Cryptocurrency
Execs remain positive on long-term prospects amid VC funding downturn

As crypto prices remain at lower levels, venture capital (VC) funding also recorded one of its worst quarters since 2021. Despite this, executives in the space remain optimistic about the industry’s long-term potential.
Crypto data platform RootData highlighted that the second quarter of 2023 delivered one of the worst performances in terms of crypto fundraising. Compared with the first quarter of 2022, where $12.62 billion were raised across 559 funding rounds, Q1 2023 saw around $2.1 billion across 292 rounds — an 83% decrease in VC investments flowing into the space.

Despite the flow of venture capital funds slowing down, professionals working in the space believe there’s still a strong ongoing belief that crypto has potential in the long term.
Gvantsa Chkuaseli, the head of structuring and fundraising at Web3 accelerator Outlier Ventures, told Cointelegraph in a statement that despite the downturn in Q4 2022, there’s also been an uptick in activity. According to Chkuaseli, this suggests investors strongly believe in blockchain’s long-term potential.
“We can see with our own portfolio, such as Mawari’s recent $6.5 million seed round co-led by Blockchange Ventures and Decasonic, and Zinc’s $5 million Series A, that there is interest despite the challenging conditions,” Chkuaseli explained.
Chkuaseli added that some investors appear undeterred by the recent downturn and continue to back early-stage companies within the sector. “We still believe, though, there are reasons to be optimistic,” Chkuaseli said. The executive also noted the massive interest in startups focused on artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting that fetch.ai received $40 million in funding from DWF Labs earlier this year.
JUST IN: AI-focused #crypto protocol @Fetch_ai has raised $40 million in new funding from @DwfLabs.$FET rose 13.9% to $0.388 following the news.
: https://t.co/eeHLD0FOGa pic.twitter.com/czlV9oNrZb
— CoinGecko (@coingecko) March 29, 2023
Saqr Ereiqat, co-founder of Dubai-based venture-building firm Crypto Oasis, believes that despite the negatives brought about by the downturn, there are still positive takeaways from the current situation. Ereiqat explained:
“On the positive side, this shift allows for a more discerning selection process, ensuring that only the most promising projects receive funding. Moreover, the challenging times serve to crystallize the winners, separating the truly innovative ventures from the rest.”
Even though there are positive outlooks, the executive still expressed empathy toward projects that are struggling because of the lack of funding. “It’s disheartening to witness numerous companies facing the risk of extinction due to the scarcity of funding opportunities,” he said. Ereiqat also told Cointelegraph that this situation emphasizes the importance of strategic decision-making for projects.
Similar to Chkuaseli, Ereiqat also highlighted how AI-focused projects are still seeing massive amounts of investments. Citing the $1.3 billion funding round for Inflection AI, the executive said there’s a growing opportunity within the AI startup landscape.
Related: Crypto VC is struggling only from a North American perspective — Animoca Brands CEO
Meanwhile, Phillip Lord, the president of the crypto payments platform Oobit, believes that it’s necessary for entrepreneurs to focus on building companies with sustainable business models and clear revenue streams. According to Lord, this help VCs be compelled to invest in their projects. He said:
“We are currently in a higher interest rate cycle, and rates are expected to remain high for the next three to five years. As such, businesses should avoid the ‘growth at any cost’ model, and instead focus on building strong and sustainable operations that will stand the test of time.“
Lord also highlighted that the VC model is experiencing a change because of AI. “Burn rates of companies can drastically come down if AI is fully embraced,” Lord said. The executive also predicted that there would be solo entrepreneurs earning more than $25 million annually “with literally no staff” because of AI.
Magazine: AI Eye: Is AI a nuke-level threat? Why AI fields all advance at once, dumb pic puns
Cryptocurrency
1,000,000 ETH: Could This Massive Move Ignite Another Price Rally?

TL;DR
Ethereum’s massive exchange outflows and increased whale accumulation fuel optimism for a continued uptrend.
However, ETH’s RSI on the daily scale has climbed to 71, entering overbought territory and signaling a potential short-term correction.
Ready for Another Catapult?
The second-biggest cryptocurrency has taken center stage lately, with its valuation soaring in the past few weeks and outperforming bitcoin (BTC) and many other leading digital assets. On Мay 13, the price for one ether (ETH) surged past $2,700 for the first time since late February.
In the following days, there was a slight retracement, and currently, the asset is worth roughly $2,550 (per CoinGecko’s data). Still, this represents a significant increase compared to the crash below $1,400 observed at the start of April and a 54% rise on a monthly scale.
According to some important metrics, there’s much more room for growth. The popular X user Ali Martinez revealed that around one million ETH had been withdrawn from exchanges in the last month alone. The USD equivalent of this significant stash is more than $2.5 billion. As CryptoPotato previously reported, nearly half of the amount was withdrawn in the past seven days.
The development indicates a shift from centralized exchanges toward self-custody methods and is generally considered a bullish factor since it reduces the immediate selling pressure.
Additionally, many well-known X users have pointed to the increased whale activity lately. CryptoJack claimed that large investors have been loading up ETH “like never before.” It is worth mentioning that he showed the buying spree of Abraxas Capital, an investment company that recently acquired millions of tokens.
The whales’ actions are closely monitored by smaller players who may decide to follow suit and hop on the bandwagon. Large-scale accumulation also reduces the available supply of ETH, and when paired with steady or rising demand, this can create upward pressure on the price.
Meanwhile, multiple analysts have recently made optimistic predictions about the short term. X user Kamran Asghar set the next target at $2,800, while CRYPTOWZRD expects a successful breakout of the $2.8K resistance level, which could push the price toward $3,550.
Those willing to explore additional forecasts involving ETH can take a look at our dedicated article here.
This Indicator Suggests a Possible Pullback
Despite the overall bullish conditions and opinions, ETH’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) warns about a potential downward trajectory in the short term. The momentum oscillator measures the speed and magnitude of recent price changes to help traders assess possible trend reversals.
It varies from 0 to 100, and readings above 70 typically signal that ETH has entered overbought territory and could soon experience a correction. The RSI on a daily scale is set at 71.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Cryptocurrency
Sportsbet.io launches 1 million USDT giveaway to mark Champions League finale

