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Bitcoin values hit record highs. Should you invest in cryptocurrency? Here’s how it works

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Bitcoin values hit record highs. Should you invest in cryptocurrency? Here’s how it works
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If it seems everyone is talking about bitcoin these days, you’re onto something.

The digital currency has been hitting record highs and neared $100,000 this past week, having doubled in value throughout 2024. Launched in 2009, bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency, meaning that it’s a digital currency and does not rely on banks to verify transactions.

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Bitcoin’s surge – up about 130% this year – is one of the “Trump trades,” market moves that have kicked in since former President Donald Trump’s victory in the Nov. 5 election.

Trump has dabbled in cryptocurrency – releasing crypto-based digital trading cards – and Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates Truth Social, is reportedly close to acquiring crypto trading firm Bakkt. The Trump family launched its own crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, in September.

Investors have wagered Trump’s support for bitcoin and other digital assets will lead to fewer restrictions on the industry. During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would make America the “world capital for crypto and bitcoin.”

Trump has tapped Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to co-lead, with Vivek Ramaswamy, the new Department of Government Efficiency, or D.O.G.E. It’s an acronym for cryptocurrency called Dogecoin, which Musk supported as it became a phenomenon in 2021. 

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Been hit with the bitcoin buzz, but don’t quite understand it? Here’s some bitcoin basics.

What is bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a digital asset, launched in 2009 by a person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto and designed to have a cap of 21 million bitcoin tokens. Bitcoin is created as crypto miners use their computing work to validate bitcoin transactions on its decentralized blockchain network, essentially a digital ledger meant to prevent fraud. As the crypto miners work, they earn bitcoin.

So far, about 19 million tokens have been released. In April, bitcoin underwent a “halving,” which kicks in about every four years to reduce the rate at which new bitcoins are created and released into circulation. As the bitcoin cap of 21 million tokens nears, demand likely increases, according to Investopedia.

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Currently, a bitcoin is worth about $98,000. But the ownership of fractional shares of bitcoin is common, notes NerdWallet.

What are bitcoin ETFs?

It’s Trump’s interest in bitcoin alone that’s led to bitcoin’s climb. Earlier this year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission voted to allow the sale of bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, to the public.

That action allowed more investors to get into bitcoin in a similar manner to how they invest in stocks, bypassing crypto exchanges.

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How does bitcoin work?

Like the dollar, bitcoin can be used as currency, but it’s virtual and isn’t controlled by banks or governments. While an entire bitcoin is priced at nearly $100,000, you can own partial shares of each coin. The smallest share of each bitcoin is called a Satoshi – after the cryptocurrency’s creator – equal to a hundred millionth of one bitcoin, according to NerdWallet.

You can buy bitcoin on a crypto exchange such as Binance.US, online stockbrokers including Fidelity and E-Trade, and trading apps like Robinhood.

If you buy bitcoin on a crypto exchange, you will create a “crypto wallet” to hold your bitcoin. If you invest in those bitcoin ETFs the SEC approved earlier this year, online brokers will hold your bitcoin in your brokerage account as any other investment.

What can I buy with bitcoin?

Pretty much anything. For instance, you can get a bitcoin debit card, which you load with a certain amount of your cryptocurrency holdings. That can be used as you would any debit card.

Beyond that, many companies now accept cryptocurrency for purchases including AT&T, Microsoft, Rolex, Time Inc., and Tesla, notes Investopedia.

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You can buy “art,” too. That banana duct-taped to a wall, which sold last week for $6.2 million? The buyer paid in crypto.

What concerns are there about bitcoin and cryptocurrencies?

Back in 2018, investment guru Warren Buffett predicted that cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, will likely “come to a bad ending.” His stance hasn’t really changed, reported Nasdaq.com.

But many point to the surge in bitcoin’s valuation as a sign the cryptocurrency has arrived. Anthony Scaramucci, founder of Skybridge and a former White House director of communications, has said Bitcoin could exceed $170,000 by mid-2025, and Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood has predicted Bitcoin will hit $1.48 million by 2030, Fortune reported.

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However, crypto exchanges can fail. The 2022 bankruptcy of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange resulted in customers losing $8 billion; founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March.

Bitcoin values dipped after that, but have since risen to new heights – because, supporters say, as more people invest in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the currencies become more stable.

Volatility can be seen as an advantage for those in search of future earnings – or as a disadvantage for those seeking somewhat stable investments.

“Remember that bitcoin and crypto are highly volatile, and may be more susceptible to market manipulation than securities,” notes Fidelity Investments in a primer for investors. “Crypto holders do not benefit from the same regulatory protections applicable to registered securities, and the future regulatory environment for crypto is currently uncertain.”

Maybe think about investing in bitcoin as you would joining the wave of online bettors. “If you decide to buy Bitcoin, it’s a good rule of thumb to invest only what you can afford to lose,” writes NerdWallet’s Kevin Voigt, “and take measures to protect your assets.”

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Contributing: Daniel de Visé, Jessica Guynn, Max Hauptman, Jonathan Limehouse and Bailey Schulz of USA TODAY, and Reuters.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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Community Is King: Why Wadoozie Is Ditching Online Hype for Real-World Participation

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Community Is King: Why Wadoozie Is Ditching Online Hype for Real-World Participation

This episode features two guests from the Wadoozie team. The project is led by Mr. Wadoozie, Senior Internet Architect Engineer of Software, who brings more than a decade of experience in the cryptocurrency industry. He is joined on this episode by Tay, Operations Manager, who has a background in marketing and management and has run operations for multiple crypto projects.

The token launches with a roughly one billion effective supply (two billion minted, 999,999,999 burned at launch), 0% buy/sell tax, a DAO-governed locked liquidity pool, and a renounced contract — every parameter publicly verifiable on Etherscan and audited by CertiK.

