• bitcoinBitcoin (BTC) $ 42,977.00 0.18%
  • ethereumEthereum (ETH) $ 2,365.53 1.12%
  • tetherTether (USDT) $ 1.00 0.2%
  • bnbBNB (BNB) $ 302.66 0.19%
  • solanaSolana (SOL) $ 95.44 1.28%
  • xrpXRP (XRP) $ 0.501444 0.1%
  • usd-coinUSDC (USDC) $ 0.996294 0.34%
  • staked-etherLido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 2,367.26 1.4%
  • cardanoCardano (ADA) $ 0.481226 2.68%
  • avalanche-2Avalanche (AVAX) $ 34.37 1.19%
  • bitcoinBitcoin (BTC) $ 42,977.00 0.18%
    ethereumEthereum (ETH) $ 2,365.53 1.12%
    tetherTether (USDT) $ 1.00 0.2%
    bnbBNB (BNB) $ 302.66 0.19%
    solanaSolana (SOL) $ 95.44 1.28%
    xrpXRP (XRP) $ 0.501444 0.1%
    usd-coinUSDC (USDC) $ 0.996294 0.34%
    staked-etherLido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 2,367.26 1.4%
    cardanoCardano (ADA) $ 0.481226 2.68%
    avalanche-2Avalanche (AVAX) $ 34.37 1.19%
image-alt-1BTC Dominance: 58.93%
image-alt-2 ETH Dominance: 12.89%
image-alt-3 BTC/ETH Ratio: 26.62%
image-alt-4 Total Market Cap 24h: $2.51T
image-alt-5Volume 24h: $144.96B
image-alt-6 ETH Gas Price: 16 Gwei
 

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EXCLUSIVE: Current Market Conditions with Vinson Leow, Co-founder of Datai Network

Blockchain infrastructure investor, advisor, and a world-leading crowdfunding expert, raising $15M+ across 11 campaigns, Vinson Leow is the Co-founder of Datai Network, a blockchain data project that aggregates, indexes, analyzes, and serves all blockchain data in a simple, understandable, and accessible manner. Using machine learning and AI, Datai transforms raw blockchain data into actionable insights. Let’s see what Vinson has to say about current market conditions – an EXCLUSIVE interview for ICN.live

Bitcoin became a $2.06T asset, more than Visa & MasterCard combined. How likely are you to see a scenario where Bitcoin overtakes Gold?

While Bitcoin’s growth and increasing institutional adoption are undeniable, overtaking gold as the dominant store of value is a complex scenario. As of December 22, 2024, gold’s market capitalization stands at around $17.731 trillion, far surpassing Bitcoin’s $2.06 trillion. To overtake gold, Bitcoin would need to grow several times its current value.

The key factors to consider are Bitcoin’s volatility, which still makes it a riskier asset compared to gold’s stability, and the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin offers unique advantages, such as portability, divisibility, and decentralization, but it is still proving itself as a stable and universally trusted store of value. This is especially true given its price fluctuations and regulatory uncertainty.

Gold, on the other hand, has been a reliable hedge against inflation and economic instability for thousands of years. Its entrenched role in global financial systems, such as central bank reserves, keeps it firmly in place as a store of value.

However, significant developments, like the introduction of a bill by pro-crypto Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis in the U.S., could be pivotal. In July, Senator Lummis proposed a bill that would have the U.S. Treasury create a reserve to purchase 200,000 bitcoins annually for five years until it accumulates a stockpile of one million bitcoins. This would represent about 5% of the total global supply of Bitcoin, which is capped at 21 million.

While this bill has yet to gain significant traction and faces many hurdles, if it were to pass, and if other nations followed suit, it could lead to a substantial shift in Bitcoin’s role as a store of value. If governments began adopting Bitcoin into their treasuries alongside traditional assets like gold, it could validate Bitcoin as a legitimate reserve asset, potentially driving its price upward and bringing its market capitalization closer to gold’s.

That said, it is a huge “if” whether the U.S. will actually add Bitcoin to its treasury, and an even bigger question whether other major nations will follow. Governments tend to be cautious, particularly with new and volatile assets like Bitcoin. The likelihood of broad governmental adoption in the short term remains low. However, if initiatives like Lummis’s bill succeed and Bitcoin continues to prove itself as a hedge against economic instability, it could set a precedent for others to follow.

In this case, the market cap of Bitcoin could see dramatic growth, potentially reaching levels comparable to or even surpassing gold’s market cap in the next 20 years. But again, it will depend heavily on regulatory shifts, market confidence, and how governments decide to incorporate Bitcoin into their financial systems. Until then, Bitcoin overtaking gold remains a long-term possibility rather than an immediate reality.


Making profitable investments in the blockchain and crypto space has become a complex bucket of special elements to take care of. Being in a legit bull run, do you consider that it is still the right time to deploy capital?

This is a loaded question. While Bitcoin’s rise is certainly encouraging, outside of its performance, we’re not technically in a full-blown altcoin season or a true bull market. For the most part, the market has been dominated by MEME coins and AI-related tokens, rather than widespread growth across the broader altcoin market. Even Ethereum is still struggling to break its all-time high, which is a sign that we’re not yet in a full-fledged market cycle for altcoins.

That being said, there is a strong narrative emerging around some Layer 1 blockchain, with Sui being a prime example. It’s being touted as potentially the “Solana of the 2025 bull cycle,” and this ongoing narrative is attracting significant attention from investors. This speaks to the kind of momentum we could expect to build over the next year or two. So, while we’re still in the early stages of the altcoin bull run, the risk-reward ratio remains very favorable for those willing to deploy capital with a longer-term perspective.

