PAAL AI (PAAL) is an AI-focused Ethereum-based crypto project offering custom virtual assistants, AI trading, content creation, audits, and more.

 (AI) and machine learning (ML) are undoubtedly the hottest current topics in the world of crypto, and in the entire business world, for that matter. Riding the wave of wild AI enthusiasm, AI-focused blockchain projects and coins are experiencing unprecedented growth. Projects like Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET), 

 (AGIX), all focused on the AI sphere and its use cases, have been receiving massive attention from users and industry observers.

Another high-profile AI-oriented crypto project, Paal AI (PAAL), has also benefited from the niche's surging popularity. As of late December 2024, the project has grown to occupy one of the top spots in the crypto market's category of AI agents.

While the majority of other AI-focused blockchain projects specialize in one or two specialized applications of the technology, Paal AI has taken a more comprehensive approach. The platform offers a wide variety of AI products and services, including task automation through AI bots and agents, AI-driven content creation, crypto trading supported by AI algorithms, automated 

 audits and AI model training using outsourced GPU processing power. 

At the platform's core is a service that allows users to create intelligent AI bots and agents to automate various complex tasks and business processes. However, a quick glance at the platform's overall product line clearly demonstrates that Paal AI aims to leverage AI technology for many different things, all at the junction of AI and blockchain technologies.

 (DApp) that offers crypto users a variety of AI-powered products and services, with the core product being an easy-to-use functionality to create custom AI virtual assistants.

 In addition to this service, the platform features various other products supported by AI algorithms, including AI-driven content creation using images and video, crypto trading automation, cryptocurrency market insights, automated smart contract audits and even AI model training via GPU power rentals.

The platform's diverse product line also includes the user-friendly Paal AI Web Widget, which can be integrated into any website. It offers a chatbot that delivers information and insights on the crypto market, and even conducts general online searches.

Another key product devised by the project is Paal as a Service (PaaS), a customized way to address the AI needs of various industry sectors, including online betting, trading, digital collectibles and more.

The Paal AI platform was launched on Ethereum in June 2023. The project's only publicly identified co-founder is mononymously known as 

. As of December 2024, Paal AI is among the top five leading crypto projects in the AI agents niche, with a market cap exceeding $280 million.

Paal AI Studio is a web application that provides a user-friendly interface for interacting with its diverse range of AI tools. It has four primary modes: MyPaal, Explore, Creative Lab and Agents.

The first mode, MyPaal, allows you to create AI bots with personalized knowledge bases and traits. Bots created via this mode can be used for custom applications and business processes requiring specific domain knowledge.

The second mode, the aptly named Explore, lets you browse through and select pre-built AI solutions that fit specific business needs. You can choose a suitable solution and use it out of the box, or configure it to better suit your specific task automation requirements.

Creative Lab mode provides AI tools to help you create content using images and video. This capability may be useful for creators whose content requirements involve rich media beyond textual information.

The last mode, Agents, lets you easily create and deploy 

 for various task automation and workflow optimization purposes.

MyPaalBot is an AI service that lets you create your personalized bot to carry out various tasks, including delivering information on the crypto market, trading automation and more. You can create your own personalized bot through the Paal AI Studio interface, and customize it for specific domains and tasks.

MyPaal can interact with users such as online community members, automate processes and integrate into platforms like Telegram and the Paal AI Web Widget. Bots created with MyPaalBot can engage in discussions with you, just like the ubiquitously popular 

. However, the difference between Paal-based bots and ChatGPT is that you can customize the former for specific domains, including cryptocurrency and trading, while the latter is simply a general-purpose chat bot, albeit a powerful one.

PaalX is the platform's solution for AI-powered crypto trading. It offers models, automated trading strategies and tools to help traders at all experience levels. Using PaalX, you can place manual orders, set up AI agents to execute automatic trades, track specific tokens using AI-based tracking tools, analyze the crypto market and access trading alerts.

In addition to its trading tools, PaalX offers access to a knowledge base and an FAQ section, as well as the opportunity to engage with other platform users via Telegram.

