Market
Grayscale ETF Filings, DeepSeek Sell-Off, and More
As another week passes by, the crypto market is abuzz with big stories and new headlines. The list includes Arthur Hayes predicting a Bitcoin slump to $70,000 and how DeepSeek sent shockwaves through the industry.
This week also saw Grayscale submit ETF filings for Litecoin and Solana with the SEC, alongside rumors suggesting the regulator may dismiss the Ripple lawsuit.
Arthur Hayes Predicts a Mini-Financial Crisis for Bitcoin
Arthur Hayes, former CEO of BitMEX, has revised his short-term Bitcoin forecast. Earlier this month, he predicted that Bitcoin would peak in mid-March before experiencing a significant correction.
However, Hayes updated his outlook this week, stating that BTC is already on the verge of this decline.
“Reversing the order of my tryptic essay series. I am calling for a $70,000 to $75,000 correction in BTC, a mini financial crisis, and a resumption of money printing that will send us to $250,000 by the end of the year,” Hayes claimed.
Hayes’ short-term bearish outlook for Bitcoin was driven by the worsening global fiat liquidity environment. This is caused by rising US 10-year Treasury yields, a tightening Federal Reserve, and reduced money printing in major economies such as the US, China, and Japan.
Hayes argued that Bitcoin is particularly sensitive to shifts in global liquidity conditions, which could lead to the predicted slump. At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $104,709, down 0.3% over the past 24 hours.
Grayscale Seeks SEC Approval for Solana and Litecoin ETFs
Grayscale, one of the largest crypto asset management firms, has submitted applications with the SEC for ETFs tracking both Litecoin and Solana. The firm’s Litecoin ETF marks only the second such filing, following Canary Capital’s application in October.
Moreover, according to ETF analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart, a Litecoin or Hedera ETF is more likely to win SEC approval earlier than Solana.
“We expect a wave of cryptocurrency ETFs next year, albeit not all at once. First out is likely the BTC + ETH combo ETFs, then probably Litecoin (because its a fork of BTC, [therefore it’s a] commodity), then HBAR (because it’s not labeled a security) and then XRP/Solana (which have been labeled securities in pending lawsuits),” Balchunas claimed.
It appears their predictions are coming true, as the SEC has already approved combined Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
Nevertheless, the Grayscale application did not significantly impact Litecoin prices. At press time, LTC was trading at $131.60, up 1.2% over the past 24 hours.
ZachXBT Tracks Down $29 Million SUI Token Exploit
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT recently exposed the loss of $29 million worth of SUI tokens in December 2024. On January 26, ZachXBT disclosed details of the exploit, which targeted a major holder on the Sui network.
The attacker reportedly siphoned off 6.27 million SUI tokens, valued at $29 million, on December 12. The stolen assets were transferred from Sui to Ethereum using bridging tools, then laundered through Tornado Cash in smaller portions to obscure the trail.
“The victim transferred their .sui domains to a new uncompromised address shortly after the theft. Current limitations with Sui block explorers and Sui analytics tools make the theft difficult to trace,” ZachXBT said.
ZachXBT made headlines in January after he revealed that he helped the US government recover a substantial portion of $20 million stolen in a hack.
DeepSeek Causes Major Crypto Sell-Off, $800 Million Liquidated in Just One Day
The unveiling of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has coincided with a sharp sell-off in the crypto market.
Founded less than two years ago, DeepSeek has risen to prominence, positioning itself as a competitor to established AI giants like OpenAI, Meta, and Nvidia. With a development cost of under $10 million, DeepSeek has emerged as a disruptive competitor, sparking debate among experts about its long-term implications.
DeepSeek’s rise caused Bitcoin (BTC) to drop over 5% in a matter of hours, with major altcoins seeing even steeper declines of 8–10%. According to data from Coinglass, in 24 hours, 315,090 traders were liquidated on January 27, with the total liquidations crossing $800 million.
Some attributed the market crash to DeepSeek’s rising popularity and its potential impact on the stock market. Ash Crypto, an industry veteran, is among those who link the volatility to broader market reactions triggered by DeepSeek’s rapid rise.
“This has nothing to do with the crypto market and everything to do with the US stock market,” he explained.
Ash Crypto linked the crypto downturn to a reevaluation of overvalued tech stocks, citing DeepSeek’s competitive edge as one reason. The AI crypto segment also suffered in the aftermath of DeepSeek’s rise, with the market cap of AI crypto tokens dropping by double-digits.
Is Ripple vs. SEC Over?
The SEC may have dropped its lawsuit against Ripple without announcement. The Commission removed references to the case from its website, but other crypto lawsuits are still visible.
Social media users noticed that the SEC’s website removed all references to this suit.
“Is Ripple Free from the SEC? Searched for “Ripple” in the SEC’s litigation section and… No results! Did the legal battle just end? Is this the final chapter of Ripple vs SEC? If true, this could be a historic moment for XRP,” influencer John Squire claimed on X (formerly Twitter).
Commentators have also noted that other suits, such as the one against Kraken and Coinbase, are still on the website.
However, one attorney claimed that the suit is still active in Pacer, a government website that provides access to federal court records.
“The SEC website does not matter. The appeal is still open in the Court’s nationwide PACER system. I just logged in. The last entry is Ripple’s request for a time extension to file its Brief. The case status is still shown as active,” he claimed.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
According to a new report from Pine Analytics, token deployers on Pump.fun systematically funded sniper wallets to buy their own meme coins. This impacted over 15,000 token launches on the platform.
These sniper wallets operated primarily during US trading hours, executing standardized, profitable strategies. Unrelated bot activity obscures their behavior, making it extremely difficult to isolate these wallets—and they can readily adapt to new countermeasures.
Snipers Roam Free on Pump.fun Meme Coins
Pump.fun has remained one of the most popular meme coin launchpads on Solana despite persistent controversies and other criticism.
However, Pine Analytics’ new report has uncovered a new controversy, discovering systematic market manipulation on the platform. These snipes include as much as 1.75% of all launch activity on Pump.fun.
“Our analysis reveals that this tactic is not rare or fringe — over the past month alone, more than 15,000 SOL in realized profit was extracted through this method, across 15,000+ launches involving 4,600+ sniper wallets and 10,400+ deployers. These wallets demonstrate unusually high success rates (87% of snipes were profitable), clean exits, and structured operational patterns,” it claimed.
Solana meme coin deployers on Pump.fun follow a consistent pattern. They fund one or more sniper wallets and grant them advance notice of upcoming token launches.
Those wallets purchase tokens in the very first block and then liquidate almost immediately—85% within five minutes and 90% in just one or two swap events.
Pump.fun meme coin developers exploit this tactic to create the appearance of immediate demand for their tokens. Retail investors, unaware of the prior sell‑off, often purchase these tokens after the snipe, giving developers an unfair advantage. This constitutes market manipulation and erodes trust in the platform.
Pine Analytics had to carefully calibrate its methods to identify genuine snipers. Apparently, 50% of meme coin launches on Pump.fun involve sniping, but most of this is probably bots using the “spray and pray” method.
However, by filtering out snipers with no direct links to developer wallets, the firm missed projects that covered their tracks through proxies and burners.
In other words, the meme coin community does not have adequate defenses against systematic abuse on Pump.fun. There are a few possible ways that the platform could flag repeat offenders and sketchy projects, but adaptive countermeasures could defeat them. This problem demands persistent and proactive action.
Unfortunately, it may be difficult to enact such policies. Meme coin sniping is so systematic that Pump.fun could only fight it with real commitment.
Analysts think that building an on-chain culture that rewards transparency over extraction is the best long-term solution. A shift like that would be truly seismic, and the meme coin sector might not survive it.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Solana (SOL) continues to show strength across multiple fronts, maintaining a bullish structure on its Ichimoku Cloud chart while gaining momentum in key market metrics. The BBTrend indicator has turned higher again, signaling renewed buying pressure after a brief cooldown.
On-chain activity remains strong, with Solana leading all blockchains in DEX volume and dominating fee generation thanks to the explosive growth of meme coins and launchpad activity. With SOL now trading above a key resistance level, the path is open for further upside—though a loss of momentum could still trigger a retest of lower supports.
Solana Maintains Bullish Structure, but Momentum Faces Key Test
On Solana’s Ichimoku Cloud chart, the price is currently above the Kijun-sen (red base line) but has dipped below the Tenkan-sen (blue conversion line), signaling weakening short-term momentum.
The flattening Tenkan-sen and price behavior suggest possible consolidation or the early stages of a pullback. Still, with the price holding above the Kijun-sen, medium-term support remains intact.
The overall Ichimoku structure remains bullish, with a thick, rising cloud and leading span A well above span B—indicating strong underlying support.
If Solana finds support at the Kijun-sen and climbs back above the Tenkan-sen, the uptrend could regain strength; otherwise, a test of the cloud’s upper boundary may follow.
Meanwhile, Solana’s BBTrend is currently at 6, extending nearly ten days in positive territory after peaking at 17.5 on April 14. The recent increase from 4.26 to 6 suggests renewed bullish momentum following a brief cooldown.
BBTrend, or Bollinger Band Trend, tracks the strength of price movement based on Bollinger Band expansion.
Positive values like the current one point to an active uptrend, and if the BBTrend continues to rise, it could signal stronger momentum and potential for another upward move.
Solana Dominates DEX Volume and Fee Generation as Meme Coins Drive Ecosystem Growth
Solana has once again claimed the top spot among all chains in DEX volume, recording $15.15 billion over the past seven days. The combined total of Ethereum, BNB, Base, and Arbitrum reached $22.7 billion.
In the last 24 hours alone, Solana saw $1.67 billion in volume, largely fueled by its booming meme coin ecosystem and the ongoing launchpad battle between PumpFun and Raydium. Adding to this good momentum, Solana recently surpassed Ethereum in Staking Market Cap.
When it comes to application fees, Solana’s momentum is just as clear. Four of the top ten fee-generating apps over the past week—PumpFun, Jupiter, Jito, and Meteora—are Solana-focused.
Pump leads the pack with nearly $18 million in fees alone.
Solana Breaks Key Resistance as Uptrend Targets Higher Levels, but Risks Remain
Solana has finally broken above its key resistance at $136, flipping it into a new support level that was successfully tested just yesterday.
Its EMA lines remain aligned in a bullish setup, suggesting the uptrend is still intact.
If this momentum continues, SOL price could aim for the next resistance zones at $147 and $152—levels that, if breached, open the door to a potential move toward $179.
The current structure favors buyers, with higher lows and strong support reinforcing the trend.
However, if momentum fades, a retest of the $136 support is likely.
A breakdown below that level could shift sentiment, exposing Solana to deeper pullbacks toward $124 and even $112.
Disclaimer
In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
According to a new report, 15 firms and individuals from the crypto industry donated more than $100,000 to President Trump’s Inauguration, totaling over $85 million.
Almost all of these companies apparently received direct or indirect benefits from Trump’s administration. This includes dropped legal proceedings, lucrative business partnerships, participation in Trump’s Crypto Summit, and more.
Crypto Industry Went All-In on Trump’s Inauguration
Since promising to bring friendlier regulations on the campaign trail, Donald Trump attracted a reputation as the Crypto President.
Trump’s Inauguration festivities included a “Crypto Ball,” and several prominent firms made donations for these events. Today, a report has compiled all crypto-related contributions of over $100,000, revealing some interesting facts.
Since taking office, President Trump and his family have been allegedly involved in prominent crypto controversies, and these donations may be linked to several of them.
For example, eight of the donors, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Uniswap, Yuga Labs, Kraken, Ripple, Robinhood, and Consensys, had SEC investigations or lawsuits against them closed since Trump’s term began.
The commission might have dropped its probe against these companies anyway due to its changing stance on crypto enforcement. However, being in the President’s good books likely helped the process.
Further Alleged Benefits for Donors
In other words, nearly half the firms that made donations to Trump’s Inauguration have seen their legal problems cleared up quickly. This isn’t the only regulation-related benefit they allegedly received.
Circle, for example, recently made an IPO after openly stating that Trump’s Presidency made it possible. Galaxy Digital received SEC approval for a major reorganization, a key step for a NASDAQ listing.
Other donors, such as Crypto.com and ONDO, got more direct financial partnerships with businesses associated with the Trump family.
Previously, Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, anticipated a crypto bull market under Trump. Also, XRP, Solana, and Cardano were all unexpectedly included in the US Crypto Reserve announcement.
All three of these companies made major donations to Trump’s Inauguration.
It seems that most of the firms involved got at least some sort of noticeable benefit from these donations. Donors like Multicoin and Paradigm received invitations to Trump’s Crypto Summit, while much more prominent groups like the Ethereum Foundation got snubbed.
Meanwhile, various industry KOLs and community members have already alleged major corruption in Trump’s crypto connections.
While some allegations might lack substantial proof, the crypto space has changed dramatically under the new administration, for both good and bad.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
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Crypto exchange BingX hacked for $43 million
Are The Big Players Losing Interest?
Hong Kong’s Securities Association Tips Authorities On Crypto Self-Regulation
