Crypto
Opinion | How crypto can help restore Hong Kong’s financial glory

For those unfamiliar with cryptocurrency, this is a major milestone in Asia and across the world as it opens the road for adoption and investment in cryptocurrency, moving the asset class from niche to mainstream. Although the US allowed spot bitcoin ETFs in January, it only recently approved applications to list spot ether ETFs; a second round of approvals will be needed before the products can begin trading. The US’ decision on ether ETFs came a month after Hong Kong became one of the first in the world to approve them.
Hong Kong’s first-mover advantage could attract a new wave of fintech activity and talent to the region, leveraging its forward-thinking regulatory framework. These steps have promoted the city as a global digital asset hub.
Hong Kong already has plans to maintain its advantage over the US by looking at strategic ways to keep developing as a cryptocurrency hub. It could do this by approving advanced financial products before the US does. For example, Hong Kong could allow yield-earning options such as ether ETF staking.
Staking involves locking cryptocurrency tokens to a blockchain network for a set period of time to earn rewards, a practice that the US might be slower to approve. Hong Kong taking a progressive stance would not just be a regulatory success but an indirect endorsement of the potential of decentralised finance. This momentum could draw fintech investment to the region.
Hong Kong is also becoming one of the main destinations for major cryptocurrency conferences, which are drawing foreign investment from venture capitalists into local cryptocurrency start-ups. In 2023, the Web3 Festival attracted a crowd of 50,000 attendees, including many investors from around the world. These events, which some have referred to as “cryptocurrency tourism”, bring high earners to Hong Kong, who boost the local economy through their spending and investment.
Overall, Hong Kong is showing the world that cryptocurrency can be regulated reasonably while maintaining an innovative environment. This is likely to impact Hong Kong’s wider financial position. Such regulatory clarity is likely to attract more start-ups and established companies, especially if cryptocurrency start-ups move from the US looking for a friendlier climate to support their growth and innovation.
Additionally, this regulated environment reassures global investors which could enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as a secure and innovative financial hub, boosting investment and job creation in related fields, and driving further economic growth.
Developing the cryptocurrency sector could help alleviate Hong Kong’s talent shortages. Nearly three-quarters of employers in Hong Kong are experiencing talent shortages, exacerbated by a 1.6 per cent population drop by mid-2022. Hong Kong’s ageing population, with 30 per cent expected to be aged 65 and above by 2040, could further intensify this issue.
Hong Kong’s rise as Asia’s cryptocurrency hub, while not guaranteed, is well-supported by its progressive regulatory environment. Challenges such as red tape in other jurisdictions and talent shortages persist, yet the dynamic cryptocurrency sector could attract and retain talent. The recent US decision on ether ETFs highlights the widening adoption of cryptocurrency assets, making it even more important for Hong Kong to stay competitive.
As global institutions seek clarity and innovation, Hong Kong stands out as an ideal location to set up shop. With its strategic initiatives, Hong Kong is poised to take the lead in the evolution of the finance industry, attracting both companies and professionals to the city.
Danny Chong is CEO and co-founder of Tranchess, a decentralised yield-enhancing asset tracking and management protocol