PaalX's user-friendly interface allows you to specify your manual order configuration in great detail, with options to set key parameters, such as trade sizes based on the percentage of available balance, the percentage of gain to close an order for take-profit and stop-loss levels based on token price fluctuations, and maximum tolerable 

If you'd like to automate your trading, PaalX lets you easily set up an AI agent, specify basic parameters — and then sit back and let your AI trading assistant execute your prespecified strategies.

Ask.Paal is an AI chatbot that delivers market insights, in addition to real-time analytics for cryptocurrency and blockchain projects and assets. You can ask it anything related to the crypto market or blockchain industry, or browse the featured projects listed on its interface for more in-depth information.

Ask.Paal offers the user a choice between different large language models (LLMs), such as PaalGPT, IBM

 and others. You can experiment with different LLMs to select the one that provides the most robust crypto research and fits your preferences in terms of its conversational style and knowledge.

There are also plugins available for Ask.Paal to extend its base functionality. Some of the more interesting plug-ins include Narratives Plugin, a tool to explore or create community-validated narratives about the crypto market or hot crypto trends; Voice Output, which allows Ask.Paal to respond to your queries in voice rather than text; and Image Search, which delivers infographics and visuals related to specific crypto projects or assets.

Audit.Paal is a solution to help you audit specific tokens and smart contracts for research and fraud detection purposes. Your personal AI agent scans the projects and assets you specify to identify issues like potential honeypots, 

 prevalent in the cryptocurrency world. For each token you query, Audit.Paal provides comprehensive analytics related to token permissions and potential vulnerabilities. You can also access your audit history and pending audits for efficient audit management.

As of December 2024, Audit.Paal is capable of scanning and analyzing assets on Ethereum, 

. Paal AI also provides an API to help developers integrate Audit.Paal into their platforms.

Deploy.paal is a service that lets AI model developers rent GPU processing capacity from the Paal AI platform on a flexible, per-use basis to train AI models and run AI algorithms. Training and running AI models often requires significant processing power, especially considering the ever-increasing user demands on AI-supported functionality. The amount of data typically used for model training and inferences is substantial. At the same time, hardware processing capacity is quickly becoming a scarce resource.

Using Deploy.paal, developers can access significant GPU capacity on a flexible and affordable basis to train and run their AI models. The platform offers two primary machine instances via the cloud to run GPU-intensive tasks: g4dn.xlarge and g4dn.2xlarge. One hour of processing by these machines costs $0.07 and $0.10, respectively. Developers pay only for the amount of time they utilize these resources; there are no lock-in contracts or initial setup fees, making Deploy.paal a convenient and cost-effective way to train and run AI algorithms.

Deploy.paal users can also scale their machines up and down anytime, depending on their current capacity requirements. Overall, Deploy.paal is probably among the most flexible GPU renting services in the 

 (NFT) collections for its user community. In August 2023, during the platform's first months of operation, Paal AI released the free Beta Bots collection, consisting of 213 NFTs, each dedicated to a step or milestone in the evolution of AI. Initially, the NFTs were distributed to community members for free, though they’ve since become available for purchase on the secondary market through 

The second collection, PaalX Bots, was released in March 2024 and consists of 1,000 items, each one opening access to a range of benefits and perks on the platform. PaalX Bots NFT holders can enjoy various benefits, such as trading on PaalX with no transaction fees, earning a share of trading volume revenues and accessing advanced trading options. NFTs from this collection are also available on the secondary market through OpenSea.

The platform's native cryptocurrency, PAAL, is an 

 token issued on the Ethereum blockchain. PAAL mainly provides access to AI products, agents and various functions on the platform. It can also be used to unlock special features or qualify for reward distributions.

The PAAL token is supply-capped, with a total and maximum supply specified at 1 billion.

Another key functionality of the PAAL token is 

. PAAL stakers can earn competitive APY rates by locking their funds in the platform's staking pools.

As of the time of this writing (Dec 26, 2024), you can select three staking periods — 14, 28 and 56 days, with the longer commitment periods offering higher APY rates. Currently, the platform offers APYs of 3%, 10% and 15% for 14-, 28- and 56-day staking periods, respectively.

The project funnels any token buybacks of PAAL into its staking pools to boost reward rates and earnings for stakers.

