Luc Jose A.

Since January 2023, the crypto market has been experiencing a bullish phase marked by a significant appreciation of Bitcoin and altcoins. This dynamic is based on several factors, including accelerating institutional adoption, a massive influx of capital, and an overall optimistic market sentiment. Additionally, there are anticipations surrounding the approval of new crypto ETFs and potential favorable regulations that boost investor confidence. However, according to CryptoQuant, this euphoria could soon reach a critical point. The analytics firm identifies several technical signals indicating that the market has entered its final phase. Among these is the significant increase in the volume of Bitcoin traded over the past month, which reached 36% in the fourth quarter of 2024. This phenomenon, observed during previous market peaks, suggests a possible correction in the short to medium term. Yet, this warning is not unanimously accepted. Institutions such as Steno Research and VanEck adopt a more optimistic view. According to them, the bullish trend could continue until the end of 2025, driven by increasing adoption and evolving regulatory frameworks. VanEck even estimates that Bitcoin could reach $180,000, while Ethereum may exceed $6,000 by the end of next year. In light of these divergent forecasts, a question arises: should investors expect new price spikes or, on the contrary, take their profits before a possible market reversal?

The year 2025 starts on uncertain grounds for bitcoin. After reaching a peak of $108,000, the cryptocurrency quickly lost ground, falling back below the symbolic threshold of $100,000. This level, both psychological and strategic, has become a fragile equilibrium point where buyers and sellers are at odds. On one side, optimists believe this consolidation phase paves the way for a new bullish impulse, with potential recovery towards record levels. On the other side, proponents of a bearish scenario anticipate a more pronounced correction, which could bring BTC down to $76,000, a level corresponding to a key support zone. Beyond these contrasting forecasts, several factors contribute to the uncertainty. Additionally, macroeconomic tensions, particularly the upcoming decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), add further pressure on investors. In light of this uncertain climate, the coming weeks are poised to be critical for bitcoin. The outcome of this battle at $100,000 could well dictate market trends for the remainder of the year.

The French state is preparing to face a year of high tension in the financial markets. With 300 billion euros to borrow in 2025, an unprecedented level of debt, Bercy must maneuver in a particularly unstable environment. The French Treasury Agency (AFT), responsible for debt issuance, faces a double challenge: ensuring the financing of the country without destabilizing the markets and reassuring increasingly cautious investors. Indeed, political uncertainty further complicates the situation. Since the fall of the Barnier government, France has been operating without an approved budget, which strengthens doubts about the country’s budgetary trajectory. A special law adopted in emergency allows for the maintenance of borrowing, but this temporary solution is not enough to dispel the concerns. In the markets, signs of instability are multiplying. The spread between French and German rates, a key indicator of investor confidence, has doubled in a year to exceed 80 basis points. This signal reflects a riskier perception of French debt and could increase the cost of financing. In this climate of uncertainty, Bercy must find the right balance. Will the AFT’s strategy, based on predictability, regularity, and flexibility, be enough to avoid an excessive rise in interest rates? With only a few days until the first auctions, pressure is mounting on financial officials, while investors are waiting for guarantees on the country’s budgetary stability.

Amid revolutionary announcements, technological developments, and regulatory upheavals, the crypto ecosystem continues to prove that it is both a territory of limitless innovations and a battleground of regulatory and economic conflicts. Here is a summary of the most notable news from the past week regarding Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance, Solana, and Ripple.

The crypto market is in perpetual turmoil, and Dogecoin is one of its protagonists today. Within a week, its price surged by 21%, surpassing competitors like Shiba Inu, Pepe, and Bonk. This performance is no coincidence. Institutional investors and wealthy individuals have massively positioned themselves on the asset, as evidenced by the purchase of 1.08 billion DOGE for an estimated value of 413 million dollars. A notable transaction of 399.9 million DOGE, equivalent to around 144.9 million dollars, was also transferred from Binance to an unknown wallet, a movement often perceived as a bullish signal indicating a reduction in selling pressure. For some observers, the asset could finally cross the symbolic barrier of 1 dollar by the end of the year, thus propelling its market capitalization to 100 billion dollars. However, does this momentum rest on solid fundamentals, or is it merely a speculative frenzy? Amid strategic accumulations, optimistic analyses, and favorable political contexts, Dogecoin may well be on the brink of a new bullish cycle.

