New Delhi: Meme token Shiba Inu was in the spotlight on Wednesday as the token zoomed over 31 per cent in the last 24 hours.
The popular meme coin listed on the trading platform Robinhood apart from Solana, Polygon and Compound. With this, investors can now access 11 cryptos on its platform, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin.
Among the newly listed tokens, Shiba Inu was the most abuzz as it rallied 31 per cent to $0.00002977 from $0.00002272 within 24 hours. However, the token is still 65 per cent below its all-time peak of $0.00008 hit in October 2021.
Volumes of Shiba Inu also witnessed a spectacular jump of 475 per cent as SHIB tokens worth more than $4.36 billion exchanged hands in the last 24 hours.
Ishan Arora, Partner, Tykhe Block Ventures said the Shiba Inu will attract ample eyeballs as it has listed on Robinhood, the largest retail stock trading app.
The users can quickly buy Shiba Inu with just a click without worrying about exchanges or wallets.
The 15th largest crypto token was commanding a market cap close to $16 billion with a total of 549,063.28 billion SHIB tokens in supply, the data from Coinmarketcap suggested.
Anndy Lian, Chairman, BigONE exchange said buzz among retail investors for Shiba Inu is more compared with other coins that got listed on Robinhood at the same time.
Analysts at BigONE still see an upswing of 20-80 per cent gain from the current position. The analysis was released a few days before the Robinhood announcement.
“This spike in price could also help other promising meme coins such as Floki Inu, Kishu Inu, Babydoge or the newer ones on Cronos chain such as Croki gain more traction,” he added.
The spike in Shiba Inu also extended to other tokens. Baby Shiba Inu, Dogey Inu, Banano, SafeMoon Inu, BitShiba, Shiba Girlfriend and Flok Inu rose up to 22 per cent.
However, meme tokens are highly volatile in nature and lack sound fundamental value. Experts suggest that investors should not blindly punt on such joke coins, which are prone to become junk coins.
Arora suggests that investors need to be extra cautious with their investment in the meme tokens, especially in the current volatile market conditions.
Shiba Inu investors are hopeful about SHIB token price reaching 1 cent in 2022. However, SHIB will have to increase 403 times to reach that level this year. In the year 2021, Shiba Inu had risen 60 times in a span of six months.
There has been news of Ethereum whales purchasing Shiba Inu tokens in bulk. If the ETH whales are shifting to Shiba Inu, it is evidence of increasing trust for the Shiba Inu ecosystem. However, the buying from whales could not be verified.
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
As regulation hots up in the US following the Executive Order, and with the prospect of new UK government plans to regulate the cryptocurrency market in the coming weeks, it’s clear that countries can no longer sit on the sidelines of the crypto industry. The potential shift in power spurred on by innovation in blockchain and related technologies means playing safe for jurisdictions is no longer an option. The UAE is well positioned to be a regional hub for the crypto industry, with a regulatory structure in place and with more than 350 blockchain companies operating there. UAE also took advantage of the pandemic to attract business with aggressive vaccination while largely keeping its borders open, while retaining business through low taxes and a light touch regulatory mindset – a perfect environment for attracting crypto entrepreneurs in the last two years.
Indeed, some call Dubai the fastest growing hub in the world right now for crypto technology, reflected in the fact that Binance has now set up offices in Dubai. It’s also benefiting from business relationships with the booming Israeli crypto sector based in Tel Aviv, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal following recent peace accords. In addition, it’s reported that the Abu Dhabi-headquartered fund Mubadala, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds with over $243bn AUM, is investing in the blockchain sector. Mubadala’s CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak told CNBC in December that he was not a skeptic but saw it as real. But he did admit the regulatory format was not there totally, but it needed to be in place in order for the asset class to transition into something new. “We are looking at the ecosystem around crypto and we are investing in that system.”
This global momentum to embrace crypto and blockchain was addressed by the Chairman of BigONE Anndy Lian recently, in a speech to His Highness Awadh Mohamed Al Sh Mogrin Sultan, a top-ranking diplomat, and Honourable Chairman of the Alawad Fund. Lian said he saw similarities with the innovative and supportive crypto environment in Singapore: “I’ve actually seen the same trend in Dubai, I’ve met some good projects that are very serious about what they do, whether it’s looking at web3 or decentralized storage, or DeFi.”
