It appears that while institutional investors are doubling down on major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, retail investors are gravitating towards memecoins and other altcoins, as per the report shared with The Block. This shift in trading interests marks a significant divergence from previous years when institutional and retail interests largely mirrored each other. The current trend indicates that institutions are seeking stable exposure while retail investors are exploring newer, albeit riskier, opportunities.

The gap in allocation to major cryptocurrencies has surged to a record 30 percentage points between institutions and retail traders. Institutions maintain a 67% allocation to majors, largely due to ETF inflows and other new accumulation vehicles, while retail allocations to majors have dwindled by 9% to 37%, reflecting a shift towards altcoins.

“This divergence is not a fleeting phenomenon; it signals a more mature, sophisticated, and specialized crypto market,” commented Wintermute CEO and Founder, Evgeny Gaevoy. “Investors are no longer pursuing the same trend. While institutions treat crypto as a macro asset, retail traders are drawn towards innovation.”

In the first half of 2025, institutions largely embraced derivatives as potential tools for hedging, yield-generation, and capital-efficient exposure. Wintermute reported a 412% surge in over-the-counter (OTC) options volume compared to the first half of 2024.

Memecoins such as BONK, WIF, POPCAT, and other emerging memecoins gained traction, while established coins like DOGE and SHIB saw a dip in dominance. DOGE, SHIB, and PEPE, however, continue to be the top three memecoins by weight in the GMCI MEME Index.

For the latter half of 2025, Wintermute anticipates that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s potential decision on spot Dogecoin ETFs in October could sway retail demand. Grayscale, REX-Osprey, and Bitwise have all filed for spot Dogecoin ETFs this year.

The post Institutional and Retail Crypto Investors Display Divergent Strategies Amid 2025 Bull Run: Wintermute Report appeared first on Crypto Market Insights: Dive In with CryptoUpdate.io.

The cryptocurrency market is currently witnessing a 3% decrease, which brings the total market cap to $3 trillion. Bitcoin’s value has fallen to $103,000, marking a 1.1% decline. Significant altcoins such as Ethereum, Solana, and XRP have experienced a drop up to 3%, while memecoins like Dogecoin, Litecoin, among others, continue to depreciate.

Prominent analyst Crypto Capo recently issued a stern warning, stating,“The worst is yet to come.” He emphasized that altcoins are undergoing a severe plunge, even though Bitcoin is still maintaining a value above $100K.

Memecoins are expected to suffer the most. Crypto Capo identifies two primary support levels for Bitcoin: initially at $93,000, followed by the main support zone between $60K and $70K. This could translate to a 35-45% downturn from the current values. The analyst suggests that in a full-scale capitulation or a Black Swan event, Ethereum could face a 45-55% drop and reach the $1000-$1200 range. Altcoins are predicted to decrease by 50-70% on average, while memecoins could see the worst of it, potentially crashing up to 60-80%.

The real downturn is expected to kick in once Bitcoin breaches the $100,000 threshold. This could trigger a swift escalation in bearish momentum. Crypto Capo also pointed out examples of altcoins that are already collapsing ahead of Bitcoin’s downturn.

Crypto Capo’s charts indicate that memecoins are on the verge of significant breakdowns. FARTCOIN is at risk of plummeting 61% to the first support zone around $0.38, and possibly face an 82% drop to $0.17 if the decline continues. RETARDIO is exhibiting weakness, being stuck below resistance. Despite multiple bounces, it remains in a lower range, showing fatigue. PEPE has initiated a bearish Head and Shoulders pattern, with a projected 70% drop.

Data from CryptoQuant reveals that altcoins are still deep in a slump. Altcoin Sherpa notes that the top gainers like Fartcoin, SPX, and HYPEUSDT are experiencing the hardest pullbacks, while the rest of the market suffers a slow, steady bleed. He anticipates coins like POPCAT to continue drifting lower, with no major liquidations or panic selling observed yet. Most altcoins appear weak, and the analyst currently sees no strong buy signals.

Analyst Michaël van de Poppe says altcoins have been stagnant for the past three months, merely retesting lows. He opines that this quiet phase could be the precursor to a major storm, with the greatest altcoin bull run yet to come.

The post Anticipating a Crypto Meltdown: Altcoins Predicted to Plummet 50-80%, Bitcoin Could See 45% Downturn appeared first on Crypto Market Insights: Dive In with CryptoUpdate.io.

ZachXBT, a blockchain investigator, shared his observations on X last Thursday, noting that the potential for misuse in the crypto world has always been significant. However, the situation has “markedly escalated since politicians introduced memecoins and multiple court cases were dismissed, further encouraging such misconduct.”

