James Van Straten

James Van Straten is a Senior Analyst at CoinDesk, specializing in Bitcoin and its interplay with the macroeconomic environment. Previously, James worked as a Research Analyst at Saidler & Co., a Swiss hedge fund, where he developed expertise in on-chain analytics. His work focuses on monitoring flows to analyze Bitcoin's role within the broader financial system.

In addition to his professional endeavors, James serves as an advisor to Coinsilium, a UK publicly traded company, where he provides guidance on their Bitcoin treasury strategy. He also holds investments in Bitcoin, MicroStrategy (MSTR), and Semler Scientific (SMLR).

James Van Straten

Latest from James Van Straten


Markets

First Mover Americas: Bitcoin Returns to $61K After Tuesday's Dump

The latest price moves in crypto markets in context for Oct. 2, 2024.

BTC price, FMA Oct. 2 2024 (CoinDesk)

Markets

Grayscale’s High ETF Fee Keeps the Cash Flowing In Even as Investors Withdraw

Grayscale’s fee revenue from GBTC is nearly five times higher than BlackRock’s from IBIT even after a 50% decline in assets under management.

Grayscale advertisement (Grayscale)

Opinion

How the Crypto Retail Market Has Changed

Retail investors may not be as plentiful in the current cycle, but they've become increasingly sophisticated, says CoinDesk senior analyst James Van Straten.

(Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)

Markets

Bitcoin Bull Run in Question as Balances on OTC Desks Rise to 410K

The amount of bitcoins on OTC desks has doubled over the past five months to the highest level since May 2022.

Bitcoin: Total OTC Desk Balance (CryptoQuant)

Markets

Bitcoin Retail Activity Remains Low Despite Recent Rally

Big upticks in retail interest are commonly thought to be a topping indicator, so the current relative lack of involvement could hint at potential further price increases.

BTC: Total Transfer Volume (Glassnode)

Markets

MicroStrategy 2X Leveraged ETF Sees Massive Inflows In First Week Of Trading As MSTR Outperforms Bitcoin

The T-REX 2X Long MSTR Daily Target ETF (MSTU) took in $72 million in the first week of trading, according to data by Bloomberg Intelligence.

MSTR vs BTCUSD( TradingView)

Markets

Bitcoin Prices Show Positive 30-Day Correlation With China's Central Bank Balance Sheet

“The new inflow of cash could indirectly push up the price of bitcoin, particularly in the long term perspective,” one analyst said.

Shanghái, China. (Edward He/Unsplash)

Markets

BlackRock Highlights Bitcoin’s Unique Properties as Approved IBIT Options Could Cement Risk-Off Status

BlackRock's latest report shows that bitcoin has a very low correlation to U.S. equities on a trailing six-month basis.

Chart of BTC, S&P 500 and Gold performance since Aug. 5. (TradingView)

Markets

Retail Accumulation and Exchange Outflows Drive Market Optimism for Bitcoin

Smaller bitcoin investors and reduced liquidity signal potential for continued price growth

Bitcoin: All Cohorts vs Issuance (Glassnode)

Markets

U.S. M2 Money Supply Approaches New Highs as Financial Assets Reach Record Levels

Expansionary policies by not just the Fed, but other global central banks, appear to be fueling asset price appreciation.

M2 Money Supply vs S&P 500 (FRED)