Investments

Bitwise launches crypto ETF media campaign with ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World’

The ad spot came as the U.S. SEC is looking at multiple spot crypto exchange-traded fund applications from asset managers.

Actor Jonathan Goldsmith, who appeared as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” in an advertising campaign for Dos Equis beer, is reviving his persona to promote Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Bitwise Asset Management.

In a Dec. 18 post on X (Twitter), Bitwise released an ad spot with Goldsmith showing “The Most Interesting Man in the World” in an upscale bar, as he often did in the beer commercials. However, rather than saying his signature “Stay thirsty, my friends” over a Dos Equis bottle, the actor had a crypto-focused message for viewers:

Goldsmith appeared in multiple ad spots, portraying himself as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” from 2006 to 2018. The commercials included humorous “facts” about his character, including “he is the only man to ever ace a Rorschach test” and “he’s on the upgrade list for flights he hasn’t even checked into.”

Is El Salvador’s Bitcoin gambit finally paying off?

The rise in El Salvador’s bond prices “almost defies gravity,” and it may soon have access to Eurobond markets, said Santander Bank.

El Salvador’s controversial $117.5 million Bitcoin investment briefly swung into profitability this past week for the first time in two years.

This was a milestone of sorts because, until then, not much had gone right crypto-wise for the impoverished Central American nation.

El Salvador still hasn’t come close to making Bitcoin (BTC) a medium of exchange as was anticipated when it made Bitcoin legal tender in September 2021, the world’s first nation to take such a step.

Top 5 blockchain ETFs that returned over 100% in 2023: Data

Some crypto-linked ETFs, like the VanEck Digital Transformation ETF and Global X Blockchain ETF, have surged by as much as 200% in 2023.

As the cryptocurrency community has been focused on the potential approval of a spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States, some crypto-linked ETFs have already been racking up significant gains in 2023.

One such ETF is the VanEck Digital Transformation ETF (DAPP), which has surged nearly 207% year-to-date (YTD), according to data from TradingView. Launched in April 2021, DAPP tracks the price and performance of the MVIS Global Digital Assets Equity Index, which, in turn, is based on the performance of major companies involved in the digital asset economy.

VanEck’s DAPP ETF holds Coinbase (COIN), MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Block (SQ) as its top exposure assets. Coinbase and MicroStrategy have seen massive growth this year, with the shares rising 312% and 302% YTD, respectively, according to data from TradingView.

SEC pushes deadline for decision on Invesco Galaxy spot Ethereum ETF to 2024

The commission had until Dec. 23 to decide or punt on approval or disapproval for the spot crypto investment vehicle.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed its decision on whether to approve or disapprove a spot Ether (ETH) exchange-traded fund, or ETF, proposed by Invesco and Galaxy Digital.

In a Dec. 13 notice, the SEC said it would designate a longer period on whether to approve or disapprove a proposed rule change that would allow the Cboe BZX Exchange to list and trade shares of the Invesco Galaxy Ethereum ETF.

The proposed spot crypto investment vehicle is one of many being considered by the commission, which to date has never approved an ETF with direct exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) or other cryptocurrencies.

Iota's ShimmerEVM joins Fireblocks, targets demand for assets tokenization

The Iota Foundation wants to capitalize on institutional demand for real-world assets tokenization, which reached $342 billion in September, according to VanEck data.

Open-source blockchain developer Iota has taken another step to meet institutional demand for asset tokenization by integrating its Shimmer EVM-compatible chain with Fireblocks.

Data from VanEck Research shows the total market capitalization for tokenized real-world assets (RWA) reached $342 billion in September, despite the bear market and the crypto industry headwinds. According to Dominik Schiener, co-founder of Iota, the network is building infrastructure and solutions to address the escalating demand for RWA tokenization.

“We can expect many large institutional investors and financial institutions to give their public support for digital assets in 2024. With clear regulations and newfound public support through these institutions and the imminent ETFs, we are well on our way to make institutional investors the dominant market participants,” noted Schiener.

Iota’s ShimmerEVM joins Fireblocks, targets demand for assets tokenization

The Iota Foundation wants to capitalize on institutional demand for real-world asset tokenization, which reached $342 billion in September.

Open-source blockchain developer Iota has taken another step to meet institutional demand for asset tokenization by integrating its Shimmer Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible chain with Fireblocks.

Data from VanEck Research shows the total market capitalization for tokenized real-world assets (RWA) reached $342 billion in September despite the bear market and the crypto industry’s headwinds. According to Dominik Schiener, co-founder of Iota, the network is building infrastructure and solutions to address the escalating demand for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.

Animoca Brands to focus on creator economy, interoperability in 2024

CEO Robby Yung outlines the company’s focus on gaming and adjacent sectors to drive Web3 adoption, leveraging NFTs and interoperability.

Animoca Brands’s CEO Robby Yung has affirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the creator economy and advancing Web3 mass adoption through its 2024 initiatives.

Speaking at the 12th Global Blockchain Congress in Dubai to Cointelegraph, Yung highlighted gaming as a primary driver for Web3 adoption, while also exploring education and other sectors to empower creators with efficient infrastructure and network effects.

He emphasized the role of publisher nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in enabling content creators to monetize their work in a decentralized, equitable, and lucrative environment, and cited the example of Animoca’s ed-tech subsidiary TinyTap, which integrates co-publishing rights for educational content. This approach, Yung believes, will allow educators to distribute content directly to students, enhancing peer-to-peer relationships.

Sam Altman-linked Meanwhile Advisors creates BTC private credit fund

The closed fund will offer investors a 5% yield in Bitcoin and lend funds in BTC to institutions.

Bitcoin life insurance innovator Meanwhile Group has come out with a private credit fund denominated in Bitcoin (BTC). The closed fund will offer investors a “conservative” yield in Bitcoin and lend funds in BTC to institutional counterparties at the managers’ discretion.

Meanwhile Advisors is targeting a 5% yield on the Meanwhile BTC Private Credit Fund term. By vetting loan recipients, the fund “effectively mitigates” the risk associated with retail platforms that provide loans predominantly to individuals, the company said in a statement.

SEC discussing ‘key technical details’ with spot crypto ETF applicants: Report

In November, the commission separately met with representatives of BlackRock and Grayscale to discuss their spot crypto exchange-traded funds.

Officials with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission are reportedly discussing aspects of Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, proposed by asset managers.

According to a Dec. 7 Reuters report, industry insiders said the SEC and certain asset managers were discussing “key technical details” related to U.S. exchanges listing shares of a spot Bitcoin ETF. To date, the commission has never given the green light to any spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded product, instead postponing decisions on applications for the maximum allowable time.

Memos released by the SEC in November showed the commission separately met with representatives of BlackRock and Grayscale. Both asset managers and Hashdex, ARK 21Shares, Invesco Galaxy, VanEck and Fidelity have filed for spot BTC or Ether (ETH) ETF listings.

Cathie Wood’s ARK dumps 237K Coinbase shares at $140

The latest Coinbase sale by ARK is one of its largest daily sales in 2023, third only to two massive sales in July.

ARK Invest, one of the firms hoping to launch a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in 2024, is continuing to rake in the profits made from its large stash of Coinbase stock.

On Dec. 5, ARK dumped as many as 237,572 Coinbase shares from its three funds, according to a trade notification seen by Cointelegraph. The sale came on the day the Coinbase stock closed at $140 per share, netting at least $33 million.

The trading firm offloaded 201,711 Coinbase shares from the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) alone, with an additional 28,535 and 7,326 being sold by the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF) and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW), respectively.