Wouldn’t you know it?  Of all the people in our global community, 2021 was the year that _cryptocurrency users_ received the accolade of being the [most charitable investors](https://www.fastcompany.com/90691172/fidelity-crypto-charity-2021-report) on the planet.  As society embraces cryptocurrencies on a wider scale, it’s a fact that people are increasingly using digital assets instead of fiat to make donations to their favourite charities. 

United Way Worldwide, the international network of 1,800+ non-profit fundraising affiliates, reported a jaw-dropping 350% increase over the past year in donations that were made using cryptocurrency.  No less impressive, the largest grantmaker in the U.S., Fidelity Charitable, recently reported receiving over $274 million in cryptocurrency donations in 2021.  That’s almost _four times_ the grantmaker’s prior record of $69 million in 2017.

## Crypto-Philanthropy

While crypto-philanthropy may be surging in 2021, it isn’t because the concept is entirely new.  Remember when the cryptocurrency market had its “coming out” party during the 2017-18 bull market and American actor turned celebrity tech investor, Ashton Kutcher, donated crypto on “The Ellen Degeneres Show?”  Or when a philanthropic project called the [Pineapple Fund](https://pineapplefund.org/) was initiated by an anonymous investor who went on to donate more than 5000 Bitcoins to over 50 different charities through the fund?

Tech and crypto wealth are rapidly becoming a big part of global philanthropy.  Now, faith-based organizations, churches, and non-profits are beginning to recognize that, with the proper online platform in place, they can draw in larger donations than regular fiat would alone as crypto expands its role in the rapidly growing online economy.

While the larger and more widely recognisable charities and international “do gooders” like the American Red Cross and Save the Children are already active in providing platforms that allow donors to contribute crypto instead of fiat, smaller organizations are still struggling with how they can set up a similar system to benefit from the recent wave of crypto-philanthropy and are determining if it even makes sense for them to do so.  It’s a compelling question considering that smaller charities make up the majority of registered non-profit's in America. 

## Bitcoin Donations

In 2018, [Engiven](https://engiven.com/) and [The Giving Block](https://thegivingblock.com/) were launched.  These two sites have become the most popular crypto-giving platforms for assisting non-profit's and especially churches in setting up online platforms for making cryptocurrency donations.  This year The Giving Block has said that it expects to facilitate cryptocurrency donations for charities totalling between $100 and $150 million.  This past November, the cryptocurrency donation platform Engiven said it accepted what the company is calling “the largest single Bitcoin donation known to date” which turned out to be a Bitcoin donation made to an undisclosed faith-based organisation totalling $10 million.

How liberating it is for the crypto-community to beat the traditional philanthropists to the top of the “most charitable” list?  But perhaps the better part of the story is how the cryptocurrency market has opened a new way for charities to source their efforts to make the world a better place. 



Crypto Investors Recognised for Charitable Giving

The price of Bitcoin was struggling for momentum today as the price hovered just below $49,000 on major indices across the market representing a fall of just 0.31%

The price of [Bitcoin](/coins) has remained range bound between $48-$51,000 since last weekends price fall from $58,000 down to $46,000. It seems as if this weak price action is keeping buyers at bay who are likely waiting for the surge in price. That being said, Bitcoin still represents just over 40% of the total cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin also has an individual market capitalisation of $1.03 trillion – the largest cryptocurrency in the market.

## More buys from Michael Saylor

This malaise seems to be affecting the broader crypto market with no clear break out gainers or losers across the last 24 hours. As we mentioned previously, without regulation the market is wide open to manipulation. This puts many investors and traders off making an entry and building a position – except Michael Saylor that is. The founder and CEO of [Microstrategy](https://www.microstrategy.com/en), the US based business software and business intelligence organisation, announced the purchase of an extra 1,434 Bitcoin on Twitter yesterday at an average price of $54,477 bringing the companies total holdings to 122,478 Bitcoin. Clearly Mr Saylor has more confidence in the future price of Bitcoin that the rest of the market. Microstrategy’s Bitcoin stack is now worth a coll $3.66 billion with an average buy in price of $29,861 meaning Saylor is still clearly in profit.

