Cryptocurrency
FTX’s $3.4B crypto liquidation: What it means for crypto markets
The FTX bankruptcy lawsuit reached a key juncture in the second week of September after the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved the sale of $3.4 billion worth of crypto assets.
The court also approved $1.3 billion in brokerage and government-recovered assets as part of the liquidation process, with $2.6 billion in cash bringing the total tally to $7.1 billion in liquid assets.
Among the different cryptocurrencies set for liquidation, Solana (SOL) tops the pile with a value of $1.16 billion, and Bitcoin (BTC) is the second-largest asset held, valued at $560 million.
Other assets to be liquidated include $192 million in Ether (ETH), $137 million in Aptos (APT), $120 million in Tether (USDT), $119 million in XRP (XRP), $49 million in Biconomy Exchange Token (BIT), $46 million in Stargate Finance (STG), $41 million in Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) and $37 million in Wrapped Ethereum (WETH).
Bitcoin, Ether and insider-affiliated tokens can only be sold after giving a 10 days advance notice to U.S. trustees appointed by the Department of Justice. The court also permitted hedging options for these assets.
The allowance for hedging is significant because FTX can use various financial instruments, such as futures, options and perpetual swaps to offset the losses.
The ruling drew industry-wide attention due to the significant amount of crypto assets approved for sale, with many questioning the potential impact on the crypto market.
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Joshua Garcia, partner at Web3-focused legal firm Ketsal, told Cointelegraph that determining whether the liquidation was the right decision is challenging. He said that bankruptcy courts have to focus on what is good for creditors, and creditors may care more about the recovery of funds rather than a potential slump in the price of the assets being liquidated.
“Whether or not this decision impacts the token price is perhaps not the court’s primary concern. The potential or imagined market impact may mean nothing to a judge or creditors committee if it doesn’t make creditors whole, at least in the eyes of the court. The concern here is millions of users suffered substantial losses due to FTX’s actions. Making victims as whole as possible is the top priority.”
The discovery of billions of dollars of liquid assets also relieved many creditors in the case.
Blake Harris, an asset protection attorney, believes unearthing liquid assets can be a game-changer in the FTX bankruptcy case. He told Cointelegraph that the newfound liquid assets “could offer more flexibility in asset management, allowing for a strategic approach that balances immediate legal requirements with broader market implications,” adding that “the discovery of such assets could provide some relief in terms of meeting immediate financial obligations, but it’s also essential to consider how these assets will be managed moving forward to prevent similar situations in the future.”
Market analysts predicted that Solana and Aptos prices have the highest chance of facing price volatility after liquidation based on each token’s daily trading volume.
How much of an impact will FTX’s liquidation have on the market?#SOL (81%) and #APT (74%) will have the most impact when you look at the daily trading volume of each token#BTC, #XRP, and #BNB liquidations will have very little impact on the market as each are 1% or less of… pic.twitter.com/XXIoZbKfBm
— Velvet.Capital (@Velvet_Capital) September 17, 2023
FTX liquidation won’t risk a crypto market cascade
The bankruptcy court has taken measures to ensure that the liquidation of FTX assets won’t become a burden for the crypto market.
The court order permits FTX to sell digital assets through an investment adviser in weekly batches in accordance with pre-established rules. Galaxy Digital has been entrusted with liquidating the assets and maximizing returns for FTX’s creditors while ensuring market stability.
The court also permitted FTX “to utilize staking options available through their qualified custodians using their respective private validators if the Debtors determine in the reasonable exercise of their business judgment that such activities are in the best interests of their estates.”
In the first week, there will be a $50 million cap on the sale of assets, followed by a $100 million cap in the succeeding weeks. The cap can be increased up to $200 million per week with the previous written consent of the creditors’ committee and ad hoc committee after court approval.
Anthony Panebianco, a commercial business litigator, told Cointelegraph that legally, a court may permit a debtor to liquidate its assets “outside the normal scope of business” in order to maximize the value from the sale to repay creditors, adding:
“The interesting part is that the court took an additional step to look at the general marketplace for the assets it is granting liquidation of. That is, the court is looking at protecting both creditors and non-creditors of FTX by the manner in which it has ordered the liquidation process.”
He also highlighted the different liquidation strategies for BTC and ETH. He said the “court-approved hedging arrangements for Bitcoin and Ether are subject to certain investment guidelines,” adding that “the court did not include Solana in these eligible assets for hedging arrangements, likely because of FTX’s large position in Solana. All three appear to be eligible for staking arrangements, again with oversight.”
Among all crypto assets held by FTX slated for liquidation, Solana became a major point of discussion owing to the $1.1 billion of the asset on the bankrupt crypto exchange’s balance sheet. According to market analysts, people considering a short position should be wary of the unlock period of the tokens held by FTX, with a complete unlock in 2028.
Looking at FTX’s SOL staking unlock schedule, a significant chunk of these tokens will slowly make their way to the market via linear vesting or scheduled unlocks until 2028, with the largest unlock scheduled for March 2025. Most of the SOL is locked in staking contracts.
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The linear vesting program offers a simple mechanism to gradually release a token balance over certain periods.
