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Ethereum Eyes $3,500 Breakout Amid $166M ETF Inflows

Ethereum price trend is gaining momentum amid the broader market recovery. Will the ETH price rally continue and reclaim $4,000?

With Bitcoin holding above the $101,000 mark, Ethereum is gradually gaining momentum. With a market cap exceeding $400 billion, Ethereum is preparing for a breakout above $3,400.

Additionally, the total crypto market cap, excluding Bitcoin, saw a 9.42% surge this week, reaching a $1.48 trillion valuation, reflecting growing interest in altcoins. Despite Ethereum’s slow recovery, the massive upside potential of the largest altcoin suggests a strong possibility of a bull run.

Ethereum Price Analysis

On the daily chart, Ethereum’s price action shows an ongoing pullback phase, which recently tested the 200 EMA line. Currently, Ethereum is trading at $3,373, with an intraday gain of 2.05%.

The bullish recovery in Ethereum reached $3,416, as predicted in our previous ETH price analysis.

However, following a slight drop last night, Ethereum’s price action shows a series of lower-high formations. This indicates a struggle for the bulls to maintain dominance above the $3,400 mark.

Ethereum Price Chart
Ethereum Price Chart

US Ethereum ETFs Surpass $100M in Inflows

Amid the bullish sentiment, Ethereum ETFs recorded an inflow of $166.59 million. Leading the bullish pack, BlackRock’s Ethereum ETF acquired $111.19 million worth of Ether tokens.

Ethereum ETFs
Ethereum ETFs

Fidelity followed with $70.04 million, and the Grayscale Ethereum Trust recorded an inflow of $4.04 million. However, Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust recorded an outflow of $18.73 million, while the rest of the ETFs recorded a net-zero outflow.

With Bitcoin ETFs performing strongly, with over $600 million in inflows on January 16, the recovery in Ethereum ETFs signals growing institutional support. This further boosts the bullish narrative of a potential parabolic rise in Ethereum.

ETH Price Targets

As Ethereum ETFs reflect increasing institutional support, the short-term recovery in Ethereum’s price suggests a reversal rally. With the 4-hour RSI crossing above the halfway level, Ethereum aims to challenge the 23.60% Fibonacci level at $3,551.

However, Ethereum faces resistance from the 20 EMA and 50 EMA, slightly below the $3,200 mark. Based on trend-based Fibonacci levels, a bullish breakout above the 23.60% level could pave the way toward the $4,000 psychological mark, near the 50% Fibonacci level.

On the downside, the 200 EMA is likely to provide strong support near $3,120.

Dogecoin Pushing Toward $0.50 as Bullish Momentum Expands

Will Dogecoin (DOGE) lead the meme coin rally as buyers prepare to push past the $0.50 psychological mark?

With Bitcoin holding above the $102,000 mark, meme coins are gaining momentum. The meme coin market cap is nearing a $110 billion valuation, and Dogecoin is preparing to launch past the $0.40 psychological resistance.

Currently, Dogecoin holds a market cap of $58 billion, commanding over 50% of its segment, with a 7.60% surge in the past 24 hours. The 7-day return for Dogecoin stands at 24%, signaling a potential bull run ahead.

Dogecoin Price Analysis

On the 4-hour chart, Dogecoin’s price action has crossed the 61.80% Fibonacci level at $0.39139, as predicted in our previous article.

Dogecoin Price Chart
Dogecoin Price Chart

Currently, DOGE has formed its third consecutive bullish candle accounting for a near 10% hike. This hints at a potential breakout above the 78.60% Fibonacci level.

Amid the rising momentum, the 50 and 200-day EMA lines have completed a golden crossover. Additionally, the 100-day EMA is on the verge of crossing above the 200-day EMA, which would signal a buy opportunity.

Meanwhile, the 4-hour RSI has entered the overbought boundary, further reinforcing the bullish outlook for Dogecoin.

Confident Whales Load Up Dogecoin Ahead of The Rally 

Whales are increasing their holdings as the bullish trend in Dogecoin gains momentum. According to a recent post by crypto analyst Ali Martinez on X, Dogecoin whales have been accumulating significant amounts of DOGE.

