• Sorare, a Paris-based NFT Platform, has signed a multi-year deal with the English Premier League to offer NFTs of league player cards.
• The deal includes an NFT backed fantasy football league featuring top Premier league players.
• The agreement is just the latest in a string of other deals Sorare has inked in the sports world, including with both Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association.

The English Premier League has recently signed a multi-year deal with Sorare, a Paris-based NFT platform, to bring fans into contact with digital collectibles. The deal includes an NFT backed fantasy football league featuring top Premier League players. With this partnership, users will now be able to buy, sell, and trade virtual cards of their favorite players.

This agreement is just the latest in a string of other deals Sorare has made in the sports world, including with Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. The overall NFT market has seen a sharp decline since its peak in 2021, but Sorare has risen to 8th place overall, with total sales amounting to $891,789 between Dec. 31-Jan. 30, a 45% increase from the month before.

Sorare was founded in 2018 and specializes in using blockchain technology to create digital collectibles that can be used for fantasy sports. The company’s CEO, Nicolas Julia, was enthusiastic about the partnership, saying “We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with the Premier League and to continue to bring our fans closer to their favorite clubs and players.”

This new partnership will help to grow Sorare’s user base, which currently stands at 3 million. It will also provide a new source of revenue and visibility for the Premier League, as NFTs continue to gain traction in the sports world.

The English Premier League is the latest in a series of major sports organizations to get involved with NFTs. It is a great opportunity for Sorare to continue to grow and expand its platform, and for the Premier League to reach new audiences. This is sure to be an exciting partnership for both sides, and a great way for fans to get even closer to their favorite teams and players.

• Nearly $400M in crypto liquidations over 24 hours pushed Bitcoin above $23k.
• Bitcoin’s strong price action continues as only 11.7% of all BTC now sits on exchanges.
• Almost $500 million in Bitcoin has been withdrawn from exchanges in the past 24 hours.

The cryptocurrency market has seen a surge of activity over the past 24 hours, as nearly $400 million in liquidations pushed Bitcoin above the $23,000 mark. This comes as more investors are becoming increasingly bullish on the leading cryptocurrency, with only 11.7% of all BTC now sitting on exchanges.

This is the lowest amount since December 2017, indicating that investors are increasingly looking to hold Bitcoin as a long-term investment. To further bolster this trend, almost $500 million in Bitcoin has been withdrawn from exchanges in the past 24 hours. This is a clear indication that investors are looking to move their holdings into personal wallets for safekeeping.

On the other hand, Ethereum has only seen around $100 million withdrawn from exchanges in the same time period. This could be due to the increased interest in other DeFi protocols and tokens, such as Uniswap, Aave, and SNX.

The increase in Bitcoin’s price has been attributed to a combination of factors, including institutional investors buying into the asset, as well as retail investors taking advantage of the current bull run. There is also an increasing amount of institutional money being invested in Bitcoin, which is helping to drive prices higher.

Overall, the market appears to be in a healthy state, with Bitcoin continuing to set new highs and other cryptocurrencies following suit. Investors would do well to keep an eye on the market as it continues to evolve, as it could lead to further gains in the near future.

• A Swiss judge has approved an audit of Ethereum development firm ConsenSys at the request of its shareholders
• The audit is investigating a $715 million transaction allegedly transferred between ConsenSys’s Switzerland- and U.S.-based corporations without the knowledge or approval of shareholders
• The audit was initiated by a group of 35 ConsenSys employees, who make up more than 50% of shareholders

A Swiss judge has recently approved an audit of Ethereum development firm ConsenSys at the request of its shareholders. The audit is meant to investigate a $715 million transaction that allegedly took place between ConsenSys’s Switzerland- and U.S.-based corporations without the knowledge or approval of shareholders.

The audit was requested by a group of 35 ConsenSys employees, who together make up more than 50% of shareholders. They have alleged that the transaction, called “Project Northstar”, was conducted in a “clandestine fashion” and that their requests for clarity were ignored. In addition, they have claimed that they only found out about the deal through public media coverage.

The shareholders first filed their request for an audit in March 2022, and the judge in the case approved a request for a vote in December. The shareholders argued that the transaction was authorized by ConsenSys CEO Joseph Lubin, who at the time was the sole remaining member of the firm’s board of directors.

