In our latest Learn 101 livestream, experts reviewed 2024’s key events, lessons learned, and insights to help you prepare for 2025’s crypto landscape.

The past year in the crypto market has been an exciting one, with striking movement and major events. Anticipation for the 2025 crypto market is high — but will it soar to the moon or explode? Here, we take a look at what 2025 holds.

, we take a step back to look at Bybit’s achievements in 2024 and the crypto market as a whole, and analyze some of the key takeaways to be applied in 2025.

, provides a recap of our Learn 101 livestreams, offering you comprehensive expertise and insights from leading figures in the crypto industry in case you miss the livestream.

Joining the livestream on Dec 24, 2024, were two distinguished guests from Bybit: Joan Han, Head of Marketing and Card, and Maxim Orlov, VIP Team Lead. Under the moderation of Sabrina Chua, Crypto Evangelist and SEO Editor at Bybit, this episode explores the theme of 2025,

Crypto’s Wild Ride: Biggest Trends and Lessons from 2024

In 2024, Bybit experienced a significant surge in new users, a trend that Joan Han attributes to several key developments. The most notable was the impact of Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election win, which drove interest in crypto as prices reacted positively. Additionally, the institutionalization of cryptocurrency and the 

 played pivotal roles in attracting new traders and investors to the market. These factors combined to fuel price growth and activity, with monthly active crypto wallets increasing by an impressive 247% between January and December 2024.

Maxim Orlov emphasizes the transformative impact of ETFs on the crypto landscape. By normalizing crypto as a legitimate investment vehicle, ETFs are encouraging adoption among users who had previously stayed out of the market. This shift has been particularly evident in Bitcoin’s net inflows, which have outpaced those of other cryptocurrencies.

Han highlights how retail investors, already familiar with traditional ETFs, are being drawn to crypto ETFs. Packaging crypto assets in a familiar structure has inspired a wave of new interest, bringing the total value of crypto assets to over $44 billion to date. She also points out that increasing legislation and a growing comfort with the crypto market have further driven its adoption. Looking ahead, Han expects even greater growth in 2025 with the implementation of further regulations.

Maxim Orlov agrees, noting that recent regulatory developments have been a game-changer for the industry. He believes these measures are paving the way for widespread adoption, providing the foundation for sustained growth.

Bitcoin in particular has benefited from this evolving landscape. Han explains that confidence in Bitcoin has surged largely due to the influence of ETFs. While the market for altcoins has also grown, their progress has been comparatively slower. She predicts that Bitcoin will continue to dominate in the near term, but acknowledges the potential for an active altcoin season, which typically follows a Bitcoin rally. Among the fastest-growing altcoins are Hedera (HBAR), Bitget Token (BGB), XRP and Stellar (XLM). However, Han stresses that altcoins require fresh marketing strategies to sustain their growth.

Orlov echoes the importance of marketing, particularly for 

. He notes that growth in this sector depends upon how well projects can capture user interest. While meme coins remain a prominent trend, he suggests that the next big wave could emerge in 

Han also touches on the geopolitical dimension of crypto adoption. Trump’s suggestion of creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve has sparked interest from other nations, potentially driving further price growth. While Bitcoin has been sluggish during the holiday season, Han expects a renewed rally once the season concludes.

Biggest Wins, Boldest Moves: Bybit’s 2024 Highlights

Bybit has solidified its position as a global crypto leader, achieving remarkable milestones in 2024. With over 60 million users worldwide, the platform now boasts an average daily trading volume exceeding $100 billion. Bybit ranks as the second-largest crypto exchange by global trading volume, further cementing its status as a key player in the industry. Notably, Bybit made headlines by launching 

 has also seen tremendous growth, and is now available in Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, Europe and Australia, with over 1 million users enjoying its benefits. This expansion highlights Bybit's commitment to enhancing user experience and accessibility.