Specifically, data from Santiment shows that whales have purchased 200 million DOGE tokens in the last three days.

DOGE Price Target

With a bullish breakout of the 61.80% Fibonacci level, Dogecoin is likely to sustain above the $0.40 psychological resistance and could reach the $0.4865 swing high. Based on Fibonacci levels, a surge to $0.52 and a new 52-week high is possible.

Meanwhile, crucial support levels for Dogecoin are at $0.3675 and $0.3463.

Analyst: Shiba Inu Monthly Chart Shows Imminent “Big Pump”

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Higher timeframe analysis shows that Shiba Inu could soon come to life and surge extensively in the coming months, given recent price accumulation.

Shiba Inu has quickly recovered from a price downtrend on Thursday. The prominent meme coin corrected 3.17% yesterday but has compensated for the retracement with an over 9% upsurge today.

However, the doggy-themed meme coin still trails the broader market in price performance. For context, SHIB has appreciated just 8% in the past seven days, while other high-caliber assets like XRP and Dogecoin increased by 43% and 18% in the same period.

Meanwhile, a recent analysis indicates a big pump is coming. A notable market speculator asserts that an explosive run is imminent and gives a timeframe for its actualization.

Timeline for Area Breakout

TradingView analyst SimpleTrader2018 identified a strong price compression in the Shiba Inu monthly chart. Per an accompanying chart, the meme coin has sustained a trend within a symmetrical structure for six months.

Shiba Inu TradingView Analysis
Shiba Inu TradingView Analysis

The base of the triangle stemmed from SHIB’s August 2024 lows of $0.00001083. Shiba Inu recovered from the bearish momentum, hitting the tip following its short-lived surge to $0.00003341 in December.

Meanwhile, the analyst noted that Shiba Inu would experience a substantial uptick if it regained bullish momentum. He suggested that the massive upside will follow the token’s breakout in one or two monthly candlesticks.

Shiba Inu to $0.00023?

In addition, analyst CryptoELITE made an ambitious call to confirm the bullish momentum on the Shiba Inu price chart. In a Thursday analysis, the market commentator noted that SHIB’s technicals look positive, asserting that the meme coin will target a tenfold upsurge if bullish price action persists.

Meanwhile, he based the 10x upsurge predictions on a breakout from a symmetrical triangle. An accompanying chart shows that Shiba Inu formed the pattern following its push to $0.00004567 in March 2024 and has continued to consolidate within the structure.

Shiba Inu 10x Surge

CryptoELITE asserted that Shiba Inu would surge 850% from its current price past its all-time high to $0.00023 upon breakout. He also suggested that the outburst would happen “very soon.”

Interestingly, another analyst predicted a similar price surge. Market expert Alan Santana set an uptick to $0.00023 as his target for Shiba Inu in the bull run, noting that it would happen this year.

In the meantime, SHIB trades at $0.00002413, up almost 10% today.

Bitcoin Breaks $102,000: Is $111,570 the Next Target?

Bitcoin has surpassed $102,000 as institutional ETF inflows fuel the price rally. Will $111,570 be the next target?

With the bullish recovery in the crypto market, Bitcoin has surpassed the $100,000 mark for the second time in 2025. Reaching a 24-hour peak of $102,088, the bull run is gradually gaining momentum.

Amid the recovery, growing institutional support and rising bullish speculation present significant upside potential. Will a breakout at the $102,557 level result in a new all-time high as the crypto landscape turns bullish?

Bitcoin Price Analysis

In the 4-hour chart, BTC price action shows a continuation of the bullish trend after a minor retest of the 20-day moving average. This resulted in a 24-hour low of $97,319.

Bitcoin Price Chart
Bitcoin Price Chart

However, with the Morning Star pattern, the bullish recovery has brought the price to $101,446. Additionally, the recovery began with an RSI divergence rally around the $90,000 mark and is now completing a rounding bottom pattern.

The neckline of the rounding bottom pattern is at the $102,557 supply zone. With the ongoing recovery, the golden crossover between the 50- and 200-day EMAs, as well as the positive crossover between the 100- and 200-day EMAs, have regained positive alignment.

