The CEO of ARK Invest, Cathie Wood, has made a bold prediction regarding Bitcoin’s future, suggesting that the cryptocurrency will reach a value of $1 million much sooner than the initially forecasted year of 2030.
In an interview with the New Zealand Herald on March 7, Wood shared her insights, citing “new expectations for institutional involvement” as a key driver behind Bitcoin’s potential price surge.
Wood emphasized that the advent of the United States’ first spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has marked a significant transformation for Bitcoin.
Her confidence in Bitcoin’s future has only intensified, spurred by the momentum and interest surrounding these spot ETFs.
This has led ARK Invest to reassess its stance on Bitcoin, shifting its price target ahead of the previously predicted timeline.
According to Wood, the approval of spot ETFs by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was a pivotal milestone that has accelerated the cryptocurrency’s ascent toward the $1 million mark.
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Despite the enthusiasm, Wood pointed out that major financial institutions, such as Morgan Stanley, Merryl Lynch, or Bank of America, have yet to endorse Bitcoin.
However, she believes that the current price movement precedes their potential approval, suggesting that Bitcoin’s valuation could climb even higher once these platforms come on board.
Wood hinted that the revised target price for Bitcoin exceeds the $1 million mark, reflecting her optimistic outlook fueled by anticipated institutional participation, though she did not specify an exact figure.
As Bitcoin approaches new all-time highs, the market braces for a “wild week,” according to James Van Straten, a research and data analyst at CryptoSlate.
Traders and analysts anticipate continued price discovery, driven by ongoing ETF inflows.
Van Straten highlighted the critical moment if Bitcoin surpasses the $70,000 threshold before potential turbulence at Coinbase, the largest U.S. exchange.
This period is seen as crucial for determining Bitcoin’s true market value, especially after recent records saw BTC/USD trading at approximately $69,500.
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The promise of Web3, with its laser focus on decentralization, has redefined the global internet landscape as we know it, offering more control and security to users. However, the journey towards widespread adoption has been marred by a few significant roadblocks, with one of the major ones being the continual delivery of poor user experiences (UX).
To elaborate, a vast majority of today’s Web3 platforms, especially decentralized exchanges (DEX), offer a notoriously poor UX characterized by complex interfaces and convoluted processes that can deter even the most enthusiastic of adopters. This issue is not just a stumbling block for the non-tech-savvy but a barrier preventing the technology from reaching mainstream users, who find these platforms either exclusively usable by experts or terribly frustrating in general.
For instance, popular platforms like Uniswap (a DEX boasting of a daily trading volume of $1.2+ billion) still employ complicated operational setups, requiring clients to know the intricacies involved in connecting their software/hardware wallets, transferring assets in accordance with their relevant token standards, etc. Similar issues are also prevalent within mainstream platforms like 1inch, Curve, and PancakeSwap, all of whom offer similar limitations, thus curtailing the ease of use with which clients can utilize them.
Uniswap’s complex wallet integration interface
Web3 Needs to Adapt… Here’s Why
At the heart of the challenges outlined above is a fundamental UX-centric problem, i.e. Web3 platforms are generally designed with the technically adept in mind, neglecting the vast majority who are less so. The steep learning curve associated with blockchain technologies, combined with interfaces that seem to eschew intuitiveness for complexity, means that less-technical users are often left behind. This digital divide not only hampers user adoption but also stifles the potential for Web3 to become a universally accepted evolution of the internet.
Thus, for Web3 to truly break out of its perceived niche and appeal to a wider audience, platforms must undergo a paradigm shift in their underlying design philosophy. This means simplifying navigation, streamlining processes, and eliminating jargon that can alienate those not versed in blockchain terminology. A prime example of this evolution towards a better UX is MANTRA Finance (MF), a DEX at the forefront of bridging the gap between Traditional Finance (TradFi) and Decentralized Finance (DeFi).
MANTRA’s commitment to user accessibility, intuitiveness, regulatory compliance, and risk management has served as a testament to its dedication to providing users with a secure and sustainable platform. By proactively collaborating with global regulators, MANTRA has combined a user-friendly interface with various novel features, making DeFi accessible and appealing to a broader spectrum of institutional as well as retail participants.
