THE LATEST CRYPTO NEWS

The Bitcoin price is bouncing back strongly amid growing hopes for a potential shift in the standoff between the US and Iran. So far, BTC has gained roughly 10% in the weekly time frame. This pushed the asset back toward the $76,000 area and briefly marked a nearly one-month high.  The move appears to have been driven by improving sentiment around the conflict, even as tensions remain very real and the US simultaneously took action in the region. Regulatory Clarity Before A Bigger Push? The Bitcoin price rally followed claims by President Donald Trump that Iran had reached out to his administration about possible peace talks. At the same time, the US began a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.  Related Reading: XRP Could Face Big Moves Based On CLARITY Act Outcomes – 3 Key Price Scenarios Damien Loh, chief investment officer at Ericsenz Capital, told Bloomberg that Bitcoin is behaving like other risk assets during the move. In his view, the market interpreted Trump’s comments as a sign that the timeline for a deal may be getting extended and that another round of discussions is being pursued.  Loh also added an important nuance: the Bitcoin price has been trading better than broader risk assets, but he suggested it may take additional regulatory clarity before the next leg up can truly take hold.  Specifically, he pointed to the possibility that the Bitcoin price could remain range-bound until the US passes the long-awaited CLARITY Act, the industry’s market structure framework.  Bitcoin Price Breakout Is Just Getting Started Market analyst Ali Martinez, citing data from his latest analysis, argued that the current push higher is not finished. Martinez said BTC has finally broken above a descending trendline on its 12-hour chart after roughly two months of consolidation inside a symmetrical triangle.  He described this as a structural change—essentially signaling that the “coiling” phase is over. If the breakout holds, Martinez expects the Bitcoin price could move toward $80,000, which would mark the highest point since January 31 of this year. Martinez also pointed out that the bullish momentum is happening for more reasons than just the Iran–US news. He said Bitcoin miners have paused forced selling and have been hoarding more than $330 million in BTC over the past few weeks.  Related Reading: Three-Way Bitcoin Outlook Tied To US–Iran War—Which Case Is Most Realistic? On the demand side, the analyst said there’s a noticeable increase in interest from US-based institutions. He referenced the Coinbase Premium metric as one piece of evidence, noting that it has flipped positive.  In his framing, a positive Coinbase Premium suggests that regulated capital may be positioning aggressively ahead of what could be the next upward move. Even after the Bitcoin price initially surged toward $76,000, it later retraced slightly. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price was trading around $75,163, still close to a key level Martinez has highlighted.  He set a target of $75,300, explaining that reaching this price point would liquidate roughly $80 million in short positions. Martinez said this could trigger what he described as a “cascading effect,” where forced buying from liquidations catches bearish traders off guard and allows BTC to continue moving higher. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

ETHGas is a marketplace for Ethereum blockspace futures that allows blockspace to be bought and sold in advance for guaranteed execution.

The US Justice Department (DOJ) has announced a compensation process for victims of the OneCoin fraud. The funds are expected to come from property forfeited in the case, money traced back to the people behind the scheme, including co-founders Ruja Ignatova and Karl Sebastian Greenwood.  The DOJ said in a Monday statement that more than $40 million in forfeited assets are currently available for victim compensation. OneCoin Proceeds To Compensate Victims  OneCoin was an international cryptocurrency investment scheme that ran from 2014 to 2019 and relied on deception to draw in investors around the world. Prosecutors say Ignatova and Greenwood, along with others, orchestrated the scheme.  Ignatova, dubbed “the CryptoQueen,” disappeared on October 25, 2017. Since then, she has been presumed to be on the run from various international law enforcement agencies. Greenwood, on the other hand, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2023 for his participation in the scheme.  Related Reading: XRP Could Face Big Moves Based On CLARITY Act Outcomes – 3 Key Price Scenarios The DOJ describes OneCoin as a fraudulent cryptocurrency that was marketed and sold through a “global multi-level marketing network.” Although OneCoin began operations in Bulgaria, the scheme reached beyond Europe and targeted victims globally through promises that officials say were false. The DOJ stated that the scheme resulted in losses that totaled more than $4 billion worldwide. In the agency’s description, investors were misled about the nature and legitimacy of OneCoin, and many put money into what the DOJ characterizes as “a lie disguised as cryptocurrency.” At the same time, prosecutors sought criminal forfeiture of property linked to proceeds from the fraud scheme. The DOJ explained that once a final order of forfeiture is issued, net proceeds from those forfeited assets would be used to compensate victims through the remission process. DOJ Details Remission Rules And Deadline While the announcement focuses on the compensation pathway, DOJ officials also framed the forfeiture effort as a way to both remove illegal gains and redirect them toward harm prevention.  Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in the statement that victims are central to the department’s work. He said the DOJ pursues forfeiture to “take the profit out of crime” and then use that money to compensate victims where possible. ‘ Related Reading: Three-Way Bitcoin Outlook Tied To US–Iran War—Which Case Is Most Realistic? Under the DOJ’s description, the remission process is intended for victims who purchased OneCoin cryptocurrency between 2014 and 2019.  The DOJ’s announcement explained that eligible victims may be able to seek compensation through this process, which relies on a petition submission to be considered. The agency clarified that submissions must be mailed, emailed, or submitted online along with supporting documentation by the deadline of Tuesday, June 30, 2026.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

Morgan Stanley’s freshly launched Bitcoin exchange-traded fund pulled in nearly $62 million within its first week of trading — a debut that landed in the middle of the strongest week for crypto investment products in three months. Related Reading: TRUMP Buying Frenzy Builds Ahead Of Mar-A-Lago Power Event Macro Shifts Fuel The Comeback That broader rebound was driven by more than one firm’s market entry. Crypto funds globally attracted $1.1 billion in net inflows for the week ending April 11, according to asset manager CoinShares. The turnaround came after five straight weeks of outflows that drained roughly $4 billion from the market and left investor sentiment battered heading into April. CoinShares head of research James Butterfill pointed to two specific triggers: early ceasefire signals out of Iran and a softer-than-expected US inflation reading. Both helped ease nerves that had kept institutional money on the sidelines. US investors led the charge. Based on CoinShares data, American buyers accounted for $1.06 billion — about 95% of total global flows for the week. US spot Bitcoin ETFs absorbed the largest share, pulling in $833 million, per data from Farside Investors. Bitcoin And Ethereum Both Draw Fresh Money Bitcoin funds worldwide attracted $871 million. Ethereum, which had recorded outflows for three consecutive weeks before this, saw $196.5 million flow back in. Weekly trading volumes climbed 13% to $21 billion, though that number still sits well below the year-to-date average of $31 billion, reports indicate. The positioning among big investors told an interesting story. At the same time institutions were buying into Bitcoin and Ethereum, short-Bitcoin products — funds that profit when Bitcoin’s price falls — recorded $20 million in inflows. That was the highest single-week total for those products since November 2024. Money was moving in, but some of it was being used as a safety net. XRP funds, which had briefly outpaced Bitcoin the previous week with nearly $120 million in inflows, cooled significantly. Reports show XRP investment products brought in a little over $19 million during the same period. Morgan Stanley Moves Deeper Into Crypto Beyond the weekly numbers, Morgan Stanley’s expanding footprint in the space drew attention. The bank has already filed for Ethereum and Solana ETFs following its Bitcoin fund launch. Related Reading: Dollar’s Shrinking Value Adds Fuel To XRP Bull Case: Finance Expert According to reports, Morgan Stanley executive Amy Oldenburg said the firm also plans to roll out crypto services including a tokenized money market fund and tax-harvesting options for clients. Year-to-date, Bitcoin ETF inflows have reached just under $2 billion — about 82% of all crypto ETP inflows recorded in 2026. Ethereum remains in the red for the year, sitting at $130 million in cumulative outflows despite last week’s recovery. Total assets under management across crypto investment products climbed back to levels not seen since early February. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

The round was led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from Robot Ventures, Arthur Hayes' family office Maelstrom, and Uniswap.

The company has named Ian Rogers, its chief experience officer, as its first chief human agency officer to lead its AI efforts.

