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Cryptocurrencies for Advisors: The Future of Digital Asset Custody
Digital asset custody is evolving, whether it’s the technology itself, the plethora of new tokenized investment products, or the risks, real or perceived, of leaving assets to service providers like centralized exchanges.
Colton DillionCEO of Hedgehog technologiesanalyzes evolutions in digital asset custody, focusing on the shift of wealth towards self-custody in space and how advisors need to support this shift.
The Web3 tracks will sooner or later swallow up traditional finance, and there is no doubt about this.
With an impressive market capitalization of $2.3 trillion, the digital asset sector still has some development to do before it can surpass the $110 trillion stock market, but in case you haven’t been paying attention, real world assets (RWA) and stablecoins have seen some recent big bets from major players like Black rock, Band, Franklin Templeton and other.
These companies are slowly cloning traditional securities like money market funds and mutual funds for on-chain consumption and seamless peer-to-peer transfers, and it’s only a matter of time before regulators reach the market to allow traditional securities, such as Fortune 500 stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), to be traded in the exact same way. Eventually every type of traditional asset will also be an on-chain asset. All we need is time.
So, what does this mean for custodians?
While Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini all support at least one of the spot bitcoin ETFs as primary custodian and institutional use cases are migrating more slowly, there is a clear trend for Web3 asset holders to start moving their wealth across It self-care once you reach a certain level of sophistication. Once insurance methods adapt to wallet compromise, we expect that most individuals and institutions will choose to directly manage the segregation of their accounts and require control of their private keys.
As advisors and trustees, it is our duty to be prepared for the day when clients come to us asking us to support self-custody solutions. There are many options available to intrepid self-custodians, from multi-sig accounts to account abstraction (AA) smart contract wallets, from institutional hardware to multi-party computation (MPC) wallets, but each comes with its own security trade-offs and usability, as well as cost considerations.
THE Safe Gnosis is the original multi-signature solution for Ethereum-based networks and comes with some useful tools for managing your treasury in a wallet where multiple people must agree before a transaction can take place. On other chains, you have to find other solutions, such as dedicated wallet software that supports Shamir secret sharing. For less than $500, you can set up a wallet with m of n signatures (e.g. 2 out of 3 or 8 out of 9 must sign for a valid transaction), but the authorization on these accounts is less robust without including the new abstraction of the account proposals, in particular ERC-4337. If you have one of the signatures, you can help waive any privileges on the Safe account.
This is another EVM-only solution for the time being, but in principle, any chain that supports smart contracts can support the standard. Account abstraction allows an experienced developer to layer additional permissions and functionality on top of a standard account so that certain signers can only sign on certain types of transactions. Many providers also leverage these features to add transaction batches, non-native gas tokens, transaction forgiveness, and more. These players include Gnosis Safe and similar groups ZeroDev, Bieconomy AND Fun.
Institutional cold rooms
Many custodians offer a cold storage solution that leverages hardware security modules and robust physical security to keep your assets as safe as gold bars under Fort Knox. Using specialized chips that are extremely expensive to crack, they can generate private keys and securely sign transactions on your behalf without the flexibility and speed of a hot wallet. Depending on the provider, these solutions are often combined with a multisig, AA, or MPC solution, but the cost usually amounts to double-digit basis points with high minimum balances and account maintenance fees.
One of the most flexible options available, MPC is not limited to a specific network by a smart contract, but requires trust in potentially opaque partners. MPC is closer to the basic layer of cryptography, private key entropy, and all participants in an MPC wallet participate together to recreate the private key, instead of having multiple private keys submitting their own valid signatures. There is Qredo AND Illuminated protocols for those who are more technically savvy, which are completely decentralized solutions, but for advisors who want a little more white glove treatment and are willing to work with trusted third parties, Anchorage has just released its business solution, Portoand my company Curly has just launched an MPC account management product focused on fund administration, secondary advice and turnkey wealth management programs.
Obviously we agree with Nathan McCauley, CEO of Anchorage, when he summarized the reasons that led to the choice of MPC as a solution:
“Right now, a lot of people are looking for self-custodial solutions to allow them to do a variety of more flexible tasks on the blockchain. We really see this as expansive and additive.”
Whatever you choose as an advisor, it’s important to keep the custodial rule in mind and make sure you don’t have arbitrary withdrawal privileges on your clients’ accounts. There is not much guidance for some of these account structures, and there still remains some clarity as to the extent to which a particular multisig, AA or MPC protocol qualifies as substantial control over customer funds. However, we must chart a path forward or be left behind in the dust of our customers.
Q. Can you hold bitcoin in an IRA account?
Yes, there are several ways to gain exposure to bitcoin in both traditional and Roth IRA accounts. The simplest method is through one of the spot bitcoin ETFs traded on the main brokers. However, this path only provides US dollar exposure to bitcoin price movements, not direct ownership of the actual coins.
