Blockzeit

Africa houses one of the largest cryptocurrency adopters in the world, Nigeria. The nation has notably snagged the second rank in Chainalysis’ 2024 Global Crypto Adoption Index Top 20. However, Kenya has remained reluctant to embrace them. While crypto is not outright banned in the country, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and its regulators have been cautioning the public of their risks. Since 2015, they have released warnings about their potential applications in fraud, lack of legal safeguards, uses in illegal activities, and speculative nature. In addition, the government does not recognize it as legal tender. In a major turnaround, news recently broke that Kenyan officials are now considering to legalize cryptocurrencies. According to a local publication, The Sunday Standard, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has endorsed the move and has now gained significant support from lawmakers. The cabinet member of President William Ruto believes their change in stance would usher in innovations, which could pave the way for new opportunities in the country and the African region. “Kenya’s financial sector is a beacon of innovation and growth in Africa,” stated Mbadi. “The emergence and growth of Virtual Assets (VAs) and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) have given rise to innovations in the local and international financial system with dynamic opportunities and challenges.” Check out the full article 👇 https://lnkd.in/gu7Mcd-D

There’s a 1:3 discrepancy in Ripple USD (RLUSD) distribution between the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum (ETH) chains. According to the pseudonymous Vet on X, the founder of xrp.cafe, the largest blockchain in total value locked (TVL) processed $61,823,274 worth of the stablecoin as of January 9, 2025. The numbers were in stark contrast to the $21,995,883 transacted on XRPL. The figures indicate the strong preference of users for stablecoins issued under the Ethereum chain. However, the trend undoubtedly comes as an upset for most people hoping that RLUSD would be the key to jumpstarting the XRPL’s use cases and the value of its native token, XRP. Each XRP collected within the fee structure of the RLUSD in XRPL is burned or wholly removed from circulation. In a way, the procedure serves as a deflationary medium for the token. The dominance of Ethereum in RLUSD issuance somewhat dampens the anticipated positive effects of the stablecoin in relation to XRP. In addition, it mitigates the advantages presented by the stablecoin in driving more liquidity for the XRPL. Check out the full article 👇 https://lnkd.in/gJ7-Gsub

Quiver Quantitative revealed that Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican representative of the 14th District of Pennsylvania, has been stacking up a substantial amount of cryptocurrencies. According to the market tracker, which also monitors the trading activities of US Congress members, the politician has holdings in Bitcoin (BTC), XRP, and Solana (SOL), amounting to $1,001 to $15,000 each. The platform discovered Reschenthaler’s purchases of the aforementioned digital assets between December 11 and 23 last year. Its closest estimate of his holdings is around $24,000 based on 2024 data. Quiver Quantitative said his crypto trades only consisted “buys,” signifying that he could be on a long passive investment on them. Meanwhile, his net worth is approximately $345,000. The public has been heavily criticizing sitting members of Congress, with special mention to Representative Nancy Pelosi of California and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, for their active participation in the stock market. For critics, their acts reeked of conflict of interest. Reschenthaler’s involvement in the virtual assets market is no different either. On the bright side, though, the Pennsylvania representative’s crypto investments underscore his confidence in the future of BTC, XRP, and SOL. It signals a bullish outlook for them and a strong showing of their growing influence in US politics. Check out the full article ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gu9SgNNG The latter could prove useful in President-elect Donald Trump’s bid to establish more crypto-friendly regulations in the US and his goal of setting up a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the country’s treasury.

Bullish DE Custody GmbH proudly announced on Wednesday, January 9, 2025, its successful license application in Germany. According to a press release, the German digital asset arm of the Bullish Group secured crypto asset custody, proprietary trading, and principal brokerage licenses from the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) on December 20, 2024. Tom Farley, CEO of Bullish, proudly stated that BaFin’s approval underscores Bullish’s commitment to regulatory compliance. He believes that Germany’s position as one of the world’s leading financial hubs gives the trading platform significant leverage. It also opens up more opportunities for the firm amid the growing virtual asset market in the country. “We are excited to bring our trusted capabilities to this dynamic market, providing institutions and professional investors with a secure, regulated environment for digital asset trading,” said Farley. Bullish’s regulatory approval makes it one of the few companies that would fully benefit from the full implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) on December 30, 2024. Its launch in Germany marks a potential expansion of its business across the European Economic Area. Check out the full story ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gAtBH_Mw

