Target Ethereum (ETH) for near-term outperformance over Bitcoin (BTC), aiming for a sustained breakout above the 0.035 BTC resistance level on the ETH/BTC pair.

Use falling 10-year and 30-year US Treasury yields as your macro trigger to accumulate Bitcoin (BTC) as a long-term hedge against currency debasement.

Position in Hyperliquid (HYPE) ahead of January to capitalize on increased fee generation and token burns driven by its backend integration with Kraken.

Trade Near Protocol (NEAR) as a high-momentum sympathy play to capture continued upside from the technical breakout in Zcash (ZEC).

Rotate capital away from speculative altcoins into high-conviction, revenue-generating platforms like Uniswap (UNI) and on-chain options provider Derive (DRV) that show sustained relative strength.

Bitcoin (BTC)

• Bitcoin is viewed primarily as a macro debasement trade rather than a technology play, sharing more correlation with gold than the broader crypto market.
• Year-to-date BTC spot ETF flows have been net negative at -$2.2 billion, reflecting recent weakness relative to Ethereum.
• The asset's near-term direction is heavily tied to macro interest rate policy, with falling 10-year and 30-year Treasury yields serving as the primary confirmation signal for upside momentum.
• Regardless of short-term interest rate decisions, monetary instability and debt debasement are viewed as long-term structural tailwinds for BTC.

Takeaways

• Monitor the 10-year and 30-year US Treasury yields; declining long-end yields indicate a favorable environment for BTC.
• Treat Bitcoin as a pure hedge against currency debasement and macro liquidity rather than trading it based on crypto-specific legislative news.

Ethereum (ETH)

• ETH is showing relative strength against Bitcoin, with spot ETF inflows running net positive at +$586 million year-to-date and flow intensity outpacing Bitcoin ETFs by 3x.
• On the ETH/BTC pair, price action has broken above its 20-week and 200-day moving averages, signaling a potential shift in its multi-year downtrend.
• A key breakout level was cleared around 0.031 BTC, with the next major resistance level sitting near 0.035 BTC.
• Fundamental catalysts include the tokenization of traditional financial assets (equities and bonds) and its role as a security layer for AI agents.

Takeaways

• ETH is currently demonstrating stronger upside momentum and institutional flow relative to BTC.
• A sustained weekly close above 0.035 BTC on the ETH/BTC ratio would confirm a stronger, longer-term trend reversal.
• Consider utilizing defined-risk on-chain options to gain asymmetric upside exposure while limiting capital risk compared to perpetual futures.

Hyperliquid (HYPE)

• Payword (parent company of Kraken) announced plans to deploy on-chain perpetual futures for US markets using Hyperliquid's HIP-3 infrastructure backend starting in January.
• This backend licensing model allows Hyperliquid to access US retail liquidity through regulated exchanges without needing direct US regulatory licensing under its own brand.
• The integration creates a fourth major revenue stream for the protocol, generating trading fees that are directed toward token buyback-and-burn mechanics.

Takeaways

• Hyperliquid is transitioning into a core liquidity and execution engine for centralized exchanges, significantly increasing protocol fee generation.
• The token stands to benefit fundamentally over the medium to long term as higher transaction volumes translate into increased fee burns.

Derive (DRV / Derive.xyz)

• Derive operates an on-chain options decentralized exchange and surged roughly 30% on the day.
• The protocol provides deep liquidity for crypto options, offering high capital efficiency (up to 1:70 risk-to-reward setups) with capped downside risk compared to funding-rate-heavy perpetual positions.
• On-chain options are emerging as an alternative for traders seeking leveraged exposure without the risk of liquidation cascades common in perpetual futures.

Takeaways

• Derive represents an infrastructure play on the growing demand for sophisticated derivatives and options trading in DeFi.
• Investors seeking leveraged upside on assets like ETH can evaluate on-chain options as a tool to manage downside risk and reduce ongoing holding costs.

Near Protocol (NEAR) & Zcash (ZEC)

• Zcash (ZEC) is exhibiting strong upward price momentum, breaking out independently of broader crypto market chop.
• Near Protocol (NEAR) is directly benefiting from this momentum because it serves as the primary blockchain facilitating native, private Zcash transactions.
• Both assets remain well above their prior multi-week breakout candle levels, exhibiting high relative market strength.

Takeaways

• NEAR functions as a high-beta sympathy trade to ZEC momentum due to its technical integration with private transaction routing.
• Focus on assets showing clear relative strength above their recent weekly breakout levels during market pullbacks.

Venice AI (VVV) & Uniswap (UNI)

• Venice AI has pushed toward all-time highs, driven by growing real-world adoption of decentralized AI products.
• Uniswap (UNI) continues to trade well above its weekly breakout benchmark, displaying resilience compared to the broader altcoin sector.

Takeaways

• Select altcoins with genuine product-market fit, real protocol revenues, and direct value accrual are decoupling from weaker speculative tokens.
• Avoid low-quality, unprofitable altcoins and focus capital on protocols with active user demand and verifiable revenue models.

Macroeconomic Outlook & Market Structure

• Federal Reserve Policy: A standard 25 basis point rate hike with no forward guidance is seen as the cleanest bullish outcome for risk assets. Any surprise pause or aggressive forward guidance could spark short-term volatility before the debasement thesis resumes.
• The Clarity Act: Although the bill stalled in the US Senate, regulatory agencies (SEC and CFTC) are actively implementing rulemakings around market structure, tokenized equities, and brokerage trading permissions.
• Altcoin Market Strategy: The broad "alt season" dynamic where all tokens rise simultaneously is being replaced by a bifurcated market that rewards businesses generating real fees and token holder value.

Takeaways

• Do not base crypto investment theses solely on legislative milestones; focus on monetary liquidity, bond yield direction, and agency-level rulemaking.
• Strictly manage trade sizing, use automated stop-losses, and account for slippage when navigating volatile crypto and options markets.