Mar 17, 2025: Our weekly Institutional Insights explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

 explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

Weekly highlight — consumer sentiment falls

US consumer sentiment has fallen to its lowest level in over two years, reflecting growing concerns about the economic impact of tariffs. According to data from the University of Michigan, the preliminary sentiment index for March 2025 dropped to 57.9 from 64.7 in February, the lowest level since November 2022. This decline was worse than expected by a Bloomberg survey of economists.

Inflation expectations surged, with consumers anticipating a 3.9% annual price increase over the next five to ten years, the highest rate over three decades. Additionally, consumers expect prices to rise by 4.9% over the next year from 4.3%, marking the steepest rise since 2022.

As US president Donald Trump’s tariff policies expand, consumers across the political spectrum increasingly worry that these extra duties will lead to higher costs. Despite recent inflation cooling, ongoing price pressures could lead households to reduce discretionary spending.

The survey also indicated a record low in consumer expectations regarding personal finances, with respondents estimating only a 48.7% chance of stock market gains in the coming year. Joanne Hsu, 

 the University of Michigan, emphasized that uncertainty surrounding economic policies complicates financial planning.

Some analysts warned that declining consumer confidence poses a significant threat to spending, as fears of an economic downturn may deter purchases of major items. Overall, the current conditions gauge and the expectations index fell to their lowest levels in several months, showcasing widespread consumer apprehension.

Weekly crypto highlight — Bitcoin see slight life in the past weekend

Bitcoin rebounded from a four-month low earlier this week alongside other risky assets recovering from recent market turmoil. Economic uncertainties driven by a wave of tariffs from President Trump and the threat of a government shutdown have led to significant sell-offs across various asset classes, including cryptocurrencies.

“As we conclude a week of widespread selling, markets are experiencing a relief rally from oversold conditions,” stated Ravi Doshi, Co-Head of Markets at FalconX. The avoidance of a US government funding shutdown has eased market uncertainty.

On Friday, Bitcoin rose by as much as 6.2%, reaching $85,301, while smaller digital assets surged even more: Solana gained over 9%, Chainlink increased by 13% and XRP rose nearly 8%. Earlier in the week, Bitcoin had dropped to around $77,000, a significant decline from its all-time high of $109,000 in January 2025.

This slump triggered record outflows from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, and large liquidations in crypto derivatives markets. Crypto markets are bouncing back as macro-driven liquidations seem to be pausing. Analysts suggest that ongoing macroeconomic stability may support crypto prices.

Advanced

17 Mar 2025 Weekly Newsletter.png

Weekly Institutional Insights: Consumer sentiment falls as crypto recovers from 4-month low

Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report delves into macro events, the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume, and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

The ongoing sell-off in risk-on assets has intensified bearish signals in derivatives markets for crypto assets. Funding rates indicate a demand for short exposure, futures prices are trading below spot prices and volatility smiles are showing a strong skew toward OTM puts as traders hedge against further declines. The at-the-money (ATM) volatility term structure has inverted again after a lack of clarity around Trump’s proposed strategic digital asset reserve caused short-dated volatility to fall briefly before last weekend.

Please check out the report’s highlights.

Choppy spot price movements have had an impact on funding rates, with BTC and altcoin rates reacting primarily to spot fluctuations, rather than long-term market views. ETH has sold off more sharply during declines, and hasn’t participated as strongly in relief rallies, resulting in the worst YTD performance among the five tokens in Trump’s proposed digital asset stockpile. This is reflected in funding rates, with ETH perpetual swaps showing strong demand for leveraged short exposure to further downside risk.

Investors continue to protect against further decline

Despite higher realized volatility increasing both short- and long-tenor implied volatility, options trade volumes remain low. Last Friday’s expiration of significant open interest was mostly for downside protection against a deepening sell-off. However, the options market has reverted to an inverted term structure, which had dissipated during last Friday’s White House crypto summit, with strong relative demand for short-dated put contracts.

