BTC Hits All Time High š
Trumpās big day is coming with lots of treats for the crypto family. For starters, our favorite coin just touched $109Kā¦. Talk about presidential influence š
But hold onto your hardware wallets cos it's looking like the journey has only just begun. Elsewhere, the Ethereum mastermind has been quite busy making big changes at Ethereum HQ, while Vanguard's writing some big checks to the SEC, $106 million worth of "our badā.
And speaking of bad days, crypto traders just got a billion-dollar reminder about the risks of leverageā¦ Who said crypto was getting boring?
Here are the Highlights:
- Bitcoin Hits All-Time High Near $109,000 Ahead of Trump Inauguration
- Vitalik Buterin Unveils Leadership Changes to Boost Ethereum Ecosystem
- Vanguard Settles with SEC, Agrees to Pay $106 Million
- Crypto liquidations hit $1B over 24 hours as Bitcoin plummets
Bitcoin Hits All-Time High Near $109,000 Ahead of Trump Inauguration
The price of Bitcoin has hit yet another all-time high of just under $109,000, amid widespread optimism in the crypto industry as Donald Trumpās inauguration as U.S. President draws near. Bitcoin has retreated slightly from its new all-time high of $108,786, per CoinGecko, and now sits at $107,949, up 3.2% in the past 24 hours and 16.2% on the week. The news follows Trumpās mention of Bitcoin in a speech on Sunday, where he name checked how, āBitcoin has shattered one record high after another.ā
Vitalik Buterin Unveils Leadership Changes to Boost Ethereum Ecosystem
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has announced significant leadership changes at the Ethereum Foundation, aiming to enhance collaboration with developers and prioritize technical expertise. In a detailed post shared on January 18, Buterin outlined goals to better support decentralized application (dApp) builders and advocate for decentralization, censorship resistance, and privacy. Buterin clarified that the Foundation would maintain its political stance, avoiding lobbying or ideological involvement.
Vanguard Settles with SEC, Agrees to Pay $106 Million
Vanguard agrees to pay $106 million to settle SEC allegations of misleading investors about retirement fund risks and tax liabilities. The settlement highlights the SECās focus on investor protection during significant leadership transitions, including Gary Gensler's resignation. Vanguardās minimal involvement in crypto ETFs may insulate it from scrutiny, but the SECās future stance remains uncertain. The funds received from this settlement will be distributed to the investors in question.
Crypto liquidations hit $1B over 24 hours as Bitcoin plummets
Crypto market liquidations over the last 24 hours have reached over $1 billion as Bitcoin briefly fell back below $100,000 after reaching near its all-time high. CoinGlass shows that in the past day, $1.18 billion has been liquidated from nearly 406,000 traders, split between around $921 million in long liquidations and $260 million in short liquidations. Ether liquidations led the market, with over $207.5 million worth of long liquidations over the last day, followed by over $202 million Bitcoin longs. Bitcoin lost more than 6% in a fall from its intraday high of $106,300 to around $99,700 on Jan. 19.
Other Highlights Worth Mentioning
Trump plans crypto-friendly orders in first few days in power - Reuters
SEC charges Digital Currency Group for misleading investors - Cointelegraph
U.S. Prosecutors Ask Court to Green-Light Return of 95,000 Stolen Bitcoin to Bitfinex - Coindesk
Upbit crypto exchange faces suspension in South Korea over alleged KYC violations - FXStreet