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Phantom Wallet secured a massive $150M Series C round, pushing its valuation to $3 billion.

The funding round was led by Sequoia Capital and Paradigm, with participation from a16z and Variant.

The Solana-native company boasts 15 million monthly active users and $25 billion in self-custody assets.

What Are They Saying?

Co-founder and CEO Brandon Millman commented on the raise and their success: "The wallet’s rise in popularity shows that there’s a 'broader trend' in which more people are buying crypto directly with their digital wallets instead of using Coinbase Global Inc.’s exchange and other centralized platforms."

Regarding how to use the funds: "With these new resources, we plan on making bigger bets to accelerate crypto adoption and become the world’s biggest and most-trusted consumer finance platform."

Why It Matters

Phantom's raise is one of the single biggest fundraises for crypto-native companies in years.

This is a very positive sign for the future.

It also shows that crypto companies can raise capital without turning to token launches (Phantom doesn't have a token and likely won't at least for the near future).

This provides signal to other teams looking to build companies here in the US - the investment doors are back open.

Let the crypto fundraising race begin...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were mixed on the day; Punks -4% at 38.3 ETH, Pudgy even at 23.9, BAYC -1% at 15.3 ETH, Azuki +3% at 13.1 ETH, Doodles +4% to 5.18 ETH
• Keungz Genesis (+58%) and DeepBlack (+43%) led notable top movers
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly green; Bitcoin Puppets +1%, NodeMonkes +6%, OMB -10%, Quantum Cats even
• The Runes leaders were mixed; DOG +9% at $586M mc, PUPS even at $72M, BDC +1% at $38M, GIZMO -3% at $12M
• Anime Foundation announced that the Azuki ANIME coin is coming on Jan 23
• Rocktoshi's countdown has seemingly ended, with a potential announcement coming soon

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors are up after word of Trump making crypto a national priority, BTC leads; BTC +3% at $102,400, ETH +1% at $3,400, SOL +1% at $219, XRP -1% at $3.25
• OKB (+16%), LTC (+14%), EOS (+10%) & MOVE (10%) led alts
• Trump is expected to make crypto a national priority on day one, with Bloomberg and the NYT both reporting on expected pro-crypto actions to take place on Day 1 of his presidency 
• Senator Lummis called out the FDIC for alleged misconduct and destruction of documents tied to its digital asset oversight and investigations (operation chokepoint)
• A proposal to reduce Solana inflation went live for vote
• Nasdaq filed to list & trade the Canary Litecoin ETF
• Tether partnered with LayerZero to bring USDT0 to more blockchains 
• A "Crypto Tower" has been unveiled for Dubai, with plans for a 17-story building featuring blockchain, DeFi, and web3 companies, also featuring a gold shop, exotic car dealership and a club
• Coinbase is launching BTC-backed loans for its users powered by Morpho
• Memecoin majors are mostly green up 4-8%; DOGE +7%, SHIBA +7%, PEPE +5%, PENGU -3%, BONK +1%, WIF +1%, MOG -7%
• SPX jumps 20%, leading top movers

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• The SEC is expected to revamp crypto policy and may pause enforcement actions
• The DOJ ordered the return of the $9B in Bitfinex Bitcoin to its rightful owners
• Both Texas and Oklahoma saw formal bills introduced to create Strategic Bitcoin Reserves, and the country of Thailand is also considering allowing Bitcoin ETF listings
• Bitwise's CEO said they've had conversations with nation states about buying Bitcoin ETFs
• Trump is also apparently receptive to an American crypto reserve featuring SOL, XRP and USDC

So a pause in enforcement actions, a return of $9B in Bitfinex Bitcoin to rightful owners, more states and nations looking at Bitcoin reserves, and a potential "American crypto reserve" featuring Solana and XRP.

That's a good quarter of headlines - packed into a single day.

Why It Matters

There's a lot to unpack here.

Starting with the SEC item, pausing enforcement actions sets the tone that the Trump SEC is going to re-evaluate everything and likely let businesses operate with less stringent oversight (and hopefully put in rules of the game).

The states going after Bitcoin reserves shows us that even if Trump can't get that done at the national level, we may see at least some Red states get it done. And clearly just the chance that the US may implement has perked the attention of other nations.

Then there's the American crypto reserve item. 

This is new, but not a major surprise to anyone following XRP price action. XRP has been surging as of late and the clear top mover among crypto majors. It's up 17% on a day where ETH is up 5%, and now barely more than a 2x away from flipping ETH and becoming the #2 crypto asset.

That is a big deal.