At the center is Wadoozie himself: a returning signal that takes a character’s form, traveling the country by tour bus to “activate” each state as a node in a fractured cultural network the mythology calls The Feed. The mission is structured as eight narrative Acts opening with the Austin Flagship and closing back in New Orleans, with seven Flagship cities — Austin, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, NYC, Miami, and Nashville — anchoring the arc across roughly four and a half months. After the 48 states wrap, the network expands to Europe.

About Our Guests

Mr. Wadoozie is the Senior Internet Architect Engineer of Software on the project, with more than a decade of experience in the cryptocurrency industry. He sits at the center of the mission — the returning signal that takes a character’s form, traveling the country by tour bus to activate each U.S. state as a node in a fractured cultural network the mythology calls The Feed.

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Tay is the Operations Manager at Wadoozie, with a background in marketing and management and prior operations experience across multiple crypto projects. Tay runs the @wadoozie X account and sets the public voice of the mission as the network activates one state at a time. On this episode Tay represents the operational side of the project — the people moving the bus, dropping the Signal Fragments, and building out the Publishers Network across the 48-state route.

To learn more about the project visit Wadoozie.com, and follow the team on X, Telegram or Discord.


The Bitcoin.com News podcast features interviews with the most interesting leaders, founders and investors in the world of Cryptocurrency, Decentralized Finance ( DeFi), NFTs and the Metaverse. Follow us on iTunes or Spotify.


This is a sponsored podcast. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below.

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EU Reconsiders MiCA Regulation as Crypto Evolves | PYMNTS.com

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EU Reconsiders MiCA Regulation as Crypto Evolves | PYMNTS.com

European regulators want to know if their 2024 cryptocurrency regulations still apply to the 2026 crypto landscape.

With that in mind, the European Commission announced Wednesday (May 20) that it has launched a consultation to get feedback from stakeholders and the general public on the functioning of the Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA).

“As crypto asset markets and the broader policy landscape continue to expand, the commission is assessing whether the current framework remains fit for purpose,” the announcement said.

MiCA created a “harmonized” EU framework for crypto assets and related services, governing things like cryptocurrency asset‑referenced tokens and stablecoins, their issuers, and crypto asset service providers.

“Since the MiCA Regulation was developed, digital asset markets have continued to evolve, with the global policy and regulatory landscape also changing significantly,” the commission added, leading it to assess “whether the EU framework needs to be updated in light of market and international developments.”

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As covered here last month, MiCA is on the verge of a moment where it “stops being theory and becomes market structure.”

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That’s because of a July 1 deadline which says that all firms offering crypto asset services in the EU without formal authorization must close operations in member states.

The consultation, open until Aug. 31, includes a public consultation for individuals and a targeted consultation asking technical and legal questions of stakeholders that include digital asset issuers and service providers, financial institutions, consumer and public interest organizations, and EU public authorities.

One of the changes in crypto’s regulatory landscape is happening in the U.S., where lawmakers are preparing to take up the CLARITY Act after it was advanced last week by the Senate Banking Committee.

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As PYMNTS wrote, that vote was “one of the most consequential regulatory developments for digital assets since the collapse of FTX reignited demands for federal oversight.”

While still facing political and procedural obstacles, the legislation signals a growing bipartisan acknowledgment that what was once seen as a fringe or adversarial sector is now viewed as a strategic financial and technological industry.

“The market response demonstrates how central regulatory clarity has become to crypto valuations,” the report added. “Coinbase shares rallied after the Senate Banking Committee advanced the bill, while broader crypto-linked equities also moved higher as investors price in the possibility that stablecoins and digital assets may soon operate inside a more predictable U.S. regulatory framework.”

 

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K33 Research Says Bitcoin’s $60K Bottom Was Bear Market’s Maximum Drawdown

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K33 Research Says Bitcoin’s K Bottom Was Bear Market’s Maximum Drawdown

Key Takeaways

Bitcoin’s Downside Capped at $60K

In a research note published this week, K33’s head of research, Vetle Lunde, argued that the conditions defining the 2026 bear market make an 80%-plus collapse (akin to those seen in 2018 and 2022) structurally unlikely. She added that the 2025 bull market was less aggressive than prior cycles, and a proportionally less severe bear market will follow as a consequence.

Image source: X

The firm’s key evidence sits in derivatives data as bitcoin’s 30-day average funding rate has remained negative for 81 consecutive days, an unusually prolonged stretch of bearish positioning in perpetual swap markets. Lunde describes this as a “uniquely pessimistic” sentiment, which paradoxically stands to limit further downside by exhausting near-term selling pressure before a sustained decline can develop.

K33’s base case projects bitcoin consolidating within a range of $60,000 to $75,000, with slow grind dynamics rather than a sharp capitulation event. The “maximum drawdown” in this scenario sits at the February low of approximately $60,000, a roughly 52% decline from the all-time high of $126,272 reached on October 6, 2025.

The numbers may be severe by historical standards for equities, but quite modest for a bitcoin bear market cycle, as previous cycles have produced peak-to-trough losses exceeding 80%.

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The key structural difference K33 points to is the role of institutional capital. With access to bitcoin now largely routed through regulated products, the extreme leverage feedback loops that drove prior capitulations are harder to sustain at scale. Long-term holders also appear to be approaching selling exhaustion, a metric that in previous cycles has preceded a medium-term price floor.

Moreover, in February, K33 flagged parallels to the late 2022 bear market bottom when bitcoin first approached the $60,000 level. The latest note extends that argument forward, suggesting that if February was the floor, the market is now in slow recovery territory rather than mid-decline.

For traders and long-term holders alike, the question now shifts from how low bitcoin can go to how long the consolidation lasts.

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