Animoca Brands invests in Ava Labs and partners to expand Avalanche across 
Asia and the Middle East, targeting RWAs, identity, and adoption.
The post Avalanche gains Animoca Brands backing in push across Asia and the 
Middle East appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Avalanche gains Animoca Brands backing in push across Asia and the Middle East

Ethereum is trading above the $2,150 level after pulling back from recent 
highs near $2,380 reached earlier this week, reflecting a cooling phase 
following a short-term surge in bullish momentum. The retrace suggests that 
while buyers were able to push prices higher, follow-through demand remains 
limited as the market digests recent gains. Related Reading: XRP Liquidations 
Accelerate After $1.50 Breakout: Short Squeeze Unfolds Beneath the surface, 
derivatives data is revealing a more consequential shift in market structure. 
According to a CryptoQuant analysis, Ethereum leverage on Binance has not only 
recovered from the October 10 market-wide deleveraging event, but has now 
expanded to new highs. Notably, Binance stands out as the only major exchange 
where leverage metrics have fully surpassed previous levels, signaling a 
concentrated buildup of risk. This development carries important implications. 
The rapid re-expansion of leverage suggests that traders are once again 
increasing exposure through derivatives, reinforcing Binance’s role as the 
primary venue for ETH positioning. More importantly, it indicates that price 
discovery is increasingly being driven by leveraged activity rather than spot 
demand. In this context, Ethereum’s current structure reflects a market where 
momentum is still present, but increasingly dependent on derivatives-driven 
flows rather than organic accumulation. Leverage Dominates Ethereum’s Market 
Structure The analysis highlights a critical shift in Ethereum’s derivatives 
landscape. The Estimated Leverage Ratio (ELR)—which measures open interest 
relative to exchange reserves—shows that over 75% of ETH exposure on Binance 
is now leveraged. At the same time, Binance holds approximately 3% of the 
total ETH supply, around 3.4 million ETH, underscoring the exchange’s central 
role in price formation. What stands out is the speed of this leverage 
expansion. Rapid gains and minimal consolidation suggest that derivatives 
activity, not sustained spot demand, drove much of Ethereum’s recent upside. 
This creates a structurally different market environment. Leverage-driven 
markets tend to behave asymmetrically. While they can extend trends 
aggressively in the short term, they also become increasingly fragile as 
positioning builds. Crowded trades emerge, where even minor catalysts—whether 
macro, technical, or liquidity-driven—can trigger liquidation cascades and 
sharp reversals. In this context, the signal is unambiguous: leverage is 
leading the move, not confirming it. While this dynamic can support 
continuation in the near term, it also elevates the probability of sudden 
volatility spikes. Related Reading: Ethereum Holds Above $2,300 As Open 
Interest Expansion Reinforces Uptrend Stability Ethereum Struggles to Reclaim 
Structure After Breakdown Ethereum’s daily chart shows a fragile recovery 
attempt following a decisive breakdown below key support levels, with price 
currently hovering around the $2,150–$2,200 region. The sharp decline in early 
February marked a clear loss of structure, as ETH fell below its 200-day 
moving average, confirming a shift from bullish to corrective conditions. 
Since that breakdown, price has been attempting to stabilize, forming a short- 
term base between $1,900 and $2,200. The recent bounce toward $2,300 indicates 
some return of demand, but the move lacks strong continuation, suggesting that 
buyers are still cautious. Related Reading: Ethereum Whales Step In: $33M ETH 
Withdrawn From Exchanges In Hours Technically, Ethereum remains below all 
major moving averages, which are now sloping downward and acting as dynamic 
resistance. The rejection near the short-term averages reinforces the idea 
that the market is still in a bearish or transitional phase, rather than a 
confirmed recovery. Volume patterns add further context. The initial selloff 
was accompanied by a significant spike in volume, indicative of forced 
liquidations, while the subsequent recovery has occurred on relatively lower 
participation—pointing to limited conviction behind the bounce. For Ethereum 
to regain momentum, a sustained reclaim of the $2,300–$2,500 zone is required. 
Until then, price action remains vulnerable to further downside pressure. 
Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum Enters High-Leverage Regime As Binance Exposure Crosses 75%

Morgan Stanley inches closer to launching its own spot bitcoin ETF, signaling 
Wall Street’s appetite for direct exposure isn’t fading anytime soon. Morgan 
Stanley Expands Crypto Push With Spot Bitcoin ETF Filing Morgan Stanley 
Investment Management has filed an updated S-1 registration statement for the 
Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust, or MSBT, advancing the proposed spot […]

Morgan Stanley Bitcoin ETF Filing Advances With MSBT Ticker on NYSE Arca

The carpool and ride-sharing platform, which already accepted Bitcoin for 
customer payment, moves to crypto treasury despite challenges of price 
declines.

Singapore-based Ryde adopts crypto treasury strategy

Google upgrades AI Studio with Antigravity agent, enabling developers to build 
full apps with backend, auth, and deployment from prompts.
The post Google brings vibe coding to production apps with new AI Studio 
upgrade appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

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