Crypto
Should You Buy Bitcoin While It's Under $110,000? | The Motley Fool

The price of Bitcoin (BTC 1.02%) has surged 24% over the past month, pushing its value back over $100,000 for the first time since February. Investors are once again regaining their optimism in the world’s leading cryptocurrency, but is it a good time to buy?
Here’s why Bitcoin’s price is jumping higher again and why it might be better to wait out the current wave until the dust has settled on tariffs and their potential impact on the economy.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why investors are getting back on board with Bitcoin
Bitcoin fell in step with plummeting stock prices after President Trump announced a slew of tariffs on imported goods. That caused Bitcoin to drop to around $76,000 in early April.
But over the past few weeks, investors have reassessed their sell-off sentiment and have been buying up equities and cryptocurrencies again. The hope is that the Trump administration will work out trade deals with countries before they cause serious pain to the U.S. economy.
For example, the administration announced some details about a new trade deal with the U.K. recently, which was the main reason why Bitcoin’s value jumped back over $100,000. Some of the details include a lower 10% tariff for the first 100,000 vehicles imported to the U.S. — as opposed to 25% — and a tariff exemption on steel and aluminum.
Plus, China and the U.S. have recently agreed to ratchet down their trade war. The tariffs on Chinese imports will fall from 145% to 30% for 90 days while a trade deal gets hammered out. China, in turn, will lower its tariffs from 125% to 10%.
Bitcoin isn’t directly impacted by tariffs, but many investors have been buying and selling cryptocurrencies based on tariff news. Currently, it appears some Bitcoin investors believe the trade war with China will get settled and other tariff deals will be made before they hurt the economy.
Bitcoin’s surge of optimism may be premature
I think there are some legitimate reasons to be optimistic about Bitcoin’s future. The cryptocurrency has gained significant institutional adoption recently with the launch of Bitcoin ETFs last year. The Trump administration has also taken a lighter regulatory approach to cryptocurrency and announced a strategic Bitcoin reserve just a few months ago.
All of these things have been positive moves for the long-term viability of Bitcoin as an investment. But there’s bound to be far more volatility in the short term because of the general uncertainty from tariffs and the economy.
For one, a trade deal between the U.S. and China has not been finalized. Imports from China will still incur a significant 30% tariff and could be higher or lower by the end of the negotiations, depending on how the trade talks play out.
Even if a deal gets worked out over the next three months, the Trump administration has shown it doesn’t mind throwing a wrench into previously established economic norms. That’s bad for the price of Bitcoin because investors tend to respond strongly to any negative economic news — just as they did with the initial tariff announcements.
How much will tariffs impact the economy?
What’s more, even if significant trade deals are made with countries, higher consumer prices because of import tariffs could still impact the economy. For example, after some tariff exemptions were made for autos, Ford recently said prices will increase on three of its models by as much as $2,000 because of tariffs.
The main point here is that there’s still a huge question mark when it comes to how much tariffs will impact the economy. Bitcoin investors have chosen to be optimistic on some of the positive news, but over the coming months, we’ll learn more about how the economy is really doing.
If you’re interested in owning Bitcoin, it’s better to wait until all the trade deals are made with countries. Waiting a few months will likely give you a much better view of whether the Trump administration is kneecapping the economy with bad policy, or if the trade fiasco has been smoothed out.
With the stock market and Bitcoin’s price moving significantly based on near-daily tariff news, buying now — with Bitcoin flirting with its all-time high — looks like a bad move.
Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Crypto
Where Will Sui Be in 1 Year?

