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Block 1: Essential news
Changpeng Zhao reappears
After his release in September 2024, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao ("CZ") returns with YZi Labs, a venture capital fund focused on cryptos, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. This project, backed by Yi He, the woman with whom he founded Binance, marks the transformation of Binance Labs, the venture capital arm of Binance, into an independent entity. CZ will continue to play a key role in mentoring the founders of targeted start-ups. YZi Labs announced its first investment of $16 million in Sign, a start-up specializing in airdrop management and government adoption of blockchain.
Czech Republic: Towards a strategic bitcoin reserve?
The governor of the Czech Central Bank, Aleš Michl, wants the Czech Republic to invest billions of euros in bitcoin to diversify its reserves. He believes the country should follow the example of the USA and other nations such as Switzerland and Russia, which are also considering a BTC reserve. Despite concerns about volatility, he says the Czech National Bank could gradually buy bitcoin, aiming for up to 7 billion euros of BTC assets. At the current price of just over 100,000 euros per unit, this would be equivalent to purchasing over 70,000 BTC. The project will be presented to the CNB Board of Directors on January 30, where it will be put to the vote.
MicroStrategy accumulates bitcoins (again)
Michael Saylor continues his offensive with the purchase of 10,107 BTC at $105,000 each, bringing MicroStrategy 's total to 218,887 BTC acquired in three months.
MicroStrategy
The company finances these acquisitions by issuing a new series of preferred shares, raising $250 million to buy even more BTC. This ultra-aggressive strategy raises questions about the potential impact of a market reversal. However, MicroStrategy has already posted $17 billion in profits and is establishing itself as a leveraged alternative to Bitcoin ETFs for institutional investors.
Trump, further into the cryptosphere
Since his inauguration, Donald Trump's crypto team has been offering a new collection of derivatives, including perfumes, sneakers and watches, with prices going up to $499. From now on, these items can be purchased in BTC and TRUMP, the memecoin launched before his inauguration, via Solana Pay. The Trump Organization owns 80% of the TRUMP token, raising concerns about a possible conflict of interest. With a capitalization of $2.5 billion, TRUMP ranks 26th among the most highly valued cryptocurrencies.
Block 2: Crypto Analysis of the Week
Trump Media enters FinTech with Truth.Fi and bets $250 million on crypto and ETFs
Donald Trump continues his foray into the cryptosphere. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of Truth Social, has just announced the launch of Truth.Fi, a new brand dedicated to financial services and payment technologies. The idea behind Truth.Fi is to exploit the boom in digital assets and financial investments while capitalizing on Donald Trump's image and influence. Ultimately, the platform could offer financial services to individuals and businesses, blending investment, payment and asset management, in an approach that could rival other FinTech players. A strategic diversification that marks a major turning point for the company, hitherto focused on media and communications.
The announcement had an immediate effect on the markets: TMTG's shares jumped by over 15% at the opening.
Massive investment in cryptos and ETFs
In parallel with the launch of Truth.Fi, Trump Media's Board of Directors approved a colossal investment of $250 million, designed to optimize its cash management. This sum will be invested via Charles Schwab, one of America's leading brokers, and spread over several asset classes:
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) Exposure to cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and other digital assets
Devin Nunes, TMTG Group CEO, said the launch is "another step towards our goal of creating a robust ecosystem through which American patriots can protect themselves from the ever-present threat of nullification, censorship, and privacy violations committed by Big Tech and woke companies". A gamble that continues the pro-crypto strategy adopted by Donald Trump since his presidential campaign. At the end of the previous year, TMTG had over $700 million in cash. With this new allocation, the company seeks to secure its funds while capitalizing on assets with high return potential.
Trump and crypto: a growing alliance
The launch of Truth.Fi and the massive investment in cryptos are not isolated decisions. World Liberty Fi, a DeFi project closely linked to Trump's entourage, has reportedly already begun accumulating millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies.
This announcement confirms the convergence between media, finance and the company's blockchain technologies. While the gamble is ambitious, it is also indicative of a potential paradigm shift: Donald Trump may no longer see crypto as a mere speculative tool.
Block 3: Gainers & Losers
Crypto chart(Click to enlarge)
Block 4: This week's readings:
Trump's cryptonaissance is here (Wired)
The Who's Who of MAGA influencers you should know by now (Wired)
Trump and Melania cryptocurrencies illustrate the risks posed by trendy meme currencies (The Conversation)
