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Analyst Highlights Top Challenges Confronting IBIT Bitcoin ETF

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Bloomberg’s senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas has stated that while BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) has done well since its launch last year, it faces several challenges going forward. 

This assessment comes amid recent signs of turbulence in the broader Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) market.

Upcoming Challenges for IBIT Bitcoin ETF

Balchunas pointed to a crucial factor that could hinder IBIT’s continued growth: Bitcoin’s tendency to decline when stocks fall. This correlation presents a unique challenge for the Bitcoin ETF, as it could struggle to gain significant adoption compared to more traditional ETFs.

“IBIT did reach $50 billion in first year (it took VOO six years to hit that mark) so definitely one to watch but it would take a ton more adoption (flows), and you probably need a break in correlation with stocks,” Balchunas added.

Despite concerns about Bitcoin’s market volatility, recent 13F filings reveal a growing interest in IBIT. A 13F filing is a quarterly report mandated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for institutional investment managers overseeing more than $100 million in assets. 

It offers transparency into major players’ investment activities. All filings must be made public within 45 days of the quarter’s end. Therefore, the deadline for Q4 2024 was February 14, 2025.

Balchunas mentioned that IBIT had attracted 1,100 holders through 13F filings. The previous record for a first-year ETF was around 350 holders.

“For context, NUKZ, a pretty successful nuclear theme ETF launched same day as IBIT has 29 holders. Most newbies have under 10,” he said.

Notably, IBIT remains the largest Bitcoin ETF, holding 2.98% of the total supply. It has continued to attract substantial investments from major players, with the latest being Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Sovereign Wealth Fund. Last week, Mubadala invested $436 million into BlackRock’s ETF, becoming the seventh-largest holder.

From a broader perspective, institutional adoption of Bitcoin ETFs has seen a remarkable growth. The assets under management tripled in Q4, reaching $38 billion.

Yet, recent data shows that the momentum has slowed in 2025. Bitcoin ETFs saw their first week of net outflows last week. The weekly total net outflow reached over $585 million. Furthermore, the trend seems to be continuing.

ibit bitcoin etf
Bitcoin ETF Performance. Source: SoSoValue

On February 18, Bitcoin ETFs experienced $129 million in outflows. As BeInCrypto highlighted earlier, this could be due to investor caution following Jerome Powell’s rejection of rate cuts and ongoing concerns over high inflation.

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 ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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FARTCOIN, POPCAT Decline, BRETT Rallies

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The crypto market has displayed mixed signals over the past week, with Bitcoin struggling around the $98,200 resistance level. As a result, most altcoins, including meme coins, have experienced sharp losses.

BeInCrypto has analyzed three meme coins—two are facing significant declines, while one is seeing gains despite the bearish market conditions.

Fartcoin (FARTCOIN)

FARTCOIN has experienced a 32% decline over the past week, trading at $0.38 after failing to breach the $0.60 barrier. The meme coin has struggled to regain upward momentum, highlighting the difficulty in surpassing previous resistance levels. As FARTCOIN faces these challenges, it becomes more vulnerable to further declines unless market conditions provide stronger support for a reversal.

After hitting a two-month low, FARTCOIN is currently holding above the support of $0.26. Should the price recovery fail, it risks consolidating around this level or potentially falling further, possibly to $0.16. The inability to break through key resistance points reflects traders’ ongoing caution, indicating that a full recovery may take longer to materialize.

FARTCOIN Price Analysis.
FARTCOIN Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

However, if FARTCOIN can successfully secure $0.37 as a support floor, it could pave the way for a rise towards the $0.60 resistance. A successful breach of this level would invalidate the bearish thesis, potentially sending FARTCOIN beyond $0.69.

Popcat (SOL) (POPCAT)

POPCAT price has dropped by 23% over the past seven days, trading at $0.26. Despite this, the meme coin has managed to reclaim $0.23 as a support level. This recovery is still tentative, and POPCAT faces uncertainty as it attempts to regain lost ground and sustain a rebound.

POPCAT remains vulnerable to a potential drop to $0.20, as past performance indicates that the coin struggles to sustain recovery. Historically, when it doesn’t bounce back from key support levels, it often falls back to these levels to recover. 

POPCAT Price Analysis.
POPCAT Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

If the broader market momentum remains positive, however, POPCAT could break through resistance levels and rise toward $0.34 or even higher. With favorable conditions, the altcoin could target $0.49, invalidating the bearish outlook and setting the stage for more substantial gains in the coming days.

Brett (BRETT)

BRETT, one of the few top meme coins, has defied broader market trends, rising by 15.7% to trade at $0.049. This uptick signals a positive shift for the altcoin, suggesting that it may continue to gain momentum if favorable conditions persist.

The altcoin is establishing $0.047 as a support floor, which is critical for BRETT’s recovery. Holding this level will be essential for the altcoin to break past the resistance at $0.058, marking its next key target. Maintaining this support could pave the way for further upward movement in the coming days.

BRETT Price Analysis.
BRETT Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

However, if $0.047 fails to hold, BRETT could see a pullback, potentially falling to $0.035. Such a drop would invalidate the bullish outlook and extend the losses for investors, signaling a potential halt in its recovery. A sustained breach of this support could significantly impact the altcoin’s future price action.

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 ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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PI Surges, CZ Comments, Safe Denies Breach

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The Bybit hack from this morning is already seeing a massive fallout, with conflicting narratives surrounding the security breach. The exchange is seeing extreme liquidity demand for withdrawals while Pi Network surges nearly 10%.

Due to high demand, users are experiencing difficulty withdrawing their funds, but CEO Ben Zhou has assured them that withdrawals will remain open.