Furthermore, the 4-hour RSI is now approaching the overbought boundary, indicating a high possibility of a breakout rally according to technical indicators.

Bitcoin Spot ETFs Acquire $626 Million

The bullish sentiment in the crypto market is growing ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 19. Daily net inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to rise, with $626.15 million recorded on January 16.

The bull run was largely driven by the return of BlackRock, which embarked on a buying spree. BlackRock purchased $527.87 million worth of Bitcoin, followed by ARK 21Shares, which accumulated $155.44 million in inflows.

Additionally, VanEck, Fidelity, and Bitwise collectively bought nearly $13 million worth of Bitcoin. While the remaining ETFs saw no net outflows, Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust sold off $69.97 million worth of Bitcoin.

The overall positive trend in Bitcoin ETFs suggests a favorable outlook in the coming days.

Bitcoin ETFs
Bitcoin ETFs

Bitcoin Open Interest Hits $65 Billion

With the growing inflows and the rising Bitcoin prices, the speculations in the derivatives market are turning extremely positive.

With a 1.57% surge in Bitcoin open interest, reaching $65.10 billion, the long-to-short ratio of 1.0173 reflects more open bullish positions.

Bitcoin Derivatives
Bitcoin Derivatives

Furthermore, the funding rate remains at 0.0077%, reflecting the confidence among traders to hold bullish positions.

BTC Price Targets

Based on BTC price action, the rounding bottom reversal suggests a buying opportunity for significant upside. Therefore, a breakout above the $102,557 level is likely to test immediate resistance at $106,888. Additionally, Fibonacci levels indicate an upside target of $111,570.

Bitcoin Surge Drives $2.19B in Options Expiry as Bulls Eye $105K

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Many Bitcoin options contracts expired today, with a total of 22,000 BTC options reaching their expiry amid the latest successful attempt at the $100K price mark.

The expired contracts have a Put-Call Ratio of 0.95, reflecting a balanced sentiment between bearish and bullish positions. The Max Pain Point—the price at which the most options expire worthless—was recorded at $96,000. Meanwhile, the notional value of these contracts totaled $2.19 billion.

$2.19B Expiry Amid Bitcoin $100K Rally

Notably, the options expiry comes after a strong Bitcoin rally in the spot market that saw BTC surge above $100,000 again. This move shook off the subdued market sentiment of the weekend, injecting new energy into the broader crypto market.

At press time, Bitcoin is trading at $101,740, posting a gain of 2.73% over the past 24 hours, elevating its weekly performance to an 8% uptick. Notably, this latest turnaround comes just four days after Bitcoin’s price dropped to $89,260, a level not seen since November 2024.

However, a swift and decisive rebound followed, as market participants found the dip price a favorable entry. With Bitcoin maintaining its footing above $100K, bulls are anticipating further price moves, especially as pro-Bitcoin Donald Trump prepares to take office next week.

Ethereum Options Data

Meanwhile, the Ethereum options market also saw a large number of expirations today, January 17, with 182,000 ETH options expiring.

For these contracts, the Put-Call Ratio was notably more bullish, at 0.36, suggesting a stronger preference for call options. The Max Pain Point for Ethereum was $3,250, with the notional value of these contracts amounting to $610 million.

Market Sentiment as Bitcoin Bulls Target $105K

Commenting on the latest expiry data for Bitcoin and Ethereum, market resource Greeks.Live noted that despite the positive price movement in Bitcoin, other market segments remain weak.

It pointed out that much of the market’s attention continues to focus on BTC, leaving altcoins less prominent in comparison.

For context, Ethereum is up by 0.5% today, compared to a 3% gain for Bitcoin. Moreover, Ethereum’s price at $3,378 is trading with only 2.5% weekly gains compared to Bitcoin’s 8%. A similar trend is observable with other prominent altcoins like BNB.

Nonetheless, Greeks.Live noted that the rise in Bitcoin’s price has helped boost short-term implied volatilities (IVs), signaling increased market expectations of future volatility.