The analysts see "asymmetric upside" for Robinhood from prediction market growth, setting a $130 price target.

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.

A wave of forced liquidations swept through crypto markets on Tuesday as traders who had bet against Bitcoin and Ether were caught off guard by a sharp price surge tied to hopes of a US-Iran agreement. Related Reading: Dollar’s Shrinking Value Adds Fuel To XRP Bull Case: Finance Expert Around 80% of the $530 million in total liquidations over 24 hours — roughly $425 million — came from leveraged short positions in the two largest cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin touched just under $75,000 on CoinMarketCap, a level not seen in nearly a month, before running into heavy resistance and retreating to about $74,655. Ether made an even bigger move, climbing 7% to reach $2,378 — its highest point since early February. Geopolitical Hopes Fuel The Move The rally came as markets began pricing in the possibility of a negotiated end to weeks of tension between Washington and Tehran. Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at crypto exchange BTSE, said traders believe the two sides are drawing closer to an agreement. Iran’s oil exports are central to its economy, and a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane could put severe pressure on the country to come to the table. “Now, it appears that Iran is frantically looking to broker a deal, and stock and crypto markets are rallying as a response,” Mei said. US President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that a military blockade had begun. He threatened to eliminate any Iranian vessels that come near. Trump also told reporters Iran wants to reach a deal, but his administration will not sign anything that allows Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons. The broader crypto market climbed to a total value of $2.6 trillion — its highest in a month — as the news spread. About 177,000 traders were liquidated across markets over a 24-hour period, according to data from CoinGlass. Not Everyone Is Convinced The rapid price jump did not go unquestioned. Valerius Labs, a market analyst, pushed back on the idea that the move signals a genuine recovery. “This isn’t a breakout,” the firm said. “It’s a short squeeze running into overhead supply. Real buyers show up above the 200-day simple moving average, not 15% below it.” Related Reading: TRUMP Buying Frenzy Builds Ahead Of Mar-A-Lago Power Event Some analysts reported that over $300 billion in crypto short positions were wiped out in just a few hours, adding more than $100 billion to the total market cap in the process. Beyond the short squeeze, other forces may also be at work. Reports indicate that institutional buying through spot crypto exchange-traded funds, along with purchases by centralized exchanges, could be adding fuel to Bitcoin’s climb. Still, the rejection at $75,000 resistance kept the bulls from claiming a clean win. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Previous bear markets left scars that are hard to ignore. The 2017 crash wiped out more than 80% of Bitcoin’s value. The 2021 collapse took nearly 77%. So when a fresh wave of analysts began calling for a drop to $50,000, the warnings carried weight — at least on paper. Related Reading: TRUMP Buying Frenzy Builds Ahead Of Mar-A-Lago Power Event A Different Kind Of Cycle Nick Ruck, director of LVRG Research, said the $50,000 level was being eyed as the last major buying opportunity before any real recovery could take hold. A drop to that price, he said, would represent a “healthy cycle reset” given the pressure from broader economic forces and weak movement of capital into crypto. But Ruck also raised a point that separates this downturn from past ones: Bitcoin is already down roughly 40% from its record high, and this time around, large institutions are involved in ways they simply weren’t before. That changes the math. Prior crashes were driven mostly by retail traders — ordinary people buying and panic-selling. Institutional money behaves differently, and consistent buying pressure from that side of the market may be putting a floor under prices that didn’t exist in earlier cycles. “There is a chance this cycle might not reach an idealized 60% drawdown,” Ruck said, pointing to what he called a distinctively macro-structured market environment. Bitcoin: the big flush… I don’t think we’ve had it yet I don’t think $60,000 was the bottom You can pray for it of course ???? but it won’t help Trend is still down The few % bounces are tiny if you zoom out I will reconsider this stance in case bull strength returns It’s just… — Ivan on Tech ???????????? Head Trader @ Bullmania (@IvanOnTech) April 13, 2026 Trader and author Ivan Liljeqvist posted to X that Bitcoin had yet to experience what he called “the big flush.” He said he didn’t believe $60,000 marked the bottom, and that the overall trend remained pointed downward. The small bounces seen along the way, he argued, looked minor against the bigger price picture. Analyst Merlijn Enkelaar echoed that view, suggesting Bitcoin was entering a second bear phase that could push prices to $50,000 before any wider distribution of gains takes place. THREE PHASES. BITCOIN ABOUT TO ENTERTHE SECOND. Accumulation: done. Manipulation: loading. Distribution: $150K. Pending. $70K is the decision. Hold it: manipulation is short. Lose it: $50K first. They ran this playbook once already. You watched it happen. pic.twitter.com/yJMAeA6Tfh — Merlijn The Trader (@MerlijnTrader) April 13, 2026 Geopolitical Tensions Drive Swings Crypto prices don’t move in a vacuum. A temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran sent Bitcoin briefly above $75,000 — the kind of jump that happens when fear lifts, even for a moment. US President Donald Trump announced the two-week pause in hostilities, and markets responded quickly. But the relief didn’t last. Peace talks broke down over the weekend, and by Monday Bitcoin had slipped back below $71,000 after Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Rising consumer prices, reported in Friday’s CPI data, added further weight. Bitcoin’s all-time high stands at $126,198, set in October 2025. At current prices around $72,500 to $74,600, that puts the drawdown at roughly 40% to 44% — deep, but still well short of the 60% collapse that some models suggest a full bear market requires. BTC STILL LOOKS SUPER BEARISH HTF Weekly short imbalances were filled and rn we can only go to 1M imbalance, which is ~$80K Right after it, I am waiting for a final huge dump to one of my targets: $59K or $50K Either way last dump is coming Notifs on, I’ll call exact bottom pic.twitter.com/twHr5VhxRr — symbiote (@cryptosymbiiote) April 13, 2026 Analysts Split On What Comes Next One analyst posting under the name “symbiote” called the chart “super bearish” on longer time frames, saying a final large drop to either $59,000 or $50,000 was still coming. Others are less certain the floor hasn’t already been set. Related Reading: Dollar’s Shrinking Value Adds Fuel To XRP Bull Case: Finance Expert What makes this cycle harder to read is the mix of forces pulling in both directions. Institutional investment and ETF inflows provide steady demand. Global conflict, inflation data, and uncertain monetary policy cut against that. Neither side has clearly hit the proverbial bullseye. Bitcoin touched a low of around $66,000 in early April before recovering. Whether that low holds — or whether the market has another leg down before it finds real footing — remains an open question that even the most watched voices in crypto can’t agree on. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A new report released on Monday by market analyst Sam Daodu lays out three potential paths for the XRP price this month, with the deciding factor tied to the US crypto market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act.  Daodu expects the bill to reach some kind of resolution within the remaining two weeks of April, and he argues that how the next few days unfold could determine whether XRP continues consolidating—or breaks out of its current trading zone. Why April Holds The Key According to Daodu, the Banking Committee now has about two weeks to schedule a CLARITY Act vote before midterm politics begins to dominate the Senate calendar. In his view, that matters because it creates a narrow window in which major obstacles have been resolved rather than piling up.  Related Reading: What The Bitcoin Relief Rally Above $71,000 Says About Where The Price Is Headed Within XRP trading, Daodu says the token has largely been stuck between roughly $1.28 and $1.45 for most of 2026. For him, April is the month that could decide whether that range continues for the rest of the year or gives way to a more directional move.  He frames the market’s next step using three scenarios, each tied to events expected to play out during the next two weeks. Three XRP Scenarios For Next Two Weeks In the bullish case, the Banking Committee schedules the markup before May. Daodu argues that even the act of setting a markup date could push XRP higher ahead of any final vote.  If the bill ultimately passes, he suggests XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows could climb by another $4 to $8 billion on top of the approximately $1.2 billion that spot ETFs have already attracted, even before the legislation becomes law.  The first technical test would be the $1.45 resistance level. Daodu notes that around 60% of XRP’s circulating supply was bought at that level, creating a “break-even” wall of holders likely to react. If XRP clears that barrier, he points to $1.60 as the next target. Modest Movement Without Markup Date The base case is more measured: roundtable discussions by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) go well, but the committee does not schedule a markup date. In that outcome, Daodu expects XRP to remain inside the same broad band it has been trading for much of the year.  He does acknowledge that the April 16 roundtable could produce a short-lived lift, but without a concrete markup date, he believes there is no real catalyst strong enough to force a sustained breakout above $1.40.  Under this scenario, he expects XRP to close April in the $1.30–$1.40 range. While that would still represent a positive month compared with March’s $1.33 close, Daodu characterizes it as only a modest improvement rather than a decisive shift. Potential Slide To $1.15 The bear case focuses on what happens if the markup slips beyond May and the market decides the delay has moved past “temporary” and into “failed.” Daodu points to the risk of real-world stress adding pressure during that time.  Related Reading: It’s Too Early For A Bitcoin Price Bottom, Here’s What You Should Be Looking At He highlights that the ceasefire expires on April 22 and that the Islamabad talks already collapsed over the weekend. If tensions escalate again and oil prices climb back above $110, Daodu says XRP could lose the $1.28 support level and potentially slide toward $1.15. At the time of writing, XRP was trading at around $1.33. If this scenario plays out, that would suggest an additional 13% drop for the altcoin. For now, confirmation on this key regulatory matter for the industry remains pending.  Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

