Coindesk

By Omkar Godbole (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)The crypto market has had a bullish 24 hours, thanks to Wednesday's soft U.S. core inflation print that alleviated hawkish Fed concerns. The momentum, however, has slowed.With the inflation data out of the way, crypto traders are refocusing on President-elect Donald Trump's swearing-in on Jan. 20 and possible pro-crypto action on the first day. Some expect bitcoin to set new highs by then, while others are penciling in at least 10% price swings in XRP, SOL, ETH and BTC.On Polymarket, the probability of the U.S. holding BTC as a part of a strategic reserve has increased to 50% for the first time.Bitwise, a San Francisco-based crypto asset management company, said on X...

Malaysia may introduce crypto and blockchain legislation to regulate the sector and keep pace with other jurisdictions, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said during a visit to Abu Dhabi."I proposed several months ago how our agencies, including security, treasury and Bank Negara study how Malaysia can explore this so we aren't left behind," he said, the New Straits Times reported on Tuesday. "Ensuring that it is regulated could safeguard the people's interests and prevent leakages."Anwar said he had spoken to Abu Dhabi's government and crypto exchange Binance on policy proposals. The UAE leaders "feel that they can forge a close cooperation with Malaysia on this issue," he said. "I am leaning towards not just approving but also expediting this."Malaysia...

On Wednesday, bitcoin (BTC) briefly exceeded $100,000 for the fourth time, with trader sentiment switching to greed from fear as the price ranges between $90,000 and the six-figure level.The largest cryptocurrency may take several attempts to push through $100,000, as previous CoinDesk research showed.Since touching an all-time high of around $108,000 on Dec. 17, bitcoin has put in a series of lower highs, just as it did during 2024's seven-month consolidation.However, the $90,000 price level remains firm. It has provided critical support, and bitcoin has stayed above it since Nov. 18, other than briefly dropping below on Jan. 13. The catalyst for a break in either direction could be President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.Monitoring leverage is also a...

Crypto traders are optimistic again, anticipating bitcoin (BTC) will surpass record highs amid volatile trading as pro-crypto President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20 nears. The price of bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, has risen 11% from Monday's lows under $90,000. It has jumped nearly 3% in the past 24 hours, topping $100,000 at one point, CoinDesk data show.The move into the six figures that spurred risk-taking in the broader market followed a softer-than-expected core CPI report, which alleviated hawkish Fed fears that had driven prices lower. Instead, markets are focusing on Trump's swearing-in and a potential pro-crypto announcement on the first day of the office."The removal of inflation fears clears the way for bitcoin to break through the strong $100,000...

Payments-focussed cryptocurrency XRP, which failed to set new price highs during the 2020-21 bull run due to regulatory struggles, is chalking out its fastest ascent in years, with derivatives tied to the token seeing record activity.The cryptocurrency's price has surged 50% to seven-year highs above $3 this month, extending the past quarter's 240% rally, according to data source CoinDesk. Prices have gained 30% in the past seven days alone, lifting the market capitalization to $176.75 billion, the third-highest ahead of stablecoin tether.XRP is witnessing the fastest observed rally since the altcoin boom of January 2018, according to a popular market analysis tool called the relative strength index (RSI). The measure oscillates between 0 and 100, measuring the speed and change...