[PRESS RELEASE – Tallinn, Estonia, May 15th, 2025]
Sportsbet.io, the crypto-led sportsbook, has launched a major giveaway offering users the chance to win 1 million stablecoin, USDT, as the UEFA Champions League enters its decisive final stages.
Open to all verified users of the platform, the initiative requires a 1 USDT entry fee. Participants must correctly answer a set of twenty football-focused questions. Those who submit all correct answers may be eligible to claim the full 1 million USDT prize.
The launch is timed to coincide with the conclusion of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season, one of the most-watched sporting events globally. With global interest at its peak, the campaign provides football fans an opportunity to engage directly with a skill-based challenge that blends sporting knowledge in a format that blends skill, timing, and reward. In addition to the main challenge, Sportsbet.io is running a Cup Finals Leaderboard, which tracks user performance across a set of upcoming fixtures. A separate campaign will also reward participants who place qualifying multi-leg bets using the platform’s BetBuilder tool. Together, these two initiatives carry a combined prize pool of 20,000 USDT, distributed based on performance.
Shane Anderson, Chief Brand Officer for Sportsbet.io (Yolo Entertainment), commented:
“The Champions League is a pinnacle of global football – not just for the clubs competing but for fans around the world. As the tournament nears its conclusion, this initiative offers our community a chance to take part in the energy of the final weeks in a meaningful and interactive way.”
Sportsbet.io has a track record of activations aligned with key football moments. Recent campaigns have included VIP ticket giveaways and matchday engagements tied to major events, such as El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The platform also maintains club-level partnerships across top-tier European football with fan engagement experiences through digital assets.
Further information, including full entry terms, eligibility requirements, and prize details, can be found on their website.
About Sportsbet.io
Founded in 2016 as part of Yolo Group, Sportsbet.io is the leading crypto sportsbook. Sportsbet.io has redefined the online betting space by combining cutting-edge technology with cryptocurrency expertise and a passion for offering its players the ultimate fun, fast, and fair gaming experience.
Official Regional Partner of LALIGA, Official Betting Partner of English football team, Hull City, and a Club Partner of Premier League team Newcastle United, Sportsbet.io provides an expansive range of betting action across all major sports and eSports, offering players more than 1M pre-match events per year and comprehensive in-play content.
As the first crypto sportsbook to introduce a cash-out function, Sportsbet.io is recognised as a leader in both online sports betting and within the crypto community.
In December 2023, a lucky Sportsbet.io player won the biggest ever online slots jackpot while playing on the site, turning a $50 spin into a prize of more than $42 million.
Sportsbet.io prides itself on its secure and trustworthy betting service, with withdrawal times of less than 90 seconds, among the fastest in the industry.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Cryptocurrency
Bad News for Ripple as XRP Lags Behind BTC, ETH in This Key Metric

TL;DR
- A key metric showcasing the network and investor activity on a certain blockchain has revealed a massive difference in user engagement among the four largest cryptocurrencies by market cap.
- Nevertheless, analysts remain confident in XRP’s future price movements, as long as the asset remains above a critical support line.
As cryptocurrency continues to expand, here are the daily averages of new wallets created over the past month for the top 4 market caps:
1⃣ Bitcoin $BTC: 309K Per Day
2⃣ Ethereum $ETH: 112K Per Day
3⃣ XRP $XRP: 3.5K Per Day
4⃣ Tether $USDT: 36.4K Per Day pic.twitter.com/8mAjH6Hscp— Santiment (@santimentfeed) May 14, 2025
Santiment’s analysis shows the substantial lead BTC has in terms of new wallets being created on average every day for the past month. This aligns with previous reports on CryptoPotato’s website claiming that retail investors have returned for the world’s largest cryptocurrency.
Ethereum, whose price also picked up the pace in the past few weeks, has enjoyed over 110,000 new wallets created daily on average within the past month, while USDT sits far behind with 36,400.
However, Ripple’s situation is rather worrisome as only 3,500 new wallets emerge on a daily basis (again, on average). This suggests that retail investors have remained on the sidelines when it comes to new engagement with XRP, which is in stark contrast with the developments in December 2024.
At the time, the newly established wallets shot up to well over 20,000 while XRP was in the middle of its spectacular run to and beyond $3. Now, though, the lack of actual retail demand could spell trouble for the asset.
The past 24 hours have been somewhat painful for XRP, whose price has tumbled by over 5% and sits below $2.5 after getting rejected at $2.7 earlier this week. However, analysts are adamant that Ripple’s cross-border token has a clear sky ahead of it and will continue to rise as long as it doesn’t lose the $2.38 support level.
You can check some of the latest developments surrounding Ripple here, which also include a few big price predictions.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
- Forex3 years ago
Forex Today: the dollar is gaining strength amid gloomy sentiment at the start of the Fed’s week
- Forex2 years ago
Unbiased review of Pocket Option broker
- Forex3 years ago
How is the Australian dollar doing today?
- Forex3 years ago
Dollar to pound sterling exchange rate today: Pound plummeted to its lowest since 1985
- Cryptocurrency3 years ago
What happened in the crypto market – current events today
- World3 years ago
Why are modern video games an art form?
- Commodities3 years ago
Copper continues to fall in price on expectations of lower demand in China
- Economy3 years ago
Crude oil tankers double in price due to EU anti-Russian sanctions