In a significant move set to reshape the decentralized identity landscape, Web3 data platform cheqd has announced a strategic partnership with blockchain platform Dock. This collaboration, revealed in a press release on September 18, aims to catalyze the global adoption of Decentralized Identity (DID) solutions by uniting their respective strengths.
A Unified Digital Asset For A Unified Network
As part of this strategic alliance, Dock will transition its infrastructure—including Dock Certs and its client base—onto the cheqd network, marking the creation of a single, integrated protocol. The merger of Dock’s native token, DOCK, with cheqd’s CHEQ will produce a unified digital asset intended to drive the joint network’s activities.
The unification of CHEQ and DOCK is more than a symbolic gesture. It’s a tactical move designed to expedite the adoption of DID solutions. The newly merged CHEQ will serve as the utility token for all operations within the cheqd-Dock ecosystem, streamlining transactions and interactions on the platform.
Expanding the Reach and Impact
The partnership promises substantial benefits for both platforms, combining their user bases to form a powerful community of over 100,000 members and numerous active partners. This collective force is expected to enhance scalability and implementation of DID solutions across diverse sectors, including finance, identity verification, and government services.
The integrated network will support a broad range of Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and offer extensive multi-SDK integration options. Developers will have access to open-source tools such as DIF Registrar & Resolver, Credo, Veramo, Walt.id, and Vidos (Mailchain), facilitating the creation of decentralized applications and fostering innovation in digital identity management.
Committing to Compliance and Growth
Both cheqd and Dock are dedicated to aligning with international regulatory standards, including the European Digital Identity Framework and eIDAS 2.0, ensuring that their solutions meet global compliance requirements. This adherence to regulation is crucial for building trust and acceptance among users and institutions.
cheqd brings its expertise in developing comprehensive credential ecosystems and data markets, while Dock focuses on enabling identity solution providers—such as KYC, background check, and biometric companies—to create and monetize verifiable digital credentials. Together, they aim to set new standards in the blockchain data protection sector and drive widespread adoption of digital verification solutions.
The partnership benefits from the leadership of industry veterans. cheqd CEO Fraser Edwards, known for his work on the Known Traveller Digital Identity initiative with the World Economic Forum, and Dock’s CEO Nick Lambert, along with COO Elina Cadouri—who has a track record of building successful platforms—bring valuable experience and vision to this collaboration.
With cheqd supporting over 80,000 individual wallet addresses and Dock’s infrastructure serving over 600 companies, the combined efforts of these platforms are set to strengthen the digital verification ecosystem and advance the global acceptance of decentralized identity solutions.
This strategic alliance between cheqd and Dock marks a pivotal step in the evolution of decentralized identity, aiming to build a more secure, efficient, and widely adopted framework for managing digital credentials.
Ethereum reached a notable milestone earlier this month when the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved options trading for several spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The move is expected to increase liquidity, attract interest from institutional investors, and solidify Ethereum’s position as a major cryptocurrency.
Yet Ethereum’s smaller market cap relative to Bitcoin means it is also vulnerable to gamma squeezes, thereby increasing investor risks. BeInCrypto consulted an expert in derivatives trading and representatives from FalconX, BingX, Komodo Platform, and Gravity to analyze the potential impact of this new characteristic.
This week marked the official debut of options trading for spot Ethereum ETFs in the United States. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) was the first to list options, with trading commencing on the Nasdaq ISE.
Shortly after, a broader availability of options followed, including those for the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) and the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH), as well as the Bitwise Ethereum ETF (ETHW), all of which began trading on the Cboe BZX exchange.
This move allows a wider range of investors, beyond crypto traders, to benefit from hedging and speculation opportunities on Ethereum’s price through options on familiar investment vehicles like ETFs without direct ownership.
The timing of this news is particularly positive, as Ethereum has been losing some ground in the market lately.
Options Trading to Bolster Ethereum’s Market Position
A significant decline in market confidence surrounded Ethereum this week, with BeInCrypto reporting its price had plummeted to its lowest point since March 2023. This drop coincided with a broader market downturn, worsened by Donald Trump’s Liberation Day.
Meanwhile, large Ethereum holders are increasingly selling off substantial amounts, putting downward pressure on their prices. Ethereum’s value has fallen sharply by 51.3% since the beginning of 2025, and investor confidence has waned, as evidenced by a decrease in addresses holding at least $1 million in ETH.
Holders with at least $1 million worth of ETH. Source: Glassnode.
With options trading now accessible to more traders, experts anticipate that Ethereum’s market position will improve.
“ETH’s been leaking dominance, stuck sub-17%. Options give it institutional gravity. It becomes more programmable for fund strategies. More tools mean more use cases, which then in turn means more capital sticking around,” Martins Benkitis, CEO and Co-Founder of Gravity Team, predicted.
