Three celebrated events on snooker’s global tour, renowned for their elite fields , will welcome Sportsbet.io as their new title partner for the next two years. The Sportsbet.io Players Championship will run from March 17-23, 2025, at Telford International Centre, followed by the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship from March 31 to April 6 at Manchester Central and then the Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions from November 10-16 in Bolton.
All three events will be screened live by ITV and will receive extensive global television and online coverage from a range of international broadcasters.
Sportsbet.io, a leading crypto sportsbook and casino, Official Regional Partner of LALIGA, Official Betting Partner of English football team, Hull City and a Club Partner of Premier League team Newcastle United, now joins forces with WST and Matchroom for the first time. Sportsbet.io is part of Yolo Group, known for bringing next-level innovation to the worlds of gaming, fintech and blockchain.
The Sportsbet.io Players Championship is the second event in the 2025 Players Series. Only the top 16 on this season’s one-year ranking list will earn a place in the field in Telford. Mark Allen won the trophy last season, and as it stands he could be defending the title in a field including the likes of world number one Judd Trump, World Champion Kyren Wilson, Ding Junhui, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, John Higgins and many more top stars.
Then for the climax of the series, the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship at a fantastic venue in the heart of Manchester, only the top 12 earn a spot in the draw.
The Sportsbet.io Champion of Champions, ever present on the calendar since 2013, brings together 16 winners of tournaments over the previous 12 months. Mark Williams took the title in 2024, coming through a superb field which included the likes of Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
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Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sportsbet.io as the title sponsor for the Champion of Champions, alongside the Players and Tour Championship. The Champion of Champions is a standout event on the snooker calendar, renowned for its elite line-up and global reach. Partnering with Sportsbet.io, a brand synonymous with innovation and excellence, ensures these tournaments will continue to thrive as world-class spectacles. We’re excited to work together in showcasing the very best of snooker to fans across the globe.”
Shane Anderson – Director of Partnerships, Content, Brand of Yolo Entertainment, said: “At Yolo Group, we’re passionate about pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable experiences, which is why partnering with three of snooker’s most prestigious tournaments is such an exciting opportunity for us. The Players Championship, Tour Championship, and Champion of Champions embody excellence, just as Sportsbet.io strives to innovate and elevate the worlds of sportsbook and blockchain. We’re thrilled to bring this partnership to life and connect with snooker fans around the globe.”
About Sportsbet.io
Founded in 2016 as part of Yolo Group, Sportsbet.io is the leading crypto sportsbook. Sportsbet.io has redefined the online betting space by combining cutting-edge technology, with cryptocurrency expertise and a passion for offering its players with the ultimate fun, fast and fair gaming experience.
Official Regional Partner of LALIGA, Official Betting Partner of English football team, Hull City and a Club Partner of Premier League team Newcastle United, Sportsbet.io provides an expansive range of betting action across all major sports and eSports, offering players more than 1M pre-match events per year and comprehensive in-play content.
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Unusual trading patterns have surfaced around US President-elect Donald Trump’s Solana-based Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin, which has seen its market cap soar to $42 billion, sparking a frenzy among retail investors.
On Jan. 18, onchain analytics firm Bubblemaps investigated a crypto wallet that received $1 million just hours before TRUMP’s launch.
Blockchain data shows the wallet purchased $5.9 million worth of TRUMP tokens in the first minute of trading, later selling $20 million while retaining $96 million in tokens.
These tokens were then transferred to another wallet and distributed across 10 wallets, all now actively selling on Solana decentralized exchanges (DEXs).
The trading activity has raised concerns over potential market manipulation as the TRUMP token continues to dominate headlines.
Preetam Rao, CEO of Web3 security firm QuillAudits, highlighted issues with TRUMP’s token structure and intentions.
“Eighty percent of the supply is locked for CIC Digital, owned by the Donald Trump Revocable Trust. The same entity launched Trump NFT Trading Cards three years ago. The website says it’s ‘not an investment but a show of support,’” Rao explained.
He added that the top 10 holders control 89.06% of the supply, with no clarity on the liquidity pool’s burn status. “The token’s launch in an Asian morning time zone suggests it’s more about profit-making,” he noted.
Rao speculated, “We see insider trading involved, but if the US government is supporting innovation, maybe it’s a rug pull that also sets a foundation for innovation.”
TRUMP Memecoin Gains Mainstream Momentum
TRUMP’s popularity surged as major exchanges Coinbase and Binance listed the token.
According to CoinGecko, TRUMP trading volumes soared, with Bitget, MEXC, and KuCoin leading the activity.
At the time of writing, TRUMP is up 194% in 24 hours, trading at $54.62.