The PAAL token is available on Bybit's Spot market as a 

As of Dec 26, 2024, the PAAL token is trading at $0.3385, or 60.7% lower than its ATH of $0.8598 on Mar 10, 2024, and 737,122% higher than its ATL of $0.00004587 on Jul 24, 2023.

Long-term price forecasts for PAAL are bullish. DigitalCoinPrice 

 $0.81 in 2025 and $2.32 in 2030, while CoinCodex 

 that the token will trade at $1.507 in 2025 and $1.319 in 2030.

You might consider investing in the PAAL token based on the following factors:

Naturally, before investing in PAAL or any other cryptocurrency, you’re encouraged to do your own 

AI and ML technologies are currently fueling massive growth in the cryptocurrency industry. A cursory look at crypto market data reveals that AI-linked coins are currently among the most popular assets, attracting investors who aren't shy of risk in search of high rewards. Since its launch in mid-2023, Paal AI has steadily gained its footing among the top crypto projects dedicated to the AI agents subsector. As we move into 2025, the platform's comprehensive set of AI products and services will be its key differentiation point, potentially helping it cement its place among the most popular AI cryptocurrencies.

The PAAL token is currently off the head-spinning heights it climbed to earlier in 2024, a development that’s quite characteristic of many other AI cryptos. While this indicates that the wild, unbridled enthusiasm for these assets is receding, overall interest in these cryptocurrencies will likely remain strong, albeit at more realistic and objectively justified levels. 

With interest in AI — particularly AI agents — expected to thrive in the years to come, Paal AI has every chance to solidify its already respectable market position.

Intermediate

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PAAL AI (PAAL): Customizable Virtual Assistants Tailored for Your Needs

WhiteRock has introduced a direct tokenization platform for securities listed on the NYSE, Nasdaq, and LSE, connecting traditional finance with decentralized finance (DeFi). 

Daily Top Performer — Urolithin A (URO)

The S&P 500 was closed on Wednesday. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance, was up by 0.32%, with Bitcoin rising by 1.88% and Ethereum dropping by 0.70% in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is URO, which surged 43.6% following the announcement of Pump Science's tokenomics design and $BIO airdrop for $RIF and $URO holders.

Urolithin A (URO), launched in November 2024, is a meme coin on Solana blending humor with decentralized science (DeSci), inspired by a compound linked to mitochondrial health and longevity. It combines entertainment with scientific exploration for a unique crypto proposition. 

: first, the completion of its tokenomics design, where 5% of future token supply will be allocated to holders of existing tokens ($RIF, $URO), rewarding long-term holding with new token launches. Second, $BIO will be airdropped to $URO and $RIF holders, pending governance approval to bridge $BIO to Solana, with more airdrops under consideration. Tokens held on centralized exchanges will not count for the airdrops.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

WhiteRock has introduced a direct tokenization platform for securities listed on the NYSE, Nasdaq, and LSE, connecting traditional finance with decentralized finance (DeFi). The platform allows over 500 stocks to be traded on-chain, with a weekly trading volume exceeding $100 million. It offers transparency, regulatory compliance, and products such as tokenized assets, the $WHITE token, and USDX stablecoin. Upcoming phases include a lending platform, expanded use of USDX in the DeFi ecosystem, the launch of a decentralized exchange (WhiteX), and the tokenization of additional assets like real estate and commodities.

Yesterday, the Bitcoin Spot ETF market was closed for the holiday.

, offering a double airdrop opportunity for Berachain and Stakestone. Depositors receive beraSTONE, which can later earn $MORPHO tokens on Morpho. Withdrawals are locked until April 2025, but beraSTONE is tradable on Uniswap. Deposits of at least 0.2 ETH are recommended for larger airdrop rewards.

Beginner

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WhiteRock Launches Tokenization Platform Bridging Traditional Finance and DeFi

Streamflow is a token management infrastructure with a convenient interface that allows users to design and release personal tokens. Learn more here.