Elaborating on two key trends starting with DeFi Lian said the integration of traditional finance products into DeFi such as bonds meant this was a sustainable sector for a country such as Dubai. He said the second significant trend was the crypto mining business with a very good uptake of new miners. “There are many new investors going into crypto mining, and when I say big investors, we’re talking about at the very least tens of billions of dollars going into the mining space. If you look at the longer term, it is a very lucrative investment.”
Lian remarked that as a partner & LP to several funds, with an AUM (assets under management) of around $500 million and having invested in crypto startups since 2018, he was looking forward to talking to people and brands about working together on the investment front in Dubai. “I want everybody to work together. You know, we should work together, be open, and welcome, good partners; this is the same philosophy that you do as well; this is the place where we will start to build a new story,” added Lian.
Earlier in March His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the first ever law on regulating virtual assets. “Today we are participating in designing the future of virtual assets globally.” Sheikh Mohammed stressed that Dubai possesses all the capabilities to be a key global center in the field of virtual assets, supported with the new legislative environment. “Dubai will provide the most advanced virtual asset ecosystem in terms of organization, governance and security. Approving the virtual asset law and establishing the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority is a vital step that establishes the UAE’s position in this sector… a step that aims to help the sector to grow and protect investors,” he confirmed.
The Chainalysis ‘2021 Geography of Cryptocurrency Report’ published in October 2021, found plenty of potential for growth in the Middle East in general and specifically the UAE. The Middle East as a whole is the second-smallest cryptocurrency economy studied by Chainalysis, having received $271.7 billion worth of cryptocurrency between July 2020 and June 2021 (6.6% of global activity). “While that total is low compared to other regions, it represents nearly a 1500% increase over the Middle East’s total activity the previous year, making it one of the fastest-growing markets in the world,” the report’s authors said.
Reflecting the success in promoting crypto businesses in Dubai, it was reported on March 28 that cryptocurrency exchange business Bybit has received in-principle approval to conduct a full spectrum of virtual assets business in Dubai, the firm announced with the UAE Ministry of Economy at the World Government Summit 2022. Bybit also confirmed that it plans to set up its global HQ in Dubai, under the Emirate’s “test-adapt-scale” virtual assets market model.
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
Bitcoin’s recent price surge ensured the cryptocurrency reached an all-time high, breaking beyond the $66,000 barrier for the first time, retaining its position as the world’s most valuable cryptocurrency. The market cap of all cryptocurrencies surpassed $2.53 trillion in May this year, reaching an all-time high of $2.64 trillion because of the latest Bitcoin price spike.
Bitcoin’s surge is the number one topic being discussed in our social media and Telegram groups at the moment. Many investors are astonished as to why Bitcoin’s price has risen so dramatically. Let’s look at what this implies for investors as I examine the reasons why the Bitcoin price hit an all-time high this time.
What’s causing Bitcoin’s price to rise?
The launch of the first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF, trading under the ‘BITO’ ticker on Wall Street) on the New York Stock Exchange, is the key driving force behind this Bitcoin price spike. Many crypto sector investors around the world have been advocating the advantages of crypto ETFs for years, most notably Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, famous for their involvement in Facebook who had their Bitcoin ETF turned down by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2017. The success of this Bitcoin ETF has in turn set a precedent for other cryptocurrency ETFs to pass the audit, and it is also the primary driver for the recent rise in cryptocurrency values. The ProShares ETF witnessed
“one of the biggest first days on record for ETFs, raking in $550 million from crypto-hungry investors. Overall, more than $1.01 billion of shares changed hands,”
according to a report on business news channel CNBC.
Bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (Bitcoin ETFs) are actually Bitcoin ‘futures’, not direct investments in Bitcoin. Futures are a kind of financial derivatives, which are essentially an agreement to buy and sell assets at a future date, meaning the assets are not owned by the investors. The fund’s main feature is that it allows non-crypto investors to buy Bitcoin without having to register a separate cryptocurrency trading account.
ProShares CEO Michael L. Sapir confirmed:
“BITO will open up exposure to bitcoin to a large segment of investors who have a brokerage account and are comfortable buying stocks and ETFs, but do not desire to go through the hassle and learning curve of establishing another account with a cryptocurrency provider and creating a bitcoin wallet.”
Simply put Bitcoin ETFs are not the same as buying Bitcoin directly.
