Hivemind: Crypto's Leverage Hangover, Hyperliquid's Resurgance & What's Next for Markets?
Hivemind: Crypto's Leverage Hangover, Hyperliquid's Resurgance & What's Next for Markets?
191 days agoEmpireBlockworks
Podcast58 min 26 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Galaxy Digital (GLXY.TO) is viewed as a strong long-term investment following a strategically brilliant capital raise that strengthens its balance sheet and funds future growth. Consider an investment in MicroStrategy (MSTR) as a catalyst trade ahead of its potential inclusion in the S&P 500 index in December, which could force billions in passive buying. For long-term crypto exposure, Solana (SOL) is presented as a superior fundamental holding to Ethereum (ETH) due to its stronger on-chain growth metrics. The broader AI and Tech stock theme remains bullish, supported by strong earnings, suggesting investors should remain allocated to risk for a potential "blow-off top." For those seeking exposure to the privacy narrative, Zcash (ZEC) is the primary asset to watch as it is attracting significant capital and attention.

Detailed Analysis

General Crypto Market

  • The market is in a period of consolidation and sideways chop following a massive leverage wipeout event about three weeks ago (referred to as the "October 10th per ADL massacre").
  • These periods of consolidation are typical after severe liquidations, as the market needs time to "let the dust settle" and find a new equilibrium.
  • A speaker noted that if the market were going to break down further, it likely would have already, suggesting the worst of the sell-off may be over.
  • Many altcoins are performing poorly, with a chart showing that most of the top 50 alts on Binance are now trading below their post-FTX crash levels. This is attributed to billions of dollars in token unlocks with no new money coming in to buy them.

Takeaways

  • The recent liquidation event could represent a good entry point for investors with available capital, especially on assets that are showing relative strength and have started to recover.
  • Investors should focus on assets that have "showed some kind of signs of life" post-crash, as these are likely to lead any recovery.
  • The extreme weakness in many altcoins highlights the importance of scrutinizing tokenomics and unlocks. The market is currently punishing tokens with high inflation and weak value accrual.

Investment Theme: AI & Tech Stocks

  • The current environment for major tech stocks (like the "Mag Seven") is being compared to the late 1999 dot-com bubble, with a consensus forming that we are in a "Goldilocks situation" heading towards a "blow-off top."
  • A key difference highlighted is that today's AI companies have strong earnings growth that is keeping pace with their stock price appreciation. This is contrasted with the dot-com era, which was seen as pure hype without fundamental support.
  • The speakers believe the penetration of AI into small and medium-sized businesses is still "so fucking low," suggesting a massive runway for future growth and efficiency gains across the economy.

Takeaways

  • The sentiment towards top tech and AI stocks is bullish. The speakers suggest that we are not yet at the market top and that investors should "still be heavily allocated to risk."
  • Unlike the dot-com bubble, the current AI rally is supported by strong, tangible earnings, making it a more fundamentally sound investment theme.

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • The recent price move to current levels was attributed to a capital rotation from gold to BTC.

Takeaways

  • The narrative of Bitcoin as a digital store of value and an alternative to gold appears to be a significant driver of capital inflows, which could continue to support its price.

MicroStrategy (MSTR)

  • There is a possibility that MicroStrategy could be added to the S&P 500 index in December.

Takeaways

  • A potential inclusion in the S&P 500 is a major bullish catalyst for MSTR. It could result in an estimated $20 billion in passive buying from index funds that would be required to add the stock to their portfolios.
  • Investors should note this is not guaranteed and is referred to as "not a shoe-in by any means."

Ethereum (ETH)

  • The speakers expressed a skeptical view of Ethereum's fundamentals, stating they "haven't really improved at all."
  • The recent price appreciation was attributed to market flows (potentially related to ETF speculation) rather than underlying network health or growth. One speaker stated, "I still think ETH is mostly cooked."

Takeaways

  • The investment case for ETH is viewed as being almost entirely dependent on whether it achieves widespread adoption as a monetary asset or store of value, similar to Bitcoin.
  • From a fundamental, cash-flow perspective, other blockchains like Solana are seen as having a more compelling and clearer growth trajectory.

Solana (SOL)

  • Solana was contrasted favorably against Ethereum from a fundamentals perspective.
  • The speakers expressed high confidence that Solana's on-chain metrics will "just keep getting better and better" over the next 1, 2, 3, 5 years.

Takeaways

  • For investors focused on fundamentals and on-chain growth, SOL is presented as a more compelling long-term holding than ETH. The conviction is that its usage and network value will continue to grow steadily.