The audit will be conducted by independent auditors and will seek to identify whether the transaction was conducted legally and with the proper documentation. If any irregularities are found, the shareholders are hoping to have the transaction overturned and to have the board of directors reconstituted.

This decision is likely to have a major impact on the future of ConsenSys, as the outcome of the audit will determine the course of action to be taken. It’s possible that the audit could lead to significant changes in the company’s operations and structure, and it could even result in legal action against those involved.

Ultimately, the audit will seek to ensure that all shareholders are treated fairly and that the transaction was conducted in a manner that is consistent with the law. If the audit finds any irregularities, then the shareholders and the public at large may be able to hold those responsible to account.

• Meld, a DeFi, non-custodial banking protocol, responded to allegations of foul play, stating no insider trading had taken place on its platform.
• On-chain analysis conducted by TapTools highlighted a series of large token sales and two associated addresses that sold but never bought MELD tokens.
• Meld stated that the address associated with the large token sales is owned by a private sale token holder and that they have no control over the actions of token holders.

Cardano protocol Meld has denied any wrongdoing following accusations of insider trading on its platform. On-chain analysis conducted by TapTools had highlighted a series of large token sales, as well as two associated addresses that had sold but never bought Meld tokens.

The wallet in question had sold tokens worth 1.24 million ADA, or about $405,000 at today’s price, with payments being credited monthly since September 2022. The two associated addresses had sold a combined 1.04 million ADA worth of Meld tokens. TapTools had questioned the source of these tokens, speculating they may have come from an insider.

In response, Meld has clarified that the address associated with the large token sales is owned by a private sale token holder, and that they have no control over the actions of token holders. The company has also denied any suggestions that staff members were involved and benefited from the token sales.

Meld also provided further information regarding the token sale process, stating that all tokens have been purchased through a KYC-compliant process. It also highlighted the importance of due diligence and risk management when engaging with any token sale.

In conclusion, Meld has denied any wrongdoing in response to the accusations of insider trading. The company has also provided additional information about the token sale process, reminding investors to always conduct due diligence and practice risk management when investing.

• Nikhil Wahi, the brother of a former Coinbase manager, was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Jan. 10 for insider trading.
• Nikhil Wahi and his friend, Sameer Ramani, used anonymous Ethereum (ETH) wallets and made over $1 million on trades between July 2021 and May 2022.
• Nikhil Wahi pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud in September, while Ishan Wahi pleaded not guilty.

On January 10, 2021, Nikhil Wahi, the brother of a former Coinbase manager was sentenced to 10 months in prison for insider trading. The U.S. prosecutors alleged that Nikhil’s brother, Ishan Wahi, had tipped him and his friend, Sameer Ramani, with confidential Coinbase information. This information allowed Nikhil and Sameer to make over $1 million in profits from trades involving anonymous Ethereum (ETH) wallets.

The criminal charges were brought up against the two brothers in July 2022. Nikhil, who is 26 years old, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in September, while Ishan pleaded not guilty. Sameer Ramani, who was also included in the arrest warrant, was outside of the U.S. borders at the time and has not made any appearance in the case yet.

The prosecutors had recommended that Nikhil Wahi be sentenced to a minimum of ten months and a maximum of sixteen months in prison. However, his defense lawyers managed to settle on a ten-month sentence. This was because they argued that Nikhil’s primary motivation was to repay his parents for funding his college education and that he had never been arrested before.

The case of Nikhil Wahi is an important reminder of the consequences of insider trading and the importance of following the law. It also serves to highlight the need for stricter laws and regulations for cryptocurrency trading. As the use of cryptocurrency grows, so does the risk of illegal activity and it is up to regulators to ensure that this type of crime is punished and that investors remain safe.

• Bitcoin fundamentals remain unchanged in 2022 despite significant events such as a decline in price and market cap, interest rate increases and general economic negativity.
• The circulating supply of Bitcoin is at 19,257,175, with 1,742,825 left to be mined before the maximum supply of 21 million coins is reached.
• Bitcoin has largely maintained consistent 10-minute block times in 2022, with two components comprising the block rewards: newly created coins and transaction fees.

Bitcoin has had a tumultuous year in 2022, with significant events such as a decline in price and market cap, interest rate increases, and general economic negativity. Despite such events, the fundamentals of Bitcoin remain unchanged.

