🌍 Travala Enhances Travel Options Through Trivago Partnership

🚀 Travala has successfully integrated its extensive hotel listings with Trivago, enabling users of the global accommodation search platform to book their stays using cryptocurrency. This collaboration combines Travala’s portfolio of over 2.2 million accommodations into Trivago’s interface, allowing travelers to seamlessly transition to Travala’s portal for reservations. They can finalize their bookings using more than 100 digital currencies, including bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH), as well as traditional payment methods.

💰 Travala’s AVA Smart Program rewards users with bitcoin or AVA, its proprietary token, for eligible reservations. Data from 2024 shows that 78% of the platform’s transactions were conducted using digital currencies, highlighting the growing acceptance of crypto-based commerce in the global tourism sector.

🌐 Representatives from Trivago noted that this partnership expands traveler options while introducing innovative financial solutions. This move builds on Travala’s previous collaborations with Skyscanner and KAYAK, strengthening its presence in major travel aggregation ecosystems.

By integrating Travala, we’re expanding the choice for our customers while also broadening their ability to book with emerging payment options like cryptocurrencies,”

said Timo Itterbeck, the head of account management for APAC-LATAM-Spain at Trivago.

📈 In 2024, Travala reported annual revenue of $100 million, nearly doubling its earnings from the previous year. Since its launch in 2017, the platform has expanded its services to include hotel reservations, flight tickets, and curated excursions across 230 countries.

🔍 Trivago, a Nasdaq-listed accommodation metasearch giant, enables users to compare lodging options worldwide. Its agreement with Travala aligns with its mission to enhance the range of travel planning tools available to modern explorers.

How Much Are Crypto Exchanges Really Worth?

The valuation of cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, Kraken, and others is gaining attention in global media. A new approach has been introduced to estimate their market worth—not just based on trading volumes but through a broader set of key metrics.

This method considers six important factors:

🔍 Transparency – How openly exchanges share information about their operations.
📊 Activity – User engagement and trading volumes.
💰 Capital – Financial strength and available reserves.
🛡 Security – Measures in place to protect users and funds.
✅ Compliance – Adherence to regulatory standards.
📈 Proof of Reserves – Verification of solvency and financial backing.

By analyzing these elements, the formula offers a structured way to assess exchanges beyond surface-level figures. While not a definitive valuation model, it provides useful insights into how different platforms operate and manage risks in the crypto space.

Read more in the article 👉 https://coincodex.com/article/58281/unveiling-the-metrics-understanding-the-market-value-of-leading-crypto-exchanges/

🪙 U.S. States Move Towards Strategic Bitcoin Reserves

📈 A growing number of U.S. states are actively pursuing legislation to establish strategic bitcoin reserves, reflecting an increasing interest in cryptocurrency as a financial asset. This week, David Sacks, the U.S. crypto czar under President Donald Trump, announced that he was tasked with exploring the feasibility of a national strategic bitcoin reserve. While federal discussions are in their early stages, 15 states have already begun legislative efforts to incorporate bitcoin into their financial strategies.

📊 Alabama has proposed a strategic bitcoin reserve to attract crypto-focused businesses and hedge against economic uncertainties. Arizona, a long-time advocate for blockchain adoption, is advancing legislation to allocate public funds to bitcoin (BTC). Florida is exploring bitcoin reserves to diversify assets and attract tech investments, while Kentucky is considering similar measures as part of broader financial modernization efforts.

💼 Massachusetts and Montana have introduced plans to include bitcoin in their public funds, highlighting its potential as a high-growth investment asset. New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Ohio are advancing similar legislation, emphasizing financial stability and blockchain innovation. Oklahoma and Pennsylvania are also pushing for bitcoin reserves to diversify their financial strategies.

💪 South Dakota recently joined the movement, proposing bitcoin reserves to strengthen its financial position. Texas, a leader in cryptocurrency adoption, has long supported bitcoin reserves as part of its strategy to establish itself as a global blockchain hub. Utah has taken initial steps toward bitcoin reserve legislation, while Wyoming, a pioneer in crypto-friendly laws, continues to push policies supporting digital asset integration.

🔴 The red states actively pursuing a strategic bitcoin reserve (SBR) include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Statistics from Kucoin show that Arizona and Utah are the closest to getting these bills signed into law.

↪️ As these states move forward with their bitcoin reserve plans, the national conversation is expected to intensify. While it remains uncertain whether federal adoption will follow, state-led initiatives indicate growing institutional interest in bitcoin as an economic tool.

