TL;DR

• BTC is currently trending upwards, with a 0.73% price increase over the past 24 hours.
• The market cap of USD0 has surpassed $1.8 billion, placing it among the top five stablecoins.
• Raydium’s trading volume has surpassed Uniswap, showing strong momentum in the Solana ecosystem.
• Solana has launched a quantum-resistant Vault, enhancing the network’s security protection.
• Generative AI funding has hit a record high, with total investments reaching $56 billion in 2024.

Market Analysis

• BTC — The price of BTC rose by 0.73% in the past 24 hours, with the current price at $98,824.80. Recently, BTC has shown a fluctuating upward trend, forming an ascending channel. The price is moving along this upward trend, with moving averages in a bullish arrangement, indicating positive bullish sentiment. Currently, BTC is approaching a resistance level around $99,400, and it may face some resistance in the short term. [1]

• ETH — The price of ETH rose by 0.66% in the past 24 hours, with the current price at $3,661.73. The highest price in the past 24 hours was $3,672.87. Since ETH broke through the $3,550 resistance level last week, it has been in a consolidation phase, with the price fluctuating between the $3,500 and $3,670 range. There has been no clear trend breakout. The current price is approaching the upper boundary of this range, and it may face some pressure in the short term. [2]

• ETF — According to SoSoValue data, on January 3, the total net outflow of the U.S. Bitcoin spot ETF was $908 million[3], while the total net inflow of the U.S. Ethereum spot ETF was $58.79 million[4].
• Altcoins — The sectors of Murad Picks, Storage, and Stablecoin Protocol saw changes of +1.3%, +1.2%, and +0.9%, respectively[5].
• U.S. Stock Market Indices — The S&P 500 index rose by 1.26%, the Dow Jones index increased by 0.80%, and the Nasdaq index rose by 1.67%[6].
• Spot Gold — The price of spot gold reached $2,645.38 per ounce, with a daily increase of 0.23%[7].
• Fear and Greed Index — The Fear and Greed Index stands at 76, indicating that the market is in an “extreme greed” state[8].

Top Performers

According to Gate.io market data[9], combined with recent 24-hour trading volume and price performance, the following are top-performing altcoins:

SQ3 (Squad3) — The price increased by approximately 134.42% in a single day, with a circulating market cap of $177 million.
Squad3 is an innovative social earning platform that rewards users with cryptocurrency through a task-driven model. It aims to bridge Web2 and Web3 by allowing users to form teams, complete tasks, and participate in community activities, enabling easy entry into the Web3 ecosystem with minimal technical barriers[10].
Recently, Squad3 announced a partnership with the iMe Platform to enhance the social interaction experience within the Web3 ecosystem. This collaboration not only boosted the market visibility of $SQ3 but also expanded its application scenarios in the Web3 community. Additionally, Squad3 formed a partnership with the RWA tokenization project to connect Web2 and Web3 communities via its social task-driven SociaFi experience. These partnerships have strengthened the practical application value of the Squad3 ecosystem and attracted more users and capital flow, driving the token price upwards.

PIN (PinLink) — The price increased by approximately 41.07% in a single day, with a circulating market cap of $214 million.
PinLink is a DePIN platform focused on RWA tokenization, aiming to tokenize DePIN assets and optimize liquidity. It allows DePIN asset owners to not only rent out their computing power, storage, and other resources for decentralized token payments but also to tokenize the equipment itself, enabling more users to invest in and own shares in decentralized infrastructure assets[11].
Recently, PinLink announced the upcoming release of a new product, expected to expand its ecosystem and enter new markets. The anticipation surrounding this yet-to-be-revealed product has further driven market sentiment. Meanwhile, RWA tokenization and the DePIN sector remain hot, with the market eager for platforms that provide liquidity and investment channels for DePIN assets.

NCT (PolySwarm) — The price increased by approximately 31.10% in a single day, with a circulating market cap of $214 million.
NCT is a decentralized network security threat intelligence platform that runs on Ethereum smart contracts. It uses blockchain technology to improve the efficiency and accuracy of malware detection[12].
As cyberattacks and malware threats continue to rise, the demand for decentralized threat intelligence solutions is increasing. PolySwarm, as a blockchain-based security platform, provides faster and more accurate threat detection, which has garnered increasing attention.

