Ethereum price is consolidating above the $3,180 support. ETH must clear the $3,350 resistance zone to start a fresh increase in the near term.

• Ethereum started a fresh increase from the $3,180 support zone.
• The price is trading above $3,250 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average.
• There was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $3,280 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken).
• The pair could start another increase if it stays above the $3,220 support level.

Ethereum Price Breaks Resistance

Ethereum price started a decent upward move from the $3,180 level, beating Bitcoin. ETH was able to surpass the $3,220 and $3,250 resistance levels.

There was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $3,280 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. The pair even surpassed $3,300 and tested $3,350. A high was formed at $3,346 and the price is now moving lower. There was a move below the $3,320 and $3,300 support levels.

The price dipped below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $3,181 swing low to the $3,346 high. Ethereum price is now trading above $3,250 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average.

On the upside, the price seems to be facing hurdles near the $3,350 level. The first major resistance is near the $3,370 level. The main resistance is now forming near $3,450.

A clear move above the $3,450 resistance might send the price toward the $3,500 resistance. An upside break above the $3,500 resistance might call for more gains in the coming sessions. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $3,550 resistance zone or even $3,580 in the near term.

Another Decline In ETH?

If Ethereum fails to clear the $3,350 resistance, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $3,260 level. The first major support sits near the $3,220.

A clear move below the $3,220 support might push the price toward the $3,180 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $3,120 support level in the near term. The next key support sits at $3,050.

Technical Indicators

Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is gaining momentum in the bullish zone.

Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone.

Major Support Level – $3,250

Major Resistance Level – $3,350

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Barclays is proposing to overhaul how it pays its chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan in a move that would slash his fixed pay but hand him £9mn if the lender hits its profitability targets.

The British bank wrote to investors this week outlining plans to change how it pays Venkatakrishnan and the group’s finance director Anna Cross, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The changes, if approved, would see Venkatakrishnan’s fixed pay cut from £2.95mn to £1.59mn, but the former JPMorgan executive would become eligible for bonuses and long-term stock options worth up to eight times his new salary, the person said.

They added that Venkatakrishnan, known as Venkat, would receive about £9mn if Barclays achieved its previously stated target of a return on tangible equity — a crucial measure of bank profitability — of 12 per cent by 2026.

His maximum earnings would be capped at just over £14mn, but he would only be awarded this amount if Barclays achieved a return on tangible equity of more than 14 per cent, the person said.

Venkatakrishnan’s total remuneration came to £4.64mn for 2023, down from £5.2mn a year earlier.

The move, which was first reported by Sky News, comes after Barclays last year became the first British lender to scrap the banker bonus cap imposed by the EU, following the UK’s 2023 decision to remove the limits in a post-Brexit boost to the City of London.

At the time, Barclays told staff that it would set bonuses for its most senior employees, so-called material risk takers, at up to 10 times their fixed pay, while keeping base pay the same.

Under the bonus cap, which was introduced across the EU in 2014 in the wake of the global financial crisis, bonuses were capped at two-times base salary.

Venkatakrishnan has been a rare vocal supporter of chancellor Rachel Reeves, who frustrated many business leaders by increasing taxes by £40bn in October’s budget and has so far struggled to revive Britain’s flagging economy.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Venkatakrishnan said there was “a lot to be optimistic about in the UK”, including its financial sector. Reeves has also attended the forum in a bid to woo business leaders and foreign investors.

Barclays said that its remuneration committee “meets with stakeholders throughout the year to gather feedback on our remuneration policy”.

“Whether or not the committee chooses to propose any change to our current directors’ remuneration policy in 2025, the policy will continue to focus on rewarding sustainable performance, and close alignment with shareholders’ interests.

“The committee will publish their views and decisions in the 2024 annual report on 13 February.”

• Syntilay has launched AI-designed, 3D-printed shoes.
• The footwear was designed with a mix of Midjourney and Vizcom AI
• The $150 shoes use smartphone foot scans for a fully customized fit.

If you like Crocs but wish they had more of a science-fiction backstory, you’re in luck. A startup company named Syntilay is using AI and 3D printing to produce a new line of shoes. The futuristic footwear is available now for $150 a pair. These slides aren’t cheap, but innovation rarely is.

Syntilay uses a mix of AI tools supplemented by human artistry to create its shoes, which look more than a little like a deep sea fish at first glance. The designers relied on Midjourney to develop the basic shape of the shoe. After that, a human artist refined the idea with a sketch for inspiration uploaded to Vizcom AI, which produced a 3D model based on the sketch. AI then helped design and embed textures and patterns into the shoe design, completing their look.

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has officially set its roster for the new digital assets committee, putting Senator Cynthia Lummis at the top, as expected. But it also includes two names that received heavy backing from the crypto political action committee Fairshake in the 2024 elections.

New Senator Bernie Moreno, the Ohio blockchain entrepreneur who knocked off former Democratic Chairman Sherrod Brown, is among the panel’s five Republicans. The crypto super PAC devoted a towering $40 million to back Moreno in that contest.

And among the four Democrats, the ranking senator is Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego, who received about $10 million in ad support from Fairshake.

The subcommittee is likely to represent the tip of the spear for crypto legislation in this session of Congress. The House of Representatives had been far ahead of the Senate last year in approving digital assets measures, but the Senate Banking Committee led by Brown had resisted taking up the bills.

With the new subcommittee in place, led by Wyoming Republican Lummis, the industry is likely to soon take up bills. Lummis has authored a few herself in previous sessions.

