Stablecoin Inflows Surpassing Outflows
A new study by Binance reveals that the top five stablecoins experienced a positive net supply of $3.8 billion in Q4, marking the first time in nearly two years. This indicates that there is a significant amount of capital available for investing in crypto assets. The last time the stablecoin supply was positive was in Q1 2022 when it exceeded $17 billion. This shift in stablecoin inflows is seen as a positive sign for the crypto market.
The Rise of Protocol Fees
An important trend to watch in 2023 is the increase in protocol fees. The study reports that protocol fees for the top 20 projects were over 88% higher in November compared to January. Ethereum generated the highest fees, followed by Tron. Lido Finance and Uniswap also contributed to high fee generation. Additionally, zero-knowledge (ZK) technology gained significant attention in the crypto space. The introduction of zkEVMs allowed for the deployment of smart contracts on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), enabling the growth of ZK technology.
Other Key Narratives
The Binance report highlights several other significant developments in 2023. These include the emergence of real-world assets (RWA) and Socialfi, the growth of alternative layer ones (L1), the re-emergence of decentralized finance (defi), and discussions about declining interest rates.
Hot Take: Stablecoin Inflows Signal Positive Trend in Crypto Market
During Q4 of 2023, the stablecoin supply available to invest in crypto assets was $3.8 billion. This is the first time the net supply of the top five stablecoins has turned positive in nearly two years. In 2023, zero-knowledge (ZK) technology became one of the most consistent talking points in the crypto space.