This newfound accessibility of options trading will create additional opportunities for investors and the broader Ethereum ecosystem.
Greater Investor Access and Liquidity
The SEC’s approval of Ethereum ETFs in July 2024 was significant because it allowed traditional investors to enter the crypto market without directly holding the assets. Now, with options trading also available, these benefits are expected to be even greater.
The Ethereum ETF market will naturally become more liquid with increased participation through options trading.
High Trading Volumes and Hedging Demands
The SEC’s fresh approval of options trading for Ethereum ETF investors suggests that the market will likely initially experience a high trading volume. As a result, market makers must be prepared.
An increase in call options will require institutional market makers to hedge by buying more Ethereum to meet demand.
Ethereum will also secure a unique advantage, particularly in institutional trading, enhancing its perceived quality and driving optimism among key market participants.
“ETH just got a serious institutional tailwind. With options now in play, Ether is stepping closer to BTC in terms of tradable instruments. This levels up ETH’s legitimacy and utility in hedging strategies, narrowing the gap on Bitcoin’s dominance narrative,” Benkitis told BeInCrypto.
Yet, rapid surges in options trading could also have unintended consequences on Ethereum’s price, especially in the short run.
Will Investors Suffer a Gamma Squeeze?
As market makers rush to acquire more of the underlying asset in case of a higher volume of options calls, Ethereum’s price will naturally increase. This situation could lead to a pronounced gamma squeeze.
When market makers hedge their positions in this scenario, the resulting buying pressure would create a positive feedback loop. Retail investors will feel more inclined to join in, hoping to profit from Ethereum’s rising price.
The implications of this scenario are especially pronounced for Ethereum, considering its market capitalization is notably smaller than that of Bitcoin.
Retail traders’ aggressive buying of ETHA call options could compel market makers to hedge by acquiring the underlying ETHA shares, potentially leading to a more pronounced effect on the price of ETHA and, by extension, Ethereum.
“We believe option sellers will generally dominate in the long-run but in short bursts we could see retail momentum traders become massive buyers of ETHA calls and create gamma squeeze effects, similar to what we’ve seen on meme coin stocks like GME. ETH will be easier to squeeze than BTC given it is only $190 billion market cap vs BTC’s $1.65 trillion,” Joshua Lim, Global Co-head of Markets at FalconX, told BeInCrypto.
Arbitrage involves exploiting price differences for the same or nearly identical assets across different markets or forms. This is done by buying in the cheaper market and selling in the more expensive one.
According to Grant, traders will increasingly look for and exploit these price differences as the market for ETH options on different platforms develops.
While arbitrage activity is expected to refine pricing and liquidity within the Ethereum options market, the asset continues to operate under the shadow of Bitcoin’s established market leadership.
Will Landmark Options Approval Help Ethereum Close the Gap on Bitcoin?
Though Ethereum achieved a major landmark this week, it faces competition from a major rival: Bitcoin.
In late fall of 2024, options trading started on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), becoming the first US spot Bitcoin ETF to offer options. Though not even a year has passed since the original launch, options trading on Bitcoin ETFs experienced strong trading volumes from retail and institutional investors.
According to Kadan Stadelmann, Chief Technology Officer of Komodo Platform, options trading for Ethereum ETFs will be comparatively underwhelming. Bitcoin will still be the cryptocurrency of choice for investors.
“Compared to Bitcoin’s Spot ETF, Ethereum’s ETF has not seen such stalwart demand. While options trading adds institutional capital, Bitcoin remains crypto’s first mover and enjoys a greater overall market cap. It is not going anywhere. It will remain the dominant crypto asset for institutional portfolios,” Stadelmann told BeInCrypto.
Consequently, his outlook does not include Ethereum’s market position surpassing Bitcoin’s in the immediate term.
“The once-promised flippening of Bitcoin’s market capitalization by Ethereum remains unlikely. Conservative and more-monied investors likely prefer Bitcoin due to its perceived safety compared to other crypto assets, including Ethereum. Ethereum, in order to achieve Bitcoin’s prominence, must depend on growing utility in DeFi and stablecoin markets,” he concluded.
While that may be the case, options trading doesn’t harm Ethereum’s prospects; it only strengthens them.
Can Ethereum’s Options Trading Era Capitalize on Opportunities?
Ethereum is now the second cryptocurrency with SEC approval for options trading on its ETFs. This single move will further legitimize digital assets for institutions, increasing their presence in traditional markets and boosting overall visibility.
Despite recent significant blows to Ethereum’s market position, this news is a positive development. Although it might not be sufficient to surpass its primary competitor, it represents a step in the right direction.
As investors get used to this new opportunity, their participation level will reveal how beneficial it will be for Ethereum.