Bybit Hack Leaves Crypto in Chaos

Bybit, one of the world’s leading crypto exchanges, is in a tumultuous moment right now. This morning, it suffered a $1.5 billion hack, which is already being called the “biggest security breach in crypto history.”

The whole community is scrambling, and nobody seems to have the full picture yet. However, Safe.eth, the multisig wallet that manages Bybit’s Ethereum cold wallet, denies any breach on their end.

“Safe’s security team is working closely with Bybit on an ongoing investigation. We have not found evidence that the official Safe frontend was compromised. However, out of caution, Safe {Wallet} is temporarily pausing certain functionalities. User security is our top priority, and we’ll provide more updates soon,” the firm claimed.

Essentially, Safe uses a smart contract-based wallet system to manage its Ethereum cold storage. If its front-end wasn’t compromised, this means authorized Bybit users had to sign off on the mechanism to enable the hack.

If the attackers managed to fool Bybit authorities into signing an exploit, they could rewrite the code and begin draining funds.

“Bybit signers had malware on their endpoints. They were trying to initiate legit transactions, but the malware was acting like a man-in-the-middle attack, they were connecting their hardware wallet to sign,” security firm Cyvers told BeInCrypto.

Because Bybit staff may have been the weak point in this hack, this has only added to the chaos. CZ, the former CEO of Binance, urged Bybit to halt all withdrawals, but this didn’t happen.

Zhou assured users that the exchange has enough funds to remain solvent, and Arkham Intelligence identified a transfer proving at least $500 million in reserves. Zhou even claims that Bybit will take loans to ensure all withdrawal requests are fulfilled.

“Not an easy situation to deal with. Might suggest to halt all withdrawals for a bit as a standard security precaution. Will provide any assistance if needed. Good luck,” CZ wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Pi Network Turned Bullish After Bybit’s Woes

There is absolutely zero firm evidence, but some in the crypto community believe that Pi Network enthusiasts were somehow responsible.

Pi Network’s mainnet launched yesterday with the biggest airdrop in crypto history. While several exchanges listed the token on day one, Ben Zhou firmly denounced it as a scam yesterday. Bybit has been consistently reluctant to list the token.

As a result, there has been a strange positive reaction to the PI market after the Bybit hack. The token’s price surged nearly 10%.

Pi Network Daily Price Chart
Pi Network Daily Price Chart. Source: CoinGecko

In short, everything is in chaos. In the latest livestream, Zhou discussed some of Bybit’s next steps after the hack. He claimed that withdrawals are still open, but traffic is 100x higher than usual, so users may not be able to access services smoothly.

“We’ve experienced massive withdrawals since the $1.4 billion ETH hack. Even if we are experiencing a bank run, it’s not an issue. We have enough tokens to give to the clients” Zhou said.

The firm will not try to buy back lost assets immediately, relying on bridge loans, but remains adamant that it can keep its users whole.

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 ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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What It Means for the XRP Lawsuit

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The SEC is dropping its lawsuit against Coinbase, according to an announcement from CEO Brian Armstrong. However, the Commission’s lawsuit against Ripple remains open for now, raising more questions.

Both lawsuits deal with certain cryptoassets’ status as securities, not commodities. For Coinbase, this interpretation would hamper operations, but it could prove fatal for the XRP issuer.

SEC Drops the Coinbase Suit

Brian Armstrong, the founder and CEO of Coinbase, is having a good day today. Recently, the company has been advocating for better US crypto regulation, and it achieved a major milestone today. Armstrong announced that the SEC was dropping its 2023 lawsuit.

“Great news! After years of litigation, millions of your taxpayer dollars spent, and irreparable harm done to the country, we reached an agreement with SEC staff to dismiss their litigation against Coinbase. Once approved by the Commission (which we’re told to expect next week) this would be a full dismissal, with $0 in fines paid and zero changes to our business,” he said.

Armstrong called this development “hugely vindicating,” claiming it was a real challenge to resist the Commission’s “mafia tactics” under the previous leadership.

He also said that this suit is a groundbreaking development for the future of crypto in the US because it would’ve substantially hindered exchanges’ ability to do business nationwide. For Coinbase, the SEC legal battle appears over.

However, the SEC has another active crypto lawsuit – its fight against Ripple. The two suits have major similarities, both hinging upon the notion that certain cryptoassets are securities. This interpretation opens crypto-related businesses to much stricter regulation.

How Will the Coinbase Settlement Impact the XRP Lawsuit?

For Coinbase, the issue is that the SEC insisted upon a lack of clarity with these classifications, essentially claiming that it could demand the exchange delist any token at a whim. In the Ripple case, however, it alleged that the firm was forbidden from raising funds through XRP token sales without registration.

In both instances, the SEC leaned on a lack of clear standards for crypto.

Even before today’s announcement, the SEC had already signaled it would drop charges against Coinbase, but the process has been murkier for Ripple. The Commission recently removed the XRP lawsuit from its website, and may be waiting for a few broader changes to dismiss it outright.

Ultimately, however, the Ripple case may be more complicated. The SEC alleged that Coinbase was hosting certain unlawful assets, and complying would severely impact the business model for all exchanges.

In the latter suit, it claimed that selling XRP was itself a securities violation, which would severely impact a great number of token projects.

The SEC is already taking a few measures to lay the groundwork for a broader policy realignment. Commissioner Peirce claimed that it wants to formally remove some tokens’ security status.

Also, the Commission is looking to reduce its crypto enforcement activities generally. Overall, the Coinbase case does provide some optimism for the XRP community.

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 ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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