Bitcoin’s Quiet Stroll Around $95,000 After Thanksgiving
After the holiday feast, Bitcoin has taken a gentle pause near that sweet $95,000 mark. With fewer investors in the U.S. market this time of year, liquidity is low—so the price moves more like a sleepy cat than a frantic tiger.
Regulatory Winds Aren’t As Stormy Anymore
- Chief Hopeful Bill: Former CFTC chair Chris Giancarlo weighs in, saying the SEC will likely drop its lawsuit against Ripple Lab.
- Leadership Shake‑Up: SEC Chairman Gary Gensler announced he’ll step down when President Biden’s term ends in January.
- Potential New Captain: Crypto champion Paul Atkins is floated as a possible nominee to head the SEC.
These breezes of change have refreshed the vibe in the crypto world. For years, the SEC’s lawsuits have felt like a storm in a small lake. Now the water’s smoothed, and the idea that crypto could safely ride the mainstream economic tide feels real again.
Breaking into the Banks – RippleNet’s Mission
One of the biggest dreams is banking institutions ditching the traditional SWIFT network in favor of RippleNet’s cross‑border payments. If it works, it could seriously crack open the classical financial system.
Institutional Investors Embrace Spot ETFs
In the U.S., spot ETFs for Bitcoin and Ethereum have already captured more than $100 billion in net assets, according to SoSo Value. That shows the institutional appetite is growing, though it’s still a sudden splash compared to global finance.
Still A Long Road to Mass Adoption
Surprisingly, the numbers for everyday payments are still tiny.
- Top 20 DeFi payment protocols netted a mere $291,000 in fees last month—far below what traditional card networks rake in.
- The total value locked in these protocols is about $780 million (mostly on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network).
- BitPay processed roughly 247,000 transactions in the past six months, shy of the billions of card‑transactions handled by Visa.
In 2023, U.S. credit card fees topped $135 billion, and Visa processed 266 billion purchases. Clearly, crypto still sits on the sidelines—though the infrastructure is ready to run the show given the regulatory clearing.
Why We’re Feeling Optimistic
With regulatory uncertainty easing, the crypto community is buzzing. The tech, from payment networks to ETFs, is primed. If the new SEC leadership sparks more stable rules, it’s a whole new chapter where Bitcoin and other coins can finally set up shop in the everyday financial ecosystem.
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