Why crypto can’t escape the Nasdaq and what it means for the next 30 days

Why crypto can’t escape the Nasdaq and what it means for the next 30 days
The current market environment presents a textbook case of how macroeconomic uncertainty, structural leverage, and sector-specific stress can converge into a self-reinforcing selloff across both traditional and digital asset markets. The recent 5.32 per cent drop in crypto prices over the past 24 hours is not an isolated event but rather the culmination of three interlocking dynamics: miner distress, derivatives deleveraging, and heightened correlation with equities, particularly the Nasdaq-100. Each of these forces feeds into the other, creating a feedback loop that amplifies volatility and accelerates liquidations.

Miner capitulation stands out as one of the most critical bearish catalysts in this cycle. Publicly traded mining firms like Canaan and Hut 8 have seen their equity valuations hammered, with Canaan plunging 14.6 per cent on November 4 to close at US$1.1280 per share. This sharp decline reflects investor anxiety over the sustainability of mining operations as Bitcoin’s price hovers dangerously close to breakeven production costs. Recent data indicates that average mining costs reached US$114,233 as of November 3, while Bitcoin traded below US$101,000 by November 5.

This negative margin environment leaves miners with few options other than selling accumulated Bitcoin reserves to cover electricity, maintenance, and debt obligations. Hut 8’s Q3 2025 earnings report, which showed US$83.5 million in revenue, a 91 per cent year-over-year increase, nonetheless revealed underlying fragility. Despite strong top-line growth driven by scaling operations, the company’s aggressive 1,530 MW expansion plan introduces significant execution and financing risk in a deteriorating price environment.

When miners sell into a falling market, they exacerbate downward momentum, especially when hashprice, the revenue per terahash per second, has already collapsed by 23 per cent since October. The critical technical level to watch remains US$103,000. A decisive break below this support could trigger a wave of forced sales from marginal operators, further depressing spot prices.

Simultaneously, the derivatives market has undergone a dramatic reset. Total open interest in crypto derivatives has contracted by 27.5 per cent month-over-month, falling to US$786 billion, a clear signal that leveraged participants are rapidly de-risking. On November 4 alone, US$851 million in long positions were liquidated, predominantly on perpetual futures contracts where average leverage ratios hover around 25x on major exchanges like Binance.

The shift to negative funding rates, currently at -0.003 per cent, confirms that the market structure has flipped from bullish speculation to defensive shorting or passive hedging. Historically, sustained negative funding often precedes short squeezes, but only after sentiment reaches extreme pessimism. The spot-to-perpetual volume ratio of 0.26 underscores that price discovery is now dominated by derivatives traders reacting to macro headlines rather than organic spot demand.

This dynamic makes the market hypersensitive to external shocks, such as shifts in US Treasury yields or Federal Reserve commentary. With the 10-year yield settling at 4.083 per cent and the 2-year at 3.572 per cent, the yield curve remains inverted, a classic recession warning that weighs heavily on risk assets.

Perhaps most concerning for proponents of crypto’s digital gold narrative is its persistent correlation with tech equities. Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin exhibited a 0.86 correlation with the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ), directly contradicting earlier hopes of decoupling.

While some analysts had pointed to a temporary breakdown in correlation during October, the reversion to high co-movement in early November demonstrates that institutional investors still treat crypto as a high-beta tech proxy rather than an independent store of value. This linkage became evident as US equities tumbled, Nasdaq down two per cent, S&P 500 down 1.2 per cent, dragging crypto lower despite fundamentally different supply mechanics.

Meanwhile, traditional safe havens like gold rose 0.8 per cent, reinforcing the flight-to-quality behaviour that excludes volatile digital assets during risk-off episodes. The strength of the US Dollar Index, which climbed to 100.20 for a fifth consecutive day, further pressures dollar-denominated commodities, including Bitcoin, by increasing the relative cost for foreign buyers.

Taken together, these forces create a precarious equilibrium. Miner selling adds persistent spot supply pressure. Derivatives unwinding removes liquidity and amplifies moves through forced liquidations. And macro correlation ensures that any stumble in US equities instantly transmits to crypto markets. Within this turbulence lies a potential opportunity. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has plunged to 20, Extreme Fear, the lowest reading since March 2025.

Historically, such extremes often coincide with local bottoms, as panic selling exhausts weak hands and creates conditions for a contrarian rebound. If Bitcoin holds above US$103,000, miners may stabilise their balance sheets, derivatives funding could normalise, and the narrative might shift from capitulation to accumulation. But if that support fails, the path of least resistance points lower, potentially toward the US$95,000 zone where mining economics become untenable for a broader swath of the network.