A lot happened this week in crypto, marking developments expected to continue shaping the industry. Important headlines came from administrative decisions, ecosystem developments, and analysts probing the market outlook.
In case you missed it, the following is a roundup of some of the most important developments in the crypto market this week.
XRP Lawsuit’s Jay Clayton Became New SDNY Attorney
“Trump’s former SEC Chair Jay Clayton has taken his position as interim US attorney for the Southern District of New York. He will serve for up to four months until confirmed by the Senate or appointed by Manhattan federal judges,” former Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett reported.
The move came as Democratic leaders in the Senate reportedly hinted at blocking Clayton’s nomination. Trump’s move to install him as interim could see Clayton avoid the Senate confirmation process.
Clayton is the legal expert who initially filed the longstanding legal action between the SEC and Ripple. As it happened, Clayton filed the lawsuit on December 22, 2020, and resigned the next day in what will be remembered as a “parting shot” for the agency.
Pi Network Pioneer Frustration Over Ambiguous Roadmap
Another crypto incident this week concerned Pi Network pioneers. As BeInCrypto reported, the controversial project released its Mainnet Migration Roadmap. However, it failed to impress pioneers as it lacked key details.
Specifically, several gaps sparked concerns, including failing to disclose how many Pioneers remain in the queue. Similarly, it was unable to show the network’s daily migration capacity. The absence of these figures makes it impossible for users to predict when their migration will occur.
Further, opaque criteria for node rewards and the UI’s “Transferable Balance” underestimating actual migrated amounts raised flags. Pi Network also offers no audit or error‑resolution process for users who spot mismatches in their historical mining data, exacerbating the fears.
“I thought we were mining all of these PI coins this whole time? I thought the security circles were the Consensus Mechanism. It kinda seems to me like there isn’t a blockchain, and never was one. What kind of “Blockchain protocol” would “Require” all tokens to be minted at genesis?” one community member wrote.
Pi Network (PI) price performance. Source: CoinGecko
Data on Coingecko shows PI coin was trading for $0.6539 as of this writing, up by a modest 1.1% in the last 24 hours.
Bitcoin Cycle Unfolds Noticeably Different From Previous Ones
More interestingly, BeInCrypto reported a concerning shift: this cycle is unfolding remarkably differently than the past ones post-halving.
In previous cycles, BTC price tended to rally aggressively months after the Bitcoin halving. The post-halving period saw strong upward momentum and parabolic price action.
This trend was largely driven by retail enthusiasm and speculative demand, which proved most pronounced from 2012 to 2016 and 2016 to 2020.
Things are happening differently in the current cycle. Instead of accelerating after the halving, the price surge began in October and December 2024, driven by Bitcoin ETF (exchange-traded funds) hype. This was followed by consolidation in January 2025 and a correction in late February.
PancakeSwap Announces CAKE Tokenomics Date
This week in crypto, PancakeSwap announced the official date for its CAKE tokenomics, April 23. As BeInCrypto reported, key changes included the removal of veCAKE, staking, and revenue sharing, with 5.3 million CAKE to be burned annually to curb supply.
However, there was also controversy as Cakepie DAO pushed back against veCAKE removal. Several developers and community members believe CAKE Tokenomics 3.0 will benefit the project in the long term.
“At its core, CAKE Tokenomics 3.0 defends true value and protects CAKE holders by strengthening long-term fundamentals—such as aggressively cutting emissions to accelerate deflation and sustainably grow value,” Chef Philip said.
Meanwhile, others voiced strong concerns on X (Twitter), criticizing the decision to eliminate veCAKE. Among them was Cakepie DAO, one of the largest veCAKE holders, who called it non-transparent and potentially damaging to projects built around that model.
Against this backdrop, PancakeSwap resorted to a $1.5 million CAKE compensation plan.
“PancakeSwap is willing to provide 1.5M USD in CAKE to CakePie DAO primarily used to compensate CKP Holders if CakePie DAO enables mCAKE holders to redeem 1:1 back to CAKE and opens the redemption page in a timely manner if the proposal passes. Detailed plans will be announced once the mirror proposal on CakePie is completed,” the Head Chef of PancakeSwap wrote.
Data on CoinGecko shows Pancake’s CAKE was trading for $2.12 as of this writing, up by nearly 10% in the last 24 hours.
Zora Airdrop and Token Launch Announcement
Adding to the list of the many events that happened this week in crypto, Zora Network announced that it would airdrop 1 billion ZORA tokens (10% of the total supply) on April 23. The tokens would reward early platform users across two snapshot periods.
As it happened, the crypto airdrop happened in style, sparking confusion as it lacked an official checker or claim site. Users were required to go to the contract address and check their allocations.
