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Bitcoin (BTC) failed again to push back above the $80,000 level this week, a price point that has remained stubbornly resistant since early February. After struggling through the latest attempt to break higher, BTC retraced to around $75,400 on Wednesday. Bloomberg attributes part of this stagnation to a less visible but powerful force: positioning in the options market. According to the report, a concentrated set of call options has built up around the $80,000 strike on Deribit. Why Bitcoin Keeps Stalling Near $80,000 As Andy Baehr, managing director of asset management at GSR, explained in the report, many speculators are choosing to sell calls at $80,000 because it is viewed as a “safe” area to monetize premiums. The other side of those trades is where the pressure begins.  Dealers who buy the calls often hedge by selling Bitcoin, creating what Baehr described as an “electric fence” effect—an arrangement that makes it harder for BTC to surge through the strike level without an unusual catalyst. That helps explain why Bitcoin has still struggled to clear $80,000.  Related Reading: Galaxy Digital Posts $200M Quarterly Loss—Did Hyperliquid Help Avoid New Crisis? The options picture is reinforced by activity levels in broader markets. The report also points to on-chain data and platform metrics suggesting that the group (retail) that drove the earlier rally has largely stepped back. Instead, many are said to be nursing losses or waiting for clearer signals.  At the same time, a persistently bearish Bitcoin futures market and slowing spot demand have encouraged some traders to underwrite more call options, aiming to capture premium income on the expectation that Bitcoin will not meaningfully trade above the $80,000 strike over the coming months. May Expiries, Rolling Calls, And Stock-Driven Volatility Deribit’s $80,000 Bitcoin calls appear especially concentrated in the late May and June expiries. According to market data provider Kaiko, out of roughly $1.5 billion in notional call open interest, contracts totaling $160 million are set to expire on May 1, with an additional $566 million expiring on May 29.  Those clustering dates can matter because they concentrate both hedging activity and speculative behavior into specific time windows. Thomas Erdösi, head of product at CF Benchmarks, said the pattern suggests persistent call selling and evidence of “systematic rolling.” In other words, rather than allowing positions to roll off naturally, market participants may keep moving risk forward in a way that maintains pressure near the strike.  Erdösi also cautioned that options positioning alone does not tell the whole story, noting there are signs of profit-taking into the $80,000 area for Bitcoin as well. Related Reading: XRP Price Target At $18,000: Expert Says—Only One Condition Must Be Met Finally, the report flags that volatility outside crypto may spill into Bitcoin’s price action. With equities showing sharper movement in recent sessions, BTC has tended to follow along.  Bohan Jiang, senior derivatives trader at FalconX, suggested that this could contribute to a more stabilizing pattern around $80,000. In his view, with stocks “chopping around” recently, Bitcoin’s behavior has mirrored that uncertainty—helping explain why attempts to break through the level keep stalling. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Crypto prices have been under pressure recently, and XRP has been hit particularly hard. On Tuesday, the token slid below the key $1.4 level, adding to the broader cautious mood across the market.  Even so, some analysts are pointing to a very different kind of narrative—one grounded in on-chain liquidity data and scenario modeling rather than short-term price forecasts. What The $18,000 XRP Scenario Depends On A researcher highlighted by crypto analyst Bull Winkle has been working with a live valuation tool that pulls real-time metrics directly from the XRP Ledger (XRPL).  The idea behind the tool is straightforward: it collects liquidity-related data on-chain, then runs that information through a set of scenario-based price calculations. Instead of presenting one expected outcome, the model lays out multiple paths, each tied to a specific use case and a defined peak transaction size.  According to Winkle’s post, the tool produces five separate scenarios, each with different assumptions about how XRP could be used and at what scale. Related Reading: Bitmine’s Ethereum Holdings Reach Record 5 Million Tokens–CEO’s Bullish Outlook One of the most eye-catching scenarios places XRP as the dominant global bridge asset. In that case, the model links the valuation to a “peak ticket” of $50 billion. Importantly, this level is not framed as a prediction of what will happen; it is described as a condition that would need to be met.  The model’s central claim is that if XRP reaches the required volume threshold associated with that bridge-asset role, then a price around $18,000 becomes mathematically justified.  Put another way, the scenario isn’t sold as a timeline estimate—it’s presented as a logical outcome that could follow only if that specific scale of usage occurs. Institutional Adoption Is The Key The tool also includes a near-term scenario that, Winkle says, is the most relevant for current conditions. This case centers on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and remittance corridors, with a peak ticket of $100 million.  For that scenario, the model calculates a required XRP price of $16. Winkle’s interpretation is that this part of the model is already being “validated” by current price reality—meaning the market dynamics implied by the scenario are not purely hypothetical.  As a result, the near-term row stands out not because it guarantees a particular number, but because it appears to align more closely with what is already happening on the ground. Related Reading: Solana Prepares For The Quantum Era: Foundation Details Step-By-Step Transition Beyond the near-term outlook, the model also includes a mid-scenario focused on corporate treasury and regional bank flows. Here, the tool suggests that the required XRP price could land anywhere between $138 and $690, depending on how the underlying assumptions about institutional-style usage play out.  In Winkle’s framing, this is where institutional adoption starts to carry real price implications. The range is wide, but the direction of the thesis is clear: as liquidity and usage scale up through larger financial channels, the XRP valuation outcomes become dramatically higher. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

In the race to determine whether XRP can mount a real rally toward the $10 level next year, one market expert, Sam Daodu, argues that the answer depends less on hype and more on whether two major forces finally line up.  Daodu says nearly every serious XRP price forecast for 2027 relies on the same prerequisites: US regulation has to be clarified, and institutional capital has to begin flowing in at a meaningful scale. Without both, the upside case becomes harder to justify, even if parts of the story are already moving in the right direction. Mixed Progress For XRP Price  Daodu’s latest report stresses that, at the moment, neither prerequisite is fully in place. He points to continuing regulatory uncertainty as the key blocker for institutions.  In his view, the currently stalled CLARITY Act is the legislation that could change the price dynamics by permanently establishing XRP’s position as a digital commodity—an outcome that, if it materializes, would likely remove a major share of the risk institutions are still pricing in. Related Reading: Bitcoin Is Headed For $40,000: Analyst Reveals The Best Time To Buy BTC That said, the report frames the situation as a “mixed progress” scenario rather than a clear-cut bull market versus bear market. On the positive side, several catalysts connected to a potential rally are already showing up.  Exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows, for instance, have reportedly remained positive without a single outflow day since April 9. Daodu treats that steady demand as an important signal that market participation is still present. Beyond ETF flow data, Daodu highlights on-chain activity as another supportive element. According to the report, whales have been withdrawing roughly 7 billion XRP from exchanges since February, and large holders appear to be driving a significant portion of those movements.  Even with these bullish indicators, Daodu argues they aren’t arriving with the speed or scale that the $5–$10 outlook depends on. He emphasizes that institutional money—described as essential to those higher targets—still hasn’t shown up at the level required to match an “instant” re-rating of XRP.  Why The Next 60 Days Are Key To reach above $10, the report argues XRP would need a rare alignment of several events. Daodu says the CLARITY Act would have to pass, ETF inflows would need to scale toward the $4–$8 billion range, and Bitcoin (BTC) would have to lead a wider rally that accelerates demand across the altcoin complex.  In short, pushing XRP toward $10 is not framed as the most likely path; it’s presented as a scenario that requires multiple catalysts to land correctly at the right time. Related Reading: Dogecoin Trap Shows A Major Crash, But How Low Will The Price Go? Daodu concludes with what he believes XRP holders should monitor over the next 60 days: the Senate Banking Committee markup before May 21. In his view, this is a key near-term checkpoint. If the markup clears, the bull case remains intact, and $7 becomes a more realistic anchor price for the market’s expectations.  If, however, the process stalls in May, the report suggests the outcome could be pushed out and possibly delayed until 2027. In that event, regulatory delay could cap XRP’s price at around $3 for much of that year—unless Bitcoin triggers another explosive run.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin (BTC) is consolidating around $77,600 as the price fails to break above the nearest resistance area near $79,500. With the market stuck in this range, attention is shifting to the possibility that Bitcoin could finally shift direction, potentially ending the current compression.  A major part of this discussion is the CME gap around $82,000. In this context, CME gaps are treated as imbalances that can appear in futures pricing over periods when traditional trading is closed, such as weekends, while crypto trades continuously.  Drop To $60,000 Still On The Table Market analyst Rekt Fencer recently claimed on social media that Bitcoin will “100%” fill the $82,000 CME gap on its 12-hour chart. The expectation being highlighted is that over $10 billion worth of short positions could be liquidated when BTC closes the $82,000 level.  Even with that strong technical catalyst, Fencer also warned that the outcome may not remain purely bullish. He cautioned that the move could set up a new bull trap first, followed by a sharp correction. Related Reading: Bitcoin Nears $80,000: Two Scenarios That May Decide Q2—Bulls Or Bears? The broader consequence could be a decline toward February lows around $60,000. If that scenario plays out, it would imply roughly a 26% retrace from that level, potentially reigniting bearish sentiment across the market. However, another perspective is coming from institutional analysis. A new study by Coinbase Institutional argues for a different outlook, contesting the idea that Bitcoin’s recovery over the past week is driven only by leverage. The report frames the rally as potentially stronger than it looks, pointing to real demand rather than simply borrowing and forced positioning.  What’s Behind The Bitcoin Rally? The study lists several indicators supporting its view. Rising exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows are said to be near their highest levels this year, signaling stronger institutional demand. It also notes accumulation by long-term holders, which is described as concentrating supply into “strong hands.”  While short liquidations can help trigger upward momentum, the report argues that similar squeezes have historically happened before—yet sustained rallies tend to last when spot demand supports the move, not just leverage. Related Reading: XRP ETFs Post Longest Back-To-Back Gains Of 2026—Key Numbers Inside A key area highlighted by the institutional framing is approximately $80,000, described as the short-term holder cost basis. According to this interpretation, reclaiming around $80,000 could confirm that the market structure is strengthening.  If Bitcoin fails and rejects that level, the implication would be that weakness could persist rather than a durable uptrend forming. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