In either scenario, the market is undergoing a necessary cleansing, a washout that tests conviction and separates speculative froth from durable conviction. For now, all eyes remain on price action at the margin, where every candlestick carries the weight of macro fate and miner survival.

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”.

j j j

Decentralizing the Next Layer of Ethereum Infrastructure with Anti-Slashing & ZK-Readiness

Decentralizing the Next Layer of Ethereum Infrastructure with Anti-Slashing & ZK-Readiness

At the Scaling Summit Singapore, a pivotal conversation unfolded on the Ethereum Stage, where builders, researchers, and visionaries gathered to confront one of the ecosystem’s most pressing dilemmas: How do we scale Ethereum without sacrificing its foundational ethos of decentralization? Moderated by Luca Donno, a researcher at L2Beat, the panel featuring Amir (Puffer Finance), Mike Massari (Redstone), Ian Wallis (Linea), and Anndy Lian (Intergovernmental Blockchain Advisor) delved into the tension between idealism and pragmatism in blockchain infrastructure.

The Centralization Conundrum

The discussion opened with a stark reality: while decentralization remains Ethereum’s “biggest asset,” market forces often incentivize centralization for speed and user experience. As Amir of Puffer Finance noted, “If you look at where biggest asset holders are now parking their assets… they’re trusting Ethereum for a reason.” He pointed to USDT and USDC 45% and nearly 100% of their supplies, respectively, reside on Ethereum precisely because of its trustless nature.

The path to mass adoption is rarely pure. Luca framed the dilemma: “We were very much in a situation in which decentralization was the most important thing… Now it’s not anymore. That is not the focus of institutions.” This shift demands a recalibration. Anndy Lian, speaking from a macroeconomic lens, admitted bluntly: “Most users, including VCs like myself, you know, we don’t really care [about decentralization]… we want to make money.” His candid remark underscored a broader truth user incentives today prioritize yield and UX over ideological purity.

But the panelists agreed: decentralization must remain the north star, even if the journey begins with centralized stepping stones. “It is okay to start slightly more centralized,” Amir argued, “but having decentralization on the roadmap as the main goal is the only way we can scale the entire blockchain to its full capacity.”

Anti-Slashing: Guardrails for a Risky Landscape

A key innovation discussed was anti-slashing a critical safeguard in the era of liquid staking tokens (LSTs). With LSTs now dominating Ethereum’s staking landscape, systemic risk looms large. As Luca observed, many protocols hold more LSTs than native ETH, creating concentration points that threaten network security.

Amir explained how Puffer Finance addresses this: “We didn’t stop at permissionless restaking. We launched bonded validators operators must stake their own capital. If slashing occurs, it’s their money on the line.” This “skin in the game” model, combined with hardware-based anti-slashing modules (like trusted execution environments, or TEEs), prevents malicious or accidental validator misbehavior. “These modules act like a Ledger wallet,” Amir said, “but even more restricted you can only sign permitted transactions.”

Mike Massari echoed the sentiment: “The moment you detach risk from the person managing the capital, you create systemic risk.” Anti-slashing, therefore, isn’t just technical it’s economic alignment.

Ian Wallis added context from Linea’s perspective, noting their plan for a “native yield” bridge that stakes ETH directly, reducing reliance on dominant LST providers like Lido. “We’re consulting closely with the Ethereum Foundation,” he said, emphasizing collaboration over competition in securing the ecosystem.

ZK: Promise, Peril, and Patience

The conversation then turned to zero-knowledge (ZK) technology the cornerstone of Ethereum’s scaling roadmap. While optimistic about ZK’s potential, the panelists acknowledged its immaturity. “ZK is still experimental,” Luca warned, citing recent bugs in foundational libraries like Circom and Halo2. “A multi-billion-dollar bug on Ethereum L1 could shatter trust in the entire paradigm.”

Amir, however, offered a solution in progress: “We’re researching 2FA for ZK running a full Ethereum client inside a TEE alongside the ZK prover. If outputs mismatch, you halt the transaction.” This dual-verification approach could catch bugs before they cascade.

Ian, whose team at Linea operates a ZK-EVM rollup, remained bullish: “Compare where we were five years ago to now we’re light years ahead. ZK improvements are coming quarterly.” He pointed to Swift’s recent partnership with Linea as validation: “If the kings of centralized finance see potential here, that’s an endorsement.”

Anndy Lian urged patience: “Give the technology time. The big boys are coming. Adoption will follow.”