Orlov highlights crypto’s mainstream acceptance, noting that it’s no longer a niche interest. “Everywhere I go, people are aware of crypto, or at least of Bitcoin,” he says. Bybit’s success lies in its continual efforts to improve its products and platforms, building on the trust it’s cultivated among its users. Han emphasizes that this assurance stems from Bybit’s user-focused approach, including 

Bybit has also expanded its trading options to meet user demand. Investors now have access to 

, thanks to the introduction of multi-asset trading. According to Orlov, this feature was launched in response to users’ direct requests, demonstrating Bybit’s adaptability to investor needs. Han points out that the Bybit Card enhances user experience with attractive rewards, including higher returns and cashback.

As a standout offering, bbSOL represents a significant milestone. The first exchange-backed LST, it delivers competitive APY with rewards that can be redeemed anytime. This makes liquid staking on Solana not only accessible, but also highly rewarding for Bybit users.

Retail investors must consistently dedicate time to identifying emerging trends in the ever-evolving crypto market. Fortunately, a wealth of information is readily available for users to explore. Orlov emphasizes the importance of diversification as a key strategy to safeguard assets. He also highlights a growing trend in adoption, driven by user-friendly products and the appeal of crypto assets that are simple for new investors to understand.

Looking ahead to 2025, Orlov advises closely monitoring both the crypto market and individual assets if an altcoin season arises. Bybit offers a wide variety of altcoins, each carefully vetted by the platform’s team. This rigorous research ensures that the altcoins listed on Bybit may present suitable investment opportunities for users seeking diversification.

Both Orlov and Han are optimistic about the year ahead for crypto and Bybit. Han predicts a surge in the number of new users entering the market, drawn by increasing accessibility and innovative products. Meanwhile, Orlov envisions an ongoing crypto revolution as the market continues to grow and mature.

This session of the Learn 101 livestream has provided valuable insights into what lies ahead for 2025 — whether it’s to be "Moon or Mayhem." As the crypto landscape evolves, staying informed is your best strategy for navigating the market. 

Intermediate

Bybit Learn Livestream 2025: Moon or Mayhem?

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Learn Live ICYMI: 2024 Crypto Market Recap & 2025 Predictions

The inaugural Solana AI hackathon, organized by SendAI, saw over 400 projects compete, focusing on AI agents and their applications in crypto.

Daily Top Performer — Secret Network (SCRT)

On Friday, the S&P fell sharply as all major industry groups faced losses, driven by rising Treasury yields and the Fed's indication of fewer interest rate cuts in 2025. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was down by 1.04%, with Bitcoin dropping by 0.10% and Ether rising by 1.73%, in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is SCRT, which surged 2.25% following the launch of Claive AI by Secret Network, offering secure, decentralized AI services.

Secret Network (SCRT), launched in February 2020, is a privacy-focused blockchain using encrypted smart contracts to safeguard user data. 

, a decentralized platform for secure AI services using blockchain and confidential computing. It ensures data privacy through trusted execution environments (TEEs) and Nvidia GPUs. Developers can integrate AI services via an open-source SDK, while workers stake SCRT tokens to participate. Initially focused on large language model inference, Claive AI aims to address privacy concerns and empower users and developers.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

, organized by SendAI, saw over 400 projects compete, focusing on AI agents and their applications in crypto. With AI agents gaining traction, some projects, like FXN, already have tokens with market caps reaching millions. The hackathon's entrants are focused on developing intelligent interfaces for the Solana ecosystem, with a strong emphasis on AI agents for on-chain trading and DeFi. The winning projects will be announced on January 10, 2025. The success of these AI agents highlights their growing importance in crypto and DeFi innovation.

Between December 23-27, 2024, the Bitcoin Spot ETF experienced a net outflow of $377.6M, with $58.9M from GBTC and $318.7M from Non-GBTC funds. The current cumulative totals are -$21.352B for GBTC, $57.008B for Non-GBTC, and a net of $35.656B.

 is a tokenized real-world asset (RWA) project that raised $13.75M in funding. It is offering a free airdrop through its Telegram bot, where users can earn GM Points daily by completing simple tasks like tapping, following on social media, and more. Users need to connect their Ton wallet to participate.

