Solana (SOL), also known as the ‘Ethereum Killer’ suffered from heavy losses since November 2021. At its peak Solana was trading at $260 (approx.) and is currently orbiting around $94. We will discuss whether SOL has the potential to break higher with its projects and tokens.
Why Investors Are Selling Solana?
Before attempting to assess whether Solana can indeed rebound from its current levels, it is important to understand what leads to the strong selling in the cryptocurrency. While some analysts are pointing to the recent OpenSea phishing attack as the cause, Solana has suffered from more severe issues.
Congestion in the network weighed on the cryptocurrency last month. The recent wormhole bridge hack only fueled the selling.
source: ethexplorer
Over $320 million was stolen via the wormhole bridge that allowed investors to ETH from the Ethereum blockchain to Solana. The ETH is converted to Wormhole ETH or wETH for short, which is pegged to the value Ethereum in the ETH blockchain.
A vulnerability in the bridge’s function (validator action approval or VAA for short) enabled the hacker to mint 120,000 wETH, which was valued at a notch over $322 million. The hacker transferred 93,750 wETH back to ETH, the remaining 26,250 wETH was swapped for 432,662 SOL (approx.).
source: wETH minting hack recorded at solana explorer
As 120,000 wETH went missing (from the mint) it was required for the sum to be replaced. Initially, there was great uncertainty as to who would provide the missing cryptocurrencies.
Jump Crypto Replaced 120,000 wETH
A message was sent to the attacker via Notifi, an Ethereum messaging service. The hacker was offered a bounty of $10 million for the exploit details and the return of the minted wETH,
“We noticed you were able to exploit the Solana VAA verification and mint tokens. We’d like to offer you a whitehat agreement, and present you a bug bounty of $10 million for exploit details, and returning the wETH you’ve minted.”
(View the full message on Notifi)
The hacker ignored the message and kept the 93,750 ETH in his account.
Jump Crypto shortly announced on Twitter that it has replaced the missing 120,000 wETH in order to sustain the network. Without the cryptocurrencies, there would have been serious repercussions. The vulnerability in the wormhole bridge was patched.
The bridge hack is what took SOL below $100 in the market. Investors would like to see some reassurance that security is a top priority. Solana is trading in tandem with leading
cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities.
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities. Read this Term such as ETH and Bitcoin.
Solana OpenSea Integration?
The hacker house events are a great idea. Core Solana Labs engineers participate in offline events, providing educational programming on DeFi, NFTs and how to start working with Solana. If the events would have been announced following the bridge exploitations and not in January, perhaps it would have had some impact on SOL.
We explored the play to earn games that are based on Solana’s blockchain. According to playtoearn.net which is listing the top 50 games per
blockchain
Blockchain
Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others.
Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others. Read this Term, only 3 games that are based on Solana are actually live. Most of the games are in development or in beta and alpha.
Age of Sam, a popular NFT Solana based project may be insufficient to lift the cryptocurrency higher.
At the end of January speculations on the Solana OpenSea integration surfaced. A well-known Hong Kong hacker by the name of Jane Manchun Wong is notorious for unearthing app features before they are publicly announced.
Jane has already revealed features on Instagram, Spotify and Facebook before they were announced to the public. According to a tweet on 25 January 2022, OpenSea is developing an integration with Phantom wallet.
Phantom wallet is used for buying and selling crypto and NFTs on the Solana blockchain.
Jane claims she used reverse engineering to unmask OpenSea’s intentions to integrate Solana into the NFT marketplace. OpenSea declined to confirm it has such plans.
Adding SOL to OpenSea, which is currently the biggest NFT marketplace platform, may contribute to SOL recovery from the bridge hack. Because of the recent phishing attack OpenSea experienced, the chance that such plans having ever existed may now be delayed.
OpenSea is currently busy dealing with the phishing attack. If there were integrations plans they may be delayed.
Is It a Good Time to Buy Solana?
From the technical end, Solana may struggle to trade back above $130. The next support based on the monthly chart is around $52. To invalidate the downtrend in the monthly chart, SOL may require to trade back above $160.
Based on the daily chart, some support is offered at the $84 mark. If Solana succeeds in breaking above $121, it may extend its gains towards $140.
Portals announced last week they have raised $5 million to build a metaverse platform based on the Solana blockchain. Foundation Capital and Alameda Research participated in the funding round.
Adam Gomez, the Co-Founder of Portals, said, “We are building an entirely new Times Square in the metaverse.” Building the platform may take time and had no impact on cryptocurrency.
President Biden is expected to issue the executive order on cryptocurrencies this week. The executive order will instruct governing bodies to begin the coordination of crypto regulations. It is unclear at the time of writing the impact the order will have as it is widely anticipated.
