Prices respond to Trump’s return

As President Trump began his second term in January, hopes for greater regulatory clarity triggered a positive reaction in the crypto asset class, with the Nasdaq Crypto IndexTM (NCITM) rising nearly 10%. The impact of the new president was not limited to the crypto market: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 posted positive returns of 2.78% and 2.25%, respectively. The month was positive overall but saw significant turbulence, driven by factors such as stronger-than-expected US labor market data and fear over the impact of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek. The NCITM closed the first month of 2025 with a 9.8% gain.

Among the NCI constituents the standout performer was XRP, which surged approximately 44%. This marks a new phase for this crypto asset, driven by a leadership change at the SEC which has been in multiple disputes with Ripple—the institution behind XRP—over the past few years. The biggest laggard was UNI, which posted a -12.8% return in January. This drop can be seen as a natural correction after UNI delivered the third-best performance among index constituents in Q4, gaining nearly 80%. The index’s two largest assets, Bitcoin and Ethereum, returned 8.9% and -0.6%, respectively.

Across sectoral indices, performance was more varied. The Smart Contract Platforms and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) indices posted gains of 5.86% and 2.19%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Digital Culture index had a negative return of -6.24%. Lastly, the Vinter Hashdex Risk Parity Momentum Index delivered a strong 14.67% gain, outperforming both the NCI and Bitcoin, driven by its significant allocation to XRP, which accounted for about 19% at the beginning of the month.

A new landscape is emerging for crypto assets in 2025. The newly inaugurated US president and Congress have an overwhelmingly pro-crypto stance. Many promises and expectations remain to be fulfilled in this phase, especially for smaller-cap assets, which are starting to regain attention. We remain highly optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year and for the longer term.

Trump’s signs crypto executive order

Trump signed the order, titled ”Strengthening American leadership in digital financial technology.” This is another sign of the shift to a pro-crypto administration and a pivot in digital asset policy in the US. It also showcases new US efforts to foster innovation and clarify its regulatory landscape.

SEC creates crypto task force

Acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda announced the establishment of a Crypto Task Force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. The task force reflects an important step toward ending the contentious practice of ”regulation by enforcement,” which has long stymied innovation for crypto entrepreneurs and limited opportunity for US investors.

Bitcoin-backed loans enabled on Coinbase’s L2

Now customers can borrow USDC in the new base’s lending protocol by using bitcoin as collateral. This initiative underscores the importance of onchain innovations as the pillar for future adoption of blockchain technology, in this case enhancing personal finance to be more decentralized and intuitive.