Increasing crypto holding

Good morning, Coin Discoverers!

CRYPTO

• BTC: $66,921.60(-0.36%)YTD (+51.50%)

• ETH: $3,500.00(-0.54%)YTD (+48.76%)

• BNB: $594.70 (-0.16%)YTD (+89.28%)

*Crypto numbers as of 5:00 am EST on July 22th

Major Investment Firms BlackRock, Fidelity, ARK, and VanEck Boost Crypto Portfolios

Leading financial firms such as BlackRock, Fidelity, ARK Invest, and VanEck are significantly increasing their investments, potentially reshaping market dynamics.

Arkham Intelligence's recent reports indicate that major institutional investors have significantly ramped up their activities in the cryptocurrency market.

Bitcoin is currently trading around $66,741, highlighting the market volatility and the impact of these significant investments.

Tornado Cash, the Ethereum mixer, has received nearly $2 billion in 2024 despite sanctions

July has seen a slowdown, with the protocol attracting only $65.1 million in deposits, according to Flipside data.

In the first half of 2024, over $1.9 billion was deposited into the Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash (TORN). However, activity has slowed in July, with the protocol attracting just $65.1 million in deposits, according to Flipside data.

Man Tattoos Meme Coin Address—Typo Included

A Gigachad (GIGA) investor tattooed the Solana meme coin’s contract address on his chest, only to discover after posting it on Twitter that the address was incorrect.

Pseudonymous Twitter user Hop chose to get a tattoo of his favorite meme coin, claiming it has profoundly transformed his life ‘mentally, spiritually, and financially.

Another GIGA community member got the ticker tattooed when the token's market cap was reportedly $18 million.

Pixelverse Unveils First Phase of PIXFI Perpetual Staking

Pixelverse has rolled out the first phase of PIXFI perpetual staking, following the successful PIXFI token release and ahead of the anticipated Pixelverse web browser game launch in August.

In the initial phase of Pixelverse staking, users will receive lootboxes with valuable in-game assets:

• Common Lootbox: Food, drinks, Resource Kit

• Uncommon Lootbox: Clothes, food, drinks, Buddy Bot, Resource Kit

• Rare Lootbox: Rare clothes, Bot Upgrade Box, Rare Bot

• Epic Lootbox: Epic clothes, VIP-Mogul, Epic Bot, VIP-Boost

• Legendary Lootbox: Legendary clothes, Real Estate Voucher, Exclusive masks.

STOCKS

• DOW: 40,287.53(-0.93%)

• S&P: 5,505.00 (-0.71%) 

• NASDAQ: 17,726.94 (-0.81%)

*Stock numbers as of market close on June 19th

Berkshire Hathaway Sells Approximately $1.48 Billion in Bank of America Shares

Berkshire Hathaway sold approximately 33.9 million Bank of America shares for around $1.48 billion in several transactions this week, according to a regulatory filing. Following the sale, Berkshire retains about 999 million Bank of America shares.

Berkshire Hathaway is one of the largest shareholders of the Charlotte-based lender and also invests in several other banks, including Wells Fargo & Co and JPMorgan Chase.

Harland & Wolff CEO Resigns as Debt Crisis Worsens

The CEO of Belfast-based shipbuilder Harland & Wolff stepped down on Friday as the company announced urgent discussions with its primary lender to address immediate financing needs while exploring future strategic options.

The shipyard, renowned for building the Titanic over a century ago, is facing significant financial difficulties with a heavy debt burden. Its shares were suspended from London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) earlier this month due to a failure to submit audited accounts.

REAL ESTATE

• 15-year: 6.32%

• 30-year: 6.89%

*Mortage rates via Mortgage News Daily

Super Duper Flat Following Overnight Losses

This week, Friday was the only notable day for bond market price action, standing out from the otherwise consistent trends. For the first four days of the week, MBS prices remained narrowly confined, with the highest price fluctuating within a 0.09 range and the lowest within a 0.06 range.

However, Friday also ended flat, though it experienced overnight losses that pushed MBS prices nearly half a point below Thursday's highs. Despite this, the overall impact remains relatively minor in the grand scheme, particularly as these levels are still among the strongest seen in several months following last Thursday’s favorable CPI data.

TECH

Meta in talks to acquire a 5% stake in Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica

Meta Platforms (META.O) is negotiating to acquire a roughly 5% stake in EssilorLuxottica (ESLX.PA), its Ray-Ban smart glasses production partner, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Based on its current market value of €86.50 billion, the 5% stake in the world's largest eyewear company could be worth €4.33 billion ($4.73 billion), according to Reuters calculations using LSEG data.

QUICK RECAP

#1. Canada's Tenaz Energy (TNZ.TO) announced a deal to acquire NAM Offshore B.V. from NAM for €165 million ($180.33 million).

#2. UK's Vedanta Resources settled $245.75 million in dues to revive Zambia's Konkola copper mines and reclaim them.

#3. Britain’s regulator approved Nationwide’s £2.9 billion acquisition of Virgin Money UK, creating the second-largest savings provider after Lloyds.

#4. Plenty is partnering with Mawarid, a unit of Alpha Dhabi Holding (ALPHADHABI.AD), in a $680 million deal for Middle East indoor farms.

#5. Serbia will offer lithium for car batteries to Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Stellantis, prioritizing EU over Chinese carmakers, says President Vucic.