And it's a big deal for Solana as well, which already has a big year ahead with Firedancer, reduced inflation, continued builder momentum and potential ETFs.

There is a scenario on the table where both XRP and Solana flip ETH in 2025. Even if they don't flip, they have plenty of room to run.

Buckle up, 2025 is set to become more bullish than you can even imagine...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were mostly green, led by Apes and Doodles; Punks -1% at 40 ETH, Pudgy +3% at 23.9, BAYC +7% at 15.35 ETH, Azuki +1% at 12.5 ETH, Doodles +5% to 5.15 ETH
• CDBs S3 (+23%) and Boo Bears (+21%) led notable top movers
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly red; Bitcoin Puppets -4%, NodeMonkes -5%, OMB -2%, Quantum Cats +3%
• The Runes leaders were mostly green; DOG +12% at $540M mc, PUPS +6% at $72M, BDC +6% at $37M, GIZMO +8% at $13M

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors are up big after soft CPI data, XRP and SOL lead; BTC +3% at $99,200, ETH +5% at $3,350, SOL +15% at $215, XRP +19% at $3.26
• ALGO (+22%), HBAR (+20%), XDC (+19%) & LTC (19%) led alts
• The SEC filed an appeal in the Ripple lawsuit to classify XRP as a security
• Donald Trump's SEC is expected to revamp crypto policy and may pause enforcement actions
• The DOJ ordered the return of the $9B in Bitfinex Bitcoin to its rightful owners
• Both Texas and Oklahoma saw formal bills introduced to create Strategic Bitcoin Reserves, and the country of Thailand is also considering allowing Bitcoin ETF listings
• Bitwise's CEO said they've had conversations with nation states about buying Bitcoin ETFs
• Trump is also apparently receptive to an American crypto reserve featuring SOL, XRP and USDC
• The RWA tokenization market is expected to hit $50B in 2025 according to Ozean
• MicroStrategy plans to raise $2B through a perpetual preferred stock offering to acquire more Bitcoin
• Memecoin majors are very green up 10-20%; DOGE +10%, SHIBA +7%, PEPE +10%, PENGU +10%, BONK +10%, WIF +18%, MOG +5%

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JP Morgan analysts have predicted that Solana and XRP ETFs could attract billions in investment.

In a recent report, JP Morgan analysts stated that upcoming Solana and XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could bring in substantial investments—estimated at $4–$8 billion for Solana and $3–$6 billion for XRP.

They went on to acknowledge that while these are strong inflows, they fall far short of Bitcoin (obviously).

However, these figures fall far short of Bitcoin ETFs, which saw record-breaking success with BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust amassing $50 billion in its first year.

What Are They Saying?

Regarding how the SOL and XRP ETFs would compare to ETH and BTC: "Regardless of an exact number, we think [Solana and XRP ETFs] will match if not fall below Ethereum ETP expectations given their altcoin status and, similarly, that Bitcoin remains the favored crypto token to trade and own both in spot and ETP form."

They went on to state that the "episodic nature of the crypto market is driven by varying investor sentiment and trendy new coins that may capture incremental attention for a limited time."

Why It Matters

More ETFs are coming, and it seems Solana and XRP are next up.

Solana has plenty of tailwinds from its onchain ecosystem growth, as it generates fees on par with Ethereum, dominates memecoins, leads in the AI race, and expands in DeFi, DePIN and more.

Meanwhile, XRP clearly has a retail army behind it who just love buying the token.

Each will benefit from an ETF, and both of those ETFs will have retail demand.

The real wild card here is Trump and his idea of making American-made crypto tax free.

Guess what? XRP is American made.

If XRP becomes the top tax free crypto token, and it has a shiny new ETF, it could really explode upwards.

There's even a scenario on the table where XRP flips ETH this cycle.

We will certainly see, and in the meantime - bring on the ETFs...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were mixed, led by Punks and Doodles; Punks +12% at 40.3 ETH, Pudgy -3% at 23.3, BAYC -3% at 14.25 ETH, Azuki -6% at 12.4 ETH, Doodles +9% to 4.87 ETH
• Rug Genesis (+42%) and Art DeCCOs (+42%) led top movers
• CryptoPunks saw 24 sales in the past day amidst rumors of a potential sale of their IP circulated, including a 100 ETH pilot sale
• DXNK debuted its new 2k supply collection, opening at a 0.22 ETH floor
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly red; Bitcoin Puppets -10%, NodeMonkes -2%, OMB even, Quantum Cats even
• The Runes leaders were very green; DOG -5% at $488M mc, PUPS +3% at $68M, BDC +12% at $35M, GIZMO +32% at $12M
• NBA Top Shot has 8 Moments being auctioned off at Sotheby's through Jan 21 as part of its broader NBA memorabilia sale, with Moments featuring Jaylen Wells, Bob Carrington and more