Currently, only 24% of the total $1.16 billion SOL tokens have been unlocked. Apart from Solana, Aptos tokens are also 100% locked and will be unlocked in phases over the next few years.
In its own analysis, Coinbase crypto exchange said that the scheduled and phased liquidation will keep the market stable, noting the strict controls in place for selling certain “insider-affiliated” tokens and a major part of FTX’s SOL holdings locked up until around 2025 due to the token’s vesting schedule.
While many experts state that markets are more or less safe amid the FTX liquidation, the exchange’s saga is far from over, with former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal team sparring with prosecutors for special conditions ahead of the trial.
Moreover, the exchange’s alleged illegal behavior has dealt a significant blow to public trust in the crypto ecosystem.
Cryptocurrency
New Investment Opportunities in the Web3 and AI: BYDFi Launches VIRTUAL, CLANKER, and GRIFFAIN
[PRESS RELEASE – Seychelles, Seychelles, January 2nd, 2025]
Amid the deep integration of Web3 and AI technologies, the BYDFi cryptocurrency exchange has recently launched three forward-looking AI concept tokens—VIRTUAL, CLANKER, and GRIFFAIN—providing global investors with the opportunity to tap into emerging markets.
VIRTUAL: A Leader in the AI Agent Ecosystem
VIRTUAL, the native token of Virtuals Protocol, has been recognized by Grayscale as one of the “Top 20 High-Growth Potential Tokens.” Currently, VIRTUAL has a market cap of $3.4 billion, ranking 43rd in cryptocurrency market capitalization. According to data from GMGN, it always tops the ranking among tokens on the BASE blockchain. Currently, the price of VIRTUAL is $3.49, with a 30-day ROI of 117% and an increase of 23,757.6% in the past year. Lookonchain monitoring revealed that 19 days ago, an investor purchased 4.25 million VIRTUAL tokens for 10 million USDC at an average price of $2.39 per token. Tokens that are now worth $21.5 million.
The market performance of VIRTUAL is largely driven by the rapid growth of the AI Agent ecosystem. As a leading project in this space, Virtuals Protocol is emerging as a “production factory” for decentralized AI Agents, providing robust support for their development and deployment.
Jansen Teng, co-founder of Virtuals Protocol, stated: “We have launched over 11,000 AI agents to date, with more than 140,000 Virtuals token holders and cumulative revenue exceeding $35 million. We are exploring various use cases for autonomous AI agents (Autonomous Agents), including applications on social media platforms like TikTok.”
CLANKER: The “Dark Horse” of the Token Market
Clanker is an AI token issuance platform based on Farcaster. It simplifies the process of issuing token assets. The project was developed by Jack Dishman, a full-stack engineer at Farcaster, and ecosystem developer @proxystudio.eth. The first meme token issued by Clanker is CLANKER itself. As of the time of writing, its price stands at $73.96, with a market capitalization of $73.33 million.
Previously, Clanker co-founder @proxystudio.eth responded to MetaMask co-founder Dan Finlay, stating that the team is upgrading the Clanker smart contract to allow users to directly claim a 40% revenue share (including ETH and tokens).
GRIFFAIN: An AI Solution on the Solana Blockchain
Griffain is an innovative project in the Solana ecosystem, leveraging the unique synergy between cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence to theoretically perform almost any task. Based on use cases shared on the social platform X, Griffain’s capabilities go beyond those of traditional chatbots. Users can directly purchase alcoholic beverages via Griffain and complete transactions using cryptocurrency or other payment methods—all, within the chat interface. Additionally, Griffain can assist users in selecting and purchasing Christmas gifts, offering a seamless, one-stop shopping experience without leaving the chat window.
Being one of the closest projects to the “Agentic APP” concept, Griffain has received the support of many different influencers in the Solana ecosystem. According to the latest market data, its native token once reached a market capitalization of $400 million, pulling back a bit now, with a token price of $0.289.
Accessing BYDFi for Trading AI-Concept Tokens
Currently, BYDFi enables users to easily trade many well-known AI concept tokens by visiting BYDFi website or through the BYDFi app, like some of the newly launched popular tokens: GRIFFAIN, VIRTUAL, and CLANKER. Other highly sought-after AI concept tokens such as AICell, MONKY, FROG, and LUNAI are now also available for trading on the BYDFi platform.
About BYDFi
Founded in 2020, BYDFi has earned the trust of millions of users worldwide through its commitment to optimizing user experience and continuous innovation. Recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 10 Best Global Crypto Exchanges , the platform offers spot trading for over 600 cryptocurrencies as well as flexible leveraged trading options ranging from 1x to 200x. By partnering with internationally renowned payment service providers such as Banxa, Transak, and Mercuryo , BYDFi has simplified the crypto purchasing process, enabling users to buy crypto with ease and at low costs .
BYDFi is dedicated to building a world-leading crypto trading experience for users. BUIDL Your Dream Finance
For inquiries and support, users can reach via the following:
- Website: https://www.bydfi.com
- Support Email: CS@bydfi.com
- Business Partnerships: BD@bydfi.com
- Media Inquiries: media@bydfi.com
Users can stay connected with BYDFi through their social media platforms:
Twitter( X ) | LinkedIn | Facebook | Telegram | YouTube
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Bitcoin’s start of the new year was painful as the asset slumped toward $93,000 once again, but it has reacted well and now sits a few grand higher.
