Leading cryptocurrencies traded sideways on Tuesday, while stocks declined as the war in Iran dragged on despite President Donald Trump signaling a potential ceasefire.

Cryptos Take A Breather

Bitcoin’s trading activity slowed as the price fluctuated between $69,000 and the low $71,000 range. Ethereum faced rejection at $2,200 and pulled back toward the $2,100 level, while Dogecoin saw gains of nearly 1.6%.

Over $234 million in crypto positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with losses almost evenly divided between long and short traders,  according to Coinglass data.

Open interest in Bitcoin futures increased 2.91% in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, “Extreme Fear” sentiment continued…

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The Commodity Thesis

Van Straten differentiates between major tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum versus newer innovations like DeFi protocols. 

The biggest tokens will become standard commodities in the financial services industry, while DeFi will take another 5-10 years before regulators adopt clear rules.

“You’ll be able to buy that with any bank in 5 years,” Van Straten said about Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

Large traditional institutions lag behind crypto-native platforms because they must wait for regulatory clarity before entering new spaces.

The risk is too high for major banks to operate without clear rules of engagement.

Crypto-native platforms are already moving into traditional…

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Here’s what investors need to know.

Industry Insiders View Draft As Restrictive

CoinDesk also reported that the language was viewed by industry insiders as restrictive and unclear, with activity-based rewards still potentially allowed but balance-based rewards effectively banned.

That news helps explain weakness in both names because it strikes at one of the most attractive use cases for stablecoins: turning idle digital dollars into a yield-bearing product that can compete with bank deposits or cash-like sweep balances.

Coinbase Faces Risks To Balance Retention Circle Could See Pressure On USDC Growth

The read-through is even more direct for Circle. As a stablecoin-focused company,…

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Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken announced a delay in its initial public offering (IPO) due to unfavorable market conditions affecting the digital asset sector. 

• How is BTC doing today?

This decision follows Kraken‘s earlier confidential filing for a U.S. IPO, which aimed for a $20 billion valuation after closing an $800 million funding round that marked a 33% increase in its valuation in under two months. 

Other IPOs, Acquisitions

While Kraken has decided to wait for more favorable conditions, other firms continue to pursue public listings. 

Securitize, a tokenization platform, is moving forward with its IPO plans, collaborating with BlackRock and aiming for regulatory…

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) spot ETF inflows reaching about $2.5 billion this month, recording a significant spike in activity despite mediocre price action.

ETF Inflows Show Strength

Analyst Shaun Edmondson notes ETF demand has remained resilient despite a sharp price drawdown, reinforcing the long-term bullish case.

He added that Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) plans to raise up to $42 billion to acquire more Bitcoin, while Morgan Stanley is preparing to launch a Bitcoin ETF, further signaling growing Wall Street adoption.

At the same time, Bitcoin’s supply remains constrained, with less than 1 million BTC left to be mined over the coming decades.

ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said inflows have ranked among…

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Every Bank of Japan (BOJ) rate hike since 2024 has caused a Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) crash of at least 20%.

With Japanese 10-year yields hitting a 27-year high if 2.32% on Monday, fears abound that another BOJ tightening cycle could trigger the next crypto selloff.

The Four Rate Hikes That Crushed Bitcoin

The BOJ raised rates four times since March 2024, and Bitcoin fell sharply after three of them. 

On March 19, 2024, the BOJ raised rates from -0.1% to a 0-0.1% range, ending eight years of negative rates. Bitcoin fell roughly 23% in the following weeks.

The July 31, 2024 hike to 0.25% triggered the most violent episode.

The yen appreciated from 160 to below 140 against the dollar, triggering a…

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