Another week on the market is behind us. As every week, we will summarize it with Sebastian Seliga from zondacrypto.
Key events
Cryptocurrency exchange zondacrypto has obtained its eighth regulatory license, this time from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). This is an important step towards compliance with the upcoming MiCA regulations in the European Union. zondacrypto, already licensed in countries such as Italy, Estonia and Canada, emphasizes its commitment to providing a safe and compliant trading environment for over 1.3 million active users.
In turn, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a temporary delay in introducing rules regarding reporting the cost of acquiring cryptocurrencies. The decision was seen as a relief for investors who are facing legal challenges in an evolving regulatory landscape.
China tightens control over cryptocurrencies: new currency exchange rules in the country introduce deeper restrictions on cryptocurrency transactions. This is another step towards tightening regulations in this country.
We also saw record outflows from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). On January 2, BlackRock’s BTC spot ETF recorded a record outflow of $332.6 million. This is the largest outflow since the product launched in January 2024, which may signal changing investor sentiment.
Changes at Tether and Bitfinex: Stuart Hoegner, general counsel of Tether and Bitfinex, has resigned from his position at both companies. His place will be taken by Michael Hilliard, who worked with Hoegner for several years. This change may impact the legal strategy of both companies.
And finally: new code in X fuels payment rumors. Platform X (formerly Twitter) is heading towards becoming a super app. And already in 2025. Rumors about the imminent launch of X Money surfaced after CEO Linda Yaccarino confirmed plans to introduce in-app payments and tips.
Trends and forecasts
Institutional adoption and ETFs: 2024 was a landmark year for the cryptocurrency ETF market, with total net inflows of $35.24 billion. BlackRock and Fidelity ETFs turned out to be one of the most successful debuts in history. However, recent outflows from BlackRock’s fund may indicate short-term swings in investor sentiment.
Innovative projects and super applications: The X platform develops new features such as:
- X Money – payments and tips in the application – competition for PayPal,
- X TV – streaming and new opportunities for creators,
- integration with AI – Grok chatbot.
Innovations can attract new users and increase the adoption of cryptocurrencies in everyday transactions.
Global competition for bitcoin adoption: Metaplanet’s CEO suggests that the US move towards Bitcoin adoption could spark global competition. Such a race could accelerate cryptocurrency adoption around the world while stabilizing the economies of developing countries.
Summary
The beginning of 2025 brings dynamic changes on the cryptocurrency market. Despite record outflows from ETFs, optimism around new regulations, innovative projects and a potential global race for Bitcoin adoption keeps investors interested. It will be crucial to monitor further regulatory developments in the US, China and other countries, as well as the impact of new technologies such as super apps on the cryptocurrency market.
You can buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in a simple and safe way on the zondacrypto exchange.
