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Tornado Cash Developer Alexey Pertsev Set To Be Released; TORN Price Skyrockets
Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev is expected to be released from prison on February 7, 2025. Pertsev will be released free this Friday with the condition of electronic monitoring. Coinciding with his potential release, the TORN price has witnessed a remarkable rebound, surging by more than 15%.
While Pertsev considers it an opportunity to fight for justice in the money laundering case related to Tornado Cash, the community celebrates his return.
Tornado Cash Developer To Be Released on Friday
In a recent X post, Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev, who has been imprisoned since May 2024, revealed his potential release. According to his revelation, Pertsev will be released from pretrial detention on February 7, 2025, and will be placed under electronic monitoring.
Though Alexey Pertsev considers it a partial freedom, he deems it better than the prison sentence. He stated,
Today, a Dutch court suspended my pretrial detention under the condition of electronic monitoring. This will give me a chance to work on my appeal and fight for justice. Thank you to everyone who supported me and who made this possible!
Ethereum Founder Supports Alexey Pertsev
In response to the Tornado Cash developer’s message, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin shared a post, citing “Milady.” Buterin has been sharing Milady avatar over the last few weeks, highlighting the community’s supportive nature.
Milady https://t.co/sH9jFIBrwz
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 6, 2025
Buterin’s response to Alexey Pertsev could imply his support for the developer and the Tornado Cash ecosystem. This implication is reinforced by Buterin’s past backing of Pertsev and his commitment to advocating for his release.
Protocol Developer’s Five-Year Prison Sentence
Previously, in 2022, the Tornado Cash developer was detained for charges of money laundering related to the crypto tumbler. Later, the Dutch court found him guilty of failing to prevent illicit use of the Tornado Cash mixer. In May 2024, Pertsev was handed a five-year prison term in the Netherlands.
Following a US federal appeals court ruling in November that sanctions on Tornado Cash were unlawful, Pertsev launched an appeal against his conviction. Although his initial appeal was unsuccessful, Pertsev continued to appeal for his freedom. With his release, he will continue to fight for justice.
Tornado Cash Developer’s Release Fuels TORN Surge
Triggered by the imminent release of Alexey Pertsev, TORN, the native governance token of Tornado Cash has seen impressive upticks. Currently trading at $12.97, the TORN price has gained a notable 15.5% in a single day.
Despite a weekly dip of 6.9%, the token has seen a staggering hike of 43.5% over the past month. While the court recently overturned the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions against the platform, the token jumped by more than 130%. Fueled by Pertsev’s release, analysts and experts believe the token’s steady climb signals its potential increase to around $15.
Interestingly, the community is celebrating Pertsev’s release which is evident from the TORN token’s increasing activity. Over the past 24 hours, the token has exhibited a 189% increase in its trading volume, currently at $619.81K.
Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.
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Why Is Bitcoin, XRP, Solana & Dogecoin Price Dropping?
Another crypto market crash has occurred, with Bitcoin, XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin prices experiencing significant declines. This development comes amid economic uncertainty and the bearish sentiment among investors.
Crypto Market Crash: Why Bitcoin, XRP, Solana, And Dogecoin Are Dropping
CoinMarketCap data shows that the Bitcoin, XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin prices are dropping today amid another crypto market crash. This development has occurred amid global economic uncertainty, especially with the tariffs still looming.
Although the US, Mexico, and Canada had agreed to a one-month pause on the tariffs, there remains the one that Donald Trump and the US had placed on China’s imports. In retaliation, China also imposed tariffs on US goods. Meanwhile, the country is also conducting an antitrust investigation into Google.
This has sparked a wave of sell-offs in the crypto market, with these developments sparking market uncertainty. Crypto analyst Ali Martinez revealed in an X post that $2.73 billion in Bitcoin profits were realized yesterday, which increased selling pressure in the market, a move that has also contributed to the crypto market crash.
XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin were also bound to drop alongside the Bitcoin price, given the flagship crypto’s impact on altcoins. As a result of the crash, the market has witnessed over $235 million in liquidations. Long positions took the most hit, with $173 million liquidated.
Market At Pivotal Levels
In an X post, crypto analyst Justin Bennett stated that the crypto market is at pivotal levels. The analyst noted that Tether’s dominance just secured its highest daily, 3-day, 5-day close since early November and that the 4.4% area is serving as support so far this week.
Bennett stated that he isn’t making any calls yet as it is too marginal, and the break from the USDT.D could fail. However, he added that this is something to be aware of and monitor this month.
In the meantime, the analyst looks to be bearish on the Bitcoin price and the broader crypto market. However, he remarked that if Tether’s dominance drops back inside the range on the high time frames, specifically back below the 4.37% level, then he will flip short-term bullish on BTC. Until then, he opined that caution is needed.
The Bull Run Might Not Be Over
Amid the crypto market crash, crypto stakeholders have suggested that the bull run is far from over. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson recently asserted that 2025 is crypto’s year.
He alluded to how the market showed strength amid the $2 billion liquidation which it faced earlier this week. This is why the Cardano founder is convinced that this bull run will be huge for the market.
From a technical perspective, crypto analysts have also suggested that the Bitcoin price will still reach new highs. These analysts are also bullish on altcoins. Crypto analyst Dark Defender recently predicted that the XRP price could rally to as high as $8.
Ali Martinez stated that the Dogecoin price could still reach $10 in this cycle as long as it holds above $0.19. Meanwhile, asset manager VanEck predicted that the Solana price will reach $250 before year-end.
Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.