The platform’s innovative approach is evident in its initial offerings, which include yield-bearing DeFi products and a Central Limit Order Book (CLOB) DEX. The latter isn’t merely a platform for facilitating swaps but rather a gateway for trading tokenized traditional financial products like debt, equities, and other real-world assets (RWAs). Moreover, MANTRA offers live 24/7 support for its users, allowing them to resolve any queries (technical or otherwise) in a matter of minutes.
Most recently, MANTRA announced the launch of its Chain Hongbai Testnet, marking a significant step in its mission to integrate DeFi with traditional markets and attract non-crypto native users and institutions. The Hongbai Testnet aims to attract more users and decentralized applications to MANTRA’s ecosystem, further solidifying its position as a major player in the tokenized RWA space.
Looking Ahead
Recent findings on Web3 adoption indicate an upward trend, with a study from last year revealing that an impressive 315 mainstream brands launched a total of 526 Web3 projects between the first quarter of 2022 and 2023. This research underscores the sustained enthusiasm and investment in Web3 technology, noting that 40% of these projects extended beyond a year. Moreover, the study’s authors predict a significant rise in the real-world application of Web3 technologies in the next five to six years.
Similarly, a growing forum of experts believe that as individuals continue to grasp the power of decentralization on a global scale, the Web3 market will only continue to garner more and more mainstream traction, with some projections estimating the space to become worth $177+ billion by 2033.
Therefore, as platforms continue to refine their user interfaces and make Web3 more accessible to the average person — as has been the case with MANTRA — it is reasonable to see an acceleration in adoption rates. This growth stands to not only benefit individual offerings but also contribute to the overall maturity and sustainability of the Web3 ecosystem.
Venture capitalist and billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya recently discussed Bitcoin’s significant progress and its imminent impact on American society.
During an episode of the All-In Podcast, Palihapitiya emphasized the importance of the approval of spot market Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), describing it as a pivotal development for Bitcoin’s integration into mainstream financial systems.
Palihapitiya believes that Bitcoin is still in its early stages but predicts it will soon become a widespread topic of conversation.
He expressed his views by saying, “We’re going to get to a tipping point where everybody really talks about this. I still don’t think we are there yet.
I think we’re just at the beginning, but when you see the inflows into these ETFs, it’s a very big deal because it just allows every mom-and-pop individual to buy some to the extent that they want to own or they want to speculate on it, whatever it is.”
He further stated that the recent developments in the Bitcoin sphere have not only proved skeptics wrong but have also laid the groundwork for a constructive future for the cryptocurrency.
In his view, the approval of Bitcoin ETFs has opened the doors for everyday investors to participate in the cryptocurrency market, which marks a significant shift in the financial landscape.
In addition to Bitcoin, Palihapitiya pointed out that the success of Bitcoin ETFs could pave the way for the approval of ETFs for other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum.
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He suggested that the potential approval of an Ethereum ETF follows logically from the approval of Bitcoin ETFs, highlighting a broader trend of cryptocurrencies becoming integral to the financial sector.
“So I think it’s been a very big year, and I think that psychologically it’s proven a lot of folks wrong, and it’s a setup for something really constructive,” he commented.
Highlighting the momentum of this movement, Palihapitiya concluded, “The other thing I’ll say is that it’s not just Bitcoin but as goes Bitcoin, there are a handful of other things.
“People are now speculating that there’s going to be an Ethereum ETF that gets approved as well because if you approve one, there’s probably legitimate cause to approve a few others, so these things are becoming part of the financial fabric, and I think that that should not be underestimated.”
As of the time of his comments, Bitcoin’s value stood at $69,465, indicating the cryptocurrency’s strong market performance and its growing acceptance within the financial ecosystem.
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In recent days, the meme-inspired cryptocurrency Shiba Inu (SHIB) has seen a remarkable rise in its price, driven by various factors, including a concerted effort by its community to reduce its circulating supply through a process known as “burning.”
Shibburn reports that this initiative has resulted in over 13 billion SHIB tokens being permanently removed from circulation in just 24 hours, highlighting the community’s dedication to enhancing the token’s value through supply reduction.
The Shiba Inu community has been central to this effort, sending large quantities of SHIB to a “dead wallet,” effectively taking them out of circulation.