It also pointed out that long positions in BTC have gained strength, with traders targeting a potential $105,000 price point in the near term. Notably, since reclaiming the $100K mark, Bitcoin has rallied to $102,037.

Overall, market participants are closely watching whether Trump will implement policies favorable to cryptocurrencies to drive further bullish momentum when he officially takes office next week.

Tether Considers US Expansion Amid Trump Presidency and $10B Profit

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Tether Holdings is exploring potential expansion in the United States following a strong year of profits and a shift in the political landscape favoring crypto. 

Per a Bloomberg report, the company’s interest in the U.S. market coincides with the election of pro-crypto President Donald Trump and Tether’s substantial investments in high-profile companies.

While the CEO of the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, Paolo Ardoino, acknowledged U.S. opportunities, he emphasized a cautious approach, citing the need for clearer regulatory guidelines.

Increased Investments and US Opportunities

Notably, Tether’s record-breaking $10 billion profits in 2024 have strengthened its ability to invest in diverse ventures. The company recently allocated $775 million to acquire a stake in Rumble Inc., a U.S.-listed video-sharing platform.

Ardoino noted that these investments create an opportunity to reassess the U.S. regulatory environment and evaluate the potential for a greater presence in the country. However, the company remains cautious, prioritizing regulatory clarity before making definitive moves.

It is also important to note that Tether’s U.S. Treasury holdings are currently managed by Cantor Fitzgerald LP, whose CEO, Howard Lutnick, is expected to join the Trump administration.

This connection may influence Tether’s strategy as the company prepares to enhance its lobbying efforts. In September, Tether hired Jesse Spiro, a former PayPal executive, to lead its government relations. Notably, Tether has already been among the top spenders on U.S. crypto lobbying in recent years.

Regulatory Challenges Facing Tether

Despite its growth, Tether has faced significant regulatory hurdles in the U.S. In 2021, the company settled allegations from U.S. authorities for $41 million over claims it misrepresented its reserves. Though Tether neither admitted nor denied the allegations, the incident underscored challenges in the region. 

More recently, reports suggested the company was under investigation in New York for potential violations of sanctions and anti-money-laundering regulations. Ardoino denied awareness of such inquiries.

Global Expansion and New Headquarters

While weighing its U.S. prospects, Tether is establishing a global headquarters in El Salvador, which has embraced cryptocurrency. The firm plans to relocate its incorporation and its subsidiaries to the Central American country. 

Tether’s parent company, iFinex Inc., will also shift its base to El Salvador. Initial hiring from locals will focus on tens of employees, with projections to grow the workforce into the hundreds.

Additionally, the company is finalizing plans to construct Tether Tower, a skyscraper set to be built either in central San Salvador or nearby.

Barstool Sports Founder Sees XRP Going to the Moon

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David Scott Portnoy, the founder of popular sports and culture company Barstool Sports, has captured the attention of the broader crypto community with an illustration of XRP. 

Portnoy, widely followed by 3.4 million X users, shared a GIF of XRP going to the moon. EToro, a social and multi-asset trading platform, originally designed this GIF. Interestingly, Portnoy shared the GIF via his X handle, depicting XRP’s rise ‘to the moon.’ 

According to the gif, XRP’s mascot was seen taking off like a rocket and heading toward the moon. For context, the phrase or illustration of an asset like XRP ‘going to the moon’ signals a conviction that its price will witness a dramatic spike. 

Although Portnoy shared the gif yesterday, it has attracted over 860,000 views, with over 10,000 X users liking it. 

Portnoy’s XRP Holdings 

Notably, Portnoy is no stranger to the XRP community. Last year, the Barstool Sports founder attracted the attention of XRP enthusiasts after he revealed his XRP holdings. Speaking at his ‘Davey Day Trader Global’ live stream, Portney said he owns about $1.3 million worth of XRP. 

After this disclosure, XRP community members declared Portnoy an “official XRP Army Member.” 

XRP Recent Performance  

Meanwhile, Portnoy’s tweet about XRP coincides with the asset’s latest surge, which saw it cross the $3 mark yesterday. Notably, XRP hit the $3 price territory for the first time since 2018. It subsequently rose to $3.39 before retracing below $3.20. 