Additionally, the political landscape is shifting in favor of the crypto space. The potential for a pro-crypto U.S. government—especially with figures like Trump and Elon Musk advocating for crypto—could lead to favorable legislation for investors. Such regulatory clarity would open up easy access for U.S. investors to buy and trade crypto, which would likely unlock the kind of growth we saw during the 2017 bull run.

What’s also interesting to note is that most crypto funds have diversified away from strictly investing in primary markets and are increasingly turning to OTC (Over-the-Counter) SAFTs (Simple Agreements for Future Tokens) or liquid strategies. This shift highlights how timing the market has become much more crucial than the traditional long-term hold strategy typically seen in equities. With the volatility and unpredictability of crypto markets, it’s clear that active management and tactical entry/exit points are key, and this evolution reflects how the crypto investment landscape is maturing.

Given all of these factors, it’s fair to say that we are entering a favorable window for deploying capital. While the market is still maturing and some risks remain, the favorable risk-reward profile, combined with the evolving regulatory environment, creates significant potential for profitable investments over the next cycle.

How likely are you to see a recession in the next 18 months?

It’s a bit of a complicated question because there are a lot of moving parts right now. The U.S. economy does seem pretty resilient, but when you zoom out globally, things get a little more uncertain, especially in Europe.

First, we’ve got monetary and fiscal policies being pushed to extremes. The Fed has been raising interest rates to curb inflation, but governments are still running fiscal deficits, injecting a lot of money into the economy. This has created something that many are calling the “everything bubble”—asset markets like stocks, real estate, and even crypto have inflated. While that’s helped the economy short-term, there’s a risk. If the bubble bursts, we could be looking at financial instability, which could definitely trigger a recession.

On the flip side, there’s also the role of AI. The U.S. has historically driven global economic dominance through tech innovation, and AI is the latest example of that. If the U.S. keeps leading the way in AI hardware and development, that could sustain economic activity for a while, especially in tech-heavy sectors. But, this also means more inequality—only certain sectors will benefit, and the gap between those benefiting and the rest of the world will likely widen.

Then, we can’t ignore the U.S. vs. China. The AI race between the two is heating up, and China is facing some big hurdles. Their economy is showing signs of strain—things like a collapsing real estate market and structural issues, not to mention the ongoing tech restrictions the U.S. is putting in place. So, if China doesn’t pull ahead in the AI race, the U.S. could continue to lead, and that might be a positive for the economy in the short term. But it also means the global economy is dividing even further, which isn’t ideal.

Looking at inequality, the more the “everything bubble” inflates, the more we’ll likely see this gap widen. The U.S. may continue to avoid a recession due to its lead in AI and tech, but that doesn’t help Europe. Europe is in a particularly fragile spot right now, with a lot of unresolved issues from the 2008 financial crisis, high debt, aging populations, and sluggish growth. Add in the energy crisis, and Europe is in a tough position, more likely to face economic challenges than the U.S.

So, while I think the U.S. economy might dodge a recession in the short term—thanks to its position as a leader in AI and tech—the global economy is in a much shakier place. Europe is particularly at risk, and if things continue the way they are, I think we’re more likely to see a global recession sooner rather than later. The situation is definitely more precarious on the world stage, and it’s only a matter of time before the cracks start to show.

Do you still see NFTs as a potential investment?

Personally, I’ve never viewed NFTs as a long-term investment. Rather, I see them as a form of reward or utility that comes with participating in projects I’ve already invested in. The problem with NFTs as an investment is the lack of sustained volume and the fact that they are often treated as short-term speculative assets.

The drop in volume on platforms like OpenSea, from its peak to its significant decline, is a clear indication of how volatile and unpredictable the NFT market has been. This drop isn’t just a one-off event; it’s a reflection of broader market dynamics where liquidity and consistent price performance are lacking. Unlike traditional investments, NFTs have largely failed to maintain the kind of market stability required for them to be considered a reliable investment.

In my view, NFTs are more about building communities and offering a sense of ownership or exclusivity within certain ecosystems. However, many of these communities have since shifted to other more liquid assets, like meme coins, which have proven more appealing due to their price volatility and liquidity. Over time, meme coins have outperformed NFTs in terms of price performance and trading volume, leading many to move away from NFTs in search of more liquid opportunities.

So, while NFTs still hold value within certain niche communities and projects, as an investment asset, they don’t have the stability or volume needed to be a reliable long-term play. The focus now is on more liquid, widely adopted assets that provide more immediate returns.

One narrative from the entire industry that you’re the most bullish on.

The narrative I’m most bullish on is the intersection of Data and AI within Web3. Even if we enter a bear market, I believe this sector will continue to outperform. The value of data is only increasing, and with AI at the forefront of technological advancements, the combination of decentralized data storage, privacy, and AI-driven insights will create huge opportunities.

Web3 offers a decentralized, transparent, and more secure way to handle data, and when you combine that with AI’s ability to analyze and generate insights from that data, you’re looking at a powerful synergy. We’re already seeing some projects that are working on decentralized AI models and data marketplaces that could reshape how data is owned, shared, monetized, and democratized.

As the demand for AI-powered solutions grows, the ability to leverage decentralized, user-owned data will be a key differentiator. This could create a massive shift in how businesses and individuals interact with and capitalize on their data, and I believe this trend will only accelerate, even during market downturns. The underlying technology and demand for these solutions will continue to build, regardless of broader market sentiment.

ANOTHER MUST-READ in KEY OPINION: ICN.live with Sarah Abuagela, Head of Investment at Ceras Ventures

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