## Inflation hedge


Saylor, along with many others, see Bitcoin as the perfect hedge for inflation and a stagnating gold price. In fact, Michael Saylor believes that Bitcoin has the potential to replace gold as the number one store of value. In a recent tweet, Saylor made the bold claim that the cryptocurrency revolution will be lead through inflation, technology and adoption with Bitcoin leading the way.

The caution from investors may be due to the US Consumer Price Index report, due to be released this Friday at 13:30 hours UTC. This report is set to show that the cost of living in the world’s largest economy has risen by 6.8% in November with 7% just around the corner. If this predicted data proves to be correct then an injection of volatility into the crypto market is to be expected. With inflation reaching a 30 year high many believe this is helping to create the perfect storm for the rapid advancement and adoption of digital currencies to help relieve the pressure.

## XRP shows strength amid uncertainty

Cross border remittance coin XRP saw strong growth this week leaving many to speculate that somebody somewhere has inside knowledge that the case with the SEC could be coming to a close and the adoption of Ripple Net could be close at hand. Fans of XRP and Ripple have experienced a long and arduous three years after many false dawns and broken promises. It seems as if the court case was the final nail in the coffin for the much maligned XRP. However, with the current economic climate continuing to experience choppy water the time is perfect for a multinational organisation such as the World Economic Fund or the International Monetary Fund to approve the use of a new approach to international finance. Could this involve XRP and Ripple? Only time will tell.

BTC price Struggles to Make Headway

We have been here before.  The “flash crash” that occurred the morning of December 4th can likely be attributed to many factors, but the lesson is the same - investing in cryptocurrency requires the wherewithal to deal with extreme volatility.  [Bitcoin](/coins/btc) continues to reign as the industry titan and when the price suddenly plummets, like it did Saturday morning, altcoins and other cryptocurrencies are likely to follow suit. 

Crypto-investors found themselves having to deal with that exact scenario this past weekend.

## Omicron Variant Effects Prices

Hopes of seeing Bitcoin achieve a year-end price level of $100,000 were dashed in only moments when monetary policy rumours and speculation about the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, sent tremors through the cryptocurrency marketplace.

The world’s original cryptocurrency suddenly lost more than 18% in value, dropping to as low as $42,875…_all within the span of a single hour_.  As the new week begins, Bitcoin has already recovered some of that value back, creeping just above $50,000.  But, still well below the $55,000 - $59,000 price range the digital coin traded in the week prior to the crash.

Don’t act surprised.  Experiencing a 30-40% price fluctuation within a single month is something to be expected as the cryptocurrency market continues to mature.

## Buy The Dip- Opportunity?

Following closely behind Bitcoin, the world's _second-_largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, [Ethereum](/coins/eth), declined to $3,525 per coin – the digital asset’s lowest price in a month, though it has since recovered some of the lost value. 

There are investors among us who have waited patiently for this opportunity.  The more experienced crypto-investors among us are seeing a familiar pattern – a significant and sudden market decline “washes out” the crypto-newbies who’ve been playing the cryptocurrency market like a casino, and while those players are making for the hills, the more prudent among us view the market carnage as a buying opportunity.

In other words, is this an opportunity to “buy the dip?” 

Even if we take Saturday’s precipitous drop into consideration, Bitcoin was trading just over $29,000 when 2021 began so it is still up over 65% on the year.  Lately, we seem to have been standing on the edge of what many would consider “mainstream adoption” of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.  But those aren’t the only two “would be” buying opportunities right now. 

## Rise of The Altcoin

Last weekend’s sell-off affected other altcoins that had been riding a trend of popularity in 2021, making such affected digital assets no less enticing in terms of “buying the dip.”  [Polkadot](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/polkadot-new/), which trades under the symbol DOT, looks especially appealing right now.  The digital asset lost nearly 10% of its value in the first 24 hours of the sell-off, but most suspect the decline had come as a result of the broader market sell-off.

