Sunday, Feb. 3 — most of the top 20 cryptocurrencies are reporting slight losses on the day by press time. Bitcoin (BTC) is hovering over the $3,450 mark again, according to Coin360 data. Market visualization from Coin360 At press time, Bitcoin is down a fraction of half percent on the day, trading at around $3,476, according to CoinMarketCap. Looking at its weekly chart on CoinMarketCap, the current price is about 3 percent lower than $3,594, the price at which Bitcoin started the week. Bitcoin 7-day price chart. Source: CoinMarketCap Top altcoin Ripple (XRP) has lost over one percent in the …

In a transaction that has all the hallmarks of a reverse initial public offering (IPO) — also called a reverse merger — OKC Holdings Corp., which is the parent company of OKCoin and OKEx (the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume) bought a controlling share in Leap Holdings Group on Jan. 14. Leap Holdings is a construction company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), with a market cap of 978 million Hong Kong dollars ($124.7 million). OKC Holdings bought 3,182,790,001 shares at a price of HK$0.1520 ($0.019) each, for 60.49 percent of the company and voting rights. …

Mike Novogratz’s crypto merchant bank Galaxy Digital is reportedly raising at least $250 million to offer loans to crypto-related firms, according to an unconfirmed report published by American news site Business Insider on Jan. 23. Citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter, the news outlet claims that Galaxy Digital is purportedly planning to close the first fundraising round for its crypto credit fund in March. A Galaxy representative has reportedly declined to comment on the issue to Business Insider. According to the article, Galaxy’s lenders will be able to get their loans by using crypto assets, real estate and …

Ex-Goldman Sachs partner Mike Novogratz has increased his shares of Galaxy Digital, the crypto-focused merchant bank he founded, Bloomberg reports on Jan. 2. Novogratz, who also serves as chief executive officer of the bank, now reportedly owns 221.2 million ordinary shares — which represents about 79.3% of ordinary shares assuming their conversion. Previously, he reportedly “beneficially owned 213.7 million Class B limited partnership units, representing about 76.6% of ordinary shares assuming conversion.” According to a statement made Wednesday and reported by Bloomberg, the CEO bought his 7.5 million new shares — which account for 2.7 percent of those issued and …

The world of cryptocurrencies is full of prophets and predictions of all ranges, just as any other financial market in the world. 2018 jumped right in with Bitcoin (BTC) hovering around $15,000 and investors being far too optimistic about the future of digital currencies. Some of the premonitions — especially related to BTC’s price by the end of the year — never came true, but many turned out to be quite realistic. Let’s take a look back at all of those hopes and fears. Predictions that went wrong Tom Lee: BTC will reach $25K Seems that one of the world’s …

Amidst another crypto rebound, crypto investment bank Galaxy Digital said in a note to clients on Dec. 20 that short rallies like the current one are what happens “before a real rally ensues.” Crypto markets are seeing a fifth day of rebound, with Bitcoin (BTC) breaking the $4,000 threshold for the first time since it plunged below the price point on Dec. 3, Mike Novogratz's Galaxy Digital told its clients that crypto markets could gain even more momentum. In a note entitled “Why this rally could end up lasting longer than you think,” Galaxy Digital concluded that the recent “short” …

Mike Novogratz, an ex-Goldman Sachs partner and founder of crypto merchant bank Galaxy Digital, said that he does not expect the Bitcoin (BTC) price to decline much further in an interview published by Bloomberg on Dec. 18. Speaking on Bloomberg Television, Novogratz opined that there will not be much further decline in the Bitcoin price, despite the recent slump in the market. Novogratz projected that the Bitcoin price will stay between $3,000 and $6,000 in the foreseeable future. Novogratz continued, saying that the macro trading environment has become more interesting than the digital assets market: "We are entering a cool …

Mike Novogratz compared current cryptocurrency market performance to a “methadone clinic” in an interview with Bloomberg Dec. 11. During the interview, Bloomberg asked Novogratz how coming from Wall Street made him different from most of the cryptocurrency community, which seem to treat cryptocurrency “almost like a religion.” Novogratz answered that, while he believes in the underlying technology, “when prices get stupid,” he sells. Novogratz also characterized Bitcoin’s (BTC) enormous growth in late 2017 –– which peaked at $20,000 per coin –– “a drug.” He called the period a “speculative mania,” adding that the “audience is more sober now — the …

Coming every Sunday, the Hodler’s Digest will help you to track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions, and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week Nasdaq Notes Bitcoin Futures Could Launch in Quarter 1 2019, Bloomberg Reports Major U.S. stock exchange Nasdaq still intends to launch Bitcoin futures, and may do so in the first quarter of 2019, according to “two people familiar with the matter.” Speaking to Bloomberg this week, the two unnamed sources note that Nasdaq …

Mike Novogratz's crypto investment bank Galaxy Digital has lost $136 million in the first three quarters of 2018, Bloomberg reports Nov. 28. According to Bloomberg, Galaxy Digital’s realized and unrealized losses in Q3 amounted to $41 million, which when combined with the results of previous quarters, amounts to the firm being out $136 million so far this year. The firm’s share price also dropped to a record low after tumbling 55 percent this month. Founded earlier this year, the company explained that the losses were mainly due to tumbling prices of major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ripple (XRP), and …

Ten financial and tech firms have established an Association for Digital Asset Markets (ADAM) to create a “code of conduct” for the cryptocurrency sector. The launch was announced in a press release published Nov. 27. Among ADAM’s founding members are Mike Novogratz’s crypto merchant bank Galaxy Digital, global financial services firm BTIG, fintech firm Paxos – of recently-launched stablecoin PAX – and crypto liquidity solutions provider GSR. According to the press release, ADAM will focus on working with regulators to seek “comprehensive standards” for digital asset market participants. These will aim to encompass trading, custody, clearing and settlement in the …

Mike Novogratz, ex-Goldman Sachs partner and founder of Galaxy Digital, has said that he expects cryptocurrency to “flip next year” in an interview published by Financial Times (FT) Nov. 23. During the interview, Novogratz said that “this year has been challenging” for Galaxy Digital – a company that he hopes will become “the Goldman Sachs of crypto” – adding that “it sucks to build a business in a bear market.” According to FT, Novogratz predicted that financial institutions will transition from “investing in cryptocurrency funds to investing in cryptocurrencies proper in the first quarter of next year.” As FT reports, …