OVERVIEW

BTC’s Sweet 16: Remembering The Day It All Began 🎂

Before we dive in, here’s today’s crypto market heatmap:

And here’s a look at crypto’s total and altcoin market cap YTD:

BITCOIN
Why Bitcoin Has More Than One Birthday 🎂 

Depending on how long you’ve been in the crypto space, you’ve probably become aware that Bitcoin seems to have a number of ‘birthdays’ or special days throughout the year. 🗓️ 

Bitcoin’s Many “Birthdays”

• August 18, 2008: Someone registers bitcoin.org, laying the first stone for Bitcoin’s public presence.

• October 31, 2008: The Bitcoin whitepaper drops. It’s the big reveal of Satoshi Nakamoto’s idea for a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.

• January 3, 2009: The Genesis Block is mined. That’s when the network officially lights up, and people start talking about “Bitcoin’s blockchain birthday.”

• January 12, 2009: Satoshi sends 10 BTC to Hal Finney. First real transaction in Bitcoin history.

• May 22, 2010: The infamous “Bitcoin Pizza Day.” It’s the first time Bitcoin pays for real-world goods—10,000 BTC for two pizzas.

Which Date Do You Celebrate?

Each date marks a different point in Bitcoin’s evolution. August 18, 2008 is about the domain name and initial spark. October 31 is when the idea took shape on paper. January 3 shows the moment the blockchain came to life. January 12 marks genuine usage. And May 22 proves it could buy more than just bragging rights.

Let’s toast them all. 🍷 

NEWS IN THREE SENTENCES
Crypto News 📰

💰 Crypto VC Rides the 2024 Wave: 26% YoY Growth and a $1.1B Mega-Acquisition

Despite volatile market swings, crypto venture capital soared 26.1% this year, hitting $9.33B in disclosed funding. DeFi led the pack (24.4% of projects), with NFT/GameFi close behind and RWA/DePIN also making waves. Stripe’s colossal $1.1B buyout of Bridge took the crown as 2024’s largest crypto deal, overshadowing the likes of Iris Energy ($413.4M) and Avalanche ($250M), proving that big checks still flow when the right ideas surface. CryptoSlate.

🏦 Morgan Stanley’s E-Trade Eyes Bitcoin, Teases a Trump-Era Regulatory Tailwind

E-Trade, Morgan Stanley’s retail brokerage with 5.5M accounts and $360B in assets, is angling to offer Bitcoin spot trading—pending the Fed’s blessing. The timing’s no coincidence: Trump’s new administration is rumored to be more crypto-friendly, opening doors for mainstream brokerages. If E-Trade goes all-in, they’ll join BlackRock and Fidelity in bringing Bitcoin to the financial big leagues, intensifying the race to woo next-wave crypto investors. TheDefiant.

🚀 Polymarket Bets 85% on a Solana ETF in 2025

Solana fans rejoice: Polymarket’s up from a 3% chance months ago to an 85% probability that an SEC-approved Solana ETF drops in 2025. The platform also hints at a better-than-50% shot it hits by July 31—despite the SEC’s past hostility and Gensler’s departure set for January 20. With Grayscale’s SOL ETF in the front row, and a friendlier SEC Chair inbound, 2025 might be the year Solana sneaks an ETF across the finish line. BeInCrypto.

📉 BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF Sees $331M One-Day Outflow

BlackRock’s IBIT fund bled $330.8M in BTC on Jan. 2—the biggest daily outflow since its launch. Though it’s a third straight day of withdrawals, it may be just a blip considering IBIT snagged $37.2B in 2024 inflows, placing it among the top three ETF magnets. Cointelegraph.

💱 Can the US Dump Its Gold for BTC? Economist Raises Eyebrows

Recent proposals from Trump and Senator Lummis toy with the idea of pivoting billions of dollars in seized Bitcoin — or even U.S. gold reserves — into a massive national BTC stash. Critics like economist George Selgin warn that revaluing gold to print money (to buy crypto) would merely shift liabilities to the Fed, and any debt-reduction angle would be about as likely as the government selling its gold holdings. Bottom line: While it’s a fun headline, don’t hold your breath waiting for the feds to flip some of the 8,134 tonness of gold into Bitcoin. BitcoinSistemi.

STOCKTWITS COMMUNITY INSIGHTS
Share Your Top Trade Ideas For 2025! 🧠 

Hundreds of Stocktwits users have shared their best ideas as we gather the community’s views and give out Stocktwits Edge to some of our favorites! While many fan favorites have been mentioned, dozens of under-followed ideas are being discussed. So come check’em out and share your top picks!