At present, Polkadot is showing signs of recovery which would suggest strong investor support for this suddenly popular digital asset.  Polkadot has evolved to find a place on the list of the top-ten largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation, we assume for a reason.  Investors looking for solid projects to invest in that demonstrate future potential might have a reason to consider Polkadot right now.  Like, _right_ now…

Popular Altcoin Prices Drop in Unison

It seems like it was business as usual today after the crypto market resumed its upward trajectory after what was an extremely painful weekend for many.

The cryptocurrency market looked like it had turned a corner after a huge sell off at the end of the previous week prompting mainstream news outlets to describe the latest cryptocurrency ‘crash’.

Data from [Coinmarketcap.com](https://coinmarketcap.com/) shows that the total cryptocurrency market value fell by $630 billion in little more than 15 hours settling around $2 trillion at 15:00 hours GMT on Saturday 4th December. Such a massive drawback understandably shocked many traders and investors and led to wild speculation on social media.

However, since the weekend crash prices have recovered well, albeit slowly, with the total market value currently standing at $2.4 trillion, an increase of 8% in the last 24 hours.

## Bitcoin and Ethereum drop by over 20%

[Bitcoin](/coins/btc) dropped spectacularly from $57,000 to $45,000, just over 20%, but has since recovered and is currently changing hands for $51,400. Ethereum on the other hand suffered a drop of 21% from $4,650 to $3,650 and is now priced at $4,420.

While price fluctuations like this appear alarming to many, for those long term cryptocurrency investors it seems like just another day in the market. Without significant regulation the market is wide open to manipulation and extremely murky business. Just last week US Democrat Hilary Clinton called on the need for regulation to put a halt to manipulation from ‘Russia and China’.

## Kleiman vs Wright finally resolved

This much needed market regulation may be just around the corner as the first of two major cases affecting the entire market was settled today. As previously reported, the case of Kleiman vs Wright could prove pivotal in the confidence of major league investors and today a jury in Miami ruled that Craig Wright and David Kleiman did not have any legal arrangement when the two mined over a million Bitcoin in 2009.

Although Wright must pay the family estate of deceased Kleiman $100 million in damages the judge ruled that there was no claim on the legacy Bitcoin which Wright is thought to have control over.

If the case had gone the other way the Bitcoin held by Wright would have been relinquished and could have been sold on the open market. Now with clarity in the case, high level investors looking to invest in Bitcoin can rest easy knowing there is no chance of 1.1 million Bitcoin entering the market.

## SEC vs Ripple Labs seeking clarity

The other case which many people believe will play a key role in the continued maturation of the market is of course the Securities & Exchange Commission vs Ripple Labs. The basis of the SEC argument is that Ripple knowingly sold its native XRP token in the form of an investment security when the company raised funds in 2013.

[Ripple](/coins/xrp) of course deny this and are going to painstaking lengths to demonstrate that XRP is in fact a utility token in the remittance and settlement market and has no guarantee of return on investment. If, as seems obvious to many, the SEC lose the case the verdict will set a clear precedent across the market as to how cryptocurrencies and digital assets are defined in an investment light. 

With the case against Ripple coming up to its first year anniversary many people are hoping for a resolution sometime in the new year. Needless to say many crypto investors, advocates and enthusiasts alike are hoping for a favourable ruling on the side of Ripple Labs heralding a bright start to 2022.


Bull Market Crypto After Weekend of Pain

The surge in Omicron value may simply be coincidence, but more likely points to some irrational thinking among crypto buyers.

Just hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) named a new variation of COVID-19 Omicron, there was a rally in the price of OMIC.

While the broader crypto market responded poorly to the identification of a ‘concerning’ new variant, the DeFi Protocol Omicron value saw gains.

Previously little-known, the cryptocurrency proved resilient and over the weekend saw its value increase 10 times over.

