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- Crypto Saving Expert Newsletter - Issue 145
Crypto Saving Expert Newsletter - Issue 145
Good morning! Bitcoin is quietly building momentum, inching closer to a fresh all-time high. The market’s tightening, and price discovery may be just around the corner. All eyes are on the charts!
Let’s take a deep dive into bitcoin, macro markets, and key levels to watch this week. 👇
This week's issue will feature technical analysis of bitcoin, Solana, Chainlink and Dogecoin, as well as important dates and key news stories.
Table of Contents
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Bitcoin Nears New Highs
Bitcoin continues to grind higher steadily, edging towards recording a new all-time high and entering price discovery.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is pushing up towards its all-time high, hitting just shy of $108,000 today.
The price is just marginally away from recording a new record high, which will occur above $109,588.
Stonksy is long on the 1H chart, catching the pump up from over the weekend into today.
Get 20% off your first month of Stonksy with code BOT20. Sign up: HERE.
Solana
Solana must regain the $180 region and hold above it on the daily. This region has acted as key resistance and a pivot point historically.
To the downside, the $160 region must hold as support to keep the bullish structure intact.
Should SOL break to the upside, the $200 level awaits.
Chainlink
Stonksy has been catching some superb trades on Chainlink recently. The above chart is the 1-hour.
As the image shows, Stonksy caught the perfect move up and down, with the price now awaiting its next move.
Dogecoin
DOGE is another chart that Stonksy has been catching some nicely profitable trades on.
The 6-minute chart above shows examples of the double confirmation between the background colour change and the arrow confirmations. This works exceptionally well on the 6m and 5m charts.
Over the past few days, Stonksy has caught three big moves on DOGE on the 6m chart, all with the double confirmation.
Fear & Greed Index
The Fear and Greed Index remains within the Greed section, scoring 70.
The Index is yet to push into Extreme Greed, which may come should bitcoin start moving to new highs.
Currently, market participants appear pleased with the condition of bitcoin and the market.
Gainers
Losers
Moody’s Downgrades US Credit Rating Over Soaring Debt: What It Means for Markets and Investors
Moody’s has downgraded the US credit rating from Aaa to Aa1 due to soaring national debt and rising deficits. What does this mean for investors, markets, and America's fiscal future? Here's what you need to know.
📉 Moody’s cuts the US government’s credit rating from Aaa to Aa1 due to ballooning national debt
📊 Agency warns deficits will rise with no real signs of long-term fiscal restraint
📈 Investors are split on whether the downgrade matters
❓ What does a credit downgrade really mean? We break it down
📉 US Credit Rating Downgraded for First Time Since 2011
Moody’s has officially downgraded the United States’ credit rating, citing an alarming rise in the national debt and a lack of political will to reverse course. The announcement, made on 16 May, sees America’s top-tier rating drop from Aaa to Aa1 — just one notch lower on the firm’s 21-step rating scale.
"We do not believe that material multi-year reductions in mandatory spending and deficits will result from the current fiscal proposals under consideration," Moody’s wrote.
The firm said rising entitlement spending, such as Social Security and Medicare, alongside flat government revenue, will fuel larger deficits over the next decade.
Despite the downgrade, Moody’s maintained a "positive outlook" on the US long-term, citing the strength of the economy and the dollar's dominance as a global reserve currency.
🤔 What Does a US Credit Downgrade Actually Mean?
Credit ratings assess a government’s ability to repay debt, similar to how a credit score gauges personal creditworthiness. Here's what this downgrade signals:
🤔 Reduced confidence: Investors may start viewing US bonds as slightly riskier.
💰 Higher borrowing costs: The US may have to offer higher yields to attract buyers, increasing interest payments on debt.
🌊 Market ripple effects: A downgrade can impact everything from mortgage rates to corporate borrowing, as US Treasurys underpin global finance.
However, it's worth noting that Aa1 is still a very high rating, and the downgrade is more symbolic of growing concern than immediate crisis.
