Strengths
- Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the best performer for the week was XDC Network, rising 42.23%.
- Binance will roll out full services on its new platform for Japan in August. The firm bought Sakura Exchange Bitcoin last November and said this May that it was creating a platform to fully comply with local rules, according to Bloomberg.
- 8000 Stan Lee digital collectibles sold out "nearly instantaneously" on Monday, illustrating strong demand for some virtual assets still exist despite the slow recovery of the NFT market, writes Bloomberg.
Weaknesses
- Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the worst performer for the week was Gala, down 14.30%.
- Crypto miner stocks dropped this week as Bitcoin slid below $29,000. Stocks like Cipher Mining, Stronghold Digital, Hut 8, and Marathon fell alongside Bitcoin, according to Bloomberg.
- One of the most head-scratching phenomena playing out in the digital-asset world is the shrinking of the stable coin market while most cryptocurrencies are posting outsized gains this year, according to Bloomberg.
Opportunities
- Worldcoin, the token of the crypto project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, rallied on its first day of trading on Monday as investors piled into the hype surrounding artificial intelligence, writes Bloomberg.
- TD Cowen has initiated coverage and rated MicroStrategy "outperform" as the group cites both Bitcoin exposure and upside on business intelligence software. The stock has rallied about 209% this year through Tuesday's close, writes Bloomberg.
- Digital Currency Group is nearing a deal to sell its media company CoinDesk to an investor group. The group is led by the founder of Tilly Capital and Venture capital firm Capital6, according to an article published by Bloomberg.
Threats
- FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried was summoned to federal court in the Southern District of New York this Wednesday, according to a court filing. Bankman-Fried was summoned to address the adequacy and continuation of current bail conditions, writes Bloomberg.
- Sequoia Capital pared back the size of two major venture funds, including its cryptocurrency fund, as part of a dramatic downsizing the storied venture firm is undertaking amid a broad startup downturn, writes Bloomberg.
- Binance has withdrawn its application for a license from German financial regulator BaFin. The move follows a retrenchment from markets including Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands and as its U.S arm is sued by regulators for operating an unregistered exchange, writes Bloomberg.