Blockchain
Huobi Token (HT) Reaches New High Amid Increased Adoption and Ongoing Ecosystem Development
Huobi Global today announced that Huobi Token (HT) has reached a new 12-month high amid the continued growth and development of the whole ecosystem. As of yesterday, HT was trading at a token price of $5.27 USD, a 92% increase since the close of 2019 – and nearly a 5X increase compared to this time last year.
As the native token of digital asset exchange Huobi Global, HT’s new milestone underscores the recent progress of Huobi’s global ecosystem. Last month, Huobi Global and Huobi DM experienced a strong start to 2020 with a 65% month-over-month spike in aggregate trading volume.
Huobi has also transitioned from quarterly to monthly token burns, which are based on a percentage of Huobi Global and Huobi DM’s revenues for each corresponding period. For Huobi’s first monthly burn, 4.057 million HT were repurchased and destroyed in January, which has a current market value of $21.4 million USD. A total of 45.838 million tokens have been burned to date.
“2020 is a pivotal year for Huobi as we enter new global markets and continue expanding our product line-up for both institutional and retail audiences,” said Ciara Sun, Vice President of Global Business at Huobi Group. “HT is a foundational part of the Huobi ecosystem, so we are deeply committed to its success.”
HT Product Roadmap
As part of a longer-term strategic roadmap for HT, Huobi has a number of upcoming initiatives planned that aims to further increase the token’s utility for the broader blockchain and crypto community.
Huobi DM’s new Perpetual Contract product, which is currently undergoing internal testing and nearing public launch, will be incorporated into the HT Token Burn Program. HT will also play an integral role in the ecosystem of Huobi Chain, a regulator-friendly financial blockchain that’s slated for testnet launch in the near future.
Additional features in development include HT margin trading with up to 2X leverage, which is expected to launch in March, and collateralized HT for peer-to-peer crypto lending and pledged loan contract assets.
HT Ecosystem Adoption
To further expand HT’s utility beyond the Huobi ecosystem, Huobi is accelerating efforts to integrate with third-party partners, including international credit cards, digital bank cards, blue-chip technology companies, and global entrepreneurship centers.
HT was recently accepted as a payment option for charitable donations to Project HOPE, a global nonprofit organization that has been providing health development and emergency relief since 1958. Last month, Huobi partnered with a leading crypto-friendly hotel booking platform to integrate HT as a preferred payment method on Travala.com.
SOURCE Huobi Group
Blockchain
Halving weakness sees $206 million exit crypto funds, Bitcoin miners pivot to AI
Leading up to Friday’s Bitcoin (BTC) halving, investors opted to remain on the sidelines rather than increase their exposure to cryptocurrencies. CoinShares’ latest report on digital asset fund flows reveals that crypto funds experienced $206 million in outflows last week, while trading volumes for Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) dropped to $18 billion.
James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares, noted, “These volumes represent a lower percentage of total Bitcoin volumes (which continue to rise) at 28%, compared to 55% a month ago.” He attributed this decline in investor appetite to expectations that the Federal Reserve would maintain interest rates at elevated levels for a longer duration.
In terms of regional flows, the United States led the outflows with $244 million exiting incumbent ETFs by the week ending April 19. Butterfill highlighted that newly issued ETFs still received inflows, albeit at lower levels compared to previous weeks. Germany and Sweden saw outflows of $8.3 million and $6.7 million, respectively, while Canada experienced inflows of $29.9 million. Switzerland, Brazil, and Australia also witnessed inflows of $7.8 million, $5.5 million, and $2.2 million, respectively.
Butterfill observed that although Bitcoin saw outflows of $192 million, there were minimal flows into short-Bitcoin positions. Ethereum (ETH) experienced outflows of $34 million for the sixth consecutive week. However, multi-asset funds saw improved sentiment, attracting $8.6 million in inflows. Additionally, Litecoin (LTC) and Chainlink (LINK) received inflows of $3.2 million and $1.7 million, respectively.
The report highlighted that blockchain equities sustained their 11th consecutive week of outflows, totaling $9 million, as investors remained concerned about the halving’s impact on mining companies.
In a separate analysis of the post-halving crypto mining industry, CoinShares analysts suggested that many miners might transition to serving the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, which has become more lucrative. They anticipated a shift towards AI in energy-secure locations, potentially leading to Bitcoin mining operations relocating to stranded energy sites.
The analysts projected a 10% decline in the Bitcoin network’s hash rate after the halving as miners deactivate unprofitable ASICs. However, they expected the hash rate to reach 700 exahash (EH/s) by 2025. As of the current data, the Bitcoin hash rate stands at 596.22 EH/s.
The report also noted that substantial cost increases are anticipated due to the halving, with electricity and production costs nearly doubling. Mitigation strategies include optimizing energy costs, enhancing mining efficiency, and securing favorable hardware procurement terms. Miners are actively managing financial liabilities, with some utilizing excess cash to significantly reduce debt.
Source: kitco.com
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Blockchain
NYSE gauges interest in 24/7 stock trading like crypto
According to reports, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is exploring the possibility of introducing round-the-clock trading, a model akin to that of cryptocurrency markets. In a bid to gauge market sentiment, NYSE’s data analytics team has circulated a survey among market participants. The survey seeks feedback on whether there is support for 24/7 or extended weekday trading hours and, if so, what measures should be implemented to safeguard traders against overnight price fluctuations. As of now, NYSE, alongside Nasdaq and the Chicago Board Options Exchange, operates from Monday to Friday, spanning from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Eastern Time.
In the United States, assets like cryptocurrencies, United States Treasurys, foreign exchange, and major stock index futures are already tradable 24/7. Certain brokerages, such as Robinhood and Interactive Brokers, provide access to U.S. stocks throughout the week via a “dark pool” trading venue, catering to international retail investors during their local trading hours.
However, recent reports indicated that Robinhood suspended its 24-hour trading services amidst heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, prompting concerns among investors regarding the sustainability of continuous trading.
Effectively managing liquidity in a 24/7 trading environment has proven challenging for trading platforms within the cryptocurrency industry.
According to cryptocurrency research firm Kaiko, there’s often a mismatch between the operating hours of traditional financial institutions and the needs of major crypto traders and market makers. Traders frequently find themselves losing sleep during periods of extreme market volatility.
While the results of NYSE’s survey haven’t been revealed, Tom Hearden, a senior trader at Skylands Capital, conducted his own poll among his 19,300 followers, asking if they would support NYSE transitioning to 24/7 trading hours. Interestingly, over 70% of the 1,459 respondents voted “No.”
NYSE’s survey coincides with the efforts of startup firm 24X National Exchange, which is seeking approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch the first exchange in the country operating round-the-clock.
The FT said, citing two persons familiar with the subject, that the SEC has “months” to study the proposed rule change, and other relevant issues, such who should shoulder expenses and the function of clearing houses, are already being considered by other stakeholders.
“How loud they will be playing in the middle of the night is unknown to me. However, the decision of whether something is commercially feasible or not actually shouldn’t be made by the SEC, James Angel, a Georgetown University finance professor, told FT.
“I support letting the market make the decision. We’re all better off if it succeeds, and the exchange’s stockholders lose out if it fails.
After the company withdrew an application in March 2023, alleging operational and technological concerns, it is the second attempt to receive SEC clearance.
Source: cointelegraph.com
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