XRP has lost 38% of its value over the past year. Bitcoin hasn’t done much better, sliding more than 16%. Yet a finance expert is telling investors those numbers miss the bigger picture. Related Reading: TRUMP Buying Frenzy Builds Ahead Of Mar-A-Lago Power Event Cash Is Losing Ground Too John Vasquez, who goes by Coach JV on social media, says the real story isn’t short-term price drops — it’s what’s happening to the dollar. Data shows the purchasing power of the US dollar has fallen 28% over the past decade, dropping from 43.10 to 30.9 on the Consumer Price Index. Over that same 10-year stretch, both Bitcoin and XRP have climbed nearly 200 times in value. By that measure, Vasquez argues, holding cash has quietly been the bigger loser. His comments came through a post on X, where he laid out his case for why global tensions are strengthening the long-term argument for crypto assets — not weakening it. XRP & Bitcoin narrative getting stronger day by day. In the long run this will play out well. Short term expect extreme volatility. pic.twitter.com/2BXRKw3MFD — Coach, JV (@Coachjv_) April 12, 2026 Oil, Credit, And The Dollar’s Global Standing Vasquez pointed to rising oil prices linked to disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz as a driver of inflation pressure. At the same time, he warned of tightening credit conditions and what he called a developing global credit crisis. Countries moving away from dependence on the US dollar — a shift often described as de-dollarization — are also part of what he sees reshaping the financial order. Reports indicate he also cited Japan’s interest rate changes and the unwinding of so-called carry trades as added stress points for the global system. These are moves by investors who borrow in low-interest currencies to buy higher-yielding assets elsewhere. When those trades unwind, markets can move fast and hard. He described two possible roads ahead: one where central banks keep printing money and hold interest rates low, extending current imbalances, and another where stock and credit markets suffer a sharp correction. Neither path, in his view, favors holding cash. Crypto Still Struggles As A Near-Term Hedge Crypto prices haven’t cooperated with that theory. Since Middle East tensions flared again in February, Bitcoin and XRP have held steady but gone nowhere. Markets have shown relative stability but not gains. That sits awkwardly against the argument that geopolitical risk drives money into decentralized assets. Related Reading: Forget XRP Forecasts: The ‘Delusional’ Crowd Could Have The Last Laugh Still, Vasquez says the strategy is to accumulate during downturns, not react to them. His long-term positioning includes XRP, Bitcoin, silver, and income-generating assets. His core message is preparation — financial and psychological — for an economic environment that looks increasingly unstable. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

Sitting on paper losses exceeding $14 billion, Michael Saylor’s Strategy didn’t slow down last week. The company spent roughly $1 billion buying more Bitcoin — its latest move in a relentless accumulation run that has now brought its total stash to 780,897 BTC. Related Reading: TRUMP Buying Frenzy Builds Ahead Of Mar-A-Lago Power Event A Purchase Funded By Preferred Shares That $1 billion didn’t come from operating cash. Strategy raised the money by selling 10 million shares of STRC, its perpetual preferred equity. Data shows the sale generated about $1 billion in net proceeds — and it was no small transaction. According to reports, STRC recorded its second-largest weekly issuance on record, coming in at nearly three times the four-week average. The surge followed a rule change Strategy made in early March that loosened restrictions on STRC share sales. No shares of MSTR, STRK, STRF, or STRD were sold during the same period. The 13,927 Bitcoin acquired between April 6 and 12 were purchased at an average price of $71,902 per coin. That figure sits below the company’s overall average buy price of $75,577 — meaning last week’s batch technically brought the cost basis down, not up. A Milestone Within Reach Strategy now needs just 19,103 more Bitcoin to cross the 800,000 BTC mark. Reports indicate the company has already bought more than 107,000 BTC in 2026 alone. All told, its holdings were acquired for a combined $59 billion — a figure that underscores just how deep the company is committed to this position. The purchase came during a volatile stretch for Bitcoin prices. The market briefly climbed past $73,000 early last week after news broke of a US-Iran ceasefire. That rally didn’t hold. Weekend negotiations fell apart, and an announcement of a naval blockade on April 13 pulled Bitcoin back toward $71,000. Strategy’s buying was among the signals backing the earlier rally, Nomura’s Laser Digital said, on top of solid inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, which took in $786 million over the same period. Related Reading: Forget XRP Forecasts: The ‘Delusional’ Crowd Could Have The Last Laugh Big Losses, Bigger Bets The backdrop to all of this is a balance sheet carrying $14.6 billion in unrealized losses on digital assets — a figure Strategy disclosed for the first quarter of 2026. That number reflects how far Bitcoin’s price has fallen from the highs at which much of the company’s holdings were acquired. Still, the buying continues. SEC filings confirm the latest purchase was formally disclosed Monday in an 8-K report. There is no indication from the company of any plan to pause or reverse course. With fewer than 20,000 BTC separating Strategy from the 800,000 milestone, the next purchase announcement may not be far off. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView

Small investors have all but disappeared from Bitcoin trading. Data from CryptoQuant shows crypto inflows from accounts holding less than one BTC dropped to a record low on Binance earlier this month — the weakest retail participation in nine years. Related Reading: Bessent Presses Congress On Crypto Rules As Senate Clock Ticks Down Wall Street Moves In While Main Street Sits Out The numbers tell a stark story. While everyday investors pull back, major financial institutions are quietly building their crypto positions. Morgan Stanley launched a Bitcoin ETF. Charles Schwab opened a waitlist for spot Bitcoin trading. Franklin Templeton announced a dedicated crypto division. Fannie Mae began accepting Bitcoin-backed mortgages. The stablecoin market hit an all-time high in capitalization this year. Exodus CEO JP Richardson summed it up bluntly in a post on X. “This might be the first cycle in crypto history where institutions are in a bull market, and retail doesn’t even know it,” he wrote. Richardson pointed out that in the downturns of 2018 and 2022, institutions pulled back alongside regular investors. This time, he said, they did the opposite. This might be the first cycle in crypto history where institutions are in a bull market and retail doesn’t even know it. Stablecoins at $319B. Morgan Stanley launched a Bitcoin ETF. Schwab opened a waitlist for spot bitcoin trading. Franklin Templeton announced a crypto… — JP Richardson (@jprichardson) April 13, 2026 Cost Of Living Keeps Small Investors On The Sidelines The reason retail is missing isn’t hard to find. MN Fund founder and crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe put it plainly — most people are struggling to cover their monthly bills. Inflation and rising living costs have eaten into the kind of disposable income that once fueled speculative crypto buying. “That’s why this cycle won’t be the retail cycle,” van de Poppe said. “It’s the institutional cycle and will take longer.” Some retail investors who were active in previous cycles may have shifted their money elsewhere. According to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, a portion of small-account holders appear to have moved into equities and commodities, both of which have posted strong returns recently. It’s super clear that retail isn’t interested in #Crypto. Almost everyone has a hard time paying their bills on a monthly basis. And then spending that amount of money in such a volatile asset? Hell no. That’s why this cycle won’t be the retail cycle. It’s the institutional… — Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) April 12, 2026 Near-Term Outlook Remains Tied To Macro Pressures Sentiment across crypto markets is still shaky. CoinEx chief analyst Jeff said that near-term conditions are “heavily macro-driven, especially by oil, the dollar, and inflation expectations.” Ko stopped short of calling it a structural breakdown in crypto interest. He described current pressure as a macro risk premium rather than fading demand for digital assets. Related Reading: XRP Eyes $17 After Massive Breakout—Is A 1,100% Surge Next? On the medium-term outlook, Ko said he does not expect oil prices to stay elevated given supply and demand fundamentals — a signal he reads as cautiously positive for markets down the road. What’s clear right now is that the usual retail energy that marked past crypto surges is absent. Whether it returns — and when — may depend less on crypto itself than on how much breathing room everyday people get in their finances. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Over 97% of the TRUMP memecoin’s total supply is held by just the top 100 wallets — a concentration so extreme that even aggressive buying by large holders can be easily offset by insider selling. Related Reading: Forget XRP Forecasts: The ‘Delusional’ Crowd Could Have The Last Laugh Whales Move Fast Before April Deadline Multiple large holders have been pulling significant amounts of the token off crypto exchanges in recent days, all ahead of a private luncheon scheduled for April 25 at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. According to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain, one wallet withdrew roughly 105,754 TRUMP tokens from Binance on Saturday, adding to a stash already worth around $3.2 million. Two days before that, a separate holder pulled 850,488 tokens from Bybit. Two more wallets followed on Monday — one boosting its holdings past 368,000 tokens after withdrawing from BitMart, the other crossing 1 million tokens after pulling funds from Bybit, based on data from blockchain explorer Solscan. Whales are accumulating $TRUMP for #Trump‘s Luncheon. Whale 8DHkza withdrew 850,488 $TRUMP($2.4M) from #Bybit in the past 2 days. Whale 7EtuAt withdrew another 105,754 $TRUMP($298K) from #Binance 17 hours ago and currently holds 1.13M $TRUMP($3.2M).https://t.co/Qns5mI638Z… pic.twitter.com/VRYmLb6gxJ — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) April 12, 2026 The reason for the rush is straightforward. Only the top 297 token holders get an invitation to the Mar-a-Lago event, where Trump is expected to speak. The top 29 holders are offered an additional private reception — on the same day as the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, DC. A Pattern That Has Played Out Before This is not the first time a Trump-linked event has triggered a buying surge. Trump held a similar crypto gala in May 2025, and the token climbed to $15.55 in the weeks leading up to it. But it fell as the event approached and continued sliding afterward, settling around $8.89 a month later. The current cycle shows a similar shape, though at lower prices. When the April luncheon was announced in March, TRUMP jumped to $4.30. Since then, reports indicate the price has dropped more than 30%, trading around $2.81 as of Monday, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Dominick John, an analyst at Zeus Research, said that retail selling in a thin market is pushing prices down. Supply held by insiders is making things worse — even modest distributions from a few large wallets are enough to cancel out whatever buying pressure the whales bring. Related Reading: Bessent Presses Congress On Crypto Rules As Senate Clock Ticks Down Criticism And Congressional Pushback Intensify Democratic lawmakers have openly accused Trump of using his office for personal financial gain through the token project, and legislation aimed at curbing such activity has been introduced in Congress. Critics have raised the same concerns about the upcoming luncheon, pointing out that access to a sitting US president is effectively being tied to how much of a speculative digital token someone holds. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