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Solana AI Hackathon Sparks Innovation in Crypto with 400+ Projects and Million-Dollar Tokens

BIO protocol aims to create a robust on-chain economy of BioDAOs — decentralized communities that fund and develop scientific innovations.

Traditional approaches to scientific research and biotechnology funding are often plagued by inefficiencies, centralization and lack of transparency. Enter 

, a groundbreaking initiative designed to revolutionize the way science is conducted, funded and owned. Operating as a curation and liquidity protocol within the 

(DeSci) sector, BIO empowers global communities of patients, scientists and biotech professionals to collectively fund and own tokenized biotech projects and intellectual property (IP).

BIO builds upon the successes of initiatives such as 

, a platform for tokenizing early-stage biomedicine, and 

, the largest decentralized community dedicated to longevity science. By introducing a new financial layer for science, the BIO protocol aims to create a robust on-chain economy of BioDAOs — decentralized communities that fund and develop scientific innovations. Through decentralized funding, incentives and liquidity, BIO bridges the gap between capital on the one hand and groundbreaking scientific research on the other.

This article delves into the DeSci sector, introduces BIO, explores its founding team and explains the role of BioDAOs in transforming the biotech space. We’ll also examine how BIO works, the utility and tokenomics of the BIO token and the protocol’s ambitious road map for the future.

DeSci represents a transformative approach to scientific research, leveraging the power of 

 to create a more transparent, community-driven and incentivized ecosystem for innovation and collaboration. By integrating decentralized mechanisms like tokens, 

 (DAOs), DeSci seeks to democratize scientific discovery, making it more accessible and efficient.

One of DeSci's core missions is to tackle the "valley of death" — the critical gap between early-stage research and its successful application in real-world innovations. Traditional science often struggles with inefficient funding, opaque peer-review processes, limited data sharing and restrictive publishing norms. DeSci addresses these challenges by promoting open collaboration, equitable funding models and transparent knowledge dissemination.

On decentralized platforms, researchers can publish their work directly, bypassing traditional gatekeepers and enabling broader access to scientific knowledge. Incentive structures, such as token rewards and reputation systems, encourage reproducibility and collaboration, ensuring more reliable and impactful scientific outcomes. Additionally, DeSci leverages blockchain’s immutability to maintain the integrity of scientific records, fostering trust in research outputs.

The future of DeSci holds immense potential, and it's still in its infancy. By aligning economic incentives with scientific progress, DeSci could reshape the way research is conducted, creating systems that prioritize innovation over profit. While challenges remain, particularly in gaining acceptance from traditional academia and industry giants, DeSci offers a compelling vision for decentralized, equitable and transparent scientific progress.

 is a groundbreaking financial framework designed to improve the way DeSci operates. By providing a seamless flow of capital and talent into on-chain scientific ecosystems, it serves as the foundation for building, funding and commercializing scientific innovation through BioDAOs.

At its core, BIO catalyzes the development of an on-chain economy for scientific research. It creates efficient markets for intellectual property generated by BioDAOs while ensuring perpetual funding and liquidity for their operations. The protocol also standardizes all frameworks, tokenomics and data systems, making it easier for scientific communities to scale their initiatives.

BIO is led by a team of innovators. Its founder and CEO, 

, brings expertise from co-founding Molecule, a platform pioneering the tokenization of biomedical research. His vision centers on transforming traditional funding models to accelerate scientific breakthroughs.

, co-founder and CPO, drives the “product,” leveraging his extensive biotech experience. The team also includes 

 heading the R&D team, and Jose Pinto overseeing legal and compliance strategies. Leonard Boltz, a core contributor, plays a pivotal role in product design.

The rest of the team can be found on the 

 for both community and shareholders to vote on proposals intended to improve the protocol. Together, they’re building an ecosystem with the goal of empowering the entire scientific community in a decentralized way, fostering perpetual funding for scientific research and creating efficient markets for intellectual property. 

BioDAOs, or biological decentralized autonomous organizations, are 

 focused on scientific and medical research. They unite diverse stakeholders — patients, scientists and biotech innovators — around a shared mission to accelerate R&D and create new IP. By pooling resources such as capital, data and expertise, BioDAOs streamline innovation, reduce costs and shorten the time to commercialization.

