– According to a survey conducted by Bloomberg, in the event of a US default on its national debt, 7.8% of professional and 11.3% of retail investors would opt for the primary cryptocurrency as a safe-haven asset. Meanwhile, 7.8% and 10.2% would rely on the US dollar, respectively.
Gold tops the list of safe-haven assets. Despite the current price of the precious metal being close to its historical high ($2,000 per ounce), about half of the surveyed investors from both categories have chosen it. The report highlights the current shortage of alternatives to gold for hedging purposes.
US Treasury bills ranks as the second most popular asset, with 14-15% of respondents opting to purchase them. Journalists see a certain irony in this, as it is precisely these debt securities that might be subject to default. Bitcoin comes in third, closely followed by the US dollar, with the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc trailing behind.

– Debates have erupted online over the first purchase made with BTC. A version has emerged claiming that the first purchase was not, in fact, the legendary pizza. A story is being discussed on Twitter about a user by the name of Sabunir who tried to sell a JPEG picture for 500 bitcoins in 2010, which was about $1 at the time. Evidence provided includes a screenshot with the date of January 24, 2010: four months before Laszlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas for 10,000 BTC. It is also claimed that a certain user named Satoshi Nakamoto even tried to participate in the transaction.
However, it was unclear whether the transaction had actually taken place. Therefore, Gige Energy co-founder Matt Lohstroh decided to conduct his own investigation. It turned out that the transaction did indeed occur. According to on-chain data, 500 BTC (about $13.3 million at the current exchange rate) were indeed transferred to Sabunir's wallet on January 24, 2010. This means that this image is actually the first item purchased with BTC.
Does this mean that instead of celebrating the annual Pizza Day on May 22nd, crypto enthusiasts will have to mark January 24 as JPEG Image Day? But what about the "Bitcoin Pizza" pizzeria owned by Morgan Creek co-founder Anthony Pompliano? You have to agree, "JPEG Pizza" doesn't sound quite as appetizing.

– About half of North Korea's missile program is funded through cyberattacks and cryptocurrency thefts, according to CNN, citing White House officials. They say that US intelligence services are working to identify the companies and individuals associated with this, while the Treasury Department is tracking the stolen cryptocurrency.
At the same time, Nikkei newspaper reported that since 2017, hackers from North Korea have stolen cryptocurrencies from accounts opened in Japan amounting to approximately $720 million. About $540 million was stolen from Vietnamese citizens, and another $497 million from US citizens.

– According to data from analytics firm Glassnode, the number of bitcoin addresses holding at least 1 BTC has increased by ~190,000 since February 2022 and surpassed the 1 million mark. The most notable increases occurred during the sharp decline of bitcoin in June 2022 (the bankruptcy of crypto fund 3AC, preceded by the collapse of the Terra ecosystem) and after November 11 (the FTX crash).
As for forecasts, Glassnode is "confident in a medium-term target of $35,000 as external pressures ease." "The Fed will pause rate hikes in June [...] - optimal for an upward movement [of bitcoin] during the summer. The dollar index has crossed below a significant moving average - explosive movements ahead," the agency's analysts explain.

– Mark Yusko, founder and CEO of cryptocurrency hedge fund Morgan Creek Digital has reaffirmed his forecast of an inevitable bull rally in the digital asset market. He believes that the "crypto-summer" will likely begin in mid-June. According to him, bitcoin could make a significant breakthrough right now, as a technical reversal pattern is forming on the chart. "If you look at the chart [starting from May 2022], you'll see a beautiful inverted head and shoulders at the $27,000 level," Yusko writes. "It's a really interesting technical pattern. And you know, I think we need some good news to give it a boost."
As for the collapse of several US banks this year, the CEO of Morgan Creek believes that the destabilization of the sector was provoked to facilitate the smooth implementation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC).

– Paul Tudor Jones, head of hedge fund Tudor Investment Corporation and a consistent advocate for investing in bitcoin, has stated that the premier cryptocurrency has become less attractive in the current regulatory and economic climate. He noted that bitcoin now has "real problems, because in the US, the entire regulatory apparatus is against cryptocurrencies." In addition, the billionaire anticipates a decrease in inflation in the US, which makes hedging assets less attractive. Bitcoin is often perceived precisely as an asset for protection against inflation.
Paul Tudor Jones himself continues to hold a small amount of bitcoin and has no plans to sell the cryptocurrency even in the distant future. However, he had previously planned to invest up to 5% of his fortune in bitcoin, but it seems that he has now abandoned such plans.

– Billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya believes that the devaluation of the dollar actually stimulates the US economy. According to this venture capitalist, the dollar's dominant position in the global economy remains indisputable, despite trends to move away from this currency. It's important to remember that approximately 187 countries rely on the dollar. A weaker dollar allows these nations to purchase American goods at a more favourable price. They all see that importing goods becomes cheaper, their economies improve, and as a result, the dollar still feels strong.
Palihapitiya also believes that in the long run, the US government will likely not be able to avoid devaluing its currency. According to the billionaire, the best way to deal with this trend is to invest in risky assets, such as stocks and cryptocurrencies.

– An Indian YouTuber decided to visit 40 countries in 400 days, using only bitcoin. Paco De La India, as he calls himself, has already visited 7 countries from different regions of the planet. He managed to raise the necessary amount for his travels by selling all his furniture and also through crowdfunding. As a result of his voyage, he was able to draw a few conclusions:
1. Paco believes that the volatility inherent in the market deters people from bitcoin. People are much more willing to use stablecoins, such as USDT, for transactions, while bitcoin is kept in HODL mode. In general, acceptance is happening, but this process needs to be accelerated.
2. The traveller noted that people are usually more generous during a bull market, which makes it easier to receive donations. Paco started his journey when bitcoin was trading around $50,000 and was moving towards an all-time high of nearly $69,000. "Donations were coming in, everyone was very happy... but gradually everything started to shrink," Paco says. "I couldn't travel as freely, so I was always looking for those who could take me in their homes. And this also gave me an idea of the local people."
Unfortunately, Paco's exciting journey had to be interrupted due to the fall in the BTC price and regulatory uncertainty, which affected some of his sponsors (primarily due to the closure of the Paxful trading platform). However, Paco is hopeful and intends to continue exploring where in the world it is most convenient to pay with bitcoin.


Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

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