Data Highlights

USD0 Market Cap Surpasses $1.8 Billion, Ranks Among the Top 5 Stablecoins
The stablecoin USD0, issued by the stablecoin issuer Usual, has reached a market capitalization of $1.811 billion, surpassing First Digital USD (FDUSD) at $1.711 billion, making it the fifth-largest asset in the stablecoin market. In the past 24 hours, USD0’s market cap has grown by 1.76%, reflecting continued market demand[13].

Since December 2024, USD0 has experienced rapid growth and has maintained a steady upward trend into 2025. This suggests that USD0 is gaining increasing market adoption. Currently, the stablecoin market is highly competitive, with USDT, USDC, DAI, and USDe holding the top four positions. However, the rapid rise of USD0 may push it to challenge for a higher market share in the future.

Raydium’s Trading Volume Surpasses Uniswap, Solana Ecosystem Shows Strong Momentum
Raydium, a decentralized exchange (DEX) in the Solana ecosystem, achieved a 24-hour trading volume of $2.344 billion, surpassing Uniswap’s $2.131 billion, and securing the top spot in DEX trading volumes. This achievement reflects not only Raydium’s growth in liquidity and trading efficiency but also the continued momentum of the Solana ecosystem[14].

Raydium leverages Solana’s low-cost, high-speed transactions, contributing to its steady growth in trading volume over the past few months. Raydium has been experiencing significant growth since mid-2024, with a sharp increase in trading volume particularly in the fourth quarter, indicating a growing market recognition of the Solana ecosystem. In contrast, Uniswap, as the leading DEX of the Ethereum ecosystem, continues to hold a large market share, but its dominance is now being challenged by the high Gas fees of Ethereum and the growing competitiveness of Solana.

Swellchain TVL Surpasses $334 Million, Significant User Growth
The latest data shows that Swellchain’s current Total Value Locked (TVL) is $334 million, with 5,854 unique users on its cross-chain bridge. This growth indicates that the Swellchain ecosystem is gaining market recognition in cross-chain liquidity management, with increasing user engagement. Swellchain’s cross-chain bridge mechanism enables users to transfer assets more efficiently between different blockchains, facilitating an inflow of capital[15].

Spotlight Analysis

Solana Launches Quantum-Resistant Vault to Enhance Network Security
Solana developers have created a quantum-resistant vault (Winternitz Vault) designed to protect user funds from potential security threats posed by future quantum computers. This solution uses a hash signature system that generates a new key for each transaction, reducing the likelihood of quantum computers being able to crack private keys. However, this feature is currently available as an optional add-on, meaning that Solana users must actively choose to use the Winternitz Vault instead of the standard Solana wallet to benefit from quantum protection[16].

This move indicates that Solana developers are proactively addressing cutting-edge challenges in blockchain security, particularly in combating the potential threats of future quantum computing technology. However, quantum computers have not yet reached a level where they pose a real threat to blockchain security. Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has stated that quantum computers capable of decryption are likely at least a decade, if not more, away from widespread adoption. Despite this, Solana’s upgrade demonstrates its technological foresight by preparing for quantum security, which could help build trust among institutions and users, laying a solid foundation for future growth.

Generative AI Funding Hits Record High, Reaching $56 Billion in Total Investments in 2024
In 2024, the investment boom in the generative AI sector continued to accelerate, with global funding totaling $56 billion, marking a 192% increase compared to 2023 and setting a new historical record. According to PitchBook data, a total of 885 investment deals were completed throughout the year, with Q4 alone accounting for $31.1 billion in investments. Key drivers of this surge included Databricks’ $10 billion funding round, xAI’s $6 billion Series C funding, Anthropic’s $4 billion investment from Amazon, and OpenAI’s $6.6 billion funding round. While the U.S. remains the largest market for AI funding, startups in China, Japan, France, and Germany also attracted significant investments, such as Moonshot AI ($1 billion) and Mistral ($640 million)[17].

Despite the vast potential of the generative AI space, future investment focus may shift from the application layer to the infrastructure layer as the sector matures. Companies capable of providing efficient AI computing resources could become more valuable investment targets.

Pump Science to Launch New Experimental Compound Token, Advancing Decentralized Anti-Aging Research
VitaDAO recently announced plans to launch a new experimental compound token on the Pump Science platform on February 25, 2025, with a supplement pre-order and market launch scheduled for March 25, 2025. As a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) focused on longevity science and decentralized drug development, VitaDAO is using Pump Science to introduce experimental tokens, allowing more investors and researchers to participate in decentralized biological experiments and the development of anti-aging compounds.

According to the latest roadmap from Pump Science, the platform will conduct mouse experiments for the URO and RIF compounds in January 2025 and will initiate decentralized human trials and compound releases in April 2025. By tokenizing experiments, the platform has introduced an innovative method for raising research funds while enhancing transparency and community engagement. Moving forward, with the continued development of Pump Science, the platform could become a key hub connecting investors, scientists, and research institutions, potentially driving breakthroughs in the fields of anti-aging and life sciences[18].

Funding News

According to RootData, in the past 24 hours, two projects publicly announced funding, with a total funding amount exceeding $15 million, and the highest single funding round reaching $10 million. These projects are involved in areas such as stablecoins and DeFi. Below are the details of the funding:

AlloyX — AlloyX completed a $10 million Pre-A round of funding, with participation from Arbitrum Foundation, Offchain Labs, and others. AlloyX is an Asian fintech company focused on stablecoin infrastructure. The company aims to build the next generation of payment architecture that integrates traditional banking systems with blockchain technology. Its platform supports businesses in using stablecoins for payments, currency exchange, and cryptocurrency payment integration while ensuring compliance[20].

JAN3 — JAN3 raised $5 million in a seed round, with backing from Fulgur Ventures, Grupo Salinas, and others. JAN3 is a fintech company dedicated to promoting Bitcoin adoption. It primarily develops AQUA Wallet, a self-custody wallet focused on Bitcoin and stablecoins. The wallet aims to provide seamless Bitcoin transfers, stablecoin payments, savings, and financial services to users globally, particularly in regions with underdeveloped financial infrastructure such as Latin America and Asia[21].

Airdrop Opportunities

Loomlay — Loomlay is an innovative no-code platform that allows users to create, tokenize, and trade AI agents without writing any code. The platform supports the NFT-ification of AI agents, giving each agent uniqueness, tradability, ownership verification, and revenue-generating capabilities[22]. \
$LAY is the core token of the Loomlay ecosystem, primarily used for the creation, trading, operation, and plugin usage of AI agents. All newly launched AI agent tokens must be paired with $LAY and traded through Uniswap v3’s single-sided liquidity pool. Therefore, users must use $LAY to purchase agent tokens, enhancing the token’s liquidity.

How to Participate:

1. Visit the official Loomlay page and connect your wallet.
2. Use the Trenches app or hold the corresponding tokens.
3. Explore the Loomlay marketplace to create or trade tokenized AI agents.

Note:
Airdrop plans and participation methods may be updated at any time, so users are advised to keep an eye on official channels for the latest information. Additionally, users should proceed with caution, be aware of risks, and conduct thorough research before participating. Gate.io does not guarantee the distribution of airdrop rewards.


Reference:

1. Gate.io, https://www.gate.io/trade/BTC_USDT
2. Gate.io, https://www.gate.io/trade/ETH_USDT
3. SoSoValue, https://sosovalue.xyz/assets/etf/us-btc-spot
4. SoSoValue, https://sosovalue.xyz/assets/etf/us-eth-spot
5. CoinGecko, https://www.coingecko.com/en/categories
6. Investing, https://investing.com/indices/usa-indices
7. Investing, https://investing.com/currencies/xau-usd
8. Gate.io, https://www.gate.io/bigdata/homeindex
9. Gate.io, https://www.gate.io/price
10. X, https://x.com/BuildWithSquad3/status/1865305608729104670
11. X, https://x.com/PinLinkAi/status/1875190535301841039
12. X, https://x.com/polyswarm
13. Defillama, https://defillama.com/stablecoin/usual-usd
14. Defillama, https://defillama.com/dexs
15. Dune, https://dune.com/swell-network/swell-l2
16. Cointelegraph, https://cointelegraph.com/news/solana-is-now-quantum-resistant-solana-dev-claims
17. TechCrunch, https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/03/generative-ai-funding-reached-new-heights-in-2024/
18. X, https://x.com/vita_dao/status/1875591043414098122
19. Rootdata, https://www.rootdata.com/Fundraising
20. Globenewswire, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/03/3004188/0/en/Solowin-and-Partners-Invest-US-10M-in-AlloyX-s-Pre-A-Funding-Round.html
21. Jan3, https://jan3.com/blog/jan3-raises-5-million-seed-round/?lang=zh-Hans
22. X, https://x.com/loomlayai/status/1874552649087156656

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