Volatility & Opportunity

GM Anon!

Another week, another round of macro madness. CPI and PPI came in hotter than expected, meaning inflation is still flexing—bad news for those hoping for easy money. The market took a hit after a solid Monday pump, as traders quickly realized that rate cuts in March? Probably not happening. Powell doubled down too, basically saying no QE until interest rates hit zero, so for now, we’re stuck in this chop fest.

Is the bottom in? Maybe. But while we wait for the next big move, memes are back, narratives are shifting, and smart money is positioning. One way or another, the market is heating up, and The Coiners are watching it all unfold.

🚀 Before we get started—have you signed up for The Coiners yet? 🚀
Don't wait, Anon. It’s free and will level up your trading game.

🔥 Stay ahead with real-time market updates!
Join our Telegram channel for cutting-edge insights and breaking news.

Lastly,

💰 The ACE OF TRADES Competition is Here! 💰

The market is heating up, and so are The Coiners.
Join the ACE OF TRADES competition and trade your way to a $5.6M prize pool—our biggest yet!

Key Dates:

🔹 Registration: Feb 8, 2025 - March 6, 2025
🔹 Competition: Feb 13, 2025 - March 6, 2025

TLDR

• Inflation Still in Focus – CPI & PPI came in hot, delaying hopes for rate cuts. Powell confirmed no QE until interest rates hit zero.

• Memecoins Are Back – Major names like Michi, Popcat, and Miggles are bouncing after weeks of decline, signaling a potential sentiment shift.

• Broccoli Frenzy – CZ’s dog sparked a memecoin war.

• Altcoin ETF Race Heats Up – SEC acknowledged Grayscale’s DOGE ETF filing, with LTC, DOGE, and SOL leading the approval race.

• Coinbase’s Quiet Takeover – Now managing $420B AUM, surpassing traditional banks, with institutional trading volume up 128% QoQ.

• Base TVL Surges – Coinbase’s L2 network grew 89% last quarter, pushing past $3.2B TVL as adoption accelerates.

• Uniswap Goes Layer 2 – Unichain is launching, aiming to reduce Ethereum congestion and increase DeFi efficiency.

• Smart Money Moves – Key tokens showing strong accumulation: FULLSEND, ARC, GFM, MLG, and UFD.

• BSC Sees Growth – Active addresses up 7.7% this week, driven by memecoin trading & AI protocol launches.

Altcoin ETFs: A Big Step Forward?

The SEC has officially acknowledged Grayscale’s Dogecoin ETF filing, marking a major step toward altcoin ETFs beyond BTC and ETH. With $10B+ in BTC ETF inflows, asset managers like BlackRock, Grayscale, and VanEck are now pushing for DOGE, SOL, LTC, and XRP ETFs—but not all have the same shot at approval.

Bloomberg analysts see Litecoin (90%) as the most likely, given its commodity status. Dogecoin (75%) follows closely, benefiting from its BTC-like classification. Solana (70%) faces SEC hurdles as it was previously labeled a security, but its ETF filing suggests a potential shift.

If approved, these ETFs would bring institutional liquidity and set a precedent for XRP, ADA, and other altcoins. While SEC concerns remain, this could be a turning point—one approval could open the floodgates for mainstream crypto adoption.

Coinbase

Coinbase has quietly become one of the largest financial platforms, now holding $420B in AUM—more than New York Community Bancorp (NYCB), a traditional bank with $112.9B in assets.

While NYCB posted a $260M loss, Coinbase turned a $273M profit, marking its first profitable quarter since 2021. The exchange also sees 67.1M users on its platform every month, showing that crypto is no longer just a niche industry.

Regional banks are struggling under economic pressure, while crypto exchanges are pulling in more capital than ever. Coinbase’s total trading volume jumped 185% year-over-year, hitting $439B as institutional money poured into the market. Spot trading has surged in 2024, and early numbers suggest 2025 could be even bigger.

Big investors are driving most of the action. Institutional trading volume rose 128% quarter-over-quarter, fueled by BTC ETF inflows and a growing shift toward digital assets. At the same time, Coinbase’s custody business now secures $220B, reinforcing its growing role in the financial system.

Stablecoins are another big piece of the puzzle. USDC, which Coinbase co-founded with Circle, has seen a 225% jump in transactions over the past year. With over $56B now in circulation, USDC has become one of the most used stablecoins in payments, DeFi, and on-chain finance. Coinbase’s subscription and services revenue hit $2.3B, with a large share of that tied to USDC earnings.

Base Is Growing Fast

Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, Base, is seeing rapid adoption. Assets on the network grew 89% in the last quarter, with TVL now above $3.2B. 

With a pro-crypto administration now in office, Coinbase is pushing for clearer stablecoin regulations that could bring in even more institutional players. The company expects Q1 2025 trading revenue to hit $750M, with subscription and services revenue projected between $685M-$765M.