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors are up slightly ahead of today's CPI data, XRP leads; BTC +1% at $96,700, ETH even at $3,200, SOL even at $186, XRP +7% at $2.75
• DEXE (+13%), IOTA (+10%), LDO (+10%) led alts
• A JP Morgan report said that XRP and SOL ETFs could pull in billions in cash from investors, though not at the level of the Bitcoin ETFs
• Maker approved another $1.1B fund allocation into Ethena USDe and sUSDE
• Gary Gensler swiped at crypto perhaps one last time in an interview on Squawk Box, although he did mention that people "want to trade" Bitcoin and compared it to Gold
• Sigma Capital launched a $100M web3 venture fund in the UAE, focused on DeFi, blockchain infra, RWAs, gaming and the metaverse
• Memecoin majors are mixed this morning; DOGE +1%, SHIBA -1%, PEPE -1%, PENGU -3%, BONK -1%, WIF +1%, MOG -2%
• Coinbase added TOSHI to its roadmap, leading to a 150% spike to $130M

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What Happened?
President-elect Donald Trump is set to sign executive orders on his first day in office to reshape crypto policy.

He will start by creating a presidential crypto council of industry leaders and is then expected to dive into a series of actions.

Those proposed actions include:

• Establishing a joint crypto working group between the CFTC and SEC
• Addressing de-banking issues for American crypto companies
• Repealing a crypto accounting policy that burdens banks (SAB 121)
• Coordinating international crypto innovation through the State Department, and
• Potentially establishing Bitcoin as a national reserve asset

Bo Hines, tapped to lead Trump’s crypto council, has been soliciting policy proposals from crypto leaders in Washington

What Are They Saying

Trump's transition team emphasized crypto as a top priority, working closely with industry leaders to develop supportive policies.

A source went as far to say "The Trump team has made it very clear that this is a priority."

Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump’s team, highlighted plans to position the U.S. as a leader in the crypto sector, saying: "President Trump will deliver on his promise to encourage American leadership in crypto."

It looks like he's planning to deliver.

Why It Matters

A pro-crypto President of the United States, executing on his campaign promises from day 1 and aiming to foster crypto innovation in the US and aboard, is simply not priced in.

This is literally a new paradigm.

The best we've had in the White House is agnosticism, and at worst, direct attacks (see the last 4 years under Biden / Warren).

The attacks are coming to an end. 

Crypto innovation will be fostered in America.

That means brighter minds can build in this area, who may have been on the sidelines. That means foreign-based companies can migrate here and recruit domestic talent. 

And that doesn't even scratch the surface of the impact a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve would have. 

Many have called that unlikely, but if Trump fulfills his other promises on day 1 in office, the likelihood of the Strategic Reserve has to go up (in fact the Polymarket odds are up to 36% that he'll create it in the first 100 days).

The First Crypto President is about to take office. 

Pack your bags accordingly...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were mixed, led by Pudgy and Doodles; Punks even at 36 ETH, Pudgy +6% at 24.2, BAYC +2% at 14.8 ETH, Azuki -7% at 13.2 ETH, Doodles +19% to 4.46 ETH
• Tiny Astro (+24%) and Sproto Gremlins (+18%) led notable top movers
• Doodles released another teaser in similar style of its token tease announcement with the words "make something" embedded in the video
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly green; Bitcoin Puppets +15%, NodeMonkes +8%, OMB -3%, Quantum Cats even
• The Runes leaders were very green; DOG +15% at $515M mc, PUPS +10% at $66M, BDC +15% at $31M, GIZMO +12% at $9M

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors rebounded majorly from yesterday's dip, up 4-6%; BTC +6% at $96,300, ETH +4% at $3,200, SOL +6% at $186, XRP +9% at $2.57
• KAS (+20%), HYPE (+17%), XDC (+17%) and AIOZ (+16%) led alts
• Tether is moving to El Salvador after acquiring a Digital Asset Service Provider license in the Bitcoin-friendly country
• Donald Trump is expected to issue several Crypto-focused executive orders on his first day according to the Washington Post, including a repeal of a crypto accounting policy (SAB 121) and de-banking of Crypto companies
• Donald Trump's inauguration will feature a "Crypto Ball" to honor him as the "first Crypto President," with tickets available for $5,000/person
• A US Court demanded the SEC explain itself for denying Coinbase's requests related to crypto regulations 
• MicroStrategy bought another $243M worth of Bitcoin at a $95,972 average this past week
• A BlackRock report said that crypto has "outpaced growth for mobile phones and the internet" in its race to 300M users
• Memecoin majors are green this morning up 6-12%; DOGE +9%, SHIBA +6%, PEPE +7%, PENGU +12%, BONK +7%, WIF +3%, MOG +11%
• Coinbase announced it will list PNUT for spot trading starting today
• BUTTHOLE rebounded 74% following the FARTCOIN move, now $47M