He stated that for defrauding their followers, crypto influencers and key thought leaders face “absolutely no consequences.” ZachXBT continued, “In the current favorable environment, it has never been a worse time to engage in black hat, phishing, social engineering, and robbery activities as compared to gray hat activities.”

Slow regulatory advances are also part of the problem. The lack of enforcement on projects that fail to disclose paid advertisements and similar behavior has also fed into the supercycle, says ZachXBT.

He argued that if regulators had focused on managing this sector instead of pursuing open-source developers or blue-chip decentralized protocols, the current situation wouldn’t be so prevalent. The lack of repercussions has allowed these practices to flourish.

According to a report shared with Cointelegraph by cybersecurity firm Hacken, over $2 billion was lost to crypto hacks in the first quarter of 2025. Phishing scams accounted for $96 million of this, while rug pulls were responsible for more than $300 million.

Taylor Monahan, another blockchain detective, joined the conversation, stating that as long as scammers are making significant profits, their behavior is unlikely to change. She believes that the crypto industry is in a “difficult place” as it continues to attract and retain too many hackers and scammers.

She noted, “There are no social, financial, or legal obstacles or friction to this kind of behavior. Plus, it’s simply so easy and there’s so much instant money to be made.”

While some scammers are facing legal consequences, many continue to operate freely. The US Department of Justice recently announced the seizure of more than $225 million linked to crypto investment scams by the Secret Service. Moreover, a New Zealand man was arrested in May for his alleged involvement in a global crypto fraud operation that reportedly stole 450 million New Zealand dollars ($265 million).

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DEXs witnessed a cumulative monthly trade volume of $410.2 billion in May, with PancakeSwap spearheading the surge with a colossal $171.6 billion. Other significant contributors include Aerodrome and PumpSwap, both with nearly $15 billion in monthly volumes. This performance comes hot on the heels of the previous record set in January, where DEXs made up 20% of the spot crypto trade volume.

Simon Kim, CEO and partner at crypto venture capital firm Hashed, believes this shift goes beyond a mere change in market shares. He suggests it signifies a significant transition from centralized to decentralized, and from trust-based to code-based trading systems. Kim adds that DEXs have become the “nerve center” of blockchain financial ecosystems, attributing their success to composability, permissionless innovation, and cross-chain interoperability.

Several factors have contributed to the recent surge in DEX trade volume. The explosion of on-chain trading of memecoins last year, improvements in crypto wallet user-friendliness, and a waning trust in centralized platforms have all played a part. Kim also made a bold prediction that DEXs will surpass CEXs in trade volume by 2028 and dominate by 2030.

“DEXs are expanding Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision of P2P electronic cash systems into complete financial ecosystems,” Kim said. “While CEXs still resemble traditional finance, DEXs truly embody the ethos of blockchain.”

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent news outlet offering news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block maintains its independence to provide objective, impactful, and timely crypto industry information. Here are our current financial disclosures.

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In a post on May 11, he referred to a BlockchainCenter.net chart that indicates whether the crypto market is leaning towards Bitcoin (BTC) or altcoins. The index reads “Bitcoin Season” when under 25, signifying Bitcoin’s outperformance of most altcoins. Conversely, a reading over 75 indicates an “Altcoin Season,” showcasing altcoins outpacing Bitcoin.

Currently, the chart reveals a trend reversal just below the 29 mark, hinting at a potential shift away from Bitcoin’s dominance. This change could signal that altcoins are set to gain traction, possibly entering a phase where they surpass Bitcoin’s performance.

However, some crypto enthusiasts warn that this altseason may not echo previous cycles. Analyst 2Lambroz concurs that the altseason may be underway, but emphasizes that the dynamics have evolved. He notes that unlike 2021, there is no evidence of new retail investors entering the fray, and traders are rapidly shifting capital with minimal incentive to maintain long-term positions.

Contrarily, technical trader Moustache presents a more positive perspective. He posted a chart depicting repeated altcoin accumulation phases which precede substantial growth. He believes the current pattern mirrors those of 2016 and 2020, declaring, “Altseason 2025 has officially kicked off.”

Despite the optimism, some remain doubtful. Commentator Rekt Fencer highlighted that most altcoins have plummeted 90% since December. A modest 10% recovery this week ignited overblown optimism, leading him to humorously deride the rally, “This is the ALTSEASON we’ve all been eagerly awaiting,” he quipped.

As the weekend approached, the crypto market demonstrated strong bullish momentum, fueled by reinvigorated investor confidence. Bitcoin soared to $104,900, a mere 4% short of its record high, following President Donald Trump’s announcement of positive progress in US-China trade negotiations.

