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Navigating this bull market and securing profit will be tougher than it seems

There are a few things you should do if you want to succeed in crypto during a bull market. But above all, remember to take profit.

Strategically navigating the cryptocurrency market when it surges isn’t just a skil. It’s an art. Volatility is constant. Volatility measures the price movements of assets and demands a sophisticated approach from players in the market. Similar to the ebb and flow of tides, it can be navigated strategically.

Bitcoin (BTC) peaked at $69,000 during the 2021 bull run, while Ether (ETH) did the same at $4,800. Despite the market hitting an all-time high of $3 trillion in market capitalization, that figure sits a little below $1.7 trillion as of Dec. 15 — a difference of just more than 30 percent. While significant, the comparison obviously doesn’t do justice to what a rollercoaster the market has been.

Understanding the driving forces behind that volatility is key to navigate it. Market sentiment, technological breakthroughs, and regulatory developments play crucial roles. It is crucial to comprehend the prevailing mood and adapt to market dynamics, leveraging insights analyzing social sentiment, news sentiment, and technical analysis indicators.

Want to work in crypto? University programs can give job seekers a leg up

There is a skills gap in the blockchain industry, and universities worldwide have created programs to help produce the next generation of blockchain professionals.

As talk of the Bitcoin halving, exchange-traded funds and other macro factors seem to point to the beginning of the next bull market cycle for crypto, many might be considering starting a career in this space. It happens to many people involved with Bitcoin (BTC), blockchain or cryptocurrencies.

At first, they are “investors” researching and buying assets in a new digital asset class. For some, this turns into a desire to enter the decentralized ledger technology and blockchain industry. Many have decided to find paths to employment and acquire the skills necessary to jump into careers in this space.

Since the beginning of the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, most people have found jobs through informal connections or demonstrable skills.

First Trust files for Bitcoin ‘Buffer ETF’ with SEC

Asset manager First Trust has filed for a Bitcoin buffer ETF with the SEC, intending to help investors mitigate risk by targeting downside protection.

The financial services firm First Trust is the latest company to file for a Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) — but not a spot ETF.

On Dec. 14, First Trust submitted a Form N1-A filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a new Bitcoin-linked product called the First Trust Bitcoin Buffer ETF.

According to the prospectus, the fund is designed to participate in the positive price returns — before fees and expenses — of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust or another exchange-traded product (ETP) that provide exposure to the performance of Bitcoin.

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.

Coinbase introduces spot crypto trading for institutional investors outside US

Institutional clients on the Coinbase International Exchange will be able to trade Bitcoin and Ether against USD Coin starting on Dec. 14.

United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced that institutional investors on its international exchange can access spot crypto trading services.

In a Dec. 13 announcement, Coinbase said institutional clients based outside the U.S. will be able to trade Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) against USD Coin (USDC). The exchange said the services would launch on Dec. 14 and later expand to include retail investors, additional tokens and “features that enable new trading strategies and enhance capital efficiency.”

“We recognize the hesitancy among some asset issuers and members of the crypto community to engage with U.S. exchanges due to the evolving and uncertain regulatory landscape in the United States,” said Coinbase.

Crypto exchange liquidity, explained

Crypto exchange liquidity hinges on market depth and incentivized trading to ensure robust and stable trading environments.

The ease and speed with which assets can be bought or sold without materially altering their prices is referred to as liquidity in the financial markets.

It’s the ability to swiftly turn an asset into cash without significantly impairing its value. High liquidity indicates a healthy market with plenty of buyers and sellers, which promotes smooth transactions and stable prices. It ensures that investors can profitably enter into or exit positions, reducing transaction costs and the risks of abrupt price swings.

Lifinity USDC pool drained by arbitrage bot

A bug on an Immediate-or-Cancel order led to the drainage of nearly $700,000 from Lifnity’s LFNTY-USDC pool.

Decentralized exchange Lifinity had its LFNTY-USDC pool drained by an arbitrage bot on Dec. 8. According to Lifinity’s Discord channel, an unexpected response to a failed trade caused the $699,090 loss.

A Lifinity’s core member known as Durden explained that a bot attempted an arbitrage trade following the route USDC > xLFNTY > LFNTY > USDC, trying to profit from price discrepancies between different trading pairs.

The bot initiated an immediate-or-cancel market order on Serum v3, a type of order that must be executed immediately at the current market price if filled. Orders that cannot be filled immediately are canceled.

