Latest news with #MarketVector
The Star
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Bitcoin soars, altcoins fade in US$300bil cryptocurrency shakeout
Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are seen in this illustration taken November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo NEW YORK: On the face of it, 2025 looks like a banner year for crypto: bitcoin hitting a record, an industry-boosting US president whose family is venturing headlong into the sector, and key legislation widely expected to be passed by Congress. But look beyond the bullish headlines and the rally in bitcoin, and a vastly different landscape comes into view. Most of the so-called altcoins once touted as competitors to the original cryptoasset are nursing steep declines, with more than US$300bil of market value wiped out so far this year. The sea of red points to a wider malaise that's forcing parts of the industry to confront existential questions. Crypto was imagined by early enthusiasts as a universe where a host of coins competed for investor money, offering a diverse set of use cases. But as bitcoin reigns supreme, that's giving way to predictions that large swathes of the sector will become a digital wasteland. 'I think they're just going to die, frankly,' Nick Philpott, co-founder of trading platform Zodia Markets, said of altcoins. 'They'll just wither away. Technically, a lot of this stuff will just sit there and gather dust in perpetuity.' Bitcoin's share of the total market value of cryptoassets has climbed by nine percentage points this year to 64%, the highest since January 2021, according to CoinMarketCap. Back then, cryptocurrencies were a largely unregulated space, crypto lending was roaring with few safeguards and nonfungible tokens were just starting to take off. In sharp contrast, altcoins – the catch-all term for all digital assets outside of bitcoin and stablecoins – are faltering. A MarketVector index tracking the bottom half of the largest 100 digital assets, which more than doubled in the aftermath of Donald Trump's Nov 5 election victory, has since given up all those gains and is down around 50% in 2025. With bitcoin soaking up the bulk of capital flows from investors in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), other parts of the market are increasingly left behind. Even ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, remains about 50% below its all-time high after a modest rebound fuelled by inflows to spot ETFs investing in the token. 'Historically, bitcoin's moved and then that's passed down into altcoins,' said Jake Ostrovskis, an OTC trader at Wintermute. 'We've not really seen that yet this cycle.' Crypto is no stranger to mass extinction events. The 2022 market crash, punctuated by the implosions of algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD and Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX exchange, led to the demise of hundreds of projects. Thousands of coins still exist on their blockchains, with little or no activity – relegated to the status of 'ghost chains' in crypto parlance. What's different this time is that crypto is becoming a more regulated, institutionally-driven marketplace, and that stablecoins appear to be the only tokens with a real shot at achieving means-of-payment status, due to the fact that they eliminate volatility. In the past year alone, the market value of stablecoins has swelled by US$47bil, and some of the world's largest banks are entering the field. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that Inc is studying a potential stablecoin. That's putting pressure on altcoin projects to find ways to shore up their status and appeal to a wider base of investors. — Bloomberg
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Altcoins, once seen as rivals to Bitcoin, suffer $382 billion crypto wipeout
Most of the so-called altcoins – the catch-all term for all digital assets outside of Bitcoin and stablecoins - are nursing steep declines. PHOTO: REUTERS New York – On the face of it, 2025 looks like a banner year for crypto: Bitcoin hitting a record, an industry-boosting US president whose family is venturing headlong into the sector, and key legislation widely expected to be passed by the US Congress. But look beyond the bullish headlines and the rally in Bitcoin, and a vastly different landscape comes into view. Most of the so-called altcoins – the catch-all term for all digital assets outside of Bitcoin and stablecoins - once touted as competitors to the original cryptoasset are nursing steep declines, with more than US$300 billion (S$382.9 billion) of market value wiped out so far in 2025. The sea of red points to a wider malaise that's forcing parts of the industry to confront existential questions. Crypto was imagined by early enthusiasts as a universe where a host of coins competed for investor money, offering a diverse set of use cases. But as Bitcoin reigns supreme, that's giving way to predictions that large swathes of the sector will become a digital wasteland. 'I think they're just going to die, frankly,' Nick Philpott, co-founder of trading platform Zodia Markets, said of altcoins. 