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• ETH NFT leaders were mostly red, led by Azuki; Punks even at 35.8 ETH, Pudgy -8% at 22.85, BAYC -6% at 14.15 ETH, Azuki +12% at 14.1 ETH
• Karma (+35%) and CyberBrokers (+33%) led notable top movers
• The Azuki ecosystem jumped 10-12% across the board after the Anime tokenomics were released, featuring 50.5% to the community, 75%+ unlocked at open and several partner communities including Kaito and Hype stakers
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly red; Bitcoin Puppets -15%, NodeMonkes -4%, OMB -3%, Quantum Cats +3%
• The Runes leaders were very red; DOG -15% at $460M mc, PUPS -15% at $60M, BDC -5% at $26M, GIZMO -5% at $8M

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors fell hard overnight, down 4-6% with Bitcoin losing $92k support; BTC -4% at $90,700, ETH -6% at $3,050, SOL -6% at $176, XRP -6% at $2.37
• Most alts down 6-10%, AI sector down 20%
• A new CFPB rule would make wallet makers like Consensys liable for customer losses or erroneous transactions
• Senator Lummis is set to lead a Senate sub-committee on Digital Assets
• North Dakota & New Hampshire drafted legislation for their own Strategic Bitcoin reserves
• Heritage Distilling became the latest company to adopt BTC, though subject to approval before implementation
• Memecoin majors are red this morning down 5-10%; DOGE -6%, SHIBA -7%, PEPE -9%, PENGU -11%, BONK -10%, WIF -6%, MOG -10%
• CONCHO was the memecoin runner of the night, jumping 1300% to $20M ($35M at peak)
• Moonpay announced a sponsorship of UFD founder Ron, which led to UFD soaring 80% to $230M over the weekend

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Bitcoin briefly fell below $92,000 yesterday evening before marching back up overnight to $95,000.

The rebound comes a day after the Silk Road news has had time to settle and digest, and it has become less certain that those specific coins will be sold ahead of Trump's inauguration.

With the Silk Road news seemingly shaken off, Bitcoin has rebounded and has pulled broader sectors up with it.

• The AI sector added $2B in market cap off of its local low overnight, with leaders piling in 10-30% gains
• Memecoins rebounded 1-5%
• And adults are starting to rebound as well

The question now becomes - is the local low behind us, or is more pain in store?

Looking Ahead

We may get that answer here this morning.

A key labor report comes out this morning with non-farm payrolls along with a consumer sentiment report.

It seems a softer jobs report is what crypto traders are rooting for for a near term spike. If jobs come in strong, or any other surprises, the crypto pain very well may continue through the inauguration.

We shall find out soon...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were mostly red across the board down 1-3%; Punks even at 36.3 ETH, Pudgy -4% at 25, BAYC -2% at 15.5 ETH, Azuki +1% at 12.4 ETH
• Topia Worlds (+75%), Kaito (+48%) and GLHFers (+25%) led notable top movers
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly green; Bitcoin Puppets +4%, NodeMonkes +8%, OMB even, Quantum Cats -5%
• The Runes leaders were mostly even; DOG even at $582M mc, PUPS even at $77M, BDC +3% at $36M, GIZMO even at $10M

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors rebounded after a day of chop; BTC +1.5% at $94,800, ETH even at $3,300, SOL even at $191, XRP even at $2.31
• SUI (+8%), OM (+5%), MKR (+7%) and FTM (+6%) led alts
• USD0 stablecoin from Usual depegs, falls to $0.87
• Mantra plans to tokenize $1B in RWA for UAE property developer DAMAC
• Arbitrum developer Offchain Labs has hired the former Nasdaq digital assets lead Ira Auerbach to lead its venture efforts
• The CFTC has asked Coinbase to turn over customer information related to Polymarket as a part of its investigation
• Memecoin majors are green this morning mostly up 1-5%; DOGE +1%, SHIBA +2%, PEPE +1%, PENGU +6%, BONK even, WIF -2%, MOG -2%

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A federal court in California approved the liquidation of 69,370 Bitcoin ($6.5B), marking the conclusion of a four-year legal battle over the crypto tied to the Silk Road dark web marketplace.