The rally wasn’t confined to Bitcoin. Ether (ETH) reported one of its strongest daily performances in recent weeks. Memecoins also saw a sharp recovery, indicating a revival of risk appetite in the wider altcoin market.

Hank Huang, CEO of Kronos Research, explained to Cointelegraph, “Crypto rallied on a wave of global optimism.” He continued, “Positive news such as the halt of hostilities between India and Pakistan and US-China trade talks, indicated enhanced cooperation between leading economies.”

Adding to this, Huang mentioned that Ether’s robust rally contributed to the overall lift, propelling altcoins across the board. “Bitcoin surged to $105K as investors returned to risk assets, and clarity replaced uncertainty,” he observed.

The post “Emerging Altcoin Season Anticipates 40% Daily Profits as the ‘New Normal’ – Crypto Expert Insights” appeared first on Crypto Market Insights: Dive In with CryptoUpdate.io.

OpenAI launched its image generation feature for ChatGPT-4o mode on March 25, resulting in a flurry of Ghibli-style images across various social platforms. High-profile figures such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and renowned billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk joined in, sharing AI-created portraits of themselves. Musk, who boasts over 219 million followers on his platform X, has previously impacted the trajectory of memecoins like Shiba Inu and Dogecoin through his posts.

While neither Musk nor Altman directly referred to any Ghibli-themed memecoin, the largest of its kind by market cap, Ghiblification (GHIBLI), has achieved a market cap of $20.80 million since its inception 19 hours ago, as per DEX Screener. Currently, GHIBLI trades at $0.02083, marking a staggering increase of approximately 39,010% since its creation.

At least 20 other Ghibli-themed memecoins have sprung up in the wake of this trend. Some crypto enthusiasts view this as a glimmer of hope for the memecoin market, which has seen a 57% drop since December 8, shortly after Bitcoin first reached $100,000.

Crypto trader Sachs, in his March 26 X post, expressed optimism for the memecoin market, hoping for a $100M run to rejuvenate the market. Sachs emphasized the need for such a revival.

The recent trend of memecoins emerging from cultural references and movements is evident. For example, the CHILLGUY token, sparked by the viral “Just a chill guy” meme, launched on November 15 on the Solana blockchain. However, investing in memecoins tied to daily trends is not without risks. The CHILLGUY token is now 95% down from its November peak, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

This report doesn’t provide investment advice or recommendations. Trading and investing involve risks, and readers are recommended to conduct thorough research before making decisions.

The post Skyrocketing Popularity of Ghibli-Inspired Memecoins Amidst AI-Generated Images appeared first on Crypto Market Insights: Dive In with CryptoUpdate.io.

For the past month, starting February 17, Pump.fun has seen its graduation rate remain under 1% – a first in its history. Despite the platform’s graduation rate never being impressively high, with its peak at 1.67% in November, the sheer number of tokens launched on the platform at that time made the percentage more significant. In the week starting November 11, roughly 323,000 tokens were created on Pump.fun, translating to about 5,400 tokens entering Solana’s DeFi economy in a week.

As the volume of token creation decreases on both Pump.fun and Solana, the weekly token graduations have dwindled to an average of approximately 1,500 tokens at the writing time, according to Dune Analytics. The declining graduation rate points to a lessening investor interest in memecoins, which have earned a reputation for being quick cash grabs for their creators or degenerate lottery tickets.

Memecoins are continuing to struggle, despite improving liquidity conditions, according to Matrixport. In February, Matrixport analysts observed that a strengthening US dollar was applying pressure on Bitcoin prices by tightening dollar-denominated liquidity. However, the US dollar has weakened over the past month, leading to some marginal improvements in inflation data and a rebound in liquidity indicators.

Despite these positive shifts, memecoins, which were once one of the strongest narratives during this bull market, continue to struggle significantly, with no apparent recovery. Matrixport’s report highlights that the struggling memecoin market has contributed to a $1 trillion wipeout in the crypto market capitalization.

This wealth redistribution could cause investors to remain cautious about deploying further capital, limiting rebounds. Matrixport analysts warn that this could further lead to Bitcoin declines, potentially retracing to as low as $73,000 — a level they believe will provide “strong support.”

The post The Decline of Memecoins on Pump.fun: Less Than 1% Reach Graduation appeared first on Crypto Market Insights: Dive In with CryptoUpdate.io.

Analytics firm, Glassnode, has reported on the latest trend in Open Interest for various memecoins in the crypto market. “Open Interest” signifies the total number of open positions connected to a particular asset across all derivatives exchanges.

