By Shikha Singh
Semler Scientific Buys Another $23mn In Bitcoin.
Semler Scientific has bought an additional 237 Bitcoin for approximately $23 million, or just over $98,000 per coin, the healthcare technology company said on Jan. 13. It bought the BTC using proceeds from stock sales and operating cash flow.
The company now holds a total of 2,321 BTC, worth nearly $192 million. It bought the BTC for an average cost basis of less than $83,000, it said.
Semler has issued more than $120 million of stock to finance BTC buying, among other activities. The BTC purchases brought the stock’s “Bitcoin yield” up from 72.6% to 99.3%, it said.
BlackRock Launches New Bitcoin ETF On Cboe Canada.
Asset manager BlackRock is launching a new Bitcoin BTC tickers down $95,973 exchange-traded fund (ETF) on Cboe Canada, the Canadian securities exchange said on Jan. 13.
BlackRock’s flagship US spot Bitcoin fund, iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), is now accessible to Canadian investors through the ETF. It will invest “all or substantially all of its assets” in IBIT, Cboe Canada said.
Dubbed iShares Bitcoin ETF, the Canadian fund will trade under the same ticker, IBIT, as BlackRock’s US product. The exchange announced that shares denominated in US dollars will trade under the ticker IBIT.U.
Robinhood To Pay $45mn In Civil Penalties To Settle SEC Charges.
Online brokerage platform Robinhood has reached a $45 million settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission after an investigation accused the company of violating more than 10 securities law provisions. The penalty impacts two of Robinhood’s broker-dealers, Robinhood Securities LLC and Robinhood Financial LLC.
It also said Robinhood failed to comply with “Regulation SHO”—a rule aimed at regulating abusive short-selling practices—from December 2019 to May 2022 and failed to adequately address a cybersecurity vulnerability in 2021, which led to an unauthorized third party accessing information related to “millions” of Robinhood customers.
Italy’s Largest Banking Group, Intesa Sanpaolo, Buys $1mn in Bitcoin.
Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest banking group, has purchased 11 Bitcoins for roughly US$1 million, becoming the first Italian bank to make a direct investment in the crypto.
The confirmation came from Intesa Sanpaolo’s press office, following speculation that emerged earlier in the day after an internal email from the group was leaked on the online forum 4chan.
It remains unclear whether the move signals the group’s intent to expand into crypto services or is merely an exploratory investment in digital assets.
Pump.fun Celebrates First Birthday by Surpassing $400 mn in Yearly Revenue.
Pump.fun, Solana’s popular no-code token launcher, has achieved over $400M in annual revenue, with more than 6 million token deployments since its launch in January 2024.
The platform, which has played a key role in Solana’s meme economy, continues to dominate, with over 13 million wallets interacting with it and projections suggesting it could generate over $1B in revenue in 2025.
Despite its success, the app faces criticism from analysts pointing out that only a small percentage of traders profit significantly, and a minimal number of tokens graduate to major exchanges like Raydium.
JPMorgan Issues Major Solana and XRP ETF Predictions.
JPMorgan analysts believe the launch of Solana (SOL) and XRP Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) could attract up to $8 billion in new assets.
Drawing from the success of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, which have seen significant market cap penetration, they project that Solana could see $3-6 billion in net assets, while XRP could bring in $4-8 billion.
Ripple’s Monica Long is optimistic about XRP’s potential SEC approval, which could lead to increased ETF applications from asset managers like Bitwise and Grayscale.
Solana Stablecoin Supply Hits Highest Point in 2 Years.
Solana’s stablecoin supply has surged by 7.11% to reach $5.89 billion, its highest point in over two years.
Circle’s issuance of new $USDC tokens, which reflects a “risk-off” sentiment, is largely responsible for this growth, with investors flocking to stablecoins for security.
While Solana’s stablecoin ecosystem expands, including a variety of fiat-pegged currencies and yield-bearing stablecoins, $USDC remains the dominant coin, making up 74.4% of the supply.
Solana’s DeFi ecosystem, supported by platforms like Kamino Finance, Drift Protocol, and Lulo Finance, continues to thrive, with high stablecoin lending yields attracting substantial deposits.
The rising stablecoin supply suggests that market participants are holding funds within Solana, possibly waiting for more favorable conditions to redeploy capital.
Thailand’s Ex-PM Bids for Crypto and Gambling Legalization.
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is advocating for the legalization of online gambling and casinos in Thailand, projecting that it could generate up to 100 billion baht, which is $2.89 billion annually.
Thaksin supports this move as a way to boost tourism, create jobs, and tap into the underground gambling market.
He also calls for pro-crypto reforms, urging Thailand’s SEC to embrace stablecoins and digital assets and suggesting the use of a “passport-like” ID system to regulate gambling.
The Thai government has already advanced a draft law to legalize gambling, aiming to align with neighboring countries like Cambodia and Singapore.
Thaksin’s proposals are part of a broader strategy to position Thailand as a revenue powerhouse.
You need to login in order to Like
