Blogs, news and announcements – page 11

Andrew Fenton11 November 2025Market update

BTC US$105.9k. US gov shutdown ends, stimulus hopes prompt recovery

Bitcoin dipped below the psychological US$100K barrier this week (A$153K), while the top 20 coin index fell 15%. Widely shared news that OG Bitcoiners have been selling up reinforced fears that the cycle may be over. However, the likely end of the US government shutdown (for now) and President Trump's A$3,060/US$2,000 'tariff rebate' stimulus proposal helped prices recover. Whether that cheque will ever get mailed is an open question, but influencer Lark Davis notes the 2020 stimulus cheque saw Bitcoin rally 50% within five weeks. AshCrypto observed that the last time the US Government opened after a shutdown, Bitcoin surged 300% over five months (though correlation is not causality). Overall sentiment was pretty dire, with Bitcoin ETFs losing A$1.83B/US$1.2 billion across the week. Bitcoin finishes the week down 0.5% at A$162,550 (US$105,970) while Ethereum also mostly recovered from its dive to finish the week down 0.1% at A$5,466 (US$3,574). A rise in large volume orders for ETH was observed, which historically precedes a recovery in the price, according to analysts. DOGE was this week’s standout performer, up 10.2%. XRP wasn’t far behind with a 9.4% increase, after a successful fundraise and a new partnership with Mastercard. Inflows into the Solana ETFs topped A$209M (US$136.6M), but SOL remained flat for the week. The UNI token surged 30% today on the news the fee switch may finally be turned on. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is at 29 or Fear.

Brendon Lim7 November 2025Knowledge base

How to exchange USDT to USD in Singapore

Table of contentsStep-by-step guide: USDT to USD on Independent ReserveCreate an Independent Reserve account; Deposit USDT into your Independent Reserve account; Convert your USDT to USD; Withdraw USD to your bank account; Frequently asked questions Independent Reserve is a MAS-licensed cryptocurrency exchange in Singapore. You can safely convert your USDT to USD and withdraw directly […]

Brendon Lim6 November 2025Knowledge base

How to trade USDT Over-the-Counter (OTC) in Singapore

Table of ContentsWhat is OTC trading; Why use Independent Reserve’s OTC desk?; Who can use the OTC desk?; How to trade USDT via the OTC desk; Frequently asked questions Over-the-counter (OTC) trading at Independent Reserve offers a private and secure way to execute large cryptocurrency trades with minimal slippage. The OTC desk is ideal for […]

Andrew Fenton4 November 2025Market update

BTC US$106.2k. Solana ETF smashes records as BTC ETFs bleed

For reasons beyond our control, Uptober had to be cancelled this year – with Moonvember and the Santa Claus Rally now in doubt too. According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin finished the month of October down 8.5%, breaking a six-year-long streak of gains. Long-term hodlers dumped 400,000 Bitcoin across the month, perhaps in anticipation of the four-year cycle ending, as history suggests it might. It was a sad way to mark 17 years since the publication of the Bitcoin White Paper. Ethereum fell 10% during the month as traders fled to safety, which helped bring about a record A$4.31 trillion (US$2.82T) in stablecoin volume. Even though the flash crash of October 10 was related to tariffs on China, this week’s "amazing meeting" with China and reported tariff deal has not restored confidence. Neither has a US interest rate cut or the news that the US Federal Reserve will end quantitative tightening. Fears over a stock market bubble, the US shutdown, the Balancer hack overnight and unverified rumours Wintermute is suing Binance over the flash crash (and may not be the only firm in trouble) have all contributed to the gloom. Bitcoin finishes the week down 6.8% to trade around A$162,550 (US$106,194) while Ethereum lost 13% and is back down to A$5,4750 (US$3,578). The rest of the top 10 lost even more, apart from Tron, which only fell 5.4%. There is some hope on the horizon with stablecoin inflows to Binance more than double the usual amount and hitting US$11.2B (US$7.3B), and the HyperUnit whale, who made a killing during the flash crash, has just longed Bitcoin and ETH. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is at 21 or Fear.

Brendon Lim31 October 2025Knowledge base

How to withdraw funds from your Independent Reserve account to Trust Bank

Table of contentsHow to sell Bitcoin and crypto with your Independent Reserve account; Withdrawing funds to your Trust Bank bank account; Frequently asked questions Trust Bank customers in Singapore can securely sell Bitcoin and crypto by using reputable exchanges such as Independent Reserve, one of Singapore’s longest-running and most trusted cryptocurrency exchanges. This guide walks […]

Brendon Lim31 October 2025Knowledge base

What is a stablecoin?

