The data offered by Charlie Bilello of Compound Capital Advisors, if someone had made an investment in Bitcoin in 2011, they’d be looking at returns of over 6271233%. In comparison, Nasdaq as the second leading asset class only has 512% and gold is only looking at 24.3%.

This year has been especially strong for safe-haven assets with the US dollar battling and the global economy struggling to regain any strength as a result of the global pandemic. Bitcoin, in particular, has had a particularly strong year marking itself out as a prime investment opportunity to hedge against fiat. Looking at its low point in March, the cryptocurrency has gained 440%. As pointed out by Bilello using metrics of high and low returns, Bitcoin is looking at a current increase of over 160% since the beginning of the year.

Now, as Bitcoin price has managed to finally surpass the $20,000 USD, it’s possible that the bull run predicted for 2021 will kick off with more strength. In response, investors might look to the cryptocurrency to a long-term investment opportunity. On the other hand, we might see a sell-off and recorrection. Whatever the case, it’s undeniable that Bitcoin has reached its next cycle and that a rally is underway. This trend, looking at previous data and historic movements of the token from the past ten years indicates that the cryptocurrency industry is headed for a significant opportunity as a worthwhile store of value.


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Ripple partnered with MoneyGram, one of the world’s biggest remittance and payment companies in the United States in June 2019. Since then, the two parties have managed to report tremendous growth due to the partnership, and Alex Holmes, the chairman, and CEO of MoneyGram International [MGI] highlighted a few aspects of this growth in a recent interview.

Speaking to CNN’s Julia Chatterley, Holmes noted that 18 months into the partnership with Ripple, the company has reported a 140% increase in new online customers, while a 220% growth with regard to app transactions has also been noted. The payments company also registered 11 straight months of triple-digit cross-border growth.

While the blockchain space also evolves, the two have managed to achieve this target and are now moving to change the world remittances system with on-demand liquidity [ODL]. Holmes believes that the remittance landscape will undergo changes in the coming decade and the on-demand liquidity [ODL] solution to deliver real-time payments has the potential to pave the way.

Holmes talked about the increasing demand from customers to settle payments in real-time and to make that possible it was necessary to hold enough liquidity. Thus, for the company, it was important to have access to liquidity, improving the speed of transactions and throughput.


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Open interest for Bitcoin options almost touched $6 billion.

Amid an ongoing bull run of Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin options are hitting a new historical milestone. Bitcoin options are derivative contracts that grant the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell BTC at a predetermined price.

According to data from Skew, Bitcoin options volumes crossed $1 billion on Dec. 16. Skew announced the news Thursday on Twitter, noting that Bitcoin options saw its “first $1 billion day.”

Deribit, a major global crypto futures and options exchange, had the largest BTC options volume on the day at $879 million. The exchange has emerged as the most popular BTC options exchange, historically dominating the Bitcoin options market.

Bit.com, the cryptocurrency derivative exchange owned by Bitmain-backed financial service platform Matrixport, saw the second largest BTC options volumes on the day. According to Skew, Bit.com’s maximum Bitcoin options volume accounted for about $84 million.

Major global crypto exchange OKEx is the third top BTC options platform in the list, with a maximum options volume standing at $62 million on Dec. 16.

The Bitcoin options market has seen a parabolic growth in 2020 as even weekly volume fell short of the $200 million mark at the start of the year.

The volume growth comes alongside a massive increase in Bitcoin options open interest, or OI, which stands for the total number of contracts outstanding in the market and not yet settled. According to data from Skew, Bitcoin options’ OI almost touched a $6 billion threshold on Dec. 16, surging from around $600 million in early January.

The OI for Bitcoin options has been steadily increasing over the course of 2020. As previously reported by Cointelegraph, high OI rates are related to the increasing liquidity of options as well as growing number of market participants. Spikes in Bitcoin options’ OI can also be fueled by larger macroeconomic events like the decentralized finance hype and long term effects of the Bitcoin halving on the markets. Options are a derivative tool with several possible uses, including insurance for existing positions against possible drops, or speculating on price with an asymmetric risk-return profile.

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Ethereum reclaims $600 price levels as the CME announces Ether futures citing "client demand."

Ether (ETH) has followed the breakout above $20,000 for Bitcoin (BTC) on Dec. 16, boosted by some big news from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The CME just announced that it will be launching Ether futures in 2021.

"Based on increasing client demand and robust growth in our Bitcoin futures and options markets, we believe the addition of Ether futures will provide our clients with a valuable tool to trade and hedge this growing cryptocurrency," said Tim McCourt, CME Group global head of equity index and alternative investment products.

Such news is an extremely bullish event for the market's maturity, as it opens the gates for institutions and other parties to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies outside of Bitcoin. Notably, BTC futures launched exactly three years ago at the previous all-time high price in December 2017.

Ether’s price is up by 7% in the past 24 hours and is currently aiming to make a new yearly high.


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Institutional bitcoin firm One River Digital is barreling toward $1 billion in cryptocurrencies under management with backing from billionaire hedge fund manager Alan Howard, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The newcomer, One River Digital, is an offshoot of volatility hedge fund One River Asset Management. It’s already invested $600 million in bitcoin and ether for institutional clients; CEO Eric Peters told Bloomberg that One River Digital’s crypto holdings will cross $1 billion in early 2021.