“The futures-linked fund is subject to rollover risk, meaning that when it periodically closes positions in the futures contracts it holds, it can find itself, as is the case now, repurchasing new batches of future-dated contracts for more money. The situation, known as “contango,” eats into profits,”
confirmed the report in Fortune.
So, if you’re thinking about buying Bitcoin ETFs, make sure you know everything there is to know about futures trading.
What does the Bitcoin price surge mean?
I believe that if you plan to invest in cryptocurrencies for the long term rather than the short term, the latest all-time high of Bitcoin should be treated in the same way as any other volatile asset.
The benefit of buying and holding cryptocurrencies is that you don’t have to feel driven to trade when the price is extremely high or low because you’re working within a longer investing framework. Because of the volatility of cryptocurrencies, the market rises and falls to new highs and lows.
If you’ve done your homework and have a well-defined investment strategy, these price fluctuations shouldn’t affect your long-term position or approach. The best advice is to carefully weigh up the pros and cons of buying Bitcoin for the long term and make sure you have a well-thought-out crypto investment plan at the outset.
To put it another way, some active investors may believe now is a good opportunity to profit, while others believe Bitcoin will continue to grow in value. It was reported recently in Forbes that a panel of 50 bitcoin and cryptocurrency experts has predicted,
“the bitcoin price will continue to climb through 2021, hitting highs of around $80,000, before surging to $250,000 by 2025 and a staggering $5 million per bitcoin by 2030”.
When compared to buying and holding cryptocurrencies, active trading has the advantage of allowing investors to profit from market fluctuations and new all-time highs.
I feel that the launch of the Bitcoin ETF is an important step forward in the mainstream acceptance and usage of cryptocurrencies, which will benefit the whole crypto industry. Indeed, in a recent Motley Fool report, it’s suggested that Ethereum, crypto’s second-biggest player could be an even better bet.
“I think the long-term application building potential of the Ethereum network makes Ether a more attractive option for investors looking to benefit from the evolution of blockchain technologies,”
argued Keith Noonan.
“Ether’s price per token has surged roughly 458% across 2021’s trading. Despite significantly outpacing Bitcoin’s gains across the stretch, I still think Ethereum stands a good chance of outperforming Bitcoin over the long term,”
he added.
The Bitcoin ETF has helped institutional investors gain confidence and may open the door to new retail investors. According to the latest research, more than 50 million people in the US plan to invest in cryptocurrencies next year, and the Bitcoin ETF no doubt will play a crucial role in that adoption process.
The cryptocurrency sector has come a long way since Bitcoin’s launch in 2009, but there is still a long way to go and numerous technical obstacles to overcome before the industry reached mainstream adoption, with the blockchain sector as a whole still missing its “killer app,” and still awaiting its “Netscape moment.”
The crypto community has been waiting for its own version of this moment for years.
“And it may have just arrived with the first U.S. Bitcoin ETF begin trading, with more are on the way, and Bitcoin and Ethereum both hitting all new all-time highs,”
according to Decrypt’s executive editor Jeff John Roberts.
The future regulation of cryptocurrencies in many nations is still an “unknown possibility”. Individual countries are expected to introduce stronger regulatory frameworks and plans relating to the Bitcoin sector soon. As reported in the FT on October 13, the SEC’s indication that it is going to look more closely at how it regulates complex exchange-traded products has implications for future bitcoin ETF rules:
“Last week, SEC Chair Gary Gensler directed staff to study the risks of ETFs employing strategies ‘more complex than typical stocks and bonds’ and draft potential rules to address those concerns,”
the FT confirmed.
“Bitcoin ETF could attract more than $400 million in investment accordingly to Bloomberg. This is just the beginning based on what I see. Give it a few more months, we could see double of what we see right now. Australia’s corporate regulator has given the green light to a range of cryptocurrency-related ETFs, which could see Bitcoin and Ethereum-backed investment funds trading on the ASX in the coming months. This could triple the amount. I am optimistic.”
Anndy Lian, Chairman, BigONE Exchange commented on Twitter.
To conclude, as a result, I advise investors who are taking advantage of the current bull market to be prepared. The Bitcoin market may actually become more volatile because of planned regulatory reforms.
by Jenny Zheng @jennyzheng. Early crypto advocate | Investor | PR Expert | Cofounder of Blockcast.cc
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