💰 Tesla's Bitcoin Holdings: A $1.07 Billion Position

📊 Tesla Inc. recently disclosed its bitcoin holdings in its annual 10-K report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As of December 31, 2024, the company reported holding 11,509 bitcoin valued at approximately $1.07 billion. This valuation reflects a $589 million unrealized gain due to new Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) guidelines requiring companies to report digital assets at fair value.

Previously, Tesla had only recorded impairments, including a $204 million write-down in 2022.

🔍 Blockchain analytics firm Arkham confirms Tesla's holdings and notes that these assets were recently transferred across seven new wallets. This sparked speculation about a potential sale; however, further analysis revealed that these were internal transfers rather than liquidations.

💼 Tesla initially purchased $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin in early 2021, viewing it as a store of value and an alternative to cash reserves. The company briefly accepted bitcoin as payment but suspended this practice in May 2021 due to environmental concerns.

CEO Elon Musk has maintained a fluctuating stance on bitcoin, supporting its potential while emphasizing the need for cleaner mining practices.

🗣 Musk has also revealed his personal ownership of bitcoin, ethereum (ETH), and dogecoin (DOGE), along with SpaceX's bitcoin holdings. While Tesla sold about 75% of its bitcoin holdings in 2022 for liquidity reasons, Musk indicated that the company remains open to increasing its crypto holdings in the future depending on market conditions.

👾 SEED Ambassador Program – Lead the Way & Earn SEED Mon NFT Boxes!

We see SEED Verse as a world where our Ambassadors are the pioneers, shaping the future of our growing community. Now, we’re calling on influential individuals to lead SEED’s viral expansion.

SEED Ambassador Program empowers you to spread the word, drive engagement, and earn rewards. By completing key activities, you’ll help SEED thrive while unlocking exclusive perks.

💯 First-Come, First-Served – The Early Bird Gets the Worm. The first batch of ambassadors will score SEED Mon NFT Boxes!

How to Apply:
✅ Step 1: Fill in the Application Form.
✅ Step 2: Publish a promotional post about SEED Mon NFT & SEED Go and include hashtags $SEED #SEED #SEEDCombinator #seedapp #SEEDMON.
✅ Step 3: Submit your post link in the Content Tracker form.

😮 Spots are limited, apply now & let’s make waves together!

AMBASSADOR FULL GUIDELINE

💰 Doodles Launches 'DOOD' Token Amid NFT Market Challenges

🚀 The non-fungible token (NFT) project Doodles has announced the launch of its Solana-based digital currency, DOOD, with a total supply of approximately 10 billion units. The announcement was made via the brand's X account, stating,

Introducing DOOD, the official token of Doodles.

Doodles, known for its collaborations with Pharrell Williams and Adidas, is recognized as the 11th most profitable NFT project in history, having generated $702.77 million in transactions across 5,560 wallets.

📈 A detailed token distribution plan reveals that 68% of the tokens will be allocated to community members, while 17% will go to core contributors and 5% will be held in corporate reserves. The latter two categories will be subject to a one-year lock-up period followed by staggered releases over three years. This announcement comes at a time when Doodles and other blue-chip NFT collections are facing valuation declines.

📉 Since reaching a peak minimum entry price of nearly 20 ETH in May 2022, Doodles' price has dropped to around 4.63 ETH. However, there has been a recent 16% increase in floor price over the past 24 hours, suggesting a potential rebound following the token announcement. Historically, NFT collections that introduce additional digital currencies often see significant increases in market value and sales.

🔗 This trend was observed when Pudgy Penguins announced its own token. Doodles' strategic move coincides with Opensea's announcement of its SEA token initiative. In a market that has cooled significantly, these token launches appear to be strategic efforts to revitalize the NFT economy.

➡️ SEC Requests Extension in Coinbase Appeal Amid Regulatory Review

♾ The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a motion seeking a 28-day extension to respond to Coinbase Inc.’s appeal petition. If approved, the new deadline would be March 14, 2025. This request, submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, comes as the SEC continues its review of cryptocurrency regulatory issues. The SEC noted in its filing that

This is not an expedited appeal, and Coinbase consents to this motion.

⚖️ The conflict between Coinbase and the SEC stems from a case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. On March 26, 2024, the court partially granted and denied Coinbase’s motion for judgment. The decision was certified for appeal on January 7, 2025, leading to Coinbase’s petition filed on January 17, 2025. The SEC had previously received a 14-day extension on January 23, 2025, but now requests more time for its response due to ongoing regulatory considerations.