KelpDAO’s liquid restaking token, rsETH, has become the center of a major DeFi recovery effort after a hack estimated at roughly $290 million. The latest development came on Thursday, when Lido Finance unveiled a proposal aimed at supporting Aave’s (AAVE) coordinated response to the rsETH shortfall.  Lido Joins rsETH Recovery Effort The Lido plan was submitted to Aave’s Research Forum following this week’s Kelp incident involving the rsETH LayerZero bridge exploit.  While the exploit’s details were still unfolding, Aave moved quickly to organize a larger, ecosystem-wide effort—“DeFi United”—with the goal of making affected users whole after the April 18 bridge incident left rsETH underbacked and, in turn, put funds at risk across multiple lending markets. Aave posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that “multiple strong indicative commitments” had already been lined up, and that Lido Finance was the first public participant.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Nears $80,000: Two Scenarios That May Decide Q2—Bulls Or Bears? The proposal itself authorizes a one-time, capped contribution of up to 2,500 stETH—roughly $6 million at the time of reporting. Importantly, Aave framed this as part of a fully funded recovery package rather than a piecemeal attempt to patch only part of the damage.  The structure is meant to limit broader spillover and allow an orderly resolution for users impacted by the rsETH deficit. The conditions attached to Lido’s contribution are strict.  Lido Finance’s funds would only be deployed if the relief vehicle is large enough to cover the entire deficit—specifically, not a partial fix that still leaves users exposed.  The total shortfall is described as exceeding 100,000 ETH. If any funds remain unused, they would be returned to Lido’s treasury. And the money can only be used to address the rsETH shortfall itself. Market-Wide TVL Losses Lido’s interest in this outcome is closely tied to its own product exposure. Lido offers an EarnETH vault that has direct exposure to rsETH. Without coordinated support, losses for users in that vault could reach approximately 9,000 ETH. Aave also moved to limit further risk while recovery planning progressed. Earlier Thursday, it updated that rsETH reserves were paused across multiple Ethereum and rollup environments, including Ethereum Core, Arbitrum, Base, Mantle, and Linea.  Related Reading: 4-Figure XRP: How High Will The Price Be If Ripple Captures 50% Of SWIFT? The broader market reaction has been severe. Since the heist news first emerged on Saturday, Aave has reportedly recorded around $9 billion in net outflows as of April 21. Total value locked on the platform fell by more than a third, dropping to about 17.5 billion.  That figure has since declined further, reaching approximately 14.3 billion at the time of this writing. The damage extended beyond Aave as well: according to DefiLlama data, across all decentralized lending protocols, TVL fell by roughly $13 billion within 48 hours after the exploit. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin (BTC) is approaching a critical juncture as it presses against its nearest resistance wall at $80,000, which, according to some analysts, if not cleared, may send BTC back below $70,000.   What’s happening under the surface is also getting more complicated, with CryptoQuant pointing to a key inflection point where two major groups of marginal buyers are effectively testing their own break-even prices at the same time. Why $80,000 Is The Decision Point In a recent CryptoQuant report, the focus was on exchange-traded fund (ETF) investors and short-term whales—two cohorts that tend to influence price action when conditions become borderline.  The Realized Price of Bitcoin ETF investors was reported at about $76,4000 as of April 21. That cohort has been underwater since January 30 until April 23’s surge back above $77,000, meaning they had carried unrealized losses for nearly three months.  Related Reading: 4-Figure XRP: How High Will The Price Be If Ripple Captures 50% Of SWIFT? A similar dynamic is showing up with short-term holder whales. Their Realized Price sits at approximately $79,600, which is slightly above the spot price at the time of writing, meaning that they have been trading in loss territory since November 1.  CryptoQuant noted that With Bitcoin moving in a $76,000 to $80,000 range, both ETF-related demand and short-term whale positioning appear to be hovering near their respective “decision points.”  Two Scenarios For Bitcoin Ahead In this context, the key $80,000 level is not just a chart marker—it’s portrayed as the psychological and financial boundary between relief and renewed losses. Whether Bitcoin can withstand the sell pressure that can follow at these thresholds—especially if the market rejects the level—could shape the structure of BTC’s next directional move, potentially defining how the second quarter develops.  Related Reading: CEO Calls CLARITY Act ‘Horrible Bill,’ Warns Of Prolonged Crypto Bear Market Ahead Analyst Ash Crypto added a more direct two scenarios outlook tied to the $80,000 wall. In the first scenario, Bitcoin closes above $80,000 on a daily basis and confirms that this rally has real follow-through. If that occurs, Ash Crypto’s view is that BTC could then surge toward a target range of $86,000 to $90,000.  The second scenario is the opposite: if Bitcoin gets rejected near $80,000, the analyst expects a sharp pullback back into a $74,000 to $68,000. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

One analyst is arguing that XRP could fall below $1 within five years — a prediction that contrasts sharply with the token’s historical price action during previous bull and bear cycles.  The argument, however, rests on what the analyst says are catalysts that XRP supporters expected to push the price much higher, but which ultimately faded. Catalysts Have Come And Gone Motley Fool analyst Johnny Rice says several of the “big” events that bullish investors pointed to have already come and gone. In his view, those moments briefly lifted sentiment and price, but the token later slipped back toward levels that look closer to where it started rather than sustaining a long-term breakout.  Rice points first to the settlement between the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ripple Labs, which provided significant clarity for the token. The resolution helped unlock momentum, but Rice says it wasn’t enough to create durable demand. Related Reading: Ethereum Just Saw Its Strongest Buy Pressure Since The 2022 Bear Market He also highlights the launch of spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs). In the early period, this helped drive a surge in interest—Rice notes that total investment hit about $1.6 billion. But he says that initial enthusiasm proved short-lived.  Rice’s assessment also frames XRP’s performance against recent price history. He notes that the altcoin is down more than 60% from its July high of around $3.65.  He adds that the token is also trading well below $2 before the SEC dropped its lawsuit, suggesting that even after the legal overhang was removed, the market did not sustain the kind of upside many bulls had forecast. XRP Outlook Under $1 Rice says one of the central narratives among bulls has been that financial institutions would need XRP to move value across borders. The argument is that banks’ cross-border activity could translate into stronger, ongoing demand for the token if adoption keeps expanding. The logic is that Ripple’s technology converts one currency into XRP—the bridge asset—then converts XRP into the destination currency. In that framework, broader bank adoption should translate into more XRP demand, and, ultimately, higher prices. Rice says that thesis has not clearly materialized in a way that supports the bullish price targets. He argues that even though adoption of Ripple’s payments platform continues to grow, the XRP price hasn’t followed in proportion.  The analyst describes this disconnect as something that has accelerated over the past year, and he explains why demand for cross-border payments may be weaker than many investors assumed. Related Reading: Remember Arbitrum? This Analyst Just Predicted That A 7,400% Rally Is Coming The central issue, in his view, is that Ripple’s stablecoin is “undercutting XRP” demand as the bridge asset. If banks have a more attractive alternative for use in cross-border transfers—specifically Ripple’s own stablecoin, RLUSD—then the “bridge through XRP” demand mechanism becomes less potent.  Rice’s point is not simply that Ripple’s business is doing better or worse, but that the source of real incremental demand for XRP may be eroding as RLUSD offers banks another option for bridging value. The analyst says he believes Ripple is building a thriving payments business and that five years from now it may continue expanding its footprint in the industry.  But his bottom-line forecast remains bearish: he expects XRP to end up below $1, far from the higher price targets often promoted around the idea of XRP becoming the key banking bridge asset. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Circle (CRCL), the issuer behind the USDC stablecoin, is facing a fresh lawsuit in Massachusetts tied to the $280 million Drift Protocol hack that occurred on April 1.  The complaint, filed by plaintiffs represented by the law firm Gibbs Mura, alleges that Circle did not take action to freeze stolen funds even though it had both the technical ability and contractual authority to do so. Drift Hack Fallout According to the lawsuit, attackers drained an estimated $280–$285 million from the Solana-based exchange in less than 12 minutes. The stolen assets were then moved from Solana to Ethereum over the course of roughly eight hours using Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP).  