This cryptocurrency just surged past Shiba Inu today

Here's what to know about LUNA's rise above Shiba Inu in the market cap rankings today.

A woman crosses her fingers as she flicks a coin into a fountain, hoping for good luck.

Image source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

What happened

A leader in the development of algorithmic stablecoins, Terra (CRYPTO: LUNA) is a token that's gotten a lot of attention of late. As of 10:45 a.m. ET, LUNA has surged 4.5% over the past 24 hours to a market capitalization of $24.8 billion. This week, Terra is up 53%, one of the best-performing large-cap tokens in the market.

Meme token Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB), on the other hand, is down again today. This token's daily decline of 6.8% as of 10:45 a.m. ET brings Shiba Inu's market capitalization down to $23.6 billion, one spot lower in the market capitalization rankings than Terra. This decline also wipes out most of this week's gains for the dog-inspired token.

So what

Terra Luna is a cryptocurrency that's seen a number of catalysts take hold this week, driving this outperformance.

On Tuesday, we learned that Terra investors had voted for an important proposal that would allow for community funding of an overhaul of the network's TrackTerra tax and reporting app. This overhaul would enable holders of LUNA to export their transactions to various tax software programs. This appears to be a positive, given the various reporting requirements the U.S. government is looking to impose on the crypto sector.

This proposal is one of many put forward by Terra to improve its status as a robust global stablecoin ecosystem. Other proposals, such as proposal 143, a move to add liquidity and widespread adoption of LUNA across major blockchain networks, are gaining ground.

Now what

Terra is a large and growing stablecoin ecosystem, and investors appear to like the direction in which Terra's developer team is headed. These tax and liquidity updates provide positive catalysts for investors concerned about an increasingly hawkish regulatory environment in the crypto world.

Additionally, reports that stablecoin trading volumes made up approximately 77% of the crypto market's 24-hour volume suggests this is a sizable market investors have their eye on right now. Terra's positioning as a key player in the stablecoin space is a catalyst that appears to suggest this token could continue to rise in value relative to other cryptocurrencies, at least in the near term. 

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Chris MacDonald has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.  The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

More on International Stock News

US economy and sharemarket with piggy bank
International Stock News

What on earth is going on with the US stock market?

Let's dive in and see.

Read more »

A graphic illustration with the words NASDAQ atop a US city and currency
International Stock News

Why Big Tech became a huge wreck across the Nasdaq last night

Jerome Powell and his compadres shocked the market with an unexpected outlook.

Read more »

a man sits at a bar leaning sadly on his basketball wearing a US flag sticker on his cheekbone near a half drunk beer and looking despondent as though his basketball team has just lost a game.
International Stock News

The Dow Jones is on its longest losing streak in 46 years. What's going on?

The Dow is on a losing streak in the middle of a boom.

Read more »

A person leans over to whisper a secret to a colleague during a meeting.
International Stock News

Despite recent news, analysts still say Nvidia stock is a buy. Here's why

Last month, Nvidia was the most valuable company in the world.

Read more »

A young girl looks up and balances a pencil on her nose, while thinking about a decision she has to make.
International Stock News

After gaining 2,100%, is Nvidia stock done?

Nvidia has taken off as one of the key players in chips and services for artificial intelligence.

Read more »

A young couple in the back of a convertible car each raise a single arm in the air whilst enjoying a drive along the road.
International Stock News

Why Tesla stock just jumped again

Wedbush's Dan Ives thinks the stock will keep moving higher thanks to Tesla's self-driving technology.

Read more »

An older couple hold hands as they bounce happily high in the air.
International Stock News

Why the Alphabet share price just leapt higher

Investors seem to hope the Trump administration will be friendly to Alphabet and its big-tech peers.

Read more »

A panel of four judges hold up cards all showing the perfect score of ten out of ten
International Stock News

Top Wall Street analyst calls Tesla stock a top pick. Is it a buy now?

Tesla shares have been on fire lately, rising more than 70% since the November 5 election.

Read more »