Toward a Redistributed Future

Ultimately, the panel converged on a shared vision: Ethereum must evolve progressively. As Luca summarized, “We shouldn’t decentralize for decentralization’s sake but where user funds are at stake, decentralization equals security, and security equals good UX.”

The road ahead involves balancing short-term pragmatism with long-term principles. Whether through anti-slashing economics, ZK verifiability, or middleware that enforces decentralization standards, the goal remains clear: build infrastructure that can onboard trillions not just billions without compromising Ethereum’s soul.

As Amir put it: “If we want to bring repo markets or supply chains onchain, it has to be fully decentralized and secure. Hyperliquid won’t cut it for JP Morgan.”

In that spirit, the Scaling Summit didn’t just showcase technology it reaffirmed a covenant: scale with integrity, or don’t scale at all.

 

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”.

j j j

Global markets freeze as Trump-Putin summit fails: What’s next?

Global markets freeze as Trump-Putin summit fails: What’s next?

The muted risk sentiment stems mainly from the fading prospects of a swift resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a situation exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s recent comments during a press briefing following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump explicitly stated that a ceasefire remains out of reach for now, emphasising the complexities involved in negotiations. This remark came on the heels of their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, last Friday, where discussions centred on the ongoing war but yielded no concrete agreements, leaving markets on edge as they anticipate potential ripple effects on energy prices and supply chains.

The summit itself unfolded at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, with both leaders exchanging cordial greetings yet parting without breakthroughs on key issues like territorial concessions or security guarantees for Ukraine. Putin described the talks as productive, highlighting areas of mutual interest, while Trump later conveyed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Putin seeks further gains, urging Kyiv to consider a deal.

Zelenskyy’s subsequent trip to Washington for direct talks with Trump underscores the urgency, but the absence of immediate progress has dampened hopes that had built up in recent weeks. This impasse reflects a broader pattern in international relations under Trump’s second term: a pragmatic, deal-oriented approach that prioritizes American interests but often prolongs uncertainty.

Investors respond to such developments with hesitation, as prolonged instability in Eastern Europe threatens to disrupt global trade routes and inflate commodity costs, particularly for energy-dependent economies. I believe this situation demands vigilance, as any escalation could trigger sharper market corrections than the sideways trading we witnessed yesterday.

Turning to the financial markets, US equities exhibited a lack of direction on Monday, with the S&P 500 edging down by a mere 0.01 per cent, the NASDAQ Composite inching up 0.03 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping 0.08 per cent. Traders adopted a wait-and-see posture ahead of upcoming retail earnings from major players like Walmart and Home Depot, alongside Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s highly anticipated address at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium later this week.

Powell’s remarks could provide clarity on interest rate trajectories, especially as inflation data continues to moderate. Treasury yields experienced modest increases in a subdued session, with the two-year note rising one basis point to 3.76 per cent and the ten-year benchmark climbing similarly to 4.339 per cent. These movements align with broader expectations of a steady Fed policy, though they also signal underlying concerns about fiscal deficits and potential policy shifts under the current administration.

The US dollar index strengthened by 0.3 per cent, benefiting from the uptick in yields and its safe-haven appeal amid geopolitical jitters. Gold prices held relatively firm, dipping just 0.1 per cent to settle at US$3,333 per ounce, as buyers balanced inflation hedging against the dollar’s gains.

Brent crude oil, however, advanced 1.1 per cent to US$66 per barrel, a rebound attributed directly to the unresolved tensions from the Alaska summit. The lack of progress on Ukraine has reignited fears of supply disruptions from Russian exports, even as OPEC maintains production discipline.

In Asia, contrasts emerged vividly: Chinese stocks surged, propelling the Shanghai Composite Index up 0.8 per cent to its highest close since August 2015, fueled by retail investors pivoting from bonds to equities amid improving domestic sentiment and policy support from Beijing. Early trading today showed mixed openings across Asian indices, mirroring the uncertainty, while US equity futures pointed to a similarly ambivalent start.

In my view, these dynamics illustrate a bifurcated global economy, where US caution stems from policy anticipation and external risks. At the same time, China’s gains highlight internal momentum that could buffer against broader slowdowns. I see potential for Asian markets to outperform if geopolitical pressures ease, but sustained dollar strength might cap gains in emerging economies.

Amid this backdrop, the cryptocurrency sector stands out as a beacon of optimism, with institutional adoption accelerating at a pace that defies the broader market’s tentativeness. Japanese investment firm Metaplanet made headlines by acquiring an additional 775 Bitcoin for US$93 million, elevating its total holdings to 18,888 Bitcoin valued at approximately US$2.17 billion.