📝 The SEC’s motion stated:

Because the Commission’s review of crypto-related issues is ongoing, the Commission requests this additional time to prepare its answer to Coinbase’s petition and for appropriate review. No party will be prejudiced by the grant of the requested extension.

🔍 The agency also mentioned its newly established crypto task force, launched by Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda, which aims to develop a regulatory framework for crypto assets. The SEC argues that this extension will allow it to provide a more informed response while facilitating the resolution of the district court case and future appellate proceedings. With Coinbase’s consent, the SEC asserts that this additional time will not hinder the case’s overall progress.

🔄 Following Gary Gensler’s departure as SEC Chair on January 20, the agency has experienced significant changes under President Donald Trump’s administration. Uyeda has initiated a shift towards a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment, highlighted by the creation of a Crypto Task Force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, an advocate for clear crypto regulations. This task force aims to establish a comprehensive framework that promotes innovation while ensuring investor protection. Additionally, Jorge Tenreiro, the SEC’s former lead litigator in major cryptocurrency cases, has been reassigned to the agency’s IT department, indicating a potential reduction in aggressive enforcement actions against crypto entities. These changes reflect the administration’s commitment to repositioning the U.S. as a global hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

💜 Meet CoinLaunch: Crypto Fundraising & Influencer Analytics Platform

In the dynamic crypto market, it’s difficult to be on time with an early investment in the gem project, skip a future scam, or timely participate in a life-changing retrodrop. Also, it's challenging to get accurate, transparent and verified data on each project, influencer, or institutional investor, as well as detect scams or potential rekt in advance.

That's why CoinLaunch provides the following info for FREE:

🥇The list of hottest Token Sales and Airdrop Projects
🏆 TOP Crypto Launchpad list with Analysis & Ratings
😎 Widest Crypto Influencer database sorted by Industry & Stats
💵 Database of most active Crypto VC funds & Angel Investors
⏳Calendar of Crypto Contest: Airdrops, Retrodrops, Quests, etc.

Check them out at 👉: https://coinlaunch.space?utm_source=twiitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=intro&utm_id=cryptoretro&utm_content=1

🟡 Bitcoin's Market Stability Amid Conflicting Signals

📈 Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading at $96,540.34, reflecting a slight increase of 0.25% over the past 24 hours and a 1.75% gain over the week. Despite recent price fluctuations, BTC remains within a narrow range of $93,388.83 to $96,695.38, indicating ongoing market consolidation.

📊 There has been a significant rise in Bitcoin's 24-hour trading volume, which has increased by 38.59% to $37.05 billion. This surge suggests growing trader participation despite the constrained price movement. Bitcoin's total market capitalization stands at $1.91 trillion, up slightly by 0.22% from the previous day.

Bitcoin’s swift rebound after hitting a two-week low is in keeping with the price inertia we’ve seen since December,

said Neil Roarty, cryptocurrency analyst at Click Out Media.

Both bulls and bears remain hesitant, and as a result, bitcoin continues to trade within a relatively tight band.

📉 BTC's market dominance has slightly decreased by 0.22% over the past 24 hours, now at 61.12%. This indicates a rotation of some capital into alternative cryptocurrencies, despite ongoing negative sentiment in the broader market due to the Libra memecoin debacle.

📉 In the derivatives market, BTC futures open interest has increased by 0.37% to $61.93 billion, suggesting a moderate rise in speculative positioning. However, recent liquidation data reveals continued volatility, with total bitcoin liquidations reaching $93.48 million in the past 24 hours. This imbalance indicates that overleveraged bullish traders have faced challenges amid BTC's fluctuating price action.

💼 Adding to the market's mixed signals, Strategy announced a proposed $2 billion private offering of convertible senior notes, potentially aimed at bitcoin acquisitions. As the largest corporate holder of BTC, Strategy's planned investment could provide additional buying pressure to counteract recent bearish sentiment.

Negative sentiment towards crypto following Milei’s questionable endorsement of the Libra memecoin has been balanced by news that bitcoin’s biggest bull, Michael Saylor of the world’s largest corporate crypto holder Strategy, is eyeing up further purchases,

Roarty remarked.

➡️ Bitcoin's recent price movements suggest a holding pattern in the market, with neither bulls nor bears able to dominate. Despite increased trading activity and institutional interest, BTC has yet to break decisively out of its multi-month range.

What’s it going to take to break us out of this three-month holding pattern? Probably a more decisive commitment to interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. Until then, expect bitcoin price action to continue ebbing and flowing,

Roarty added.

⚠️ SEC's Crypto Enforcement Program Faces Collapse: Ripple Appeal Next?

