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Jack Dorsey’s Block Boosts Bitcoin Mining Plans Amid Trump Win

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Block Inc., formerly known as Square, led by Jack Dorsey is redirecting its strategy to Bitcoin mining and self-custody wallets as it reduces its funding on the decentralized web projects and the music streaming app, Tidal. This strategic shift was made shortly after Trump’s win in the recent U.S. presidential election, which has positive sentiment in the cryptocurrency industry. 

Trump supported the digital asset industry during his presidential campaign, and the struggling Bitcoin mining sector, which has been unprofitable since the halving in the first half of this year.

Block Prioritizes Bitcoin Mining and Wallet Development

According to Block’s third-quarter shareholder letter, the company decided to shift resources from Web5 and Tidal toBTC products. Block, which has been constructing mining equipment instead of mining the Bitcoin, plans to increase its impact within the industry through the manufacturing of mining equipment. This comes after Bitcoin Maxi Michael Saylor invited Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to consider adding Bitcoin to the company’s investment portfolio.

The company disclosed that it had found a 3-nanometer mining chip in April 2024, which proved that the company is working towards enhancing mining technology for business use. In July this year, Core Scientific, one of the largest Bitcoin mining companies, said it would employ Block’s miners for its operations, suggesting high interest in Block’s products.

Furthermore, Block has also announced the intention to increase investment in Bitkey, a recently launched self-custody Bitcoin wallet introduced in March. Bitkey enables users to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin with the ability to connect to Block’s Cash App and Coinbase platform. The emphasis on Bitkey is in line with Block’s vision of offering safer storage and transaction solutions for cryptocurrencies.

Decision to Wind Down Web5 and Tidal Investments

Block’s decision to shut down the Web5 project marks the end of an ambitious attempt to develop a decentralized internet framework. Web5, introduced in 2022, aimed to create technologies that support decentralized identity, personal data storage, and verifiable data exchange. 

However, with limited progress and mounting competition in the blockchain-based internet space, Block has chosen to discontinue the project and allocate its resources to areas with stronger demand and clearer revenue prospects.

The company is also scaling back its investment in Tidal, the music streaming platform it acquired in 2021 for nearly $300 million. Tidal has undergone staff reductions in recent years, and Block’s leadership acknowledged that the platform had not met expectations for user growth and revenue. By reallocating funds from Tidal, Block aims to strengthen its financial position and channel resources toward its cryptocurrency initiatives.

Financial Performance and Market Reaction

Block’s third-quarter financial report revealed revenue of $5.98 billion, below analysts’ expectations of $6.24 billion, according to FactSet. This miss, coupled with the restructuring announcement, led to an initial 10% drop in Block’s share price in after-hours trading.

Although the stock recovered some losses, Block remains under pressure to demonstrate growth, especially as it faces competition from payment companies like PayPal and Stripe.

Revenue from Bitcoin and Cash App also fell short of projections, reporting $2.43 billion and $3.93 billion, respectively. Block attributed some of these results to a challenging market environment for digital assets. Despite these challenges, the company reported a 6% year-over-year revenue increase, reflecting steady growth in its core business.

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Kelvin Munene Murithi

Kelvin is a distinguished writer with expertise in crypto and finance, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science. Known for his incisive analysis and insightful content, he possesses a strong command of English and excels in conducting thorough research and delivering timely cryptocurrency market updates.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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BTC Rebounds Ahead of FOMC, Macro Heat Over?

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The crypto market concluded yet another week, primarily sparking investor optimism with recovering price trajectories. Bitcoin (BTC) price recovered from a $76K low to reach $84K right ahead of the U.S. FOMC next week. Whereas, major-league altcoins also mimicked price gains. The global cryptocurrency market cap again embarked upon a trajectory towards the $3 trillion mark as the week comes to an end.

Mentioned below are some of the top crypto market updates reported by CoinGape Media over the past week.

Crypto Market: Bitcoin Advancements This Week

The flagship crypto has witnessed significant developments over the past seven days, keeping investors optimistic despite price turbulence. Notably, global financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald launched a $2 billion Bitcoin financing business, partnering with Anchorage Digital and Copper for secure institutional access.

On the other hand, Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest expanded its Bitcoin holdings, accumulating 997 BTC worth $80 million via Coinbase this week.

Also, despite the recent market turmoil, 95% of investors in the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to hold onto their holdings. As a result, market watchers continue weighing optimism over long-term price prospects.

It’s also noteworthy that the Singapore Exchange (SGX) is planning to launch Bitcoin futures contracts shortly ahead.

Moreover, Deutsche Boerse’s post-trade unit Clearstream plans to launch Bitcoin & Ethereum custody services by the end of this year. Mentioned above are the top crypto market updates orbiting Bitcoin over the past week.

Are Prices Bracing For Macro Events?