Meanwhile, Solana’s ecosystem saw record highs, with Raydium, GMGN, and Moonshot processing millions in fees and transactions, attracting over 200,000 new users onchain.
Binance has revised its cryptocurrency deposit and withdrawal procedures in Poland to adhere to the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).
In a blog post dated Jan. 17, Binance stated, “Starting Jan. 20, users may need to provide more information when performing crypto deposits and withdrawals.”
The updated requirements apply to cryptocurrency deposits exceeding 1,000 euros ($1,030.80) and all withdrawals. For deposits, users must submit the sender’s full name, country, and the name of the crypto exchange. For withdrawals, similar details about the recipient are necessary.
Binance emphasized that these changes are limited to crypto transfers. However, the company cautioned that transactions might face delays or be returned if the required information is not provided.
Understanding MiCA and Its Implications
The MiCA framework, officially enacted on Dec. 30, 2024, establishes standardized regulations for cryptocurrencies across the EU. It aims to enhance consumer protection, address Anti-Money Laundering (AML) concerns, and regulate Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs).
One of its requirements mandates that crypto transfers exceeding 1,000 euros must include detailed sender and recipient information to ensure greater transparency. Stablecoin issuers must also maintain full reserves and secure operational licenses under MiCA.
Poland’s Crypto Regulatory Landscape
In Poland, cryptocurrency activities, including mining and trading, are legal. Crypto income is taxed at a flat rate of 19% for both individuals and businesses.
On Dec. 9, 2024, the Government Legislation Center introduced the fourth version of the Crypto Assets Market Act. This draft regulation requires Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to transition to the CASP licensing system by June 30, 2025, ahead of the EU’s MiCA transition deadline in July 2026.
Meanwhile, Sławomir Mentzen, a presidential candidate, has pledged to make Poland a “cryptocurrency haven” if elected. The first round of the election is set for May 18, 2025.
Web3 travel platform Camino Network has listed its native token, CAM, on two prominent centralized exchanges, MEXC and Gate.io. As the first Layer 1 blockchain tailored for the $11 trillion travel industry, Camino Network introduces innovations like TravelFi, RWA tokenization, and NFT ticketing. The $CAM token already supports an ecosystem of over 200 brands, including major airlines, car rental companies, and tour operators.
On January 17th, CAM was listed on MEXC with a USDT trading pair, coinciding with its Gate.io listing. These tier-one exchange listings are set to enhance accessibility to CAM and Camino Network, improve liquidity, and increase awareness of Camino’s efforts to revolutionize the travel sector through Web3 technology.
The exchange debut follows successful seed and pre-sale funding rounds in Switzerland, raising $10 million for Camino’s infrastructure. With its mainnet live and more than 100 industry validators and 200 businesses active, Camino is poised for its next growth phase.
Thomas Stirnimann, Council President of the Camino Network Foundation, stated, “With validators and partners on nearly every continent before launch, Camino Network stands apart from other projects. Our next step is clear: driving continued growth to connect all travel on-chain.”
The CAM token, with a fixed supply of 1 billion, serves as a utility token within Camino’s ecosystem. It facilitates transactions, supports decentralized booking through Camino Messenger, and powers on-chain travel operations. Validators earn CAM rewards, while travelers benefit from exclusive offers and discounts by holding the token.
Camino Network addresses critical industry challenges such as high fees, slow settlements, and complex reconciliations. It simplifies connectivity by replacing thousands of APIs with a unified model, creating seamless travel experiences.
Matt Law of Outlier Ventures remarked, “Camino Network’s innovative approach is transformative, enhancing efficiency, security, and transparency in travel transactions. We are proud to have them in our portfolio and look forward to their continued impact on the industry.”
With major brands like Lufthansa Group and TUI already on board, Camino Network is reshaping the future of travel with Web3 technology.
As Donald Trump prepares to take office as the 47th president of the United States, speculation is growing about the inclusion of US-based cryptocurrencies in a potential strategic reserve.
The New York Post reported on Jan. 16 that Trump is “receptive” to the idea of forming a strategic reserve emphasizing cryptocurrencies like USD Coin (USDC), Solana (SOL), and XRP, rather than Bitcoin (BTC). The report cited unidentified sources who claimed the proposal could sideline Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
Rumors intensified after Trump recently dined with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty. Garlinghouse shared a photo from the meeting, describing it as a “strong start to 2025.”
Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve Pledge
The idea of a national Bitcoin reserve gained momentum in July 2024, when Trump vowed during the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville that his administration would maintain government-held Bitcoin holdings. He announced plans to create “a strategic national Bitcoin reserve” in his speech.