Judge Richard Seeborg denied attempts to block the forfeiture, paving the way for one of the largest government crypto sales in history.

While the ruling clears the legal path, this doesn't guarantee the Bitcoin will be immediately sold.

Though there are questions out there if it indeed has already been sold, and how much.

Many are pointing to the $2B moved to Coinbase in December and speculating it has already been sold. 

Why It Matters

We have seen governments sell before.

Back in July, the German government sold 50k seized Bitcoin at an average price of $57,600 raising $2.88B (terrible sales in hindsight).

That selling did drag down the price of Bitcoin for a few weeks, but of course, the price has now soared nearly 100% since then.

So the question is - how much of an impact will this US government selling have? And how much (if any) has already been completed?

What jumps out to me is how little Bitcoin has moved since this news broke.

It's down from ~$95k to $93,500. That's a -1.5% move.

For a headline this big, I would've expected more panic selling. Which makes me believe that perhaps it already happened, and this is what drove the sudden dip from $102k on Monday to $94k.

The other key impact/question here is - will this light a fire under Trump to back Bitcoin even more?

This feels like a direct slap in the face to him, who said "Never sell your Bitcoin" back in August. The Bitcoin Strategic Reserve plan was built around first keeping the Silk Road Bitcoin and then maybe buying on the open market.

If the Silk Road Bitcoin is gone, the only choices are to 1) abandon the plan or 2) market buy Bitcoin.

Option 1 would likely hurt prices in the short term. Option 2 would lead to euphoria.

We will soon find out which path he takes. And the federal courts may have just forced his hand...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were red across the board down 3-5%; Punks -5% at 36.3 ETH, Pudgy -5% at 26, BAYC -3% at 15.75 ETH, Azuki -2% at 12.3 ETH
• OCH Genesis (+12%) and Kaito (+12%) led notable top movers
• BTC NFT leaders were mixed; Bitcoin Puppets -2%, NodeMonkes -2%, OMB +3%, Quantum Cats even
• The Runes leaders were mostly red; DOG -2% at $582M mc, PUPS +2% at $77M, BDC -5% at $35M, GIZMO -7% at $10M
• Yuga CEO Garga announced that the first iteration of a "persistent" The Otherside metaverse is coming this June, meaning it will be ongoing and not event-based
• Trump Bitcoin Digital Trading Cards went live on Wednesday for those who purchased 100 of the Mugshot editions, currently at a 0.2 BTC floor

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors fell another 1-2% as the dip continues; BTC -1.5% at $93,600, ETH -1% at $3,300, SOL -2% at $191, XRP -2% at $2.31
• NEO (+6%), KAIA (+5%), MKR (+4%) and FLOW (+4%) led alts
• Two new companies added Bitcoin to their balance sheets this week, including Thumzup Medai and KULR, buying $1M and $21M respectively 
• Oklahoma Senator Dusty Deevers introduced a bill to legalize Bitcoin payments in the state, across agencies, private companies and individuals
• Terra founder Do Kwon's trial was set for Jan 2026
• Memecoin majors are red this morning mostly down 2-4%; DOGE -4%, SHIBA -1%, PEPE -3%, PENGU -9%, BONK -4%, WIF -12%, MOG -8%

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Fidelity Digital Assets released a report this morning forecasting that nation-states, central banks, sovereign wealth funds, and government treasuries will strategically adopt Bitcoin in 2025.

The report cites macroeconomic pressures such as rising inflation, currency debasement, and surging fiscal deficits as driving forces behind this trend.

This of course comes after growing chatter around the U.S. and its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, largely driven by Senator Cynthia Lummis.

What They’re Saying:
Analyst Matt Hogan emphasized that not allocating to Bitcoin may become riskier than participating. Hogan went on to say:

"We anticipate more nation-states, central banks, sovereign wealth funds, and government treasuries will look to establish strategic positions in bitcoin."

Fidelity highlighted the potential influence of U.S. leaders like President-elect Donald Trump and Senator Cynthia Lummis, who have advocated for a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

Lummis’s "Bitcoin Act of 2024" could accelerate global adoption if enacted, forcing other nations to follow suit.

Why It Matters

As governments face growing economic pressures, Bitcoin is emerging as a potential tool for financial stability.