Meanwhile, the broader market shows a recovery-like trend ahead of the U.S. FOMC next week. Set to occur on March 19, the monetary policymaking decision remains much eyed by investors globally.

Market-wide expectations of unchanged interest rates by the U.S. Fed prevail at the moment. Also, the latest U.S. CPI data indicated cooling inflation, offering some support to risk assets. In turn, traders and investors speculate whether a price recovery is possible after the turmoil caused by Donald Trump’s tariff saga.

Global markets, including crypto, took severe heat previously, although recent price actions signal that a recovery and bull cycle continuation might be on the horizon.

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Coingape Staff

CoinGape comprises an experienced team of native content writers and editors working round the clock to cover news globally and present news as a fact rather than an opinion. CoinGape writers and reporters contributed to this article.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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Solana Cofounder Advocates For Decisive Governance As SIMD-228 Proposal Fails

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Following the failed bid of a proposal to change network tokenomics, Solana cofounder Anatoly Yakovenko has reiterated the need for decisive governance. Yakovenko argues that failing fast will do more for Solana than a slew of proposal approvals.

Solana Governance Has To Prioritize Speed And Incisiveness

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has moved on from the community’s rejection of the Solana Improvement Document (SIMD)-0228. Yakovenko noted that despite the failed proposal, the speed of governance proceedings for Solana left an impressive mark.

The SIMD-0228 sought to change Solana’s tokenomics by introducing a dynamic inflation model, moving away from the network’s fixed inflation schedule. While the proposal split the network over centralization fears and disadvantages to smaller validators, Yakovenko highlighted the silver lining in its rejection.

Learning from the proposal, the Solana cofounder disclosed that the network’s governance must be “fast and decisive.” For Yakovenko, the quick resolution of the proposal frees up resources for the network to explore a better approach.

“How fast the ecosystem iterates is a thousand times more important than making sure that every proposal passes,” said Yakovenko.

Over 74% of validators participated in the vote with Yakovenko declaring support for the proposal. Big ecosystem players including VanEck supported the proposal amid speculation that Solana price will spike following the approval.

Bulls Eye Upward Movement For SOL Price

Despite the rejection of the proposal, bulls are still clinging to hope that SOL can go on a parabolic rally. The network has faced significant downward pressure in recent weeks, complicated by Alameda’s SOL unstaking. A steep drop in Solana DEX volume darkens the cloud for the future of the asset’s price.

However, analysts are keeping their eyes on the potential repeat of a 2021 pattern that can send SOL price to $4,000. There is speculation that Solana is on course to surpass Ethereum’s market capitalization.

Optimist are hinging their prediction on on-chain metrics and the soaring number of projects building on the network. In the short term, traders have their eyes on SOL to $200 before the end of March despite a looming death cross.

 

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Aliyu Pokima

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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21Shares To Liquidate Bitcoin and Ethereum Futures ETFs, Here’s All

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21Shares has announced that it is bringing down the curtain on its Bitcoin and Ethereum futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The issuer is eyeing March 28 as a tentative date for the liquidation of both ETFs amid a wave of new filings in the US.

21Shares Set To Liquidate Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs

According to an announcement, crypto ETF issuer 21Shares has disclosed plans to ditch its Bitcoin and Ethereum futures ETFs. Per the announcement, the affected ETFs are the ARK 21Shares Active Bitcoin Ethereum Strategy ETF and the ARK 21Shares Active On-Chain Bitcoin Strategy ETF.

While the press release did not give clear reasons for the liquidations, it hinged its decision on a periodic review of its offerings. The statement cited a need to align existing product lineups with market dynamics and clients’ needs in a changing landscape.

However, pundits say the liquidations are a result of jarring ETF outflows in recent months.

Shareholders can sell their holdings up until March 27, a date touted as the last trading day for both ETFs. 21Shares plans to put the final nail in the coffin for both ETFs on March 28, liquidating all remaining assets.

“Shareholders who continue to hold shares of a Fund on the Fund’s Liquidation Date will receive a liquidating distribution with a value equal to their proportionate ownership interest in the Fund,” read the press release.

Increased ETF Activity In The Cryptoverse

Despite the wave of outflows, the ETF space is sizzling with frenetic activity. Buoyed by impressive returns, 21Shares slashed fees to 0.49% for its Bitcoin Ethereum Core ETPs.

Bitwise has rolled out its OWNB ETF to track companies holding Bitcoin on their balance sheets. Bitcoin ETF investors continue to put their faith in offerings in the face of price amid Rex Shares launching the first Bitcoin Corporate Bond Convertible ETF

Outside of Bitcoin, several issuers have filed for XRP, HBAR, DOGE, and AVAX ETFs with the US SEC. For Ethereum investors, CBOE has applied to the SEC to approve staking in Fidelity’s ETH ETF.

 

 

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Aliyu Pokima

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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