The circulating supply of Bitcoin currently stands at 19,257,175, 91.7% of the capped maximum supply of 21 million coins. There are 1,742,825 coins left to be mined before the limit of 21 million coins is reached. On average, one Bitcoin block is created every 10 minutes, meaning that the Bitcoin supply is increasing approximately every 10 minutes. Even though the market downturn has been severe, with miner capitulation and forced liquidation, defi platform hacks, Bitcoin has largely maintained consistent 10-minute block times in 2022.

The reward for miners when they successfully validate blocks on the network is made up of two components: newly created coins and transaction fees. The number of newly generated coins is regulated by a halving event that takes place every 210,000 blocks (approximately every four years). This event cuts the miner’s reward in half, reducing the amount of new coins they get for mining a block. Transaction fees, on the other hand, are determined by the amount of data included in each transaction.

Despite the significant market events in 2022, Bitcoin’s fundamentals remain strong. The circulating supply of Bitcoin is increasing, and the 10-minute block times have largely been consistent throughout the year. Additionally, the reward for miners is made up of two components: newly created coins and transaction fees. All of these factors show that Bitcoin’s fundamentals remain unchanged despite the significant events in 2022.

• Super whales with 10,000+ Bitcoin have been aggressively accumulating their holdings since the FTX collapse.
• Data from Glassnode shows a divergence between super whales and retail, with the former remaining in aggressive accumulation mode.
• Cohort analysis gives a graphical representation of accumulation and distribution across six cohorts, ranging from minnows with less than one BTC to super whales holding more than 10,000 BTC.

Bitcoin has been an incredibly popular and volatile asset over the past few years, with much of the action coming from the super whales. Super whales refer to entities that hold 10,000+ Bitcoin, and they have been seen to be aggressively accumulating their holdings since the FTX collapse in early November 2022.

Data from Glassnode shows a divergence between super whales and retail, with the former remaining in aggressive accumulation mode going into the new year, despite macro uncertainties. This suggests that investors, as a whole, saw value in buying at discounted prices.

Cohort analysis also gives a graphical representation of accumulation and distribution across six cohorts, ranging from minnows with less than one BTC to super whales holding more than 10,000 BTC. During the FTX saga, all cohorts were accumulating aggressively, but the trend ended around mid-December 2022 when whales (entities holding 10,000+ Bitcoin) started to accumulate more than other cohorts.

Since then, the Accumulation Trend Score (ATS) metric has turned more neutral, with distribution bias, reflecting lingering macro uncertainties going into 2023. This is an important development to keep an eye on, as it could give insight into the future of Bitcoin and the overall cryptocurrency market.

In conclusion, the data shows that super whales have been and remain aggressive accumulators, even during periods of macro uncertainty. This could be indicative of a larger trend of institutional investors entering the cryptocurrency space, and it will be interesting to see how the market develops in the coming months.

• Genesis, a crypto lender, has laid off 30% of its staff and may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
• Genesis CEO Derar Islim wrote that the firm was “reducing costs and driving efficiencies” in all of its businesses
• Other crypto firms such as Celsius, Voyager Digital, FTX and BlockFi have filed for bankruptcy in recent months

The crypto lending firm Genesis has announced that it is laying off 30% of its workforce and may file for bankruptcy. The announcement came from Derar Islim, CEO of Genesis, in a statement on Jan. 4. Islim wrote that the firm was “reducing costs and driving efficiencies” in all of its businesses.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Genesis is evaluating a possible chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in cooperation with Moelis & Co. The intention of this filing is to “preserv[e] client assets and mov[e] the business forward”, according to a spokesperson.

This news follows a trend of crypto firms filing for bankruptcy in recent months. Celsius, Voyager Digital, FTX and BlockFi are some of the companies that have sought bankruptcy protection over the past 12 months.

The news of Genesis’ potential bankruptcy filing has been met with apprehension by investors. Many are concerned about the potential implications of the filing on their investments. Genesis has reassured investors that it is committed to resolving its financial issues and is “moving as quickly as possible”.

Time will tell whether Genesis will be able to successfully navigate its financial difficulties. If it does, it will join the ranks of other crypto firms that have successfully emerged from bankruptcy. On the other hand, if it is unable to do so, it could join the list of crypto firms that have suffered from financial difficulties in the current bear market.