As the crypto market expands, there’s also a growing need for support products. Streamflow is a service that aims to simplify the process of token management. By allowing people to create and manage tokens — no matter the level of their technological skills — Streamflow helps to diversify the 

 space. In addition to providing some helpful services, Streamflow also offers some advantages for investors. Explore this guide to learn more about Streamflow and the upcoming STREAM token launch. 

 is a token management infrastructure. Its convenient interface allows users to design and release personal tokens. The Streamflow system can manage everything from token vesting schedules to token staking rewards.

Streamflow was founded in 2021 by a team of cryptocurrency enthusiasts and developers. The lead founder of Streamflow, Mališa Stanojević, initially worked at Toptal as a full-stack developer. However, in his time working with various startups, Stanojevic realized there was a need for more curated token management systems. 

Since its creation, the project has helped over 5,000 organizations launch cryptocurrencies, and now has over 1 million users. Streamflow has also 

 from reputable investors, such as Solana Ventures and Hypersphere. 

Streamflow was created to address security and convenience issues with current token launches. Its creators noticed that many users were wary of new crypto projects, due to 

. At the same time, many businesses were cautious about entering crypto spaces because new technology can seem overwhelming. 

Ultimately, Streamflow's main goal is to create a 

 way to manage crypto. It hopes to align stakeholders’ and token holders’ interest in order to create a system that’s mutually beneficial. To do so, Streamflow has prioritized the creation of a streamlined process that helps users with every step of creating, launching, vesting and 

 tokens. Unlike less transparent systems, Streamflow promises an 

, data-accessible experience with real-time updates.

 for the smooth flow of its token management system. 

The base layer, the Protocol Layer, consists of a set of 

Next, the Infrastructure Layer includes a variety of software development kits and application programming interfaces (APIs). These programming modules handle the automation tasks that run the smart token contracts on the Protocol Layer. 

Finally, the Business Layer is the user-facing layer. It consists of easy-to-understand buttons and menus that users can click on to operate various decentralized token management tools.

People who use Streamflow for their token distribution, token vesting and token management have access to many different features. Following are ways the ecosystem can help you manage a token project.

Streamflow lets users set up completely automatic token vesting schedules. The ecosystem will unlock tokens for clients and transport tokens to their recipients' wallets immediately. 

If a company wants to distribute tokens via an 

, Streamflow can help. Its system can handle millions of recipients in minutes, and supports both 

Streamflow’s staking platform enables users to encourage community participation and build token stability. With just a few clicks, token providers can set up rewards for token holders who don’t wish to trade their tokens. Streamflow's customizable system provides token locks and rewards for any Solana token.

Companies can also choose to permanently or temporarily lock away their own tokens in a 

. Streamflow provides complete transparency and security so organizations can easily build trust with their users. 

Companies that wish to handle payroll through a cryptocurrency system can use Streamflow's payment automation system to set up one-time or recurring payments to employees, contractors and suppliers. 

In addition to managing tokens, Streamflow can also help users create tokens. Its minting services guide people through everything from choosing a chain to figuring out distribution. 

Streamflow's services are all easily handled through its project dashboard. The on-chain, data-accessible dashboard ensures users have full access to token contracts and schedules. It provides both convenience and transparency so users always know exactly what's happening with their tokens.

Since its creation in 2021, Streamflow has already achieved a lot. In addition to helping multiple companies with their token distributions, Streamflow has also successfully managed its own upcoming STREAM token launch. Once the upcoming STREAM token is fully released to the public, Streamflow plans to enhance its system's technological features. Some of Streamflow’s many 

 that allows token holders to participate in decision-making for the platform. Holding the upcoming token unlocks access to exclusive areas on the platform and lets people enjoy premium services. The STREAM token will have a total supply of 1 billion, which the company will distribute according tothe 

After initially launching at around $0.18, the STREAM token’s price has decreased to around $0.1073 as of Dec 26, 2024. However, despite the decline in value, CoinMarketCap 

 a bullish outlook for STREAM. Not only is there a possibility for more ecosystem growth, but the token might also benefit from an overall bullish market with prices that rise around the holidays. 

The STREAM token is still too new for detailed price analysis. However, it is getting some positive buzz on social media. Crypto influencers like Stock Investor 

 the token a little, and it's also had some 

. Overall, these social media trends support the idea that an eventual price increase is likely to occur for STREAM.