The Department of Justice has approved the sale of 69,000 BTC, raising concerns about market oversupply and a potential 16% price drop. Past large Bitcoin inflows, such as Germany’s sale of 56,000 BTC in 2024, saw market resilience, while others, like the 2022 LUNA-driven bear market, resulted in prolonged downturns. Despite short-term fears, Bitcoin price remains in a bullish trend above key support levels, with resistance at $108,000 and potential targets of $121,000 and $138,000 if the rally continues. Check out the latest one-week recap of Blockzeit for Bitcoin⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gWVYQiMN

🔥 Is 2025 the year of the Bitcoin Bull Market? Combined with a host of other factors – from monetary policy developments and institutional investment to geopolitical changes – the signs are pointing to a massive Bitcoin bull run this year. Find out more in our most recent article, written by Ed Prinz from DLT Austria #bitcoin

NEAR Protocol (NEAR), a blockchain revolutionizing scalability and usability, is making waves in crypto. Launched to tackle blockchain’s toughest challenges—speed, decentralization, and accessibility—NEAR has positioned itself as a trailblazer in the Web3 ecosystem. NEAR stands out because of its Nightshade sharding technology, which enables unparalleled transaction speeds and ultra-low fees while maintaining robust security and decentralization. Its commitment to developer-friendly tools and eco-conscious operations has drawn the attention of DeFi pioneers, NFT creators, and enterprises alike. With a rapidly expanding ecosystem and rising institutional interest, NEAR is capturing the imagination of both traders and long-term investors. As adoption accelerates, the token’s price potential has become one of the hottest debates in the crypto space. Near price is trading at $ 5.12 at press time, having decreased 3.3% in the last 24 hours and increased 53.8% in the past 1 year. Blockzeit indicators suggest a bullish sentiment on the price of NEAR in the market at present. Check out our full analysis for NEAR ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gVGESNc3

Blockchain hardware maker Canaan Inc. unveiled two new home heating products that simultaneously function as Bitcoin mining hardware at the 2025 CES. According to the company’s press release, the Avalon Mini 3 and Avalon Nano 3S present a two-fold use case. They offer home heating with heat recycling features to significantly mitigate their electricity usage and environmental impact. Both showcase an app-controlled operation as well as a sleek and quiet design to optimize their efficiency and make them easy to use. In addition, they are compact and portable, simplifying their installation and considerably reducing their power consumption compared to conventional home heating devices. At the same time, Canaan’s heaters are capable of mining Bitcoin. The Avalon Mini 3S, an upgrade of the Avalon Mini 3, has a hashrate of 37.5 terahashes per second (Th/s), while the Avalon Nano 3 delivers 6 Th/s. Users could tap into the devices’ heat recycling feature to create surplus energy that they could channel into the computational requirements of Bitcoin mining. These effectively turn their functions into a financially rewarding experience while ensuring the comfort of households. The products are available for pre-order until the end of February 2025. The Avalon Mini 3 costs $899 while the Avalon Nano 3S is priced $249. The company reminded that the current pricing model applies “while supplies last.” Check out the full story 👇 https://lnkd.in/g8GjsN-z

Jeju Island, South Korea’s iconic tourist destination, is taking a bold move that seeks to attract younger tourist visitors with its Jeju Island #NFT tourist cards. https://lnkd.in/d3f_KiTj

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty recently posted a photo confirming their meeting with President-elect Donald Trump. Except for the short captions in their photos, both men have been mum on what really transpired, which is now sparking a lot of speculations. Given the rare opportunity to sit and dine with an incoming president, the rumor mill is rife with speculations about a possible discussion centering on the settlement of the case filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Ripple. As of the latest update on the case, the SEC is scheduled to file its principal brief to the Court of Appeals on January 15. The document would outline the key arguments of the appellant, explaining why the appellate court should overturn the lower court’s verdict. Regardless of the nature of the appeal, Ripple and the broader digital assets sector are positive that the arrival of crypto advocate Paul Atkins as SEC chair would signal the departure from the agency’s “regulation by enforcement” approach. Check out the full article 👇 https://lnkd.in/gPKjkHEn