Related Reading: Could Bitcoin Hit $90,000 And Trigger A New Altcoin Rally? Expert Cites 6 Major Catalysts The transfer allegedly took place during US business hours, a detail plaintiffs highlight to emphasize that the alleged movement and conversion of funds occurred while the matter was ongoing, without intervention from Circle to freeze the assets. The filing further claims that user funds were pulled from multiple parts of Drift’s platform, including trading, lending, and vault deposits. As the breach unfolded, Drift’s total value locked reportedly fell sharply from about $550 million to under $250 million.  In response to the incident, deposits and withdrawals were suspended indefinitely. The impact, plaintiffs say, extended beyond Drift itself: at least 20 other DeFi protocols reported indirect losses related to exposure to Drift. Circle Accused Of Not Freezing Assets  The plaintiffs also point to a separate earlier civil matter involving Circle. Nine days before the Drift-related lawsuit, Circle reportedly froze 16 unrelated business wallets.  That, according to the plaintiffs, demonstrates that Circle has the capability—and, in that instance, the willingness—to freeze funds when it deems it appropriate.  However, the lawsuit alleges that Circle failed to freeze the stolen USDC and other assets that were allegedly converted into USDC after the hack. Related Reading: Bitcoin Policy Institute Maps Out Strategy For US Stablecoin Supremacy Across 5 Policy Areas Circle is accused of using its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol in a way that plaintiffs say allowed attackers to offload up to $230 million onto the Ethereum blockchain.  In the lawsuit’s framing, this is central to why the plaintiffs believe Circle should have acted to prevent the transfers of stolen stablecoins and connected assets during the time the funds were being moved. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin (BTC) has struggled to advance above major hurdles during the recent recovery, with price action failing to break through the $76,000 resistance level.  The market signals also show that several major cryptocurrencies—Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), Solana (SOL), and XRP—managed to track Bitcoin’s rebound. Even with that follow-through, they have likewise not fully cleared their own higher resistance levels.  Still, some analysts believe a cluster of supportive factors is starting to line up in a way that could lift both BTC and the broader crypto market to levels not seen since the beginning of the year. ‘Perfect Time’ For Bitcoin In a social media post on X (previously Twitter), market analyst Ash Crypto claimed that Bitcoin’s bullish setup could hardly be better at this point, and attributed that view to six catalysts he believes could push prices higher.  Among them, Ash pointed to the S&P 500 reaching a new all-time high, alongside expectations that the Russell 2000 and the Nasdaq could also set new highs soon.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Policy Institute Maps Out Strategy For US Stablecoin Supremacy Across 5 Policy Areas He also cited US economic data, highlighting that the ISM PMI has been above 52 for three straight months. In addition, Ash also referenced geopolitical headlines, arguing that peace talks involving the US, Iran, Israel, and Lebanon could reduce uncertainty and support risk appetite. On the crypto-specific side, Ash emphasized institutional and ecosystem demand. He noted that Michael Saylor’s Strategy (previously MicroStrategy) and spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are buying billions of BTC each week, framing it as an ongoing source of accumulation.  Finally, he suggested that the pace of development is accelerating in response to the “quantum threat,” which he sees as an additional long-term tailwind.  Why Altcoin Upside Is Possible Putting those pieces together, Ash concluded that conditions are “the perfect time” for Bitcoin to push toward the $85,000–$90,000 range, and that the move would likely be supportive for altcoins as well. Related Reading: What Presidio Bitcoin Found About Quantum Computing: Threat Timeline And Next Steps If the catalysts he highlighted continue to gain traction—starting from equity strength and macro stability, alongside institutional BTC demand—then both Bitcoin’s ascent and an altcoin resurgence could become increasingly plausible. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin (BTC) is pressing up against a major decision point after failing to break above the $76,000 resistance level. Following consecutive rejections in that area, the cryptocurrency has shifted into consolidation once again.  Bitcoin Set For A ‘Final Push’ One of the latest bullish takes came on Wednesday from market analyst Ted Pillows, who recently suggested that Bitcoin has broken out of a broader 7-month downtrend.  In his view, this shift is supported by a technical signal on the weekly chart: a weekly MACD bullish cross. Pillows argues that, together, these developments could trigger what he describes as a final push higher, with BTC potentially targeting the $77,000–$78,000 zone. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Breaks Higher: What The Market Data Says Could Happen Next Yet Pillows also included a warning that tempers the upside outlook. He said that after Bitcoin reaches that area, the cryptocurrency could fall to new yearly lows in the second quarter, without offering a specific price level for how low BTC might drop.  In explaining why a bottom might form later, Pillows pointed to the macroeconomic backdrop. He believes the new Federal Reserve (Fed) chair will accelerate rate cuts and drive liquidity injections in the third quarter as mid-term elections approach.  According to his scenario, that policy shift would help establish a market bottom for Bitcoin and could set the stage for a “V-shape” recovery, similar to what the market experienced during March 2020 and again in April 2025. Extreme Capitulation Scenario A separate technical post from analyst Ali Martinez focused more directly on timing and “capitulation” levels that could define the floor. Martinez highlighted the Long-Term Holder (LTH) Realized Price of approximately $49,387 as what he called the final line of defense for the cycle.  Related Reading: What Presidio Bitcoin Found About Quantum Computing: Threat Timeline And Next Steps In his framework, if Bitcoin reaches that level and holds, it may prevent the market from sliding into a more severe outcome. However, Martinez also described an extreme scenario—what he referred to as a “black swan” event—where a further wick down could occur to the -0.2 Standard Deviation Band at $36,657. Martinez suggested that these two levels can be viewed as “Generational Entries,” meaning they could represent points where longer-term participants step in and where conditions begin to shift from capitulation toward recovery.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

The group extorting Kraken is claiming access to some client account information after two insider incidents involving customer support staff. Kraken’s Extortion Plot: An Insider-Play Yesterday, on a post on the social network X, Nick Percoco, Kraken’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), made public  that a criminal group is extorting the crypto exchange with threats  to release videos of their systems exposing client data. Kraken Security Update We are currently being extorted by a criminal group threatening to release videos of our internal systems with client data shown if we do not comply with their demands. It’s important to start with the most important points: our systems were never… — Nick Percoco (@c7five) April 13, 2026 Now, according to Bloomberg, the incident is not a classic external hack, but rather an insider‑access problem. A small set of customer details, such as names and physical addresses, may have been exposed after support employees captured photos and videos of internal screens in two separate incidents, one in 2025 and another earlier this year. Related Reading: Hope For Iran Deal Sparks Risk-On Rally, Bitcoin Nears $75K The company has reportedly warned the potentially affected clients to be especially cautious about anyone contacting them. Bloomberg’s source is a “person familiar with the matter who declined to be named because the details haven’t been made public”. Around 2,000 accounts and roughly 0.02% of users were affected. The exposure is limited to basic support data such as names and addresses. Kraken stresses there was no system hack and client funds and trading infrastructure remain secure. Kraken has openly dismissed the extortion attempt, stating that it “will not pay these criminals” and “will not ever negotiate with bad actors”. Percoco’s post clarifies that Kraken is working with federal law‑enforcement agencies across multiple jurisdictions. and that the CEX has gathered enough evidence to help identify those responsible. A Long List Of CEX’s Customer Services Vulnerabilities Although it may sound rather specific, this is not the first time a big CEX is hit with an insider-access problem that vulnerates customers data through the costumer service of the exchange. It’s not even Kraken’s first rodeo with this sort of issue. Back in January, Dark Web Informer reported that a read-only version of Kraken’s internal customer support system was being sold for a negotiable single dollar on a dark web forum. ???????? Kraken cryptocurrency exchange panel access being sold on a dark web forum – read-only account with user profiles and transaction history. Access details: ▪️ View only – user profiles and transaction history ▪️ Generate support tickets to phish or extract more data ▪️ No… pic.twitter.com/7LsxRNMkYa — Dark Web Informer (@DarkWebInformer) January 1, 2026 Also in mid-2025, Kraken and Binance were hit by the same social‑engineering push that previously led to a successful customer data breach at Coinbase, where attackers zeroed in on support staff. The attackers allegedly approached customer service agents at the exchanges and offered bribes in return for access to user information. Our sister website Bitcoinist covered the story. This past February, a crypto trader claimed an ex‑Revolut staffer tried to blackmail him, threatening to expose his personal data unless he paid. Revolut claimed the allegation was referred to law‑enforcement authorities. Related Reading: XRP Could Face Big Moves Based On CLARITY Act Outcomes – 3 Key Price Scenarios Market Implications This incident reinforces a key market theme: in the post‑ETF, higher‑regulation cycle, “counterparty risk” on centralized exchanges is shifting from pure asset custody to data security and insider controls. While no immediate outflows or price shocks are visible, repeated data‑exposure headlines can push more flows toward exchanges with stronger transparency reports, on‑chain venues, or self‑custody solutions. At the moment of writing, BTC trades for the high $71ks on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview. Cover image from Perplexity. BTCUSD chart from Tradingview.

