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.