If countries begin to accumulate Bitcoin, even without formally announcing their plans, it could trigger a global race to adopt the cryptocurrency.

Certainly if the U.S. makes any moves, the race will accelerate.

And in that scenario, none of us are ready for the impact to Bitcoin's price.

The asymmetric upside in that scenario, even if one models it as relatively low (say <25%) is enough to give any no-Bitcoiners serious pause.

If and when it happens, it will likely happen quickly.

And one clear rule in crypto (and all of investing) - you don't want to miss the up days...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were red across the board down 1-2%; Punks even at 37 ETH, Pudgy -2% at 27.44, BAYC -1% at 16.26 ETH, Azuki -1% at 12.55 ETH
• Age of Dino (+60%), PX Quest (+26%) and Infinigods (+25%) led notable top movers
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly red; Bitcoin Puppets -7%, NodeMonkes -7%, OMB +1%, Quantum Cats -1%; AILU were the top mover up 17% to 0.024 BTC
• The Runes leaders were very red; DOG -10% at $595M mc, PUPS -18% at $75M, BDC -5% at $37M, GIZMO -7% at $12.5M
• Limit Break introduced their new Apptokens as "infinitely programmable token smart contracts," featuring task-linked tokens, trade-ratio, promotional spend-only use cases and more along with a TokenMaster launchpad for these ERC20-Cs

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors are very red this morning after a big dip; BTC -6% at $95,100, ETH -8% at $3,350, SOL -8% at $196, XRP -3% at $2.35; no alts in green
• A federal judge froze the SEC's lawsuit against Coinbase, granting a pause until an appeals court could weigh in with respect to if the Howey test can be applied to crypto assets
• CFTC chair and crypto-skeptic Rostin Benham announced his resignation effective Jan 20 ahead of the Trump administration
• Ripple adopted the Chainlink standard for its Ripple USD stablecoin (RLUSD) to enhance its utility in DeFi applications 
• Memecoin majors are red this morning mostly down 10-15%; DOGE -10%, SHIBA -9%, PEPE -10%, PENGU -12%, BONK -12%, WIF -9%, MOG -13%
• SPX was the lone green memecoin over $1B on the day, up 3% to $1.33B and clearly outperforming
• MLG soared to $150M in a 4x move yesterday before pulling back to $115M this morning

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Yesterday, Forbes Digital Assets posted an article highlighting the rise of the leading AI Agent "AIXBT" and its impact on Crypto Twitter.

For those unfamiliar with AIXBT:

• Introduction: AIXBT is an AI agent that analyzes data from over 400 key opinion leaders (KOLs) to provide market insights, predict trends, and deliver technical analysis, particularly in the cryptocurrency space.

  • Example: Within minutes of a major announcement, AIXBT has provided detailed analysis on Twitter, demonstrating its capabilities. It also provides insight on existing projects, provides bull/bear takes and uses data in its reasoning.

• How AIXBT Operates:
  Built on the Base chain's Virtuals Protocol, AIXBT synthesizes vast data sets to offer actionable intelligence. It tracks KOLs, identifies market patterns, interprets price movements, and produces risk assessment reports.

  • It has gained 304K followers within three months by reshaping market intelligence through real-time engagement and data-driven commentary.

And of course, AIXBT is tokenized. The AIXBT token is currently worth $520M, recently reaching a peak over $650M before a slight pull back.

A truly meteroic rise, given the token launched on Nov 21, 2024.

What Are They Saying?

Forbes focused on AIXBT's role in market intelligence and how it could be applied to other indusries.

AIXBT is described as a game-changer, automating high-level market analysis and making sophisticated insights accessible to businesses of all sizes.

It levels the playing field for smaller companies by offering the same caliber of intelligence available to larger enterprises.

They go on to mention how AI agents like AIXBT are finding applications in other sectors, including:

• Customer Service: 24/7 AI agents handle queries and troubleshoot issues.
• Healthcare: Supporting diagnostics and patient care management.
• Retail: Enhancing personalized shopping experiences.
• Education: Providing tailored learning experiences and automated tutoring.

Why It Matters

Clearly what is happening with AI in Crypto is starting to be noticed outside of our bubble.

And with tech giants OpenAI, Google and NVIDIA clearly focusing on AI Agents, this spotlight is likely only to get bigger.

And guess what? Crypto is actually on the cutting edge of some of this.

Sure, the tech giants likely have better tooling. But real Agents applied to real use cases are being developed in real time here and finding product market fit.

AIXBT shows that PMF, reaching 300k followers and becoming a market mover in less than 2 months.