An analyst on X has made a bold call on Ethereum, stating that the asset is on the verge of a parabolic move. The claim is based on a golden triangle formation on the chart, a setup that shows a breakout could be approaching for the leading altcoin. This approaching breakout could also serve as the driving force for a broader altcoin market rally. Related Reading: Cardano In Danger Zone? Trader Drops ‘Time Bomb’ Claim Golden Triangle Pattern 9 Years In The Making Technical analysis of Ethereum’s 3-week chart stretching back to 2017 shows the cryptocurrency trading within a narrowing triangular structure. The pattern is defined by a rising lower trendline anchored from the March 2020 Covid crash low and a horizontal upper trendline connecting the rally peaks of 2021, 2024, and 2025.  Over nearly a decade of price action, ETH has repeatedly respected both boundaries, with bounces within the narrowing range. This has led to the formation of a golden triangle, which is a macro structure with a better possibility of resolving to the upside. As it stands, the ETH price is trading at the lower end of this formation in what looks like a higher low compared to the lowest price in 2025. The projected move shows a bounce from this level that eventually pushes Ethereum to break above resistance and transition into an upward parabolic move. The projected breakout path on the chart shows ETH exiting the apex of this triangle to the upside, with a parabolic rally that climbs above $12,000 and beyond by 2027 to 2028. This move is expected to spill into other cryptocurrencies with a huge rotation that supports an altcoin season. Ethereum’s Golden Triangle. Source: @zenkaixbt On X $2,800 As The Next Stop While the Golden Triangle analysis looked at the macro context, analyst Crypto Feras has identified a more immediate target that could cement the first significant milestone of any sustained recovery.  The analysis is based on the 3-day candlestick chart, and it is centered on the idea that Ethereum’s current structure is more important than short-term headlines. As noted by the analyst, Ethereum has maintained a consistent 3D pattern on higher time frames since February, even as markets reacted to external shocks, most especially the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. This consistency has led to the same creation of a higher low compared to the 2025 bottom that respects a rising support line. This rising diagonal support line, visible in the chart below, connects the lows of 2022, 2023, and 2025, and each of those cycle bottoms preceded substantial rallies. Ethereum Price Chart. Source: @CryptoFeras On X The 2022 low produced a 91.72% recovery, the 2023 low was followed by a 167.79% rally, and the 2025 low was followed by a 223% rally.  Related Reading: Ethereum Steals The Spotlight As Capital Moves Away From Bitcoin The current 2026 low, printed in February around $1,800, appears to be setting up along the same structural sequence, with the projected path on the chart showing ETH targeting $2,800 as the first recovery level and then an extension to $3,393. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin’s weekly chart is showing an uncomfortable comparison to one of the most brutal sell-offs in its history, and at least one analyst believes the worst may still be ahead.  This technical outlook is looking at the current price action as a mirror of the 2022 macro fractal sequence that sent Bitcoin from $69,000 to a cycle low near $15,500, implying that the current cycle could see a similar drop. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETF Hype Hits Ceiling, Sharp Drop Risk Emerges: Analyst A 2022 Repeat? The Fractal That Raises Concerns Crypto analyst philarekt posted a warning on X this week, identifying what he described as “the most dangerous macro fractal” currently playing out in Bitcoin’s price structure. The technical case rests on a side-by-side comparison of two weekly Bitcoin charts: the 2021 to 2023 cycle on the left and the current cycle on the right. In the 2021 chart, Bitcoin reached a peak price above $69,000 and proceeded to form a 3-tap structure, which are three distinct lower highs arranged within a descending channel, each bounce rejected before a final capitulation leg lower. The price ultimately fell 34% from the final tap to the absolute cycle bottom in a move that caught many market participants off-guard. The current chart, with a cycle peak at $126,000 in October 2025, shows the same architecture forming in almost identical proportion. Both the 2022 and 2026 panels show Bitcoin respecting a slanted resistance line at the top while gradually falling within a downward channel. Each bounce fails to break out, and eventually the price has created successive lower lows. Bitcoin Price Chart. Source: @philarekt On X What Happens If The Fractal Completes? The weekly RSI, which tracks momentum, is following the same pattern observed in 2022. Lastly, there’s a moving average death cross on the Bitcoin price chart, where the short-term average has crossed below a long-term average.  This death cross appeared in early March when the 50 Simple Moving Average (SMA) crossed below the 200 Simple Moving Average (SMA). An equivalent 50/200 SMA death cross appeared in 2022 after Bitcoin was already down 58% from its high, and the cryptocurrency then declined a further 46% before finding a bottom. If the sequence continues to play out as outlined, Bitcoin could be heading to a final capitulation move into the range between $40,000 and $50,000. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $72,756, up by 1.7% in the past 24 hours. The projected decline is taken directly from the 2022 template: a 34% decline from the current price zone would place the Bitcoin price within that range. Related Reading: Cardano In Danger Zone? Trader Drops ‘Time Bomb’ Claim However, the outlook is not entirely bearish after that scenario. The same fractal that points to a breakdown also points to what comes next. The capitulation in 2022 led the transition into accumulation that built the foundation for the next bull cycle. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency handed Coinbase a national bank trust charter last week — a major regulatory win that came as the crypto exchange’s CEO was ramping up pressure on Congress to finalize long-stalled digital asset legislation. Related Reading: XRP Eyes $17 After Massive Breakout—Is A 1,100% Surge Next? Armstrong Reverses Course On Clarity Act Brian Armstrong, who pulled Coinbase’s backing from the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act back in January, is now calling on lawmakers to pass it. In a post on X, Armstrong said the bill, as it stands after months of negotiation, is strong enough to move forward. “It’s time to pass the Clarity Act,” he wrote. His change of heart follows an op-ed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the Wall Street Journal, in which Bessent urged Congress to act without further delay. Armstrong said Coinbase agreed with the Treasury chief’s position. We agree. Thank you @SecScottBessent for saying it. It’s time to pass the Clarity Act. Grateful for all the bipartisan work among Senators and staff over the past several months to make this a strong bill. https://t.co/jHoZ1bfLVZ pic.twitter.com/YBKebDkq8B — Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) April 10, 2026 Three months ago, the story looked very different. Armstrong had objected to the bill’s language, and his withdrawal of support was enough to push Senate Banking Committee members to delay a scheduled markup vote. Issues around stablecoin yield, tokenized equities, and ethics provisions were among the sticking points holding things up. Negotiations Inch Toward A Deal Progress has been slow but appears to be moving. Coinbase’s chief legal officer, Paul Grewal, said last week that lawmakers were very close to reaching an agreement. The Senate Agriculture Committee already approved the bill in January, clearing one of two key hurdles. The Senate Banking Committee has yet to schedule its own markup, which must happen before the full chamber can vote. Both panels are responsible for different parts of the bill — one covering securities rules, the other commodities regulations. Getting the bill through will require alignment from both sides of a complicated regulatory divide. Crypto executives and banking industry representatives have all had a hand in shaping the current draft through direct talks with administration officials. Crypto’s Reach In Washington Continues To Grow Coinbase is not the only company that has benefited from a friendlier political climate. Paxos, Ripple Labs, BitGo, Circle, and Fidelity Digital Assets all received similar charter approvals in December. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETF Hype Hits Ceiling, Sharp Drop Risk Emerges: Analyst Reports indicate Armstrong met personally with US President Donald Trump before Trump publicly called for quick action on crypto market structure rules. Ripple executives have also been part of White House discussions on the bill. Whether the Senate Banking Committee moves quickly remains to be seen. But with the Treasury Secretary, the White House, and now Coinbase’s CEO aligned behind the legislation, the pressure on Congress to act is real. Featured image from Thana Prasongsin/Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Ethereum’s growing base of active users may be one reason investors are putting more money into it — and less into Bitcoin. Related Reading: Cardano In Danger Zone? Trader Drops ‘Time Bomb’ Claim Exchange Outflows Point To A Shift In Holding Behavior Data from on-chain research firm XWIN Research shows Ethereum recorded a sustained drop in exchange-held supply throughout March 2026, a sign that more holders are moving their tokens off trading platforms and into long-term storage. Reduced exchange supply typically signals less intention to sell. At the same time, active addresses on the Ethereum network trended higher, pointing to broader usage across its ecosystem. Stablecoins, decentralized finance, and real-world asset tokenization all saw activity gains during the period. ETHUSD trading at $2,236 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView Bitcoin did not show the same kind of network momentum. While it posted a 1.80% price gain in March, its market cap slipped 0.41%. Ethereum, by contrast, climbed 7% and expanded its market cap by almost 3%. That gap drew attention from analysts tracking capital movement across the two largest cryptocurrencies. Why Ethereum Outperformed Bitcoin “ETH currently benefits from simultaneous capital inflow, supply tightening, and ecosystem growth. This positions Ethereum as a structurally stronger asset in the current phase.” – By @xwinfinance pic.twitter.com/khcggqJZk6 — CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) April 10, 2026 Ethereum Runs Hotter Than Bitcoin On Volatility Measures The two assets moved largely in the same direction — their price correlation sat at around 0.94 — but how far they moved told a different story. Ethereum’s realized volatility came in at 62% for the month. Bitcoin’s was 49%. According to XWIN Research, that spread positions Ethereum as a higher-beta asset, one that reacts more sharply when liquidity conditions shift. Traders chasing bigger short-term gains appear to have taken notice. The Coinbase Premium Gap, a metric that tracks the price difference between Coinbase and other exchanges, remained negative for Ethereum. Reports indicate, however, that it showed early signs of narrowing — a potential signal that US-based demand is beginning to return. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst Store-Of-Value Narrative Loses Ground To Utility Play Bitcoin has long been positioned as digital gold — a place to park value rather than a network to build on. That story may be losing some of its pull, at least for now. Based on XWIN Research’s analysis, attention appears to be rotating toward assets that respond more directly to shifts in liquidity and market sentiment. Ethereum, with its broader infrastructure role, is currently drawing that attention. The analysis stopped short of predicting how long the trend would last. What it did say is that Ethereum’s on-chain data and ecosystem activity place it in a stronger short-term position than Bitcoin. Whether that holds as broader market conditions change remains to be seen. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

