Weekly Crypto Preview: Top Events And Coins To Watch

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The crypto space is bracing for another eventful week, marked by several key developments and coins that are poised to influence market dynamics. So, here’s what investors and enthusiasts should be on the lookout for.

Bitcoin: A Watchful Eye On Spot ETF Outflows

Bitcoin remains at the forefront of investor attention, with the spotlight intensifying on the movements within spot Bitcoin ETFs. After experiencing an unprecedented streak of five consecutive days of net negative flows—a first since their inception on January 11—the market is keenly awaiting a potential turnaround.

Historically, ETFs have been significant for BTC, with a daily net inflow of $225 million on average – a target bulls will want to see. Financial Times recently wrote a hit piece, “Have the inflows into Bitcoin funds dried up?” The market needs to prove otherwise.

Meanwhile, renowned ETF expert Nate Geraci commented on the article, “Spot bitcoin ETFs have taken in a net $11bil & have $50bil AUM in 2+ months & the media is already trying to call it over… No idea what happens w/ flows moving forward, but someone pls tell them numerous RIAs & brokerage platforms haven’t even approved these things for use yet.”

Spot bitcoin ETFs have taken in a net $11bil & have $50bil AUM in 2+ months & the media is already trying to call it over…

No idea what happens w/ flows moving forward, but someone pls tell them numerous RIAs & brokerage platforms haven’t even approved these things for use yet. pic.twitter.com/ECZTGe4f0g

— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) March 25, 2024

US Inflation Data: The PCE Index

The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index, set for release this Friday, could have a significant impact on the market. The PCE Index, particularly its core component that excludes food and energy, is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure. It offers a broad view of the inflationary pressures within the economy, influencing monetary policy decisions.

The upcoming release, expected to show year-over-year core PCE at 2.8%(last 2.8%) and month-over-month at 0.3% (last 0.4%), holds weight in the Fed’s interest rate trajectory. Given the Fed’s pause on rate cuts, the market is keenly observing this data for signals on future monetary policy, especially with Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s insights anticipated at the end of the week (Friday).

This inflation data not only affects traditional finance but could also sway crypto markets, as Bitcoin and other digital assets have increasingly reacted to macroeconomic indicators in recent weeks.

Dogecoin: Futures Trading And ‘Doge Day’

Dogecoin is taking a significant leap forward with Coinbase International’s announcement of launching DOGE futures trading starting April 1. Coinbase officially announced on Thursday last week, “Coinbase Derivatives will launch the first leveraged and CFTC-regulated futures contracts for Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, and Litecoin in April!”

Futures trading for cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin allows investors to speculate on the future price of DOGE without holding the actual cryptocurrency. This can increase liquidity and volatility but also introduce a mechanism for price discovery and hedging against price movements. Coinbase Derivatives’ decision to offer these contracts could attract a new class of investors and traders to Dogecoin, potentially increasing its volatility.

Aptos: Anticipation Of Major Announcements

The Aptos network is on the cusp of potentially game-changing announcements, with speculation about partnerships with major asset managers like BlackRock or Franklin Templeton. The forthcoming ‘Aptos DeFi DAYS’ event in Hong Kong from April 2 to 5 could serve as the stage for these revelations, with significant implications for the network’s valuation and strategic positioning in the DeFi space.

“Aptos is poised for a significant RWA announcement in April. Potential partnership rumors with a major asset manager. (BlackRock/Franklin Templeton) I anticipate that details will be revealed at the ‘Aptos DeFi DAYS’ event on April 2”,” research firm Layergg remarked via X.

Fantom: The Sonic Mainnet Launch

The Fantom Foundation is on the verge of launching the Sonic mainnet, a major technological advancement that promises to significantly enhance the blockchain’s performance and scalability. This upgrade is not just an incremental update but a comprehensive overhaul of Fantom’s infrastructure, aiming to address some of the most pressing challenges in the blockchain and decentralized application (dApp) ecosystem.

At the heart of the Sonic upgrade is the Fantom Virtual Machine (FVM), a newly developed engine designed to dramatically increase transaction speed and efficiency. This is complemented by the Carmen Database, a breakthrough in data storage that promises to reduce storage requirements by up to 90%. Moreover, the upgrade includes an optimized version of the Lachesis Consensus mechanism, further enhancing the blockchain’s performance.

These innovations collectively aim to propel Fantom’s transaction capacity to over 2,000 transactions per second, marking a significant leap towards solving scalability issues that have long plagued blockchain platforms. Scheduled for launch in spring 2024, the Sonic Mainnet could further bolster the Fantom (FTM) price prior to the official release.

Ondo Finance: Riding The Crypto Wave Of RWA

Ondo Finance is the best-performing crypto asset in the top 100 by market cap in the last seven days, with a staggering 93.5% increase in price, following BlackRock’s announcement of a $100M tokenized asset to fund. As RWA becomes a focal point in the crypto narrative, Ondo Finance’s association with BlackRock places it at the heart of this burgeoning trend, highlighting the growing intersection between traditional finance and blockchain technology.

“Ondo Finance is the RWA project most associated with BlackRock at this point and Real World Assets (RWA) could be the next major trend in crypto. They are also mentioned as a key project in Bitwise’s ‘Crypto Use Case 2024’ report,” research firm Layergg stated via X.

At press time, BTC traded at $66,967.