Open interest in Solana (SOL) options declined at the end of February, with over $5M in calls and more than $3M in puts expiring and most positions not rolled over. Despite SOL trading 44% below its January ATH, most new positions are in calls. However, this new positioning is disappointingly weak, given SOL's inclusion in Trump’s crypto reserve announcement alongside BTC, ETH, XRP and ADA.

Beginner

block-scholes-x-bybit-report.jpeg

Bybit X Block Scholes crypto derivatives analytics report (Mar 14, 2025): Investors hedge further declines

BinaryX has rebranded to Four, uniting GameFi, IGOs, and MemeFi under one ecosystem. With BNX now FORM, Four continues to innovate in blockchain gaming."

Having launched in May 2021, BinaryX, which started out as a 

 (DeFi) platform, has continued to evolve and adapt to the rapidly changing blockchain landscape. However, in the spirit of adaptability and innovation, the platform switched to 

, focusing its attention on play-to-earn (P2E) games.

As a GameFi platform, BinaryX has also created an 

 (IGO) launchpad from which developers can launch GameFi projects.

Now, BinaryX has rebranded to Four in order to align with the mission of its 

 product, a launch platform for the meme coin ecosystem.

Let's learn more about BinaryX and the way it continues to shape the crypto market with innovative products and adaptable business models.

 hub for the development of GameFi projects, includes an IGO launchpad to facilitate developers in launching games. 

BinaryX began in 2021 as a decentralized derivative trading system that featured the use of 

. But in 2022, the BinaryX team gradually evolved its project into a GameFi platform in order to adapt to the increased demand for P2E games. Its aim is to make web3 games more accessible and approachable to the vast community of gamers.

BinaryX also developed an IGO launchpad to serve as a comprehensive hub for gaming developers to launch their GameFi projects, and for investors to receive early access to promising new play-to-earn games. Furthermore, the BinaryX team announced the incorporation of a 

 (DAO) into its GameFi ecosystem so that its community of token holders could participate in voting on governance matters.

In February 2025, BinaryX rebranded to Four in order to align with its latest product, Four.meme, which was launched in July 2024. Following the rebrand, its native token, BNX, would now become FORM to reflect the project's commitment to innovation and adaptability.

As one of the top web3 platforms on BNB Chain, BinaryX has continued to innovate and experiment with different business models to adapt to the blockchain landscape's fast-paced nature. To this end, BinaryX has the following diverse products under its wing.

BinaryX launched its Initial Game Offering (IGO) launchpad in May 2022 as a dedicated platform to support blockchain gaming projects. The launchpad helps game developers secure funding for decentralized video games. They also get a platform on which to build communities and accelerate their web3 game development.

By leveraging BinaryX’s expertise in GameFi and its existing user base, projects gain exposure to a vast community of crypto gamers. The platform offers early access to promising blockchain games, allowing investors to participate in token sales and 

 presales. BNX holders can use their tokens to vote for games' listings on the BinaryX platform, and they also receive rewards, such as game tokens and NFT 

Some notable games launched on the BinaryX IGO launchpad include 

. These games showcase BinaryX’s commitment to innovation in GameFi, integrating play-to-earn mechanics, NFTs and decentralized governance to help create immersive gaming ecosystems.

BinaryX's GameFi trading platform is a marketplace designed for seamlessly trading blockchain gaming assets, including NFTs, in-game tokens and virtual items. Launched to support the growing GameFi ecosystem, the platform enables gamers and investors to buy, sell, trade and auction assets from BinaryX-powered games in a secure and efficient manner.

 and DeFi principles, BinaryX ensures transparent transactions with minimal fees, and enhances liquidity for in-game assets while empowering players to maximize their earnings.

The BinaryX GameFi trading platform supports transactions involving 

In January 2022, BinaryX launched the BinaryX DAO, a first for a GameFi project, through which BNX token holders can participate in the project's community governance, determine airdrop and dividend ratios, and submit proposals on how to improve the BinaryX ecosystem.

Case in point: BinaryX's community participated in voting for/against the platform's rebranding to Four during a community vote that was held from Sep 21–23, 2024.