Robinhood launches crypto trading services in Europe

All eligible customers in the EU region can access Robinhood for crypto trading services, with over 25 cryptocurrencies available for trade.

Trading and brokerage firm Robinhood announced the launch of its crypto services for all eligible European Union customers on Dec. 7. The platform will allow traders to buy and sell over 25 cryptocurrencies.

Robinhood’s entry into the European crypto market comes just a week after the firm launched its stock trading application in the United Kingdom.

Cointelegraph contacted Oliver McIntosh, senior product communications manager at Robinhood, to understand the firm’s crypto focus and expansion plans in Europe. Mcintosh said that the EU is the right market to anchor our international expansion plans, and Robinhood “welcomes the approach that the EU has taken in creating the world’s first comprehensive regime for crypto assets via the Market in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).”

What is market manipulation in cryptocurrency?

Market manipulation in cryptocurrency involves artificially influencing prices or trading volume to deceive investors.

Market manipulation in the crypto sphere, explained

In the cryptocurrency space, market manipulation refers to the deliberate use of different deceptive strategies to artificially inflate or deflate the price of cryptocurrencies.

One of the signs of market manipulation includes sudden, unusual price increases or decreases that have nothing to do with important news or trends.

Moreover, persistent anomalies in the market or opaque trading methods may indicate manipulative activity, raising doubts about the market’s integrity among investors and authorities. Also, pump-and-dump schemes are prevalent in the crypto sphere, where a group deliberately inflates the price of a cryptocurrency by disseminating false information to entice buyers, who subsequently sell their holdings at a profit.

Additionally, whale manipulation is a market manipulation technique used by large holders, or whales, to purposefully buy or sell huge sums of a cryptocurrency to manipulate its price. Moreover, spoofing — the practice of placing huge buy or sell orders and then canceling them before they are executed to simulate a false sense of market demand — aims to manipulate the crypto market.

Crypto markets are also impacted by insider trading, which is the practice of people making trades based on secret knowledge.

3AC founders’ OPNX exchange claims to be funded by AppWorks, SIG, MIAX Group

DeFi firm Nascent was also claimed as a backer, but it has clarified that it only bought FLEX tokens from the company’s previous incarnation.

OPNX, an exchange jointly founded by members of the Three Arrows Capital (3AC) and Coinflex teams, has revealed the venture capital firms purportedly backing it. An April 21 video posted by the company featured CEO Leslie Lamb thanking some of the major backers of the project, including AppWorks, Susquehanna (SIG), DRW, MIAX Group, China Merchant Bank International, and Token Bay Capital.

1/ As we approach the launch of claims for our first estate, Celsius, we'd like to express gratitude to everyone who believed in our mission of helping 20M+ claimants.

A special thank you goes to our major investors, including AppWorks, Susquehanna (SIG), DRW, MIAX Group, China pic.twitter.com/G406Y7Ponz

— OPNX (@OPNX_Official) April 21, 2023

OPNX has been heavily criticized in the crypto community for its association with Su Zhu and Kyle Davies, founders of the bankrupt 3AC hedge fund. Some firms have claimed they may refuse to associate with anyone who helps fund the new exchange. But the company behind the project has defended itself, arguing that it will help make customers of failed crypto ventures whole again.

OPNX will allow traders to buy and sell claims against bankrupt firms such as 3AC and FTX, according to early fundraising documents.

According to the video uploaded on April 21, the backers of OPNX have previously funded various tech and financial projects. SIG was one of the early backers of TikTok, and MIAX Group owns a U.S.-regulated equities and options exchange. AppWorks is also listed on Crunchbase as a partial owner of Uber.

At least one of the firms mentioned in the video has denied funding the project. DeFi trading firm Nascent stated that it bought Coinflex tokens issued by the company’s previous incarnation but did not participate in a funding round for OPNX.

Just to clarify, Nascent did not participate in an OPNX fundraising round, we invested in FLEX tokens in early 2021.

— Nascent (@nascentxyz) April 21, 2023

Three Arrows Capital was a crypto hedge fund founded in 2012. In June, it was issued a notice of default by Voyager Digital after allegedly failing to pay 15,250 Bitcoin (BTC) and 350 million USD Coin (USDC) that had been loaned to it. The hedge fund filed for bankruptcy on July 1, and some creditors have accused the founders of being “on the run” or hiding from the bankruptcy court.