Bitcoin (BTC) is trying to steady itself after a shaky start to the week. After dipping briefly toward the key $70,000 support level on Sunday, BTC has since bounced back and is now trading above $72,000 on Monday.  However, the next move may depend less on internal crypto dynamics and more on the escalating geopolitical backdrop of tensions between the United States and Iran, and the events that unfold in the days ahead. $100,000 Bitcoin By Year-End In a new report, market analyst Sam Daodu argues that Bitcoin’s direction is closely tied to how the conflict unfolds. Rather than pointing to a single likely outcome, Daodu lays out three scenarios, each with a different implication for oil prices, investor sentiment, and ultimately BTC price action.  Related Reading: Retail Crypto Activity Hits 9-Year Low As Big Money Steps In In Daodu’s bullish scenario, a full peace deal would shift the outlook for both geopolitics and commodities. He suggests oil prices would retreat back toward pre-war levels, roughly in the $65 to $70 per barrel range.  Daodu says that if that happens, Bitcoin could push toward $100,000 by year-end, which would translate to a 39% price increase from current trading levels. April 15 Agreement Expectations The base case is more cautious and revolves around what could happen around April 15. Daodu’s view is that if the talks scheduled for that period lead to a new agreement, oil prices might drop below $95 again, similar to what happened after the first ceasefire was announced last week.  Daodu also points to a specific positioning factor: there are reportedly about $6 billion in short positions between $72,200 and $73,500 right now. If oil prices fall quickly and risk sentiment improves fast, those short positions could unwind, triggering a squeeze. That could help drive Bitcoin higher between $75,000 to $80,000. Bear Path For BTC The bearish scenario centers on the ceasefire failing—either because it breaks apart completely or because it expires without a workable outcome.  Daodu notes that the two-week ceasefire is already under strain. With talks having collapsed and a blockade being announced, the agreement is described as “hanging by a thread.”  Related Reading: Ethereum About To Turn? Death Cross Says Bottom Is Closer Than You Think If negotiations fail and oil prices rise above $110 to $120, Daodu says Bitcoin would likely lose the $70,000 support level. From there, the downside path could accelerate, with BTC potentially sliding toward $65,000. If the crisis drags on, he adds that prices could fall further toward $55,000 to $60,000. Even with these three paths laid out, Daodu’s conclusion is that the base prediction is the most realistic outcome at the moment. In his assessment, Bitcoin is likely to remain range-bound until the next round of talks produces something tangible.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token fell sharply on Friday, dropping about 13% over the past 24 hours to new all-time lows of $0.080. The selloff comes as online reports have focused on the company’s leverage and collateral use, raising new liquidation fears. WLFI Backlash Grows  According to the concerns circulating on social media platform X, World Liberty Financial allegedly posted a large WLFI collateral amount—reports claim 5 billion WLFI tokens—and took on borrowing of roughly $75 million in stablecoins through decentralized lender Dolomite.  Those reports also said that more than $40 million connected to the borrowing was sent to Coinbase Prime. Additional commentary around the incident suggested that some portion of the debt had already been partially repaid, while still emphasizing that the overall structure was expected to remain heavily overcollateralized. Related Reading: Bitcoin, XRP, And DOGE In Focus: Expert Points To Key Price Reversal In Crypto Market Another factor mentioned by skeptics is that users in the venture’s USD1 stablecoin pools faced withdrawal pressure, and that WLFI’s presence—allegedly dominating more than 50% of Dolomite liquidity—could amplify market stress when prices move quickly.  In this framework, a falling WLFI price reduces collateral safety, which can raise the chance of forced actions later, even if the original plan was designed to avoid straightforward token dumping. Governance Plans Announced World Liberty Financial responded to the growing backlash with a fresh statement on Friday, asserting it is “one of the largest suppliers and borrowers on WLFI Markets,” confirming that WLFI was supplied as collateral and stablecoins were borrowed, but insisting it is “nowhere near liquidation.”  The statement further claimed that even if markets moved “dramatically” against the company’s position, the response would be to supply more collateral—arguing this is not treated as a risk in the normal operating model, but rather how the system is designed to work when leverage strategies are employed. In its defense, World Liberty Financial framed the borrowing position as part of a broader strategy: serving as an anchor borrower to generate yield that, in turn, helps make WLFI Markets attractive to others in the ecosystem.  Related Reading: Expert Forecasts Bitcoin Surge To $80,000 Amid US-Iran Ceasefire And Oil Price Drop For early token holders, World Liberty said it plans a governance process. The company stated that a governance proposal to unlock locked tokens will be posted to the forum next week for community input, and that it will proceed to a formal vote shortly after.  Additionally, World Liberty said USD1 includes compliance-grade controls, describing enhanced fund safety tools for frozen funds designed for the regulatory environment ahead. Finally, it claimed the upgrade is seamless, with balances, approvals, and integrations carried over intact—no migration and no disruption. World Liberty Financial also aimed at what it described as the “FUD crowd” framing, arguing that critics are looking at the wrong piece of the story and that the project is focused on compounding outcomes over time. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

Binance is offering temporary relocation to employees based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the Iran conflict rattles the wider Middle East. Iran Tensions Spill Over To CEXs Bloomberg reported today that the largest crypto centralized exchange (CEX) said many staff members have opted to stay in the UAE, though it did not disclose an exact number. Related Reading: Is XRP Safer Than Bitcoin? This Analyst Explains The Real Quantum Risk For Holders In an e-mail statement sent to Bloomberg this Friday, the CEX explains it gave its UAE employees the relocation option as a precaution measure. Binance assures the company is more than capable to support this type of scenarios without it interfering with the business. Given the recent regional tensions, we offered employees the option to temporarily relocate as a precautionary, employee-first measure to provide flexibility and support during a period of uncertainty. As a remote-first organisation, we are well set up to support this kind of flexibility without disruption to our operations. This measure follows last month’s recommendation from Binance to its UAE staff to limit outdoor activity and prioritize remote work as tensions rose. Binance And The UAE: A Recap On March 2025, Binance reported it had roughly 1,000 employees in the country, accounting for about 20% of its global headcount, Bloomberg claims. At the ending of last year, Binance repositioned itself under Abu Dhabi Global Market oversight and moved its global platform under ADGM supervision, making the UAE its regulatory and operational anchor. The CEX giant is under an ongoing compliance upheaval and Iran‑linked scrutiny since February this year. Binance fired five investigators after an internal probe into roughly $1 billion worth of USDT transactions tied to Iran. According to The New York Times, users in Iran accessed more than 1,500 Binance accounts. In that period, around $1.7 billion moved from two Binance accounts to Iranian entities with alleged ties to terrorist organizations. This potentially breached international sanctions. A Binance contractor opereated one of those accounts. The cuts were focused on investigators and compliance personnel who were reportedly responsible for missing red flags tied to these potential violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Such move marked a major internal compliance crackdown and a strong signal of enforcement within the company’s regulatory structure. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stress Cycle Is Ending — But Traders May Hate What Comes Nex For global exchanges, jurisdictional arbitrage now includes war risk and sanctions optics. No direct impact on trading has been reported yet. Operational disruptions or a drawn‑out conflict could dent sentiment around BNB and Gulf‑centric liquidity. At the moment of writing, BTC trades for around $72k on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview. Cover image from Perplexity. BTCUSD chart from Tradingview.

Blockstream CEO, Adam Back, denied on Wednesday that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin (BTC), responding to a New York Times (NYT) investigation that pointed to him as the leading suspect.  The NYT report, by John Carreyrou, drew on a range of circumstantial evidence — including parallels in writing style, the use of British spellings, and overlapping cryptographic expertise — to argue that Back could be the person behind Bitcoin’s origin story.  Adam Back Rejects NYT Case In his post on social media platform X (previously Twitter), Back said plainly, “I’m not Satoshi,” and emphasized that his long-standing interest in cryptography and electronic cash predates Bitcoin by decades.  Back pushed back on the interpretation of evidence presented in the NYT story, suggesting that his frequent postings on ecash topics create a statistical bias.  Related Reading: Ethereum (ETH) Outlook: $2,500 Break Could Trigger Major Rally — Expert’s Price Scenarios He argued that because he was outspoken and prolific on relevant mailing lists, his comments appear often in historical archives; that visibility, he told Carreyrou, can create “confirmation bias” when researchers search for likely Satoshi candidates.  “Because I was talkative on the list, and known to have an active interest in ecash, there’s some confirmation bias in finding my comments frequently on ecash topics,” Back wrote, noting that other participants with similar expertise posted far less and so are less likely to surface in retrospective searches. Satoshi’s Mystery Is Healthy For Bitcoin Back also characterized much of the apparent overlap between his and Satoshi’s language as a coincidence or the product of a shared technical lexicon among cryptographers who had been wrestling with similar problems for years.  Related Reading: FDIC Advances Rulemaking For GENIUS Act: New Framework For Stablecoin Issuers Throughout his response, Back also maintained that he does not know Satoshi’s identity and suggested that this uncertainty is beneficial for Bitcoin.  “I also don’t know who Satoshi is, and I think it is good for Bitcoin that this is the case, as it helps Bitcoin be viewed as new asset class, the mathematically scarce digital commodity,” he wrote, framing the mystery as part of Bitcoin’s appeal and institutional development. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin (BTC) surged Tuesday evening after President Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire with Iran, a move that sent the largest cryptocurrency higher and sparked a broader market repricing. Following Trump’s announcement, Bitcoin jumped nearly 5% and traded around $72,174 at the time of writing. Crypto market capitalization climbed from roughly $2.3 trillion to about $2.43 trillion as investors poured back into risk assets, while oil prices tumbled on the de‑escalation in the Middle East. Ceasefire Sparks Bitcoin Demand In his post, Trump said he had agreed to suspend strikes on Iran for two weeks, conditional on Tehran’s commitment to “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”  The President added that he made the decision after conversations with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, who asked him to hold off on military action. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rainbow Chart Says Price Is Ranging Above $60,000 For A Reason, Here’s Why Market experts also pointed to additional, proximate drivers of the rally beyond the geopolitical news. On social media platform X, DeFi Tracer identified large buys by major exchanges and market-makers immediately after the ceasefire was announced.  According to the expert, Binance purchased 29,344 BTC, Coinbase bought 20,756 BTC, Kraken acquired 8,611 BTC, Wintermute bought 7,188 BTC, and Bybit picked up 5,191 BTC — transactions that together totaled about $4.5 billion in Bitcoin.  