The BinaryX Treasury serves as the financial backbone of the BinaryX ecosystem, supporting the development and sustainability of its GameFi projects. Some sources of assets used to fund the treasury include initial capital injection by the BNX team, income from gaming activities, income from the IGO launchpad and profit from external investment.

Profits in the BinaryX Treasury are used to reward BNX stakers, incentivize BinaryX sidechain node providers and finance strategic investments in third-party projects.

BNX is the native token for the BinaryX platform. Its original maximum supply of 2.1 billion tokens was adjusted to 580 million after a community vote in late July 2024.

Distribution of the 580 million BNX tokens is as follows:

Following BinaryX's rebranding to Four, BNX will change to FORM, and holders will be allowed to exchange to the new token at a ratio of 1:1 (details to follow at a later date).

BinaryX has integrated a multi-token model. Apart from BNX, the other two tokens associated with the platform are as follows:

BinaryX officially rebranded to Four on Feb 21, 2025, following an overwhelming vote via its DAO, marking a significant transformation in its vision for GameFi and DeFi innovation. This shift comes with a revamped website, which will serve as a hub for the GameFi platform, IGO launchpad and Four.meme, a new addition to Four’s expanding ecosystem.

Following the rebranding, a 1:1 token migration from BNX to FORM is necessary in order to enhance the token's identity and align with the project's new direction. FORM remains on the BNB Chain, ensuring smooth compatibility with existing infrastructure.

 (CEXs) won’t need to do anything — the token swap to FORM will take place automatically. BinaryX will liaise with these exchanges to switch from the BNX contract address to the one for FORM.

 (DEXs), cold wallets and self-custody wallets will need to carry out a manual token swap based on a converter provided by BinaryX. To carry out this token swap, you’ll need to do the following:

 landing page (link will be provided at a later date).

4. Sign to authenticate your transaction to receive the FORM tokens.

5. Add the new FORM contract address into your wallet to see the new tokens.

You can buy BNX as a USDT Perpetual contract (

) on the Bybit trading platform. However, the BNXUSDT contract will be delisted on Mar 17, 2025, 9AM UTC, so make sure to close your open positions and cancel your active orders for BNXUSDT as soon as possible.

Over the years, BinaryX has consistently demonstrated strong performance. The rebranding of BinaryX to Four marks a bold step forward in its mission to impact the web3 space. This transformation reflects the project’s commitment to expanding its ecosystem, enhancing token identity and integrating innovative elements, such as Four.meme, alongside its GameFi platform and IGO launchpad.

By adapting to the evolving crypto landscape, Four is positioning itself as a comprehensive hub for web3 and gaming enthusiasts so that it can offer a seamless experience for gamers, investors and meme culture participants. The introduction of the FORM token ensures a more cohesive and recognizable branding, reinforcing Four’s long-term vision. Thanks to the smooth migration process from BNX to FORM, users can continue participating in the ecosystem while benefiting from enhanced liquidity and utility.

Four remains dedicated to GameFi innovation, supporting successful blockchain games such as 

, all of which feature play-to-earn mechanics, NFTs and decentralized governance. The revamped platform is designed to foster a dynamic gaming economy, support new game launches and provide a secure environment for trading digital assets. With its rebranding and expanded offerings, Four is set to lead the next wave of blockchain gaming and DeFi innovation, uniting gamers, developers and investors in a vibrant web3 ecosystem.

Intermediate

binaryx crypto.png

From BinaryX to Four: A unified hub for GameFi, IGOs and MemeFi

Learn about the benefits of using Bybit Pay and the step-by-step instructions to get started with Bybit Pay now.

Traditional financial systems and blockchain-based ecosystems have long operated in silos, creating friction for users and businesses alike. 

 is a new payment solution that’s been designed from the ground up to solve this issue to make cryptocurrency transactions seamless for any users.