Speaking to BeInCrypto, Jesse Pollak, the creator of the Base blockchain, said that one must not understand anything about crypto or the underlying infrastructure before posting on Zora. He also defended the value of content coins, emphasizing their potential for creators despite volatility.
The crypto market shows positive signs in the second half of April 2025. Several divergence signals have appeared, suggesting a potential recovery for Bitcoin and altcoins.
Divergence is a key concept in data analysis. It happens when the values of two metrics suddenly shift and move in opposite directions compared to their previous trend. This often signals a change in price momentum. Based on expert analysis and market data, this article highlights five major divergence signals—three for Bitcoin and two for altcoins—to help investors better understand the market outlook.
3 Divergence Signals in April Point to a Bitcoin Price Rally
Historically, Bitcoin and the DXY Index (US Dollar Index) move in opposite directions. When DXY rises, Bitcoin tends to fall, and vice versa. But from September 2024 to March 2025, Bitcoin and the DXY moved in the same direction.
Joe Consorti, Head of Growth at TheyaBitcoin, noted that Bitcoin started decoupling from the US dollar after the announcement of the sweeping tariff regime. A chart from his post shows that in April, while the DXY fell sharply from 103.5 to 98.5, Bitcoin surged from around $75,000 to over $91,000.
Divergence Between BTC And USD. Source: Joe Consorti
This divergence may reflect investors turning to Bitcoin as a safe-haven asset amid global economic uncertainty caused by the tariffs.
“Bitcoin has been diverging from the US dollar since the US announced its sweeping tariff regime. Amidst this global economic reordering, gold and bitcoin are shining,” Joe Consorti predicted.
Another key divergence comes from Tuur Demeester, an advisor to Blockstream. He pointed out a separation between Bitcoin and the NASDAQ Index, which represents tech stocks. Historically, Bitcoin closely followed the NASDAQ due to its ties to tech and macroeconomic sentiment.
But in April 2025, Bitcoin started showing independent growth. It no longer moves in sync with the NASDAQ. While some, like Ecoinometrics, argue that this divergence isn’t necessarily bullish, Demeester remains optimistic.
Divergence Between Bitcoin And NASDAQ. Source: Ecoinometrics
“Bitcoin divergence” and “Bitcoin decoupling” will be dominant headlines for 2025,” Tuur Demeester said.
Specifically, NASDAQ has faced downward pressure from interest rate concerns and slowing growth. Meanwhile, Bitcoin has shown strength, with significant price gains. This suggests that Bitcoin is cementing its role as a standalone asset less tied to traditional markets.
Data from CryptoQuant highlights another divergence—this time in investor behavior. Long-term Bitcoin holders (LTH, those who’ve held BTC for over 155 days) began accumulating again after the recent local peak.
In contrast, short-term holders (STH) are selling off. This divergence often signals the early stage of a re-accumulation phase and hints at a future price rebound.
Bitcoin Long Term Holder Net Position Change. Source: CryptoQuant.
“Why This Divergence Matters? LTH behavior is generally associated with macro conviction, not speculative moves. STH activity is often emotional and reactive, driven by price volatility and fear. When LTH accumulation meets STH capitulation, it tends to signal early stages of a re-accumulation phase,” IT Tech, an analyst at CryptoQuant, predicted.
Altcoin Recovery Round the Corner
Divergence signals also appeared for altcoins, indicating a positive short-term outlook.
Jamie Coutts, Chief Crypto Analyst at Realvision, pointed to a key divergence using the “365-day new lows” indicator. This metric tracks how many altcoins hit their lowest point in the past year.
In April 2025, although altcoin market capitalization dropped to a new low, the number of altcoins hitting new 365-day lows decreased significantly. Historically, this pattern often precedes a recovery in altcoin market caps.
“Divergence shows downside momentum was exhausted,” Jamie Coutts said.
In simpler terms, fewer altcoins hitting rock bottom means less panic-selling. It suggests that negative market sentiment is weakening. At the same time, rising prices show renewed buying interest. These factors hint that altcoins may be gearing up for a recovery—or even an “altcoin season,” a period when altcoins outperform Bitcoin.
Another technical divergence comes from the RSI (Relative Strength Index) on the Bitcoin Dominance chart (BTC.D), noted by analyst Merlijn The Trader. This chart reflects Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market capitalization.
“Bearish Divergence Spotted on BTC.D. Higher highs on the chart. Lower highs on RSI. This setup doesn’t lie. Altcoin strength is brewing. Watch for trade setups,” Merlijn said.
This pure technical divergence suggests that BTC.D might soon undergo a strong correction. If that happens, investors may shift more capital into altcoins.
The altcoin market cap (TOTAL3) rebounded by 20% in April, from $660 billion to over $800 billion. The divergence signals discussed above suggest that this recovery could continue.
