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CoinDesk 20 Update: OXT Is In, BAT Is Out

The CoinDesk 20 has made its first change since launching in July: Orchid (OXT) has replaced the Basic Attention Token (BAT).

Updated Mar 9, 2024, 2:02 a.m. Published Sep 8, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
The CoinDesk 20 has made its first change since launching in July: Orchid (OXT) has replaced the Basic Attention Token (BAT). (Yuri B/Pixabay).
The CoinDesk 20 has made its first change since launching in July: Orchid (OXT) has replaced the Basic Attention Token (BAT). (Yuri B/Pixabay).

The CoinDesk 20 has made its first change since launching in July: Orchid (OXT), issued by Orchid Labs Inc., developer of virtual private network (VPN) software designed to be decentralized and open source, has replaced the issued by Brave Software Inc., developer of the Brave browser.

First rolled out two months ago, the CoinDesk 20 is a list of the digital assets that matter most to the market. We filter by consistent, verifiable volume, listing the 20 assets that have the most volume on trusted exchanges for two consecutive quarters. It was initially composed of exchange volume data gathered in Q4 of 2019 and Q1 of 2020. Since the launch, we've updated the list using data from Q1 and Q2 of 2020.

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CoinDesk 20, ranked by two-quarter volume
CoinDesk 20, ranked by two-quarter volume

Our goal with the CoinDesk 20 is to develop an objective method for filtering assets, not by their investment or speculative potential but by their currency with traders and investors. Our set of eight trusted exchanges, which provide the exchange volume data used to create the list, is conservative by design.

Orchid's price pumped in the past month, benefiting from attention from David Portnoy, a publisher and media personality. It's worth reiterating the dollar volume that put Orchid in the CoinDesk 20 preceded this pump. It's possible it came in anticipation of Orchid's mobile and desktop apps, released in July.

Orchid price & volume
Orchid price & volume

For investors learning about Orchid for the first time, inclusion in the CoinDesk 20 may signal it is an asset with some level of staying power in the market. Intelligent investors need that assurance before devoting time and resources to researching or trading a new asset.

In the weeks since the start of Q3, we gathered the requisite data on Orchid to populate its asset price page. There, in addition to the price graph, you'll find volume, volatility, returns and a handful of on-chain metrics designed to provide a snapshot of the asset's fundamentals, as well as CoinDesk's news reporting and video content.

We welcome your feedback on the CoinDesk 20 as a product. A detailed look at the methodology behind it is available here. Please contact CoinDesk Research with questions, comments, etc. You can reach us on [email protected].

Note: Due to a calculation error, one asset was listed incorrectly in the 2021 Q1 update to the CoinDesk 20. Cardano should have been excluded. In its place, compound should have been added to the list.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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Gold tops $5,000 as bitcoin stalls near $87,000 in widening macro-crypto split: Asia Morning Briefing

Stacked gold bars (Scottsdale Mint/Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

Bitcoin’s onchain data points to supply overhang and weak participation, while gold’s breakout is priced by markets as a durable macro regime shift.

What to know:

  • Gold’s surge above $5,000 an ounce is increasingly seen as a durable regime shift, with investors treating the metal as a persistent hedge against geopolitical risk, central bank demand and a weaker dollar.
  • Bitcoin is stuck near $87,000 in a low-conviction market, as on-chain data show older holders selling into rallies, newer buyers absorbing losses and a heavy supply overhang capping moves toward $100,000.
  • Derivatives and prediction markets point to continued consolidation in bitcoin and sustained strength in gold, with thin futures volumes, subdued leverage and weak demand for higher-beta crypto assets like ether reinforcing the cautious tone.