XRP has been moving with the broader crypto market, pushing up to important support levels and climbing to the top of its recent consolidation range near $1.36.  That rebound has reignited bullish speculation around the altcoin, and now one analyst is laying out a much more ambitious scenario—one that, if it unfolds, could translate into a roughly 1,100% rally from current levels. New XRP Price Target At $16.39 In a report published by 24/7 Wall St., market analyst Javon Marks said he has a fresh chart-based target for XRP that sits just under $17. Marks is also the analyst credited with calling XRP’s move from $0.56 to $2.47 in January 2024, months before that rally actually happened.  The new thesis, according to the report, is built around a long-running technical structure: a pennant pattern that began forming in 2017 and later broke out in late 2024.  Related Reading: WLFI Crashes 13% To All-Time Lows Amid Growing Liquidation Fears For World Liberty Financial Marks’ framework starts with the earlier 2017 phase. The report notes that XRP rose from $0.006 to $3.31 in 2017 in one of the largest rallies in its history. After that burst, the token fell sharply and then spent about seven years consolidating inside the pennant structure described by the analyst.  The long wait appears to have ended during the post-election crypto rally: in late 2024, XRP broke out of the pennant, jumping from $0.49 to above $3.60 by mid-2025. From there, Marks says he uses a “measured move” method. This approach takes the size of the original rally that created the pennant setup and projects that distance forward from the later breakout point.  Under that method, the analysis points to $16.39—just under the nearly $17 level that Marks posted on April 8. The report also emphasizes that the measured move is not expected to be a straight line, as pullbacks are part of the pattern. What Would It Take For The Altcoin To Rally 1,000%? XRP, the report says, already moved about 647% from the breakout before retracing back toward the area where it currently trades, around $1.36. Marks argues that this pullback looks more like the “normal” behavior of the pattern rather than evidence that the breakout failed.  The report draws a comparison to what happened in 2017: the altcoin pulled back sharply after the early move, yet still went on to complete the full measured move. If history rhymes again, Marks suggests XRP could complete another leg that delivers roughly 1,100% upside from current pricing. Related Reading: Expert Forecasts Bitcoin Surge To $80,000 Amid US-Iran Ceasefire And Oil Price Drop However, the report makes clear that reaching that kind of price would require major real-world changes, not just chart follow-through. It says that for XRP to reach such a valuation, several things would need to fall into place.  Banks on Ripple’s network would need to start settling using XRP instead of the company’s RLUSD stablecoin and fiat. That shift is described as depending on the long-awaited CLARITY Act passing to provide legal cover for the transition.  On top of that, XRP ETF inflows would need to grow substantially; the report notes that XRP has already attracted about $1.2 billion so far, but reaching $17 would likely require sustained inflows in the “tens of billions” over multiple years, alongside institutional adoption at a scale not yet seen. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Cardano’s short sellers are taking a beating. Over the past 24 hours, over $500,000 worth of short positions were liquidated as ADA hovered near $0.25 — a price point that one unnamed trader is calling a powder keg ready to blow. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst Whale Activity Signals Quiet Accumulation Exchange data tells a quiet story of confidence beneath the surface. More ADA has been flowing out of exchanges than flowing in, a pattern that often shows up when large holders are pulling coins into private wallets rather than preparing to sell. Whale accumulation has picked up as well. Reports indicate the number of wallets holding 10 million or more ADA recently climbed to a four-month high, even as the price continued sliding. The liquidation data reflects the same tension. Of the $637,500 in total ADA positions wiped out in the past day, shorts accounted for nearly 80% of the damage. Long positions absorbed the rest — about $135,200 — as buyers got caught on the wrong side of brief downward swings. BREAKING: CARDANO ( $ADA ) IS A TICKING TIME BOMB SAYS EXPERT TRADER ???????????? The target is 1.20$ end of this week. In his words “there’s nowhere left for it to go this week it will either go up or go down.” pic.twitter.com/Sg8yef818a — ????Mintern (@MinswapIntern) April 9, 2026 A Chart Four Years In The Making The technical case for a breakout rests on a structure that has been building since early 2022. Based on a chart shared by Minswap DEX’s self-described chief meme officer Mintern on X, ADA has been trading inside a horizontal price channel for roughly four years, bouncing between a ceiling and a floor without breaking decisively in either direction. ADA’s all-time high of $3.10 came in 2021. After that peak, the coin dropped sharply. By the week of January 17, 2022, it had fallen from $1.60 to below $0.91, before eventually settling near the top of the channel around $1.18. That range — from roughly $0.23 on the low end to $1.18 on the high end — has contained price action ever since. A descending trendline developed inside the channel starting around August 2025, when ADA peaked near $1.02 and then began forming a series of lower highs. Today, the price sits where that trendline meets the channel’s lower boundary — a compression point that typically forces a decisive move. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETF Hype Hits Ceiling, Sharp Drop Risk Emerges: Analyst The unnamed trader’s analysis calls for a breakout to the upside with a price target near $1.20 before the week ends. That would represent a roughly 380% gain from current levels in less than two days. A Bold Call From An Unknown Voice Still, the prediction carries real weight only if its source does — and that source remains unknown. The trader behind the “ticking time bomb” call was never identified in the analysis Mintern shared, which raises obvious questions about credibility, track record, and motive. A 380% rally in under 48 hours is an extraordinary claim. Extraordinary claims demand more than an anonymous chart. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

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

Securitize is set to issue a Currenc Group equity as a digital token on a public blockchain, with the shares expected to launch on both Ethereum and Solana. Related Reading: South Korea Imposes 5-Minute Audit Rule On Crypto Platforms The move puts Solana back in the spotlight for a use case tied to real-world assets, not just price moves. The setup is meant to combine Ethereum’s security profile with Solana’s faster and cheaper transaction speed. Price Holds In A Narrow Band Solana (SOL) was trading at $82.45 at the time of writing, according to CoinGecko data. The token was unchanged over the last 24 hours, but it was still up 4.50% over the past week. Trading volume came in at $3.55 billion, down 42% in a day, while market value held at $47.30 billion. $SOL Is Back At The Same Buy Zone That Pumped It 2,194% Last Time Will Solana Hit $1000 In Alt Season? pic.twitter.com/5Nj83gVZ7W — Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) April 9, 2026 That muted price action sits beside a much louder forecast. Crypto analyst Crypto Patel pointed to a buy zone that Solana has returned to, saying the same area came before a 2,194% rally in the past. Based on that setup, fresh talk has emerged about whether SOL could climb to $1,000 in the next cycle. A Familiar Chart Setup The long-range question has been linked to the idea of an incoming altseason. Some traders are watching for a broader recovery in smaller coins, with Solana drawing attention due to its history of sharp rallies. The $1,000 target, however, rests on a range of assumptions, including stronger adoption and increased liquidity flowing into the market. We’ve partnered with Currenc Group (Nasdaq: CURR) to tokenize their shares on Ethereum and Solana. pic.twitter.com/LnajAodSSJ — Securitize (@Securitize) April 8, 2026 For now, the more concrete story is the network’s growing role in tokenization. The Securitize-Currenc plan places Solana inside a market that is trying to move stocks and other assets onto blockchains. The report said tokenized shares are being released on both Ethereum and Solana at the same time, which signals a push to spread that activity across more than one chain. Tokenization Becomes The Real Test That two-chain design was presented as a response to the need for platforms that can handle tokenized real-world assets at scale. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst Tokenized stocks are being treated as a growing part of blockchain finance, with the new issuance seen as another sign that Solana is being used for more than trading activity. The price debate remains open, but the network’s latest milestone offers a more practical point of focus. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView

Gold has quietly outrun Bitcoin by a wide margin — and one Wall Street analyst says that gap tells the real story of where markets are headed. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst Bitcoin’s ETF Gains Pale Against Gold’s Run Since the launch of US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in early 2024, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust helped push Bitcoin’s price up roughly 50%. Gold, over the same stretch, climbed about 135%. That performance gap is central to the argument being made by Mike McGlone, senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, who says capital may already be moving away from high-risk assets toward safer ground. McGlone has been laying out his case through a series of posts on X, warning that the explosive run Bitcoin made past $100,000 following the arrival of spot ETFs may now be over. Bitcoin is currently trading around $72,000. McGlone’s downside target is $10,000. Getting there would require a drop of more than 86%. Bitcoin May be Guiding Risk Asset Reversion The launch of US Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 helped push the price above $100,000 and may guide reversion back toward $10,000. What’s notable from my graphic is the first-born crypto reaching an apex in 2025 alongside US stock market… pic.twitter.com/LCKF213Ss4 — Mike McGlone (@mikemcglone11) April 9, 2026 Peak Cycle, Not A New Era McGlone traces Bitcoin’s 2025 high of $126,200 to a specific moment in broader market history. At roughly the same time Bitcoin hit that peak, the US stock market’s total value relative to the country’s gross domestic product reached its highest point since 1928 — a ratio widely used to judge whether equities are overpriced. According to McGlone, that overlap is not a coincidence. He describes the conditions that drove Bitcoin’s rise as a mix of ETF-driven inflows, political tailwinds from US President Donald Trump’s embrace of crypto, and what he calls “peak beta” — a phase where speculative assets briefly surge before falling hard. Reports from his analysis suggest this combination created the conditions for a sharp reversal rather than a sustained bull run. Bitcoin is also about four times more volatile than the S&P 500, according to McGlone’s data, which he says makes it a difficult sell for institutional investors who weigh returns against risk. Capital Rotation Raises Questions About Bitcoin’s Role The S&P 500, on a risk-adjusted basis, has outperformed Bitcoin ETFs since their debut. McGlone points to that as a sign the ETF launch may have served more as a late-cycle catalyst than a structural turning point for the asset class. Based on his analysis, the phase he calls “pump then dump” — where prices spike and then reverse — may already be underway. If that reading is correct, Bitcoin could fall alongside other speculative assets while gold continues to attract investors looking for stability. Related Reading: XRP Eyes $17 After Massive Breakout—Is A 1,100% Surge Next? McGlone stops short of saying exactly when a drop to $10,000 would occur. His argument is framed around broader market conditions tightening and investors pulling back from risk, not a specific timeline. What he does say clearly is that the ETF boom, once seen as a long-term driver for Bitcoin, may have already done most of its work. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Some XRP watchers are not waiting for a dip below $1. They are looking the other way — toward $17. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst The Pattern Behind The Price Target Market analyst Javon Marks has mapped out a long-term bull case for XRP using a measured move — a method that takes the size of a past rally and projects the same distance from a new breakout point. His chart points to a price target of $16.39, which would represent a gain of more than 1,100% from current levels. That works out to roughly a 12x increase. The setup goes back years. According to Marks, XRP formed a large pennant pattern starting in 2017, right after the token’s first major surge. To a fairly precise degree, the measured move price target for $XRP is right under $17. This means that another increase of over 1,111% could take place in response to the huge, 2017-like pennant breakout which occurred in late 2024. pic.twitter.com/4Hj5gZJYkj — JAVON⚡️MARKS (@JavonTM1) April 8, 2026 That kind of pattern typically reflects a pause before a trend picks back up. He says XRP broke out of that pennant in late 2024, during a broader market rally that followed the US presidential election. Using the scale of the original 2017 run as a guide, Marks projects the next leg of the move could carry XRP to near $17. In other words, if history repeats itself — and that is a big if — XRP could still be in the early part of a much larger move. XRP: Debate Among Analysts Not everyone is convinced the ride up will be smooth. Some XRP followers have raised the possibility of a fake breakout before any real rally takes hold. Marks acknowledged that kind of short-term volatility is possible. Still, he stood by the overall structure, saying the current setup closely mirrors what XRP looked like in 2017 before it made its big run. At current prices, Marks argues XRP is trading at a steep discount relative to where the measured move points. That framing has attracted attention from traders who follow chart-based analysis closely. XRP has been sending mixed signals this week. The token climbed to around $1.39 after news of an Iran ceasefire, then pulled back to roughly $1.32 — a drop of about 3.3% in 24 hours. Related Reading: Bessent Presses Congress On Crypto Rules As Senate Clock Ticks Down Other Bullish Voices In The Mix Marks is not alone in making a high-target call, though the numbers vary widely. Analyst CG has pointed to a two-year Elliott Wave count, with Wave 3 potentially driving XRP toward $24. Separately, another market commentator said XRP may be approaching a fresh all-time high after breaking out of a resistance-support triangle. At the same time, some analysts have held onto the view that a drop below $1 remains on the table before any major move higher. That split shows just how divided the XRP crowd remains heading into what could be a defining stretch for the token. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Market expert Sam Daodu has released a new April outlook for Bitcoin (BTC), flagging geopolitical developments and macroeconomic forces as the decisive factors for where prices may go next.  Daodu’s note comes after Bitcoin ran into resistance just above roughly $72,000 and amid a market environment that has produced the asset’s first consecutive quarterly losses since 2022. Bitcoin Faces Unusual April Daodu pointed to Bitcoin’s historical tendency to finish April in the black: since 2013, the token has closed the month higher nine times out of 13, a 69% win rate.  On paper, April looks generous — the average return sits at 10.7% — but that mean is skewed by a handful of outsized years (2013, 2018, 2019, and 2020), each with gains above 28%. Strip out those extreme outliers, and the average April return falls to a subdued 0.7%.  More representative measures show Bitcoin’s median April gain at 7.1%, with the best April on record in 2013 (+36.8%) and the worst in 2022 (−17.2%). These historical ranges, Daodu says, demonstrate how much April outcomes depend on the broader macro backdrop. Related Reading: Adam Back Denies Being Bitcoin Creator In Response To NYT: ‘I Am Not Satoshi’ What makes April 2026 unusual, Daodu argues, is the dominance of external macro and geopolitical drivers that were largely absent in prior years. The ongoing US–Iran conflict has kept oil prices elevated — above $100 since early March — and the Federal Reserve (Fed) has revised its 2026 inflation forecast upward to 2.7%.  Those developments have knocked back expectations for near‑term rate cuts and left markets braced for higher rates into the second quarter. Taken together, tighter liquidity and heightened geopolitical risk create a tougher environment for risk assets, including BTC. Under these conditions, Daodu warns, the usual early‑April dip and subsequent rebound are no longer assured. Rather, three key elements will determine Bitcoin’s future.  Whether oil drops below $90 per barrel, whether monetary expectations ease, and whether the US-Iran ceasefire persists and leads to a lasting deal.  Three Possible Paths Daodu lays out three price scenarios to quantify how those outcomes could play out. In his bullish case, a genuine ceasefire coupled with oil prices falling below $90 would significantly relieve macro pressure. That relief, he says, could allow Bitcoin to clear resistance above $75,000 and propel a run toward $80,000. Progress on the CLARITY Act — legislative movement expected to be marked up in late April — would add fuel to that rally by improving regulatory clarity for digital assets. Related Reading: JPMorgan CEO Says Bank Must Build Its Own Blockchain To Counter Crypto Threats His base case envisions a more muted month. Persistent tax‑related selling in early April could cap gains and keep BTC trading between about $68,000 and $76,000. Without a clear catalyst, such as an end to the conflict, Bitcoin would likely consolidate in that band. The bearish scenario involves a breakdown of the ceasefire and renewed escalation. In that event, Daodu says Bitcoin could lose its nearby support around $69,000, trigger liquidations of leveraged positions, and see short‑term holders exit.  That pressure could send BTC toward $65,000 or lower; the expert notes that Standard Chartered has warned of a deeper slump toward $50,000 if macro conditions deteriorate substantially. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

A dispute over stablecoin rewards — not sweeping disagreements about crypto itself — is what’s holding up one of the most significant digital asset bills in US history. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst Banks And Crypto Firms Clash Over Stablecoin Yields At the center of the standoff is a narrow but contentious question: should third-party firms like Coinbase be allowed to pass stablecoin yields on to their customers? Banks say no, warning it could drain deposits from traditional financial institutions. Crypto companies say yes, arguing it’s essential to staying competitive. That single point of friction has stalled the CLARITY Act in the Senate for months, even as the Trump administration pushes hard for a vote. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went public Tuesday with a blunt message — Congress needs to move now, before Senate floor time runs out. According to reports, Bessent described the situation as urgent, saying “time is scarce, and now is the time to act.” He framed the legislation not just as a financial policy matter but as a national security concern, arguing that economic security and national security are one and the same. The U.S. Treasury Secretary is weighing in on the push to pass crypto market structure legislation in a new @WSJ op-ed.@SecScottBessent framed it as a national priority, saying “economic security is national security,” and argued the Clarity Act is the cornerstone to bringing… — Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) April 9, 2026 Adoption Numbers Add Weight To The Push The case for urgency isn’t just political. Data shows that roughly one in six Americans already holds some form of digital asset. Major banks and financial institutions have either launched crypto-related products or applied to do so. Blockchain technology, according to Bessent, has worked its way into payments, settlements, and the trading of real-world assets at a scale that regulators can no longer ignore. The global crypto market swung between $2 trillion and $3 trillion in value over the past year alone — a range that reflects both the size and the volatility of the industry. That backdrop gives the push for a regulatory framework added weight, especially as traditional finance continues to wade deeper into the space. Senator Cynthia Lummis joined Bessent’s call, saying the conditions for passing the CLARITY Act are as good as they’ve ever been. “We have the administration, the momentum, and we’ve made bipartisan progress,” she said. A Senate markup of the bill is expected sometime in April, though similar deadlines have slipped before. Related Reading: Bitcoin Faces Quantum Risk As Bernstein Sees 3–5 Year Window For Upgrades White House Study Adds Fuel To Banking Debate A White House analysis recently found that the risk of deposit flight from allowing stablecoin rewards is, by its own description, “quantitatively small.” Under the GENIUS Act framework, stablecoin issuers are barred from paying yields directly. The CLARITY Act, however, would open the door for third-party distributors to do it instead. Some banking members pushed back on the White House findings, arguing the analysis overlooked key funding risks beyond deposit levels. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Crypto markets are showing early signs that the worst may be over, following a prolonged decline that began with the industry’s sharp sell-off back in October of last year.   In a new report shared on social media, technical analyst Ali Martinez says the market is now starting to form what he calls a structural floor. Next Cycle Setup For Crypto Leaders Martinez’s view is rooted in the idea that seven months of heavy volatility may also be creating a rare opportunity. For those focused on the longer-term picture, he argues, the current turbulence can act as a reset period before the next multi-year cycle.  Rather than treating the current sell-off as purely negative, Martinez suggests it may be setting up the conditions for a new upward phase once the market stops bleeding. Related Reading: Adam Back Denies Being Bitcoin Creator In Response To NYT: ‘I Am Not Satoshi’ When looking at the “big picture” for broader crypto market structure, Martinez points to a metric he says helps define the floor: the CVDD Channel, which stands for Cumulative Value Days Destroyed.  According to his analysis, Bitcoin’s “Golden Zone” is currently near $49,330. He claims that historically, entries into this area have tended to show up before bull market runs, and he outlines upside targets for what could follow—potentially reaching $178,478, and in an even more extended scenario, $273,158. The analyst then turns to Ethereum (ETH). Martinez says he is watching whether ETH is moving within a parallel channel pattern, and if that interpretation holds, he believes the zone between current levels and $1,070 could offer a high-conviction entry point.  From there, he highlights an ecosystem-wide rally scenario with a macro target around $8,670 as the next major objective, framing it as a move that would emerge as the broader crypto ecosystem matures. Outlook For XRP, SOL, And DOGE For XRP, Martinez focuses on a specific support level as the key to determining whether the crypto market can stabilize. He says that if XRP can hold support near $0.80, it could create a strong “buy the dip” setup, potentially giving traders a chance before a later retest of XRP’s all-time high near $3.30 and beyond.  Solana (SOL) is next, and Martinez suggests SOL may need a broader “generational” reset to complete the bottoming process. He argues that the possible low area ranges from $74 to $50, describing that band as a total reset of speculative “froth.”  Martinez characterizes that kind of clearance as a major launchpad for the next upward move, implying that the more aggressive the washout, the more room there may be for the following leg higher. Related Reading: JPMorgan CEO Says Bank Must Build Its Own Blockchain To Counter Crypto Threats Finally, Martinez discusses Dogecoin (DOGE) using what he calls fractal signals. He says the memecoin’s chart structure indicates a coiling phase that often appears before the next parabolic move.  In that context, Martinez points to a zone he believes is where larger, more informed buyers could begin accumulating. His range for that buildup is between $0.090 and $0.060, which he describes as the area where accumulation could start to intensify ahead of a potential upside surge. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Wall Street’s financial advisory machine now has a direct line to Bitcoin. Morgan Stanley Investment Management launched its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund on NYSE Arca on Tuesday, backed by a network of roughly 16,000 financial advisors who can steer clients into the product through their standard brokerage accounts. Related Reading: Bitcoin Faces Quantum Risk As Bernstein Sees 3–5 Year Window For Upgrades First Bank-Affiliated Asset Manager To Cross The Line The fund, trading under the ticker MSBT, tracks Bitcoin’s daily price using the CoinDesk Bitcoin Benchmark 4 PM NY Settlement Rate — a pricing tool that pulls executed trade data from major Bitcoin spot exchanges to generate a standardized settlement figure. While BlackRock and Fidelity already offer Bitcoin ETFs, neither is affiliated with a traditional US bank. Morgan Stanley’s entry fills that gap and marks the first time a bank-linked asset manager has brought a cryptocurrency product of this kind to market. LATEST: ???? Morgan Stanley launches its Bitcoin ETF on NYSE Arca today, becoming the first major US bank to offer a publicly traded spot Bitcoin fund. https://t.co/r3un2WaSGs pic.twitter.com/lRV9IOsgEO — CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) April 8, 2026 Eric Balchunas of Bloomberg called it a dramatic shift for the industry. Just a few years ago, he said, such a move from Morgan Stanley would have been unthinkable. Fees Set Below The Competition Morgan Stanley priced MSBT at a 0.14% sponsor fee — a hair below Grayscale Investments, which charges around 0.15% for a comparable product. It’s a small difference on paper, but in a market where cost comparisons drive investor decisions, even a single basis point can tip the scales. The firm says that makes MSBT the lowest-cost Bitcoin ETP currently available among comparable offerings. BNY and Coinbase were tapped to handle custody of the fund’s digital assets. BNY also takes on the administrator and transfer agent roles, covering accounting, record-keeping, and cash management. The combination of a legacy banking giant and a major crypto exchange signals a deliberate effort to meet institutional standards from the start. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst Launch Comes Amid Fresh Outflows Across Bitcoin Funds The timing is not without friction. Bitcoin ETF products recorded their first week of net outflows just before MSBT went live, with close to $160 million pulled from these funds. Fidelity and Grayscale saw nearly $48 million and $42 million in withdrawals each. Despite the headwind, Morgan Stanley is pressing ahead. MSBT joins an ETF platform the firm launched in 2023, which now manages over $12 billion across 19 products. Adding a Bitcoin fund extends that lineup beyond traditional asset classes for the first time. Whether retail investors — guided by those thousands of financial advisors — will move in behind it remains the open question. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

The South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), together with the Digital Asset Exchange Association (DAXA) are rolling out unified rules for withdrawal across all registered crypto exchanges. A Unified Crypto Withdrawal System From now on, all local crypto exchanges are being forced to have one tough, standardized withdrawal‑delay regime by South Korean financial regulators. According to the Korean outlet News1, the intention behind the new withdrawal delay system for crypto exchanges is to prevent damage from voice phishing scams that depend on speed. The new criteria for ‘withdrawal delay exceptions’, which according to News1 have previously been highly susceptible to criminal exploitation, will be standardized. Intensive monitoring will also be conducted on accounts to which these exceptions apply. Related Reading: Crypto Trust Crisis — The “Kim Jong‑Un Test” Is Exposing Secret North Korean Moles The aforementioned vulnerability was created by “exchange‑by‑exchange loopholes” that scammers abused, The Korea Times claims. In many of these voice phishing schemes, dirty cash is funneled into an account, quickly flipped into crypto, and rushed back out again before investigators can track it or lock it down. What The Change Really Entails South Korean exchanges have been obliged to hold crypto withdrawals for 24 to 72 hours after a deposit since May 2025. This creates a buffer window that lets banks and regulators spot and stop suspicious transfers. However, the rules include exemptions based on factors like how long an account has been open, its past activity, trading size, and any history of misconduct. Each exchange has set and applied those standards on its own until now. In some instances, accounts slipped into the exempt bucket with minimal checks, letting scammers sidestep the waiting period and pull funds out almost instantly. Between June and September 2025, 59% of identified fraud‑linked exchange accounts sat in these “exception” buckets that dodged the delay. Under the new standards, authorities want exception accounts cut to under 1% of users. Exchanges are also required to tighten KYC, fund‑source checks and monitoring on those accounts Regulators also intend to tighten scrutiny of exempt accounts, rolling out stronger, recurring customer checks. This includes routine verification of where funds come from, at least once a year. Alongside it, a new system designed to more systematically track and analyze withdrawal patterns will also be required. To keep inconvenience to a minimum, exemptions will still be available when immediate withdrawals are genuinely needed, for example, to settle accounts. Market Implications The new measure comes on top of other recent strict Korean crypto regulations, like AI‑powered transaction surveillance and potential early account freezes for suspected manipulators. Just this Monday, the FSC ordered all domestic crypto exchanges to have a new 5-minute asset-matching system, as regulators found that the existing kill switches of some of the major exchanges were unreliable. Related Reading: Binance Deploys PRER Volatility Shield — Here’s How New Price Bands Could Hit Your Orders All new users and large fresh deposits will face predictable 24–72 hour “cooling‑off” windows before they can move coins to self‑custody or offshore venues, which dulls fast‑money flows and arb activity. Standardized delays and tighter exemptions make it harder for scam rings to spin up fresh accounts across multiple exchanges, but they also push sophisticated traders toward long‑term setups, derivatives on regulated venues, or non‑Korean liquidity hubs. If the model works and fraud metrics fall, Korea’s unified‑delay template is likely to show up in other high‑risk jurisdictions as a “best practice” for managing scam‑heavy retail flows. Bitcoin bounced back and reclaimed $72k earlier today. At the moment of writing, BTC trades for the high $71ks on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview. Cover image from Perplexity. BTCUSDT chart from Tradingview.