'They'll just wither away. Technically, a lot of this stuff will just sit there and gather dust in perpetuity.' Bitcoin's share of the total market value of cryptoassets has climbed by nine percentage points this year to 64 per cent, the highest since January 2021, according to CoinMarketCap. Back then, cryptocurrencies were a largely unregulated space, crypto lending was roaring with few safeguards and nonfungible tokens were just starting to take off. In sharp contrast, altcoins are faltering. A MarketVector index tracking the bottom half of the largest 100 digital assets, which more than doubled in the aftermath of Donald Trump's Nov 5 election victory, has since given up all those gains and is down around 50 per cent in 2025. With Bitcoin soaking up the bulk of capital flows from investors in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), other parts of the market are increasingly left behind. Even Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, remains about 50 per cent below its all-time high after a modest rebound fueled by inflows to spot ETFs investing in the token. 'Historically, Bitcoin's moved and then that's passed down into altcoins,' said Jake Ostrovskis, an OTC trader at Wintermute. 'We've not really seen that yet this cycle.' Crypto is no stranger to mass extinction events. The 2022 market crash, punctuated by the implosions of algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD and Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX exchange, led to the demise of hundreds of projects. Thousands of coins still exist on their blockchains, with little or no activity – relegated to the status of 'ghost chains' in crypto parlance. What's different this time is that crypto is becoming a more regulated, institutionally-driven marketplace, and that stablecoins appear to be the only tokens with a real shot at achieving means-of-payment status, due to the fact that they eliminate volatility. In the past year alone, the market value of stablecoins has swelled by US$47 billion, and some of the world's largest banks are entering the field. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that is studying a potential stablecoin. That's putting pressure on altcoin projects to find ways to shore up their status and appeal to a wider base of investors. 'I've talked to a couple of projects that have been thinking about merging foundations, putting it up for governance, saying, 'Hey, we can now be governed under this other authority' – that authority being another altcoin community,' said Kanyi Maqubela, managing partner at venture capital firm Kindred Ventures. The shifting tides are also reflected in corporate behaviour. Modeled on Michael Saylor's Strategy, a new breed of Bitcoin accumulators has emerged. In April, a special-purpose acquisition company affiliated with Cantor Fitzgerald partnered with Tether Holdings and SoftBank to launch Twenty One Capital, seeded with nearly US$4 billion in Bitcoin. The Trump family, which is also getting involved in Bitcoin mining, has raised US$2.3 billion via Trump Media & Technology Group to create a Bitcoin treasury. While similar vehicles have been set up recently to accumulate smaller tokens like Ether, Solana and BNB, they are much smaller. Glimmers of hope Not all altcoins are floundering. Tokens like Maker and Hyperliquid that are linked to thriving decentralized-finance protocols have notched big gains this year. 'There's certainly a subset of the market doing incredibly well – generally companies with real businesses, real revenues, and those revenues are being used to buy back tokens,' said Jeff Dorman, chief investment officer of digital asset investment firm Arca. There's also the prospect of more favourable regulations. The potential for US Securities and Exchange Commission approval of ETFs backed by coins like Solana are stirring hopes of wider adoption. Another possible catalyst is the Digital Asset Market Clarity (Clarity) Act, informally referred to as crypto's market structure bill. The Clarity Act aims to provide a comprehensive regulatory framework, including delineating responsibilities between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the SEC. 'The Clarity Act has the potential to do for altcoins what ETFs did for Bitcoin and Ethereum: provide the regulatory legitimacy that unlocks real institutional capital,' said Ira Auerbach, a senior executive at Offchain Labs. Yet according to Kindred Venture's Mr Maqubela, the issue ultimately boils down to utility. He compares Bitcoin to gold and Ether to copper – the former has a capped final supply and the latter's blockchain underpins much of crypto's functionality – and says most altcoins are stuck in a sort of twilight zone, underpinned by big promises and not much else. 'I think a lot of them are going to whittle down to zero because they were driven by speculation without that mimetic value like Bitcoin, and they tried to be utilitarian without achieving any real scale,' he said. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Wire
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
MarketVector Indexes Named Index Provider of the Year by Hedgeweek Europe
FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MarketVector Indexes TM ('MarketVector'), a global leader in digital asset and thematic indexing, has been named Index Provider of the Year at the 2025 Hedgeweek European Awards. The award highlights MarketVector's commitment to delivering transparent, institutional-grade benchmarks that meet the growing demand for trusted digital asset solutions across global markets. The Hedgeweek European Awards honor fund managers and service providers demonstrating excellence, innovation, and impact. Winners are selected based on allocator feedback, peer voting, editorial analysis, and market performance. "We're proud to be recognized for our products and service by the 2025 Hedgeweek European Awards. This honor reflects our commitment to building high-integrity indexes that serve hedge fund strategies across Europe and beyond. At MarketVector, we are dedicated to delivering benchmarks that offer transparent, efficient access to emerging sectors and innovations in crypto as well as equities and fixed income," said Steven Schoenfeld, CEO of MarketVector. Over the past year, MarketVector expanded its digital asset offerings with the launch of the COIN50 Index, the MAGA10 Index, and the MEME Index, as well as new staking rewards and on-chain fundamental indexes. The firm also strengthened its research platform with its senior leadership's publication of Mastering Crypto Assets (Wiley, 2024). Today, MarketVector supports a growing range of ETFs, ETPs and index funds worldwide, providing clients with transparent, institutional-quality access to emerging markets. Detailed information about the Hedgeweek European Awards can be found here. About MarketVector Indexes - MarketVector Indexes TM ('MarketVector') is a regulated Benchmark Administrator in Europe, incorporated in Germany and registered with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). MarketVector maintains indexes under the MarketVector TM, MVIS ®, and BlueStar ® names. With a mission to accelerate index innovation globally, MarketVector is best known for its broad suite of Thematic indexes, a long-running expertise in Hard Asset-linked Equity indexes, and its pioneering Digital Asset index family. MarketVector is proud to be in partnership with more than 25 Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) issuers and index fund managers in markets throughout the world, with more than USD 52 billion in assets under management.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newly-listed GlacierShares Nasdaq Iceland ETF (GLCR) to track the MarketVector Iceland Global Index
The licensing agreement with GlacierShares enhances investor access to Iceland's capital markets FRANKFURT, Germany, March 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MarketVector IndexesTM ("MarketVector"), a leading provider of multi-asset and digital asset index solutions, today announced that the MarketVectorTM Iceland Global Index, developed in collaboration with New Iceland Advisors, has been licensed as the underlying benchmark for the GlacierShares Nasdaq Iceland ETF (NASDAQ: GLCR), a newly listed U.S. exchange-traded fund (ETF) from GlacierShares. The index licensing signals growing investor interest in Iceland's economic story. The country stands out for its nearly 100% renewable electricity generation, globally recognized leadership in sustainable fishing, and long-standing political and financial stability. With abundant food and energy resources and seamless access to U.S. and European markets, Iceland offers a compelling investment landscape rooted in resilience and sustainability. "We are proud to partner with New Iceland Advisors in developing the MarketVectorTM Iceland Global Index, a unique benchmark providing diversified and liquid exposure to the dynamic Icelandic economy. Iceland is a world leader in renewable energy and sustainable fishing, and its capital markets have strong potential for growth," said Steven Schoenfeld, CEO of MarketVector. The MarketVectorTM Iceland Global Index includes companies domiciled in Iceland or materially tied to the Icelandic economy. It is built on a transparent and rules-based methodology designed to meet global investability standards, offering investors efficient access to a region historically underrepresented in global benchmarks. With the launch of GLCR tracking the index, MarketVector and New Iceland Advisors enable broader participation in one of the world's most forward-looking economies. For more information on the index, visit the MarketVectorTM Iceland Global Index page. About MarketVector Indexes - MarketVector IndexesTM ("MarketVector") is a regulated Benchmark Administrator in Europe, incorporated in Germany and registered with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). MarketVector maintains indexes under the MarketVectorTM, MVIS®, and BlueStar® names. With a mission to accelerate index innovation globally, MarketVector is best known for its broad suite of Thematic indexes, a long-running expertise in Hard Asset-linked Equity indexes, and its pioneering Digital Asset index family. MarketVector is proud to be in partnership with more than 25 Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) issuers and index fund managers in markets throughout the world, with more than USD 53 billion in assets under management. About GlacierShares - GlacierShares is an Icelandic company dedicated to opening access to investment opportunities in the Arctic Circle region. Founded and owned by investors in Iceland, GlacierShares has deep local market knowledge. The firm's mission is to bridge the gap between U.S. investors and emerging opportunities within the Arctic region, starting with Iceland's renewable-driven economy and geopolitical stability. View source version on Contacts Media Contact Eunjeong Kang, MarketVector+49 (0) 69 4056 695 38media-enquiries@ Sam Marinelli, Gregory FCA on behalf of MarketVector610-246-9928sam@ Sign in to access your portfolio