Sui(CRYPTO: SUI) has emerged as a breakout star in the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency market, climbing about 290% during the past year.
Its unique blockchain platform, designed to address scalability and user experience bottlenecks that have long plagued crypto, has proven transformative in building a growing ecosystem. Indeed, Sui is already the 11th largest cryptocurrency with a $13 billion market capitalization, just two years since its May 2023 launch.
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Let’s discuss the factors driving this remarkable ascent and where Sui might be headed during the year.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why Sui stands out
With more than 20,000 different cryptocurrencies available to investors, Sui distinguishes itself through its elite development team and robust financial backing.
The project was started by former Meta Platforms engineers after the company abandoned its blockchain-based digital currency, Libra (later renamed Diem), in 2022. Securing $336 million from high-profile investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Binance Labs, and Coinbase Ventures, the Sui project gained immediate credibility with several breakthrough technological advancements.
Sui operates as an independent Layer-1 blockchain, meaning it runs on its own decentralized network rather than being tied to any other cryptocurrency. Its fixed supply of 10 billion Sui tokens enhances its appeal by promoting long-term value retention.
A key innovation lies in its object-centric model, which assigns all types of on-chain assets unique identifiers with defined ownership. This approach eliminates the need for complex smart contract interactions to manage ownership, a departure from the traditional account-based model used by prominent cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Solana.
As a result, Sui can handle parallel transaction processing, theoretically achieving up to 297,000 transactions per second (TPS) with 400 milliseconds of finality, referring to the time required for a transaction to be confirmed on the network and irreversible. These performance metrics surpass Ethereum’s 15 to 30 TPS and confirmation times ranging from seconds to minutes, relying on Layer-2 solutions for improved efficiency. Solana performs better than Ethereum with 65,000 theoretical TPS and 900ms finality, but has experienced episodes of network congestion and instability.
Furthermore, Sui’s architecture employs the Move programming language, recognized for its flexible and efficient framework designed to prevent security vulnerabilities and deliver more predictable performance. Sui’s exceptional speed, scalability, and low fees make it ideal for real-time applications, including decentralized finance (DeFi) and next-generation gaming, driving platform development and ecosystem growth.
Recent developments fueling growth
Robust metrics underscore Sui’s growing utility and ability to attract users and capital from competing Layer-1 and Layer-2 blockchains.
The latest data shows Sui’s total value locked (TVL), representing the value of all blockchain assets, including tokens and decentralized applications (dApps), at $2 billion, surging nearly 10-fold in just over a year from $212 million in January 2024. Though overshadowed by Ethereum, which leverages its decade-long trading history and platform maturity for a $60 billion TVL, Sui outpaces many alternatives in engagement share. Rising daily decentralized exchange (DEX) volume and daily active addresses (DAAs) reflect robust activity on dApps like Cetus, a concentrated liquidity DEX enabling efficient token swaps, and MemeFi, a gaming dApp capturing viral popularity.
Strategic advancements strengthening Sui’s outlook include a partnership with Mastercard to facilitate virtual credit card spending via a Sui wallet at more than 20,000 European merchants. Additionally, multiple U.S. regulatory filings for Sui exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by firms like 21Shares and Canary Capital underscore Sui’s expanding influence and broad-based appeal.
My prediction for Sui in one year
Despite the wild swings in financial markets this year amid a delicate economic environment, recent headlines suggest easing trade tensions have helped boost investor confidence and stabilize some asset classes. This backdrop of resiliency could be key for the Sui blockchain to continue growing, providing a tailwind for its price this year.
I’m bullish and predict that Sui can surpass its all-time high of $5.35 during the next year. Although the cryptocurrency remains speculative and faces the challenge of staying at the cutting edge of innovation in the highly competitive crypto industry, I believe the project is still in the early stages of its success. Ultimately, Sui has proven itself to be one of the most important cryptocurrencies in the market and deserves to be on your investing radar.
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Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Dan Victor has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Ethereum, Mastercard, Meta Platforms, Solana, and Sui. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Crypto
KindlyMD And Gryphon Digital Mining Make Bold Cryptocurrency Moves

What’s going on here?
KindlyMD and Gryphon Digital Mining are making waves in the crypto industry with strategic mergers that have propelled their stocks upward.
What does this mean?
KindlyMD’s recent merger with Nakamoto Holdings has sparked a surge in its stock value, climbing over fourfold and pushing trading volume to an impressive 54.9 million shares from an average of 1.35 million. Meanwhile, Gryphon Digital Mining’s shares soared 241% after its American bitcoin unit merged in a bid to go public, resulting in a trading volume spike to 236.1 million shares compared to 976,000 typically. Additionally, NRG Energy joined the acquisition trend with deals involving CPower and several natural gas facilities, which coupled with strong Q1 earnings, boosted its stock by 25%.
Why should I care?
For markets: Cryptocurrency‘s golden touch.
Cryptocurrency strategies are no longer just speculative risks; they’re emerging as significant catalysts for stock market gains. Strategic mergers have allowed KindlyMD and Gryphon to harness this potential, leading to increased trading volumes and stock surges. As more firms explore similar strategies, these maneuvers are poised to further influence investor perspectives and alter market dynamics.
The bigger picture: Acquisitions fuel growth beyond digital currency.
While digital currencies capture much of the current spotlight, traditional energy firms like NRG Energy are actively participating in acquisitions. By integrating CPower and natural gas facilities, NRG is not only diversifying but also highlighting a synergy where established energy sectors and new tech can coexist, driving sustainable growth even in volatile markets.
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