Summary of the last 24 hours of social chatter.

Crypto Market Report: January 17-18, 2025

Summary

The cryptocurrency market experienced a surge in volatility over the past two days, driven by a combination of factors, including regulatory news, institutional activity, and the emergence of a new memecoin phenomenon.

The most significant event was the launch of $TRUMP, a memecoin purportedly created by former US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform. The token experienced a meteoric rise, reaching a market cap of over $13 billion within hours, surpassing the market cap of Trump Corp's $DJT stock. This event sparked a debate about the future of memecoins and their potential impact on the crypto landscape.

Alongside the memecoin frenzy, institutional activity continued to drive market sentiment. BlackRock's iShares ETF inflows for Bitcoin and Ethereum reached significant levels, further solidifying the institutional interest in the crypto market.

Regulatory news also played a role, with the SEC charging Digital Currency Group for misleading investors and sanctioning Genesis CEO for similar actions. These developments highlight the ongoing regulatory scrutiny of the crypto industry and its impact on market sentiment.

News and Developments

Regulatory News

• SEC Charges Digital Currency Group for Misleading Investors: The SEC filed a complaint against Digital Currency Group (DCG) for misleading investors about its financial health. Files Litigation Admin 2025
• SEC Sanctions Genesis CEO for Misleading Crypto Investors: The SEC also sanctioned Genesis CEO Michael Moro for misleading investors about the company's financial condition. Files Litigation Admin 2025

Institutional Activity

• BlackRock iShares ETF Inflows: BlackRock's iShares ETF inflows for Bitcoin and Ethereum reached significant levels, indicating continued institutional interest in the crypto market. Lookonchain Status 1879925841783878102
• Wintermute OTC Report: Wintermute's OTC volume grew by 313% in 2024, reflecting a shift toward larger institutional block trades. Wintermute Otc 2024 In

Project Updates

• Phantom Wallet Raises $150M: Phantom Wallet secured $150M in a Series C funding round, valuing the company at $3 billion. Learn Blog Phantom Series
• EarnOS Raises $5M: EarnOS, a two-sided marketplace for digital advertising, raised $5M in a seed funding round. Earnos Io Status 1879964985817985050
• NULS Raises $3.4M: NULS received a $3.4M investment from Ape Terminal to support AI innovation within the NULS ecosystem. Nuls Raises 3 4m
• Merit Systems Raises $10M: Merit Systems, developing an attribution protocol for open-source projects, raised $10M in a seed funding round. Post 335347 Merit Systems
• Orbiter Finance Launches Airdrop Checker: Orbiter Finance launched an airdrop checker for its upcoming token generation event. Obtokenomics And Airdrop Eligibility
• Open Campus Introduces EDU Chain: Open Campus unveiled EDU Chain, a Layer 3 on Arbitrum Orbit, offering EVM compatibility. Opencampus Xyz Status 1880201970570653765
• Unmarshal Integrates with Mind AI: Unmarshal integrated with Mind AI, a trading insights platform powered by social intelligence and AI agents. Unmarshalai Status 1880234946725626179
• Base 2025 Mission, Vision, and Strategy: Base outlined its goals for 2025, focusing on five key pillars: tools for builders, ecosystem growth, onchain identity, global capital markets, and decentralization. Gfolgyrs8jtx4eqt4kh6ikwhb3tqrhqokfddeqziecs
• Ethereum Pectra Upgrade: Ethereum developers aim to launch the network's Pectra upgrade in March 2025. Post 335357 Ethereum Pectra

Exchange Listings

• Solv Protocol ($SOLV): Listed on Binance, KuCoin, MEXC, Bitget, and others. En Support Articles Adec6c06e09549b69e2bea57b71530d7
• Nodepay ($NC): Listed on OKX, Bitget, MEXC, Gate, KuCoin, Meteora, and others. Nodepay Ai Status 1879880992946896958
• Animecoin ($ANIME): Listed on OKX Jumpstart. Help Introducing Anime Animecoin
• Orbiter Finance ($OBT): Listed on Bybit Launchpool. En Article Bybit Launchpool
• Plume Network ($PLUME): Listed on Bybit Spot. Bybit Official Status 1880208448069013870
• N3: Listed on Bybit Spot. Bybit Official Status 1880238647066182136
• Solv Protocol ($SOLV): Listed on Bybit Futures. Trade Usdt Solvusdt
• Nodepay ($NC): Listed on Bybit Futures. Trade Usdt Ncusdt
• Pippin ($PIPPIN): Listed on Bybit Futures. Trade Usdt Pippinusdt
• Morpho ($MORPHO): Listed on Hyperliquid Futures. Hyperliquidx Status 1880171696176656605
• S ($S): Listed on Hyperliquid Futures. Hyperliquidx Status 1880161582539481590
• Trump ($TRUMP): Listed on Hyperliquid Futures. Hyperliquidx Status 1880486665460019356
• Trump ($TRUMP): Listed on Bybit Pre-Market. En Article Listing Of
• Avalanche AI ($AVAAI): Listed on Binance Futures. En Support Articles 8a43963ad2a748179893ed0b43e194ff
• Abstract Chain ($ARC): Listed on Binance Futures. En Support Articles 8a43963ad2a748179893ed0b43e194ff
• Orbiter Finance ($OBT): Listed on KuCoin. Kucoincom Status 1880173718925897919