At press time, XRP is trading at $3.25, up 7.69% over the past 24 hours. XRP’s market cap has also witnessed a similar surge, soaring to a new peak at $188.48 billion. 

The coin began its uptrend in November after Donald Trump emerged victorious in the 2024 presidential election. With the latest comeback, XRP has risen by over 510% since then, soaring from lows around $0.49 to over $3. 

This uptrend comes amid speculation that the incoming administration might dismiss the legal tussle between Ripple and the SEC. Ripple execs, including CLO Stuart Alderoty, have shared several updates about this, hinting at a potential dismissal of the lawsuit. 

Consequently, several XRP proponents, like Portnoy, believe XRP is heading to the moon, highlighting the coin’s potential rise to unprecedented levels. 

Analyst Predicts New Targets for XRP  

Meanwhile, prominent crypto expert Steph referred to XRP’s positioning above the $2.9 mark as a strong bullish signal. Consequently, Steph set two targets for XRP: conservative and bullish. 

For the conservative target, Steph expects XRP to soar to $5, marking a surge of 62.86% from the current price. However, he issued a bullish prediction of $14.18 for XRP, reflecting a surge of 361.88% from the current price of $3.07. 

Solana Launchpad Pump.fun Officially Sued for Exploiting and Targeting Users with Offensive Content

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Burwick Law and Wolf Popper LLP file a federal class action against the creators of Solana-based meme coin launchpad Pump.fun. 

The law firms filed the class action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on behalf of crypto investors impacted by Pump.fun activities. 

Pump.fun Accused of Displaying Offensive Content 

In the complaint filed yesterday, the lead plaintiff, Kendall Carnahan, accused the creators of Pump.fun of exploiting users. 

Despite claiming to support censorship resistance and financial freedom, the plaintiff alleged that Pump.fun had become a platform used to display activities relating to racism, torture, sexual content, and other social vices. 

According to the complaint, the Pump.fun team allowed the circulation of offensive content to generate millions of dollars in fees. 

Violation of Securities Laws

Additionally, the class action alleged that Pump.fun creators violated federal securities laws by offering and selling unregistered securities offerings. In particular, the complaint labeled Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) as a security offered and sold on Pump.fun. 

Based on the PNUT’s securities tag, the complaint alleged that the token issuers failed to register it with the SEC. 

Furthermore, it accused Pump.fun creators of using tactics similar to Ponzi to generate over $500 million in fees from users. The plaintiff contended that Pump.fun leveraged internet culture to promote the adoption of volatile and unregistered securities tokens. 

Per the complaint, Pump.fun created advanced tools that allowed malefactors to develop and sell worthless tokens in minutes. According to the complaint, some of these tokens are linked to offensive content, including racism and antisemitism. 

The law firms, on behalf of Pump.fun users, requested a trial by jury for all eligible claims in the class action. 

“We are proud to represent crypto investors in seeking accountability for the responsible advancement of blockchain technology,” the law firms said. 

In the meantime, the law firms urge investors harmed by Pump.fun activities to support the class action by completing a no-cost, no-obligation intake form. 

Pump.fun Controversy 

Launched in January 2024, Pump.fun is one of the dominant players in the meme coin sector. Data from Dune Analytics show that Pump.fun has facilitated the launch of 6,123,826 (6.12 million) tokens. 

Some of these token issuers leveraged Pump.fun’s now-suspended livestream feature to perform extreme stunts, including faked suicides. 

Meanwhile, many criticized the Pump.fun team for enriching only a privileged few, particularly token issuers, leaving ordinary users in ruins. 

Earlier this year, Adam Tehc, an analyst at Dune, claimed only 0.41% (55,012 wallets) of Pump.fun’s 13.4 million total wallets have made at least $10,000 in profit. He added that about 289 Pump.fun wallets have generated returns to the tune of a million dollars. 

Last Call for Dogecoin Under $0.40? Analyst Eyes $1 By End of January 2025

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Prominent crypto trader “WSB Trader Rocko” asserts that Dogecoin is unlikely to trade below the $0.40 price point after now.