Can BTC Clear $74,000? Despite the recovery, similar to those witnessed last month, a sustained breakout that could propel Bitcoin prices to 2025 levels is not assured. Investors should now focus on the $74,000 level, as it has acted as a significant resistance barrier over the past two months.  Related Reading: Can An Altcoin Season Come Again? Why Bitcoin Price Can’t Fall Below $40,000 BTC’s short-term direction will depend on its ability to clear and maintain above that price. The current gains might not last long if the $74,000 barrier proves to be resilient and buying demand wanes. However, a clear break above it would strengthen the bullish outlook. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Amidst yet another big hack attributed to North Korea-linked operatives, some crypto builders have confessed they are passing tests during interviews to developers to make sure they are not North Korean agents. The Fool-Proof “Kim Jong‑Un Test” For Crypto Developers Once again, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is responsible for some action movie-sounding moves. Following the attribution of the April 1st $285 million attack on Drift Protocol to UNC4736, a North Korea–aligned, state‑sponsored hacking group, multiple crypto industry actors have taken to the social network X to share their fears and methods to combat what essentially are DPRK secret agents. All details on the long‑term social engineering, fake professional personas, in‑person conference meetings and compromised tooling employed in the attack can be consulted on a yesterday’s article in our sister’s website Bitcoinist. Unbelievable and hilarious as it may sound, the most straightforward strategy some of these builders have found is asking candidates to explicitly insult Kim Jong-Un, North Korea’s regime head, during interviews. Related Reading: This Bitcoin Trader Lost Millions In 2 Weeks, Here’s How Crypto Builders Share Proof Yesterday, Tanuki42, an independent blockchain security investigator, shared an actual video of a “North Korean IT worker being stopped dead in their tracks upon being required to insult Kim Jong Un”. In the video, “Taro Aikuchi” wasn’t just unable to repeat after the interviewer that “Kim Jong-Un is a fat, ugly pig”: he was taken aback and visibly nervous. Here is a video of a North Korean IT worker being stopped dead in their tracks upon being required to insult Kim Jong Un. It won’t work forever, but right now it’s genuinely an effective filter. I’m yet to come across one who can say it. https://t.co/8FFVPxNm8X pic.twitter.com/KXI5efMo5L — tanuki42 (@tanuki42_) April 6, 2026 In a different video shared by the security investigator, “Taro” tells him amusingly that he “knows North Korea well”, but then experiences very convenient connection issues when is asked to say “Fuck Kim Jong-Un”. The clip I posted was actually round 2. Here’s round 1 – I tell Taro I’m a North Korea security researcher, he tells me he “knows North Korea well”. Mysterious connection issues when I say “Fuck Kim Jong Un”, which he apologises for on reconnecting.???? pic.twitter.com/M89KDDmASW — tanuki42 (@tanuki42_) April 6, 2026 Later on the thread, Tanuki42 showed the candidate changed his Telegram handle, wiped their chat and blocked him after the interview. ????@taroaikuchi just changed his Telegram handle @cryptotrading2150->@cryptodegen202 – he’d already wiped our chat and blocked me ???? pic.twitter.com/EcQedYyGG7 — tanuki42 (@tanuki42_) April 6, 2026 His X account and LinkedIn page also disappeared. Crypto investor and fund manager Jason Choi quoted Tanuki42’s thread to echo the message, claiming that a lot of crypto founders have shared with him that this test works. Several founders in crypto have told me they ran this test and it genuinely worked https://t.co/DIZHoZDZ0l — Jason Choi (@mrjasonchoi) April 6, 2026 Crypto founder and RWA‑focused builder Pav replied to Choi saying that he has been using the tactic 2024, after he found out he was interviewing a DPRK agent for an engineering position in 2022. have been using this since 2024 and works like a charm https://t.co/nYWYIGxrAA — Parv (@Parv_EP) April 6, 2026 Simon Wijckmans, another cybersecurity founder and product leader, also replied to Choi sharing a clip from one of his own interviews with a candidate, “William Nation”, who failed to say that Kim Jong-Un is a dictator after Wijckmans requested him to do it Yep pic.twitter.com/Aht731yvRc — Simon (@SimonWijckmans) April 6, 2026 Some Crypto Builders Remain Sceptic Despite the overwhelming evidence, the wackiness of the story still finds flabbergasted nonbelievers. On a different thread from a few days ago, Paolo Caversaccio, a Switzerland‑based engineer and entrepreneur focused on cryptography, privacy and security, shared one of his attempts to employ the same Kim Jong-Un insult tactic to make sure he is not working with North Korean spies. going forward I will request from every external contributor to my repos a nice Kim Jong Un insult; it’s an easy but powerful way to prevent DPRK dev code (and some of them are really good) to be merged (they will never ever get the approval to do this). this guy passed it… pic.twitter.com/Ms86or5GiP — sudo rm -rf –no-preserve-root / (@pcaversaccio) April 4, 2026 He then entered an argument with long‑time Ethereum ecosystem developer and founder Micah Zoltu regarding the actual effectiveness of the technique. But Caversaccio’s argument was compelling: he has been dealing with DPRK IT workers for more than three years. After dealing for more than 3 years with DPRK IT workers I can confidently claim this filter is very strong. We will probably release some DPRK interviews publicly at some and will link it here, they always fail with this question. You probably think my filter is some random… — sudo rm -rf –no-preserve-root / (@pcaversaccio) April 5, 2026 Market Implications Related Reading: Crypto Tokenization Boom Or Time Bomb? Four Hidden Risks Wall Street Is Ignoring The real deal for traders right now isn’t guessing the next meme, but identifying which teams can defend against nation‑state attackers. For a while now, crypto has been entering a phase where geopolitics, state‑sponsored cyber ops, and HR compliance are as important as code audits. North Korean infiltration risk is now a structural factor for the industry. Considering this, traders should remember that protocols with weak contributor vetting, opaque multisigs, or ad‑hoc governance present elevated tail‑risk that markets will increasingly price in. It is also advisable to look for projects that can prove stronger operational security, incident response and KYC for critical roles may enjoy relatively stronger valuations and more sticky TVL. At the moment of writing, BTC trades for around $68k on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview. Cover image from Perplexity. BTCUSDT chart from Tradingview.

Bitcoin (BTC) faces a stark downside risk that could send prices below the previous bear market lows, according to a new analysis from blockchain data firm CryptoQuant.  The firm warns that a confluence of geopolitical shocks, macroeconomic repricing, and fragile derivatives positioning could push the largest cryptocurrency as low as $10,000 in a worst‑case scenario — far beneath the last bear‑market trough near $15,000. Political Shock From Trump Speech CryptoQuant’s note comes against the backdrop of a substantial pullback from Bitcoin’s record highs. After peaking at roughly $126,000 last October, Bitcoin has retraced about 45% and has entered a months‑long consolidation range between $66,000 and $70,000.  Related Reading: New Bitcoin Crash Ahead? Bloomberg Strategist Forecasts Return To $10,000 – Here’s Why The firm highlights recent political developments as an immediate catalyst for the downside potential. CryptoQuant points to President Donald Trump’s April 1 speech on Iran as a market‑moving event that abruptly reset expectations.  By signaling the possibility of intensified military action within the coming weeks, the speech undermined hopes for de‑escalation and prompted a broad risk‑off reaction.  In CryptoQuant’s view, this was not merely a geopolitical scare — it forced a repricing of macro conditions that matter to risk assets like Bitcoin.  As oil prices rise, inflationary pressures can return; a firmer dollar tightens dollar liquidity globally. CryptoQuant notes rising volatility — with the VIX near 25 — and widening Treasury spreads, both of which are symptomatic of deteriorating liquidity. Three Possible Bitcoin Outcomes  CryptoQuant lays out a range of possible outcomes. In a moderate stress event, the firm estimates Bitcoin could fall from the $70,000 area to roughly $50,000 — a 25–30% decline.  If Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) outflows continue and spot demand remains soft, the medium‑term downside expands substantially, with prices potentially sliding into the $30,000–$20,000 range, representing declines of 60–70% from current levels.  Related Reading: ICBA Opposes OCC’s Conditional Nod For Coinbase National Trust Bank Charter In the extreme scenario — for example, a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz or a sustained major conflict — global liquidity could seize up more completely.  CryptoQuant suggests that in such circumstances, equities could plunge more than 30% and oil could spike to $150–$200 per barrel, conditions that could drive Bitcoin toward the $10,000 mark, an 85% drop from current trading prices. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Tokenized Brent oil futures on Hyperliquid generated about $46.6 million in liquidations in 24 hours, making oil the third‑most liquidated asset after ether at $104.5 million, and Bitcoin at $98.3 million. Hyperliquid’s Oil Perps Dethrone Bitcoin The single largest liquidation across all assets in the past 24 hours was not Bitcoin or Ethereum, but a $17.17 million Brent oil position on Hyperliquid, according to Binance Square. This marks the second time in under a month that oil has produced the biggest individual wipeout on a crypto venue. Related Reading: Hyperliquid Puts Wall Street Onchain — Will This Warp Crypto Volatility Next? The report also claims that there is a total of $403 million dollars in liquidations across 137,031 traders, with longs taking roughly $234.6 million in losses versus $168.7 million for shorts, following CoinGlass data. The cascade followed President Trump’s national address vowing to hit Iran “extremely hard”, which reversed the trader’s expectations of a de‑escalation and sent Brent crude above $106 after a 5% intraday jump. BRENTOIL trades for $109 on the daily chart. Source: BRENTOILUSDT on Tradingview. Therefore, the classic cross-asset macro trade that many traders had blew up because the correlations flipped unexpectedly at the worst possible moment. Traders longing crypto and shorting oil were hit on both sides when oil spiked and risk assets sold off, turning hedges into amplifiers of loss. Tokenized Commodities Take Over The Crypto Market The BRENTOIL‑USDC perp on Hyperliquid traded around $107.19, with $977 million in 24‑hour volume and $515 million in open interest, a figure larger than many mid‑cap tokens’ market caps. As of right now, things have changed a little bit. BRENTOIL is trading for around $109 in the leading perp DEX, with $736 million in 24-hour volume and almost $540 million in open interest. The 24-hour change rate is of 7%. BRENTOIL's price and principal markers on Hyperliquid. Source: Hyperscreener. Hyperliquid’s on‑chain commodity markets now act as a 24/7 outlet for trading oil, gold and other macro assets with crypto‑style leverage, and they’re soaking up a disproportionate amount of geopolitical shock. Since the conflict began, tokenized oil has ranked among the five most‑liquidated instruments on the platform at least three times. Takeaways For Traders Positioning across Bitcoin, Ethereum and Real World Assets (RWAs) can no longer be siloed. When a shock hits one leg (like oil), it can trigger margin calls that force liquidations across the entire account, including BTC and ETH, even if those positions looked unrelated on paper. Correlation trades (long BTC, short oil) can unwind violently around event risk. Related Reading: Crypto Quantum Scare Is Real Says Top Trading Firm, But Here’s Where The Real Risk Is Taking this into consideration, it would be sensible for traders to commit to disciplined sizing and wider collateral buffers. Awareness of geopolitical calendars is now just as critical as chart levels when trading Bitcoin in a tokenized‑commodity world. At the moment of writing, BTC trades for $66k on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview. Cover image from Perplexity, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview.  