🔍 The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly dismantling its crypto-enforcement program, with recent legal retreats and internal restructuring. Former SEC enforcement chief John Reed Stark pointed out this shift on social media, stating that the SEC's case against Coinbase is essentially over and emphasized that the Ripple appeal is likely to be abandoned next.

📉 Stark explained that the SEC's withdrawal from crypto enforcement indicates a significant change in its regulatory approach. He noted that the agency recently dropped its appeal regarding the classification of crypto firms as securities dealers, a move that follows a trend of pauses in crypto enforcement under acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda.

The Ripple appeal is also most certainly next in line for dismissal. Why? Because the new SEC top brass has made it crystal clear that the SEC will never file another court pleading of any kind arguing that a digital asset is a security,

Stark stated.

🔄 This shift in the SEC's approach coincides with a major overhaul of its enforcement strategy. The agency has rebranded its crypto unit as a cyber unit and removed key figures involved in crypto litigation. Stark described this situation as unprecedented and warned that all crypto-related enforcement efforts may be suspended indefinitely as the newly formed task force led by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce takes charge.

🚨 Stark also predicted significant changes within the agency, stating,

Expect all SEC administrative law judges to be fired forthwith.

He characterized the SEC's current situation as extraordinary and unprecedented in its history.

🟢 Looking ahead, Stark foresees deeper institutional instability within the SEC. He remarked on the current political climate surrounding the agency, saying,

It’s the perfect storm at the SEC: a president who does not trust the SEC; a crypto czar who has no respect for the SEC; and a DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] director who hates the SEC.

As the SEC steps back from crypto enforcement, industry observers are preparing for a new regulatory landscape where digital assets may encounter fewer immediate legal challenges.

💸 Bitdeer Technologies Reports $531.9 Million Net Loss in Q4 2024 Amid Heavy ASIC Investments

📉 Bitdeer Technologies Group faced a significant $531.9 million net loss in Q4 2024, primarily due to substantial investments in proprietary mining hardware development. This included $243.4 million paid to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) as the company aims for a self-mining hashrate of 40 exahash per second (EH/s) by late 2025.

📊 The Singapore-based blockchain firm reported a 40% year-over-year decline in Q4 revenue, dropping to $69.0 million. This decrease was attributed to lower income from its cloud, hosting, and self-mining segments. Gross profit fell sharply from $27.0 million in Q4 2023 to $5.1 million, with management citing Bitcoin’s April 2024 halving event and a shift in resources towards its application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology roadmap as key factors. Operating expenses rose to $42.5 million, which included $22.9 million for research and development related to its Sealminer mining chips.

💰 In Q4, Bitdeer paid TSMC $190.6 million for the mass production of its SEAL02 chips and $52.8 million for SEAL03 tapeouts. This is part of a strategy to vertically integrate its operations. The company plans to increase its self-mining capacity from the current 8.7 EH/s to 40 EH/s by Q4 2025 using its proprietary hardware.

Owning and deploying our own mining ASICs is an integral part of our full vertical integration strategy

said Chief Business Officer Matt Kong, highlighting the strong demand for its newly commercialized Sealminer machines.

📉 Operational data revealed a 64% decrease in self-mined bitcoin, dropping from 1,299 BTC in Q4 2023 to 469 BTC due to reduced mining economics post-halving. Hosting revenue also fell sharply from $25.2 million to $8.5 million as customers reduced their use of older mining rigs. Despite these challenges, Bitdeer held 594 BTC (valued at $77.5 million) as of December 31 and increased its cash reserves to $476.3 million through convertible note issuances.

⚡️ The company’s global power capacity now exceeds 2.6 gigawatts (GW), with over 1 GW expected to be activated in 2025. Ongoing projects in Norway, Ohio, and Bhutan are anticipated to support its mining and high-performance computing initiatives. Bitdeer also reported progress on its 3rd and 4th-generation ASIC bitcoin mining chips, which are expected to lead in energy efficiency.

♾ Bitdeer’s $531.9 million net loss included $479.8 million in non-cash charges from fair value adjustments on convertible notes and warrants. Adjusted EBITDA, excluding one-time items, was negative $3.8 million. Executives underscored the long-term benefits of ASIC investments, although analysts may scrutinize the company's near-term cash burn ahead of its planned expansions in 2025.

🌐 CME Group to Roll Out Solana (SOL) Futures on March 17 📢

The CME Group has announced plans to launch Solana (SOL) futures on its trading platform on March 17, which could pave the way for an ETF.