YouTube celebrity MrBeast — real name Jimmy Donaldson — is in talks to join a number of bids for TikTok’s U.S. operations. But he hasn’t chosen one exclusively yet.

First, on Monday, the CEO of Employer.com, Jesse Tinsley, said MrBeast is part of an all-cash bid for TikTok that he’s leading. This was also repeated in a press release put out by the law firm representing Tinsley’s group.

But MrBeast’s spokesperson Matthew Hiltzik told the AP on Wednesday that even though Donaldson is in “ongoing discussions” with multiple bidders, he has no “exclusive” agreements with any of them. Employer.com declined to comment.

Updated January 23, 2025: Post-publication, an Employer.com spokesperson told TechCrunch that “clearly MrBeast is in high demand, for great reasons. Jesse and his team would love to see MrBeast be a part of whichever bid ultimately wins, and greatly values the shared support that MrBeast has shown across the board.”

That same day, real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who is leading a different group’s $20 billion bid for TikTok, told Axios that MrBeast is going to be a part of his bid.

However, MrBeast is only in talks with McCourt’s group and the parties have not entered into an official agreement, a spokesperson told Axios and also confirmed to TechCrunch.

At this stage, it appears that MrBeast is keeping his options open. 

While MrBeast is certainly wealthy, with $85 million in earnings in the first 10 months of 2024 according to Forbes, it is his celebrity and operational experience as a creator that has attracted multiple bidders.

That could even mean running TikTok U.S. if a purchase goes through. “MrBeast the *future* CEO of TikTok,” posted Employer.com’s CEO Jesse Tinsley on Wednesday. 

There are multiple other bids floating around that MrBeast could well be in talks with.​​ Perplexity and Oracle have been brought up as potential buyers.

MrBeast himself hasn’t publicly commented on which side he’ll choose yet. “The leading groups who are all credible [sic] bidding on Tik Tok have reached out for us to help them, I’m excited to partner/make this a reality,” he posted on Wednesday.

“Big things cooking,” he wrote.

With OSOL AI index pumping 135%, experts suggest MEMEX’s new meme coin index presale could be next to surge.

OSOL (OSOL), the AI Index token on the Solana blockchain, has experienced a dramatic price surge, climbing 135% in recent trading sessions.

The token, designed to provide AI-powered insights and investment tools, saw its price soar from $0.02599 to a peak of $0.08461 within 24 hours. At the time of writing, OSOL is trading at $0.04847, still maintaining an impressive 76.20% increase over the day. With a market cap of $48.23 million and 24-hour trading volume of $792,269, the token’s liquidity and demand indicate strong market engagement.

Meanwhile, a new meme coin index platform is also turning heads. Meme Index (MEMEX) has now raised over $2.7m through its presale as it seeks to provide traders with a solution to market volatility.

OSOL showcases volatile price movements

From a technical perspective, the OSOL/USDT trading chart on the hourly timeframe showcases volatile price movements.

After the token hit its peak, it retraced to $0.04720, aligning closely with its 9-period SMA ($0.04779) and EMA ($0.04929).

The Bollinger Bands indicate high volatility, with the price hovering near the lower band at $0.03659, suggesting potential support.

On the 1-minute chart, OSOL displays a rebound from intraday lows, reflecting short-term buying pressure.

Key indicators such as the 9-period SMA ($0.04675) and EMA ($0.04679) suggest a stabilizing trend, though the Bollinger Bands remain wide, signaling ongoing fluctuations.

As OSOL approaches its next phase, its transformative AI Index platform continues to attract investor attention.

However, its network-specific approach has sparked discussions about the need for broader solutions that cater to multi-chain ecosystems.

MEMEX: Expanding horizons beyond Solana

The recent 135% price surge of OSOL showcases the potential of indexing solutions. However, its exclusive focus on Solana presents limitations for those seeking broader exposure across multiple blockchain ecosystems.

This is where Meme Index sets itself apart. 

Unlike OSOL, which operates solely within the Solana network, MEMEX will span a variety of blockchains, offering a cross-chain investment platform that provides unparalleled diversification.

Meme Index could transform the way investors approach the highly volatile meme coin market.

By offering a cross-chain index platform, MEMEX will eliminate the guesswork and risks associated with chasing individual tokens. Within just one month of its presale, the project has raised over $2.7 million, cementing its position as a game-changer in the crypto space.

The platform introduces four tailored indexes to cater to varying risk profiles and investment goals.

The Meme Titan Index focuses on established tokens like DOGE, SHIB, and PEPE, offering stability and gradual growth.

For those seeking higher returns, the Moonshot Index includes emerging tokens with market caps under $1 billion, while the Midcap Index targets mid-tier tokens poised for significant growth.

Risk-tolerant investors can opt for the Meme Frenzy Index, which features volatile and unconventional tokens, providing opportunities for exponential gains while minimizing the impact of individual token failures.

Meme Index’s adaptability extends beyond its index offerings. Token holders can customize their portfolios, vote on which tokens are included in the indexes, and participate in governance decisions, ensuring the platform evolves with market trends.

This community-driven approach enhances the relevance and effectiveness of each index.

Priced at $0.0154693, MEMEX provides an accessible entry point for early adopters. Holders also benefit from staking with an APY of up to 846%, adding significant passive income potential.

While single-chain solutions like OSOL may appeal to Solana enthusiasts, MEMEX’s cross-chain reach and tiered risk options position it as a potentially superior choice.

By combining diversification, adaptability, and community governance, Meme Index aims to redefine how investors engage with the meme coin market, offering a safer and smarter path to potential returns.

For more information on Meme Index, visit their website.