Following this, Senator Cynthia Lummis introduced the Bitcoin Act on July 31, outlining a strategy for the US Treasury to purchase up to 200,000 BTC annually, with the goal of building a 1 million BTC reserve over 20 years.
Trump’s pro-crypto stance has also been evident through his nomination of Paul Atkins as the new SEC chair, a move seen as signaling more lenient cryptocurrency regulations.
Community Reactions
The crypto community has reacted strongly to rumors that altcoins may take precedence over Bitcoin.
Almeida, co-founder of Orquestra, criticized the potential move, stating, “It’s very disappointing if true. Credibility goes to -1.”
Meanwhile, David Bailey, CEO of BTC Inc, dismissed the idea as “fake news,” sarcastically referring to Ripple as “Kamala coin.”
Cryptocurrency-based exchange-traded products (ETPs) could attract substantial new investments if approved, according to a report by JPMorgan.
Investors are increasingly optimistic about the approval of the first spot Solana (SOL) and spot XRP ETPs, especially with expectations of a more favorable regulatory environment under President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20.
In a Jan. 13 report shared with Cointelegraph, JPMorgan estimated that SOL and XRP ETPs could surpass the performance of spot Ether (ETH) ETFs within their first six months of trading.
“When applying these so-called ‘adoption rates’ to SOL and XRP, we see SOL attracting roughly $3 billion–$6 billion of net assets and XRP gathering $4 billion–$8 billion in net new assets,” the report stated.
The forecast comes after the first anniversary of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, which reached nearly $110 billion in cumulative holdings on Jan. 2. Bitcoin ETFs accounted for around 75% of new investments when Bitcoin reclaimed $50,000 in February, just a month after their debut.
However, altcoin ETP adoption remains uncertain due to fluctuating investor demand. While Bitcoin ETFs saw a 6% adoption rate and Ether ETFs achieved 3% in their first six months, interest in altcoins like SOL and XRP is less predictable.
“Outside of a few primary tokens (BTC, ETH, SOL), the episodic nature of the crypto market is driven by varying investor sentiment and trendy new coins that may capture incremental attention for a limited time,” JPMorgan’s report explained.
Several asset managers, including VanEck, Grayscale, and 21Shares, have submitted applications for Solana ETFs. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to make preliminary decisions by late January, with Grayscale’s deadline set for Jan. 23 and others by Jan. 25.
Alejo Pinto, founder of Solana Layer-2 network Lumio, commented, “An ETF approval in the U.S. would have a positive price impact on Solana since the probability is low and therefore not yet priced in.”
Establishing a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve in the United States could drive Bitcoin adoption more significantly than the launch of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2024, cryptocurrency researcher CoinShares stated in a Jan. 10 blog post.
The Bitcoin Act, proposed in 2024, directs the U.S. Treasury Department to create a “strategic Bitcoin reserve” by purchasing 1 million BTC over five years.
President-elect Donald Trump has endorsed the plan, although it has yet to become law.
“We believe that the enactment of the Bitcoin Act in the United States would have a more profound long-term impact on Bitcoin than the launch of ETFs,” CoinShares wrote.
The research highlighted that Bitcoin’s “credibility” as an asset class remains a key hurdle for institutional adoption.
Passing the Bitcoin Act would reduce this stigma by granting Bitcoin the “endorsement of the world’s largest government,” the post noted.
Institutional Momentum
Introduced by U.S. Senator Cynthia Loomis in July, the Bitcoin Act has gained traction following November’s U.S. elections, where Trump’s Republican Party took control of the Senate.
Several states, including New Hampshire and North Dakota, have also proposed bills to establish Bitcoin reserves.
These efforts align with the January 2024 approval of nearly a dozen spot Bitcoin ETFs, which reached $100 billion in net assets by November, per Bloomberg Intelligence.
Crypto analysts at Steno Research project additional ETF inflows of $48 billion in 2025.
Such institutional activity could create significant “demand shocks,” potentially driving Bitcoin prices higher, Sygnum Bank suggested in December.
Passing the Bitcoin Act would amplify this effect, pushing BTC prices past $1 million per coin, according to Blockstream CEO Adam Back.
“Combined with other governments following suit, such a development could catalyze a much larger flow of assets into Bitcoin in the years to come,” CoinShares concluded.
Bitcoin (BTC) encountered renewed turbulence on Jan. 10 as US macroeconomic data dampened expectations of significant crypto capital inflows.
Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD dropping $1,500 after December nonfarm payrolls (NFP) exceeded forecasts.
The stronger-than-expected labor market data, coupled with lower unemployment figures, put pressure on risk assets, including Bitcoin.
