Data from CoinMetrics shows that crypto whales now hold 42.1% of Bitcoin’s current supply. This is a slight increase compared to 37.9% two years back and analysts have interpreted the increase as a positive sign, as it shows large investors have been accumulating Bitcoin during its bear phase. There is, however, no major change in the top 1,000 addresses, as their holdings only inched up from 34.4% at the end of 2017 to 34.8%, according to Flipside. While retail traders have been worried about picking a bottom, large investors are looking at the possible upside to be attained over the …

A crypto payment gateway is offering an easy way for merchants to integrate digital currencies into their websites. Coinremitter says its service is so simple that it can be set up by anyone and activated quickly — with powerful security ensuring funds are kept safe. The company’s payment gateway offers support for major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin and Tether, along with more niche alternatives such as Dogecoin and Dash. According to Coinremitter, no ID or bank account is required to establish a payment gateway that is global, anonymous, free of chargebacks and “zero risk.” Once an account has …

Paris-based asset management firm Napoleon AM has announced the launch of a specialized professional fund under French law, the Napoleon Bitcoin Fund. The fund would replicate the price of the cash-settled Bitcoin futures listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. According to the company, this is one of the first regulated products giving exposure to Bitcoin, with which institutional investors can diversify their portfolio. While the firms are launching crypto products for professional investors, not every investor is confident about the future of Bitcoin. Billionaire investor Mark Cuban believes that BTC could never become a reliable currency because “it's too difficult …

China could start its pilot for the central bank digital currency (CBDC) before the end of this year, according to local news outlet Caijing. The article states that the anticipated pilot project “will go out of the central bank system and enter real service scenarios such as transportation, education, and medical treatment,” which will reach the end users. The project will be overseen by the Chinese central bank and will include four major banks and large corporations such as China Telecom. This is a significant step as it will give China a major head start over other developed economies. Daily …

Sunday, Dec. 8 — most of the top 20 cryptocurrencies are reporting discreet gains on the day by press time, as Bitcoin (BTC) hovers around the $7,550 mark again. Market visualization courtesy of Coin360 Bitcoin price is currently down by 0.2% on the day, trading at around $7,552 at press time, according to Coin360. Looking at its weekly chart, the coin is up by about 2.91%. Bitcoin 7-day price chart. Source: Coin360 On Dec. 6, cryptocurrency market analyst Alex Thorn pointed out on Twitter that the total number of on-chain Bitcoin addresses holding any amount of Bitcoin hit a new …

Saturday, Dec. 7 — most of the top 20 cryptocurrencies are reporting moderate gains on the day by press time, as Bitcoin (BTC) hovers just under the $7,550 mark again. Market visualization courtesy of Coin360 Bitcoin price is currently up by 2.12% on the day, trading at around $7,537 at press time, according to Coin360. Looking at its weekly chart, the coin is down by about 1.71%. Bitcoin 7-day price chart. Source: Coin360 Earlier today, on-chain analyst and trader, Willy Woo, said on Twitter that he believes that Bitcoin’s on-chain momentum is becoming bullish. He suggests that investors are preparing …

In its “Imagine 2030” report, Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid forecast that by 2030, digital currencies could replace cash. Reid said that in order for mainstream integration to occur, digital currencies will have to convince regulators that they are safe for investors and find solutions for issues such as cyber attacks, electricity consumption and digital war. Cryptocurrency adoption by a large traditional financial institution could also signal that digital assets could one day replace fiat currencies in the future. To counter the possibility of fiat currencies being undermined by cryptocurrencies, several governments are planning to issue their own central bank …

Japanese financial services giant SBI Holdings is considering to pay shareholder dividends in the form of XRP tokens, following the same practice by its subsidiary MorningStar. After MorningStar started offering its shareholders dividends in XRP earlier this year, SBI CEO Yoshitaka Kitao revealed that the company is now considering to follow suit, Cointelegraph Japan reported on Dec. 5. SBI would launch the program during the fiscal year ending in March 2020, with Kitao further stating that it is opt-in. MorningStar’s XRP dividends grew SBI's crypto business MorningStar Japan, an independent financial investment research firm, first revealed its plans to incorporate …

Ripple has filed a motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit alleging that it held an unregistered securities sale of its XRP tokens. In court documents filed on Dec. 4, Ripple argues that the plaintiffs’ case is contradictory and “self-defeating.” Alongside a reiteration of previous arguments, the company now also claims that, even if XRP were a security, the statute of repose had passed before the lawsuit was brought to court. Ripple says that XRP is not a security, but even if it were... In what is reportedly Ripple’s last attempt to get the case thrown out before the scheduled hearing …

On Dec. 2, open interest on Bakkt’s Bitcoin futures reached a new all-time high. This came just a few days after the daily Bitcoin futures trading volume had hit a lifetime high. These back to back trading volume records show an increasing interest from institutional investors but the majority of the crypto community is still wondering why Bitcon’s spot price is not steadily increasing. Bakkt’s launch of Bitcoin options contracts on Dec. 9 is likely to attract more players to trade the digital asset. As the derivatives market size increases, it could have a greater effect on Bitcoin’s spot price. …

Whale Alert, the ever-vigilant live tracker for cryptocurrency transactions, noted that Ripple transferred a total of 1 billion XRP tokens from its escrow wallet on Dec. 2. The blockchain-based payments firm moved the massive amount of tokens in two separate transactions, worth around $219 million in total as of press time. Interestingly, the company transferred the exact same amount of tokens back into escrow only seven minutes later, this time in three separate transactions. Is Ripple crashing the token’s price? This isn’t the first time that Ripple has executed such enormous transactions. The practice has raised concerns among the XRP …

Bitcoin price continues to trade with an advantage to bears but this does not mean investors or miners have capitulated. About 64% of the total Bitcoin mined to date has been dormant in wallets since 2018. This shows that Bitcoin hodlers do not believe in trading for short-term gains, as they anticipate much higher prices in the future. While this might be a feasible strategy for the whales, retail traders can rake up profits if they buy during periods of deep distress and sell their positions during times of euphoria. One of the events that many hopeful investors are anticipating …