Forbes is taking notice, and soon others will too...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• ETH NFT leaders were mixed, led by the surging Pudgy Penguins again; Punks -3% at 37 ETH, Pudgy +14% at 27.92, BAYC -1% at 16.4 ETH, Azuki +2% at 12.6 ETH
• DigiDaigaku (+85%), The Currency (+82%) and CyberBrokers (+60%) led notable top movers
• Pudgy Penguins reclaimed a $100,000 floor in their move up to 27.92 ETH
• BTC NFT leaders were mostly red after the BTC pump; Bitcoin Puppets -9%, NodeMonkes -1%, OMB -9%, Quantum Cats +1%; Unsanctioned Wizards were the top mover up 59% to 0.013 BTC
• The Runes leaders were mixed; DOG -7% at $695M mc, PUPS +1% at $97M, BDC +5% at $40M, GIZMO even at $13M
• Gabriel Leydon teased Limit Break's biggest web3 release yet coming later today, likely driving the DigiDaigaku 85% pump
• Mad Lads rallied 19% after the Backpack FTX acquisition news (see below), now 88 SOL; ai16z partners (+35%), Critters Quest (+18%) and 1000x GEM (+34%) all saw big moves on Solana as well

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors are mixed this morning after a green Monday; BTC +1% at $100,700, ETH -1% at $3,630, SOL -2% at $213, XRP +1% at $2.42
• BGB (+5%), RAY (+5%), and ADA (+5%) led alts
• Bitcoin ETFs saw $979M in inflows on Monday, posting back-to-back $900M+ sessions; ETH saw $129M in inflows, its 2nd highest total in the past two weeks
• Ripple's CEO said that Trump is already opening doors for crypto and that they've signed more clients in the 6 weeks post-election than in the 6 months prior
• Michael Saylor's MicroStrategy bought another $100M of Bitcoin last week 
• Animoca Chair Yat Siu predicted that 2025 will be the year crypto finally goes mainstream, pointing to stablecoins, memecoins, crypto gaming, reputation systems and web3 capitalism as levers for adoption
• Memecoin majors are red this morning mostly down 1-3%; DOGE -1%, SHIBA -2%, PEPE -3%, PENGU -9%, BONK -2%, WIF -2%, MOG -10%
• Galaxy Digital predicted DOGE will reach $1 in 2025

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The AI Crypto sector hit a market cap of $17.5B late last week, up a staggering 70% in just a week (currently $16.9B).

But it's more than just a market cap explosion.

AI has totally taken over mindshare for Crypto Twitter, reaching a whopping 70% total mindshare this weekend (Meme at 6% and DeFi at 5% are the next closest).

That is domination.

And it comes on the back of some massive wins. Just take a look at the market caps of the current AI leaders and where they were a month ago):

• VIRTUAL at $4.1B ($1.78B a month ago)
• AI16Z at $2.2B ($500M)
• FARTCOIN at $1.25B ($200M)
• FAI at $610M ($34M)
• AIXBT at $560M ($216M)
• GOAT at $523M ($780M)
• ZEREBRO at $500M ($325M)
• GRIFFAIN at $465M ($15M)
• ACT at $355M ($580M)
• ARC at $345M

Some of these coins didn't even exist a month ago (ARC). Several are up 4-5x or more (ai16z, FARTCOIN, FAI, GRIFFAIN). And only GOAT and ARC are red on the month.

But it's not just the leaders driving the market.

There has been an explosion of new AI Agents hitting the scene.

AI analytics site Cookie.Fun tracks over 900 agents now. And the pace of growth is accelerating.

In the past day, 3 new launches have come out and soared in their debut:

• HYPER explodes to $250M in its first 12 hours of trading
• GNZ soars to $50M in its debut
• HTERM opens at $30M

(See below for more information on each of these).

Demand for existing and new agents is off the charts.

Why It Matters

Even if you aren't a Crypto AI believer, this market (and its mindshare) has become too big to ignore. 

If you are a believer, there are reasons to be excited.

For one, this is still not a consensus trade. CT seems split down the middle with believers going all-in and calling for $100B+ overall market cap for the sector (I'm in this camp btw, and $100B is fud). And those who think it's all just vaporware, chatGPT wrappers, and/or a scam.

My view - there is certainly some vaporware/scams in a sector that has 900 agents. That's undeniable.

But there are true builders flocking to this space. AI agents operating onchain just makes sense. It's the end state for where autonomous, sentient agents will ultimately trade.

Those that see the vision are dedicating their time and resources to it.

