PRICE CHANGE WTD/YTD

- BTC ($3,603): +5% / -4%
- ETH ($118): +11% / -12%
- LTC ($46): +39% / +51%
- XRP ($0.31): 0% / -12%
- Crypto Market Cap ($121B): +5% / -3%
- BTC dominance: 53%

THIS WEEK IN CRYPTO

- Crypto exchange Kraken closed its largest acquisition to date - it purchased Crypto Facilities in a 9 figure deal. Crypto Facilities is an exchange and index provider in the UK, and most notably the platform allows customers to trade futures on multiple cryptocurrency pairs. Kraken currently has 4 million users who traded $90 billion in 2018. Link. 

- According to a recent investor update, Telegram's TON network is 90 percent complete, up from 70 percent in September 2018. The testnet launch date was originally expected to occur in January 2019 but has now been delayed to March. Telegram raised $1.7 billion in one of the largest ICOs in the crypto industry, selling its GRAM tokens to investors including Benchmark, Sequoia, and Kleiner Perkins. Link.  

- Coinbase added BAT (the token behind the Brave browser) to its Earn platform, which aims to pay consumers small amounts of cryptocurrencies in exchange for learning about the technology. Coinbase is offering up to $10 worth of BAT for watching 3 short videos and downloading the Brave browser. Link. 

- Coinbase announced that it was adding support for bitcoin in the Coinbase Wallet, which allows users to custody their own cryptocurrencies. Coinbase Wallet already supported ethereum, ethereum classic, ERC20, and ERC 721 tokens. The wallet will now also support SegWit addresses with lower transaction fees. Coinbase also announced it was working on adding support for Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. Link. 

- CoinDesk reports that nearly $1 million worth of ETH left Canadian exchange QuadrigaCX and went to other exchanges, with much of the currency being moved the day before its CEO died. Last week QuadrigaCX filed for creditor protection, after it was reported that the exchange owed customers $190 million but could not find its late founder's private keys to retrieve crypto held in cold storage. Link. 

- Two OTC trading desks said their accounts at Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, were abruptly closed without explanation over attempts to redeem GUSD, the company's stablecoin first introduced in September. GUSD is estimated to be worth nearly $3 billion today, a byproduct of Gemini's aggressive tactics aimed to boost GUSD adoption. In a bid to capture market share Gemini issued roughly 1 percent discounts on GUSD in 2018 to OTC desks and market makers, who were then made to agree on restrictions that would bar them from immediately redeeming the assets. Gemini has denied any wrongdoing, and reports that it has redeemed more than $133 million worth of GUSD, over half of the supply created so far. Link. 

- According to a report by ICOBench, the number of ICOs completed in Q4 2018 was up from Q3, though the amount of capital raised fell. Q4 saw 594 ICOs completed compared to 554 in Q3, though the total funds raised in Q4 fell from $1.8 billion in Q3 to $1.4 billion. Singapore was the top country by both number of funds raised and number of ICOs completed in Q4. Link. 

- Crypto startup Abra is giving users the ability to purchase fractional shares in stocks and ETFs at zero fees. The initial rollout will offer 50 investment assets, including stocks from major firms like Facebook, Apple, Google, Amazon, Netflix; commodities like SPDR Gold Trust; ETFs like Vanguard Growth and the S&P 500; and indexes like the Russell 2000. The app already offers investment in 50 fiat currencies and over 30 cryptocurrencies. Link. 

- Web browser Opera will now let Android users buy ethereum directly from its browser-based wallet. Opera is partnering with crypto brokerage Safello and enables users to pay with credit and debit cards, among other trusted payment networks. At launch purchasing is available only in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Link. 

- A commissioner at the SEC said in an interview that he believes a bitcoin ETF will ultimately be approved. The SEC has rejected at least 10 proposals for bitcoin ETFs to date. Jay Clayton, chairman of the SEC, has previously said he doesn't see a pathway to a crypto ETF approval until concerns over market manipulation are addressed. Link.