OVERVIEW

Trump Picks Crypto Bull As Running Mate 

Today’s price action could be summed up in one word: confusing. There’s a combination of bullish news and fundamentals, but the technicals show some possible over-bought-ish conditions. 📈 

In today’s Litepaper, we’re looking at Trump’s running mate and why the crypto community is cheering that decision.

Also on deck: ETH ETFs coming next week and some GameFi news. 📰

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:

NEWS
Trump Taps Crypto Bull J.D. Vance As VP Pick 👨‍💼 

Donald Trump has selected J.D. Vance, a pro-crypto Ohio Senator, as his running mate. Vance, a known $BTC holder and advocate for crypto-friendly legislation, becomes the first "Bitcoiner" on a presidential ticket, igniting a surge of excitement in the crypto community and a notable market boost. 📈

Vance's Crypto Cred

Vance isn't just another politician with a vague understanding of digital assets. He disclosed holding between $100,000 and $250,000 in Bitcoin as of 2022, a stake that has only grown in value. His financial disclosure reports show no recent sales of cryptocurrencies, suggesting he's in it for the long haul. 💰️ 

And he may be one of $AVAX’s biggest individual hodlers - but I haven’t been able to track down if this is real or not - but this image is floating around crypto social media like crazy.

And Avalanche is one of today’s best-performing cryptocurrencies, up nearly +4% after yesterday’s +5.6% gain.

More than just a holder, Vance has been an active legislative voice for crypto. In 2023, he introduced a bill aimed at protecting crypto firms from being cut off by traditional banks. 

His stance on crypto regulation has been clear since 2021, when he opposed an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill, calling it a "backdoor ban" on Bitcoin. 💸 

Vance also supports the right of self-sovereignty of digital assets. In other words, he believes (and practices) in self custody of crypto assets. 👍️ 

The Crypto President?

Trump's selection of Vance signals a significant shift in his stance towards digital assets. Once dismissing Bitcoin as a "scam against the dollar," Trump is now positioning himself as the "crypto president," with plans to speak at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville from July 25 - July 27. 📆 

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Network with industry thought leaders like Howard Lindzon, Michael Batnick, Brian Shannon, Michael Parekh, and many more during the 2-day palooza.

Space is going quickly so grab your seat now, and we'll see you in beautiful Coronado, CA! 😎

ETHEREUM
ETH ETFs Get The Go Ahead 🔮 

Yesterday, Bloomberg’s badass ETF expert, Eric Balchunas, posted this lovely post on X late yesterday afternoon:

The SEC contacted the companies yesterday, asking them to submit their final paperwork and fees by Wednesday. The SEC will then review everything and, if all goes well, give the green light after the stock market closes on Monday (July 22), allowing the companies to officially start on Tuesday, July 23. 🗓️ 

Fast forward a couple of hours and ETFStore president Nate Geraci posted this:

So, which three asset managers is he talking about? BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and VanEck.

Even though the final S-1 filings are still pending, industry pros are betting on a cash influx between $5 billion and $10 billion. Buckle up, it's about to get interesting. 🚀

GAMEFI
Axie Infinity Unveils Premier Bounty Board 🎱 

Axie Infinity ($AXS) just cranked up the stakes with the launch of the Premier Bounty Board, offering over 100 new bounties and a fresh reward pool. Players now have a chance to grab a share of 25,000 AXS every week. 🤯 

• Launch of Premier Bounty Board:

  • Over 100 new bounties added.

  • New reward pool introduced.

• Rewards:

  • Weekly prize pool of 25,000 AXS.

  • Premier Bounty Board offers 12,500 AXS weekly prize pool and a 1,000 AXS Master Pool.

• Accessing the Premier Bounty Board:

  • Earn 500 Standard Bounty Points or redeem 250 Fortune Slips to get a Premier Ticket.

  • Bounties range from Basic to Master level, each with unique challenges and rewards.

• Challenges and Leaderboards:

  • Race to 10,000 Premier Bounty Board Points to win an Origin Axie.

  • Compete for top spots on the Week 1 Leaderboard for AXS multipliers.

  • Participate in the Upsized Axie Bounty Aid: 120 winners earn 100 Fortune Slips per day for a week by showcasing bounty progress creatively.

Read more from their official page here.

Reality TV Comes to The Sandbox ⌛️

Pack your bags and get ready for the spotlight. The Sandbox is launching the ShowCity LAND Sale, inspired by hit reality TV shows like Love Island, The Voice, and Hell’s Kitchen. 🍽️ 

• ShowCity LAND Sale Launch:

  • Inspired by reality TV shows like Love Island, The Voice, and Hell’s Kitchen.

  • Sale starts on July 10.

• Purchase Opportunities:

  • 296 regular plots and 28 premium plots available.

  • Chance to live next to reality TV stars.

• Exclusive Perks and Rewards:

  • Premium plots offer SAND rewards, exclusive event access, and unique assets inspired by ShowCity’s partners.

  • Tangible rewards include a ShowCity hoodie and baseball cap.

• Timeline and Sale Details:

  • Announcement and Registration: Until July 19th.

  • Raffle Check: July 22nd.

  • Raffle Winner Sales: July 23rd — 27th.

  • Waitlist: July 29th — 30th.

  • Auction: July 21st — 25th.

Read more from their official site here.

NEWS
Crypto News In Three Sentences 📰

🌟 Ethereum ETFs Launch July 23 

$ETH ETFs will start trading on July 23, aligning with the $BTC Conference in Nashville. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas shared that the SEC is pushing issuers to finalize their S-1 forms by July 17. Bitwise CIO predicts $15 billion in inflows for these ETFs by 2025. From Crypto Briefing.

🐱 Catizen Studio Secures Funding as Game Hits 25 Million Players 

Pluto Studio, behind the hit Telegram game Catizen, secured investment from The Open Platform (TOP). Catizen has now attracted 25 million players, and 43% of the token supply will be airdropped to players. Pluto aims to expand Catizen into a hub for mini-games within the Telegram ecosystem. Decrypt has more.

🛠 Vitalik Buterin Calls Out Web3 Investment Imbalance 

Vitalik Buterin criticized the skewed investment in Web3 infrastructure, warning it could hamper innovation. He highlighted the trend of investors chasing quick profits from speculative projects. Buterin urges a more balanced investment approach to support essential infrastructure and ensure sustainable growth. Full story at Crypto Economy.

💸 Bitkey Integrates MoonPay’s Bitcoin On-ramp 

Bitkey users can now purchase Bitcoin using MoonPay’s payment options, including credit cards and Apple Pay. Created by Jack Dorsey’s Block, Bitkey aims to enhance Bitcoin access with this integration. Bitkey has also rolled out improvements like biometric sign-ups and transaction tracking. More at DailyCoin.

💰 Winklevoss Twins Donate $250K Each to Trump-Aligned PAC 

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss each contributed $250,000 to a new pro-Trump super PAC. The America PAC has raised $8.75 million from tech and venture capital executives. The twins also donated $1 million each to Trump’s campaign in June. CoinDesk has more.

⚽ Kraken Becomes Tottenham Hotspur’s Official Crypto Partner 

Kraken has partnered with Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the club's first official cryptocurrency and Web3 partner. This collaboration aims to boost crypto awareness among soccer fans. Kraken will feature as the official sleeve partner for both the men’s and women’s teams. Full story at CryptoNews.

Links That Don’t Suck 🔗

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland's largest VFX company, Axis, shuts down

💂‍♂️ London is slowly turning into an unlivable nightmare

🚓 Police shoots dead suspect armed with knives near RNC: sources

🏪 FTC seeking details on Amazon deal with AI startup Adept, source says 

😠 North Korean hackers sent stolen crypto to wallet used by Asian payment firm

🤣 Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts in corruption trial

👖 Agility Robotics’ humanoid Digit robot is working hard at its first real job—at a Spanx factory

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