The cryptocurrency market has experienced significant changes in recent years, with the rise of meme coins and their impact on the Ethereum network, increasing ETH burns, and shifts in the global landscape of cryptocurrency trading. This article will delve into these topics, examining the effects of meme coins on Ethereum, the role of whales, and the consequences of major exchange listings.

 

1. Meme Coins and Ethereum Burns

One positive effect of meme coins on Ethereum is the record levels of ETH burns. A portion of each transaction fee on Ethereum is burned, and with enough transaction volume, ETH’s supply can turn negative. Over the last 30 days, ETH’s supply has been negative to the tune of 100K. This has likely supported ETH’s recent price action, but these exponential ETH burns may also have had negative consequences.

The Ethereum Foundation appears to have taken notice of these burns and recently sent 15K ETH to Kraken, potentially to sell. Historically, this has happened around ETH’s local tops. This raises the question of why the Ethereum Foundation didn’t stake instead of selling, as staking deposits have reportedly outpaced withdrawals to the tune of $200 million, and liquid staking protocols like Lido Finance continue to grow their total value locked (TVL). The answer is likely because the Ethereum Foundation needs more funds to prepare for upcoming upgrades such as sharding, scheduled for some time this summer.

 

2. Whale Movements and Their Impact on the Market

The Ethereum Foundation isn’t the only whale that has been sending ETH to exchanges lately. Someone has been sending massive amounts of ETH to Coinbase over the last few weeks, and another recently sent a whopping 80K ETH to Binance US, presumably to sell. Interestingly, these massive ETH inflows to exchanges have had little impact on ETH’s price.

This could be because these exchanges are honoring staked ETH withdrawals or conducting over-the-counter (OTC) trades for institutions buying ETH. Whale movements are crucial to monitor, especially when the crypto market is lacking depth and liquidity.

 

3. Coinbase’s International Expansion and the Changing Crypto Market

Coinbase recently launched its international version after revealing plans to go global earlier this year. This move is partially due to regulatory uncertainty around crypto in the United States and partly because Coinbase wants to compete more directly with other offshore exchanges. Although Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong maintains that the exchange isn’t giving up on the US, it’s evident that the company is looking for growth opportunities elsewhere.

Coinbase’s international expansion could significantly change the crypto market, as it appears that all futures contracts on its offshore exchange will trade against USDC. This is significant because almost all futures contracts on other offshore crypto exchanges trade against Tether’s USDT. Leverage trading is the primary reason why USDT is the largest stablecoin, while USDC’s primary demand driver has been decentralized finance (DeFi).

 

4. Implications of USDC Growth on the Crypto Market

The absence of DeFi demand during the bear market has likely contributed to the massive decline in USDC’s market cap. This decline will continue if something doesn’t change. Coinbase’s offshore exchange could potentially drive more demand for USDC through futures trading, which could help reverse the decline in USDC’s market cap.

On the other hand, the regulatory uncertainty surrounding stablecoins in the U.S. could pose a challenge for USDC’s growth. However, if Coinbase’s offshore exchange successfully attracts more users and increases demand for USDC, this could create a shift in the balance of power between USDT and USDC in the stablecoin market.