​As we wrap up January, let’s take a look at the headlines that shook the markets over the past 2 weeks. One unmistakable case would be the DeepSeek headlines, which sent DeFi and TradFi markets into a spiral as investors panicked.

​One coin though went against the grain, with $JUP leading the crypto market after the huge announcements at their Catstanbul event, which we will go over. Finally, we will discuss the very real possibility of a crypto regulatory department joining the Lebanese government as we see a new “Houkoume” being shaped.

​Unless you have been living under a rock (Or your entire net worth doesn’t rely on extremely volatile digital markets) you probably already heard about DeepSeek. DeepSeek is a Chinese AI startup that launched its new advanced AI model “R1” last week, and the model has quickly gained traction, becoming the top free app on the Apple App Store in the US.

​DeepSeek’s R1 model has shown to be on par with competitors like ChatGPT, the problem lies in the development costs; DeepSeek claims to have developed R1 at a fraction of the cost of Western competitors like OpenAI, using less advanced hardware while achieving comparable or superior performance.

​To put it in numbers, R1 allegedly only costed around $6 million to develop, compared to the tens of billions of dollars US companies are pouring into AI development. This caused US stock investors to panick, erasing $600 billion from Nvidia’s MCap in a single day; a new record.

​This sell-off stemmed from fears that DeepSeek's efficiency could disrupt the dominance of GPU-reliant firms and reduce demand for expensive hardware. Now, realistically, making technology cheaper is bullish on the long-term; the more accessible it becomes to the public, the more users it will gather.

​The problem is the short-term effect, which perhaps has to do with faith in the USA tech market. The USA historically had a monopoly on tech innovation, and the proof that other countries can compete could lead to a reevaluation of capital for larger firms.

​It is important to remember that the development cost numbers are self-reported; they are just claims made by the Chinese, and history shows us the Chinese party lies, a lot. Making claims about such insane costs when it comes to the hottest technology of our decade (AI) right after Trump’s inauguration does create the perfect storm for China, almost too perfect. 

​For now though, DeepSeek has been taken down from all international platforms, and requires a Chinese phone number to register after alleged “Cyber Attacks”. Time will tell, but we’re not buying those claims, and looks like the market isn’t either.  

​New year new Jupuary baby; after a successful DAO vote in late 2024, the community voted on 2 more airdrops, with the first one happening last week! Jupiter distributed 700 million JUP tokens.

​The distribution was aimed at rewarding active users, stakers, and community contributors, with allocations based on various criteria like trading volume and staking activity. And while Jupiter was the talk of the town, we saw Jupiter's first-ever community conference; “Catstanbul 2025”.

​This event was a pivotal moment for the Jupiter ecosystem, unveiling major platform updates, future roadmaps, and partnerships. Notably, it featured the launch of JupNet, the introduction of a buyback program for $JUP, and the burn of 3 Billion $JUP token with this burning ceremony, which we must admit was pretty sick.

​But arguably the buyback announcement could be the most impcatful. Jupiter has announced that 50% of fees generated on Jupiter exchange will go back to buying back $JUP.  

​In other words, the biggest DeFi protocol in crypto has a token that is directly impacted by its trading volumes through buybacks. With Jupiter reaching over 20 Million in fees in a single week, the buybacks are going to be juicy.

​At the current price of $1.1, $JUP sits at $1.9 Billion MCap. When compared to its biggest competitors Uniswap’s $UNI token which sits at $7.4 Billion MCap while processing half of Jupiter’s volume, and no utility for the token, it could be argued that $JUP is undervalued at the moment, and could be a good hold for Solana believers.

​$JUP’s utility extends past governance, as Active Staking Rewards (ASR) have been huge this year, yielding stakers that vote consistently over 100% APR on their $JUP tokens. Voting on JUP DAO’s page is easy to do and a great opportunity to make your money work for you and earn ASR.

​As well know, our beloved Lebanon has faced a myriad of economic and political challenges over the past decades, including hyperinflation, corruption, and a financial crisis that has severely impacted the daily lives of everyone involved. While all nations will always have their political discords, technology has evolved in ways to alleviate other problems such as financial corruption.

​One Lebanon’s primary issues is the lack of trust in traditional financial institutions after the bank insolvency problem which started in 2019. This distrust has led many Lebanese to seek alternative ways of saving and transferring money which often involve cash.

​An economical system that relies on fiat currency is just asking for troubles. Saving large amounts of cash at home makes you a potential target for robbers, and sending money abroad through third parties like OMT and Wish often involves significant fees.

​Blockchain technology could help address this problem by offering a transparent, decentralized solution that allows people to transact without relying on centralized banks, and avoiding the potential dangers of cash.

​By using blockchain-based platforms, individuals could store their money in digital assets or stablecoins, which are less susceptible to hyperinflation and government mismanagement. Those currencies are also borderless, and can be transferred at a moment’s notice for minimal fees.

​Making a push for a more digitally oriented economy would benefit both consumers, and small businesses, cutting out transfer middlemen like OMT, and also eclipsing payment middlemen like Visa and MasterCard; meaning customers pay less, and businesses earn more. 

​LebThree’s initiative is just a drop in the bucket when talking about a completely decentralized economy, but it’s a step in the right direction. By educating the public on how blockchain can change their lives for the better, we can be a part of the solution, and together we can build a safer Lebanon for all.

[All topics are meant to be educational only. None of it is financial advice, please do your own research.]