Stephen Alpher

Stephen is CoinDesk's managing editor for Markets. He previously served as managing editor at Seeking Alpha. A native of suburban Washington, D.C., Stephen went to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, majoring in finance. He holds BTC above CoinDesk’s disclosure threshold of $1,000.

Stephen Alpher

Latest from Stephen Alpher


Finance

Cathie Wood's ARK Invest Files for First Spot Ether ETF

The Ark 21Shares Ethereum ETF is the first attempt to list such a fund in the U.S. that directly invests in ETH, the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood (Marco Bello/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk)

Markets

Buy Ether Instead of Bitcoin to Ride ETF Momentum, Crypto Research Firm Says

There’s a high probability of approval on or before the SEC’s final deadline in mid-October for a decision on the first ether futures ETF in the U.S.

Timeline for crypto-related ETFs in October (Bloomberg/K33 Research)

Markets

Bitcoin Plumbs 6-Month Low Near $25K and Higher Oil Prices Suggest Further Pressure

"This is exactly what apathy looks like," said one crypto analyst.

Bitcoin plumbs multi-month lows (Adam Nowakowski/Unsplash)

Markets

First Mover Americas: SEC Delays Spot Bitcoin ETF Decision for All Applicants

The latest price moves in crypto markets in context for Sept 1, 2023.

(CoinDesk)

Markets

U.S. August Job Adds of 187K Vs Estimates for 170K; Unemployment Rate Rises to 3.8%

With spot bitcoin ETF aspirations sidelined after the SEC yesterday pushed off decisions on a raft of new applications, crypto bulls are hoping an employment slowdown and lower interest rates could provide a positive catalyst.

(Unsplash)

Markets

MakerDAO’s MKR Token Jumps 10%, Defying Crypto Market Slump

The rally occurred amid improving fundamentals of Maker, as the protocol has returned to make profits, Messari analyst Kunal Goel said.

MKR price over the past 24 hours (CoinDesk)

Policy

SEC Delays Spot Bitcoin ETF Decision for All Applicants Including BlackRock, Fidelity

The regulator has now announced delays for all six of the new ETF applications.

Photo of the SEC logo on a building wall

Markets

First Mover Americas: Musk's X Obtains Payment Licenses in Several U.S. States

The latest price moves in crypto markets in context for August 30, 2023.

(Steve Jurvetson/Wikimedia Commons)

Markets

Bitcoin Slumps to $25.5K, With Price Now Probing August Low

A modestly softer-than-expected employment report Friday morning failed to provide a positive catalyst.

Bitcoin continues to slump (CoinDesk)

Markets

Bitcoin Slips to $27.2K, Cryptos Dip as Investors Digest Grayscale’s Court Win

Some signs suggest potential market weakness despite Tuesday’s rally, market observers noted.

Bitcoin pulls back from $28K (CoinDesk)