Bitcoin's struggle below $80K highlights the significant impact of derivatives on market dynamics, emphasizing cautious trading strategies.
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Gemini won CFTC approval to operate a derivatives clearinghouse as it expands prediction markets and eyes broader crypto derivatives.
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The latest holder data from Santiment shows that crypto adoption is still increasing, even as prices are without a clear bullish trend across the market. Bitcoin is approaching a major wallet milestone, XRP has continued to grow its user base, and Ethereum is dominating the field by a wide margin. Numbers Reveal A Surge In Adoption New figures from on-chain analytics platform Santiment show that cryptocurrencies are witnessing intense adoption across the board. This data is particularly gotten from the holder count from Santiment, which looks at the number of addresses with non-empty balances. Of the bunch, Bitcoin, XRP, and Ethereum are posting numbers that are noteworthy. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin And Ethereum Prices Have Been Rising And Falling Sharply Bitcoin’s holder count is now one of the clearest signs of adoption across the crypto industry. Santiment’s latest data shows Bitcoin is currently at about 59.08 million non-empty wallets, bringing the network close to the 60 million mark. This means Bitcoin has built one of the largest ownership bases in crypto despite several months of difficult price action and correction from its 2025 price peak. The timing of Bitcoin’s wallet growth is important because it is coming at the same time institutional demand is starting to improve again. Data from SoSoValue shows that Spot Bitcoin ETF flows witnessed positive flows in March and April, after four straight months of net outflows from late November 2025 through February 2026 that totaled about $4 billion. Santiment’s data places XRP’s non-empty wallet count at 7.8 million. That figure, when viewed in isolation, is somewhat modest against Bitcoin’s tally. However, when viewed in context, it reflects a network that has increased in adoption with unusual consistency over the past 18 months since it started trading in the US again. This growth is also notable because XRP has not had the kind of price performance that would usually be expected to accompany a rising holder base. A Broader Market In Expansion The Santiment snapshot is not limited to only Bitcoin and XRP, and it places the cryptocurrencies in context compared to the rest of the market. According to Santiment, Ethereum is nearing 190 million non-empty wallets for the first time in its history, putting it far ahead of every other large-cap crypto asset tracked in the dataset. Ethereum’s 189.5 million non-empty wallets is itself a headline number, one that places it at 3.2 times Bitcoin’s holder count. Related Reading: Analyst Says High XRP Price Targets Are Dangerous, Here’s Why XRP’s 7.8 million non-empty wallets place it below Dogecoin’s 8.25 million and Tether’s 13.61 million on Ethereum, but above USDC’s 6.76 million, Cardano’s 4.63 million, and Chainlink’s 870,720 non-empty wallets. These holder numbers show how far crypto adoption has grown. Research estimates that about 559 million people now own cryptocurrency in 2026, representing a 9.9% global adoption rate, with further growth expected when clearer regulations take shape in the US and other major jurisdictions. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Some market watchers liken Strategy's STRC preferred stock to a "circular" Ponzi scheme model, but Benchmark disagrees.
X rebuilds its ad platform with AI-powered tools as Musk pushes the company deeper into payments, commerce, and xAI integration.
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Digital platforms are reshaping comedy, offering new opportunities while traditional venues remain essential for growth.
The post Fahim Anwar: Life’s complexities mirror a game of SimCity, the comedy scene in LA is evolving with new opportunities, and digital platforms have democratized comedy | This Past Weekend appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The incident shows that as more real-world outcomes become tradable, the real bottleneck is not trading itself, but the integrity and certification of the data used for settlement, argues Hallali.
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss' crypto exchange now holds licenses allowing it to expand into regulated derivatives and prediction markets, the fastest-growing sectors in crypto.
Solana Ventures, Solana Labs' Anatoly Yakovenko and Solana Foundation’s Nick Ducoff have all participated in the round.
Coinbase Asset Management launches CUSHY, a tokenized credit strategy giving qualified stablecoin investors access to onchain credit.
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By partnering with Chainalysis to monitor its blockchain data in real-time, Polymarket is signaling to both users and regulators that it is serious about eliminating insider trading and market manipulation.
A DCO license will now allow crypto exchange Gemini to act as a clearinghouse for its derivatives-related businesses.
Sui is a differentiated Layer-1 blockchain, combining novel object-based architecture and parallel execution for high throughput. It's optimized for consumer Web3 apps.
Anchorage seeks to expand its issuance platform through M0, and opens the door to a broad range of firms looking to launch U.S.-regulated stablecoins.
Both Polymarket and rival Kalshi have attempted to address concerns about insider trading on the platforms.
Quantum computing's unproven threat to Bitcoin underscores the need for proactive security measures and community dialogue.
