Vivek Ramaswamy’s Strive is looking to build its Bitcoin holdings by purchasing distressed Bitcoin claims at a discount, starting with claims tied to 75,000 Bitcoin at the bankrupt crypto exchange Mt. Gox.

Strive said in a May 20 regulatory filing that it partnered with 117 Castell Advisory Group LLC to target claims to Bitcoin (BTC) that have received definitive legal rulings but are still awaiting distribution.

The company said buying the claims would allow it to purchase Bitcoin at a discount and grow its Bitcoin per share ratio ahead of its planned reverse merger with Asset Entities — which is expected to be completed sometime mid this year.

Strive hasn’t disclosed any Bitcoin holdings but claims it will face fewer restrictions on purchasing Bitcoin than companies going public through Special Purpose Acquisition Company mergers.

Advantages of going public via a reverse merger compared with a SPAC merger. Source: Strive

Strive said it would need shareholder approval to pursue Mt. Gox claims. The company said it intends to lodge a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission to outline the full terms of the proposed transaction. A proxy statement would then be sent to shareholders to seek their approval.

Strive would need to obtain shareholder approval relatively soon, as Mt. Gox is expected to fully repay its creditors by Oct. 31.

The Japan-based Mt. Gox was the largest Bitcoin exchange before it collapsed in 2014 from a security breach that resulted in the theft of approximately 750,000 Bitcoin.

Strive’s pivot to become a Bitcoin treasury company reflects a broader industry trend as more firms look to hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets as a long-term strategic asset.

Related: Bitcoin ETFs bought 6x more than BTC miners produced last week

Twenty One Capital is another newly launched Bitcoin treasury firm that has received backing from the likes of Tether, SoftBank and Cantor Fitzgerald. The Jack Mallers-led firm plans to launch with 42,000 Bitcoin once it completes a blank-check merger with Cantor Equity Partners.

Asset Entities shares rise again on Mt. Gox plans

Asset Entities (ASST), a social media marketing company that Strive announced it would merge with on May 7 to create a Bitcoin investment company, has seen its shares close May 20 trading up 18.2% to $7.74, Google Finance data shows.

The latest share price bump brings its market cap to $122.1 million, and ASST is now up 1,170% since Strive announced its merger plan.

Strive is expected to own 94.2% of the combined entity once the reverse merger is complete, while Asset Entities will hold the remaining 5.8%.

The merged companies will be named Strive and Asset Entities, and will still trade under the ASST ticker.

Magazine: Danger signs for Bitcoin as retail abandons it to institutions: Sky Wee

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has charged crypto platform Unicoin and three of its executives, alleging they made false and misleading statements about its crypto assets that raised $100 million from investors.

The SEC said on May 20 that it charged Unicoin CEO Alex Konanykhin, board member Silvina Moschini, and former investment chief Alex Dominguez with misleading investors about certificates that conveyed rights to receive Unicoin tokens and stock.

Mark Cave, associate director in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, claimed the trio “exploited thousands of investors with fictitious promises that its tokens, when issued, would be backed by real-world assets including an international portfolio of valuable real estate holdings.” 

Related: SEC crypto task force to release first report ‘in the next few months’

“The real estate assets were worth a mere fraction of what the company claimed, and the majority of the company’s sales of rights certificates were illusory,” Cave added.

The SEC’s complaint, filed in a Manhattan federal court, charged Unicoin and the three executives with various securities laws violations and asks for permanent injunctive relief, along with paying back the allegedly ill-gotten gains.

Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

Key Takeaways:

Ethereum is forming a bull flag on the daily chart, with a potential breakout above $3,600.

If ETH reclaims the 2-week Gaussian Channel mid-line, a 90% rally could occur.

Ethereum (ETH) price is consolidating between $2,400 and $2,750 on its daily chart, forming a bull flag pattern with sights on the $3,000 to $3,100 resistance zone. A bull flag is a continuation pattern that follows a sharp rally (black flagpole) to $2,730 from $1,900, with the current range forming the flag. 

Ethereum 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

A bullish breakout above $2,600 could target $3,600, which is calculated by adding the flagpole height to the breakout point, but the immediate key area of interest remains between the resistance range at $3,100-$3,000. 

The 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) supports the lower range. The relative strength index (RSI), although still near the overbought region, has significantly cooled over the past few days. 

An ETH breakout with rising RSI and volume could confirm the bullish move, while a drop below $2,400 risks invalidating the pattern.

Can Ether reclaim the Gaussian Channel midline?

On May 20, Ether showed a significant trend shift as it attempted to reclaim the mid-line of the 2-week Gaussian Channel, a technical indicator used to identify price trends. The Gaussian or Normal Distribution Channel plots price movements within a dynamic range, adapting to market volatility. 

Historically, when ETH crosses above this mid-line, significant rallies often follow. In 2023, ETH surged 93% to $4,000 after a similar crossover, while in 2020, it skyrocketed by 1,820%, sparking a massive altcoin rally.

Ethereum Gaussian channel analysis. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Conversely, a similar setup in August 2022 led to an invalidation during a market correction, highlighting the risks of relying solely on this indicator.

Likewise, crypto trader Merlijn noted a golden cross between the 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA (simple moving average), which could further strengthen an imminent ETH breakout. It is important to note that the golden cross is on a 12-hour chart, which is less dependable than the one-day chart. 

Related: Bitcoin fractal analysis forecasts new all-time highs above $110K by end of week

Traders exercise caution ahead of possible ‘range-bound environment’

Popular crypto trader XO noted that Ethereum is consolidating under a “decent” resistance level below the $2,800 mark. The trader expects a correction if ETH cannot break above $2,800 over the next few days. The analyst said,

“I am leaning toward price carving out a range bound environment for at least several weeks potentially longer, and once again becoming a buyer.”

A contrarian outlook to bulls can also be observed with ETH prices oscillating under the Fibonacci levels. Cointelegraph reported that Ether recently retested the 0.5 to 0.618 Fib levels, which could trigger a short-term correction for ETH. 

In such a scenario, the immediate area of support remains around $2,150 and $1,900, possibly slowing down the bullish momentum for a prolonged period. 

Ethereum 1-week price analysis. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Related: Why is Ethereum (ETH) price up today?

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.