Key insights

• Miscellaneous Crypto Developments

  • 💰 MicroStrategy plans to accelerate its Bitcoin purchases by putting $42 billion into Bitcoin through debt and equity
  • 🚔 Taluna founder Dwan is being extradited to the US from South Korea and faces prosecution
  • 🦛 Vitalik Buterin is sponsoring a pygmy hippopotamus named Muang with a generous donation and is also involved with meme coins

• Role of AI in Crypto and IRS Regulations

  • 🧠 AI agents will make up 10% of on-chain transactions by the end of the year
  • 💹 An AI platform is expected to enter the top 10 crypto by market cap
  • 🔒 Potential AML KYC for all defi front ends by 2027
  • 💰 IRS finalizes tax rule for defi brokers to collect user trading information
  • 🔄 Ethereum's hard fork Petras EIPs for scalability and efficiency improvements, Delay in Pias until later hard forks

• Crypto Predictions in 2025

  • 📈 Bullish stock market led by AI stocks
  • 💲 Doubling of stablecoin market cap to 500 billion
  • ⚠️ Increased risk buying crypto due to fiscal policy
  • 🇺🇸 US reemerging as dominant global hub of crypto
  • 🌐 Crypto splitting into two major verticals: web 3 natives and regular investors
  • 🤖 AI-driven transactions making up 10% of all on-chain transactions by end of 2025

• Blockchain Metrics and Predictions

  • 🔗 Key blockchain metrics include chain size, trust level, and user operations per second (uops)
  • 🔒 Arbitrum has the highest total value locked and faces competition in uops
  • 🔥 Blobs consumed Ethereum block space and led to record high ETH burns
  • 📈 Decentralized exchange volumes reached record highs, driven by AI agents, and benefited on-chain activities
  • 💡 Curated predictions for 2025 from crypto thought leaders
  • 🔄 Upcoming Ethereum upgrades include a full year of updates, Uniswap offering bug bounty for V4, and Arbitrum as an entry point to the Ethereum ecosystem

• Bitcoin Standard Corporate ETF and Market Updates

  • 💼 Creation of an ETF for companies holding a significant amount of Bitcoin in their corporate treasuries
  • 📈 Exposure to a diverse range of companies, including tech, crypto, and non-crypto firms, through the ETF
  • 💰 Total crypto market cap above $3.5 trillion, targeting $4 trillion
  • 🔄 Top movers of the week: AI 16z and Virtuals, relating to AI agents and frameworks
  • 📈 Growth of the layer 2 ecosystem, focus on Bas with increasing TVL and usage

• Screen Break and Crypto Predictions

  • 💻 Hosts took a screen break for mental health
  • 🔮 Shared 10 crypto predictions for 2025
  • 📈 Bitcoin up 1.3% on the week, Ether up 3.8%
  • 💰 Ether ETFs had significant net inflows in December
  • 📊 Bitwise filed for a Bitcoin standard corporate ETF

Q&A

• What were the other key developments in the crypto space discussed in the video?

  The video highlighted key developments, including MicroStrategy's accelerated Bitcoin plan, the extradition of Taluna founder Dwan, Vitalik Buterin's hippopotamus adoption, and the influence of meme coins.

• What tax-related information was provided in the video?

  The video mentioned the IRS finalizing tax rules for DeFi platforms, requiring the collection of user trading information, potentially leading to AML KYC for all DeFi front ends by 2027. Additionally, the IRS aims to expand broker reporting requirements to include crypto, favoring centralized entities to fill out 1099 forms for tax purposes.

• What developments were discussed regarding AI in the crypto space?

  The predictions discussed the rise of AI in crypto, the potential market cap of AI platforms, the integration of social media with decentralized exchanges, ETH price predictions, and the expected dominance of crypto AI agents by 2025.

• What were the predictions for 2025 in the video?

  The predictions cover various aspects such as a bullish stock market, doubling of stablecoin market cap, increased risk buying crypto due to fiscal policy, US dominance in crypto, addition of Bitcoin to balance sheets, two major verticals in crypto, and AI-driven transactions making up 10% of all on-chain transactions.

• What are the key blockchain metrics mentioned in the video?

  The key blockchain metrics discussed in the video include chain size, trust level, and user operations per second (uops). The video also highlighted the challenges faced by Arbitrum, Ethereum block space consumption, and record high ETH burns, alongside the growth of decentralized exchange volumes driven by AI agents.

• What is the ETF that was mentioned in the video?

  The ETF mentioned in the video is composed of companies holding a certain amount of Bitcoin in their corporate treasuries, providing exposure to a diverse range of companies, including tech, crypto, and non-crypto firms. It aims to reach a market cap above $3.5 trillion, targeting $4 trillion.

• What topics were discussed in the video?

  The hosts discussed taking a break from screens for mental health, shared 10 crypto predictions for 2025, covered market updates including Bitcoin and Ether's performance, ETF flows, and Bitwise's filing for a Bitcoin standard corporate ETF.

• 00:03 Two hosts discuss taking a break from screens, share 10 crypto predictions for 2025, and cover market updates including Bitcoin and Ether's performance, ETF flows, and Bitwise's filing for a Bitcoin standard corporate ETF.
• 07:15 An ETF composed of companies holding a certain amount of Bitcoin in their corporate treasuries is being rolled out. The ETF provides exposure to such companies including tech, crypto, and non-crypto firms. The market cap is above $3.5 trillion, aiming for $4 trillion. Top movers of the week are AI 16z and Virtuals, both related to AI agents and frameworks. The layer 2 ecosystem, particularly Bas, is on the rise with increasing TVL and usage.
• 14:26 The blockchain metrics to consider are chain size, trust, and user operations per second. Arbitrum has the highest total value locked but is being challenged in terms of uops. Blobs consumed Ethereum block space leading to record high ETH burns. Decentralized exchange volumes hit record highs driven by AI agents. Predictions for 2025 and upcoming Ethereum upgrades.
• 21:39 The predictions cover a wide range including a bullish stock market, stablecoin market cap doubling, increased risk buying crypto due to fiscal policy, US dominance in crypto, addition of Bitcoin to balance sheets, two major verticals in crypto, and AI-driven transactions making up 10% of all onchain transactions by end of 2025.
• 28:49 The predictions discuss the rise of AI in crypto, the potential market cap of AI platforms, the integration of social media with decentralized exchanges, ETH price predictions, and the expected dominance of crypto AI agents by 2025.
• 35:42 The IRS finalizes a tax rule requiring all defi brokers to collect user trading information, potentially leading to AML KYC for all defi front ends by 2027. The rule aims to expand broker reporting requirements to include crypto and is part of the Biden infrastructure bill. The IRS wants more 1099 forms filled out for tax compliance and prefers centralized entities to do so.
• 42:41 The IRS is finalizing rules that may require DeFi platforms to conduct AML and KYC checks, leading to potential compliance challenges and legal actions. Ethereum's upcoming hard fork, Petr, will include EIPs for scalability and efficiency improvements, but Pias may be delayed until later hard forks.
• 50:06 Key developments in the crypto space: MicroStrategy's accelerated Bitcoin plan, extradition of Taluna founder Dwan, Vitalik Buterin's hippopotamus adoption, and the influence of meme coins