For many bitcoin investors, the preferred option is to open an IRA through a specialized provider that allows direct ownership and storage of bitcoin within the account. Key control is crucial here: the ability for you to keep private keys means that you have full ownership and control of the bitcoin in your IRA, without entrusting it to a third-party custodian. This avoids the centralization and counterparty risks of other options.
Q. What is the benefit of holding bitcoin in an IRA?
The main benefit is the ability to invest in bitcoin as a long-term store of value while enjoying the tax advantages of an IRA account. Because bitcoin is seen by many as a superior form of savings, it aligns well with the long-term horizon of retirement accounts.
Specific benefits include tax-deferred or tax-free growth (traditional or Roth), allowing your bitcoin holdings to grow more efficiently over decades. Bitcoin has historically appreciated in steady 4-year cycles, so earning these tax-free gains can significantly speed up your retirement timeline.
Holding bitcoin in an IRA also allows you to make distributions in bitcoin itself rather than having to sell it for dollars and make taxable gains. For clients who desire full sovereignty, key control over IRA bitcoins is critical to avoid third-party custody risks. The downside is reduced liquidity and increased rules and age limits compared to a standard brokerage account. But for long-term investors convinced of bitcoin’s role as hard currency, the tax benefits of an IRA can outweigh this.
News
Cryptocurrency Price August 1: Bitcoin Dips Below $65K; Solana, XRP Down Up To 8%
Major cryptocurrencies fell in Thursday trading following the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep its key interest rate unchanged. Overnight, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate at 5.25-5.5% for the eighth consecutive time, as expected, while also signaling the possibility of a rate cut at its next meeting in September. The unanimous decision by the Federal Open Market Committee reflects a continued wait-and-see approach as it monitors inflation trends.
CoinSwitch Markets Desk said: “Bitcoin has fallen below $65,000 after the US Federal Reserve announced it would keep interest rates unchanged. However, with markets now anticipating rate cuts at the next Federal Reserve meeting in September, the outlook for a Bitcoin rally by the end of the year has strengthened.”
Meanwhile, CoinDCX research team said: “The crypto market has plunged after the Fed decision. Tomorrow’s US unemployment rate announcement is expected to induce more volatility, with the ‘actual’ figure coming in higher than the ‘expected’ one, which is positive for cryptocurrencies.”
At 12:21 pm IST, Bitcoin (BTC) was down 3.2% at $64,285, while Ethereum was down nearly 4.5% at $3,313. Meanwhile, the global market cryptocurrency The market capitalization fell 3.6% to around $2.3 trillion in the last 24 hours.
“Bitcoin needs to clear its 200-day EMA at $64,510 to consolidate further. Otherwise, a retest of $62,000 could be in the cards,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus.
Altcoins and meme coins, such as BNB (3%), Solana (8%), XRP (5.7%), Dogecoin (5%), Cardano (4.6%), Avalanche (4.3%), Shiba Inu (3.8%), Polkadot (3.4%), and Chainlink (4%) also saw declines.
The volume of all stablecoins is now $71.64 billion, which is 92.19% of the total cryptocurrency market volume in 24 hours, according to data available on CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 54.99%. BTC volume in the last 24 hours increased by 23.3% to $35.7 billion.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, opinions and views provided by experts are personal. They do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
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Altcoins WIF, BONK, RUNE, JUP Down 10% While Bitcoin Drops 4%
Altcoins dogwifhat, Bonk, THORChain, and Jupiter have suffered losses of more than 10%, while Bitcoin is down 4% in the last 24 hours.
After a period of relative calm yesterday, July 31, Bitcoin (BTC) price action has seen a drastic change as the cryptocurrency dropped by more than $3,500, bringing its value to $63,300. At the same time, altcoins mirrored this trend, with the total value of liquidated positions rising to nearly $225 million over the course of the day.
Initially, the week started on a positive note for Bitcoin, which reached its highest point since early June, hitting $70,000. However, this peak was short-lived, as it was quickly rejected, leading to a substantial decline, with Bitcoin falling below $65,500.
The cryptocurrency managed to regain some stability, trading comfortably at around $66,800. However, following a Press conference According to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, the value of Bitcoin has fallen again to $64,300, down more than 3% in 24 hours.
BTC Price Chart 24 Hours | Source: crypto.news
The recession coincided with a relationship from the New York Times stating that Iran had called for retaliatory measures against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, increasing the risk of further conflict in the region.
Meanwhile, on the economic front, the Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rates in place, offering little information on a planned September rate cut. Powell also hinted that while no concrete decisions have been made on the September adjustment, there is growing consensus that a rate cut is likely.
Amid Bitcoin’s decline, altcoins have suffered even more significant losses. For example, dogwifhat (Wife) saw a 12.4% drop and (DISGUST) has suffered a 10% drop. Other altcoins such as THORChain (RUNE) also fell by 10%, while Jupiter (JUPITER) and the Ethereum naming service (ENS) decreased by 8% and 9% respectively.