One event that has triggered a reaction in the crypto markets is the Fed monetary policy. A rate hike is expected in March 2022 with possible insights into the pace of future rate hikes. It is still early to predict how will the Fed impact SOL as it greatly depends on the monetary policy.
The daily support at $84 appears to be the only lifeboat for SOL at the time of writing.
Solana (SOL), also known as the ‘Ethereum Killer’ suffered from heavy losses since November 2021. At its peak Solana was trading at $260 (approx.) and is currently orbiting around $94. We will discuss whether SOL has the potential to break higher with its projects and tokens.
Why Investors Are Selling Solana?
Before attempting to assess whether Solana can indeed rebound from its current levels, it is important to understand what leads to the strong selling in the cryptocurrency. While some analysts are pointing to the recent OpenSea phishing attack as the cause, Solana has suffered from more severe issues.
Congestion in the network weighed on the cryptocurrency last month. The recent wormhole bridge hack only fueled the selling.
source: ethexplorer
Over $320 million was stolen via the wormhole bridge that allowed investors to ETH from the Ethereum blockchain to Solana. The ETH is converted to Wormhole ETH or wETH for short, which is pegged to the value Ethereum in the ETH blockchain.
A vulnerability in the bridge’s function (validator action approval or VAA for short) enabled the hacker to mint 120,000 wETH, which was valued at a notch over $322 million. The hacker transferred 93,750 wETH back to ETH, the remaining 26,250 wETH was swapped for 432,662 SOL (approx.).
source: wETH minting hack recorded at solana explorer
As 120,000 wETH went missing (from the mint) it was required for the sum to be replaced. Initially, there was great uncertainty as to who would provide the missing cryptocurrencies.
Jump Crypto Replaced 120,000 wETH
A message was sent to the attacker via Notifi, an Ethereum messaging service. The hacker was offered a bounty of $10 million for the exploit details and the return of the minted wETH,
“We noticed you were able to exploit the Solana VAA verification and mint tokens. We’d like to offer you a whitehat agreement, and present you a bug bounty of $10 million for exploit details, and returning the wETH you’ve minted.”
(View the full message on Notifi)
The hacker ignored the message and kept the 93,750 ETH in his account.
Jump Crypto shortly announced on Twitter that it has replaced the missing 120,000 wETH in order to sustain the network. Without the cryptocurrencies, there would have been serious repercussions. The vulnerability in the wormhole bridge was patched.
The bridge hack is what took SOL below $100 in the market. Investors would like to see some reassurance that security is a top priority. Solana is trading in tandem with leading
cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities.
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities. Read this Term such as ETH and Bitcoin.
Solana OpenSea Integration?
The hacker house events are a great idea. Core Solana Labs engineers participate in offline events, providing educational programming on DeFi, NFTs and how to start working with Solana. If the events would have been announced following the bridge exploitations and not in January, perhaps it would have had some impact on SOL.
We explored the play to earn games that are based on Solana’s blockchain. According to playtoearn.net which is listing the top 50 games per
blockchain
Blockchain
Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others.
Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others. Read this Term, only 3 games that are based on Solana are actually live. Most of the games are in development or in beta and alpha.
Age of Sam, a popular NFT Solana based project may be insufficient to lift the cryptocurrency higher.
At the end of January speculations on the Solana OpenSea integration surfaced. A well-known Hong Kong hacker by the name of Jane Manchun Wong is notorious for unearthing app features before they are publicly announced.
Jane has already revealed features on Instagram, Spotify and Facebook before they were announced to the public. According to a tweet on 25 January 2022, OpenSea is developing an integration with Phantom wallet.
Phantom wallet is used for buying and selling crypto and NFTs on the Solana blockchain.
Jane claims she used reverse engineering to unmask OpenSea’s intentions to integrate Solana into the NFT marketplace. OpenSea declined to confirm it has such plans.
Adding SOL to OpenSea, which is currently the biggest NFT marketplace platform, may contribute to SOL recovery from the bridge hack. Because of the recent phishing attack OpenSea experienced, the chance that such plans having ever existed may now be delayed.
OpenSea is currently busy dealing with the phishing attack. If there were integrations plans they may be delayed.
Is It a Good Time to Buy Solana?
From the technical end, Solana may struggle to trade back above $130. The next support based on the monthly chart is around $52. To invalidate the downtrend in the monthly chart, SOL may require to trade back above $160.
Based on the daily chart, some support is offered at the $84 mark. If Solana succeeds in breaking above $121, it may extend its gains towards $140.
Portals announced last week they have raised $5 million to build a metaverse platform based on the Solana blockchain. Foundation Capital and Alameda Research participated in the funding round.