Operating with on-chain frameworks such as Molecule, BioDAOs raise funds through token sales, and manage treasuries to back biotech projects. The generated IP is shared among members, ensuring collective ownership and incentives. Revenue from IP and/or product sales is reinvested into new R&D, creating a perpetual cycle of innovation.

By combining open access, shared IP ownership and capital efficiency, BioDAOs are reshaping the funding and development of science, making groundbreaking research more accessible and impactful.

The BIO protocol uses a decentralized network, combining community-driven curation, funding and liquidity with incentives and governance mechanisms. 

 supports selected BioDAOs with funding, token liquidity and community-driven accelerator services. Staking BIO tokens on BioDAO applicants offers rewards, as well as early access to funding rounds and IP asset investments, fostering a thriving ecosystem of innovative science. 

The BIO token powers the governance and growth of the BIO protocol’s ecosystem, enabling holders to actively shape the protocol’s trajectory.

The BIO treasury grows through the following mechanisms:

: Uncapped, subject to governance votes for future minting.

: BIO inflation supports secondary market liquidity, and scales in accordance with network growth. Inflation specifics are determined via governance. This balanced structure aligns incentives across contributors, investors and the larger community, ensuring long-term growth.

BIO has allocated 3% of its total token supply to over 8,500 eligible addresses. The airdrop snapshot for eligibility was taken on Apr 1, 2024.

: Included participants in BioDAO auctions, holders of iBoDAO tokens, liquidity providers, Gitcoin donors and active contributors to BioDAO communities.

: Eligible users claim vested BIO (vBIO), redeemable for $BIO. Tokens remain non-transferable until governance votes to unlock them.

: Total airdrop amounted to 99.4 million BIO, fully vested upon claim.

Additionally, 1% of the total supply was airdropped to early contributors of the BIO ecosystem, with a 1-year cliff and a 6-year vesting schedule.

BIO is bridging the gap between capital, innovation and community ownership. By empowering the DeSci sector, the BIO protocol creates efficient markets for scientific IP and fosters perpetual funding for BioDAOs. BIO is well-positioned to reshape the future of biotech research.

The BIO protocol's road map showcases its ambitious vision for revolutionizing DeSci:

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BIO Protocol: Revolutionizing Decentralized Science

Fluid is a decentralized financial protocol that focuses on lending and liquidity. Learn more about how this works in this article.

 provides all sorts of exciting opportunities for users. By getting rid of middlemen and institutional policies, DeFi creates a more accessible, flexible space for people to explore the world of finance. Fluid is a new DeFi protocol that hopes to provide these perks and more to its customers. Can Fluid's user friendly interface and highly capital efficient crypto trading system distinguish it from all the other startups in the 

 space? Keep reading for a deep dive into Fluid's design and its FLUID cryptocurrency’s potential. 

 is a decentralized financial protocol that focuses on lending and liquidity. This system also includes a 

 mechanisms and other exciting features. Fluid prides itself on being one of the most flexible, secure and advanced DeFi lending protocols around.

 in 2019. Originally studying to be accountants, the brothers dropped out of college, winning the ETHIndia hackathon. They specialize in creating "middleware" that connects users with the exciting features of 

, the Jain brothers were able to expand their ecosystem until it became the fourth-largest DeFi system by 

. A somewhat new addition to the Instadapp ecosystem, Fluid was released in late 2023. It was inspired by the Jains’ experience building on other systems, such as 

, and is meant to be their own custom version of these DeFi protocols.

Fluid hopes to combine the best of multiple DeFi protocols into a single system. It ambitiously aspires to become the most advanced, secure, flexible and capital efficient option in the 

 space. When designing the system, Fluid's creators focused on optimizing 

 (AMM) liquidity, reducing gas trading fees and providing accurate risk assessment. They hope that combining so many excellent features into one system will help them maintain their competitive edge in the DeFi space. 

While Fluid does provide a lot of cutting-edge features, it also aims to maintain the accessibility for which the Instadapp ecosystem is known. Fluid’s system aims to provide a user-friendly interface that traders can grasp in a few clicks. Like Instadapp's other products, Fluid prioritizes user satisfaction and intends to offer services that multiple DeFi traders have asked for.

The Fluid protocol runs on a complex blend of 

 and software. It uses traditional coding methods to handle many of its user interfaces, while tools from 

 and other blockchains help to manage the back-end functions. Key mechanics that Fluid uses to keep its system working smoothly include the following.

Fluid contains a broad range of different services for users to try. Following are the main features available through the Fluid website and app. 

 found in other DeFi systems. They consist of pairs of tokens, such as ETH and USDT. Each vault offers both a supply rate and a borrow rate, so users can join a vault to either lend or borrow money. Each vault uses enhanced capital efficiency and innovative liquidation mechanisms to streamline token transfer without impacting market prices. 

With Fluid, users can temporarily lend their tokens to others. The system supports a variety of tokens, and allows yields of up to 1.5 times your initial investment. Fluid's lending system is set up to ensure that lenders continue to earn staking rewards, delegation power and voting power associated with their tokens, even while they're locked in a lending contract. Traders start by connecting their wallets, and can begin lending almost instantly.

Fluid's borrowing protocol requires users to place a small amount of tokens as smart collateral in exchange for temporarily borrowing funds. Its fairly high collateral ratio lets people borrow up to 95% against their initial collateral. Additionally, it boasts low liquidation penalties of just 0.1%, so users don't have to worry about losing all of their smart collateral the moment that market trends shift.

Since its deployment in late 2023, Fluid has grown to become the third-largest DEX on Ethereum by volume. So far, advancement for Fluid has focused on expanding its pools to provide more lending and crypto trading options for users, and upgrading its vaults to support more assets. However, Fluid has big plans for the future. 

Like other protocols on Instadapp, Fluid is an entirely community-run project. 

 show that most members of Instadapp's governing body are thinking about long-term growth for Fluid. Users hope to rebrand Fluid as a standalone project, with its own definitive token. They also hope to add further protocols to support market orders, such as 

, interest rate swaps and forex trading. 

FLUID is the native token of the entire Instadapp system. Initially called INST, this token was 

 in order to highlight its pivotal role in running the Fluid DeFi protocol. As a utility and 

, FLUID is responsible for everything from managing governance body votes to paying fees. Just as with INST, FLUID has a total token supply of 100 million. However, the rebranding of INST did involve slightly adjusting its distribution schedule. The new distribution for the FLUID token will be as follows:

Since its release in 2021, prices for the FLUID token have primarily ranged from $0.05–$2. However, the announcement of the token rebrand propelled its value to $9 in early December 2024, and people expect its price will continue to rise as news about Fluid’s DEX is released.CoinCodex 

 that FLUID’s price will more than double to reach $22 within a month. However, once the initial excitement begins to fade, its price may drop slightly. CoinCodex suggests that the FLUID token’s price will return to a more stable price of around $13 by the summer of 2025. 

Looking to trade the FLUID token? Bybit now offers the FLUID/USDT Spot trading pair. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

To celebrate this listing, Bybit is holding 

 where you can earn a share of the 70,000 FLUID prize pool.

FLUID is certainly an intriguing option that combines the reliability of a long-term token with the excitement of a new launch. While its price might not stay high forever, it’s unlikely to drop drastically any time soon. This means there’s a strong potential for making money from FLUID. 

For most investors, the challenge of working with FLUID will be to time their purchases. Though you may lose money if you purchase at the peak of the Fluid DEX hype, buying at any other time could result in either short- or long-term profit. If you want to avoid the dangers of market volatility, you need to 

 and remember to keep your portfolio diverse. 

Fluid’s DeFi protocol provides valuable services to investors looking for an easy way to borrow, lend and/or trade crypto. While Fluid's parent company, Instadapp, has been around for a while, the Fluid project is just getting started. In the few months since its launch, Fluid has rapidly increased its services and attracted users from around the Web. As its system continues to evolve, users can expect more exciting news ahead.

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Fluid (FLUID): Utilizing Debt and Collateral as Liquidity

Bybit 360

Options

Trading

Derivatives

Indicators

Strategies

Traders seem to expect BTC’s momentum could slow down a bit after the price hit over $97,000.

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Positive sentiment has continued to fuel the cryptocurrency market as the expectation of further institutional adoption of 

 keeps growing. Options trading of BlackRock’s Spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT 

 with a bang, attracting almost $2 billion on the first day of trading. The hope of more spot ETF derivatives to change the market structure with additional institutional money onboarding crypto is high.

, we explored the possibility of the market being overleveraged, which could be painful if the current leverage unwinds. Data from CryptoQuant shows that the estimated leverage of the current BTC markets has reached another YTD high.

Derivatives data on Bybit shows that traders seem to expect that BTC’s momentum could slow down a bit after the price hit over $97,000, and are focusing more on downside protection.

Figure 1: Bitcoin estimated leverage ratio at 0.23. Source: CryptoQuant

BTC Options Open Interest Returns to Previous High While Perps Are Catching Up

Derivatives traders have been actively participating in BTC markets as 

 on Bybit has surged to over $3 billion, on par with the previous high on Nov 14, 2024. Although the options OI has increased, it still hasn’t surged above the previous high. At the time, BTC’s price had already jumped to over $97,000. If the OI doesn’t follow suit and break above the previous high in the coming days, this could be a sign that the market could become a bit exhausted — something for all market participants to be aware of.

Figure 2: Daily open interest for BTC options on Bybit. Source: Bybit

 have also seen increased open interest in recent days. Perpetuals have been among the most favorable products for day traders and short-term speculators. Rising open interest could indicate that more traders are looking for short-term profit, which could bring additional volatility to the market. 

Figure 3: Daily open interest for BTCUSDT Perpetuals on Bybit. Source: Bybit

Dec 27, 2024 remains the most popular expiration date for BTC Options on Bybit, with most of the open interest there. Within that expiration, $120,000 calls had the most OI, and $100,000 calls accumulated the second-largest OI. 

Figure 4: Open interest by strike for BTC Options with a Dec 27, 2024 expiration. Source: Bybit

Meanwhile, the market’s optimism that BTC will hit $100,000 by the end of the year seems to support the current price momentum. Shorter-dated options could show that traders are also looking for downside protection. The Bybit 

 page shows that BTC Options with a Nov 29, 2024 expiration have a strong 24-hour inflow to $90,000 puts. This could indicate that some traders are also anticipating some degree of price correction by the end of the month. 

Figure 5: 24-hour volume by strike for BTC Options with a Nov 29, 2024 expiration on Bybit. Source: Bybit

 for BTC Options on Bybit also indicates a possible downside protection in play among options traders. A smirk skew, or left skew, is a skew curve that’s steeper on one side (the left side) than the other. Traditionally, a smirk skew curve could mean that traders have been protecting their portfolios against a possible declining market. At the time of this writing (Nov 21, 2024), BTC Options contracts on Bybit with Nov 29, 2024 and Dec 27, 2024 expirations have both shown a smirk skew. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean traders are bearish on the price, and could just be part of the trading strategy. For example, traders could set up collars by buying out-of-the-money (OTM) puts and selling OTM calls simultaneously, so that they can profit in case BTC’s price drops, gain upside exposure and potentially offset the cost of buying the puts. 

Figure 6: Implied volatility of BTC Options with Nov 29, 2024 and Dec 27, 2024 expirations. Source: Bybit

The current BTC leverage trading may be complex, but tells a revealing narrative about market sentiment. The divergence between high leverage and increased hedging activities also reminds us that market dynamics are rarely straightforward, and adopting a 

 seems increasingly important in this diverse market.

: Investing in cryptocurrencies and their derivatives involves substantial risk of loss, and isn’t suitable for every investor. This article provides facts for educational purposes only, and does not represent any financial advice. Prior to making any investment decisions, please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent advice if necessary. Our customer support team is available to assist you with any inquiries.

Learn From Smart Money: BTC’s Leverage Remains High as Traders Hedge Against Downside Risks

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