Hello SnapShotters,
Despite Bitcoin being more than -10% from its Jan. 20 all-time high, sentiment is high toward crypto’s number 1 asset. Data by Santiment shows that positive comments on social media on BTC outweigh negative ones by a near 2:1 ratio—the highest since President Trump’s re-election.
Many have flocked back to BTC as a “digital safe haven” while altcoins have been retracing in the last few weeks, widening Bitcoin dominance over altcoins again. There is also continued optimism that President Trump’s pro-crypto policies will create bullish momentum for BTC—a spirit captured in the U.S. House Financial Services’ subcommittee for digital assets calling its first hearing ‘The Golden Age of Digital Assets.’
Read on for more news from the industry.
Market Spotlight
Note: Market prices captured in USD at the time of sending. Explore more on Crypto.com/Price.
Want more? Get weekly Market and DeFi Updates from Crypto.com’s Research Team.
News Snaps
📈 Solana’s Revenue Outpaces Ethereum’s
Solana continues to outpace Ethereum in terms of generated revenue despite the recent cooldown in crypto markets, with the former’s app revenues surpassing the latter’s by 698% at the time of writing.
🪙 USDC’s Market Cap Reaches US$56.3 Billion
Circle’s USDC reached a market cap of $56.3 billion on February 10, surpassing its previous all-time high of $56.1 billion in 2022. The token’s growing cap has been buoyed by a pro-stablecoin U.S. administration and active expansion into new chains like Sui and Aptos.
🤝 Crypto CEO Forum
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission plans to hold a CEO Forum to discuss the launch of a digital asset markets pilot program, with participants including Crypto.com, Circle, and Ripple. President Trump also plans to nominate a16z’s Brian Quintenz as chair to the Commission.
↗️ BlackRock Increases Its Stake
BlackRock increased its ownership stake in Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, from 4.09% to 5%, according to a filing with the SEC.
⛓️ Ondo Chain Goes Live
The Ondo Finance team introduced Ondo Chain, a Layer-1 Proof of Stake blockchain to “accelerate creation of institutional-grade financial markets on-chain.” The chain will support tokenized real-world assets (RWA), including Ondo Global Markets-issued tokens.
🎮 SOFTSWISS Identified Crypto as a Driver for Growth
The “iGaming Trends 2025” report by SOFTSWISS revealed a strong interest in cryptocurrencies among survey participants, with 58% of respondents agreeing that digital assets will be a primary driver of growth in new markets.
What’s Ahead
Crypto ETF Landscape Heats Up Again
Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are experiencing a second wind. Institutions like Franklin Templeton and Goldman Sachs have reportedly sought to register a Solana trust fund and boost its Bitcoin ETF holdings, respectively, while a seemingly pro-crypto SEC is seeking public input on in-kind redemptions for ETFs while reviewing new fund applications.
Get your crypto news to go. Subscribe to the podcast.
Visit our channel on Spotify for the audio version of our weekly crypto news highlights.
Number of the Week
Chart of the Week
Ether’s supply is now higher than before The Merge upgrade. Its supply as of February 10 is 120,532,693 ETH, 11,552 ETH higher than the supply on September 15, 2022, the day of The Merge, according to Ultrasound.money.
Research & Insights
Monthly Feature Article | From Trading to Broader Adoption: The Significance of Meme Coins
The launch of US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania’s meme coins—$TRUMP and $MELANIA—drove the meme coin hype to a new level. Meme coins are going beyond acting as an investment vehicle and becoming tools for community engagement, capital raising, and user acquisition.
Read the full report.
Crypto Trivia
What was “The Merge” in the Ethereum network?
A) A major update that combined Ethereum and Bitcoin into one blockchain.
B) The transition of Ethereum from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS).
C) A security upgrade that merged all Ethereum smart contracts into a single protocol.
Find the correct answer at the end of this newsletter.
NFT Spotlight
In its first-ever NFT drop, Labs Moratiel presents ‘Tesseracts’, a “collection of generative art conceived to commemorate Bitcoin hitting $100,000.” The collection includes “1/1 artifacts or jewels with a gem inside, algorithmically produced in 3D motion graphics.” It drops on Monday, February 17.
