Author: Ethan Carter
Ethan is a seasoned cryptocurrency writer with extensive experience contributing to leading U.S.-based blockchain and fintech publications. His work blends in-depth market analysis with accessible explanations, making complex crypto topics understandable for a broad audience. Over the years, he has covered Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, and emerging blockchain trends, always with a focus on accuracy and insight. Ethan's articles have appeared on major crypto portals, where his expertise in market trends and investment strategies has earned him a loyal readership.
In 2025, crypto merger and acquisition (M&A) activity reached $8.6 billion by November, with a record 133 deals closed, setting an unprecedented high in both the number of deals and their total value.The total dollar amount in business transactions surpassed the combined value of the previous four years, as reported by Bloomberg, referencing Pitchbook data.Coinbase was at the forefront of M&A activity, executing six acquisition deals in 2025, which included the $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit, a leading crypto derivatives marketplace. Annual capital invested in crypto deals since 2020. Source: BloombergOther acquisitions by Coinbase included the blockchain-based advertising platform Spindl,…
Ethereum’s second major upgrade of the year, Fusaka, has been launched, enhancing data capacity, lowering transaction costs, and improving usability.The upgrade officially went live on the Ethereum mainnet at 9:49 pm UTC on Wednesday at Epoch 411392, featuring peer data availability sampling (PeerDAS) for considerable scaling capabilities for Ethereum and its layer 2s.Earlier this week, the Ethereum Foundation shared a detailed thread on the Ethereum X account, explaining its impact for users, developers, node operators, Layer-2s, rollups, and enterprises.The Ethereum Foundation mentioned that Fusaka brings Ethereum closer to achieving “near-instant transactions,” with the enhanced speed delivering a more seamless user…
Key takeaways:The low leverage appetite for BTC and ETH contrasts with robust stock markets, indicating fragile sentiment even as liquidity expectations improve.While economic uncertainty remains, anticipated monetary easing lessens downside risk for cryptocurrencies, encouraging a potential bullish trend.On Wednesday, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) experienced upward momentum, reaching their highest values in two weeks as investors look forward to looser monetary policies. Weak economic indicators heightened expectations for new stimulus initiatives, spurring interest in scarce assets.The S&P 500 index and gold also benefited as investors predicted increased liquidity in the markets. Nevertheless, with the cryptocurrency market cap at 29% below…
U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have seen inflows for the fifth consecutive day, as BTC climbs back to nearly $94,000, its highest point in almost two weeks. Summary U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have attracted $288 million over the past five trading days. BlackRock’s IBIT led the way with over $120 million inflows on Tuesday. Analysts are optimistic about BTC’s potential for further gains in the coming weeks. As per SoSoValue, the 12 spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $58.5 million in net inflows on December 2, spearheaded by BlackRock’s IBIT, which garnered $120.1 million. Fidelity’s FBTC and Biwise’s BITB followed with inflows…
Ethereum has successfully launched its Fusaka upgrade, aimed at enhancing the network’s transaction processing capabilities while upholding its security and decentralization standards, based on network documentation. ETH co-founder Vitalik Buterin acknowledged the developers behind this initiative. Summary Ethereum introduces the Fusaka upgrade to enhance transaction processing while preserving security and decentralization. The key innovation is EIP-7594 (PeerDAS), enabling nodes to verify block data without full downloads, thus boosting efficiency. The upgrade supports scaling and DeFi expansion, assisting Ethereum in managing millions of daily transactions and maintaining its premier smart contract ecosystem. “Congratulations to the Ethereum researchers and core developers who…
Welcome to the institutional newsletter, Crypto Long & Short. This week:Analysis on the upcoming developments in stablecoins (hint: it’s not just another USD token) by Martin Bruncko from Schuman FinancialA market assessment of the crypto selloff post-holidays, the anticipated Fusaka upgrade, and the vital role of ETH in any potential market recovery by Andy BaehrEssential headlines for institutions to follow by Francisco Memoria“Hyperliquid Weekly Volumes v/s HYPE/BTC” featured in the Chart of the Week-Alexandra LevisExpert InsightsDon’t Dismiss Euro Stablecoins Just Yet- By Martin Bruncko, CEO & co-founder, Schuman FinancialThe landscape of stablecoins is predominantly dollar-centric. USDT, USDC, and other USD…
HBAR experiences a slight increase over the past 24 hours, rising from $0.1425 to $0.1453 while maintaining a structured price action within an ascending channel. The token reveals consistent accumulation patterns, distancing itself from speculative behavior. A 52.51% rise in volume over its seven-day moving average reflects genuine engagement from the market.This increase aligns with overall cryptocurrency market strength. HBAR’s divergence from the CD5 index remains minimal at only 0.25%. Price action continues to show a series of higher lows during the session. The most significant trading volume occurs at 14:00 UTC, with 165.32 million tokens changing hands—138% above the…
Larry Fink, the chair and CEO of BlackRock, an asset management firm, discussed his significant transition from linking cryptocurrencies with illegal activities to overseeing the largest spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund.During The New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Fink responded to queries about his perspectives on cryptocurrency and Bitcoin (BTC) from journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin.The BlackRock CEO remarked that his shift from viewing crypto as synonymous with money laundering to holding billions in BTC represents “a glaring public example of a significant change in [his] opinions.”“My thought process is always evolving,” Fink stated. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at the DealBook…
Connecticut has initiated a legal challenge against sports event contracts by issuing a series of cease-and-desist orders on Wednesday to major prediction-market operators, including Robinhood, Kalshi, and Crypto.com.The Department of Consumer Protection in the state alleges that these companies are “conducting unlicensed online gambling, specifically sports wagering.” The notices state that each company must “immediately cease and desist from advertising, offering, promoting, or otherwise making available Contracts or any other form of unlicensed online gambling to Connecticut residents.”Robinhood responded on Wednesday, asserting their operations fall under federal regulation.”As previously mentioned, Robinhood’s event contracts are overseen by the CFTC and provided…
Ostium Labs, the creators of the Ostium protocol, have successfully secured $24 million in new funding. This includes a $20 million Series A round co-led by General Catalyst and Jump Crypto, along with an undisclosed $4 million strategic investment, as announced in a press release on Wednesday.This brings the total funding raised by the company to $27.8 million.Operating on Arbitrum, Ostium provides on-chain perpetual swaps linked to stocks, commodities, indices, and foreign exchange (FX), presenting self-custody and verifiable market rules as a crypto-native alternative to broker-managed contracts for difference (CFDs).The protocol safeguards traders’ collateral by keeping it in segregated smart…