Numerous altcoins have produced impressive gains over the past 24 hours, with ETH surging past $3,400 and XRP gaining 12% of value.
BTC Eyes $96K
Following its latest all-time high of over $108,000 on December 17, BTC went into a full correction mode, dumping by $16,000 within just days by December 20. It bounced off in the next week or so and even challenged $100,000 on a few occasions, but to no avail.
The subsequent rejection from the second attempt pushed it south hard to $91,300 on December 30, which became its lowest price tag in over a month.
The bulls finally stepped up at this point and propelled a run toward $95,000, where they were stopped, and BTC slipped beneath $92,000. More volatility ensued at the end of the calendar year, with a surge to $96,000 and another drop to $93,000.
The past 24 hours have been more positive for the largest digital asset, as it now stands close to $96,000 once again. Its market capitalization has risen to $1.9 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the alts has taken a hit to 53.8%, as most have registered impressive gains.
XRP, XLM on the Rise
Most altcoins dumped hard yesterday, but the landscape is entirely different today. Ethereum slipped below $3,400 but has reclaimed that level after a 2.5% daily surge. Similar increases are evident from BNB, TRX, and TON, while SOL, DOGE, ADA, AVAX, LINK, and SHIB have unlocked gains of up to 11%.
XRP has stolen the show from the top 10 alts, with a surge to $2.38 (12% on a daily scale). XLM is the top performer from the larger-cap alts, gaining 22% and trading above $0.42.
The cumulative market cap of all crypto assets has added over $130 billion overnight and is up to $3.53 trillion on CG.
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Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
[PRESS RELEASE – Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 2nd, 2025]
Pump AI aims to be a major driving force for adopting Meteora via its advanced AI-powered token generation ecosystem. The protocol enables anyone to create, manage, and issue tokens with a few AI prompts. This approach eliminates technical roadblocks like coding and blockchain adoption. Similar to what Virtuals and Pump Fun have already accomplished.
Pump AI Has Major Backers and Integrations
Industry leaders support Pump AI. The protocol has secured backing from Meteora, Ape Terminal, M3M3, and Cherry so far. Additionally, the project works directly with multiple bots including Photon, Maestro, and Banana Gun. These partnerships ensure new user flow.
Pump AI is the New Meta for Token Launches
Pump AI is the first and only AI-powered launchpad in the Meteora ecosystem. This liquidity layer for Solana has 300K+ active users and has helped the network expand its performance and developer community. Notably, Meteora is more than just integrating Pump AI, it’s one of its main backers.
Due to this positioning, Meteora will help funnel its hundreds of thousands of daily users to Pump AI. This user flow will operate similarly to how PumpFun drew users from Raydium. The support from Meteora will drastically lower the average per-user acquisition cost for Pump AI and provide Pump AI with a major user catalyst and on-ramp.
Pump AI is a Bonding Curve Launchpad
Pump AI provides additional features for new projects seeking to enter the market. For one, it has variable bonding curves, or set marketcaps needed to open on Meteora. This structure allows token issuers to determine a preset value for their pool to hit before going live on the Meteora exchange. Notably, Pump AI can handle thousands of token launches, potentially equaling hundreds of millions in fees generated daily.
Pump AI Leverages Meteroa’s DLMM and M3M3’s Staking Tech
Pump AI integrates Meteora’s unique DLMM system for potential liquidity. The system pays out rewards generated from slippage and spreads derived from token liquidity.
Additionally, the M3M3 stake-to-earn protocol rewards namecoin stakers for their potential liquidity and encourages long-term staking.
What’s Next for Pump AI
Pump AI plans to accelerate development and expand its ecosystem. Key upcoming milestones include its Token Generation Event, the release of the AI powered Launchpad, partnerships with more industry leaders, and collaborations with AI developers across the tech space.
$PUMPAI Token has Multiple Streams of Value
$PUMPAI is a versatile digital asset that operates as the main utility and rewards token for the ecosystem. Notably, trading fees from Pump AI go towards buybacks that get added to treasure troves. This strategy allows stakers to secure Pump Points, granting access to treasure troves containing $PUMAI tokens.
Additionally, Pump AI will use a portion of all fees collected on the platform to buy back and burn $PUMPAI tokens.
About Pump AI
Pump AI is a leading Bonding Curve (set marketcap) Launchpad on the Meteora ecosystem, enabling projects to launch with customizable curves, high-throughput capacity, and integrations with Meteora’s advanced DLMM for optimized liquidity and user incentives.
Pump AI leverages M3M3 staking technology to allow projects to easily enable staking and LP farming on Meteora’s DLMM. Meteora’s DLMM system allows people to earn $SOL rewards from the liquidity around their token as long as it’s paired with $SOL.
Website: https://PumpAI.ag/
Twitter: https://x.com/pumpdotai
Telegram: https://t.me/PumpdotAI
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