With the aim of mainstreaming crypto payment options, Bybit Pay has already begun partnering with traditional payment solution providers, enabling users to transact with cryptocurrencies through existing infrastructure. For example, with its recent 

, Brazilian users can now shop by using cryptocurrencies in a quick and effortless manner. 

In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of using Bybit Pay and provide step-by-step instructions for new users who want to get started with the platform.

With more than 60 million users on the Bybit platform, Bybit Pay empowers merchants with access to the global network of its vast user base. Meanwhile, users benefit from a seamless integration with web3 wallets that makes paying with crypto as easy as paying with fiat currency. The platform also offers collateralized payment tools that allow users to borrow against their NFT and crypto holdings. 

Through these innovative features, Bybit Pay blends the ease of traditional finance with the flexibility of cryptocurrencies, creating an ecosystem that benefits both users and merchants.

Bybit Pay can be accessed using the Bybit App on mobile and desktop. 

While filling in the form, make sure that the information you enter matches the information you’ve already provided during 

: As of now, only verified users in Brazil can make transactions using a Pix QR code.

Since the Pix integration, Brazilian users can use Bybit Pay wherever Pix is accepted. This opens up a vast network of offline establishments in the country, since Pix is Brazil’s leading instant payment system provider. 

In addition to offline establishments, Bybit Pay can also be used with a number of e-commerce providers for online shopping using cryptocurrencies. Bybit Pay will be available to users from other regions soon.

With the launch of Bybit Pay, Bybit is integrating crypto payments with traditional payment services providers — and vastly expanding the number of places where cryptocurrencies can be used.

bybit pay.png

How to use Bybit Pay for effortless payments

Altcoins

Crypto

Altcoins are great alternatives to Bitcoin in many ways. One of which is scalability & security. Learn what are altcoins & if it's worthy.

(BTC) is revolutionary, but it isn’t perfect. While BTC may be the oldest and most known digital asset, there are plenty of cryptocurrencies, particularly altcoins, that aim to outstrip the domination of Bitcoin. But wait, what exactly are altcoins?

Altcoins refers to alternative cryptocurrencies, are developed to set apart from Bitcoin monopolization. They are created mainly to address Bitcoin’s scalability and are often a modified or improved version of Bitcoin.

Yes, Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer payment network does pave the way for altcoins. But they distinguish themselves with better privacy and a more efficient transaction speed.  

Among the thousands, the first introduced altcoin was Namecoin by Andrew Chow back in 2011. But altcoin took off and grew exponentially, thereby resulting in the rise of ETH, XRP, DOT, ADA, BNB, and more. Ether (ETH) alone is currently accounting for around 20% of the total crypto market cap, and there are over 10,000 other altcoins available to date. While altcoin might be granted recognition, one can’t stop asking how altcoin works and the prospects it gives?

Altcoins can usually be bought or sold on various cryptocurrency exchanges, whether on centralized and decentralized exchanges. But depending on the crypto exchanges, the types of altcoins each exchange offers are different from one another. Most exchanges discourage the purchase of altcoins with fiat. That means traders would have to

While centralized exchanges (CEXs) often have a more extensive listing process, 

 (DEXs) like Uniswap allow traders to purchase altcoins listed by the public. Despite its drawbacks, CEXs are often a safer choice for large-scale traders.

However, the tricky part about trading altcoins is to figure out 

. Though it’s possible to keep Bitcoin and altcoins on some CEXs, it’s all depending on the altcoins’ nature. Some altcoins support a public CEX wallet, while some only can be stored on a wallet created by the developers. Generally, most crypto exchanges offer reimbursements, but it’s still better to be safe than sorry. Typically, altcoin traders would store their crypto offline on a 

Most of the altcoins serve a specific purpose that is unique to that cryptocurrency. Bitcoin may be famous, but it was 

 (ETH) that genuinely sparked the growth of the altcoin market.

Ethereum initiated the project by allowing users to deploy applications and create associated tokens on the network; it also means that anyone could make a cryptocurrency. On top of that, the recent boom in 

 (DeFi), a concept that started on the Ethereum blockchain, also contributes to the demand for more altcoins.