Taking the tesseract as reference, “a complex mathematical figure described as a three-dimensional hypercube in a four-dimensional space,” it is “to the cube as the cube is to the square. its minimal structure pays homage to mathematics and the geometric nature of the blockchain and directly links with the minimalist movement.”
Featuring “exclusive drops and limited-edition apparel, each piece is designed by the artist with the cutting-edge aesthetics of urban fashion and one core mission: to empower you to remain uniquely yourself.” The collection was created with a total original production of 10,000, and this drop has a total supply of 750 unique NFTs — “an indispensable piece in your wallet.”
See the tribute. Will there be more?
Product Updates
Introducing Dual Invest in the Crypto.com App
Dual Invest is a new Crypto.com App feature that lets you enjoy up to triple-digit reward rates in one of two top tokens, depending on market movements. Simply select a target asset, deposit term length, and target price to get started. Dual Invest is available in select jurisdictions. For the full details, visit the blog and Help Centre or try it out here.
Stand to Win UFC Tickets with Loaded Lions
UFC Fight Night: Seattle is just around the corner and we have three pairs of tickets to give away! Here’s your chance to watch the event at Climate Pledge Arena on 22 February 2025! Exclusive to Loaded Lions and Dark Lions NFT holders located in the United States of America, join our special promotion by following a few simple steps before 17 Feb! Learn more.
BONK and FLOKI Updowns
BONK and FLOKI contracts are now available on UpDown Options in the Crypto.com App, in addition to BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, DOGE, and more. UpDown Options gives you the tools to capture value in all market conditions, allowing you to maximize profit and minimize losses, trade with lower costs, and hedge against price dips. Trade Now.
New Token Listings
Solayer (LAYER)
Solayer is an advanced staking protocol built natively on the Solana blockchain and is designed to empower on-chain dApps (decentralized applications) with improved network bandwidth and enhanced L1 security.
Story Protocol (IP)
Story Protocol is a Layer-1 blockchain designed for intellectual property. Creators can register their intellectual property as IP Assets on the protocol, add usage terms to their IP, and make IP programmable on the blockchain.
USC Stablecoin (USC)
USC is a native stablecoin on the Orby Network, a crypto lending protocol on the Cronos blockchain designed to facilitate DeFi lending and enable interest-free borrowing of USC.
This is informational content only and should not be considered as an investment recommendation. Some Crypto.com products may not be available in some jurisdictions.
Crypto Learn
What Is Info Finance?
Info finance is reshaping financial sectors through the integration of advanced information technologies like AI and blockchain. As a key component of info finance, blockchain offers transparency, security, and decentralization.
Info finance is used by:
- Banks for better credit scoring, personalized banking with AI apps, and improved fraud detection
- Investment firms for portfolio management, improved risk assessments, and more accurate valuation of assets with robo-advisors
- Insurance companies for precise actuarial models, personalized products, AI-driven claims processing, and better fraud detection
- Regulatory compliance for automating processes, improving AML and KYC procedures, and monitoring for market manipulation
Keep reading here for more info (finance).
CryptoIRL
Two best friends one could have (three if you count the thing in the sky) — @_silverstar88_ and the Crypto.com Ruby Steel Card making the day count. Woof.
Hashtag #CryptoIRL with your Crypto.com Card on your social profiles to get featured! Your 15 minutes of fame in the #CROFam awaits you!
Security Tips
Manager Loses US$560,000 in Crypto Scam
A Malaysian manager was recently scammed out of US$560,000. He decided to invest after seeing a Facebook advertisement about a scheme promising returns of 10% to 50%. At first, the victim’s investments seemed lucrative, but when he tried to withdraw his funds, the scammers provided various excuses and imposed additional fees.
Here’s how to stay safe from scams:
- Check the legitimacy of platforms before using them.
- Be wary of investments promising quick financial gains.
- Only invest what you can afford to lose.
Crypto Trivia Answer
B) The Merge was Ethereum’s transition from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS).
That’s it for this week’s SnapShot. Want more? Find out what’s trending in the crypto world.