A New Era for Uniswap

Uniswap is taking a major leap into blockchain infrastructure with the launch of Unichain, reinforcing its vision for a more efficient DeFi ecosystem. With $5B+ in TVL across multiple chains, Uniswap remains a dominant force, and its own Layer 2 solution aims to boost transaction speed, ease Ethereum congestion, and unlock new revenue opportunities.

Other Data Points

Jito has seen just over $1B exit its protocol since hitting a high on Jan 26. 

Over the past year, Solana’s DEX volume relative to Ethereum has swung from under 100% to a soaring peak above 500%, reflecting explosive growth in late 2024 followed by a cooldown into early 2025—yet it still remains well above the levels we saw earlier in the year.

Exchange spot volume spiked twice recently, first in January and again in early February, peaking above $110B. However, the latest drop has been sharp and fast, with volume falling off a cliff after the recent rebound.

Babylon’s TVL has reached $5.37B, reflecting increasing participation in its Bitcoin-native staking model. The protocol allows BTC holders to stake assets to secure PoS networks without requiring wrapped or pegged assets, positioning it as a unique alternative within the staking ecosystem.

The sharp rise in TVL, particularly since late 2024, suggests growing interest in BTC-based security solutions for PoS chains. However, with inflows stabilizing in recent weeks, it remains to be seen whether this level of capital commitment will sustain or if early adoption momentum will slow.

Majors & Memes

This week’s highlight was Broccoli, CZ’s dog, which became the center of the latest memecoin frenzy. Multiple versions of Broccoli-themed tokens were launched, competing for mindshare, while many speculative plays attempting to assume CZ’s dog's name crashed once the official name was revealed. The leading Broccoli token on BNB is currently sitting at a market cap of approximately $97M, continuing to attract attention.

Meanwhile, major meme coins such as Michi, Popcat, Miggles, and others have been showing renewed strength after weeks of decline, signaling a potential sentiment shift. In the broader market, BTC, ETH, SOL, and SUI have all posted gains over the past seven days but remain within their broader ranging patterns.

At the same time, smart money has been actively positioning in key tokens, showing accumulation in several names despite broader market fluctuations. Some tokens have already broken out, while others are consolidating and setting up for potential moves higher.

Key Tokens Displaying Strength & Accumulation

• FULLSEND – Rapid growth from low market cap levels, maintaining strength despite poor distribution.

• ARC – Peaked before a healthy retrace, still holding key levels with confidence from smart money. Large holders remain committed, indicating potential re-entry points.

• MXYZ – Newly launched, early signs of solid positioning and continued interest.

• GFM – Pushed higher from previously highlighted levels before consolidating, with accumulation ongoing.

• MLG – Breaking out after a period of steady accumulation, with smart money entering confidently. Positioning remains consistent, suggesting accumulation is still underway.

• KWEEN – Strong performance, showing continued upward pressure.

• UFD – Holding strength and gaining traction, maintaining positive momentum. Continued smart money interest reinforces its uptrend.

• PUMPIT – Consistent interest, with smart money supporting the trend.

• JELLYJELLY – One of the few names showing strong weekly gains, with clear accumulation taking place.

• TRUMP – Experienced a decline, but large holders remain committed, indicating potential for a rebound.

• SAN – Smart money positioning remains steady, signaling accumulation is still active.

New & Notable

• SHELL – AI-focused BNB token gaining significant attention.

• MAIAR – Early traction, showing signs of steady expansion.

• ai16z – Large-cap AI play with sustained interest.

• Tetsuo – Market activity picking up as interest grows.

• FARTCOIN – Unconventional name, but maintaining strength. Despite a heavy pullback, this remains a major name with a likely rebound scenario.

• Pythia – Gaining ground with steady positioning in its sector.

Additional Smart Money Accumulation Signals

• CULT – Smart money steadily adding, price holding steady.

• SHRUB – Strong weekly performance, reflecting confidence from larger holders.

• MOG – Slowly climbing, with consistent accumulation observed.

• DOGE & WOLF – Both experienced dips but saw steady positioning, signaling accumulation could be ongoing.

Mindshare

Over the past week, mindshare across major market narratives has largely declined, reflecting the impact of current market conditions. It’s clear that sentiment is shifting, and users are starting to feel the strain.

BSC Adoption

Over the past seven days, BSC has seen the highest growth in active addresses (+7.7%), driven by memecoin trading and new AI protocols launching on the network.

AI Agents

Over the past seven days, the AI agent sector in crypto has been a mixed bag, with some projects gaining traction while others struggle under broader market conditions. Mindshare is generally down, signaling a decline in engagement and interest across major narratives. 

Leading tokens like FARTCOIN and AIXBT have taken a hit, both in price and market cap, reflecting weaker sentiment. Meanwhile, liquidity and trading volumes have been shifting, with some tokens seeing a sharp drop in 24-hour volume—notably FARTCOIN (-45.18%) and GRIFFAIN (-51.11%)—while others, like AI16Z (+243.3%) and BNKR (+123.4%), have experienced significant increases.

That wraps up this post—we hope you found the insights valuable. See you next week, anon! 🚀