adds a new senior advisor for digital assets

Business

Bitcoin Turns 13
It feels like a lifetime ago, an ancient era, when the first bitcoin block was mined amidst intense skepticism that decentralized digital money can be…
‘Critical’ Polygon bug put $24 billion in tokens at risk until recent hard fork
Polygon was at risk of losing nearly all of its MATIC tokens until it upgraded its network earlier this month.
Grayscale Holds $43B in Crypto Assets Under Management, Down From $60.9B in Early November
Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and Ethereum Trust AUM have dropped 30% and 22%, respectively over this time period.
Miner Bitfarms Raises $100M Bitcoin-Backed Loan With Galaxy Digital
The miner has already made an initial $60 million drawdown with a six-month term at an interest rate of 10.75%.
MicroStrategy purchases 1,914 Bitcoin, now holds almost $6B in crypto
MicroStrategy’s filing with the SEC shows the company purchased 1,914 BTC between Dec. 9 and Dec. 29 for $94.2 million, making its total holdings 124,391 BTC.
Samsung to Support NFTs in New TV Range
Electronics giant Samsung announced Monday that its 2022 television lineup would include a fully-fledged NFT platform.
Aoki, Alameda Back Algorithmic Stablecoin on Arbitrum at $200M Valuation
Sperax said its USDs stablecoin will generate yield from users’ collateral.
Government-Imposed Bitcoin Adoption Is Clashing With Community Efforts On The Ground In El Salvador
A recent visit to El Salvador shows that heavy-handed government efforts are clashing with Bitcoin’s self-sovereign and community-focused ethos.

DeFi portfolio tracker Debank closed a $25M equity round

Markets

Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Consolidates as Huge Move Appears Imminent
Bitcoin is fluctuating sideways, and it has exhausted retail investors. Looking at the market’s low volume and volatility structure, an imminent
New year, same ‘extreme fear’ — 5 things to watch in Bitcoin this week
Bitcoin limps into 2022 as on-chain metrics and fundamentals diverge even more from BTC price action.
Goldman Sachs shows Bitcoin outperformed all capital markets in 2021
The latest data from Goldman Sachs shows that Bitcoin has cemented its position as the go-to store of value among many investors.

Regulations

Regulators Target Crypto on Multiple Fronts in Pivotal Year - The Defiant
The threat of regulation in crypto is an old storyline. For years, central bank governors, lawmakers, and the occasional law enforcement type would pound the table and urge his fellow officials to rein in the scourge of Bitcoin and its ilk before all hell broke loose.
SEC chair has a new senior adviser for crypto
The SEC said Corey Frayer would be joining Gary Gensler’s executive staff as a senior adviser on the agency’s policymaking and interagency work related to crypto oversight.

Opinions

EIP 1559 and the Advent of ‘Ultra-Sound Money’ - The Defiant
Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 1559 was perhaps the most anticipated update in the history of the world’s most valuable smart contract platform. The main reason: EIP 1559’s “base fee,” which is burned as a part of every Ethereum transaction.
Bitcoin is new gold for millennials, Wharton finance professor says
Bitcoin has replaced gold as an inflation hedge for young investors, Wharton School’s finance professor Jeremy Siegel said.

Podcasts / Readings

Here Are the Top 10 Cryptocurrencies of 2021
Tokens linked to the metaverse, “Ethereum-killers” and memecoins dominated gains during another bullish year for cryptocurrencies. Prices for the top-performing coin rose 162-fold.
Arca 2022 Outlook: Themes & Narratives We’re Bullish On
Blockchain commentary and analysis written for sophisticated investors - by professional investors