So far, a staggering 410.72 trillion SHIB tokens have been burned from the original supply, a move that has generated considerable optimism among investors about the token’s economic future.
Key figures in the Shiba Inu project, like lead developer Kusama and team member Ragnar Shib, have been vocal supporters of these burning activities.
Kusama recently hinted at a new burning event for the Leash token in response to community inquiries, stating, “Obviously not… we burnt Leash today but I’ll pop into discord.”
READ MORE: Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Prediction – 2025 and 2030
Ragnar Shib further backed this up with a post on X, spotlighting significant burning transactions involving SHIB, Bone, and Leash tokens, demonstrating the community’s commitment to the project’s ecosystem.
The SHIB token’s price has positively responded to these developments, with CoinMarketCap noting a 70% increase in its value over the past week, positioning SHIB at $0.000035.
This surge has not only reflected the broader meme coin trend in the crypto market but also elevated SHIB to the tenth rank in global market capitalization, attracting significant attention.
However, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicating an overbought status at around 82, there’s speculation about a possible short-term consolidation.
Despite this, the enthusiasm for SHIB’s supply reduction strategy remains strong, and if the token can breach the $0.000035 resistance, it could be on its way to hitting the $0.0001 mark.
Investors are cautioned, however, to remember the inherent volatility of the cryptocurrency market and to conduct thorough research and exercise prudence before making any investment decisions.
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Despite the impressive rally that pushed Bitcoin‘s price beyond $70,000, on-chain data indicates that Bitcoin whales, or holders of large amounts of Bitcoin, are not in a hurry to sell.
This trend is seen as Bitcoin’s whale population has increased, with the number of unique addresses holding at least 1,000 Bitcoin climbing to 2,104 as of March 7.
This number, however, still falls short of the peak of 2,489 addresses recorded in February 2021 when Bitcoin was trading above $46,000.
The growth in the number of large Bitcoin holders is partly attributed to the success of the United States spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which saw over $52.5 billion in cumulative trading volume by March 4.
The reluctance of whales to sell suggests they anticipate further price increases.
Their actions are closely watched as they have the potential to significantly sway Bitcoin’s price due to the size of their trades.
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Julio Moreno, the head of research at CryptoQuant, highlighted the notable increase in whales’ Bitcoin holdings, stating on X on March 7, “The growth of whales’ Bitcoin holdings is going parabolic.”
This sentiment is supported by Glassnode data indicating a sharp rise in transfers from exchanges to whales, reaching new record highs, while the volume of whale to exchange transfers has only modestly increased, suggesting a strong influx of new investors and a lack of profit-taking among existing large holders despite the high prices.
The fundamental demand for Bitcoin remains robust, partly fueled by the United States spot Bitcoin ETFs. The BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), for example, experienced record daily inflows of $788 million on March 5.
With Bitcoin’s price potentially targeting around $92,500, supported by a combination of technical, on-chain, and fundamental indicators, including a bull pennant pattern on the charts, the market’s outlook remains bullish.
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The BNB cryptocurrency witnessed a remarkable surge, increasing by 62% within 30 days, reaching a two-year peak at $489.50 on March 8.
This significant rise not only highlights BNB’s growth amid broader market gains but also cements its position as the third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, stablecoins excluded.
This surge sparked discussions among traders, with many speculating that surpassing the $500 mark is just a matter of time.
However, questions about the sustainability of this rally remain.
Investor sentiment towards BNB was not always optimistic, especially after Binance’s founder, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, agreed to a plea deal with the U.S. federal court in November 2023 over allegations involving the transfer of illicit funds through the exchange.
CZ’s decision to step down as CEO raised concerns about BNB’s future, given its close ties with the Binance ecosystem.
Despite these challenges, the settlement between Binance and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in December 2023, which called for enhanced corporate governance at Binance, has mitigated some of the uncertainties surrounding BNB.
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This development, coupled with CZ’s ongoing trial, leaves the crypto community watching closely.
The recent increase in cryptocurrency trading volumes has brought issues to light for several major exchanges, with Coinbase experiencing multiple outages.
These incidents have drawn criticism, notably from crypto investor @Rampage_Calls and Vijay Boyapati, who compared Coinbase’s liquidity issues to the downfall of MtGox. Boyapati’s call to action for Coinbase to address these problems underlines the importance of reliable exchange infrastructure—a factor contributing to Binance’s trading volume leadership.
