Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rallied on Wednesday following U.S. inflation data that came in slightly below expectations, raising hopes that the Federal Reserve might start cutting interest rates later this year. The world’s largest cryptocurrency surged over 4% to above $69,500 shortly after the inflation report’s release.

The Labor Department reported that the annual inflation rate decreased to 3.3% in May, down from 3.4% in April.

While still elevated, the lower-than-expected inflation readings could prompt the Fed to ease its aggressive rate hike measures eventually.

Crypto prices jumped on the news, with Bitcoin rising over $1,900 within minutes. Ether and other altcoins also saw gains as traders reevaluated the macroeconomic landscape.

However, despite the optimistic market response, Wednesday’s report alone might not persuade Fed Chair Jerome Powell and colleagues to start cutting rates immediately. At 3.3%, inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target.

The Fed is set to conclude its latest policy meeting later on Wednesday.

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The U.S. Consumer Price Index remained unchanged in May, outperforming economists’ expectations of a 0.1% rise and down from 0.3% in April. On a year-over-year basis, CPI increased by 3.3%, slightly lower than both the forecast and April’s reading of 3.4%.

The core CPI, excluding food and energy costs, rose 0.2% in May, better than the anticipated 0.3% rise and down from April’s 0.3%. Year-over-year, core CPI was up 3.4%, below the expected 3.5% and April’s 3.6%.

Bitcoin responded positively to the lower inflation reading, jumping to $69,400, an increase of nearly 4% over the past 24 hours.

After significant drops in inflation throughout 2022 and 2023 due to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes, the decline had stalled at higher levels than the Fed’s 2% target, dampening market hopes for imminent rate cuts.

At the beginning of this year, traders anticipated five or six 25 basis point rate cuts in 2024 by December. This expectation had decreased to one or two cuts before today’s CPI report, with the first cut not expected until September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

Crypto prices have shown high sensitivity to U.S. economic data, noted K33 Research earlier this week. Rising inflation figures and reduced expectations for rate cuts caused Bitcoin to fall from its all-time high above $73,000 in March to below $57,000 in May. Traders believe that looser monetary policies will drive the next phase of the crypto rally to new record prices.

Contrary to U.S. trends, several major central banks worldwide, including the European Central Bank and the Bank of Canada, have begun lowering benchmark rates, pushing the U.S. dollar index to a one-month high.

Investors are also keenly awaiting the Federal Reserve’s “dot plot,” scheduled for release later today, which outlines the Federal Market Open Committee members’ interest rate projections and could significantly impact asset prices.

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Solana crypto wallet startup TipLink is simplifying blockchain access for newcomers by eliminating the need for traditional wallet browser extensions. Their new service, TipLink Wallet Adaptor, enables users to create in-browser wallets linked to their Google accounts, bypassing the need to set up wallets like Phantom or Solflare before receiving tokens.

TipLink CEO Ian Krotinsky stated, “It unlocks the rest of the world for easy onboarding.” This approach aims to attract the majority of internet users who lack a crypto wallet and the knowledge or inclination to set one up. Users can receive a wallet link, log in with their Google credentials, and start using it immediately.

While this might not sit well with staunch advocates of self-custody—those who emphasize “not your keys, not your coins”—Krotinsky isn’t concerned about that niche. He explained that TipLink’s app secures private keys to minimize the risk of users unintentionally exposing them to phishing attacks. Google’s security measures, especially for accounts with two-factor authentication, add another layer of protection.

“It’s currently not the place users will likely store a million dollars in,” Krotinsky noted, but assured that the team is working to introduce “more layers of security” in the future.

TipLink operates within a controlled environment for decentralized applications, only interacting with vetted programs to ensure user safety and prevent fund theft, as demonstrated in a promotional video shared with CoinDesk.

Additionally, TipLink is developing a “Pro” service aimed at helping developers distribute cryptocurrencies to hundreds or thousands of users via campaign links.

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The Ethereum Name Service topped CryptoSlam’s non-fungible token market on Monday with over $4.27 million in sales. Although not classified as a typical NFT collection, ENS utilizes NFT technology to offer decentralized domain names on the Ethereum blockchain. This allows users to convert Ethereum addresses into human-readable formats, with each registered ENS domain corresponding to a unique NFT that can be transferred or sold.

Ranking second for the day were the $PIZZA BRC-20 NFTs on the Bitcoin blockchain, which generated $2.18 million in sales. This collection saw a decrease from its $7.12 million in sales on Sunday.

Guild of Guardians Avatars, hosted on the Immutable network, secured third place with $1.24 million in sales. Other notable collections included Blast’s Fantasy Top, which ranked fourth with $987,910, and Genesis Fanta Field on Solana, debuting in the top 10 with $635,539 in sales.

The DMarket collection on the Mythos network, featuring game-related NFTs, ranked sixth with $583,411. The Bored Ape Yacht Club from Yuga Labs, a leading NFT collection by all-time sales, placed seventh with $470,907. Polygon-based OKX NFT Creation followed in eighth place with $414,817 in sales.

Rounding out the top 10 were two more Polygon collections: Matr1x Fire Weapon and TTAvatars, each with approximately $350,000 in sales.

The Ethereum blockchain, led by ENS, recorded the highest daily sales among all blockchains with $8.45 million, up from $4.51 million the previous day. The Bitcoin blockchain saw a daily sales volume of $4.11 million, a significant drop from $11.03 million on June 9.

Solana recorded sales of $2.68 million, while the Polygon blockchain had a higher transaction volume, totaling $2.44 million in sales. Immutable reported sales of $1.56 million, and the Blast blockchain saw $988,646 in sales.

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Bitcoin is currently trading down more than 3% over the past 24 hours, sitting at $67,171.52, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) recently announced the acquisition of Bitstamp Ltd., a well-established global cryptocurrency exchange. Robinhood’s expansion into the cryptocurrency space is adding pressure on existing crypto exchanges like Binance and Coinbase, as a new competitor enters the market.

In response, Coinbase has introduced a new smart wallet aimed at simplifying the previously cumbersome onboarding process associated with crypto wallets. “These next-generation wallets address the biggest pain points of the crypto experience today,” the company stated in a blog post. “Smart wallets make the transition to on-chain smoother than ever.”

Is COIN A Good Stock To Buy?

When deciding if a stock is a good buy, investors consider several factors. Besides valuation metrics and price action, which you can find on Benzinga’s quote pages (like Coinbase’s page), there are other considerations like dividend payments and stock buyback programs.

Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) does pay a dividend, yielding 0.43% per year as of the closing price on June 11, 2024. You can check Benzinga’s dividend calendar to find out when the next dividend is due and what kind of yield you can expect for holding the company’s shares.

For instance, if you’re aiming for an annualized return of 13.81%, you might consider buying a share of Ellington Residential by June 28, 2024. This would entitle you to a nominal payout of $0.08 on July 25, 2024.

Stock buyback programs are another factor to consider, as they can vary significantly. A company can approve a buyback program and purchase shares as it sees fit over the authorized period. Checking the latest news on Coinbase can reveal if the company has recently approved a buyback program. Buyback programs typically support share prices by providing a backstop for demand.

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