📊 Investor Reactions: “Nothing Burger” or Real Red Flag?
Reactions to the downgrade were mixed.
Gabor Gurbacs, CEO of Pointsville, dismissed the agency’s credibility by pointing to its role in the 2008 crisis:
“This is the same Moody’s that gave Aaa ratings to sub-prime mortgage-backed securities.”
On the other hand, Jim Bianco of Bianco Research downplayed the event entirely, calling it a “nothing burger” unlikely to impact real-world investment behaviour.
Still, not everyone is as dismissive. Yields on the 30-year US Treasury have climbed close to 5%, signalling that long-term investor confidence may be weakening.
📉 $36tn and Climbing: A Debt Spiral in Motion?
The US national debt surpassed $36tn in January 2025. Rising bond yields mean the cost of servicing that debt is also increasing, creating a vicious cycle:
1. More debt requires more interest payments
2. Higher interest leads to more borrowing
3. Investors demand even higher yields to lend
Without a clear path to reduce the debt or significantly boost revenue, the downgrade highlights structural weaknesses in the US financial system, even if the markets haven’t fully reacted yet.
VVC Fever or Fizzle? The Reality of Crypto Startup Investing in 2025
Crypto startups raised $6B in Q1 2025, but experts warn inflated valuations are pricing many out. Here's how crypto startup funding works — and what VCs really want to see.
🚀 Crypto VC deals hit $6bn in Q1 2025 — doubling from last quarter
📉 But many startups are chasing inflated valuations and pricing themselves out
🧠 Experts say founders need to reset expectations if they want serious backing
⚖️ Pantera Capital and 10T Holdings urge balanced funding models
🧩 We also break down how startup funding works, and how to avoid VC red flags
🧱 What Is a Startup — and How Does Crypto VC Funding Work?
A startup is an early-stage company focused on building innovative solutions, often fast-growing, high-risk, and seeking outside capital to scale.
In crypto, startups might build anything from DeFi protocols and layer-1 blockchains to Web3 wallets and NFT marketplaces.
To fund growth, startups often turn to venture capital (VC) firms. Here’s how it usually works:
1. Founders raise capital by selling equity (shares) or tokens
2. VCs invest early for a stake in future profits or appreciation
3. When the startup grows or exits (IPO, acquisition), VCs aim for returns
VCs typically assess valuation vs. revenue, long-term viability, and token mechanics before investing.
🧨 Tapeiro Warns: “Valuations Are Out of Control”
At the Consensus 2025 conference in Toronto, Dan Tapeiro, CEO of 10T Holdings, shared blunt thoughts on the state of crypto fundraising:
“For some reason, founders and CEOs think that they should be raising capital at 50 to 80 times revenue.”
Tapeiro explained that these inflated valuations make it impossible for VCs to deliver meaningful returns to their limited partners (LPs), the institutions and investors backing VC funds.
“A lot of those deals we just pass almost automatically, even businesses that we really like.”
🔍 10T Holdings passed on 200+ companies due to unreasonable pricing — including FTX, BlockFi, and Celsius (all now bankrupt).
🧮 Their target? Startups worth $400m–$500m with a valuation-to-revenue ratio under 10x.
📊 VCs Are Still Spending — Cautiously
Despite Tapeiro’s caution, crypto VC investment doubled in Q1 2025:
📈 $6bn invested (up 100% QoQ)
📃 But only an 8.8% increase in deals, suggesting larger rounds going to fewer startups
🧠 VC firms are picking quality over quantity
VCs still see potential in crypto, but they want more realistic pricing, especially after high-profile failures.
🪙 Equity vs. Tokens: A Smarter Split?
Also speaking at Consensus was Dan Morehead, CEO of Pantera Capital, who said crypto VCs need to balance their risk by investing in both equity and tokens.