## Omicron- Digital Currency

According to one exchange, OMIC – a token of decentralised reserve currency protocol Omicron – saw bids grow from less than $70 late on Friday to around $690 by Sunday. At the time of writing the value was sitting at about $325.

Decentralised reserve currency protocol OMIC is a fork of Olympus on the Arbitrum Network1.

On its website, Omicron says OMIC ‘introduces unique economic and game-theoretic dynamics into the market through staking and bonding’.

It adds: ‘Our goal is to build a policy-controlled currency system…we believe this system can be used to optimise for stability and consistency so that OMIC can function as a global unit-of-account and medium-of-exchange currency.’

## No Connection to COVID-19

There is no connection to COVID-19

The token’s supply is capped at 1,000,000 OMIC, but many data providers do not provide details about the cryptocurrency’s market capitalisation. It is, however, backed by a basket of assets, including stablecoin USDC, and is listed solely on decentralised exchange SushiSwap.

The broader crypto market has also stabilised to an extent following the weekend stumble.

Omicron Value Surges as COVID-19 Variant Named

The crypto bull market seems to have stumbled this week? Why?

Earlier this week, the CEO of AMC Theatres, the largest movie theatre chain on the planet, said his company would begin accepting shiba inu coins as payment through Bitpay wallets. This could happen in 60 days.

While a positive news story, it did nothing to prevent the crypto bull market from cratering out over the past 24 hours after a seemingly parabolic rise.

Two of the market’s titans, [Bitcoin](/coins/btc) and[ Ethereum](/coins/eth), led the decline, exhibiting sharp drop-offs in value after setting new all-time highs last week.

## Bitcoin Value Falls

Bitcoin’s value fell below $58,000 on Thursday - a sharp contrast to the digital asset’s achievement the week prior when the price shot up to over $68,000 for the first time.

Some are quick to associate the recent decline in cryptocurrencies with President Biden’s signature on a new $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes specific language on the tax reporting requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges.

The news that some of the proposed legislation may treat _stablecoin issuers_ like banks didn’t sit well with investors. Still, there are investors that have developed a bit of an appreciation for these ‘corrections’ considering how it aligns with their investment strategy of ‘buying the dip’.

But not all of us are willing to adopt this strategy, and a harsh dip can chase off new investors. Sometimes, permanently.

## Is the Crypto Market Immature?

Consider for a moment that market volatility like we’ve seen in the last day or two can be directly linked to the crypto market’s immaturity. Cryptocurrencies, by and large, have yet to achieve a state of ‘mainstream adoption’, meaning many, _many_ traditional investors are still watching from the sidelines.

Volatility, from a crypto bull market to a bear market, has come to be expected. When a celebrity tweet can send a particular coin upwards of 10% or more, it’s a sign of a market still evolving.

Another bit of news that may have triggered the _flight_ mechanism among some investors had to do with Chinese regulators intensifying their efforts to ferret out those in the country still involved in Bitcoin mining activities, something the Chinese government outlawed earlier this year.

America’s infrastructure bill and China’s clamp down on mining activities both had an obvious impact on Bitcoin. As the key digital asset used in assessing the health of the entire cryptocurrency sector, both announcements had a negative impact that rippled across the entire market.

## Mainstream Adoption of Crypto

Still, there were signs this week that cryptocurrencies will continue making their push towards mainstream adoption.

The Los Angeles sports arena, home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, will be renamed from the “Staples Center,” the formal name of the 20,000- seat arena since 1999, and become the “Crypto.com Arena” in a $700 million deal for the naming rights.

As a result, Crypto.com’s digital coin, CRO, was buoyed to an all-time high of $0.593 on Thursday after the company won the naming rights.

Lastly, the crypto ‘brain trust’ anticipates that more digital coins will become an accepted form of payment for many more vendors in 2022. AMC has jumped on the bandwagon, McDonald’s and Burger King are in the conversation, even charities are embracing cryptocurrencies as more and more investors take their positions in the market.

As this trend evolves, the value of cryptos will likely increase and the market will continue to evolve, not retract.

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