Hello, it's another crypto digest here on HODLfm. You know the drill—we bluber about crypto all the time, because we (bought the dip and now) cannot afford to shut up.

Before we get lost in the chaos, here are this week’s gainers and losers.

Top Crypto Gainers and Losers of the Week

Top Gainers of the Week

  • Berachain (BERA): The price increased by 667.34% over the last 7 days to reach $7.67.
  • MANTRA (OM): $OM increased by 7.45% over the last 7 days to reach $5.93.
  • Tether Gold (XAUt): The price of $XAUt increased by 3.47% over the last 7 days to reach $2,880.64.

Top Losers of the Week

  • Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL): The price decreased by 46.85% over the last 7 days to reach $1.23.
  • Arweave (AR): $AR price dropped by 37.73% over the last 7 days to reach $9.93.
  • Dogwifhat (WIF): The price of $WIF decreased over the last 7 days to reach $0.7491.

Bitcoin and Gold: Breaking Up or Just Taking a Break?

Gold and Bitcoin used to move together. They were the go-to “safe haven” assets when markets got shaky. But things have changed—due to President Donald Trump’s return.

So, where should investors put their money? Bitcoin or gold? Or maybe both? It’s a tough call, especially now when uncertainty is the only thing we can count on.

Trump’s tariff talk is shaking up the markets. That’s made risky assets, like crypto, less attractive. Gold, on the other hand, is shining bright. It hit a new high on Monday. Meanwhile, Bitcoin slid below $93,000, down 14% from its January 20 peak.

In the past, Bitcoin and gold moved together. Both were seen as stores of value, especially when the dollar was strong. Since Trump’s latest wave of decisions, Bitcoin’s connection to gold has nearly vanished. According to data from Kaiko, their 90-day correlation is close to zero.

In a letter to President Trump, Rep. McGarvey expressed "grave concern" over tariffs on Canada and Mexico, highlighting the potential for increased costs and economic strain. 

El Salvador Makes New Bitcoin Purchases After Revising Regulations

El Salvador just added 5 more Bitcoin to its national stash. That’s part of over $5 million worth of BTC the country bought in the past month.

While El Salvador is still all-in on Bitcoin, it’s also making changes to its crypto policies to meet conditions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

On February 1, the country’s Bitcoin Office confirmed the new purchase. This brings El Salvador’s total Bitcoin reserves to around 6,055 BTC—worth over $606 million. Since making Bitcoin legal tender in 2021, El Salvador has been steadily stacking sats. In the last month alone, it brought about 50.42 BTC.

But there’s more. In December 2024, El Salvador secured a $1.4 billion loan from the IMF. To get the deal, the government had to tweak some Bitcoin rules. 

Now, businesses aren’t required to accept BTC, tax payments in Bitcoin are no longer a thing, and the Chivo wallet—the government’s crypto app—is being phased out. The IMF has always been skeptical about El Salvador’s Bitcoin bet, citing risks to the economy. Still, despite these policy shifts, the country’s Bitcoin strategy seems here to stay.

Reservoir Raises $14M to Expand NFT Infrastructure

Reservoir, the NFT infrastructure provider powering platforms like Coinbase, MetaMask, and Magic Eden, just secured $14 million in a Series A funding round. 

The goal for this is expanding its infrastructure to support even more NFT marketplaces.

Announced on February 5, the round was led by Union Square Ventures (USV), the venture capital firm known for early bets on Polygon, Dune Analytics, Matter Labs, Arweave, Dapper Labs, and Algorand.

The fresh funds will help the company build tools for indexing NFT images and data, making it easier for new networks to integrate NFT trading. This also means better support for decentralized exchanges and NFT markets.

Tether Jumps Into AI with New App Suite

Tether, the company behind USDT, is diving into artificial intelligence. They’re rolling out a new suite of AI-powered apps, and CEO Paolo Ardoino just gave us a sneak peek of what’s coming;  think AI-driven translation tools, smart voice assistants, and even a Bitcoin wallet assistant to make managing crypto easier.

But Tether isn’t stopping there. 

They’re launching an open-source AI Software Development Kit (SDK) that works on any device—phones, laptops, even powerful servers. The best part? It’s built for privacy. All apps will run locally on your device, with no need to send your data to the cloud.

This SDK is powered by Holepunch’s Bare JavaScript runtime, making it compatible with everything from small gadgets to full desktop setups. Tether’s goal is simple: keep your data private while giving you powerful AI tools at your fingertips.

Czech Republic Exempts Long-Term Crypto Gains from Taxes

Czech President Petr Pavel signed a bill exempting long-term crypto gains from taxes, allowing sales of cryptoassets held for over three years to be tax-free and exempting transactions under CZK 100,000 ($4,136) per year from tax reporting, similar to securities.

The Digitalization of the Financial Markets Act is in its final legislative stage and will be officially published within weeks. Meanwhile, the Czech National Bank approved a proposal by Governor Aleš Michl to consider adding bitcoin to its reserves, a move criticized by ECB President Christine Lagarde, who dismissed the possibility of EU central banks holding bitcoin.

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