QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Samara Cohen, chief investment officer of ETF and index investments at BlackRock told CNBC recently that 80% of buyers of IBIT are direct investors. Of those, 75% have never owned a BlackRock ETF, she said. “We went into this journey with the expectation that we needed to educate ETF investors on crypto and on bitcoin specifically,” Cohen said. “As it turns out, we have done a lot of education of crypto investors on the benefits of the ETP wrapper.” [Source]
CIO INSIGHTS
Bitcoin surged this week, breaking past key resistance levels and pushing the broader crypto market higher. Bitcoin is currently trading at its highest levels since July, with Ethereum and Solana also posting gains. Some attribute this rally to Donald Trump’s rising lead in the polls, as reflected by prediction markets, while others believe it aligns with Bitcoin’s natural four-year cycle. Historically, Bitcoin experiences major repricing events 6-12 months after its halving, and with more dovish policies from the Federal Reserve and other central banks, the setup appears ideal for a breakout. Institutional interest continues to fuel momentum, with BTC ETF inflows reaching $556 million this week, highlighting new adoption and further integration into the crypto ecosystem. However, despite the positive momentum, some traders are cautious of a potential short-term correction. Open interest in Bitcoin is at a record high, and options are expensive for leverage, signaling a possible pullback before a more significant rally. Additionally, Bitcoin’s dominance has hit a new cycle high of 59%, which historically precedes an altcoin season. Sectors like DePIN, AI, and meme coins, which have already shown price momentum this week, are expected to benefit most from this market shift. With both Bitcoin and altcoins primed for major moves, the market setup mirrors previous cycles from 2017 and 2021, where significant breakouts occurred post-halving. All signs point to a strong continuation of the bull market, making the upcoming months an exciting period for crypto investors.
TOP HEADLINES
Bitcoin ETFs Hit $20B Milestone as Price Remains Stuck in Downtrend: Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States hit a major milestone in net inflows, despite Bitcoin’s price being in a seven-month downtrend. As of October 17, U.S.-based spot Bitcoin ETFs surpassed $20 billion in total net flows. [Source]
Ark Invest Calls Blockchain and AI the Key to Revitalizing Economy with Deflation Coming: In its Q3 Commentary report, ARK Investment Management suggests that technological innovation, especially in artificial intelligence and blockchain, could play a crucial role in revitalizing the global economy. As inflation shifts toward deflation in various sectors, ARK predicts that its five innovation platforms—robotics, energy storage, AI, blockchain, and multi-OMIC (biological analysis) sequencing—could have a substantial impact on macroeconomic indicators over the next five to ten years. [Source]
Google’s Nuclear Power Plan Could Revolutionize Cryptocurrency Mining: A new approach to nuclear energy production could transform the landscape for both artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency mining, though it demands significant initial investment in relatively unproven technologies. The United States is set to develop and launch its first commercial small modular reactor (SMR), a nuclear power source with a far smaller infrastructure footprint compared to conventional fission reactors. These “next-generation” reactors are also believed to offer enhanced safety. [Source]
Italy to Raise Capital Gains Tax on Crypto to 42% From 26%: Reports: Italy’s Deputy Finance Minister, Maurizio Leo, announced that the government will increase the capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin from 26% to 42%, as reported by Reuters and Bloomberg. The decision was made by the Italian cabinet due to the growing prevalence of Bitcoin, Leo explained during a conference call on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg. [Source]
New Bitcoin Whale Wallets Balance See Rapid Growth Amid Rising Market Confidence: Bitcoin’s recent price resurgence and resilience in overcoming past challenges have fueled strong optimism among investors and traders about its long-term growth potential. This confidence is reflected in the rapid accumulation of large Bitcoin holdings by new investors. Amid growing market confidence, the number of new Bitcoin whale wallets has surged, as large investors continue to amass the leading cryptocurrency. Ki Young Ju, CEO and founder of CryptoQuant, highlighted this positive trend in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter). [Source]