The graph below illustrates the trend in the seven-day moving average (MA) for Dogecoin:

As depicted in the graph, the seven-day MA of Dogecoin Open Interest was $3.5 billion in December. However, it has since fallen to a mere $1.49 billion, indicating a decrease of roughly 58.4%.

Notably, DOGE is not the only memecoin experiencing a futures slump. The second chart shared by Glassnode reveals that Pepe (PEPE), Bonk (BONK), and dogwifhat (WIF) have also witnessed a dip in Open Interest over the past few months. These coins have seen a more significant decline than DOGE, with a decrease over 69%.

Similarly, Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Floki (FLOKI) have also seen a decrease by 74% and 69%, respectively.

While futures market speculation has plunged across memecoins, the trend seems different within other segments of the crypto market. The graph below, shared by Glassnode, compares the percentage change in Open Interest between meme-based assets and three top coins (Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL)):

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana have registered a decrease of 11%, 23%, and 6% respectively, far lower than the 52% plunge experienced by the collective memecoin market.

As for DOGE price, it has been displaying a sideways motion over the past weeks, maintaining a trading value around $0.25.

The post Dramatic 58% Slide in Dogecoin Open Interest: A Comparison with Shiba Inu & Pepe appeared first on Crypto Market Insights: Dive In with CryptoUpdate.io.

“I might be early, but it feels like we’re near the bottom,” Hartmann expressed in a post on Feb. 8. He pointed out that funding rates, which ensure a balance between futures and spot market prices, have been in the negative for some time. This indicates a market with more sellers than buyers.

Moreover, he mentioned that “quality alts” have retraced back to their long-term trendlines, erasing the gains made in Q4 of 2024. For instance, Ethereum (ETH) traded above $4,000 in December 2024 and was speculated to retest its November 2021 peak of $4,878. However, it has since retreated to $2,639. Similarly, Solana (SOL) hit a record high of $295 on Jan. 19 but has since fallen to $201.15.

The overall market cap of memecoins also declined by 32.38% by the end of December 2024. Crypto analyst Matthew Hyland suggested that the market might need at least two months, if not more, to revisit the highs seen in December.

According to Hartmann, the overall sentiment in the crypto market is “absolutely wrecked,” which is often a precursor to a rally. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index, a measure of market sentiment, currently reads a “Fear” score of 46, down 14 points from last week’s “Greed” score of 60.

Bitwise’s Chief Investment Officer, Matt Hougan, recently stated that “retail sentiment is the worst it’s been in years.” However, he also highlighted a “massive disconnect” with professional investors, who remain “extraordinarily bullish.”

While Hartmann acknowledged that the crypto market might continue to be volatile, he suggested that we might be at the “tail end” as most unlocked venture capital token allocations have been liquidated over the past two quarters. Between March and October 2024, token unlocks released assets worth $35 billion, significantly increasing the market supply.

The post Cryptocurrency Venture Capitalist Ponders Market Bottom appeared first on Crypto Market Insights: Dive In with CryptoUpdate.io.

These import tariffs are due to be enforced on Tuesday, enacted in response to what the US government perceives as inadequate measures by the three foreign governments to curb drug trafficking into the United States, according to the White House. In retaliation, Canada has announced its own set of tariffs, and Mexico and China have both pledged to take similar action. China declared on Sunday that it would lodge a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization over the tariffs.

The Block’s GMCI Solana Memes index, which monitors top Solana memecoins by market cap such as Dogwifhat and Bonk, has seen a decrease of over 13% in the last 24 hours, and a 30% plunge in the past week, as the market reacts to what the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board has dubbed “the dumbest trade war in history.”

The official memecoin of Trump has also suffered, dipping 7% in the past day and 30% over the past week, as per The Block’s Official Trump Price page. Melania’s memecoin is experiencing similar hardship, down 5% in the past 24 hours and about 38% down on the week.

Almost all top memecoins by market cap, as listed by CoinMarketCap, have seen their prices drop by more than 20% in the past week (the single exception, Shiba Inu, is down 17.3% for the week). None of the site’s top 100 tokens by market cap, excluding stablecoins, have shown gains in the last 24 hours.

The Block’s GMCI 30 index, representing the top 30 tokens by market cap, has been the most resilient of The Block’s indices, experiencing a 7.15% decrease, in contrast to the double-digit percentage losses of most other indices. Consequently, Bitcoin’s price has slipped below the $100,000 threshold.

In a post on Truth Social early Sunday, Trump stated, “THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.”

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media organization that provides news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures also invests in other crypto-related companies. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to function independently, delivering objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2024 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is intended solely for informational purposes. It is not meant to serve as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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