Altcoin News: Report by Mianikramullah Crypto Analyist declares Altcoin Season Has Begun!!!
The next altcoin season has officially begun, but unlike past cycles, this one is not fueled by Bitcoin-to-altcoin rotations—it’s being driven by stablecoin holders.
In a Feb. 20 post on X, Young Ju noted that altcoin trading volume is now 2.7 times higher than Bitcoin's, signaling a shift in market dynamics. Historically, altseasons occurred when traders took profits from Bitcoin and reinvested in altcoins. However, this cycle is different.
Stablecoins Fueling the Altcoin Rally
Instead of Bitcoin dominance declining—traditionally a sign of an altseason—stablecoin capital is flowing into select altcoins.
According to Market analysis. This shift follows a sharp increase in stablecoin market capitalization, which surged after Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory. As of Feb. 21, total stablecoin market cap stands at $232 billion.
However, this altseason is highly selective, Not all altcoins are rallying, and liquidity remains limited, with some networks, such as Solana, experiencing investor outflows due to rug pulls and insider schemes in the memecoin sector.
Bitcoin's Institutional Adoption Alters Market Trends
Meanwhile, Bitcoin is increasingly decoupling from the broader crypto market due to institutional adoption. U.S. Bitcoin ETFs now hold over $100 billion worth of BTC, and public companies have accumulated more than $60 billion in Bitcoin as an inflation hedge.
It is to be noted that Bitcoin has effectively built its own "paper-based Layer 2 ecosystem" through ETFs, funds, and corporate treasury holdings, reducing its correlation to altcoins.
As a result, only a handful of altcoins are attracting new liquidity and establishing independent price trends, marking a new era for altcoin market cycles.
$BTC $ETH $LTC
Wall Street Is Opening Up Even More To Crypto With Franklin Templeton's ETF!
The crypto industry has just experienced a strategic turnaround. Franklin Templeton, a giant in asset management, is launching its Bitcoin & Ether ETF (EZPZ), a bold move that redefines access to cryptos. Far from being a simple financial product, this ETF embodies a subtle break between the era of individual speculation and that of structured institutional adoption.
On the financial chessboard, Franklin Templeton is playing a master piece. The EZPZ, listed on Cboe BZX, tracks the CF Institutional Digital Asset Index — a basket composed of 87% bitcoin and 13% Ether. This changing distribution, depending on market capitalization, reflects a millennial logic: concentrate the essential, diversify the accessory.
Unlike the direct purchase of bitcoin and other cryptos, often perceived as a plunge into murky waters, this ETF offers a secured raft.
No longer needing complex custody or anxiety-inducing private keys. The investor accesses bitcoin through a regulated vehicle, as simple as a click. “An exposure without the hassles,” sums up Franklin Templeton on X. A simple formula for a silent revolution.
Hashdex, a pioneer with its Nasdaq ETF (NCIQ), opened the way on February 14. But Franklin Templeton is betting on expansion: the EZPZ will progressively integrate other digital assets, subject to regulatory approvals. A promise of an evolving portfolio, reflecting a crypto market in perpetual change.
December 19, 2023, will remain a key date. The SEC simultaneously validates the EZPZ and the NCIQ, signaling an unprecedented regulatory easing.
A new wind is blowing since Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2024. His commitment to make the United States the “global capital of cryptos” is materializing: asset managers are flooding in with altcoin ETF projects (Solana, XRP, Litecoin…).
NYSE Arca, in October 2023, had already knocked on the regulators’ door for the Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund. This fund, dormant since 2018, aims to bring together bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and XRP under one stock roof. Bloomberg Intelligence anticipates “high chances of approval” for these products — a green light that catalyzes optimism. In the background, bitcoin is preparing its transformation. The Bollinger Bands, a volatility indicator, suggest a consolidation at the end of the cycle. History shows that after such phases, BTC triggers vertical rallies. An ideal context for the arrival of EZPZ: institutional investors could ride the bullish wave, armed with tools once reserved for insiders.
Bitcoin Pioneer Roger Ver Gets Support from Ross Ulbricht for Release
Ross Ulbricht, the newly pardoned Silk Road founder, has spoken out in support of early Bitcoin supporter Roger Ver, who finds himself in legal trouble in the United States these days. Ulbricht used X to make an appeal for Ver’s freedom, saying, “Roger Ver was there for me when I was down and needed help. Now Roger needs our help.” He went on to say, “No one should spend the rest of their life in prison over taxes.”
Ver, also known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” was arrested in Spain in April 2024 on a U.S. Department of Justice request. The DOJ has charged him with various tax crimes, including mail fraud, tax evasion, and submitting false tax returns. Prosecutors say Ver underestimated the worth of his Bitcoin assets when he filed his “exit tax” in 2014 prior to giving up his U.S. citizenship. Authorities allege he owes about $48 million in back taxes.
The Ver case is based on accusations that he notably underreported selling tens of thousands of bitcoins in 2017. The DOJ says those Bitcoins were attributed to his U.S.-based companies, MemoryDealers and Agilestar. Even after renouncing his U.S. citizenship, American prosecutors say Ver was nonetheless obligated to report and pay taxes on dividends from these companies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California earlier said that Ver didn’t accurately value these companies and their assets in preparing his exit tax.
Ver was released on bail of €150,000 (about $157,000) after his arrest in Spain but is under house arrest awaiting a decision on extradition. If convicted, he could face up to 109 years in prison. His lawyers from Steptoe LLP and Kimura London & White have prepared a motion asking the court to dismiss the action that it amounts to “unconstitutional overreach” and politically motivated because of Ver’s strong advocacy of cryptocurrencies.
Ver’s legal struggles have prompted the start of the “Free Roger” campaign, following the previous “Free Ross” movement calling for the freedom of Ulbricht. But the campaign has had a divided reaction. Many considered Ulbricht’s two life sentences when he filed for an appeal, but others see Ver’s case differently. Previously, even billionaire Elon Musk advocated for Ver’s release, as mentioned in our blog post.
This is not Ver’s initial legal conflict. He was sentenced in 2002 to ten months of federal time for selling and storing fireworks in an unauthorized way without a permit. Following release, he resided in Japan and then attained St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship in 2014.
Ver’s defense team contends that the IRS has crossed boundaries, referring to an episode in 2018 when tax agents supposedly interrogated his attorney and former MemoryDealers employees without a warrant. His supporters say that he attempted to be in line with tax laws but the IRS charged him with a misinterpretation of the law. As speculation mounts over possible presidential pardons, the betting markets have predicted a 10% likelihood of Ver being granted clemency by Trump within his first 100 days in office, according to Polymarket.