MicroStrategy’s Aggressive Bitcoin Strategy Drives Stock Surge in 2024

News on the Blockchain, December 30th, 2024

Confidence in Knowledge.

🌍 Daily Crypto Market Overview

Global Stats:

  • Cryptocurrencies: 2.4M+

  • Exchanges: 773

  • Market Cap: $3.28T (-1.33%)

  • 24h Volume: $102.32B (+27.59%)

  • Bitcoin Dominance: 56.50%

  • Ethereum Dominance: 12.52%

  • ETH Gas Price: 3.7 Gwei

  • Fear & Greed Index: 50 (Neutral)

🪙 Top 5 Cryptocurrencies by Market Cap:

Name

Price

24h Change

Market Cap

24h Volume

Bitcoin

$93,709.89

-1.37%

$1.85T

$36.73B

Ethereum

$3,412.91

+0.51%

$411.16B

$17.88B

Tether

$0.9984

-0.02%

$138.73B

$84.14B

BNB

$693.51

-2.35%

$99.87B

$1.67B

Solana

$192.57

-1.68%

$92.38B

$2.34B

💹 Market Highlights:

  • Total DeFi Volume: $8.11B (7.92% of total market volume)

  • Stablecoins Volume: $94.38B (92.24% of total market volume)

  • Coin with Highest % Change: HUND (+36.43%)

🔥Heat Map:

📈 Preview On Today’s News:

  1. - MicroStrategy’s Aggressive Bitcoin Strategy Drives Stock Surge in 2024

  2. - Franklin Templeton Launches Benji on Ethereum, Expands DeFi Integration

  3. - EU’s MiCA Regulations Challenge Tether, Undermining U.S. Financial Dominance

Keep reading below for more!

Today’s News:

1)

MicroStrategy’s Aggressive Bitcoin Strategy Drives Stock Surge in 2024

MicroStrategy, led by Michael Saylor, continues its bold expansion in Bitcoin investments, holding over 444,262 BTC valued at approximately $41.4 billion. In 2024, the company plans to raise $42 billion through equity and securities to further its cryptocurrency acquisitions, aligning with its transformative 21/21 strategy. This aggressive approach has resulted in a remarkable 400% increase in MicroStrategy’s stock year-to-date, now trading at $360 on the Nasdaq-100. Despite facing market volatility and criticism over Bitcoin-related announcements, MicroStrategy remains a leading public holder of Bitcoin, with Saylor’s strategic updates significantly influencing market movements and investor anticipation.

  • Significant Bitcoin Holdings and Investment Plans: MicroStrategy holds over 444,262 BTC and aims to raise $42 billion for continued cryptocurrency acquisitions through its 21/21 strategy.

  • Impressive Stock Performance Amid Market Volatility: The company’s stock has surged 400% in 2024, reaching $360 on Nasdaq-100, driven by its focused Bitcoin investment approach despite facing market fluctuations.

2)

Franklin Templeton Launches Benji on Ethereum, Expands DeFi Integration

Franklin Templeton, a prominent asset management company, has significantly advanced its presence in decentralized finance (DeFi) by launching its tokenization project, Benji, on the Ethereum blockchain. This expansion marks Benji’s fifth platform integration in 2024, now operating on seven platforms including Aptos, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Base, Stellar, and Polygon. The Benji project enhances fund management, regulatory reporting, and stablecoin exchanges through compliance-focused wallet technology that adheres to KYC and AML standards. By utilizing cold storage for private keys and implementing on-chain operational tools for tasks like shareholder tracking and yield distribution, Franklin Templeton is modernizing traditional financial infrastructure. This unified and interoperable environment streamlines investment management, positioning the firm at the forefront of integrating DeFi into conventional asset management.

  • Expanded DeFi Integration: Franklin Templeton’s Benji project is now active on seven blockchain platforms, including Ethereum and Stellar, enabling enhanced fund management and seamless stablecoin exchanges with robust KYC and AML compliance.

  • Modernized Financial Infrastructure: The new DeFi solution features compliance-focused wallets, cold storage security, and on-chain operational tools, facilitating streamlined investment management and positioning the company as a leader in integrating decentralized finance with traditional asset management.

3)

EU’s MiCA Regulations Challenge Tether, Undermining U.S. Financial Dominance

The European Union's newly implemented Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations, effective from tomorrow, appear to target Tether, the world's largest stablecoin, by rejecting its $102 billion in U.S. Treasuries as acceptable collateral. Instead, MiCA mandates that stablecoin issuers must hold at least 60% of their reserves in fiat currencies within EU-regulated banks, effectively diminishing reliance on American financial assets. This regulatory move is perceived not just as a measure for financial safety and compliance, but also as a strategic political maneuver aimed at reducing U.S. dominance in the global financial system. Consequently, major exchanges like Coinbase are beginning to delist USDT, potentially leading to significant liquidity fragmentation and market inefficiencies within Europe. The EU’s approach may force other stablecoin issuers to choose between compliance and market presence, risking both the EU’s standing in the global crypto market and the overall stability of cryptocurrency liquidity.

  • Regulatory Shift: The EU's MiCA rules reject Tether’s U.S. Treasuries, requiring stablecoin reserves to be at least 60% held in EU-regulated fiat, signaling a political move against U.S. financial dominance.

  • Market Impact: Major exchanges like Coinbase are delisting USDT in response, potentially leading to liquidity fragmentation and reduced efficiency in the European crypto market.

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