Zcash (ZEC)

  • Zcash has had an "insane" run over the past month.
  • Its success is attributed to several factors:
    • Strong Narrative: It is seen as the primary, pure-play investment for the privacy narrative in crypto.
    • Influencer Support: Prominent figures like Naval Ravikant and Mert Mumtaz have been vocal supporters, driving attention and flows.
    • Real Technology: The project has legitimate tech, including shielded pools for privacy and the only actual light client in crypto.
    • Improved Accessibility: It has become easier to trade on decentralized exchanges on chains like Solana.
  • A key question raised was whether the price action is a short-term momentum trade based on hype or a genuine, long-term shift in the market's perception of privacy coins.

Takeaways

  • ZEC is the go-to asset for investors looking for exposure to the privacy theme. When a narrative gains traction, capital tends to coalesce around a single, leading asset.
  • While the momentum is strong, investors should be aware that the rally is fueled by a mix of fundamentals, narrative, and hype. The risk is that the price could pull back significantly if and when the momentum fades.

Galaxy Digital (GLXY.TO)

  • The company recently raised $1.15 billion through an exchangeable note, a move described as a "giga-chad move" and very bullish for long-term shareholders.
  • The terms of the deal are highly favorable:
    • A very low interest rate of 0.5% per year.
    • The conversion price is set at $55 per share, which was a 37% premium to the stock price at the time of the deal.
  • This new capital can be used to refinance a previous, more expensive convertible note from 2021. Doing so would lower interest payments and, more importantly, reduce potential future dilution for shareholders.
  • The remaining capital (~$700 million) can be used to fund the expansion of their rapidly growing crypto business lines (trading, lending, staking, and mining).

Takeaways

  • The speakers are very bullish on Galaxy Digital. This capital raise is seen as a strategically brilliant move that strengthens the company's balance sheet at a very low cost.
  • For long-term investors, this deal provides capital for growth while simultaneously protecting them from significant future dilution, making the stock more attractive. One speaker noted Galaxy is their single largest stock holding.

Investment Theme: The Shift to "Valuable" Tokens

  • A major theme is that the market has matured and is no longer rewarding "valueless tokens." Investors now demand clear utility and value accrual.
  • Projects like Uniswap (UNI) were cited as examples where a top-tier protocol's token is struggling because its value proposition is unclear to token holders.
  • The acquisitions of Padre by Pump.fun and Clanker by Farcaster were used to illustrate this point.
    • In the Farcaster/Clanker deal, the token was acquired and holders benefited from immediate buybacks, causing the price to rise from $20 to $115. This is the ideal scenario.
    • In the Pump/Padre deal, the business was acquired but the token was not, effectively going to zero (though Pump is offering a goodwill airdrop). This highlights the risk of holding tokens with no legal rights to the underlying business.

Takeaways

  • Investors must now critically analyze tokenomics. The era of bidding on "vapor" is over.
  • Look for tokens that have a direct, clear link to the success of the business. This includes mechanisms like:
    • Revenue sharing or protocol fee distribution.
    • Token buybacks funded by revenue.
    • Legal rights to the intellectual property or equity of the business.
  • Tokens that are disconnected from the business's value are likely to trade at a significant discount and face poor performance long-term.
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Episode Description
This week, the Hivemind team breaks down the current state of the market as crypto's recovers from it's post October leverage unwind. We deep dive into what's outperforming, analogies to the dot com bubble vs today, Zcash's outperformance, max pain for altcoins & more. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from David Canellis. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire⁠ -- Follow Ceteris: ⁠https://x.com/ceterispar1bus⁠ Follow Duncan: https://x.com/FloodCapital Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman Follow Jason: ⁠https://x.com/3xliquidated⁠ Follow Empire: ⁠https://x.com/theempirepod⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/4jYEkBx⁠ Subscribe on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/3ECSmJ3⁠ Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/4hzy9lH⁠ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/⁠ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (0:49) State of The Market (9:33) The Dot Com Bubble vs Today (13:51) Hyperliquid's Resurgence (21:00) The MegaETH ICO (25:24) Altcoins (35:15) Zcash (43:30) Pump Fun (48:34) Galaxy's $1.15B Senior Notes Offering (52:08) ETHZilla’s Share Buyback -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, the Hivemind team, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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Empire features interviews with top crypto founders to get the real stories that aren’t shared elsewhere. Empire is your look behind the curtain of the crypto industry. We release two episodes per week: guest interviews on Monday and a weekly roundup on Friday.