Optimism

$OP

RATES SURGE ON HIGHER FOR LONGER As expected, Fed Chair Powell took to the podium yesterday and kept interest rates unchanged. Concurrently, he unveiled the Fed’s new dot plot, which forecasts one more rate hike for this year but two fewer cuts for the next year. This was perceived as more hawkish than anticipated by both traditional and crypto markets. The dot plot and Powell's rhetoric collectively signal a 'higher...

TACTICAL CAUTION Throughout this year, we've been navigating a complex interplay between overarching macro influences and crypto-specific events. Milestones such as BlackRock's ETF application, Ripple's legal win over the SEC, and Grayscale's similar success have been promising, yet they've occurred amidst a peak in global liquidity. This timing has effectively curtailed any long-lasting bullish momentum in the crypto markets. While we've been vocal proponents of maintaining risk exposure, the convergence...

THE US DOLLAR WRECKING BALL CONTINUES Last week, our near-term outlook remained uncertain, though we leaned toward the possibility that a positive catalyst, such as a victory for Grayscale, could coincide with easing liquidity conditions. This would mark a significant departure from the tightening conditions—indicated by the DXY—that followed the last two crypto-specific catalysts this year. The likelihood of interest rates reaching a peak, the dollar beginning to decline, and...

GRAYSCALE VICTORY As recently discussed, we’ve been awaiting either short-term relief in liquidity conditions—indicated by falling interest rates, a declining DXY, and increasing central bank liquidity—or the realization of crypto-specific catalysts for better price action. This week, we received encouraging news on both fronts. The courts have ruled that the SEC acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner when denying the spot Bitcoin ETF. _Source: Court Decision in Grayscale v...

HOW WE GOT HERE Looking back over the past month, we found ourselves stuck in unusual stasis. Macro risks were escalating, and negative seasonality was taking effect, while at the same time, the potential for positive industry-specific tailwinds were knocking on the door. This strange equilibrium led to a decoupling from macro variables, with volatility approaching historical lows. _Source: Velodata. app_ Our near-term bullish view was predicated on one or...

SCALABILITY PROBLEM Transaction fees on Ethereum have jumped to hundreds of dollars during times of high activity, rendering the mainnet unusable for anyone without deep pockets. Ethereum can only process 7-15 transactions per second, while centralized networks like Visa can scale up to over 65k tps. Since network fees function similarly to a road with a fluctuating toll, the more congested and in demand Ethereum’s rails become, the higher the...

MACRO HAS BEEN WINNING THE BATTLE Last week, we advanced the idea that the recent decline in volatility might be traced to two competing forces: (1) positive industry-specific tailwinds and (2) negative macro headwinds. Additionally, the recent dip in macro correlations could be attributed to unique catalysts, notably the BlackRock ETF application. Our thinking was that without further industry-specific catalysts, traditional macro correlations would likely return. As evidenced by the...

WHAT ARE AIRDROPS? Crypto Airdrops are a unique growth and distribution mechanism that crypto protocols use to attract users and give them ownership of the protocol through the "airdropping" of tokens. Airdrops involve giving away tokens to selected users to generate interest, raise awareness, and attract potential users to the project. Most airdrops aim to distribute tokens to early users and backers of the project, ideally rewarding these early backers...