Imagine a scenario where you’re heading off for a 100-year vacation and you want your wealth to survive when you return. You decide to bury a safe that holds:

Some gold barsA bunch of $100 billsYour bitcoin in cold storage

What do you expect the outcome to be when you return from your 100-year absence?

The gold bars will still be there in good shape. The $100 bills will have physically decayed and the purchasing power will likely have dramatically weakened to the point where the bills are worthless.

What about the bitcoin? What is the bitcoin worth?

The answer depends on how the network operated during your long absence. If other people were actively transacting, then the miners were…

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Marathon Digital Holdings, a leading Bitcoin mining giant, strategically chose not to sell any of its 18,536 Bitcoin during the recent market slump. This decision comes despite a significant downtrend in Bitcoin prices over the last month. According to their latest operations report, the firm’s unwavering commitment has maintained its asset value over $1.1 billion, underscoring a robust confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term potential.

In June, Marathon produced 590 Bitcoin, albeit lower than the previous year, yet boosted its operational hashrate by 2%, reaching 26.3 EH/s. These figures reflect operational improvements and the full capability of its Ellendale facility, marking a substantial year-over-year increase. CEO Fred Thiel credits advanced cooling technologies and next-gen hardware for setting the company on a path to potentially double its hashrate by year’s end.

Marathon’s steadfast accumulation and technological enhancements signal a bullish outlook for Bitcoin. This approach not only strengthens their market position but also influences Bitcoin’s broader valuation dynamics, particularly as the 2024 halving event approaches, which could significantly affect mining economics by reducing block rewards.

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Company Name: Lightspark

Founders: David Marcus, Kevin Hurley, Christina Smedley, James Everingham, Christian Catalini, Jai Massari and Tomer Barel

Date Founded: April 2022; Series A May 2022

Location of Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA

Amount of Bitcoin Held in Treasury: N/A

Number of Employees: 45

Website: https://www.lightspark.com/

Public or Private? Private

Kevin Hurley and the team at Lightspark want to make it easier for institutions and everyday people to transfer value via bitcoin.

This is why they’ve created Lightspark, a Lightning Service Provider (LSP) — and more — that offers enterprise-grade infrastructure that enables companies around the world as well as the customers for those…

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In a recent interview with Bitcoin Magazine, Ryan Gentry from Lightning Labs shared his insights on the various proposals aimed at enhancing Bitcoin’s scripting capabilities, focusing particularly on the approach taken by Rusty Russell’s new proposal, the Great Script Restoration Project. This initiative has stirred the Bitcoin development community by suggesting the restoration of previously disabled opcodes, such as OP_CAT, to broaden the scripting possibilities on the Bitcoin network.

The Broad Vision vs. Incremental Tweaks

Ryan Gentry highlighted the stark contrast between the comprehensive approach of the Great Script Restoration and other more incremental proposals. Many existing…

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As of July 3, 2024, the landscape of U.S. Bitcoin ETFs has shown interesting fluctuations, reflecting broader trends in investor behavior and confidence in cryptocurrency. Notably, Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF (FBTC) registered a significant net inflow of 1,027 BTC, elevating its total holdings to 168,490 BTC. This influx underscores a growing trust in Fidelity’s management and an optimistic outlook towards Bitcoin’s market potential.

Conversely, Grayscale’s Bitcoin ETF (GBTC) experienced a notable decline with a net outflow of 487 BTC, reducing its total to 275,271 BTC. This movement might suggest a strategic reallocation by investors amidst varying market sentiments or possible diversification into other assets.

Meanwhile, Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF (BITB) saw a positive adjustment with a net inflow of 654 BTC, which possibly attracts a new segment of investors aiming for diversified yet dynamic crypto portfolios. Other entities like BlackRock’s IBIT and ARK Invest’s ARKB maintained a steady stance with no net inflows or outflows, indicating a period of stability and watchful management.

Overall, the U.S. Bitcoin ETF sector commands a formidable presence with a collective holding of 8,664,441 BTC, valued at around $52.2 billion. The market’s net increase of 1,223 BTC, adding roughly $73.7 million in value, marks a critical phase of growth and adjustment, reflecting the vibrant and ever-evolving nature of cryptocurrency investments.

Disclaimer: Market capitalizations and data can vary in real-time. The information provided here is intended purely for educational purposes and should not, under any circumstances, be construed as financial advice.

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Fidelity International and Sygnum have joined forces with Chainlink to bring Net Asset Value (NAV) data onto the blockchain, a strategic move unveiled at the Point Zero Forum. This collaboration is set to boost the transparency and real-time accessibility of tokenized asset data, showcasing a significant shift towards integrating blockchain with traditional fund management.

The partnership specifically targets the tokenization of Fidelity International’s $6.9 billion Institutional Liquidity Fund, which is now represented onchain by Sygnum. This initiative not only advances transparency but also demonstrates the potential of blockchain technology to transform financial systems. Chainlink plays a crucial role, ensuring seamless and secure data integration across various blockchains.

This development marks a pivotal moment for digital assets, indicating a broader acceptance and integration of blockchain solutions in traditional finance. The move by Fidelity, Sygnum, and Chainlink highlights the growing trend of fund tokenization and its expected dominance in the asset management sector.

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Ethereum’s performance in 2024 has been a rollercoaster, marked by substantial gains and notable corrections. January started with a slight dip of -0.09%, but February saw a robust increase of +46.4%, reflecting strong bullish sentiment. March continued this trend with a +9.7% gain.

April brought a significant correction with a -17.4% decline, but May saw a recovery with a +24.9% return, highlighting the market’s volatility. However, June ended with an -8.72% drop, indicating another period of adjustment.

Overall, Ethereum’s year-to-date (YTD) change is +44.6%, with a 6-month change of +45.6% and a 1-year change of +69.05%. Despite short-term fluctuations, Ethereum has demonstrated strong growth, emphasizing the importance of staying informed and adaptable in this dynamic market.

Disclaimer: Market capitalizations and data can vary in real-time. The information provided here is intended purely for educational purposes and should not, under any circumstances, be construed as financial advice.

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Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA), a German crypto and digital asset firm, has introduced the Bitcoin Macro exchange-traded product (ETP) on the Deutsche Börse Xetra platform. Trading under the ticker symbol “BMAC” with a total expense ratio of 2.00%, this innovative product adjusts its Bitcoin exposure based on macroeconomic factors, providing systematic exposure to BTC and USDC.

The DDA Bitcoin Macro ETP is backed by a basket of crypto held in institutional-grade custody with Coinbase Custody. According to Marc des Ligneris, head of quantitative strategies at DDA, the product is designed to manage risk more efficiently by reducing exposure during negative macroeconomic conditions, making it a compelling option for both retail and institutional investors wary of crypto volatility.

Global interest in crypto ETPs and ETFs is surging, with $2.2 billion inflows reported in May alone, bringing year-to-date net inflows to $44.50 billion. The rise in listed products highlights the growing demand and confidence in crypto investment solutions, further evidenced by the SEC’s approval of several spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S., which has fueled a trading boom.