Hey there, PoI readers! 🌟

It's your favorite crypto connoisseur, Mochi, serving up a fresh batch of digital delights! This week's menu is absolutely packed with game-changing developments that'll make your crypto taste buds tingle. From Bitcoin's historic $100K milestone to Trump's SEC shake-up with Paul Atkins, and a sprinkle of Forbes 30 Under 30 magic, we've got quite the feast prepared. Even the Financial Times decided to join our party (though they brought salt instead of champagne). So grab your favorite beverage, settle into your comfiest chair, and let's dive into this week's crypto chronicles! 🌐

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 Bitcoin achieves historic milestone by hitting $100K, fueled by ETF demand, halving event, and Trump's election victory impact on crypto-friendly policies.

🟧 President-elect Trump nominates pro-crypto advocate Paul Atkins as new SEC chair, signaling a potential shift in regulatory approach after Gensler's resignation.

🟧 Nine out of thirty spots in Forbes' 2025 "30 Under 30" finance category were claimed by crypto founders, maintaining strong industry representation despite past controversies.

🟧 Financial Times' Alphaville section issues a sarcastic "apology" for years of Bitcoin criticism as BTC hits $100K, prompting backlash from the crypto community.

Bitcoin Blasts Through $100K While Bulls Dance On The Moon Into 2025

The king of cryptocurrencies has just pulled off its most spectacular feat yet. Bitcoin has officially crossed the $100,000 threshold, making December 5th a day that'll be etched in crypto history books.

In what feels like a perfect storm of bullish catalysts, Bitcoin didn't just tap the six-figure mark – it blasted through to set a new all-time high of $104,000 at 3:08 am UTC. This isn't just your regular price movement; we're talking about a jaw-dropping 126% surge since January, when Bitcoin was casually hanging out at $44,000.

The rocket fuel behind this historic rally? First up, we've got the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have been absolutely crushing it with over $31 billion in net inflows. Then there's April's halving event, which, as any crypto veteran will tell you, is like Bitcoin's version of a supply squeeze party.

For perspective, though, let's not forget our history lessons. While a 126% gain is nothing to sneeze at, it's actually quite modest compared to some of Bitcoin's previous bull runs. Remember 2017's wild 1,900% ride from $1,000 to $20,000? Or that post-COVID surge of 1,250% that took us to $69,000? But there's something different about this milestone – it's not just about the price tag. With a market cap now touching $2 trillion, Bitcoin isn't just growing; it's maturing like a fine digital wine.

Bitcoin smashed through $100K, peaking at $104,000 with a 126% year-to-date gain

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have attracted $31B+ in net inflows, while Trump's election and pro-crypto cabinet picks boost market sentiment

Market cap hits $2 trillion milestone, marking Bitcoin's evolution from speculative asset to mature financial instrument

Gensler Out, Crypto-Friendly Paul Atkins In! as SEC chair

President-elect Trump has dropped what might be the biggest uno-reverse card in regulatory history by nominating Paul Atkins to take the helm from Gary Gensler at the SEC.

Let's talk about our new potential crypto captain, shall we? Atkins isn't just another suit in the regulatory circus – he's been playing in the digital assets sandbox since 2017 as the Co-Chairman of the Digital Chamber's Token Alliance. Trump's Truth Social announcement painted Atkins as a "proven leader for common sense regulations," which, after the Gensler era, feels like saying water is wet (but we'll take it!).

The timing couldn't be more dramatic. After Gensler's November swan song (or should we say, swan dive?) from his position, the crypto markets decided to throw a party. We're seeing ETF applications flying faster than hot cakes, with Bitwise, VanEck, 21Shares, and Canary Capital all jumping into the Solana ETF pool.

But here's the real kicker – under Gensler's watch, the SEC apparently turned into the crypto industry's most expensive pen pal, with firms spending a whopping $426 million in legal fees just to keep up with the agency's letter-writing campaign (104 lawsuits between 2021-2023, but who's counting?). As Pantera's chief legal officer Katrina Paglia suggests, these legal battles might "quietly go away" under new leadership.

The Blockchain Association summed it up perfectly with their October statement: "The time of law-fare against our industry must end." And with Atkins potentially taking the wheel, it looks like we might be shifting from "regulation by enforcement" to "regulation by actual regulation.".

Trump nominates pro-crypto Paul Atkins as new SEC chair, fulfilling campaign promise to crypto voters

Gensler's departure triggered market rally and surge in ETF filings, particularly for Solana

Under Gensler, crypto firms spent $426 million fighting 104 SEC lawsuits, highlighting the need for regulatory clarity

14 Crypto Prodigies Just Took Over Forbes Under 30 List

The Forbes "30 Under 30" finance list for 2025 just dropped, and let me tell you, it's giving serious blockchain vibes. A whopping nine spots were snagged by crypto ventures, featuring 14 brilliant minds (10 gents and 4 ladies) who are basically the Gen Z version of the Finance Avengers.

Speaking of superheroes, let's talk about 26-year-old Shayne Coplan, the Polymarket founder who made waves by essentially turning election predictions into a crypto sport. His platform's punters correctly called Trump's victory when traditional polls were playing the "too close to call" game. Though, plot twist – he reportedly got an unexpected visit from the FBI afterward, which Polymarket is speculating was some spicy "political retribution" from the outgoing Biden administration.

The DEX squad showed up in force this year! We've got the dynamic duos of Ostium Labs' Kaledora Kiernan-Linna and Marco Antonio Ribeiro, plus Osmosis' Sunny Aggarwal and Dev Ojha sharing spots on the list. Not to mention Drift Labs' Cindy Leow making her mark solo.

The list is packed with innovation, from Cortex Labs' trio working on AI-capable blockchains to Tux Pacific's Entropy creating onchain AI agents. It's like watching "The Social Network" but with a crypto twist and fewer lawsuits (fingers crossed!).

Now, for a dash of historical perspective – while nine spots is impressive, it's not quite the wild 2021 showing of 21 crypto leaders. Though, given that year's list included some folks who are now comparing prison meals instead of profit margins (looking at you, Caroline Ellison and SBF), maybe quality over quantity isn't such a bad thing!

14 crypto founders across 9 companies made Forbes' 30 Under 30 finance list, showcasing strong industry representation

Polymarket's founder Shayne Coplan made headlines with election predictions and subsequent FBI raid drama

List features diverse projects from DEX platforms to AI-blockchain integration, marking crypto's evolution beyond traditional finance

Financial Times Gets Destroyed By Bitcoin Army After Fake Apology Backfires

The Financial Times' Alphaville section just dropped what might be the most passive-aggressive "apology" since your ex's last text message. As Bitcoin casually strolled past the $100K mark, FT decided to say "sorry" in the most un-sorry way possible.

Picture this: 13 years of calling Bitcoin everything from "chronically inefficient" to an "arbitrary hype gauge," and now they're forced to acknowledge its meteoric rise from $15.90 in 2011 to six figures. Talk about an awkward family reunion! Bryce Elder, Alphaville's city editor, penned what can only be described as a masterclass in the art of the non-apology apology.

The highlight reel includes gems like "We're sorry if you misunderstood our crypto cynicism to be a declaration of support for tradfi, because we hate that too." It's giving strong "I'm sorry you feel that way" energy, and the crypto community wasn't having any of it. The X-verse quickly dubbed it a "Cope-Pology" – which, let's be honest, deserves some kind of award for creative wordplay.

But wait, there's more! Remember that time in 2014 when they published a piece comparing Satoshi Nakamoto to a reckless doctor handing out penicillin like candy? That particular criticism came from Mark Williams, who argued Bitcoin's supply schedule was as well-planned as a last-minute holiday shopping spree.

The cherry on top? FT Alphaville is proudly "standing by every single one of those posts" – a flex that's about as well-received as a blockchain fork at a Bitcoin maximalist meetup. Meanwhile, they're in good company with other Bitcoin critics like Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, and Peter Schiff, who are probably wishing they could ctrl+z their "Bitcoin will never hit $100K" predictions right about now.

FT Alphaville issues sarcastic apology for 13 years of Bitcoin criticism as BTC hits $100K

Publication maintains its skeptical stance, proudly standing by years of critical coverage

Crypto community roasts the "Cope-Pology," highlighting the publication's reluctance to admit being wrong about Bitcoin's success

And that's all the tea for today, my wonderful PoI family! 🍵 What a wild week it's been - from Bitcoin breaking records to regulatory musical chairs at the SEC, and young crypto innovators showing the world how it's done. Even the traditional media is starting to catch up (sort of 😉). Remember, we're not just witnessing history; we're part of it! Until our next digital rendezvous, this is Mochi, your faithful crypto curator, signing off with a dash of wisdom and a sprinkle of joy! 🎭✨

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