Markets interpreted the results as reducing the likelihood of significant Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in the near future.
With less aggressive rate cuts anticipated, the potential for increased liquidity flowing into Bitcoin and other crypto assets diminished.
According to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, the probability of even a modest 0.25% rate cut at the Fed’s January meeting stood at just 2.7%.
Keith Alan, co-founder of Material Indicators, commented on the market reaction, stating: “NFP comes in HOT, the UNRATE comes in cold, which is great news for the strength of the economy, so why did BTC and the broader market dump? Simple. This points to fewer FED Rate Cuts in 2025.”
Alan also noted the seasonal impact on the data and speculated that the incoming Trump administration might enact policies with significant economic implications.
Liquidity data on Binance highlighted $88,000 and $90,000 as key support zones for BTC/USDT.
Despite the macroeconomic dip, BTC maintained a familiar trading range, with clear support and resistance levels visible.
Popular trader Daan Crypto Trades advised: “Market is either up only or down only on these smaller timeframes. In the end, many get chopped up. Zooming out is my recommendation.”
Analyst Rekt Capital offered a bullish outlook, pointing to a bullish divergence in Bitcoin’s relative strength index (RSI) and highlighting historical patterns in price discovery corrections.
“It is the first Price Discovery Correction of this cycle. As a result, it has a high probability of reversal,” Rekt Capital concluded.
The total altcoin market capitalization remains below its November 2021 peak, with circulating capital shifting between projects and new inflows largely stagnant.
Ki Young Ju, market analyst and CEO of CryptoQuant, compared altcoin market performance to Bitcoin (BTC), which has doubled in value since 2021.
“Only a few altcoin projects with strong use cases and narratives will survive,” Ju noted.
According to Total3 — a metric representing the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies excluding Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) — altcoins currently hold a market cap of approximately $943 billion.
The altcoin market briefly touched an all-time high of $1.1 trillion during a rally from November to December 2024, but quickly retraced to current levels.
Changing Dynamics of Altcoin Seasons
Ju has warned that this market cycle deviates from previous ones, where altseason was traditionally triggered by capital rotations from Bitcoin to altcoins.
Instead, he suggested this altseason may rely on stablecoin liquidity and the expansion of stablecoin trading pairs.
“A rise in stablecoin trading pairs suggests fresh capital entering the altcoin market and reflects true demand increases, rather than just capital rotations,” Ju added.
Capital flows into Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also signify a major shift from prior cycles.
These flows are siloed within the ETF ecosystem, limiting the ability to shift funds from Bitcoin and Ether investments into smaller-cap altcoins, Ju explained.
Market Outlook
Felix Hartmann, founder of Hartmann Capital, predicted in December 2024 that most altcoins would face a “slow bleed” until late January 2025.
Hartmann argued there was little opportunity in altcoin investments during the current consolidation phase, suggesting the market may only pick up following its conclusion.
Altseason now faces a more complex and constrained environment, reshaping how capital moves in the crypto market.
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States accumulated nearly three times the 14,000 coins produced by miners in December 2024.
According to data averaged from Apollo and BiTBO, US spot Bitcoin ETFs added approximately 51,500 BTC in December.
The demand was fueled by strong spot market momentum, with Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $108,135 on Dec. 17, as reported by CoinGecko.
By comparison, only 13,850 new Bitcoin were added to the circulating supply during the same period, according to Blockchain.com.
This means Bitcoin demand from ETFs was 272% higher than the amount miners produced.
“There’s not enough supply available at current prices to satisfy demand,” said Jesse Myers, co-founder of Onramp Bitcoin, noting that supply-demand price equilibrium would need to be restored as market momentum surged after Donald Trump’s election victory in November.
On Jan. 6, crypto researcher Vivek predicted a “supply shock” as BTC exchange balances fell to record lows.
Major Inflows into Bitcoin ETFs
Bitcoin ETFs continued to attract massive investments.
On Jan. 3, over $900 million worth of Bitcoin was acquired by ETFs.
Preliminary data indicated Jan. 6 was poised to exceed this, with inflows nearing $1 billion.
Bitcoin Mining Production in December
Major mining firms reported their December production figures, showcasing varied output levels.
MARA Holdings, the largest miner by market capitalization, produced 9,457 BTC, leading the industry.
Riot mined 516 BTC, a 4% increase from the previous month, while Cleanspark reported 668 coins.
Core Scientific’s owned fleet generated 291 BTC, Bitfarms mined 211 BTC, Terawulf produced 158 BTC, and cloud mining provider BitFuFu contributed 111 coins.
With ETF demand surging and mining supply limited, the market dynamics suggest continued upward pressure on Bitcoin prices.