The post Beimnet Abebe: The quantum threat to Bitcoin remains unproven, BIP 360 enhances wallet flexibility, and preserving property rights is crucial for Bitcoin’s future | Galaxy Brains appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
US seized nearly $500M in Iran linked crypto as Treasury expands sanctions after a $344M USDT freeze tied to Iran.
The post US seizes nearly $500M in Iran linked crypto as Bessent says sanctions push regime into crisis appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
MARA will acquire an Ohio natural gas plant operator for $1.5 billion, shifting from bitcoin mining to digital infrastructure.
When Gary Gensler left the US Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2025, Bitcoin was trending higher, and many expected a more favorable regulatory backdrop to drive further upside. Instead, BTC has fallen sharply to a zone that complicates a once-popular narrative that regulation, or Gensler specifically, was the primary force holding the market back. Bitcoin’s Price May Be Saying More About Markets Than Regulators The market reaction to regulatory change hasn’t played out the way many expected. Analyst Benjamin Cowen has mentioned on X that when Gary Gensler stepped down from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in January 2025, Bitcoin was trading around $109,000. Today, it sits closer to $75,000. Related Reading: Crypto Markets Rattle As Bitcoin Sinks Under $77K Following Oil Spike Cowen argues that one major reason the crypto markets have suffered is that market participants started to lose faith in the industry itself. After Gensler left, it essentially just opened the floodgates to the grift age of crypto. During the period, the influencers and politicians were launching memecoins and rug-pulling their followers every day, without fear of any repercussions. This led to a massive misallocation of capital, with liquidity flowing into speculative assets instead of strengthening the broader ecosystem. While people celebrated Gensler’s exit, it marked a turning point in the industry, with BTC only marginally going higher before entering a bear market. According to Cowen, now that some people are celebrating Jerome Powell’s removal as chair of the Federal Reserve, it is a sign that history could repeat itself. They celebrated it in the short term, which will mark a turning point in credibility for the Fed in a few years. If the Fed becomes another cabinet within the executive branch, it may lead to a lack of trust in the institution. In a few years, participants will realize that markets were better off with Powell than without him. Liquidity Sweeps Into FOMC Are Becoming A Familiar Setup Bitcoin has shown a consistent pattern around Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings, and it’s not bullish in the short term. A crypto trader known as Max Trades highlighted that following the last seven FOMC meetings, BTC dropped sharply after each decision. Related Reading: Bitcoin Setup Suggests Liquidity Hunt Before Next Directional Move What makes the current setup notable is how closely it mirrors the conditions seen before the March meeting. Back then, price rallied into the event, repeatedly sweeping local highs while building a large pool of liquidity below. That structure marked the local top, followed by a 13% correction that erased most of the prior move. Heading into the current interest rate decision, these factors are in place, with BTC price trading just below a major higher-timeframe resistance level, adding another layer of confluence to the downside scenario. However, if this same scenario plays out similarly, the BTC price could point to the formation of another local top around this event. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
MARA's investment in energy infrastructure highlights a strategic shift towards integrating AI and power resources, potentially reshaping industry dynamics.
The post MARA bets $1.5 billion on Ohio power plant to anchor flagship AI campus appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Bitcoin's April rebound is now facing a two-front macro test. The official Treasury curve for Apr. 29 placed the 10-year yield at 4.42%, the 30-year at 4.98%, and the 5-year at 4.05%. Today, market charts show the same pressure zone, with the 10-year near 4.40%, the 30-year near 5%, the 5-year near 4.04%, and WTI […]
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Brighty data shows Spain leading EURC retail usage, offering an early look at how euro stablecoins are being used under MiCA.
A large overhead supply cluster, increased profit-taking activity and the resumption of spot Bitcoin ETF outflows are key factors keeping BTC price pinned below $80,000.
Stablecoin payments company Kast hired former SEC adviser Stephanie Allen as it expands licensing, communications and policy efforts after an $80 million raise.
Agent Cards will enable AI agents to make purchases using a USDT balance without "requiring a human in every approval loop.”
The fund, dubbed CUSHY, targets yield from onchain lending and private credit, offering tokenized access through Superstate for institutional investors.
Solana is launching a Swiss-based research institute and practitioner guide to help European financial institutions evaluate its blockchain as regulatory clarity and onchain usage grow.
U.S. banks are looking to delay landmark stablecoin legislation even as crypto firms like Agora push ahead.
Prosecutors say Jeong Sang-ho’s “active deceptive acts” left nearly 2,800 investors frozen out of their funds, as South Korea's crackdown on the crypto industry widens.
The FCA signs off rules to let UK funds keep registers onchain and add a new Direct‑to‑Fund dealing model, aiming to simplify tokenized funds inside the existing regime.