And new narratives are forming. At the beginning, everything was in one big AI bucket.

• Now there are Agent platforms that are starting to be priced as L1s (Virtuals, ai16z, ZEREBRO, ARC, BULLY).
• There are the pure memes (FARTCOIN, GOAT).
• There are the pure Agents operating within niches (AIXBT, NFTXBT, POLY).
• And we're starting to see a wave of Apps producing games/experiences for users (FAI, GNZ).

The narratives will continue to shift. And the leaders are very likely to shuffle. It's very possible the "winners" aren't even here yet.

But the opportunity right now is simply too big to ignore.

Like it or not - AI Crypto is here to stay...

🚚 What is happening in NFTs?

Here is the list of other notable headlines from the day in NFTs:

• Ethereum led NFT trading volume with $18M on the day; Solana was next with $2.6M and then Bitcoin with $1.8M
• ETH NFT leaders were mostly green, led by Pudgy Penguins; Punks even at 38 ETH, Pudgy +8% at 24.2, BAYC +4% at 16.6 ETH, Azuki even at 12.35 ETH, Doodles -2% to 5.1 ETH
• Project AEON (+36%), Cryptoadz (+29%) and Cryptodickbutts S3 (+28%) led notable top movers; Denizens also jumped 280% to 0.12 ETH
• Kaito Genesis, the NFTs tied to Kaito and their new Yapper program, are holding at 4.14 ETH
• BTC NFT leaders were mixed; Bitcoin Puppets -5% at 0.138 BTC, NodeMonkes -6% at 0.12 BTC, OMB even at 0.171 BTC, Quantum Cats +2% at 0.335 BTC
• OCM Dimensions led top movers up 75% to 0.243 BTC, and Bitcoin Wizards up 10% to 0.126
• The Runes leaders were also mixed; DOG -1% at $734M mc, PUPS +1% at $97M, BDC +5% at $40M, GIZMO +3% at $13M
• AI NFTs lead top gainers over the weekend with:
  • Onchain Gaias jump 70% to 1.33 ETH
  • FAI NFT set 2049 / Reflections +50% to 0.75 ETH
  • Virtuals WAIFUs soar 500% to 0.2 ETH on Base, hailed as "mascot" of Virtuals
  • ai16z Partners up 50% to 5.5 SOL floor

💰 Token, Airdrop & Protocol Tracker

Here's a rundown of major token, protocol and airdrop news from the day:

🌎 Macro Crypto and Web3

A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:

• Crypto majors are green this morning to kick off the week; BTC +2% at $99,200, ETH +1% at $3,650, SOL +1% at $216, XRP +2% at $2.40
• INJ (+13%), SAND (+10%), and AIOZ (+9%) led alts; RENDER, XDC and FIL also up 8-9%
• Bitcoin ETFs saw $900M in inflows on Friday, largest in weeks 
• Solana became Quantum Resistant, meaning it found a way to protect user funds against future quantum attacks
• Calls for a congressional probe into the FDIC activity related to Operation Chokepoint are getting louder after a recent unsealing of letters sent to banks
• Memecoin majors are also green this morning mostly up 1-2%; DOGE +1%, SHIBA +1%, PEPE even, PENGU +6%, BONK -1%, WIF -3%, MOG +5%
• PENGU passed 600,000 holders as it entered the top 50 crypto tokens by market cap at $2.85B
• Babyshark's web3 arm launched a BABYSHARK meme which soared past $200M this weekend before settling at $150M
• SPX jumped another 17% to $1.43B leading top meme movers
• Solana's new gaming meme MLG jumps 230% to $41M and BUTTHOLE meme jumps 55% to $100M
• Base's Kekius meme soars 135% to $580M and DICKBUTT jumps 240% to $24M

🚀 Memecoin Movers 

• $HYPER (+248,000% to $204M market cap, SOL)
• $GNZ (+30,000% to $42M market cap, SOL)
• $HTERM (+21,000% to $25M market cap, SOL)
• $WAVE (+400% to $30M market cap, SOL)
• $MLG (+250% to $44M market cap, SOL)

📈 NFT Floor Price Increase (ETH)

• Denizens (290%, 0.12 ETH Floor)
• Karafuru (67%, 0.16 ETH Floor)
• ASM Brain (60%, 0.29 ETH)
• Project AEON (36%, 1.75 ETH)
• CrypToadz (29%, 0.76 ETH)

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Enjoy this write-up and/or want to sponsor the Morning Minute? Follow along with me on Twitter @tyler_did_it or reach out via email to tyler.d.warner@gmail.com.