It sounds out of a sci-fi video game, but new research suggest quantum attackers could break Bitcoin’s blockchain and steal coins mid-transaction sooner than it was originally expected. Is Doomsday Near For Bitcoin? A new whitepaper and blogpost published on Tuesday by Google’s Quantum AI team claims that Bitcoin and Ethereum’s cryptography can be broken with fewer than 500,000 physical qubits and roughly 1,200 “logical” qubits, far below the “millions” that used to be cited. Related Reading: Hyperliquid’s Tokyo Edge Exposed — Secret Time Gap Is Tilting The Market Most blockchains and cryptocurrencies protect wallets and transactions using 256‑bit elliptic curve cryptography (a very strong mathematical lock) based on the discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP‑256). The research points at a significant decreased in the resources needed to break the ECDLP-256. The blog post says: We estimate that these circuits can be executed on a superconducting qubit CRQC with fewer than 500,000 physical qubits in a few minutes, given standard assumptions about hardware capabilities that are consistent with some of Google’s flagship quantum processors. This is an approximately 20-fold reduction in the number of physical qubits required to solve ECDLP-256 and a continuation of a long history of gradual optimization in compiling quantum algorithms to fault-tolerant circuits. “Cryptographically-relevant quantum computers (CRQS) pose a threat to widely deployed public-key cryptography”, the whitepaper claims. Instead of attacking wallets, the research models a live attack where a quantum adversary could steal bitcoin mid‑transaction in about 9 minutes by quickly using the briefly revealed public key to calculate the private key, giving a 41% chance of beating Bitcoin’s 10‑minute block time. In this sense, Ethereum might be less vulnerable than Bitcoin, as it confirms its transactions faster. The Culprit: Taproot This results put Taproot, Bitcoin’s 2021 upgrade, in a different perspective. Although Taproot boosted privacy and efficiency, it started exposing public keys on‑chain by default, stripping away the “hash-first” protective layer that older address formats had. Therefore, it has widened the pool of quantum‑exposed coins to about 6.9 million BTC, including Satoshi‑era and heavily reused addresses. A quantum computer is a computer that uses the rules of quantum physics to process information in ways normal computers can’t. Instead of bits that are either 0 or 1, it uses qubits, which can be 0, 1, or a blend of both at the same time, letting the machine explore many possibilities in parallel. Classical computers explore possibilities one‑by‑one (even if very fast). This means that, for certain math problems (like factoring huge numbers used in cryptography), a powerful quantum computer could solve in minutes what would take a classical supercomputer longer than the age of the universe. What This Means For Concerned Traders Despite it is true that no such machine exists yet, earlier this month Google set 2029 as an internal deadline for post‑quantum migration, compressing the perceived timeline for “Q‑day.” Researchers warn that post-quantum migration will take years, even if the hardware is not here yet. Related Reading: Over Half Of US Crypto Users Don’t Understand This Scary Tax Rule On the social network X, some users have already expressed their quantum panic. Coin Metric co-founder and Bitcoin advocate Nic Carter highlighted another paper released today from Oratomic, Caltech and UC Berkeley, showing quantum computers can break crypto with just 10,000 reconfigurable atomic qubits. and the craziest thing is that the Google Quantum AI paper (above) is maybe not even the most concerning quantum paper released _today_https://t.co/mSZi5Lk7do — nic carter (@nic_carter) March 31, 2026 Roughly one‑third of Bitcoin’s supply is now modeled as potentially quantum‑exposed over a long enough horizon, which could change how desks value old coins, Taproot usage and address‑reuse hygiene. Traders should watch for Taproot adoption metrics, progress or gridlock around BIP‑360‑style upgrades, and whether Bitcoin devs move toward a dated migration plan as Google’s 2029 clock ticks louder. At the moment of writing, BTC trades for the highs $66k. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview Cover image from Perplexity, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

The XRP price traded at around $1.30 on Monday as markets consolidated and Bitcoin (BTC) fought to hold above $67,000, but the calm belies meaningful downside risk if BTC revisits its key support at $60,000, according to market analyst Sam Daodu. Key Levels For XRP Price In his latest report, Daodu warns that XRP’s price action tends to amplify Bitcoin moves. He noted that this year the XRP price has behaved with roughly a 1.8-to-1 correlation to BTC’s declines. That means XRP is vulnerable to a steep retracement if BTC loses ground. Related Reading: XRP Nears Key Turning Point As Descending Wedge Tightens On XRP’s outlook, Daodu points to a sequence of support levels that could determine how far losses extend. The immediate floor is at about $1.28, where 443 million XRP have been accumulated by holders who have stepped in on dips.  If that level breaks, buying interest thins, and the next material support is around $1.11 — the low seen in February. Beneath $1.11, Daodu identifies $1.00 as the next notable cushion for the XRP price, with a deeper support cluster near $0.82, which would mean a near 40% decline for the altcoin on top of current losses.  The analyst asserts that once $1.28 gives way, a rapid slide to $1.11 could follow, and if that fails, a drop toward $1.00 or lower would be possible because there are few bids between those levels. What Could Push BTC Back To $60,000 Daodu’s scenario hinges on Bitcoin revisiting $60,000, a test he regards as the most important support for BTC so far this cycle. He cites macro drivers that could pressure Bitcoin, notably the conflict in Iran and elevated oil prices.  “As long as oil stays above $100 and the war keeps escalating, Bitcoin stays under pressure,” he said, framing those geopolitical and commodity dynamics as key determinants of Bitcoin’s near-term path.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Will Do A ‘Big Print’ If This Happens; Pundit Explains There are, however, events that could help decouple the XRP price from Bitcoin’s movements. Daodu highlights two potential catalysts: the passage of the long-anticipated CLARITY Act and renewed inflows into spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs).  Passage of the CLARITY Act would, in his view, create a legal framework enabling institutions to use XRP for settlement at scale. Likewise, sustained ETF inflows would produce consistent buying pressure that could support XRP’s price.  At the time of writing, the XRP price was at $1.32, having recorded a 8% weekly loss, according to CoinGecko data.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

US lawmakers on Friday unveiled the Digital Asset PARITY Act — a wide‑ranging draft bill that would reshape tax and regulatory treatment for digital assets while drawing immediate criticism for excluding Bitcoin (BTC).  Introduced by Representatives Max Miller and Steven Horsford, the measure would, among other changes, create a narrow tax exemption for small stablecoin transactions and alter how staking income is treated.  Key PARITY Act Provisions Under the PARITY proposal, regulated payment stablecoins used in transactions worth less than $200 would be exempt from recognizing gains or losses, provided the stablecoin’s price remains within 1% of its dollar peg at the time of payment.  Related Reading: NVIDIA Faces Class Action After Court OKs $1 Billion Crypto-Mining Revenue Claims – Stock Dips 7% The bill also contains several other notable provisions, on staking for example, as it seeks to change the tax timing for income earned by passive participants in proof‑of‑stake (PoS) networks, permitting those “passive stakers” to defer the immediate tax consequences of staking rewards.  Yet the bill’s approach to staking and mining has become a focal point for criticism. The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) has been one of the most vocal opponents, arguing that PARITY’s staking deferral provisions create an uneven, technology‑biased tax regime that disadvantages proof‑of‑work (PoW) networks such as Bitcoin.  BPI Objection Over Bitcoin Exclusion The Bitcoin Policy Institute contends the draft perpetuates the “phantom income” problem that both miners and stakers previously acknowledged needed legislative relief, but solves it only for stakers.  The organization warned that by offering deferral to staking participants while leaving miners outside the relief, the bill effectively penalizes mining and undermines technological neutrality. Related Reading: MARA Holdings’ Bitcoin Sell-Off: 15,000 BTC Liquidated As Prices Crash Below $69,000 BPI called the imbalance “a two‑tier tax regime,” and urged lawmakers to remedy it by restoring a broader de minimis exemption that is not limited to stablecoins and by extending the deferral election to all block‑reward recipients — miners as well as stakers — or otherwise explicitly including mining in the relief.  The Bitcoin Policy Institute argued these fixes are minimal but necessary steps if Congress truly intends to maintain US leadership in Bitcoin and digital asset innovation. Left unchanged, the group warned, the draft could disadvantage proof‑of‑work systems and shift innovation offshore. At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at roughly $66,000, representing a 4% and almost 6% loss in the 24-hour and seven-day time frames, respectively, as the broader crypto market wraps up the week to the downside.