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GM. This is Milk Road, we’re the DoorDash of crypto. We bring the best crypto news directly to your doorstep. Even if you forgot what you ordered.

And we’ll start with the best news of the day: Bitcoin hit $35K+ for the first time in 17 months!

Nothing better than waking up to the sweet, sweet smell of green crypto prices.

Here’s what we’re serving up today:

• Prices are PUMPING! Here’s why… 👀

• Roblox 🤝 crypto mining

• N. America makes up 25% of crypto’s total volume 🍪

PRICES ARE PUMPING! HERE’S WHY… 👀

The crypto market was 50 Shades of Green yesterday...

Light Green. Dark Green. Emerald Green. Hookers Green**. You name it.

**My editor removed 4 consecutive jokes about this because, and I quote, “We’ve made it this far, don’t get canceled right as prices start pumping again.”

But I did get to snap a selfie…

So, why did prices pump so much? Two words… Bitcoin ETF.

And there were 3 big things that happened yesterday:

1/ BlackRock obtained a CUSIP number and could start buying BTC this month in prep for its ETF launch

BlackRock recently updated its ETF filing and there were two amendments that caught everyone’s attention:

• They’ve obtained a CUSIP number. This is a unique ID that gets assigned to all securities in the U.S. and Canada so they can easily be tracked.

• They may start “seeding” the ETF this month. This is when initial funding is provided by a bank/broker-dealer and is used to purchase a few “creation units” (in this case BTC) in exchange for ETF shares which can be traded in the open market on Day 1.

You can think of a CUSIP number like a social security number and “seeding an ETF” like a mini-IPO.

And the fact that BlackRock is this far along with both is a positive sign that a spot Bitcoin ETF could be coming sooner than people originally expected…

2/ Blackrock’s Bitcoin ETF is listed on the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC).

The DTCC is a financial services company that provides clearing and settlement offerings for financial markets, like the NASDAQ.

Well yesterday, BlackRock’s ETF (called iShares Bitcoin Trust) appeared on the DTCC website. And it had a new trading ticker too… $IBTC.

Side note - iBTC?! Laaaaame…

Milk Road Rating: 3.5/10.

Missed opportunity to do something cool, like $GRDT (Get Rich or Die Trying).

3/ A U.S. Court of Appeals issued a mandate that the SEC needs to review its decision about Grayscale’s Bitcoin ETF.

Just as a quick refresher…

• Grayscale’s been trying to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF for a while now.

• The SEC denied all its applications.

• So Grayscale sued the SEC, arguing that the regulating agency didn’t have a legitimate reason to deny them.

• Then, judges ruled in favor of Grayscale, while using phrases like “absence of a coherent explanation”, and “arbitrary and capricious” to describe the SEC’s decision-making. (fighting words)

Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a formal mandate that the SEC needs to review Grayscale’s application again and either:

a) Accept it, and work with Grayscale in launching its spot Bitcoin ETF.

b) Find a new reason to deny it, and drag the process out even longer.

Milk Road Take: Ladies & gents, we just got one three steps closer to a spot Bitcoin ETF.

It’s no longer if it’s coming. It’s when.

But for now, let’s enjoy those green prices.

P.S. - we track BTC’s live price, right here.

NON-CUSTODIAL ETH STAKING MADE EASY

ETH staking has been the talk of the crypto town in 2023.

The problem? You lose access to your funds while staking by locking them in a smart contract.

But not with Everstake: Their solution is non-custodial, allowing you to maintain possession of your tokens and reduce unnecessary risks.

But that’s not the only reason people are staking with Everstake:

• Users can unstake, withdrawal rewards and re-stake to compound their yield, all within their integrated platform

• They offer an intuitive dashboard for tracking your staking status and rewards

• It only takes 0.1 ETH to stake and expected APY is above the industry average, ranging from 4-10%

• Their experienced team of technical specialists ensure maximum uptime and protection against slashing

Accompanied by record low gas fees, it’s hard to ask for a better time to stake.

Stake your Ether with Everstake!

ROBLOX 🤝 CRYPTO MINING

Roblox is one of the most popular gaming platforms out there. My research team tells me it’s a game for kids who still believe in Santa Claus.

But it has…

• 65M+ daily active users.

• 40M+ games and experiences built on the platform.

Well, check it out. There’s a game on Roblox called Bitcoin Miner.

It simulates stuff like buying/setting up mining equipment, upgrading graphic cards, generating more power to boost mining capabilities, and more.

The craziest part? The game has 161 MILLION visits from Roblox players.

Check out the demo below.

Pretty cool.

We’re all for this kind of stuff… it simplifies a complex topic and makes it an engaging experience.

More crypto simulations. Less boring crypto articles.

BITE-SIZED COOKIES 🍪

Mindvalley’s free webinar grants exclusive access to the secrets of investing and wealth creation. Equipped with insight, walkthroughs, and guides from experts who have already walked the path.*

The U.S. drives the greatest share of crypto activity in the world, according to Chainalysis’ latest report. Together with Canada, the region accounts for almost one-fourth of global transaction volume (~$1T between July 2022 and June 2023).

Blockaid (a web3 security firm) raised $33M from investors. Blockaid has tools that can simulate user interactions with a dApp without putting any user assets at risk.

Deutsche Bank and SC Ventures completed the first stablecoin swaps on the Universal Digital Payments Network. The on-chain swaps were between the USDC and EURS stablecoins, using SC Ventures and Deutsche Bank’s digital currency wallets.

*This is sponsored content

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.