Is The US On The Verge Of a "Crypto Golden Age"?

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Strong Economy — Fed Chair Powell says no rush is needed on more rate cuts given ongoing economic growth, a solid job market, and inflation above its 2% target.

A New Stage — The focus of the US-China AI race is moving from chip dominance to rare earths, the raw materials they’re made of. China has the upper hand.

Opening The Books — The CFPB has taken steps to put Google under formal federal supervision, despite fierce resistance from Alphabet in highly secretive talks.

Fortune 100 — Fortune's inaugural 100 Most Powerful People in Business list features Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella, Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mary Barra and Sundar Pichai.

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Firefly Aerospace — The Houston company that develops commercial orbital mission launch vehicles raised a $175M Series D at a $2B+ valuation led by RPM.

Natural Is planning to list on the Nasdaq

Natural solutions are already better for the environment. Med-X is taking it a step further: their natural pesticides outperform various chemical alternatives. Better yet, they’re taking on private investors as they plan their Nasdaq listing (ticker: MXRX). And you now have a limited time to invest before it happens. Med-X has had 200% revenue growth in five years. And with the pesticide market expected to grow 3X by the end of the decade, now is the perfect time to join them.

Invest Before Their Nasdaq Plans

THE HOTTEST THING IN TECH
Is The US On The Verge Of a "Crypto Golden Age"?

It's been a watershed week for the Crypto space. The Global market cap hit $3 trillion, Bitcoin reached a new all time high above $90,000, and Former SEC Chair Jay Clayton predicted Congress will pass permissive crypto legislation. News yesterday that the GOP will keep control of the House, makes this more likely by ushering in a number of crypto-friendly lawmakers to lead key committees. Add to that a non-stop barrage of news about Wall Street and institutional adoption of blockchain tech in finance. So what is the future of crypto likely to hold over the next four years?

A ‘Crypto Golden Age’?

Expectations of a crypto-friendly regulatory environment under Trump and his pledge to make the U.S. a leader in the crypto space have been key factors in the rise of crypto assets this week. Charles Cascarilla, CEO of stablecoin firm Paxos, believes we are on the verge of a "crypto golden age" due to the potential for unleashing pent-up institutional demand. Bitcoin's new ATH is widely seen as being driven by increased institutional investment and the potential for a U.S. national "strategic bitcoin reserve.” which Trump has touted as a goal. The results could also lead to regulatory clarity in the fintech space, stimulating innovation and investment in the sector.

Crypto Legislation Likely 

As mentioned, Rep. Clayton predicts that Congress will move quickly to pass more permissive legislation. With the retirement of current House Financial Services Committee Chair Rep. Patrick McHenry, the body with oversight over financial regulators, is expected to be led by a crypto-friendly lawmaker. The pre-election launch of President Trump’s own crypto business World Liberty Financial, will likely accelerate timing on these issues but also create a potential conflict of interest.

We can also expect the departure of SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who has pursued an aggressive enforcement strategy against crypto companies. Robinhood's Chief Legal Officer Dan Gallagher is reportedly the front-runner to replace him. Clayton also expects Congress to ease regulatory burdens to encourage crypto startups to IPO.

Crypto: The Future of Fintech 

Here are some recent developments we are watching in the crypto space:

1. Big Finance Arrives Finally

Major Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan seem to be betting on a better environment for crypto IPOs, as they are reportedly setting their sights on crypto companies looking to go public, signaling a shift in institutional attitudes.

BlackRock recently launched its USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUILD). It’s tokenized in collaboration with Securitize and initially launched on Ethereum, and currently leads the tokenized government securities niche with $517 million in assets under management — equivalent to a market share of roughly 22%.

UBS Asset Management is launching its first investment fund, a money market fund, on the Ethereum blockchain, which aims to reduce costs and expedite trade settlements through blockchain technology. Other asset managers like Franklin Templeton offer similar products. 

2. Stablecoin Payments 

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller recently acknowledged the potential benefits of stablecoins, including increased efficiency in the financial system. However, he stressed the need for legislation to address associated risks, specifically their susceptibility to runs that could destabilize the financial system. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire also sees a growing role for stablecoins as a faster, cheaper, and more efficient settlement method trade, particularly in emerging markets. Allaire predicts stablecoins will become regulated financial infrastructure globally.

Stripe’s recent $1B acquisition of Stablecoin Platform Bridge marked a major move toward crypto-driven global payments. Bridge, previously aspired to become the blockchain version of Stripe, operating a global system in which developers could integrate. It now looks like Stripe is going to become the blockchain version of Stripe.

3. Blockchain In Government

The announcement of the DOGE plan to be headed by Elon Musk seeks to drive government efficiency. It will be interesting to see if RFK Jr. has any role in that as he previously proposed to place the entire U.S. budget on blockchain to enhance transparency and accountability in government spending. 

Footnote: According to a16z, 34% of crypto projects are using AI, up from 27%, just one year ago. Expect this figure to keep expanding fast as trends like DePIN (decentralized physical infrastructure) gain more regulatory certainty and awareness.

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