Binance’s robust trading system has undoubtedly played a role in attracting users, further boosted by incentives like reduced trading fees.
Yet, the value of BNB extends beyond these aspects, with the BNB Chain’s ecosystem being a crucial element for consideration.
Despite a 7% decrease in smart contract deposits on the BNB Chain, the network’s DApp volume increased by 41% in the last month, demonstrating significant engagement and activity.
With 5.6 million active addresses interacting with its DApps, the BNB Chain exhibits strong user involvement.
This vibrant ecosystem, along with the ongoing analysis of BNB Chain’s utility and its impact on Binance post-CZ’s trial, presents a bullish outlook for BNB, hinting at the possibility of reaching and possibly exceeding the $500 threshold.
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Shiba Inu (SHIB) is experiencing a notable uptick in interest, with a significant increase in the number of newly created addresses.
According to IntoTheBlock, a Market Intelligence platform, SHIB is seeing over 8,400 new addresses daily in March, a marked rise from the February daily average and hitting a peak of 21,000 on March 5.
This surge in adoption hints at the potential for SHIB’s price to reach a new all-time high (ATH), energized by the community’s enthusiasm and strategic initiatives by the Shiba Inu team.
Among these initiatives is the introduction of K9 Finance on the Shibarium network, a liquid staking derivatives (LSD) platform poised to elevate the Shiba Inu ecosystem.
Liquid staking is gaining momentum as a pivotal narrative in the current bull cycle, having already boosted Ethereum’s network activity.
K9 Finance aims to replicate this success within the Shiba Inu space, enhancing the appeal of SHIB to investors.
Blockchain analytics firm Santiment has identified AI tokens and Meme coins, like SHIB, as front-runners among altcoins, attracting significant investor interest.
SHIB, in particular, has witnessed a 162% price increase over the past week, thanks to its growing adoption.
The coin’s ATH stands at $0.0008, and with the bullish trends, surpassing this figure seems increasingly feasible.
Analysts and enthusiasts believe that the prevailing bull market conditions could propel SHIB to new heights.
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez has even suggested that SHIB could potentially reach $0.011, an ambitious yet intriguing target.
This speculation comes as SHIB trades at $0.00003346, marking a nearly 10% increase in the last 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap data.
The ongoing rivalry with Dogecoin (DOGE) also adds a layer of anticipation, as SHIB aims to dethrone DOGE as the leading meme coin in the market.
This dynamic environment underscores the vibrant nature of the cryptocurrency market, where innovative platforms and community engagement drive momentum and potentially reshape the hierarchy of digital assets.
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In 2023, the United States experienced a significant rise in cryptocurrency-related investment fraud, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) highlighting it as the major source of investment fraud losses.
According to the FBI, the nation saw a staggering 53% increase in crypto investment fraud, with losses surging from $2.57 billion in 2022 to approximately $3.94 billion in 2023.
This figure constituted about 86% of the total $4.57 billion lost to investment fraud across the board.
The FBI report draws attention to the growing trend of victims being lured into cryptocurrency scams, promising them high returns on their investments.
“These scams are designed to entice those targeted with the promise of lucrative returns on their investments,” the FBI noted.
Among these, romance scams have emerged as a prevalent method, wherein criminals create fake online personas to build relationships and trust with their victims.
They then concoct compelling stories to convince the victim to transfer cryptocurrency, only to vanish subsequently.
The analysis firm Chainalysis, in December 2023, identified romance scams as the cause for at least $374 million in suspected stolen cryptocurrency during the year.
Additionally, Cointelegraph reported on January 1 that phishing scams had ensnared over 324,000 cryptocurrency users, leading to approximately $295 million in digital assets being lost to wallet drainers in 2023 alone.
The issue of cryptocurrency scam victims is not confined to the United States; it is a global concern.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reported in April 2023 that Australians had lost AU$221.3 million ($146.9 million) to investment scams involving cryptocurrency in 2022.
This marked a 162.4% increase from the previous year, indicating the expanding reach and impact of these scams worldwide.
The significant rise in crypto-related fraud underscores the urgent need for increased awareness and more robust protective measures for investors globally.
