IOHK, the blockchain development team behind Cardano, announced on July 15 that the project’s Alonzo test net had officially transitioned from Blue to White, bringing with it the ecosystem’s long anticipated expansion to functional smart contracts. HARD FORK SUCCESSFUL: Delighted to report around 19.44 UTC today we successfully forked the #Alonzo testnet to the new #AlonzoWhite node. The new network is happily making blocks already. 1/5 — Input Output (@InputOutputHK) July 14, 2021 While the previous testnet, known as Alonzo Blue, did offer some smart contract features, these were only available to a limited number of insiders. Yesterday’s upgrade will …

Bitcoin (BTC) is witnessing a tough battle between the bulls and the bears near $31,000, which makes it an important level to watch out for. Data from Glassnode shows that the $31,000 to $34,300 zone has seen strong interest from buyers and sellers as 9.93% of the Bitcoin supply has moved in this zone. The failure of Bitcoin to rally quickly from strong support levels indicates weak demand. Proof of the current disinterest comes from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who said in a recent CNBC interview that investor demand for cryptocurrencies had declined recently. Fink said that during his last …

Bitcoin (BTC) has once again held the critical support area at $31,000 today, indicating accumulation at lower levels. This led some analysts to speculate that traders were selling their holdings to investors with a low history of selling in anticipation that “a supply shock” to occur when the re-accumulation process completes. Another sign of strong hands entering the crypto market was seen when Capital International Group, a $2.3 trillion asset manager, purchased a 12.3% stake in MicroStrategy, which many believe to be a sort of Bitcoin proxy stock because it holds 105,084 Bitcoin on its books. This acquisition suggests the …

Bitcoin’s (BTC) roof has been shifting lower in the past few days, which is a negative sign because it shows that bears are selling on every minor rally. Bitcoin’s weakness is affecting the major altcoins as most are gradually drifting lower. Joel Kruger, a Forex strategist at LMAX, recently said: “It would be foolish to rule out the possibility for a drop back below the June low, and we think there would be a risk in that scenario where the Bitcoin price could revisit the old record high area around $20,000.” However, Bitcoin’s fundamentals seem to be improving. The network …

Earlier this week, Fan Yifei, the deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China has warned that stablecoins like Tether (USDT) pose “risks and challenges to the international monetary system, and payments and settlement system”. Fan did not even spare Bitcoin (BTC) and called it a tool for speculation and a possible threat to “financial security and social stability.” Other than the FUD from China, several traders have been focusing on the unlocking of a large amount of Bitcoin at the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust as a possible bearish sign. However, market analysis by crypto trading firm QCP Capital said the …

Bitcoin’s (BTC) range-bound action seems to be increasing the confidence of institutional investors looking to resume investing in cryptocurrencies. Proof of this comes as Marshall Wace, a London-based hedge fund, announced plans to invest in the digital asset space, according to sources at the Financial Times. A survey of wealth managers and institutional investors already holding crypto, from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and the UAE shows that 82% of the respondents expect to increase their investments in digital assets by 2023. The research shared with Cointelegraph claims that only 7% of the participants plan to reduce their exposure to …

The weekend rally in cryptocurrencies was led by Bitcoin (BTC) but this move was not supported by huge trading volumes. According to on-chain analysts at CryptoQuant, the low trading volume suggests that “whales are staying low without much action.” However, Bitcoin has successfully held the $30,000 support for two weeks, which suggests that accumulation is taking place at lower levels. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index rose to 29 on July 5, its highest level in about three weeks. This suggests that aggressive investors may have started bottom fishing. If bulls successfully hold the $30,000 level in Bitcoin for a …

American users of the popular eToro trading platform are taking up altcoins with growing conviction, with the likes of Cardano's ADA and Dogecoin (DOGE) becoming more popular buy-and-hold assets than Bitcoin (BTC). New research shared with Cointelegraph showed that ADA is the most popular cryptocurrency held by United States-based eToro users, up from third place in the second quarter of 2020. After not making the rankings at all a year ago, DOGE is now the second most-held cryptocurrency among U.S.-based investors. Rounding out the top five are Tron, Ether (ETH) and Bitcoin, which saw its Hold Rank fall from first …

The crypto markets are as volatile as ever — and now, a major trading platform is making it easier to have “diamond hands.” eToro supports staking, which means that those who purchase and hold supported cryptocurrencies on its platform have a way of growing their capital. According to the platform, the mechanism that’s used to achieve this is not dissimilar to the way that interest accrues in a savings account. With many people beginning to gain exposure to crypto for the first time, eToro says it aims to ensure that the staking process is “simple, secure and hassle-free.” Any rewards …

More than $30 billion worth of Cardano’s ADA has been staked in anticipation of a major milestone in the network’s evolution — one that could set the stage for wider network adoption and a more considerable price appreciation for the cryptocurrency. Roughly 71.7% of ADA’s circulating supply, worth roughly $31 billion at today’s prices, have been staked across 2,665 active pools, according to data provider PoolTool. On Thursday, the price of ADA was $1.34, having gained 4%. At current values, ADA is the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Cardano remains far and away the most capitalized cryptocurrency in terms of …

Bitcoin price staged a mild resurgence at the start of this week but data from Glassnode suggests that its new BTC investors who came late to the party and are dumping their positions in a panic. This transfer of crypto assets from speculators or momentum chasers to long-term investors is a positive sign. This lays the groundwork for the start of the next bull run but it may not happen in a hurry. At the moment, institutions are unlikely to buy aggressively and propel the price of Bitcoin higher because there is still a chance that they can accumulate at …

Bitcoin (BTC) is attempting to stage a relief rally but analysts at JPMorgan Chase believe that the short-term setup looks challenging. However, the analysts also pointed out that the crypto markets had started a healing process. A sign of this 'healing process' was seen when the crypto markets did not react negatively to the news that the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority banned Binance Markets Limited from undertaking “any regulated activity in the UK.” When a market reacts negatively to bad news, it is a sign that weaker hands are panicking and dumping their positions. On the other hand, a …