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin fell to its lowest level in over two weeks as traders adopted a more cautious stance after the year’s biggest options expiration, Bloomberg reported. At the moment of writing, BTC trades for the highs $66k. Related Reading: GameStop Didn’t Sell Bitcoin — What It Did Instead Will Anger BTC Maxis Bitcoin Options Market Turns Defensive The drop followed the largest Bitcoin options expiry of 2026 so far, with roughly $14 billion in notional contracts rolling off on Friday. Around 30–40% of open interest in front‑month Bitcoin options was wiped out in a single session, leaving a “cleaner” positioning landscape. Spot volumes picked up versus the previous session (e.g. +10–20%), suggesting the move was driven by more than just options mechanics. Positioning shows traders are bracing for a drawn‑out conflict, Griffin Ardern, co‑founder of multi‑asset manager Primal Fund, said. The risk of stagflation, and even “forced rate hikes” has sharply deepened bearish sentiment. Post‑expiry, more people were buying protection than betting on upside. Options flows skewed toward puts, with put volumes outpacing calls: over the past 24 hours, the put/call ratio has climbed to 1.3, signaling that traders are loading up on downside protection as they head into the weekend. Derivatives Positions Hold The Key According to Fortune, market participants view derivatives positioning going a long way toward explaining the recent still. James Harris, CEO of asset manager Tesseract, believes institutional players spent much of the first quarter selling upside calls, essentially betting that prices wouldn’t rip higher, to harvest premium in a quiet market. That flow pushed risk onto market makers, who in turn have been buying dips and fading rallies to keep their books roughly hedged. Traders say this setup has effectively smoothed out volatility, with Bitcoin’s price repeatedly drifting back toward the so‑called “max pain” zone around $75,000, where the most options expire worthless. In practice, those hedging flows have worked like a magnet, pulling BTC higher on dips but also putting a lid on how far rallies can run. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rangebound At $70K While Macro Cracks Deepen – Why Analyst Says It’s Too Early To Call A Bottom What Traders Should Look For Next The shift in positioning comes after a powerful Q1 run, with Bitcoin still up double‑digit % year‑to‑date even after the latest pullback. If defensive positioning in options persists (elevated put/call, negative skew, higher near‑term IV), it may signal traders are bracing for another leg lower rather than a quick “buy‑the‑dip” rebound. For active traders, the setup favors disciplined risk management: tighter stops on leveraged longs, selective hedging via short‑dated puts, and watching whether defensiveness eases or intensifies into the next major macro/data catalyst. At the moment of writing, BTC’s price has crashed under $67k. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview Cover image from Perplexity, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

The new Binance guidelines for market makers requires them to disclose information such as their identity and contract terms. Binance Tightens The Grip On Market Makers On Wednesday, the largest centralized crypto exchange in the world released a new set of guidelines aimed to token issuers and liquidity providers, tightening their grip on the mandatory disclosure of market maker identity and legal entity and contract terms. Additionally, Binance is posing an explicit ban on profit‑sharing and guaranteed‑return arrangements. In their blog post, Binance clarifies that a market maker is a professional trader or firm that provides liquidity by always placing buy and sell orders on a CEX or DEX. They earn money from the small difference between their buy price and sell price (the spread). In return, the liquidity they provide help other traders get in or out of positions quickly without moving the price too much. Related Reading: Hyperliquid Takes Over Wall Street: Can PURR Options Trigger a Fresh Rally? Top 3 Red Flags That Market Makers Should Look For Binance highlights ix “red flag” behaviors, including aggressive sell‑offs against vesting schedules, one‑sided order books and coordinated cross‑platform dumping 1. Selling against the vesting schedule Market makers are expected to stick to the token’s agreed vesting and unlock plan. If they start offloading large amounts too early, too often, or in a way that clearly clashes with that schedule, it’s a sign incentives are off or internal risk controls are weak. 2. One‑sided “liquidity” Effective market making is supposed to provide balanced liquidity on both sides of the book. When you see sustained sell orders with little or no matching buy interest from the same party, it can add downward pressure on price and disrupt orderly trading conditions. 3. Coordinated dumping across venues When big token transfers hit several exchanges at once and are quickly followed by heavy selling that goes beyond routine liquidity rebalancing, it’s often a clue that tokens are being systematically offloaded, not just responsibly warehoused for market making. More Illicit Activity Binance warns that market makers should also watch out for volume that doesn’t match price, volatility spikes from thin liquidity and large‑scale token offloading. The new expectations for token projects are clear: strict adherence to token release plans, no large offloads via market makers, full disclosure of MM identities and mandates to the exchange, clear written trading parameters, and continuous monitoring post‑listing. Banned activity includes revenue‑sharing/profit‑sharing models, guaranteed‑return deals between projects and market makers and vague token‑lending agreements that don’t clearly limit how borrowed tokens can be used. The goal of the new rules is to ensure their market-making arrangements are aligned with “long-term market integrity”, as responsible market makers ultimately boost liquidity and “reduce slippage”. Binance warns it will take swift action against violations of the guidelines, including blacklisting market makers that manipulate markets or violate token release schedules. Related Reading: Crypto Analysts Warn: Traders Misreading The Clarity Act Could Miss The Real Opportunity Market Implications Of The Binance Guidelines Binance is effectively admitting that “liquidity support” has doubled as unofficial selling channels and volume‑washing tools, and is trying to pre‑empt both another crash narrative and tougher external regulation. The potential winners of the new rules are retail traders who get cleaner order books and fewer surprise dumps on newly listed tokens, plus more transparent token‑launch structures. The likely losers, however, are smaller token issuers and aggressive market makers who relied on off‑the‑record guarantees or profit splits to juice volume and unlock liquidity. The practical takeaways for traders are the obvious: watch order‑book depth and slippage instead of headline volume, be cautious around early‑stage altcoin listings while market makers and issuers adjust, and expect some pairs to see thinner liquidity as aggressive players step back. If Binance really enforces blacklisting and reporting channels, the cost of “liquidity games” rises, which could reduce short‑term pumps but improve long‑term price discovery on the exchange. BTC’s price drops slightly after reaching $71k yesterday, trading for around $69k today. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview Cover image from Perplexity, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has reportedly told Senate offices it cannot support the latest language inserted into the CLARITY Act, dealing a fresh setback to negotiations over the anticipated crypto market-structure bill.  The dispute centers on newly revised provisions governing stablecoin yield arrangements, a key point of contention that has been the subject of months of talks on Capitol Hill. Coinbase Says No To Late‑Stage Compromise  The Senate’s updated text would constrain how stablecoin yield programs operate, limiting structures that try to mirror bank deposit products and tightening the permissible scope of other activities.  The draft leaves open questions over the mechanisms for classifying activity-based stablecoins and how transaction-reward programs would be treated.  Related Reading: Bitcoin, XRP Rallies Won’t Hold Until Oil Falls Toward $80, Expert Warns Those uncertainties, combined with what some in the industry view as more restrictive wording, prompted Coinbase to inform lawmakers this week that it could not back the late-stage compromise language. The move marks a softer but still consequential reversal from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s more forceful opposition in January, which previously stalled the bill’s markup.  Industry Split Over CLARITY Act Draft Beyond Coinbase, industry responses to the new draft have been mixed. One major trade association told Crypto In America that the revised language represented a marked departure from what had been discussed with the White House, and described the text as more restrictive for the crypto sector.  Related Reading: BlackRock Crypto Outlook: CEO Predicts $500M A Year In Revenue Within Next Five Years In contrast, another trade group leader characterized the provisions as largely in line with expectations, arguing they struck an acceptable balance by preserving rewards while preventing interest-like stablecoin offerings.   “This is the best possible result,” that source said, noting the new draft seemed broader than an earlier proposal advanced by Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks, and expressing confidence that “people will still get their rewards.” Coinbase’s stock, trading under the ticker name COIN, concluded Wednesday’s trading session at $181, down nearly 5% from its opening price above $190 per share.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

Circle Internet Financial, the issuer behind the USDC stablecoin — the second-largest dollar-pegged cryptocurrency — saw its stock, CRCL, tumble 22% on Tuesday to $98 as lawmakers reportedly moved to tighten rules around stablecoin yields.  The selloff followed reports that a revised draft of the Senate Banking Committee’s CLARITY Act would broadly prohibit platforms from offering yield “directly or indirectly” for holding stablecoins or assets that function like bank deposits. Circle Revenue Model At Risk? The proposed restriction, reported by Crypto in America journalist Eleanor Terrett, is written to cover digital-asset service providers and their affiliates — exchanges, brokers, and similar firms — in an effort to close potential workarounds.  Under the draft language, firms would be barred from providing anything “economically or functionally equivalent” to interest on stablecoin holdings.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Expert Predicts ‘Golden Entry Window’ For Next Bull Market In October 2026 If they were to materialize over the long term, the implications for Circle would be immediate and substantial. Circle derives approximately 96% of its revenue from interest earned on USDC reserve assets.  If platforms are prevented from offering yield or if demand for USDC softens because consumers and institutions cannot earn returns, Circle’s core revenue stream could be materially weakened.  The fallout was not limited to Circle. Coinbase (COIN), the largest US-listed crypto exchange, also experienced significant pressure, trading down roughly 21% to about $179 at the time of writing.  