After weeks of uncertainty, things appear to be heating up again in the crypto market as the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump nears. Amid the hype, investors are looking increasingly optimistic.

In the latest instance highlighting this, a highly followed market analyst has suggested that leading meme crypto Dogecoin (DOGE) could hit a long-coveted milestone in the next two weeks.

Last Chance to Buy Dogecoin (DOGE) Under $0.40?

Prominent crypto trader “WSB Trader Rocko” has whipped up excitement by asserting that Dogecoin is unlikely to trade below the $0.40 price point after now.

“Last Chance to buy DOGE below $0.40,” the trader enthused in an X post on Thursday, December 16.

WSB Trader Rocko expressed this view as they asserted that DOGE had a 60% chance of hitting the long-coveted $1 price point by the end of January 2025. 

The analyst based this optimism on a double-bottom formation on the doggy-themed meme coin’s daily candle chart. They believe this formation has two potential targets: the first above the asset’s $0.73 all-time high and the second at the $1 price point.

DOGEUSD daily candle chart
DOGEUSD daily candle chart. Source: WSB Trader Rocko

Beyond the chart, WSB Trader Rocko tipped Dogecoin enthusiast and Tesla CEO Elon Musk as a catalyst for the move through his involvement with the Donald Trump-proposed Department of Government Efficiency. The billionaire has seemingly tied the fortunes of the meme coin to the task force by nicknaming the latter D.O.G.E.

On Thursday, prominent crypto analyst Ali Martinez also suggested that Dogecoin could kick off the second leg of its parabolic run as soon as next week, citing its price action in the 2021 bull market. The rally will also align with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Ali Martinez has previously predicted that DOGE could soar as high as the $23 price point in the current market cycle.

At the time of writing, however, DOGE continues to trade below $0.40 at $0.3858, up nearly about 2% in the past 24 hours, per CoinMarketCap data, but still a long way off the meteoric targets set by analysts.

Ripple Stablecoin RLUSD Now Live on the Root Network

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Ripple secures the launch of RLUSD on the Root network amid the latest collaboration, expanding the stablecoin’s liquidity.

The Root network confirmed the launch in a tweet yesterday. The latest partnership will allow users of the metaverse-focused blockchain access to the Ripple USD (RLUSD).

Expanded RLUSD Liquidity

Root Network announced adding the RLUSD option for its clientele, permitting users to buy, hold, and trade the stablecoin. Furthermore, the blockchain has unlocked RLUSD on FuturePass, meaning users can seamlessly bridge between the Root network and the XRP Ledger.

Notably, the Futureverse experience blockchain joins the growing list of networks and exchanges adding support for the newly launched RLUSD. The stablecoin went live on the XRP Ledger on December 17 on the heels of regulatory approval from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).

Five exchanges, Archax, Bitso, CoinMENA, MoonPay, and Uphold, added initial support for RLUSD upon launch. The stablecoin is also available on the Ethereum network, further boosting liquidity.

Meanwhile, other exchanges, like Singapore-based Independent Reserve, have launched RLUSD for trading on their platform. Most recently, Ripple secured a groundbreaking partnership with Chainlink to boost RLUSD’s attractiveness to decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.

Ripple Poised for More RLUSD Partnerships

The fintech giant has teased the Ripple USD as a complement to XRP in its cross-border payment solution. The stablecoin will provide options and boost liquidity while enhancing the XRPL Ledger’s DeFi prowess.

Meanwhile, Ripple still aims to push RLUSD for broader usage and adoption. President Monical Long disclosed in a recent interview that the payment giant is exploring partnerships to “imminently” foster the RLUSD stablecoin’s launch on tier-one exchanges like Coinbase and Binance.

Moreover, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has repeatedly teased the idea of collaborating with Ripple to launch RLUSD on its network. The founder recently lauded Ripple and the XRP ecosystem, hinting at one point that he is engaging with the team to discuss a probable RLUSD debut on the Cardano network.

In the meantime, RLUSD has maintained stability and its peg with the US dollar. CoinMarketCap shows that the stablecoin’s market cap has surpassed $53 million, with a 24-hour trading volume of 186 million.