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US SEC Seeks Public Comments on Grayscale’s Litecoin ETF Proposal
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has invited public comments on a proposal to convert Grayscale’s Litecoin Trust into an exchange-traded product (ETP). The request follows an official acknowledgment of NYSE Arca’s 19b-4 filing, submitted on behalf of Grayscale.
US SEC Calls for Comments on Grayscale Litecoin ETF
The SEC has opened a public comment period regarding the proposed conversion of Grayscale’s Litecoin Trust into an ETF. The agency acknowledged NYSE Arca’s filing and has requested comments to be submitted within 21 days of the proposal’s publication in the Federal Register.
NYSE Arca had previously submitted a 19b-4 filing, a necessary step in the crypto ETF approval process. This filing pertains to both the Grayscale Litecoin Trust and the Grayscale Solana Trust. The SEC’s decision will involve either approval, disapproval or the initiation of further proceedings.
This development follows a recent move by top asset managers to expand crypto ETF offerings. Grayscale filed a 19b-4 form to convert its Litecoin Trust into an ETF, while Coinshares submitted an S-1 form for an LTC ETF. The US SEC decision could shape the future of Litecoin investment products in the U.S.
Crypto ETF Filings Increase Amid Leadership Transition
In recent weeks, several firms have submitted proposals for crypto-based ETFs, including funds for Dogecoin (DOGE) and other altcoins. The rise in filings comes at a time when the US SEC is undergoing a leadership transition.
Late last month, the asset manager also filed for a Solana ETF before submitting its Spot XRP ETF application. Grayscale aims to convert its XRP Trust, which holds $16 million in assets, into an ETF listed on the NYSE. This filing makes Grayscale the seventh asset manager to seek SEC approval for an XRP ETF.
Following the departure of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, acting Chair Mark Uyeda appointed Commissioner Hester Peirce to oversee a dedicated crypto task force. Peirce has expressed interest in refining the classification of crypto assets and adjusting the registration process for digital asset firms.
Crypto ETFs and Market Developments
The US SEC approved the spot Bitcoin ETF in early January 2024, marking a shift in regulatory developments. It also approved the spot Ethereum ETFs at the time as part of the project to endorse crypto investment instruments.
With the ongoing review of the Grayscale Litecoin ETF, investors anticipate the US SEC will extend similar approvals to altcoin-based ETFs. The decision could set a precedent for future filings involving various digital assets.
The SEC will thus consider the response before making the final decision on the conversion of Grayscale’s Litecoin Trust. Actually, the review comprises checks by the regulator on the market risk, investor’s protection and conformity to present securities laws.
After the comment period for the concerned public, the agency may approve the application, deny the license or open up for further proceedings for the detailed evaluation.
Meanwhile, Grayscale also recently launched its Dogecoin Trust, providing institutional investors with exposure to DOGE. The Trust is now open for daily subscriptions to accredited investors and operates similarly to Grayscale’s other single-asset investment trusts. This development has sparked speculation about a potential DOGE ETF filing in the future.
Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.
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VanEck Predicts Solana to Hit $520 by End of Year 2025
Asset management firm VanEck has predicted that Solana (SOL) is on track to hit a $520 price target by the end of this year. The asset manager said its projection for Solana’s price hinges on its potential year-end market share within the Smart Contract Platform (SCP) world. It estimated the projected price based on the M2 Money Supply.
The VanEck Bull Case for Solana
Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research, and Patrick Bush, Crypto Research Analyst, said on X that the M2 Money supply is poised to impact the Solana price growth. The researchers projected their forecast is based on the growth of M2 money supply and its strong correlation with crypto market capitalization.
The VanEck executives projected that the M2 will be $22.3 trillion by the end of 2025. This target is based on its annualized growth rate of 3.2% since it hit a trough in October 2023. Using regression analysis, the VanEck researchers estimated that the SCP market cap will grow by 43% to $1.1 trillion by the end of 2025.
Solana holds 15% of the smart contract platform valuation, a value VanEck said will jump to 22% by year-end.
“This projection is supported by Solana’s developer dominance, increasing market share in DEX volumes, revenues, and active users. Using an autoregressive (AR) forecast model, we estimate Solana’s market cap will reach ~$250B, implying a SOL price of $520 based on ~486M floating tokens,” the researchers wrote.
Solana Growth Catalysts
Expanding on the VanEck projection, Solana is a protocol with a functional and growing ecosystem. Known for its memecoin revolution, platforms like Pump Fun have helped refocus it on growth.
Today, Solana boasts of top memecoins like TRUMP and MELANIA that hit high valuations in days, attracting new mainstream users. Amid the adoption, the ecosystem recorded an $840 million ecosystem app revenue, which jumped by 213% in Q4 2024.
According to Messari’s report, this growth refers to the memecoin revolution. In addition, the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) on Solana is very robust. Data from DeFiLlama pegs the DeFi Total Value Locked (TVL) at $19,54 billion.
The combination of the SOL adoption sources has placed the coin in the spotlight for more price rallies.
SOL ETF and Current Price Outlook
Considering the pro-crypto administration in the US, there is also a high chance that a SOL ETF will gain approval this year.
Notably, VanEck is in the race to get approval for these products as well. Cboe BZX just refiled the 19b-4 application for the firm’s Solana ETF and those of Canary Capital, Bitwise, and 21Shares. This product, if approved may draw in more institutional funds into the Solana ecosystem.
At the time of writing, Solana’s price is facing a drawdown, triggered by the drop in BTC market valuation below the $98,000 mark. SOL is changing hands at $190.04, down by 4.6% in the past 24 hours. The coin traded from a low of $189.30 to a high of $203.88 before settling at its current level.
For the VanEck prediction to pass, SOL has to grow by at least 170% from its current price, a feat proponents believe is feasible.
Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.
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