👉 Read more

📉 Bitcoin's Sharp Decline: A Look at Recent Market Movements

📉 Bitcoin (BTC) experienced a significant drop early Friday, reaching an intraday low of $78,197 per coin, marking its steepest decline in months. As of the latest update, the cryptocurrency is trading below the $80,000 mark at $79,875, indicating ongoing bearish momentum.

⚡️ The leading cryptocurrency has decreased by 7% against the U.S. dollar today and 21.9% over the past month, falling to levels not seen since early November 2024. Despite elevated trading volumes, selling activity prevails with $79.64 billion in BTC trades over the past 24 hours.

➡️ There is a notable arbitrage gap with BTC priced at $79,875 globally and $81,166 on South Korean exchanges Upbit and Bithumb. Tether (USDT) remains the dominant trading pair for BTC, followed by the U.S. dollar, USDC, FDUSD, and the Korean won. Dom Harz, co-founder of BOB (Build on Bitcoin), remarked that the current market anxiety is less intense than during the chaotic days of the FTX collapse in November 2022.

“The panic and outflows we’re seeing today don’t come close to the FTX meltdown... this is not the ‘same-old crypto’ that those outside the industry see,”

Harz stated.

↪️ The derivatives markets faced $955.12 million in liquidations over the past day, with $415 million linked to bullish BTC positions and $186 million to ethereum longs. Approximately 228,660 traders experienced margin calls during this downturn. This 28% retreat from recent highs reflects broader financial disturbances, including exchange-traded fund (ETF) withdrawals of $275.83 million on Thursday and macroeconomic uncertainties.

🔴 The breach below $80,000 highlights the impact of institutional flows and psychological factors on crypto valuations. Each data point illustrates the volatile and ever-changing nature of the market.

“The recent market has concentratedly released risks and negative factors, which is beneficial for the subsequent market trend,”

said Tracy Jin, COO of MEXC.

“The current drawdown process is considered a healthy risk release within a bull market... if the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts are substantial enough, there is still hope for a considerable market opportunity this year.”

➡️ As of 6 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, BTC is trading just above the $80,000 range.

💰 Bitcoin's Volatile Response to Trump's Tariff Announcement

📉 Bitcoin (BTC) experienced a significant drop from $93,000 to below $90,000, reaching an intraday low of $86,531 on April 2. This decline coincided with former President Trump's announcement of new tariffs on imported agricultural goods.

To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!

📊 Despite a previous policy reveal that had boosted crypto assets like BTC and ether, the following day saw a sharp reversal. After starting the day just above $93,000, BTC quickly fell below $90,000. It later stabilized around $87,000 as the market reacted to Trump's tariff plans set to take effect next month.

📉 Following the announcement, cryptocurrency markets contracted by 6.81% to $2.88 trillion. BTC hovered near $87,000 after its steep decline, with over $55.74 million in BTC long positions wiped out within an hour, contributing to a daily total of $172 million lost.

⚠️ This marks the fourth time Trump's tariff rhetoric has negatively impacted BTC valuations, highlighting a recurring vulnerability in crypto markets to geopolitical fiscal changes.

🚫 JPMorgan Casts Doubt on U.S. Strategic Crypto Reserve

❌ JPMorgan has expressed skepticism regarding the establishment of a U.S. strategic crypto reserve, stating that the likelihood of approval is less than 50%. The banking giant highlighted congressional approval as a major obstacle and raised concerns about the risks and volatility associated with smaller cryptocurrencies such as XRP, SOL, and ADA.

We don’t believe an approval of a U.S. strategic crypto reserve is the most likely scenario (assuming congressional approval would be needed). So the chance is less than 50% in our mind,

said Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, managing director of global market strategy at JPMorgan. He further noted that

if a U.S. strategic crypto reserve is eventually approved, it would be difficult to include smaller tokens outside bitcoin and ethereum

due to concerns about risk and volatility.

📉 The report from JPMorgan comes in the wake of President Trump's proposal to include XRP, SOL, and ADA in a potential U.S. crypto reserve alongside bitcoin and ethereum. While this announcement initially caused a surge in crypto markets, analysts quickly expressed skepticism about the feasibility of such a move. They pointed to previous failures of similar proposals in various U.S. states where lawmakers raised concerns about risk and volatility.

🌍 Central banks around the world also remain cautious about adopting crypto reserves. This hesitance adds another layer of complexity to the discussion surrounding a U.S. strategic crypto reserve. As the White House prepares for the first-ever crypto summit on March 7, it remains to be seen how these concerns will be addressed and what the future holds for cryptocurrency regulation in the U.S.