“Each one has their pros and cons... Sometimes tokens are really expensive and ventures are cheap. Sometimes it's the opposite.”
Pantera’s more aggressive model has paid off:
✅ 86% of its investments are profitable
🦄 22 unicorns (startups valued at $1B+) have emerged from its portfolio
Morehead encourages other VCs to diversify between private equity and digital assets to weather market cycles and avoid overexposure.
🧠 Why Valuation Matters — A Lot
VCs don’t just care about hype. They care about exit potential.
“Valuation is very important,” Tapeiro reiterated.
⚠️ Startups priced too high too early often struggle to raise follow-on rounds, attract strategic buyers, or provide a return to early investors. Worse? If things go sideways, there's no cushion.
🌍 Final Take
The crypto startup scene is still flush with capital, but the rules are changing.
🔒 VCs are more selective
🧮 Valuation discipline matters
🪙 Token + equity models are gaining ground
💥 And founders must ditch the unicorn fantasy if they want long-term success
As crypto matures, startup investing is moving from wild bets to calculated growth, and the projects that understand this will be the ones still standing in 2030.
Coinbase to Join S&P 500 — Crypto’s Biggest Wall Street Breakthrough Yet
Coinbase is set to join the S&P 500 on 19 May, the first crypto exchange ever to enter the prestigious index. Here’s why it’s a game-changer for crypto adoption.nd in 2025’s battle for market leadership — and what traders need to watch next.
🏆 Coinbase (COIN) will become the first crypto company to be included in the S&P 500 on 19 May.
🔁 The exchange will replace Discover Financial Services, which was acquired by Capital One.
📈 COIN shares jumped nearly 9% after-hours following the announcement.
💥Inclusion boosts visibility, credibility, and demand from institutional investors.
🧭 What Is Coinbase?
Coinbase is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world and the leading crypto trading platform in the United States.
Founded in 2012, Coinbase allows users to:
⚡️ Buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies like bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and thousands of altcoins.
⚡️ Store assets in secure digital wallets.
⚡️ Earn yield through staking.
⚡️ Access tools for developers, institutions, and enterprises.
In short: Coinbase is crypto’s closest equivalent to a mainstream brokerage — but for digital assets.
📈 Welcome to the S&P 500 Club
Coinbase’s inclusion in the S&P 500 index—the benchmark for the 500 largest public companies in the US—is a historic moment not just for the company but also for crypto’s growing Wall Street credibility.
According to S&P Global, the change will take place on 19 May, with Coinbase replacing Discover Financial Services (DFS) after DFS was acquired by Capital One.
“Joining this prestigious index reflects how far Coinbase and the industry have come,” said Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas.
🧲 Why This Matters for Crypto and COIN Stock
The S&P 500 has a total market cap of nearly $50 trillion, and every fund or ETF that tracks the index must now buy shares of Coinbase to mirror it.
That means:
👀 Increased demand for COIN shares
👩💼 Greater visibility among institutional investors
🌐 A clear signal that crypto is going mainstream
Following the announcement, COIN shares soared 8.8% in after-hours trading to $225.40, bringing its market cap to $52.8bn.
🏛️ What It Takes to Join the S&P 500
To qualify, a company must:
✅ Be listed on a major US exchange (NYSE or Nasdaq)
✅ Generate at least half of its revenue in the US
✅ Have a market cap over $18bn
✅ Be profitable in the most recent quarter and over the past year
That last requirement is where other major crypto players like Strategy (MSTR) have fallen short. Despite holding over 555,000 BTC, Strategy posted a $4.2bn net loss in Q1 2025, disqualifying it from entry, for now.
🔗 Coinbase Joins an Elite Group of Crypto-Heavyweights
Coinbase now stands alongside Tesla (TSLA) and Block Inc. (SQ) as one of only a handful of crypto-aligned firms in the S&P 500.
As the first crypto exchange ever admitted, Coinbase is blazing the trail — and it’s a win for the entire digital asset space.
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