Macro Reasserts
Bitcoin slipped below $90,000 this week as markets did what they always do when nerves spike: sell risk, buy shiny things. Gold punched through $4,800. Silver cleared $90. Crypto watched over $1 billion in longs get politely escorted out this week.
Déjà vu all over again. When uncertainty flares, dollars and precious metals still win the reflex test. Whether BTC eventually earns that "default hedge" badge remains an open question.
Meanwhile, the NYSE announced plans for a tokenized securities platform: 24/7 trading, instant settlement, stablecoin-based funding, multi-chain custody. The largest stock exchange is moving core market infrastructure on-chain.
Risk is getting repriced. But the rails between traditional and tokenized markets keep expanding anyway.
New & Noteworthy
TradFi tries blockchain on for size. Airdrops keep their sneakers on.
Stock Futures expanded quickly. Commodities followed. Gold, silver, even tokenized palladium showed up.
On the native side, Innovation Zone added fresh infra plays. Pre-Market leaned into execution layers and compute. GAS bags and SKR launches its ecosystem token for Solana Mobile's Seeker phone, because hardware apparently wants a token now.
Weekly Events Highlights
SKR Launchpad joins the mix.
Yes, it's a token for a phone. Yes, it's live on Launchpad. If you think devices shouldn't have tokens, this is your chance to be wrong early.
Trade, Flip, Repeat.
Flip Fest keeps flipping through Feb 9, with a 5,000,000 USDT prize pool. Trade Futures, form a good hand, climb the leaderboard, and aim for the Ultimate Pool.
Thus Spoke Ethereum
ETH's price has been stuck in a range, but the network underneath looks different than it did a year ago. The Fusaka upgrade expanded capacity, the gas limit doubled, and average fees dropped to 15 cents, the lowest since 2020. A token swap on a DEX runs about 4 cents. Moving between L2s can cost as little as a penny. For the first time in years, using Ethereum doesn't require budgeting for gas.
When fees fall, more people can participate without checking network activity like a live news reel. Meanwhile, staking crossed 30% of the total supply for the first time, with roughly $120 billion now securing the network. The validator entry queue is at its highest since mid-2023, and the exit queue is empty. Capital is locking in, not cycling out. Stablecoin market cap on Ethereum has doubled in three years, which means more of the activity on the network reflects real usage rather than speculation.
Earn While You Wait
Crypto didn't catch the flight to safety this week, but in volatile times like these, why let your USDT sit idle? Choose to earn up to 16% APR on MEXC Earn—no strings attached, flexible redemption anytime.
As always, we'll keep watching the narratives as they form. See you in the markets.