Table of ContentsWhat is a stablecoins?; How do they maintain their peg?; What are stablecoins used for?; Key players of the stablecoin market; How to buy on Independent Reserve; Frequently asked questions Stablecoins play a critical role in bridging traditional finance and crypto. They combine the stability of fiat currencies with the flexibility of blockchain, […]

Andrew Fenton28 October 2025Market update

BTC US$113.9k. CZ pardoned, Ripple goes prime, stablecoins advance

Bitcoin recovered 4% over the weekend after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC that China and the US have agreed to a "framework" for a trade deal to avoid the threatened 100% tariffs blamed for the flash crash on October 10. But nothing is confirmed until President Trump meets China's President Xi this week. Softer-than-expected CPI figures in the US reinforced expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this week. Bitcoin is back in the green for the month, so the Uptober meme may well come true again. Bitcoin finishes the week up 3.1% on seven days ago to trade around A$173,782 (US$114,340), while Ethereum gained 3.6% to trade around A$6,275 (US$4,125). XRP gained 5.9% after it completed its acquisition of a prime brokerage, while Solana was up 4.8% and could see further gains on the news that Bitwise’s Solana Staking ETF is set to go live on the NYSE this week. After big falls earlier in the year, spot volumes on the top ten centralised exchanges surged by 30.6% in the third quarter, according to analytics platform TokenInsight. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has increased to 50, or Neutral, after spending much of October in Fear territory.

Ben Roberts21 October 2025Knowledge base

Crypto withdrawal delays explained

When withdrawing crypto from Independent Reserve, most requests are processed quickly. However, in some cases, you may experience delays of up to 24 hours. These delays can occur for several reasons, including: Manual review, scheduled maintenance, metwork congestion (Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies) and network updates or upgrades

Andrew Fenton21 October 2025Market update

BTC US$110.6k. MrBeast eyes crypto, will the US$100k psychological level hold?

After leveraged traders got their fingers badly burnt in the October 10 flash crash, sentiment remained risk averse over the past week. Concerns over regional bank loans hit US stocks and crypto, while queues round the block to buy gold in Australia suggest many are seeking a safe haven. President Trump's 100% tariff threat on China remains a live option, but Trump now says he expects to reach a "fantastic deal" with Chinese President Xi Jinping when the two leaders meet later this month. Meanwhile, Australia is now America’s best friend, signing a A$13.5 billion (US$8.5 billion) agreement on rare earths and minerals, to shore up supply chains outside of China. US Fed chair Jerome Powell suggested its quantitative tightening program is nearing an end. Bitcoin finishes the week down 4.1% on seven days ago to trade around A$169,844 (US$110,683) while Ethereum is down 6.2% to trade around A$6,115 (US$3,986). Solana was down 8.5% this week, Cardano lost 9.2% and Dogecoin fell 6.7%. Chartist John Bollinger highlighted "Potential 'W' bottoms in Bollinger Band terms in ETH/USD and SOL/USD but not in BTC/USD. Gonna be time to pay attention soon I think." The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is at 34, or Fear.

Brendon Lim17 October 2025Knowledge base

How to withdraw funds from your Independent Reserve account to Bank of China

Table of contentsHow to sell Bitcoin and crypto with your Independent Reserve account; Withdrawing funds to your Bank of China bank account; Frequently asked questions Bank of China customers in Singapore can securely sell Bitcoin and crypto by using reputable exchanges such as Independent Reserve, one of Singapore’s longest-running and most trusted cryptocurrency exchanges. This […]

Brendon Lim16 October 2025Knowledge base

What are the liquidation risks in leverage trading?

Table of contentsWhat is leverage trading?; Liquidation risks in leverage trading Margin Thresholds Market Volatility Slippage and Liquidity Risk Overleveraging and Emotional Bias; How does stop loss work with leverage trading?; Frequently asked questions Leverage trading allows traders to magnify their exposure to price movements by borrowing funds, but with higher exposure comes higher risk. […]

Andrew Fenton14 October 2025Market update

BTC US$115.2k. $19B flash crash wipes markets as Trump threatens tariffs

Crypto just experienced one of the craziest weekends in its history, with cascading liquidations of leveraged positions worth A$29.3 billion (US$19.13 billion), according to CoinGlass. That's an order of magnitude larger than the A$2.45B/US$1.6B in liquidations seen during the FTX collapse in 2022. Bitcoin plunged by around A$16k (US$10.4k) in a few hours (more on some venues) and Ethereum briefly dropped A$1,200 (US$780), but both were the standout safe performers in crypto, thanks to ample liquidity and dip buyers. Altcoins with thin liquidity lost 40%-80% and some, like ATOM, appeared to plunge by 99.5% briefly (although this may have been a display issue). Some market makers, who typically prop up trading, reportedly pulled out during the flash crash, exacerbating the problems. Traditional markets plunged too, after President Donald Trump responded to China's rare earth export controls by threatening to resume the trade war with 100% tariffs – a threat he later appeared to walk back. Many perp traders were unhappy to discover that Auto Deleveraging can close out their positions without warning. Bitcoin finishes the week down 7.6% to trade around A$177,004 (US$115,252) while Ethereum was down 9.4% to trade around A$6,520 (US$4,245). Many other altcoins remain down by double digits, but the situation is improving, and the Crypto Fear and Greed Index has recovered from a low of 24 (Extreme Fear) on the weekend to 38 (Fear) now.