Among the thousands of cryptocurrencies, only a handful have any real utility. For example, 

(SOL) uses a unique protocol Proof-of-History believes to be faster than 

. It maintains its own cryptographic time stamps for a faster transaction time at a cheaper rate. At the same time, Polkadot’s blockchain technology aims to unite independent blockchains under one roof to facilitate communications and interactions. For example, Polkadot introduces cross-blockchain interoperability to transfer any data or assets from various blockchains in the Polkadot network. 

Besides, social media and celebrity endorsement may essentially be one of the reasons why meme coins like 

 surge in demand. For example, Elon Musk may be one of the biggest influencers in the crypto space that 

Cryptocurrencies are a far cry away from ready for mass adoption, and until we can create useful user-facing applications for mainstream audiences, this is unlikely to change. So, of course, investing in altcoins is a better choice to mitigate risks in the volatile crypto space.

With the recent market movement, Altcoins is 

. Still, Altcoins offer the opportunity to be a part of this movement – a movement that isn’t just trying to bet on the right horse but improve the sport as a whole.

Recent investments from institutional players have brought an enormous boost to altcoins. In June 2020, international tech conglomerate

 the integration of its BigQuery platform with the 

 blockchain, a decentralized oracle network for decentralized data sourcing.

 Investments, one of the world’s largest digital currency management firms, has 

. Almost $10 billion are in altcoins like ETH, LTC, and more. It seems simple to argue that if the big players are doing it, you should too.

The reality is that any investment is risky, and it’s crucial to do enough research jumping into a crypto bandwagon. A good rule to follow is that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Altcoins should serve as alternatives to Bitcoin investment. Trading cryptocurrency is just like stock trading in a sense whereby a diversified portfolio always wins. That means, even if Bitcoin has a setback, others can balance the risks and rewards.

With over 10,000 altcoins to choose from today (June 2021), the only question you should be asking is which are the 

 and what to look after when trading altcoins?

Things to Take Note When Trading Altcoins

, then great, you’re all set. Otherwise, here are some fundamentals you need to factor in.

Assess the Market Capitalization and Liquidity

 serves as a good solution to assess the prospects of these alternatives to Bitcoin. Altcoins have a track record of vanishing from sight because the project is squandered either by poor management or lacks liquidity. When the crypto market hits its low, an altcoin with liquidity is more likely to sustain. Plus, when there’s liquidity, it’s much easier for traders to expect an ideal return.

, as it helps you paint a complete story of the asset. It indicates the potential growth of the crypto, thus, telling you whether it is safe to invest.

Trading an altcoin at an early stage is indeed profitable as it relies on speculations and whales’ interests. But, hefty profits always come with risks. To avoid these uncertainties, try trading on reliable altcoins like XRP, LTC, ADA where a stable trajectory presents. 

The creator of altcoins usually holds a large amount of 

. When one entity dominates the power, it’s likely for pump and dumps to happen. To better evaluate an altcoin, try to assess its policies, take a deep dive into the team, and evaluate its long-term projections. Stick with altcoins that possess a reliable portfolio, blockchain, and utilizes 

became the silver to Bitcoin’s gold. While it wasn’t the first altcoin, it’s one of the oldest cryptocurrencies still used today. Litecoin shares much of its DNA with Bitcoin, with some key differences.

 consensus mechanism, Litecoin uses a sequential memory-hard function that requires more memory. Further, Litecoin only takes 2.5 minutes to mine each block, making transactions much faster than on Bitcoin, which takes 10 minutes to add a block to the main blockchain.

 is another altcoin focused on making transactions private. It uses ringed signatures and special cryptographic functions to maintain the anonymity of its users. While Bitcoin and most cryptocurrencies are often thought to offer privacy, most transactions are entirely traceable.

Bitcoin is more pseudonymous than anonymous, in that all transactions are public, but it is not known which addresses belong to whom. Other altcoins also offer features like governance, smart contracts, and interoperability.

