According to data provided by Galaxy's VisionTrack, in 2024, multiple crypto hedge funds achieved double-digit returns, and the VisionTrack Composite Index, which tracks the performance of 130 crypto-specific hedge funds, rose 40%. But it is still not as good as Bitcoin: BTC rose 120% last year and broke through $100,000 for the first time. "2024 is a challenging year for many cryptocurrency funds because it is the year of Bitcoin and Memecoin - they are the best assets, and everything else lags behind," said David Kalk, founder and chief investment officer of Reflexive Capital, which runs its own hedge fund that invests in assets such as Bitcoin. For cryptocurrency hedge funds, outperforming Bitcoin is a challenge because “timing is hard,” said David Jeong, CEO of Tread.fi, an algorithmic cryptocurrency trading platform for institutional traders. “In the hedge fund space, drawdowns are very sensitive, so you can’t always be fully long. There are other ways for investors to invest in crypto.” However, hedge funds focused on digital asset industry directional and quantitative strategies had the best average performance last year, according to VisionTrack data. The VisionTrack Quantitative Directional Index rose 53.7%, while the VisionTrack Fundamental Index rose 40.4% over the same period. The VisionTrack Market Neutral Index rose about 18.5%. Galaxy Digital’s Alpha Liquid Fund rose 76.6% in 2024, according to a person familiar with the matter. A Galaxy representative declined to comment on the returns because the information is not yet public. David Tawil's ProChain Master Fund, a multi-strategy cryptocurrency investment vehicle launched in 2018, rose about 70% last year, thanks to large positions in larger tokens such as Bitcoin, and rose 80% in 2023. Fundamental research and macro funds, which have high confidence in crypto assets based on fundamental research on tokens or blockchains, have generally performed well. Reflexive Capital, which operates a long-leaning fundamental crypto hedge fund, saw a 106% increase in net returns in 2024, according to a person familiar with the matter. (Bloomberg)

1. Yesterday, the U.S. Bitcoin spot ETF had a net outflow of about $210 million; 2. Yesterday, the U.S. Ethereum spot ETF had a net inflow of $1.15 million; 3. Standard Chartered Bank recommends buying Bitcoin at a bottom of less than $90,000 and reiterates its price forecast of $200,000 by the end of the year; 4. The correlation between Bitcoin and the Nasdaq 100 index has reached its highest point since 2022; 5. Osprey Funds intends to seek approval from the U.S. SEC to convert its Bitcoin Trust into an ETF; 6. The Trump family encryption project World Liberty holds a total of $16.76 million in assets, with USDC holding the highest position; 7. Bloomberg: Thailand may allow Bitcoin ETFs to be listed on local exchanges for the first time; 8. Franklin Templeton: AI agents have the potential to "transform" social media and are still in the early stages; 9. Sources: TikTok is ready to shut down its app for U.S. users on Sunday unless the Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban; 10. Anthony Pompliano proposed 3 key actions to Trump to promote Bitcoin adoption; 11.10x Research: Bitcoin's breakthrough may not be later than the Fed's FOMC meeting in January; 12. Berachain's ecological game project Beratone completed a $2 million seed round of financing, led by Animoca Brands; 13. Berachain's incentive pre-deposit vault "Boyco" TVL reached $1.6 billion.

The official page shows that Binance Alpha has added AIMONICA, VITA and GRIFT tokens.

According to Odaily, a Russian diamond mining company employee has been sentenced to prison for providing financial support to a Ukrainian terrorist organization through cryptocurrency transactions. The individual, a resident of the Mirninsky District in the Sakha Republic of Russia's Far East, was apprehended by the Sakha Republic branch of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). The FSB reported that the man repeatedly transferred funds to Ukrainian militants using cryptocurrency, which were allegedly used for reconnaissance and subversive activities against the security of the Russian Federation.

According to the official announcement, Bithumb will launch the Game Build (GAME2) Korean won trading pair today.

An employee of a Russian diamond mining company has been sentenced to prison for sending cryptocurrencies "to provide financial assistance to Ukrainian terrorist organizations." The man is a male resident of the Mirninsky District of Yakutia (Sakha Republic in the Russian Far East). He was arrested by the Sakha Republic branch of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). The FSB stated that the man "repeatedly used cryptocurrencies to transfer funds to Ukrainian militants," and the organization used these funds "to carry out reconnaissance and subversive activities against the security of the Russian Federation." (Izvestia)

A widely followed X personality on Monday drew attention to a potential surge in Dogecoin’s (CRYPTO: DOGE) price following the upcoming presidential inauguration. source: https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/42993997/dogecoin-to-hit-new-all-time-high-after-trump-is-sworn-in-influencer-says-pattern-nearly-i?utm_source=cryptopanic.com&utm_campaign=partner_feed&utm_medium=partner_feed&utm_content=site

Startale Group announced the establishment of a new investment department, Startale Ventures, which will mainly invest in Sony L2 network Soneium and Astar ecological projects. In addition to providing funds, it will also provide comprehensive support including marketing, business development and strategy formulation, and will be able to use cloud infrastructure such as RPC nodes and account abstraction provided by Startale cloud services to improve Web3 development efficiency. (Coinpost)

CZ posted on X: “Everyone has FOMO. Just do it responsibly.”

Dogecoin started a fresh increase above the $0.350 zone against the US Dollar. DOGE is now consolidating and might climb further if it clears the $0.3650 resistance. DOGE price started a fresh increase above $0.3420 and $0.350. The price is trading above the $0.350 level and the 100-hourly simple moving average. There was a break above a connecting bearish trend line with resistance at $0.3350... source: https://www.newsbtc.com/analysis/doge/dogecoin-doge-finds-footing-0-350/

Cryptocurrencies are a unique high-volatility alternative asset class that may help improve risk-adjusted returns when added to traditional investment portfolios.

Thaksin Shinawatra has called for legalising online gambling and adopting cryptocurrencies in Thailand to boost government revenue and modernise the economy. The Thai government is already exploring cryptocurrency payments in Phuket and conducting trials of a central bank digital currency.

“With Gary Gensler in the dumpster in Washington, we have a golden opportunity to ensure that the future of digital assets is American-led,” Emmer said.

The U.S government is asking American citizens not to give their personal data to a Chinese company, but citizens are replying to the government's plea with a middle finger. As the country is waiting for the TikTok ban to go into effect on Jan 19, Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu (colloquially known as Red Note) has become the most downloaded app overnight.

New spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded products expand market access, and the U.S. Congress may bring greater regulatory clarity. For these reasons, cryptocurrency valuations may eventually transcend the four-year cycles seen in the market’s early history.

These AI-powered glasses promise a fast, seamless user experience with extended reality features, potentially ushering in a "post-smartphone era." By processing data locally and rewarding users with crypto, they enter a competitive market—but are they a breakthrough or just a gimmick?

In December 2024, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the final version of the new tax reporting rules for crypto asset brokers, marking a new stage in the U.S. crypto asset tax system.

Despite the wild swings in December, Bitcoin’s volatility remains fairly tame by historical standards.

I hope that our readers can put aside their emotions when they are anxious, and ask themselves whether the situations that may happen today and in the future are what we have anticipated in advance?

The US, Japan, and South Korea condemned North Korea’s rising cyber threats, urging stronger public-private collaboration. But the question remains about how they will adapt its strategy against North Korean hackers.