Bitcoin reached a historic milestone in 2024. In just one year, $19 trillion flowed through its network, an absolute record that marks the end of two years of declining transaction volumes. This spectacular recovery reflects the return of investor confidence, driven by several major events. The approval of Bitcoin ETFs in the United States facilitated the entry of institutional capital, while the April 2024 halving reinforced the scarcity of BTC, which fuels demand. Meanwhile, the network has significantly strengthened, with a hashrate at an unprecedented level of 1,000 exahashes per second. Behind these staggering figures, a shift is taking place: Bitcoin is consolidating its status both as a store of value and as a global transactional infrastructure, raising questions about its future and its role in traditional finance.

Social media has become much more than just simple exchange platforms. Today, they are the battleground of an ideological clash between freedom of expression, content moderation, and user engagement. Every modification to the rules governing these digital spaces sparks passionate debates, and X (formerly Twitter) is no exception. Recently, Elon Musk announced a revamp of X's algorithm, which aims to prioritize educational and informative content at the expense of those deemed too negative. According to him, this update addresses a central issue: some posts encourage excessive consumption of the social network without truly enriching users' experiences. However, this decision has quickly provoked criticism. Many users denounce a risk of control over information and question the criteria that will define "negativity." Some see it as a form of masked censorship, while others view this change as an attempt to influence how debates are organized on the platform.

Inflation in the eurozone continues to receive close attention as markets monitor the release of December's figures. According to FactSet estimates, consumer prices are expected to rise by 2.4% year-on-year, up from 2.2% in November. This increase, although moderate, raises questions about the path the European Central Bank (ECB) is set to take. On one hand, some investors are betting on a rapid monetary easing, convinced that inflation will gradually return to the ECB's target of 2%. On the other hand, the sustainability of underlying inflation at 2.7%, fueled by rising prices of services and food products, urges the central bank to exercise caution. As the ECB prepares for its first meeting of the year on January 30, the balance between supporting the economy and controlling prices looks particularly delicate.

The Solana network is undergoing an unprecedented expansion phase, driven by massive adoption of memecoins and a significant rise in speculative activity. However, this dynamics raises questions within the community of project founders on the Blockchain. According to a survey conducted by Blockworks Research, 76% of them believe that memecoins play a beneficial role in the ecosystem, while 16% consider artificial intelligence (AI) agents to be an overrated technology. These results reflect an increasing gap between two major trends: on one side, the enthusiasm for highly volatile assets, and on the other, skepticism regarding new AI applications in Web3.

The Bitcoin network has just reached a historic milestone, achieving a record hashrate of 1,000 exahashes per second (EH/s) on January 3, 2025. This symbolic threshold represents an unprecedented acceleration of computing power mobilized to secure the blockchain, as the mining sector undergoes a phase of strategic expansion. Over the span of a year, the network's hashing capacity has doubled, increasing from 510 EH/s in January 2024 to this unprecedented level, illustrating the scale of investments in the industry.

The center of gravity of the global economy is gradually shifting towards new alliances. In the face of the waning influence of Western institutions, another bloc is consolidating its power. Since January 1, 2025, the BRICS have taken a new step by welcoming nine partner states. This expansion, decided at the Kazan summit in October 2024, reinforces their political and economic weight and broadens their grip on emerging markets. Now, the organization represents 51% of the global population and generates 40.4% of global GDP in purchasing power parity.

As digital innovations profoundly transform our habits, Elon Musk is preparing to take a significant step with the launch of X Money. This payment system, directly integrated into the X platform (formerly Twitter), could redefine the standards in the realm of digital payments. A recent code leak, revealed by a researcher, has reignited rumors of an imminent launch, well ahead of the officially announced date for this year, 2025. If this information is confirmed, X Money promises to introduce unprecedented features, particularly the potential support for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin. Through this project, the X platform aims to become a key player in digital transactions, raising questions about its economic and regulatory impact.

Cryptocurrencies, once considered a marginal phenomenon, have gradually established themselves as a central element of the global financial ecosystem. This major shift is illustrated by a promising new perspective. Matthew Sigel, head of research at VanEck, stated that the likelihood of an ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) on Solana being approved in the United States during the year 2025 is high, but exceeds current forecasts. Sigel asserts that Polymarket's 77% estimates underestimate this potential, a statement that reignites the debate on the future of crypto derivatives and their role in transforming financial markets. This statement comes as institutional investors and U.S. regulators attempt to balance innovation with legal frameworks. In this context, the eventual approval of a Solana ETF could significantly broaden access to the crypto market, attracting both capital and institutional players. If these projections materialize, they would mark a significant milestone in the integration of these assets within traditional portfolios.