Adam Gomez, the Co-Founder of Portals, said, “We are building an entirely new Times Square in the metaverse.” Building the platform may take time and had no impact on cryptocurrency.
President Biden is expected to issue the executive order on cryptocurrencies this week. The executive order will instruct governing bodies to begin the coordination of crypto regulations. It is unclear at the time of writing the impact the order will have as it is widely anticipated.
One event that has triggered a reaction in the crypto markets is the Fed monetary policy. A rate hike is expected in March 2022 with possible insights into the pace of future rate hikes. It is still early to predict how will the Fed impact SOL as it greatly depends on the monetary policy.
The daily support at $84 appears to be the only lifeboat for SOL at the time of writing.
Robinhood had a net loss of $1.32 billion this past quarter, recording a plunge of 78% in revenue from crypto transactions from 2Q. Their shares dropped 12% to $34.80 at 9:46 a.m. in New York, $38 below the IPO price in late July, Bloomberg reported.
Robinhood Markets Inc. shares down to $34.80 on the daily chart – Source: Robinhood Markets Inc on TradingView
Analysts had estimated Robinhood Markets Inc. would have a total revenue of $423.9 million during an earlier Bloomberg survey, but the numbers fell short hitting only $364.9 million.
Vlad Tenev, Robinhood’s Chief Executive Officer, had predicted that the trading activity would tumble in the third quarter of 2021 and fewer accounts would open. As he stated during the Q3 Earnings Call, the tumbling numbers do not worry them since they have different short-term goals.
The fourth quarter might be falling short as their anticipation for Q4 is that “total revenue will be less than $325 million and full-year revenue will be less than $1.8 billion. At the top end, this implies full-year revenue growth of 85 percent.”, said Jason Warnick, Chief Financial Officer.
Warnick also reminded that they typically show a “seasonality curve that shows higher growth in the first quarter of the year versus the last three quarters.”, and further explained their Q3 focus on building a team:
We continue to make progress building our teams with increases primarily in engineering, customer service, and our regulatory, and compliance teams. In the quarter, we added 580 new full-time employees across the company, growing 21 percent sequentially versus Q2.
Warnick added that they are not worried about the near-term profitability, rather they feel safe about being “a profitable company over the long term.”
Robinhood’s Crypto Activity Drops-Off
In Robinhood’s report they show a big drop-off on their monthly active users (MAU) from 21.3 million in the second quarter to 18.9 million in this third quarter. Their crypto activity tumbled as well, as they had significantly fewer new funded accounts.
Many thought Robinhood would improve the way to invest in the crypto market. However, many wonder if they can meet with many of their clients interests, such as integrating new digital coins.
Related Reading | Strategist: Next Wave of Bitcoin Investors Likely to Come from Robinhood
Crypto activity and revenue plays a big role in Robinhood’s platform. Ever since they announced their intent to offer a crypto wallet, a waitlist of 1 million clients surged. On the potential growth that this project might bring, Tenev commented:
We actually believe that by rolling out wallets, we will go a long way toward addressing the primary pain point that customers feel right now.
Regulatory Requirements Vs. Crypto Platforms
Tenev stated during the Earnings Call that “the regulatory landscape is increasingly uncertain.” As they want to enhance their involvement in the crypto space, they also intend to watch over their platform and keep it safe by “introducing products that comply with legal and regulatory requirements.”
He explained that Robinhood is carefully looking into new virtual currencies, but they mantain the focus on meeting regulatory guidelines since they do not want another run-in
Related Reading | Robinhood Fined $70M For Causing “Significant Harm” To Customers
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Blockchain Capital General Partner Spencer Bogart reacted to Robinhood’s tumbling numbers and suggested this drop-off aligns with the frustration that the historically unfriendly regulations from the U.S create for crypto platforms.
Bogart explains that “Historically, the U.S. has been so unfriendly to innovation in the crypto space that most platforms are forced to ban Americans.” According to his opinion, regulations have only worked against the American people’s freedom rather than being implemented in their favor.
For a country that is founded on the principles of freedom, growth, and innovation, to see the U.S. on a shortlist that these merging crypto platforms cannot service, alongside Syria, Sudan and North Korea, it is not just a disgrace, it is a disservice to the American people who should be able to access this technology.
He clarifies that he is unsure of Robinhood’s inside issues, but he understands the landscape behind Tenev’s comments about the regulatory situation “where there really isn’t much clarity”. However, he remains positive as he sees “the tide turning” for crypto.
Robinhood does not sound worried about the Q4 result and they are aiming to play the profitability slow and steady. Warnick said they are investing in crypto and looking forward to diversifying their product selection.
Total crypto market over $2.4 Trillion in the daily chart | Source: Crypto Total Market Cap from TradingView.com