Tether’s Big‑Four Audit Move In a Tuesday post on the social media platform X, Terrett also pointed out that Tether’s latest move may have amplified the crash in Circle’s stock. Circle’s competitor recently announced that it had hired a Big Four accounting firm to audit its USDT reserves for the first time.  Related Reading: Strategy Discloses $42 Billion Fundraising Plan To Hit 1 Million Bitcoin Target By End Of 2026 Tether framed the engagement as a major step toward enhanced transparency and regulatory readiness, saying the audit would provide “deep assurance that USDT is fully backed, highly liquid, and operated with world-class risk management.”  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Market expert Ali Martinez recently revealed on X (formerly Twitter) what he describes as “the secret to every major Bitcoin bull run since 2011,” saying October could offer one of the best entry points ahead of the next bull market.  Martinez shared an on‑chain fractal breakdown that points to a potential “final discount” in October of this year, where investors might find optimal buying opportunities before the next sustained uptrend. Bitcoin Could Bottom At $41,000-$45,000 In his social media post, Martinez suggests that Bitcoin is still operating within a four‑year rhythm that breaks down into a sequence of accumulation, markup, distribution, and a bear phase.  Within that larger cycle, he highlights two shorter subcycles and asserts the market is now moving into what he describes as the “final discount” period. Using that framework, Martinez puts a likely “golden entry” window between October 6 and October 16, 2026. Related Reading: Ethereum Bottom Signal? Analyst Maps Out Road To $10,000 Beyond timing, Martinez offered specific price bands for ideal buying opportunities. He identified entry points in the $41,500 to $45,000 range, which would represent declines of roughly 41% and 36%, respectively, from current trading levels of around $70,800. October Launchpad  Those potential retracements in the coming months imply that Bitcoin may still have substantial downside before the October window, according to his reading of past cycles. Related Reading: Dogecoin Could 200% Rally If This Floor Holds, Analyst Says However, Martinez framed the scenario as an actionable pattern rather than mere speculation: if the fractal holds, the October interval could serve as the launchpad that begins a fresh four‑year cycle and sets the stage for the next vertical price move.   The expert concluded his Monday social media post by saying the “countdown to the next Bitcoin vertical move has begun.” Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Lawmakers signaled a major advance Wednesday toward passing the long-awaited CLARITY Act, the bill intended to create a clearer market-structure framework for cryptocurrencies in the United States.  Tentative Stablecoin Deal  Politico reported that key senators have reached a tentative agreement with the White House on language meant to bridge a central dispute between banks and crypto firms over stablecoin yields — a development that could unblock the legislation in the coming weeks. Related Reading: AI Model Ranks Bitcoin, XRP, And ETH For 2026: Expected Returns And Price Targets Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Angela Alsobrooks are the lead negotiators credited with forging the understanding alongside White House officials. Alsobrooks told reporters on Friday that she and Tillis “do have an agreement in principle,” adding that the deal represents substantial progress.  “We’ve come a long way. And I think what it will do is to allow us to protect innovation, but also gives us the opportunity to prevent widespread deposit flight,” she said. Tillis, while optimistic, emphasized that the tentative pact is not final. He told interviewers he feels “like we’re in a good place,” but stressed he still plans to review the details with industry stakeholders before moving forward.  CLARITY Act Markup In Mid‑ To Late‑April The timing for a Senate procedural move is also taking shape. Market expert MartyParty noted on X that Senator Cynthia Lummis has indicated the Senate Banking Committee plans to hold a markup in the second half of April, likely during the weeks beginning April 13 or April 20 after the Easter recess.  Related Reading: BTQ Unveils First Bitcoin Upgrade Testnet Designed To Thwart Quantum Attacks A planned CLARITY Act markup would expose the draft to changes and possible political maneuvering, but it would also be a crucial step toward floor consideration. As of right now, it’s unclear what more details will emerge from the current talks in Washington, D.C. for complete confirmation of possible dates. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Crypto asset products saw about $1.06 billion in net inflows last week, extending a three-week positive streak despite ongoing geopolitical stress and mixed macro data. Related Reading: Crypto Lobby Loses Key Illinois Race Yet Keeps $221M Firepower For Midterms Inside The Crypto Report New on-chain data from Banana Gun show about $19,200 in bot fees over the week of March 9–15, with ETH capturing roughly 50.5% and BSC around 36%, while Solana activity cooled sharply. Because Banana Gun is a multi-chain trading bot and DeFi execution layer used by active traders to route orders across Ethereum, Binace Chain, Solana and Base, its on-chain order flow effectively mirrors the ETF-driven rotation back into majors and “quality” chains whenever uncertainty spikes. After prior outflow periods and coincides with bitcoin holding up better than equities and gold during recent turbulence, bitcoin captured roughly 75% of those net inflows (around $793 million) as investors treated it as a relative safe haven, while Ethereum and Solana also logged smaller but positive flows. Weekly crypto asset flows. Source: Banana Gun Ethereum reclaimed about 50% dominance in one major on-chain trading venue’s fee mix, reflecting a clear rotation back into majors as speculative alt activity cooled. This rotation mirrors broader market flows, where BTC and ETH are again the primary liquidity magnets. Ethereum has seen meaningful inflows (around $315 million), helped by new staking-focused ETF products that are pulling flows closer to neutral year-to-date. Three straight weeks of inflows totaling roughly $2.2 billion signal renewed commitment from larger holders and ETF-driven capital, even as spot prices remain volatile. Retail Inflow In Comparison On the exchange side, on‑chain analytics from CryptoQuant show that retail inflows to Binance hit roughly $131.8 million in a single hour on March 11, the highest spike since January 2026. These sharp, clustered inflows from smaller wallets typically reflect funds being moved onto the exchange for active trading, often around key price inflection points. Binance Retail to Exchange Flow. Source: CryptoQuant While institutions keep buying exposure through ETFs, the $131.8 million retail inflow cluster into BSC underlines that shorter‑term traders are also stepping back in, either to chase momentum or lock in profits. Every notable retail inflow cluster in Q1 has appeared around sharp BTC moves, framing this as a classic liquidity and volatility signal rather than random noise. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stuck At $74K As US Fed Sets the Stage For Explosive Move Main Takeaway For Traders Taken together, ETF inflows, retail capital rushing into Binance, and on‑chain execution flows through tools such as Banana Gun all point to the same pattern: liquidity rotating back into BTC and ETH as traders position around volatility, not away from it. The fact that retail is still willing to send over $130 million to a single exchange in an hour, at the same time as institutional ETF flows remain firmly positive, suggests that crypto is entering a new phase of risk‑taking rather than a late‑cycle exhaustion spike. The signal mix is clear: persistent ETF inflows, ETH regaining on‑chain execution dominance, and aggressive retail inflow clusters to BSC are creating pockets of high liquidity where advanced routing tools and execution bots such as Banana Gun can help capture short‑term moves while majors remain the core of the trade. ETH’s trades around $2k on the daily chart. Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview Cover image from Banana Gun, ETHUSDT chart from Tradingview

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved on Wednesday a significant rule change allowing one of the world’s largest stock exchanges, Nasdaq, to support trading in tokenized securities, a move that could accelerate the integration of blockchain technology into the mainstream financial markets.  Nasdaq Rule Amendments Approved Nasdaq’s modified regulations were approved by the SEC following a seven-month assessment that began in September 2025 and included adjustments to ensure compliance with federal securities laws and investor protection requirements. For context, tokenized securities are blockchain‑based representations of traditional financial instruments—stocks, bonds, or funds—where ownership rights are recorded as digital tokens on a distributed ledger.  Related Reading: Citigroup Lowers 12-Month Bitcoin Price Forecast To $112,000, ETH To $3,175—Here’s The Reason Proponents say tokenization can enable around‑the‑clock trading, speed up settlement, and permit fractional ownership, modernizing elements of market infrastructure that have long relied on legacy systems.  According to the SEC’s filing, Nasdaq’s approved pilot program will operate in coordination with the Depository Trust Company (DTC), providing a regulated pathway for market participants to trade these digital representations of securities. Cross‑Border Rails For Tokenized Securities The SEC’s approval clears the way for several industry initiatives already under development. Earlier this month, Payward — the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken — announced a partnership with Nasdaq to build an equities transformation gateway.  That project pairs Nasdaq’s regulated market infrastructure with Kraken’s xStocks framework, with the stated goal of allowing tokenized equities to move seamlessly between permissioned institutional environments and permissionless decentralized finance (DeFi) networks.  Related Reading: This Week Could Be The Most Volatile For Bitcoin In 2026, Top Expert Warns According to Nasdaq, the collaboration will underpin a new Nasdaq equity token design intended to preserve issuer control, maintain compliance with existing regulatory frameworks, and protect the traditional rights attached to company shares. The stock exchange also disclosed earlier in the month a partnership with Boerse Stuttgart Group’s tokenized settlement platform, Seturion, to link its European trading venues to settlement infrastructure tailored for tokenized securities.  Featured image from Reuters, chart from TradingView.com