BitDigest January 15 · Issue #822
- Crypto prices continue recovery following recent tumbles but still posting strong two-week returns
- FinCEN extends comment period for unhosted wallet proposal
- Powell says stablecoins are a high priority for the Fed
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies
This week’s announcement that International Exchange’s digital currency venture Bakkt will go public by merging with a special purposed acquisition company highlighted the blank-check acquisition structure across the crypto market. This deal makes a lot of sense. Bakkt will raise $532 million in additional capital and gets to go public by negotiating with a single company at a predetermined valuation – in this case $2.1 billion – rather than following the traditional IPO process.
In 2020, 219 blank check companies raised $73 billion leading many to call last year, the year of the SPAC. I have received questions about this so wanted to share a few thoughts:
The first crypto-related SPAC I am aware of was last summers acquisition of Diginex, the parent company of digital currency exchange Equos and crypto custodian Digivault by 8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp at an initial value of $276 million.
Next came Victory Park (VIH) announced merger with Bakkt. The formation of Everything Blockchain was just announced as a new Cayman based SPAC to acquire emerging companies in the blockchain industry.
And then there are also rumors about addition SPACs merging with crypto companies in the future. FUSE has been rumored to merge with BlockFi, and Coinbase has been identified as a merger target by both LFTR and PSTH. I need to stress these are just rumors, but I expect to hear more about blank check company acquisitions in the crypto business going forward.
The Headlines
Market Data
Exchange, Custody and Product News
Reports you may have missed
Crypto Receives a Boost from Strong Jobs Print, WULF Sells Hash Rate to Expand AI Capabilities
CRYPTO MARKET UPDATE The crypto market is moving higher today, lifted by stronger-than-expected jobs numbers. The BLS reported 254k jobs added last month, far exceeding the market estimate of 140k, while August's figures were revised up from 142k to 159k. The unemployment rate also dropped to 4.1% from 4.2%. In response, rates rallied, the DXY spiked, and the futures market largely priced out the possibility of a 50 bps rate...
MARKET UPDATE Crypto is broadly lower today as geopolitical conflict continues to weigh on risk assets, with BTC -1.06% falling to $60k and ETH -0.23% approaching the low $2,300s. Aptos (APT -0.88% ) is one of the few gainers in the top 100 tokens as they have strengthened their presence in Japan via an acquisition of HashPalette, a Japanese NFT service provider and developer of Palette Chain. AAVE 4.73% is also showing slight gains following...
CRYPTO MARKET UPDATE Crypto prices have rebounded slightly following yesterday's sharp selloff, with BTC -1.06% climbing back above $61,000 and SOL -2.82% moving above $145, while ETH -0.23% is lagging, trading around $2,400. Among today's outperformers is SUI 3.46% , which appears resilient despite a $115 million token unlock yesterday. Oil is partially retracing its early rally, gold is lower on the day, and yields are moving higher, suggesting at least a temporary reversal of...
MARKET UPDATE Markets are selling off in the first day of Q4, fueled by geopolitical fears as tensions rise in the mid-east. The SPY 0.40% and QQQ 0.80% have dropped 1.14% and 1.92%, respectively, while the VIX has surged over 17%. XAU and DXY are gaining as investors move towards safe-havens. Crypto assets have also sold off, with BTC -1.06% briefly dropping below $62k and ETH -0.23% below $2.5k. Among altcoins, SUI 3.46% is showing...
Articles Read 1/2
Enjoyed the read? Subscribe now for unlimited access!
Get invaluable analysis of the market and stocks. Cancel at any time.
Already have an account? Sign In a66e6a-389b2b-8d207d-412f5d-8c86aa
Already have an account? Sign In a66e6a-389b2b-8d207d-412f5d-8c86aa