There is a veritable feast of stories for you today, from BlackRock flipping Grayscale on BTC holdings, to the SEC being ordered to pay $1.8M in fees from the Debt Box case dismissal. Then I'll take a look at the current state of play of memecoins, which, like them or loathe them, is dominant. The top memecoins are surging up the crypto charts by various metrics, and one recent rocket is the ChatGPT "joke" from April 2023 which has seen over 2,000% chains in the past 90 days!

Further reading:

• BlackRock’s IBIT overtakes GBTC as the world’s largest Bitcoin ETF
• Ethereum due for new all-time high as countdown to Ether ETF nears end
• 5 things Ethereum ETFs could mean for altcoins
• Judge dismisses Debt Box case, orders SEC to pay $1.8M in fees
• Former FTX exec sentenced to 7.5 years in prison after guilty plea
• Memecoins dominate crypto open interest charts taking 4 out of top 10 spots
• ChatGPT-coded memecoin reaches $638M market cap

So, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s get into it!

Rise’n’Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cointelegraph’s Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

That was a tumultuous 24 hours in crypto! We saw a sizeable rally across the board yesterday, with Ethereum rising as much as 3.5% on the day and narrowly missing the $4,000 milestone. But then, as quickly as it had risen, Bitcoin took a 2% haircut as Mt. Gox wallets moved a staggering $9.6B of Bitcoin to an unknown wallet! And while we're tracing wallets, ZachXBT releases his latest investigation that connects the GCR hack with the team behind the viral $CAT memecoin.

Further reading:

• Ethereum price in ‘bull market’ after spot ETH ETF approvals greenlight rally toward $4K
• Grayscale’s Ethereum ETF could bleed $110M daily in first month: Kaiko
• Bitcoin dips 2% as Mt. Gox wallets move over $7B to unknown wallet
• Bitcoin exchange-traded products now hold over 1 million BTC
• Memecoin team connected to GCR hack, reveals ZachXBT
• Argentina aims to learn from El Salvador's Bitcoin success

References:

• ZachXBT thread on X on investigation of GCR hack

So, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s get into it!

Rise’n’Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cointelegraph’s Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

In some ways, that was a quiet, unassuming weekend; Bitcoin and Ethereum were both relatively stable, price-wise, and there weren't a great deal of interesting stories unfolding. But, outside of those two, it has been one of the strangest weekends on record. Donald Trump has doubled down on endearing himself to crypto voters, and then doubled down again, the Aptos blockchain hits absurd daily transactions amidst a viral "game", and Caitlyn Jenner launches her own memecoin. Or was it a deep fake? Let's investigate!

Further reading:

• Spot Ethereum ETF approval 'may be better for Bitcoin' — Michael Saylor
• Donald Trump declares US must not settle for ‘second place’ in crypto industry
• Trump promises to release Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht if re-elected
• Aptos hits all-time high in user transactions
• Danger as wave of crypto influencers and celeb X accounts are hacked

So, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s get into it!

Rise’n’Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cointelegraph’s Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

There we have it: from near-certain denial just a week ago, the U.S. SEC has officially approved the 19b-4 filings for the spot Ether ETFs, giving the green light for them to begin trading. This unexpected news impacts crypto not just because Ether is confirmed to not be a security, with some heavy inflows expected, but also because many other tokens are now tacitly confirmed to not be securities. And yet, with all these reasons to be jubilant, the price of ETH is down. Let’s discuss why that might be.

Further reading:

• Spot Ether ETFs receive official approval from the SEC
• Ethereum ETFs launch next month ‘certainly possible' — Analyst
• Ethereum ETF approved, so why aren’t we rich yet?
• SEC’s ETF decision means ETH and ’a lot’ of other tokens are not securities
• Bybit CEO refutes insolvency rumors, shares proof-of-reserves
• Meet the women behind the world’s largest crypto exchanges
• Crypto icon Kabosu, the Doge meme dog, passes away at 17

So, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s get into it!

Rise’n’Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cointelegraph’s Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

Today’s the day. In a matter of hours, we will find out whether VanEck’s spot Ether ETF application — the first through the door — will be approved or denied by the U.S. SEC. Fortunately, we have many indicators of the outcome, and we’ll take you through all the important ones. Elsewhere, but still in the U.S., the FIT21 crypto bill finds opposition from President Joe Biden and SEC Chair Gary Gensler, but it easily passes through the House of Representatives. For all this and much more, tune into our daily debrief.

Further reading:

• Bitcoin return to $73K could be a start to ‘escape velocity’ phase
• Ethereum ETF confirmed? VanEck spot Ether ETF listed by DTCC
• BlackRock, Grayscale and Bitwise amend ETF filings before SEC decision
• Ethereum ETF approvals becoming ‘giant political issue’ — Joseph Lubin
• Ethereum rally stalls at $3.8K — Is SEC ETH ETF decision already priced in?
• White House and SEC chair oppose FIT21 bill ahead of House vote
• US House approves FIT21 crypto bill with bipartisan support
• FIT21 crypto bill passes US House: Here’s what could happen next
• Vitalik Buterin advocates ZK ‘Likes’ on Farcaster after X privacy shift

So, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s get into it!

Rise’n’Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cointelegraph’s Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

The rumors that the U.S. SEC may be doing a 180 on the expected denial of spot Ether ETF applications have grown credible over the past 24 hours. At least five ETF applicants have amended their filings (with several making the same change), and the SEC has contacted exchanges looking to list the ETFs. This has spurred gains of over 20% for Ethereum in 48 hours, but other altcoins have slipstreamed their way up the charts too.

Further reading:

• 4 reasons why Bitcoin was (and still is) a buy below $70K
• BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF hits 6-week inflow high amid early-week BTC rally
• Fidelity reportedly amends Ether ETF S-1 filing, removes ETH staking
• ‘It’s happening’ — 5 Ethereum ETF bidders amend SEC filings
• SEC contacted exchanges to update spot Ether ETF applications: Report
• Ether ETFs could drive ETH price to $10K, but approval could take until 2025
• Dark web market owner arrested in New York after FBI traces crypto
• PEPE reaches new high amid ETH price jump on renewed ETF approval hopes

So, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s get into it!

Rise’n’Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cointelegraph’s Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

What a 24 hours it’s been! Out of nowhere, the market started pumping, and Bitcoin rocketed north of $70,000. Ethereum’s pump made those gains look tame, and a good portion of the reason is centered on the U.S. SEC’s looming decision on whether to approve spot Ether ETFs in the United States. In today’s episode, we discuss what has changed, how crazy the last day has been for BTC, the Grayscale CEO stepping down, and the New York Attorney General’s $2 billion settlement with Genesis.

Further reading:

• Bitcoin liquidates $85M shorts as bull flag sparks $100K BTC price target
• Bitcoin price hits $70K as spot and BTC ETF buying surges
• SEC rumored to be reconsidering spot Ether ETF denial, say analysts
• Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein steps down
• New York AG reaches $2B settlement with Genesis ‘for defrauded victims’

So, grab yourself a coffee, and let’s get into it!

Rise’n’Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cointelegraph’s Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.