Among the largest-cap cryptocurrencies, the biggest losers are Solana (SOL) with a decrease of 8%, (Exchange rate risk) down 6%, Cardano (ADA) down 4%, and both Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE) recording a decrease of 4.4%.
Data from CoinGlass indicates that approximately 67,000 traders have been negatively impacted by this increased volatility. BTC positions have seen $61.85 million in liquidations, while ETH positions have faced $61 million. In total, the value of liquidated positions stands at $225.4 million at the time of writing.
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Riot Platforms Sees 52% Drop in Bitcoin Production in Q2
Bitcoin mining firm Riot Platforms has released its second-quarter financial results, highlighting a decline in cryptocurrency mined due to the recent halving.
Colorado-based Bitcoin (BTC) mining company Riot platforms revealed its second quarter financial results, highlighting a significant reduction in mined cryptocurrencies attributed to the recent halving event that took place in early April.
The company reported total revenue of $70 million for the quarter ended July 31, a decline of 8.7% compared to the same period in 2023. Riot Platforms attributed the revenue decline primarily to a $9.7 million decrease in engineering revenue, which was partially mitigated by a $6 million increase in Bitcoin extraction income.
During the quarter, the company mined 844 BTC, representing a decline of over 50% from Q2 2023, citing the halving event and increasing network difficulty as major factors behind the decline. Riot Platforms reported a net loss of $84.4 million, or $0.32 per share, missing Zacks Research forecast a loss of $0.16 per share.
Halving increases competitive pressure
The Colorado-based firm said the average cost of mining one BTC in the second quarter, including energy credits, rose to $25,327, a remarkable 341% increase from $5,734 per BTC in the same quarter of 2023. Despite this significant increase in production costs, the firm remains optimistic about maintaining competitiveness through recent deals.
For example, following the Recent acquisition Cryptocurrency firm Block Mining, Riot has increased its distributed hash rate forecast from 31 EH/s to 36 EH/s by the end of 2024, while also increasing its 2025 forecast from 40 EH/s to 56 EH/s.
Riot Platforms Hashrate Growth Projections by 2027 | Source: Riot Platforms
Commenting on the company’s financials, Riot CEO Jason Les said that despite the halving, the mining company still managed to achieve “significant operational growth and execution of our long-term strategy.”
“Despite this reduction in production available to all Bitcoin miners, Riot reported $70 million in revenue for the quarter and maintained strong gross margins in our core Bitcoin mining business.”
Jason Les
Following its Q2 financial report, Riot Platforms shares fell 1.74% to $10.19, according to Google Finance data. Meanwhile, the American miner continues to chase Canadian rival Bitfarms, recently acquiring an additional 10.2 million BITF shares, increasing its stake in Bitfarms to 15.9%.
As previously reported by crypto.news, Riot was the first announced a $950 million takeover bid for Bitfarms in late May, arguing that Bitfarms’ founders were not acting in the best interests of all shareholders. They said their proposal was rejected by Bitfarms’ board without substantive engagement.
In response, Bitfarms She said that Riot’s offer “significantly understates” its growth prospects. Bitfarms subsequently implemented a shareholder rights plan, also known as a “poison pill,” to protect its strategic review process from hostile takeover attempts.
News
Aave Price Increases Following Whales Accumulation and V3.1 Launch
Decentralized finance protocol Aave is seeing a significant spike in whale activity as the market looks to recover from the recent crash that pushed most altcoins into key support areas earlier this week.
July 31, Lookonchain shared details indicating that the whales had aggressively accumulated Aave (AAVE) over the past two days. According to the data, whales have withdrawn over 58,848 AAVE worth $6.47 million from exchanges during this period.
In one instance, whale address 0x9af4 withdrew 11,185 AAVE worth $1.23 million from Binance. Meanwhile, another address moved 21,619 AAVE worth over $2.38 million from the exchange and deposited the tokens into Aave.
These withdrawals follow a previous transfer of 26,044 AAVE from whale address 0xd7c5, amounting to over $2.83 million withdrawn from Binance.
AAVE price has surged over 7% in the past 24 hours amid buy-side pressure from these whales. The DeFi token is currently trading around $111 after jumping over 18% in the past week.
Recently, the price of AAVE increased by over 8% after Aave founder Marc Zeller announced a proposed fee change aimed at adopting a buyback program for AAVE tokens.
Aave v3.1 is available
The total value locked in the Aave protocol currently stands at around $22 billion. According to DeFiLlamaApproximately $19.9 billion is on Aave V3, while the V2 chain still holds approximately $1.9 billion in TVL and V1 approximately $14.6 million.
Aave Labs announced Previously, Aave V3.1 was made available on all networks with active Aave V3 instances.
V3.1 features improvements that are intended to improve the overall security of the DeFi protocol. The Aave DAO governance has approved the v3.1 improvements, which also include operational efficiency and usability for the network.
Meanwhile, Aave Labs recently outlined a ambitious roadmap for the projectwith a 2030 vision for Aave V4, among other developments.
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