New regulations could reshape the crypto landscape, balancing innovation with 
necessary oversight.
The post Peter Van Valkenburgh: Crypto&#8217;s regulatory landscape mirrors unregulated sports betting, the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act clarifies crypto jurisdiction, and why decentralized systems are essential for AI development | Unchained appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Peter Van Valkenburgh: Crypto’s regulatory landscape mirrors unregulated sports betting, the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act clarifies crypto jurisdiction, and why decentralized systems are essential for AI development | Unchained

The post-election “Trump trade” rally fizzled. Bitcoin, which soared above 
$125,000 in October, is down over 28% year-to-date.

Trump trade turns to trash: Crypto bros feel the burn

Ethereum continues to struggle below the $2,000 level, reflecting persistent 
selling pressure and increasingly fragile market sentiment. The inability to 
reclaim this psychological threshold has kept traders defensive, with 
volatility elevated and confidence weakened as negative sentiment spreads 
across the broader crypto market. While corrections are not unusual after 
strong cycles, the current environment shows clear signs of stress, with 
investors closely watching liquidity conditions and derivatives positioning 
for clues about the next directional move. Related Reading: Bitcoin BCMI Drops 
Toward Bear Market Territory: How Close Is BTC To A Real Buy Zone? A recent 
CryptoQuant report provides additional context by highlighting a significant 
contraction in Ethereum futures open interest. Data tracking the 30-day change 
in net open interest across major trading platforms indicates that the 
derivatives market is undergoing a clear phase of deleveraging and risk 
readjustment. The decline appears concentrated on key exchanges such as 
Binance, Gate.io, OKX, and Bybit, pointing to a widespread outflow of capital 
from leveraged positions. According to the figures, Binance alone recorded an 
approximate drop of 40 million ETH in open interest over the past month, while 
Gate.io saw a decline exceeding 20 million ETH. OKX posted a reduction of 
nearly 6.8 million ETH, with Bybit contributing roughly 8.5 million ETH, 
bringing the combined contraction across these platforms to around 75 million 
ETH. Broad Deleveraging Suggests Ethereum Market Reset The CryptoQuant report 
further notes that when additional platforms showing negative open interest 
readings are included — even those with comparatively smaller volumes — the 
total contraction across all exchanges exceeds 80 million ETH over the past 30 
days. This confirms that the deleveraging trend is not isolated to a handful 
of major venues but represents a broader structural shift across the Ethereum 
derivatives ecosystem. Such a widespread decline in open interest typically 
indicates that traders, particularly those relying on leverage, are reducing 
exposure rather than initiating new speculative positions. This behavior may 
reflect caution following heightened volatility or pressure from recent price 
declines that triggered margin adjustments. Historically, similar environments 
tend to emerge during transitional market phases, when speculative momentum 
cools, and risk management becomes a priority. From a structural standpoint, 
this type of contraction can function as a market “clean-up.” By gradually 
removing weaker leveraged positions, the likelihood of sudden liquidation 
cascades may diminish over time. While this does not guarantee an immediate 
recovery, flushing out excess leverage often stabilizes market conditions. In 
Ethereum’s case, the ongoing reset in derivatives positioning could help 
establish a firmer price base if broader liquidity conditions and investor 
sentiment begin to stabilize. Related Reading: Ethereum Endures Historic 
Liquidation Week: Largest Sustained Liquidation Phase Since 2021 Ethereum 
Faces Structural Pressure Below Key Weekly Support Ethereum’s weekly chart 
shows persistent downside pressure after losing the $2,000 level, a zone that 
previously acted as both psychological support and a technical pivot during 
prior consolidation phases. The recent breakdown places ETH below several 
major moving averages, which now function as overhead resistance rather than 
support, indicating weakening bullish momentum and a shift toward a more 
defensive market structure. Price action reflects a clear rejection from the 
$3,000–$3,500 region earlier in the cycle, followed by a sequence of lower 
highs. This pattern typically signals a corrective or transitional phase 
rather than a continuation of the prior bullish trend. The latest decline has 
also been accompanied by elevated trading volume, suggesting distribution and 
deleveraging rather than organic accumulation. Related Reading: Bitcoin 
Realized Losses Hit Luna Crash Levels — But Price Context Points To A 
Different Market Phase From a structural standpoint, the next meaningful 
support area appears near the $1,600–$1,700 range, where prior consolidation 
and demand previously emerged. Holding this zone would help maintain the 
broader long-term framework despite current weakness. A sustained break below 
it, however, could increase the probability of a deeper retracement phase. 
Ethereum remains highly sensitive to macro liquidity conditions, derivatives 
positioning, and overall crypto market sentiment, with recovery dependent on 
renewed demand and stabilization above key technical levels. Featured image 
from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum Derivatives Reset Raises Questions About Next Price Move: What Happens Next?

Standard Chartered is accelerating institutional crypto adoption through a 
strategic partnership with B2C2, linking global banking infrastructure to deep 
digital asset liquidity and advancing regulated access to bitcoin and ethereum 
markets worldwide. Standard Chartered and B2C2 Expand Institutional Crypto 
Market Access Institutional crypto adoption is accelerating as traditional 
banks deepen their involvement in digital assets. […]

Crypto Goes Mainstream as Standard Chartered Deepens Digital Asset Push

Truth Social files for Cronos and Bitcoin and Ether ETFs while earlier Bitcoin 
and Crypto Blue Chip ETF proposals remain under regulatory review.
The post Trump media platform Truth Social expands crypto push with Cronos and 
Bitcoin-Ether ETF filings appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Cryptocurrency price in AUD