What Happened in Crypto Today: The Day DeFi Broke All Rules

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  • Dec 16, 2024
What Happened in Crypto Today: The Day DeFi Broke All Rules

Bitcoin hit $106K yesterday, and the crypto world stayed oddly quiet.

No special hashtags trending.

All those endless debates about when Bitcoin would finally break six figures? They're history now. But instead of chaos and excitement, we're seeing something unexpected - calm.

The charts are green, portfolios are up, but the usual hype? MIA

Traders who used to jump at every price movement are just... watching. Some haven't even updated their price predictions yet.

Is this what a mature market looks like? Or is everyone just processing the fact that their years-old predictions finally came true?

Let's make sense of it all! Here is a quick rundown of the top headlines from the past 24 hours:

Let's dive in!

Here’s What’s Going On With XRP…

Ripple just made a power move in the stablecoin game. After getting the green light from New York regulators, they're launching RLUSD - a dollar-backed stablecoin that's going straight for USDT and USDC's market share.

The interesting part? Unlike other stablecoins primarily used for trading, RLUSD is built specifically for payments and remittances. Think of faster cross-border transfers and cheaper international payments.

But why is XRP going up? Read the full story !

MicroStrategy's Latest Bitcoin Buy Shows They're Playing Chess

MicroStrategy just added another 15,350 Bitcoin to their treasury, paying around $1.5 billion. Their total stash? 439,000 BTC.

This purchase comes right before MicroStrategy joins the Nasdaq 100 Index - a move that could trigger at least $2.1 billion in institutional buying as ETFs adjust their portfolios.

But didn’t they just buy thousands of Bitcoins a few weeks ago? Read the full story !

BlackRock Just Backed a New Type of Stablecoin

Ethena just dropped something interesting in the stablecoin space - USDtb, a new dollar-pegged token with a twist.

Over 90% of its backing comes from BlackRock's massive BUIDL fund.

The interesting part isn't just the BlackRock connection. USDtb is designed to work alongside Ethena's existing USDe, which has already attracted $6 billion in user funds. But while USDe plays with derivatives to keep its peg, USDtb takes a more traditional approach, backing each token with actual reserve assets.

But who else is backing this project? Read the full story !

This New DEX Just Pulled in $1 Billion Without VCs

Something unusual is happening at Hyperliquid.

The new decentralized exchange attracted over $1 billion in USDC deposits since launching its HYPE token last month - without a single venture capital firm in sight.

That's right - no private investors, no exchange allocations. Every HYPE token went straight to the users. This old-school approach to token distribution seems to be working. Their total locked value shot up from $196 million to $3.2 billion in just 30 days.

But why are users so bullish on HYPE? Read the full story !

Your FTX Money Is Coming Back - Here's When and How

The long wait for FTX customers is finally ending. Starting January 3, 2025, the fallen crypto exchange will begin returning funds to its users - and they're paying back more than expected.

If you lost $50,000 or less on FTX, you're in the first group getting paid. That covers over 90% of all FTX victims. The interesting part? Most creditors will receive at least 118% of their claim value, calculated from November 2022 prices.

Kraken and BitGo will handle the distributions, with a third partner still to be announced. Both bring solid experience - Kraken helped return Mt. Gox funds, while BitGo secures billions in institutional crypto.

But why 118%? Read the full story !