This move cements Metaplanet’s status as the seventh-largest corporate Bitcoin holder worldwide and exemplifies its disciplined accumulation strategy initiated in 2024. Despite Bitcoin’s recent price dip below US$115,500, Metaplanet’s stock rose 4 per cent, reflecting investor confidence in its low-leverage approach, which boasts a 12 per cent unrealised gain and debt over-collateralised by a factor of 18.67.

Other corporations follow suit, such as Strategy, adding 430 Bitcoin worth US$51.4 million, treating the asset as a hedge against inflation and currency debasement. These actions signal a maturation in corporate treasury management, where Bitcoin transitions from a speculative bet to a core balance-sheet component. I argue that this trend bolsters financial stability for these firms, as diversified holdings mitigate risks from traditional assets vulnerable to interest rate fluctuations.

The influx of capital into digital asset investment vehicles further underscores this shift, with last week’s inflows reaching US$3.75 billion, the fourth-highest on record and a sharp recovery from prior weeks’ lull. Assets under management hit an all-time high of US$244 billion on August 13, driven predominantly by products from iShares and similar issuers. Ethereum captured the spotlight, drawing a record US$2.87 billion in inflows, comprising 77 per cent of the total and pushing its year-to-date figure to US$11 billion.

This dominance relative to assets under management, 29 per cent for Ethereum versus 11.6 per cent for Bitcoin, highlights shifting investor preferences toward Ethereum’s utility in decentralised finance and smart contracts. Bitcoin inflows, at US$552 million, paled in comparison, though short-Bitcoin products saw minor gains of US$4 million.

Other altcoins benefited too: Solana attracted US$176.5 million, XRP US$125.9 million, Sui US$11.3 million, Chainlink US$1.2 million, and Cardano US$0.8 million, while multi-asset funds added US$0.4 million. Litecoin and Ton faced outflows of US$0.4 million and US$1 million, respectively. Geographically, the US dominated with 99 per cent of inflows at US$3.73 billion, followed by Canada (US$33.7 million), Hong Kong (US$20.9 million), Australia (US$12.1 million), and Switzerland (US$4.2 million); Sweden and Brazil saw outflows of US$49.9 million and US$10.6 million.

This surge aligns with broader institutional momentum, as evidenced by recent ETF flows where Ethereum products outpaced Bitcoin on certain days, with BlackRock and Fidelity leading the charge. Public companies now hold over US$160 billion in crypto, doubling since April, with Bitcoin at US$147 billion, Ethereum at US$10 billion, and Solana at US$1 billion.

Firms like BitMine Immersion Technologies aim to raise billions more for Ethereum acquisitions, targeting significant portions of its supply. In my opinion, this institutional embrace validates cryptocurrencies as legitimate assets, fostering price stability through reduced volatility over time. However, the subsequent week’s market slide reminds us of inherent risks, where sharp corrections can erase gains swiftly.

A pivotal development amplifying this trend is President Trump’s impending executive order, set for signing this Thursday, which aims to integrate alternative assets like Bitcoin ETFs and private equity into 401(k) retirement accounts. The order directs Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to reassess guidance under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), collaborating with the Treasury and Securities and Exchange Commission to facilitate access.

This reverses Biden-era restrictions and reinstates evaluations from Trump’s first term, potentially unlocking trillions in retirement savings for crypto and other alternatives. The crypto industry, a major donor to Trump’s reelection, stands to gain immensely, especially following his earlier orders establishing a Bitcoin reserve and easing enforcement.

I view this as a transformative step toward democratising wealth-building, allowing everyday Americans to participate in high-growth assets previously reserved for the elite. I caution that the volatility of cryptocurrencies poses risks to retirement security; regulators must implement safeguards like allocation caps to prevent overexposure.

All in all, these events paint a picture of a world where traditional and digital finance converge amid geopolitical headwinds. Geopolitical stalemates, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, inject uncertainty, tempering equity gains and boosting safe havens. However, the crypto sector’s resilience, bolstered by corporate buys, record inflows, and policy support, offers a counter-narrative of innovation and opportunity.

In my assessment, investors should diversify thoughtfully, embracing crypto’s potential while hedging against global risks. This moment could herald a new era of inclusive finance, but only if balanced with prudence to weather inevitable storms. As markets evolve, the interplay between politics and economics will define the path forward, and I remain cautiously optimistic that strategic adaptations will yield long-term prosperity.

 

Source: https://e27.co/global-markets-freeze-as-trump-putin-summit-fails-whats-next-20250819/

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”.

j j j