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Transak, a leading Web3 payment onboarding infrastructure provider supported by notable entities such as Consensys, UOB of Singapore, SBI Holdings, and Sygnum, has recently marked a significant achievement by obtaining SOC 2 Type 2 compliance.
This certification comes after an extensive and rigorous audit process, underscoring Transak’s commitment to the highest standards of data security, privacy, and trust for its customers. The firm’s accomplishment sets a new precedent in the crypto space, establishing it as the first crypto on- and off-ramp infrastructure provider worldwide to meet this level of compliance.
SOC 2 Type 2 compliance is critically important for providers handling sensitive personal and financial information, necessitating adherence to the strictest global regulatory requirements to mitigate cyber risks and maintain user trust.
This certification is crucial for fostering collaborations between Web2 companies and the emerging Web3 sector. Historically, hesitation from established organizations to enter Web3 has been noted, primarily due to concerns over compliance and security standards.
However, Transak’s compliance achievement now enables partnerships with some of the largest and most stringently regulated companies across various industries, including technology, cloud services, finance, and healthcare.
This milestone not only enhances Transak’s reputation but also serves to improve the overall image of the Web3 industry as compliant and secure, encouraging other startups to follow suit. The SOC 2 Type 2 audit required a thorough examination of Transak’s technology platforms, processes, policies, and controls, ensuring they adhere to rigorous global standards for data privacy and protection.
Further bolstering its commitment to security, Transak also recently achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, indicating the highest compliance level for information security management systems.
This, along with SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, reassures partners in both Web2 and Web3 spaces of Transak’s enterprise-grade security measures, such as 256-bit SSL encryption and advanced identity verification protocols.
Transak’s CEO, Sami Start, highlighted the significance of this compliance, reflecting the company’s dedication to safeguarding customer data. Since its inception in 2019, Transak has prioritized data security, privacy, and transparency, facilitating the smooth transition from traditional finance to digital assets. Through its API, decentralized applications can integrate Transak’s platform, enabling users in over 160 countries to buy and sell digital assets like Crypto and NFTs, while simplifying KYC, risk monitoring, and compliance processes. This achievement reinforces Transak’s position as a secure and compliant bridge to Web3, with numerous licenses and certifications across the U.S., U.K., India, Poland, and the EU.
Meme coins such as Pepecoin (PEPE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), and Dogecoin (DOGE) have experienced a remarkable surge of up to 26% within the last 24 hours.
This surge is attributed to the ripple effects of Bitcoin and Ethereum’s growth, particularly as Ethereum approaches the $4,000 mark, a pinnacle last reached in December 2021.
The increase in PEPE, DOGE, and SHIB’s value is seen as part of a broader trend where traders utilize meme coins as a speculative bet on the expansion of Ethereum, especially since the bullish momentum for ETH has been building since mid-January, fueled by the anticipation of a spot Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) approval in the United States.
PEPE led the charge with a 26% increase, buoyed by renewed optimism.
Concurrently, DOGE and SHIB managed to recover from previous losses, each posting a 10% gain.
The overall meme coin sector, as monitored on CoinGecko, reported an average growth of 8.6%, outpacing the CoinDesk 20’s rise of 2.53%.
This index includes a diverse array of tokens, underscoring the broad-based interest in digital currencies beyond the traditional heavyweights.
Slater Heil, co-founder and COO of DeFi platform Blueberry Protocol, emphasized the impact of Ethereum and Bitcoin’s success on the wider cryptocurrency ecosystem, including meme coins.
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Heil noted, “As bitcoin and ether rise, a spillover effect is caused where coins deployed on ethereum and solana also surge – including meme coins.”
This trend reflects investors’ eagerness to capitalize on favorable market conditions, with meme coins serving as one of the avenues for such investment.
However, Heil also cautioned about a potential shift back to altcoins with more fundamental backing in the short to medium term.
The increase in demand for ether and Ethereum ecosystem tokens, particularly among U.S. investors, has been evidenced by higher-than-average Coinbase premiums over the past week, as indicated by data from CryptoQuant.
This surge underscores a growing interest and optimism in the cryptocurrency market, driven by speculation, investor sentiment, and the anticipation of regulatory developments.
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