Token Unlocks

• UXLINK: Token unlock scheduled for January 18th. En Event Uxlink Uxlink
• ONDO: Token unlock scheduled for January 18th. En Event Ondo Finance
• QAI: Token unlock scheduled for January 18th. En Event Quantixai Qai

Degen Alpha

• $TRUMP: The memecoin launched by former US President Donald Trump on Truth Social. Realdonaldtrump Posts 113846888132979151
• $ANIME: Azuki NFT-backed memecoin launching on OKX Jumpstart. Help Introducing Anime Animecoin
• $OBT: Orbiter Finance's native governance and staking token. Obtokenomics And Airdrop Eligibility
• $PLUME: Plume Network's token, focused on RWAfi. plume.network
• $EDU: Open Campus's Web3 education protocol token. Opencampus Xyz Status 1880201970570653765
• $MARSH: Unmarshal's token, powering DeFi applications on any chain. Unmarshalai Status 1880234946725626179
• $MVRS: Solana-based token with potential for growth in the politi-fi space. Solana A33ezjatz1khftb271xxjgxcuiqo5m42cfj7ihddlssm
• $METAIVERSE: Solana-based token focused on LLM infra metaverse technology. Solana Jdl73qnymx6zjajh2wekembasxhsfcesg3ax4s3npp3y
• $AGIXBT: Base-based token with a team of ex-Polygon, Mantle, Berachain, and Aethir developers. Base 0xdb7a2d387f33d2af138654403a773b085f41cb5e
• $MASCO: Token with potential for growth, currently consolidating after a 4x run. Solana A33ezjatz1khftb271xxjgxcuiqo5m42cfj7ihddlssm
• $RIZO: Solana-based token with potential for growth in the politi-fi space. Solana 6nmicc4qsxqjsnywgprbvtij7gdhfdtud71eegqapqav
• $NAILONG: Token that survived significant price drops, with potential for future rewards. En Lp 29oxiuz7rxtxssegpupntexvsjgqyz2mr6w6zf8nhsqe
• $J: Jambo's token with an earndrop for MadLads holders. Jambotechnology Status 1880496182780395538
• $ERMINE: Token with potential for growth, driven by a viral animal meme. Solana A33ezjatz1khftb271xxjgxcuiqo5m42cfj7ihddlssm
• $GME: High-cap meme play with potential for a repeat of its previous run. En Coins Gamestop
• $TORO: Token with potential for growth, currently breaking out and reaching new ATHs. Solana A33ezjatz1khftb271xxjgxcuiqo5m42cfj7ihddlssm
• $OFFICIAL ELON: Token held by the same wallet as $TRUMP, with potential for growth. Solana A33ezjatz1khftb271xxjgxcuiqo5m42cfj7ihddlssm

Patterns and Insights

• Memecoin Mania: The launch of $TRUMP sparked a memecoin frenzy, highlighting the continued influence of meme culture in the crypto market.
• Solana's Cultural Dominance: Solana has emerged as the dominant platform for memecoins and cultural moments in crypto, attracting significant attention and capital.
• Institutional Interest in Crypto: Institutional activity, particularly through ETF inflows, continues to drive market sentiment and provide a sense of stability.
• Regulatory Scrutiny: The SEC's actions against DCG and Genesis CEO highlight the ongoing regulatory scrutiny of the crypto industry, which could impact market sentiment and future development.
• Shifting Token Value Models: Binance Research highlighted the growing importance of token value models, including fee switches, token burns, and dividends, as regulatory clarity emerges.
• AI x Crypto: The integration of AI into the crypto space is gaining momentum, with projects like EarnOS and Mind AI leveraging AI to enhance their offerings.
• Layer 2 Abstraction: The increasing importance of Layer 2 abstraction is driving competition among L2s, with Base focusing on its development.

Disclaimer: This report is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Always conduct your own research (DYOR) before making any investment decisions.