Looking to trade Streamflow tokens? Bybit now offers the STREAM/USDT Spot trading pair. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

To celebrate this listing, Bybit is holding two exclusive events where you can earn a share of the 

STREAM does have some potential if you like investing in crypto companies. Its ecosystem has reliable backers and a history of solid development. Furthermore, the token has a lot of utility within a system that's providing a valuable service to consumers. 

However, the STREAM token launch didn't go quite as well as some token holders had hoped. With declining prices right after release, the token has struggled to make headlines and generate interest. Of course, there's always the likelihood that STREAM prices will rise in the future, but if you're looking for the hottest up-and-coming token, this one might not work for you. 

Ultimately, STREAM does have a place in certain portfolios, but it's important to invest thoughtfully. Make sure you 

 market conditions carefully and avoid overextending yourself financially to buy STREAM or any other altcoin. 

Streamflow’s platform enables users to take control of their token management. By offering a broad range of decentralized token management tools, Streamflow ensures that even those people without a background in crypto can easily release crypto projects. Though the organization is still in the early days of its token launch, the upcoming STREAM token is likely to attract some fans of streamlined web3 design.

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Streamflow (STREAM): Simplifying Token Distribution for Projects

Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report delves into macro events, the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume, and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

December's end-of-year options expiration is poised to be significant, with over $525 million in options contracts set to expire this Friday (Dec 27, 2024) for BTC and ETH. However, volatility expectations remain low and have been more responsive to recent spot price movements. Realized volatility has surged as spot prices fluctuate within their recent range, yet short-term options haven’t kept pace with this increase. 

While ETH's volatility structure has inverted, BTC's hasn’t reacted similarly after the recent U.S. elections. Additionally, funding rates across cryptocurrencies have shifted into a new market phase, occasionally dipping into negative territory alongside declines in spot prices. In terms of perpetuals , funding rates have moved from neutral to intermittently negative, aligning with spot price movements. Meanwhile, among options, BTC's volatility structure has been less responsive to spot changes, whereas ETH short-term options are exhibiting significant fluctuations at elevated levels. 

Please check out the report’s highlights.

Market Hasn’t Factored in BTC Options Expirations Volatility 

For the third time this month, spot prices have shown higher realized volatility than that implied by 1-month-tenor constant maturities. Each occurrence has eventually led to a decline in realized volatility, as implied levels have remained relatively stable. Open interest in BTC options continues to be high, contributing to a significant end-of-year options expiration, with approximately $360 million in put and call contracts set to expire. 

This week nearly marked a full inversion of the at-the-money volatility term structure, highlighted by a spike in front-end volatility on Dec 21, 2024. However, the elevated level of realized volatility hasn’t triggered a similar inversion to that seen with ETH.

Realized volatility has surged above implied volatility, as spot prices have fluctuated sharply between $3.2K–$3.6K. After a strong mid-week inversion, the resulting term structure is relatively flat. Despite its changing shape, levels haven’t risen significantly above the range maintained over the past month. As we enter the final week of 2024, open interest remains predominantly in call options, although put options are experiencing the majority of trading activity as the year comes to a close.

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Bybit X Block Scholes Crypto Derivatives Analytics Report (Dec 24, 2024): Volatility Remains Muted Ahead of Friday’s Mega Options Expirations

Trading

Wash trading defines a sale in which a trader is selling an asset, then repurchasing it at or about the same time as the sale. But how to avoid it? Learn more.

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Wash trading is when a trader or investor buys and sells the same security within a short window in an effort to mislead other market participants about the price or liquidity of an asset. Within the securities markets wash trading is illegal, but there are yet to have set regulations within the crypto industry.

In this article, we’ll discuss what wash trading is, how it works, where it’s commonly used within crypto markets — and how to avoid falling prey to it.

Wash trading defines a sale in which a trader is selling an asset, then repurchasing it at or about the same time as the sale.

Wash trades can be used as a form of market manipulation. An investor buys and sells the same asset, in quick succession, in an attempt to influence the price or trading activity.