It will do so with notable ties to the traditional financial world. On Wednesday. Bloomberg also reported that Brevan Howard Asset Management co-founder Alan Howard is taking an ownership stake in One River Digital and helping providing the company with backend trading services.

Fellow British fund shop Ruffer LLP is also an investor in One River Digital. Separately Tuesday, Ruffer revealed it is holding 2.5% of its total assets under management in bitcoin.

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Over the past few hours, XRP saw a quick 10% recovery to where it’s trading around $0.50 at the time of writing. This follows the most recent BTC rally to a new all-time high above $20,000.

Looking at the current market structure, the bearish bias still appears strong on the 4-hours chart. Although, a strong recovery may come into play once bulls show further interest. As can be seen on the chart, XRP has found temporary support above $0.45 inside the green zone.

A clear break above the current levels can push the price further to $0.6 and $0.7 levels. It may revisit $0.73 resistance if the price continues to increase.

If XRP sees another selloff, it may slip to $0.458. A drop below this could send the price further to $0.4 and potentially $0.33, where it broke out in November. The RSI and MACD are currently low, suggesting bears are still present.

Against Bitcoin, Ripple’s correction has reached a key level for recovery. After retesting the crucial descending trend line today, XRP saw a sharp bounce to where it’s trading around 2400 SAT. The trend is still bearish on the daily chart, but it appears buyers are beginning to show commitment.

More positive actions are likely if the third-largest crypto by market cap can hold support above the daily RSI 30. It’s also important to keep an eye on the technical MACD indicator as it may find support above the current levels. However, more pain can be anticipated if these key indicator levels fail.

Looking at the fresh increase above 2400 SAT, the first major resistance to keep in mind is 2818 SAT. The next resistance can be found at 3600 SAT and potentially 4200 SAT – the current yearly high.

If the price drops beneath the trend line, there’s a key psychological support at the 2000 SAT level. Following support is expected at 1800 SAT and 1500 SAT – where Ripple established a yearly low.


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Sandie O’Connor, the former chief regulatory affairs officer for JPMorgan Chase,  is joining Ripple’s board of directors, the company announced Tuesday.

O’Connor will provide counsel on “government relations and regulatory initiatives” for the company’s next phase as Ripple expands and seeks regulatory clarity in the United States, it said.

The announcement comes as San Francisco-based Ripple is openly contemplating relocating its headquarters to another country, citing a lack of such clarity, particularly on the legal status of XRP (-11.29%), the cryptocurrency it owns and helps develop.

Whatever decision the firm ultimately makes, O’Connor brings considerable regulatory and risk-management chops. During her time at JPMorgan, she served on multiple firm-wide governance committees including the ones overseeing risk and capital. She joined JPMorgan in 1988, and during her over three-decade long career also “led engagement with G-20 regulators and policymakers” for the bank, Ripple said. She retired from the institution in April 2019, according to her LinkedIn profile. O’Connor still sits on advisory committees of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of Financial Research, an independent bureau created within the Treasury Department to monitor systemic risks after the 2008 global financial crisis.

She appears to have filled the seat on Ripple’s board vacated by Ken Kurson, who was arrested on cyberstalking charges in October, according to a report by the New York Times. Reportedly a close ally of the Trump family, Kurson also founded a crypto and blockchain news website called Modern Consensus. Ripple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Once a top lieutenant to JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, O’Connor has also appeared regularly on American Banker magazine’s annual ranking of the most powerful women in banking.

On Ripple’s board, she will serve alongside former New York regulator Ben Lawsky, architect of the state’s BitLicense regulations, former diplomat Anja Manuel, and financial services industry veterans Yoshitaka Kitao and Craig Phillips, among others.


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Ang negosyanteng Amerikano at pinakamabentang may-akda ng "Rich Dad Poor Dad," na si Robert Kiyosaki, ay nagdala sa Twitter ngayon upang sabihin na ang pinakaluma at nangungunang cryptocurrency, ang Bitcoin pati na rin ang mahahalagang metal tulad ng ginto at pilak, ay may "maliwanag na hinaharap." Ipinaliwanag din niya kung bakit naisip niya na ang Bitcoin ay malapit nang magtungo sa saklaw na $ 50,000 sa susunod na taon.

Bukod sa pamumuhunan sa Bitcoin, nagpapatakbo si Robert Kiyosaki ng iba pang mga panlabas na pakikipagsapalaran sa negosyo at pamumuhunan. Itinatag din niya ang Rich Dad Company, isang pribadong firm sa edukasyon sa pananalapi. Namuhunan siya sa real estate pati na rin mga mahahalagang metal at inakala na ang mga ito ay mga tindahan na may halaga.

Kamakailan lamang, ang Amerikanong politiko, si Cynthia Lummis ay nabanggit na ang Bitcoin ay mahalaga sa kaganapan nang magsimulang mag-print ang mga awtoridad ng Estados Unidos ng mas maraming pera upang mapagtagumpayan ang krisis na nauugnay sa pandemya. Ang mga kasamang tagapagtatag ni Gemini, ang kambal ni Winklevoss ay iniisip na ang Bitcoin ay makakakuha ng 25 beses na kasalukuyang halaga habang mas maraming mga pandaigdigang namumuhunan ang gumagamit ng nangungunang crypto lalo na bilang isang bakod laban sa implasyon.


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