Singapore MAS Offshore Crypto Crackdown Linked to 3AC and Terraform; ETH's 40% Surge Signals Altcoin Rally Amid Geopolitical Volatility

According to Charmaine Tam, Head of OTC at Hex Trust, Ethereum's recent outperformance against bitcoin serves as a leading indicator for capital flows into altcoins, with ETH dominance rising to nearly 10% and BTC dominance falling 2-3 percentage points, signaling a shift towards DeFi, modular infrastructure, and decentralized AI sectors. Tam noted that institutional demand, including over $1.25 billion in spot ETH ETF inflows since mid-May, supports this trend. Geopolitical tensions from Israeli airstrikes on Iran caused BTC to drop 4.7% to $103.3K and ETH to $2,694, though ETH remains up 40% over three months. Simultaneously, Singapore's Monetary Authority of Singapore has mandated licensing for offshore crypto firms by June 30, leading to shutdowns of exchanges like Bitget and Bybit, a move influenced by past issues with Three Arrows Capital and Terraform Labs that lacked local oversight.
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Market Context and Key Events
Early Friday Hong Kong time, Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities triggered initial cryptocurrency sell-offs, with Bitcoin (BTC) briefly plunging to lows around $104,600 before rebounding sharply, as geopolitical tensions fueled market uncertainty. By late Friday, BTC recovered to trade at $106,500, reflecting a 1.703% 24-hour gain, according to real-time market data. Ethereum (ETH) showed resilience despite the volatility, with its price at $2,460.54 after a 2.587% increase over the same period, building on a nearly 40% surge over the last three months, per CoinMarketCap figures. Simultaneously, Singapore's Monetary Authority (MAS) finalized regulations requiring all digital token service providers, including offshore firms like Bitget and Bybit, to obtain licenses by June 30, a move linked to past failures of Singapore-domiciled entities such as Three Arrows Capital and Terraform Labs. This crackdown, announced on June 6, aims to eliminate regulatory arbitrage and follows years of consultation under the Financial Services and Markets Act. Additionally, Quranium launched the QSafe quantum-safe wallet, designed with NIST-selected algorithms to counter future quantum threats, supporting assets like Bitcoin, Solana (SOL), and EVM-compatible chains.
Trading Implications and Analysis
The recent outperformance of ETH against BTC, with ETH dominance rising from 7% to nearly 10%, signals a potential altcoin rally, as Charmaine Tam, Head of OTC at Hex Trust, highlighted in her analysis. This shift indicates traders are moving beyond Bitcoin ETFs towards emerging sectors like decentralized finance (DeFi) and AI tokens, evidenced by on-chain inflows into assets such as Pendle and Bittensor. Institutional demand remains robust, with U.S. spot ETH ETFs attracting over $1.25 billion since mid-May, including $240 million on June 11 alone, bolstering ETH's role as a liquidity anchor. Geopolitical risks, like the Middle East conflict, have spurred volatility but also driven capital into safe havens, with gold surging 3% to $3,426.95; however, crypto markets displayed recovery, suggesting traders are pricing in short-term shocks while eyeing altcoin opportunities. Singapore's regulatory changes may temporarily reduce market access for exchanges but could enhance long-term trust, potentially curbing illicit activities linked to past collapses like Terraform Labs.
Technical Indicators and Market Data
Concrete trading metrics reveal significant price movements across key pairs: BTC/USD hit a 24-hour high of $106,500 and low of $104,716.99, with trading volume at 4.36949 BTC, indicating strong buyer interest amid geopolitical events. ETH/USD traded between $2,382.25 and $2,478.81, with resistance near $2,770 mentioned in earlier rejections, but current support at $2,400 held firm. Altcoins like Solana (SOL/USD at $146.52, up 2.411%) and Cardano (ADA/USD at $0.5847, up 0.671%) showed gains, while the ETH/BTC pair rose 0.873% to $0.02311, reinforcing capital rotation from Bitcoin to altcoins. On-chain data confirms this trend, with Ethereum Layer 2 activity climbing and total value locked (TVL) increasing in DeFi protocols. Volume spikes in SOL/USDT (195.9658 SOL) and ADA/USDT (172,075.8 ADA) underscore altcoin momentum, with AVAX/BTC surging 6.733% to $0.00022670, reflecting trader appetite for high-growth narratives.
Summary and Outlook
In summary, crypto markets demonstrated resilience amid geopolitical shocks, with ETH leading altcoin strength due to institutional inflows and shifting dominance. Singapore's regulatory overhaul may foster a safer ecosystem but poses near-term challenges for offshore exchanges. Looking ahead, sustained ETH performance could catalyze broader altcoin rallies, particularly in AI and DeFi tokens, while quantum-resistant innovations like QSafe Wallet address long-term security concerns. Traders should monitor BTC support at $104,700 and ETH resistance at $2,500 for breakout opportunities, with ongoing Middle East tensions likely driving short-term volatility but institutional flows providing underlying support.
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