There are several motivations for a trader or company wanting to engage in wash trading. The goal might be to spur buying activity in order to send prices up or encourage selling to drive prices lower. Another motivation may involve a trader trying to use the wash sale to lock in a capital loss, and then to buy the asset on a lower cost basis, essentially seeking a tax rebate.

Although wash trading may involve several different traders, companies and accounts, the motivation is the same. The intent of wash trading is to mislead, boosting perceptions of the price and volume of a financial asset that’s being traded.

At a basic level, a wash trade is an investor buying and selling an asset at the same time. However, a true wash trade goes further, taking into account the investor’s intent.

Therefore, two conditions are generally met to confirm a wash trade.

The first condition is intent. The wash trader must have had a specific strategy to buy and sell the same asset ahead of time. Again, wash trading is conducted in an effort to mislead. As a result, multiple accounts are needed to try to pull off the misrepresentation.

The trader, or firm, will make transactions on the same asset, but will use the different accounts to result in changed prices or increased trading volume. The account with the asset will sell the asset to another account of the wash trader.

The second condition is the result. The result of the transaction must be a wash trade, where the investor has bought and sold the same asset at the same time, using accounts that have the same or common ownership.

One way to determine if wash trading is taking place is by inspecting the financial position of the investor. If the trade doesn’t change the investor’s overall position, or expose them to any type of market risk, then it can be considered a wash.

Let’s assume we have a stock trader named Joe, and a brokerage firm colluding to rapidly buy and sell stock in company ABC. The idea is that other investors will notice the activity on ABC stock, and will decide to invest in ABC. As these investors buy ABC, the price rises, and Joe profits from the rally. Then, “Joe” short-sells ABC stock, driving the price lower and profiting from the downward price trend.

Wash trading has been suspected in cryptocurrencies, too, especially with regulators slow to regulate its existence. Back in 2017 and 2018, when blockchain projects would raise money via ICOs (initial coin offerings), the crowdfunding revenue could be recycled back to the exchanges to show a bolstered level of interest in the new project.

For example, large investors within a crypto project, XYZ, might buy some more XYZ crypto from that project using multiple addresses. Once they’ve acquired additional XYZ, then they would transfer the same amount of XYZ to the exchanges. At that point, they would convert XYZ to Ether and use that Ether to buy more XYZ. This behavior would continue for some time, using multiple addresses in an attempt to disguise their intent.

Outside investors would see the increased interest and volume in XYZ, then decide to buy into the project long-term. This additional interest from outside holders with long-term intent increases the price of XYZ. Then, the insider would sell some of their XYZ crypto at a profit. In essence, the large investors of XYZ use wash trading to mislead others about the speculative interest in the project — so they can eventually dump their holding at a profit.

Wash Trading vs. Market Making: The Differences

On the surface, wash trading and market making might seem like the same thing.

Market making is buying and selling the same amount of an asset at the same time, but possibly at different locations. For example, a market maker of Bitcoin would make it available for a trader to buy at one exchange for $49,300. Then, when an investor decides to buy 0.01 Bitcoin the market maker sold to them, the market maker will turn around and quickly buy 0.01 Bitcoin for $49,200 on another exchange. The market maker would be flat in the market, but has profited from the spread and difference in pricing for Bitcoin. 

The key difference between market making and wash trading is intent. Market making provides a service by having the asset readily available for other investors to buy and sell. Therefore, there are other investors involved with the market-making transactions. The market maker is allowing their crypto to be made available for somebody else (whom they do not know) to buy.

Wash trading, on the other hand, is when the only “parties” in the transaction are accounts with common ownership. A wash trader will use accounts with beneficial and common ownership to be the “parties” to the trade. In this way, a wash trader is effectively trading with themselves — and nobody else. As a result, there is no immediate benefit other than misleading others about the price or volume of the financial asset.

, have come under scrutiny recently vis-à-vis wash trading. First, let’s review what makes NFTs different, then describe how wash trading can occur with NFTs.

What Makes NFTs Different from Bitcoin or Ethereum?

To understand NFTs, we first need to start with a fungible token. A fungible token is an asset that can be exchanged like-for-like. Fiat currency is fungible. You and I can trade $10 dollar bills, and we’ll still each have the same value.

