OVERVIEW

Well It’s About Damn Time 🕛️ 

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:

New In Three Sentences
Crypto News 📰

📈 Hedera Keeps HBAR Transaction Costs Steady

Hedera's Exchange Rate Tool recalibrates the HBAR/USD rate hourly using multiple sources, smoothing out volatility to keep transaction fees stable in USD terms. This makes Hedera’s network less chaotic for enterprises who like predictable costs—no rug-pulling surprises here. With its commitment to transparency, Hedera makes blockchain fees feel as boring and dependable as a utility bill. Hedera blog.

🎯 EigenLayer Sets Up Protocol Council to Decentralize Governance

EigenLayer’s new Protocol Council kicks off governance decentralization, featuring a 3-of-5 multisig structure and initial members from Sigma Prime, Unit410, and Consensys Diligence. This team will oversee ELIPs (EigenLayer Improvement Proposals) to manage upgrades, with the first proposal tackling more flexible reward distribution. It’s all part of Eigen’s slow and steady plan to put governance in the hands of its community without crashing the plane. Eigen Foundation blog.

⚡ Metis Adds OKX as New Sequencer Node Provider

Metis just landed OKX as its fourth independent sequencer node provider, locking 20,000 METIS tokens to beef up network security and decentralization. OKX brings global reach and a fat stack of credibility to Metis' growing sequencer network, which now boasts 10 nodes total. It’s another notch in the belt for layer 2 scaling solutions proving they’re not just playgrounds for hobbyists anymore. Metis blog.

🐋 Cardano Whales Snag 100M ADA in 24 Hours

Cardano whales went on a buying spree, scooping up 100 million ADA and helping keep its price above $1. Analysts say this could pave the way to a $1.50 breakout, but overbought signals suggest a correction might crash the party first. Meanwhile, Cardano’s Hydra layer-2 solution hitting 2 billion transactions in 4 hours shows that scalability hype isn’t just hot air. Finbold.

🐕 Dogecoin, Litecoin Outshine Bitcoin in Mining Profits

BIT Mining revealed that Dogecoin and Litecoin mining is now three times more profitable than Bitcoin, thanks to merged mining and Musk’s continued meme endorsements. The firm has raked in $100M from Dogecoin alone, as Bitcoin’s post-halving mining rewards struggle to compete. Decrypt.

📉 Meitu Sells All Its Bitcoin Before $100K Milestone

Chinese tech giant Meitu sold 940 BTC and 31,000 ETH for $180M, cashing out right before Bitcoin shattered the $100K barrier. Meitu plans to reward shareholders with 80% of the proceeds, shifting its focus to AI-powered media services. Their move seems less like a smart strategy and more like someone folding right before the river card flips. CryptoBriefing.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
Charts, Charts, Charts 📈 

Let’s take a look at a few charts and see what’s happening out there. 🕶️ 

Storj

We’ve looked a number of cryptocurrencies on a weekly time frame with the Ichimoku Kinko Hyo system (here’s a crash course on it I did back in August 2022). A big focus has been on identifying altcoins that haven’t made their ‘big moves’ yet.

That list keeps getting smaller, but there are still some altcoins out there that haven’t closed above the Cloud - and Storj is one of them.

Storj’s weekly Ichimoku chart is wonky because the Chikou Span broke above the Cloud before price did. That’s something of a rarity. But bulls are very, very close to getting Storj above the Cloud - something they better do by this week or next week.

Because if they don’t, they might have a hard time moving any higher as the Cloud very quickly gets bigger and bigger from here on out. 🔉 

Cardano

If there’s one thing about the Ichimoku system I really like, it’s how easy it is to spot when things have moved way too far, way too fast. The Tenkan-Sen and the bodies of the candlesticks are like an unhealthy, co-dependent couple.

They can’t stand each other at times, have explosive outbursts, and move away, but ultimately, they’re happiest when they're most miserable together. In a nutshell, the bigger the gaps between the candlestick body(s) and the Tenkan-Sen, the higher the chance of a price returning to the Tenkan-Sen.

But, of course, that doesn’t happen right away. On a weekly chart, it could be several weeks before you see the reaction. But there is one more piece of Ichimoku information here to take note of, and that’s the Kumo Twist.

Kumo Twists are big heads-up warning signs. If an instrument is trending very strongly in one direction near the time of a Kumo Twist, there’s a high probability of a swing high/low developing. Something to keep an eye on. 👀 

Ethereum

This one still surprises me. Of all the altcoins and major market cap cryptocurrencies out there, you’d think Ethereum is one of the big leaders lately. Well, that hasn’t been the case at all. 😱 

If Ethereum closes the weekly candlestick at or above $3,706, then it will have a confirmed Ideal Bullish Ichimoku Breakout - something the majority of the altcoin market had happened back in early to mid-November. 

ETH’s weekly chart could very well dictate whether we see the altcoin market consolidate where it's at or face a steep pullback. 🔻 

News In Three Sentences
Metaverse, NFT, & Gaming News 🎮️

🎮 $1M Questing Rewards: Immutable and YGG Team Up for Web3 Gaming

Immutable and Yield Guild Games (YGG) have partnered to throw $1 million in rewards at players, proving that web3 gaming isn’t just about earning—it’s about fun and community, too. With Immutable games joining YGG’s lineup and features like the Passport wallet and zkEVM scaling on the way, this bromance is a huge level-up. It’s clear both platforms want to keep players hooked, engaged, and rolling in incentives. Immutable blog. 

⚔️ Axie Adoption Center Makes Onboarding Dead Simple

Axie Infinity’s new Adoption Center is basically a cheat code for getting started in the Axie world: connect a wallet, complete missions, and earn free Axies. With referral contests and up to 1,500 AXS rewards up for grabs, Axie’s pulling out all the stops to bring in fresh recruits. If you’ve got friends still clueless about web3 gaming, now’s the time to drag them into the Axie nation. Axie Infinity blog.

News In Three Sentences
DeFi, DEX, and Lending Protocol News 🏦

📊 Synthetix Eyes Big Moves with TLX Acquisition

Synthetix is ditching its "passive liquidity provider" vibe, proposing to acquire TLX for $4 million and integrate vaults that could generate serious fees for SNX token holders. The deal would see an 18:1 TLX-to-SNX token swap and instantly activate vaults generating $600K+ in fees over six months. This is Synthetix betting on itself to evolve beyond just being a DeFi middleman. Synthetix blog.

🦄 Uniswap and Fireblocks Bring DeFi to TradFi

Uniswap and Fireblocks are teaming up to give asset managers and hedge funds direct access to Uniswap Protocol’s deep liquidity without the headache of handling on-chain complexity. The partnership lets institutions tap into competitive pricing and multi-chain assets with Uniswap’s API, which does all the heavy lifting. This collaboration is about turning TradFi pros into DeFi power users without their even knowing it. Uniswap blog.

⚡ Reserve Makes DeFi Simple with RTokens and Fintech Integrations

Reserve Protocol’s RTokens let users earn diversified DeFi yield without juggling 10 wallets, 5 apps, and 2 mental breakdowns. With easy integration into fintech apps, users can tap into DeFi’s potential without touching a blockchain, while RSR stakers handle collateral risks and allocation. DTFs (Decentralized Token Folios) are also on the way, turning crypto investing into a "buy the narrative" game instead of a scavenger hunt for alpha. Reserve blog.

🔒 Secret Network’s Confidential Computing Joins Forces with Arbitrum

Secret Network’s Confidential Computing Layer is now integrated with Arbitrum, bringing encrypted order books, private voting, and sealed-bid auctions to Ethereum’s most popular layer 2. This opens up a whole new world for dApps on Arbitrum to play with secure, private data without sacrificing speed or usability. Web3 just got one step closer to matching Web2's privacy standards—without the centralized baggage. Secret Network blog. 

🔒 Band Protocol Joins Forces with Coti for Privacy and Scalability

Band Protocol integrates its oracles with Coti to bring tamper-proof, real-time data feeds to Coti’s privacy-focused ecosystem. The first application, Bancor's Carbon DeFi, uses Band’s feeds to power automated trading strategies and ensure accurate pricing. This partnership strengthens Coti’s ability to deliver fast, scalable, and privacy-driven DeFi services—because who doesn’t love their data reliable and untraceable? Band Protocol blog.

ON-CHAIN ANALYSIS
Burnt Bag Briefing 🔥 

Want to know whether the bulls or bears are feeling the most pain today? Well, this is the place to look. 👀

In the past 24 hours, 168,384 traders were liquidated, with total liquidations reaching $575.36 million.

The largest single liquidation occurred on Bybit, a BTCUSDT pair valued at $8.91 million.

Longs lost $288.63 million, while shorts were hit for $286.66 million. 🤕 

LINKS
Links That Don’t Suck 🔗

🪙 Bitcoin Competes with Gold, Not Currency, Says Fed Reserve Chairman

👛 Phantom wallet announces support for SUI network

🔼 Bitcoin sees more upside above $100K driven by long-term holder dominance: CryptoQuant

💿️ Ubisoft pulls the plug on XDefiant, to close San Francisco and Osaka studios

⛈️ Google says AI weather model masters 15-day forecast

Get In Touch 📬

Follow our social channels for great, real-time content on Stocktwits and Twitter. And check out our YouTube channel for in-depth video content! 📲

Email me (Jonathan Morgan) your feedback; I’d love to hear from you. 📧

Want to sponsor this newsletter and reach hundreds of thousands of crypto enthusiasts? Reach us here. 👍

Terms & Conditions 📝

Securities Disclaimer: STOCKTWITS IS NOT A TAX ADVISOR, BROKER, FINANCIAL ADVISOR OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. THE SERVICE IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TAX, LEGAL, FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVICE, AND NOTHING ON THE SERVICE SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS AN OFFER TO SELL, A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, OR A RECOMMENDATION FOR ANY SECURITY. Trading in such securities can result in immediate and substantial losses of the capital invested. You should only invest risk capital, and not capital required for other purposes. You alone are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, security or strategy, or any other product or service, is appropriate or suitable for you based on your investment objectives and personal and financial situation. You should also consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation. The Content is to be used for informational and entertainment purposes only and the Service does not provide investment advice for any individual. Stocktwits, its affiliates and partners specifically disclaim any and all liability or loss arising out of any action taken in reliance on Content, including but not limited to market value or other loss on the sale or purchase of any company, property, product, service, security, instrument, or any other matter. You understand that an investment in any security is subject to a number of risks, and that discussions of any security published on the Service will not contain a list or description of relevant risk factors. In addition, please note that some of the stocks about which Content is published on the Service have a low market capitalization and/or insufficient public float. Such stocks are subject to more risk than stocks of larger companies, including greater volatility, lower liquidity and less publicly available information. Read the full terms & conditions here. 🔍

Author Disclosure: The author of this newsletter holds positions in ADA, WMT, COPI, MIN, AGIX, ALGO, DOGE, ZEC, AVAX, XLM, XTZ, and NEAR. 📋