As the number of altcoins started to grow, the community split its nomenclature based on utility. From mining-based cryptocurrencies, stablecoins to security tokens, each category of altcoins serves a purpose. 

Mining-based crypto is altcoins that are supplied through a mining process. By using decentralized nodes, the network solves mathematical problems to record data to the blockchain. As an exchange miners will receive a reward in the form of tokens. Bitcoin is one such token, as is any altcoin that uses a Proof of Work consensus algorithm.

This type of altcoin is associated with a business and more closely resembles traditional stocks like the ICO. In many cases, they offer a form of dividend through a payout or fractional business ownership. The most common payout is with a dividend. 

 function slightly differently in that they provide a claim on services. Besides, it’s also designed to be exchangeable for prominence decentralized utilities like storage space.

 are cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of a fiat currency like the U.S. Dollar to eliminates the volatility of Bitcoin. The most prominent stablecoin is probably 

 (USDT), whose market capitalization has grown exponentially since its launch in 2016. However, since Circle introduced 

 (USDC) as another digital stablecoin that runs on the Ethereum, Stellar, Algorand, and Solana blockchains, it can be seen as a rival to USDT, especially when DeFi is still on the rise.

Choosing an altcoin to trade or invest in can be difficult, especially with are over 5,000 coins available today. Traders alike need to understand what to look for when parting with the capital. On top of that, ensuring the project’s validity is crucial when assessing the difference between incredible gains and crippling losses. A 

 shows that 95% of altcoins listed on Coinmarketcap were illiquid, making them practically worthless.

Ethereum has been second to Bitcoin consecutively for years on the list of cryptocurrencies ranked by market cap. And some would even consider Ethereum to be the father of altcoins. Its ERC-20 standard for tokens gives rise to a large fraction of cryptocurrencies on the market today. Plus, the 

 represents the value transferring across the Ripple Network. While Ripple is still battling the SEC lawsuit, but the tokens have 

 after the court ruling favoring Ripple executives. The tokens are a cheap cross-border remittance and are famous for their fast transaction speeds.

Tether is a stablecoin relying on the Bitcoin Cash network (a fork of Bitcoin that offers faster transactions). With over a $62 billion market cap on the first day of July 2021, USDT is still in demand, and it doesn’t seem to go away anytime soon.

Chainlink specializes in real-world data and supplies data across blockchain via smart contracts as a decentralized oracle network. At the same time, LINK is the digital asset to pay for the services on the network. 

 development may slow for some time, but it unlocks its new growth, hitting its all-time high of $52.88 on May 10, 2021. That proves that evolution is probably on its way.

In the world of blockchain, a meteoric rise in value is just as likely as a colossal crash. Small projects appreciate hundreds of times of what they were initially worth, only to crumble once abandoned after the hype dies. And Altcoins are no exception. Here’s what we need to highlight: 

The internet is filled with many a Bitcoin maximalist who believe altcoins are merely a noise surrounding the future. Some people think altcoins are a good investment that will dethrone Bitcoin in the upcoming years.

As with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Altcoins offer so many use-cases that they’re hard to ignore. Stablecoins have made trading faster, improving the liquidity of cryptocurrency markets and promoting more economic activity. Utility coins have inspired a plethora of smart contract applications, including all of DeFi.

Every altcoin may not be entirely unique, but it does bring new ideas to the table. A decentralized economy relies on decentralized product design. And just like how the overall open-source development community works together to create better software.

The crypto space is small, and it will take years of trial and error as the community wrestles with itself to figure things out. Altcoins offer us a way to support certain developments over others, and in our own small way, contribute to building a decentralized financial system. 

Now that you've learned more about altcoins, here's some exciting news! Bybit is proud to announce its latest campaign, 

, where you can participate in a quiz and earn a share of the 3,000 USDT prize pool. Embark on this journey from Oct 9, 2023, 1PM UTC through Dec 17, 2023, 1PM UTC by first signing up for a Bybit account before taking the quiz.

What Are Altcoins & Are They a Good Investment?

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards