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Tether marks $13b profit in 2024, T-Bill holdings at ATH

Tether reported a net profit of $13 billion in 2024, driven by its businesses, including the issuance of USDT, the largest stablecoin in the crypto market. Tether, the issuer of crypto’s biggest stablecoin ( USDT ), generated $13 billion in profits last year amid soaring digital asset adoption and a new all-time high in U.S. Treasury Bills held as reserves for its token. On Friday, Jan 31, the company’s quarterly attestation provided by independent accounting firm BDO Italia showed $94.5 billion worth of T-Bills, a new record. Tether generated $7 billion in profits from its U.S. Treasury holdings and another $5 billion in unrealized earnings from Bitcoin ( BTC ) and gold investments. Late last year, Tether increased its Bitcoin holdings to approximately 84,000 Bitcoin, valued at nearly $8 billion. This marked its first Bitcoin purchase since March. The remaining $1 billion in profits came from other investments, according to the attestation. You might also like: Coinbase would delist Tether if necessary: WSJ Tether operates USDT, the dominant stablecoin with a market capitalization of $140 billion. This makes the company a key player in crypto transactions. According to a U.S. Treasury study, over 80% of crypto transactions involve a stablecoin, such as USDT. Despite its significance, USDT and its issuer face challenges in European markets due to regulatory changes. Tether has struggled to comply with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation framework, leading to declining confidence among exchanges. Several platforms, including Coinbase, have delisted USDT for European users pending changes in compliance. Tether has also switched its base of operations to El Salvador after securing a crypto license from the pro-Bitcoin country. The entity plans to establish a headquarters in the BTC nation and invest more resources in artificial intelligence. Read more: Tether brings USDT to Bitcoin and Lightning Network Crypto Briefing

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DeepSeek AI Unveils the Next Potential 100x Cryptocurrencies

The R1 AI model from DeepSeek has made a significant impact globally. Its impressive performance and minimal capital expenditure have created a major disruption in the worldwide AI competition, leading to a drop in US tech stocks. Notably, NVIDIA ($NVDA) has experienced a 15% decline following the release of DeepSeek R1. Moreover, the Chiene AI lab has introduced considerable fluctuations in the crypto market, initially causing prices to correct in tandem with US tech stocks. Despite this, specialists foresee that the growing AI race will eventually benefit the crypto market, particularly for AI-related coins. Tech-savvy crypto investors are already leveraging DeepSeek R1 to seek out market advantages. We put the new AI model to the test by asking for the best prospects for the next 100x cryptocurrency and received some intriguing answers. DeepSeek’s Picks for the Next 100x Cryptocurrencies When selecting its candidates for the next 100x cryptocurrency, DeepSeek evaluated factors such as cutting-edge technology, robust use cases, developer and community backing, partnerships and adoption, market timing, regulatory compliance, and market capitalization. Here are DeepSeek`s selections. Optimism ($OP) The Ethereum layer-2 token Optimism emerged as the top choice by the Chinese AI, a surprising pick given its poor performance relative to other altcoins during this bullish phase. DeepSeek states, “Optimism is a formidable player in the Layer 2 arena, with its emphasis on scalability, ecosystem expansion, and community governance making it a project worth monitoring.” Even though $OP hasn’t performed well, it could become an attractive investment in the months ahead. Savvy investors might see it as a bet on Ethereum, potentially boosting its future gains. For example, Michael van de Poppe from MN Trading is optimistic about Optimism, pointing out a bullish divergence forming on its higher timeframe chart. However, given its existing market cap just shy of $2 billion, OP is unlikely to be the next 100x crypto. Render ($RENDER) Render (RNDR), another large-cap asset, was selected by DeepSeek as a leading contender for the next 100x cryptocurrency. Render stands out as the foremost provider of decentralized GPU-based rendering solutions, which is a major factor in the new AI model`s positive outlook. Investors are optimistic about Render too, as it acts as a global marketplace for GPU computing power, attracting strong demand and potentially making it a great long-term investment. Experts predict that Render could achieve a $30 billion market cap over time, translating to 10x returns for new investors. Nonetheless, a $3 billion asset is still unlikely to become the next 100x crypto. Meme Index (MEMEX) We asked DeepSeek to focus on low-cap crypto assets, considering they might have a better shot at achieving 100x returns. The AI identified several innovative projects with high potential upside. Among them was Meme Index (MEMEX) , noted for being the first decentralized index fund for meme coins. This project enables MEMEX holders to access the broader meme coin market while diversifying their risk. It plans to launch four baskets — Titan, Moonshot, Midcap, and Frenzy — each tailored for different risk-reward ratios and targeted at a diverse range of investors. Given that only MEMEX holders can invest in these baskets, it`s easy to see why there`s high demand for this new meme coin. Additionally, holders have the opportunity to vote on which tokens to include in each basket, potentially benefiting from coins they might have otherwise overlooked. Beyond DeepSeek, well-known crypto influencers are also optimistic about MEMEX, with many now viewing it as the next 100x crypto. After all, it`s a low-cap crypto still in the early stages of its presale . Crypto Briefing