NFTs are different because each one is unique. Real estate is non-fungible. You and I can have the same floor plan for our two houses, on the same street in the same neighborhood. However, your house may have upgrades in it, and may perhaps be in better condition. Therefore, it would not be an equal value exchange if we simply traded houses.

Within crypto, an NFT is simply something unique, whose owner and other details are stored on a blockchain. There’s a rapidly increasing amount of NFTs to buy and collect.

If you’re an NFT creator, you’ll want a way for your NFT to stand out, so that people can buy it from you and you can profit. For this reason, wash trading has entered the NFT space.

A wash trader would buy and sell their own NFT so that it will show inflated volume and interest — and possibly a price increase. (The wash trader controls both the buy and sell prices — so they can buy it at a higher price from themselves.) This behavior can be repeated over and over.

As a result, outsiders seeing this increased activity might consider buying the NFT at an inflated price. Once the NFT is sold to an outsider, the NFT creator pockets the difference. 

 completed research on this topic and found 110 wallet addresses that profited a combined $8.9 million from active wash trading.

 prohibits wash trading. Prior to its passage, traders commonly used wash trading to manipulate markets and stock prices. The 

 (CFTC) also enforces regulations regarding wash trading, including guidelines that bar brokers from profiting as a result of wash trading activity.

The IRS also has rules regarding wash trades. These rules disallow investors from deducting capital losses on the taxes (from sales or trades of securities) that result from wash sales. For example, traders who are using wash trades in stocks to skip out on a tax bill will find themselves still owing the tax bill.

However, the regulations for crypto have not caught up yet. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been taking an interest in cryptocurrencies. However, NFTs are not considered securities, because they’re non-fungible and are outside the purview of the SEC.

Likewise, the IRS considers crypto to be property, not securities. Until such time that the regulators figure out whose jurisdiction applies to overseeing crypto, there’s the risk of wash trading —and, therefore, of misleading price and volume data.

Wash trading is more prevalent in smaller and newer markets than in the larger, more established markets. This is because smaller markets are more easily manipulated.

A big whale can easily move the market in small- or micro-cap crypto, as the size of their balance sheet can be comparable to the value of the crypto itself. With small-cap crypto, just buying and selling a little bit will trigger some bots to “wake up” and generate more volume in the market.

Additionally, new coins that are added to the market won’t have any price or volume history attached. Therefore, developers or other insiders might engage in wash trading to mislead participants about the true value of the coin.

Lastly, many NFTs have no volume or interest in their trading. Therefore, NFT owners can easily engage in wash trading to lure unsuspecting buyers into purchasing the NFT at an inflated price. The best defense against wash trading is to avoid new issues, small-cap cryptos and NFTs.

To avoid being the victim of a wash trade incident, lean toward more established, larger volume cryptocurrencies. The larger the market is, the more funding needed for nefarious players to manipulate the market. As you can imagine, this is extremely difficult to do in large markets like Bitcoin or Ethereum, which are worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

 of the crypto, the more exchanges will be dealing in it. This effectively allows for better price discovery. For example, if one exchange is allowing wash trades, then arbitrageurs will siphon away any difference in pricing with other exchanges. The bigger the cryptocurrency, the more likely there will be several exchanges dealing in that market — which allows arbitrage opportunities between the different venues to bring pricing back in line.

Lastly, seek out those markets with an established track record of trading. That way, you can compare the volume of transactions now to that crypto’s history. This comparison will indicate whether extreme amounts of volume have entered the market, possibly misleading participants.

Any good trader or investor will have a plan and a strategy for their trades. Having a process and repeatable method to enter into trades and positions — coupled with a process for an exit strategy on the trade — is what brings consistency to trade. In your trading plan, also be sure to consider the age and size of the cryptocurrency. 

Wash trading involves the intent to mislead and deceive market participants regarding the price of an asset, and/or the volume of trades being made. Wash trading occurs frequently in crypto — and especially with the less liquid NFTs — as regulations haven’t yet caught up to this new asset class.

Until such time as regulations are updated, you can avoid being victimized by wash traders by trading in crypto markets that are larger in size and have longer price histories.

Wash Trading: What It Is & Why It’s Important

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards