Transaction costs on the Ethereum network have dropped to the lowest level in five years as the amount of activity on the blockchain is in a lull, according to the onchain analytics platform Santiment.Ethereum network fees are now around $0.168 per transaction and the reduction in fees coincides with fewer people sending Ether (ETH) and interacting with smart contracts, Santiment marketing director Brian Quinlivan said in an April 17 blog post.“When many people are using Ethereum, users bid higher fees to get their transactions confirmed faster This drives the average costs up,” Quinlivan said.“When fewer people are transacting, like we see now, users don’t need to bid much. As a result, the average fee drops,” he explained. “It’s essentially a supply and demand system.”Source: SantimentQuinlivan said that, from a trading perspective, low fees can preclude a price rebound, Still, he added that traders appear to be patiently waiting for the global economic uncertainty to pass before scaling up their usual frequency of Ether and altcoin transactions.Traditional and crypto markets tanked after US President Trump’s sweeping tariffs were announced on April 2. Many assets haven’t recovered to the same level as before their unveiling, despite tariff exemptions and a 90-day pause for most countries.ETH has fallen over 12.5% in the past 14 days and has traded flat over the past 24 hours, hovering just under $1,600, according to CoinGecko.“We can visibly see the increased sensitivity toward Ethereum discussions and tariff/economy news as prices have really threatened long-time support levels,” Quinlivan said.“The more the retail community leans away from an asset, especially one with still thriving development, the higher the likelihood of an eventual surprise rebound with little resistance,” he added. Pectra upgrade on the wayAfter delays due to configuration issues and an unknown attacker causing headaches during the Holesky and Sepolia testnet activations, the Pectra upgrade for the Ethereum network is now scheduled to go live on the mainnet on May 7.Phase one is expected to double the layer-2 blob capacity from three to six, reduce transaction fees and network congestion and allow fees to be paid in stablecoins like USDC (USDC) and DAI (DAI).Related: Ethereum devs prepare final Pectra test before mainnet launchThe maximum staking limit will also be increased from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH.The second phase of Pectra is expected in late 2025 or early 2026 and will introduce a new data structure to enhance data storage efficiency and a system that improves scalability by enabling nodes to verify transaction data without storing the entire data set.The Pectra fork follows the network’s Dencun upgrade in March 2024, which slashed transaction fees for layer-2 networks and improved the economics of Ethereum rollups.Magazine: What are native rollups? Full guide to Ethereum’s latest innovation
A human and machine view of major tokens SOL, XRP, ETH and BTC on April 17, 2024.
Lately, there has been a huge sell-off in Bitcoin amid the uncertain macro environment and fears of a trade war driven by Trump tariffs. But who are these selling the Bitcoins? Is it the institutions, whales or the retailers dumping it? Lets find out. According to @Crazzyblockk, an analyst featured by Cryptoquant, the recent Bitcoin sell-off …
The firm behind the Solana-based automated market maker (AMM) Raydium has launched its memecoin-making protocol, LaunchLab, which looks to compete with Pump.fun.The arrival of LaunchLab on April 16 comes a month after Pump.fun, previously a key contributor to Raydium’s revenue, severed ties with the firm by moving its token migration from Raydium’s liquidity pools to its own new decentralized exchange, PumpSwap.LaunchLab will leverage Raydium’s liquidity pools and aim to dethrone Pump.fun as the leading Solana memecoin launchpad.Raydium said LaunchLab provides memecoin enthusiasts with customizable bonding curves and no migration fees, while tokens that raise 85 Solana (SOL) — currently worth $11,150 — will transition to Raydium’s AMM instantly.Around 10 LaunchLab tokens have already surpassed this threshold, according to the LaunchLab platform.Raydium said tokens can be launched for free and creators can opt-in to earn 10% of trading fees from the AMM pool post-graduation.Source: RaydiumLaunchLab trading fees are set at 1%, and 25% of those fees will be used for Raydium (RAY) buybacks.Related: Trump’s next crypto play will be Monopoly-style game — ReportThe news triggered a near 14% price surge of the RAY token, pushing it up to $2.41 four hours after the announcement before falling back to $2.21 at the time of writing, CoinGecko data shows.PumpSwap volume on a tearPumpSwap’s daily record in trading volume has now been broken five days in a row after posting $460 million on April 17.The April 17 tally narrowly edged out the $454.9 million in trading volume seen on April 16, making it the fourth consecutive day above $400 million.Daily change in trading volume on PumpSwap since March 22. Source: DefiLlamaPumpSwap has now processed $7.3 billion worth of volume since it launched on March 22, DefiLlama data shows.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research
Ethereum has mirrored Bitcoin’s recent recovery trend, posting a near 10% gain over the past week. The asset had previously experienced a sharp correction, but its latest rally saw prices climb toward the $1,600 mark. However, the momentum has shown signs of slowing in the past 24 hours, with ETH slipping by around 4% to trade at $1,574 as of the time of writing. This decline comes amid renewed global macroeconomic uncertainty and shifting on-chain activity that may influence short-term market dynamics. Related Reading: On The Brink: Ethereum Challenges Descending Channel, Targets $3,000 Price Historical Patterns and External Macro Impact One of the most recent signals comes from an uptick in Ethereum inflows to derivative exchanges. According to Amr Taha, a contributor to the CryptoQuant QuickTake platform, more than 77,000 ETH were transferred to derivative exchanges on April 16—the largest single-day inflow in both March and April. This spike follows similar inflow events on March 26 and April 3, both of which preceded notable price declines for Ethereum. These inflows suggest a possible rise in hedging activity or short positioning by traders preparing for additional volatility. Taha’s analysis emphasizes that these inflows are not occurring in isolation. On-chain behavior reveals a pattern of significant ETH movements to derivatives markets followed by price drops. On March 26, an inflow of approximately 65,000 ETH was followed by a sharp decline in price. A similar scenario played out on April 3, leading to further weakness. The April 16 inflow of 77,000 ETH now raises questions about whether Ethereum may be facing another pullback, especially as it hovers near multi-month lows. This market behavior is also being influenced by geopolitical tensions. Recent trade actions from China—which include retaliatory tariffs on US agricultural and technological goods—have contributed to a broader risk-off sentiment in financial markets. Taha notes that such macroeconomic shifts often trigger outflows from volatile assets like cryptocurrencies, as investors seek safer alternatives such as U.S. Treasuries or fiat currencies. Institutional Strategy and Short-Term Outlook The consistency of these large-scale inflows to derivatives platforms points toward institutional or large-holder strategies, where ETH is likely being moved to hedge portfolios or open short positions. While this doesn’t necessarily confirm a downward trend, it does reflect heightened caution among more experienced market participants. The link between macro factors and on-chain behavior highlights how external shocks can influence market sentiment and trading patterns. Related Reading: Ethereum Metrics Reveal Critical Support Level – Can Buyers Step In? Although Ethereum has shown signs of price recovery, the recent spike in derivatives activity and rising geopolitical tension add complexity to its short-term outlook. Overall, it is considerable to monitor on-chain flows closely, alongside global economic indicators, to better understand where ETH might head next. Continued pressure in derivatives markets could act as a signal of sustained market uncertainty, even as some signs of accumulation emerge. Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView
At least three wallets bought tokens before Base announced the launch on X.
Artificial intelligence startups received the lion’s share of venture capital investments across the globe in the first quarter of 2025, according to new data from Pitchbook.“Investors still have an AI FOMO [fear of missing out] problem,” the research firm said in an April 17 report, which revealed that 57.9% of global venture capital dollars in Q1 went to AI and machine learning startups.Comparatively, the first quarter of 2024 saw just 28% of VC dollars channeled into AI startups.Pitchbook said the capital flowing into AI was even more concentrated in North America, with 70% of venture funding in the region going into AI startups in the first quarter.The global AI sector raised $73 billion in the first quarter, which was more than half of the total value of AI-related deals made last year. However, more than half of that was for OpenAI, which closed a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank on March 31.Other notable AI funding rounds in March included Anthropic, which raised $3.5 billion in a Series E round. “The fear of somebody else winning your market has never been higher than it is now,” said Maria Palma, general partner at Freestyle Capital. “You haven’t seen a slowdown because the rate of change on the technology side is almost indigestible,” she added. Nnamdi Okike, co-founder and managing partner at 645 Ventures, cautioned that there are extremes happening, “and that’s going to mean there’s going to be a lot of losers.” “A lot of VC funds are just kind of saying, ‘Hey, this can only go up.’ And that’s usually a recipe for failure — when that starts to happen, you’re becoming detached from reality,” he added.AI deals as a share of all global VC deal activity. Source: PitchBookCrypto venture capital creeps up Comparatively, crypto and blockchain startups raised just $4.8 billion in Q1, according to CryptoRank. Almost half of that, $2 billion, was Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX investing in Binance. This was still over four times as much as the $1.1 billion raised in the fourth quarter of 2024, and the biggest quarter for crypto venture capital deal value since the third quarter of 2022.Related: Crypto VCs ‘excited’ about AI agents but not yet investingCrypto venture capital appears to be warming again with a friendlier regulatory environment emerging in the US.On April 17, Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Ventures Fund I was reportedly set to exceed its $150 million funding target and could hit $180 million when it closes at the end of June. Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express
A16z has penned a letter to the SEC calling for revised custody rules to allow RIAs to hold crypto assets directly.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently shared plans for a major roundtable discussion focused on crypto custody. While meeting agenda will focus on how companies should safely hold digital assets, also called crypto custody. But something strange has caught people’s attention—Paul Atkins, the new SEC Chair, is missing from the plan. No Sign …
The incident highlights the volatility and risks of experimental tokenization, underscoring the need for clearer market guidelines and user education.
The post Coinbase’s Base sparks controversy after experimental token melts down, then rockets back appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The 10-year-long case showcasing Ripple’s true commitment and breaking the chain of SEC’s manipulation and injustice has finally reached its last leg. In the epitome case of Rippel vs SEC, US SEC may finally be inching toward its conclusion, but before that don’t start the party yet as there’s still one big hurdle left on …
BNB price is recovering from the $575 support zone. The price is now consolidating gains and might face hurdles near $585 and $600. BNB price is attempting to recover above the $580 resistance zone. The price is now trading below $585 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. There is a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $585 on the hourly chart of the BNB/USD pair (data source from Binance). The pair must stay above the $575 level to start another increase in the near term. BNB Price Faces Resistance After struggling to clear the $595 resistance, BNB price started a fresh decline. There was a move below the $590 and $585 levels, like Ethereum and Bitcoin. A low was formed at $576 and the price is now attempting to recover. There was a move above the $580 level. The price climbed above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $594 swing high to the $576 low. The price is now trading below $585 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. On the upside, the price could face resistance near the $585 level. There is also a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $585 on the hourly chart of the BNB/USD pair. The next resistance sits near the $588 level and the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $594 swing high to the $576 low. A clear move above the $588 zone could send the price higher. In the stated case, BNB price could test $595. A close above the $595 resistance might set the pace for a larger move toward the $600 resistance. Any more gains might call for a test of the $620 level in the near term. Another Decline? If BNB fails to clear the $585 resistance, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $580 level. The next major support is near the $575 level. The main support sits at $562. If there is a downside break below the $562 support, the price could drop toward the $550 support. Any more losses could initiate a larger decline toward the $535 level. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for BNB/USD is losing pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BNB/USD is currently below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $580 and $575. Major Resistance Levels – $585 and $595.
U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw $169.9 million in net outflows on Wednesday — breaking a two-day run of inflows.
Despite recent major developments in the crypto industry, the market has just posted its weakest Q1 performance in years — but a crypto analyst is pointing to several catalysts that could make Q2 more promising.“Frustrating. That’s the best word to describe the past quarter,” Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said in a recent market report, calling Q1 the “best worst quarter in crypto’s history.”Bitcoin and Ether took an unusual hit in Q1Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, saw price declines of 11.82% and 45.41%, respectively, over Q1 2025 — a quarter that has historically seen strong results for both assets. Since 2013, Q1 has been Bitcoin’s second-strongest quarter on average (51.2%) and historically the best for Ether (77.4%), according to CoinGlass data.Historically, Q1 2025 is the second-best performing quarter for Bitcoin on average, but it’s the best for Ether. Source: CoinGlassHougan pointed to a few key catalysts that could help crypto deliver more upside to Q2. He noted the rise in global money supply, which “after years of tightening, central banks across the globe are signaling a shift toward monetary easing and M2 expansion.”“Historically, these conditions have been favorable for risk assets, particularly for digital assets,” Hougan said. Echoing a similar sentiment, Pav Hundal, the lead analyst at Australian crypto exchange Swyftx, told Cointelegraph in February that “in normal times, global loosening measures are a pretty reliable lead indicator for crypto.”More recently, on April 14, analyst Colin Talks Crypto said, “Global M2 has remained at an ATH for 3 days in a row.” Bitcoin moves in the direction of global M2 83% of the time, economist Lyn Alden wrote in a September research report.BTC/USD vs global M2 supply. Source: Colin Talks CryptoHougan also said the “clean sweep of pro-regulations” in the US may be another bullish factor for the crypto market. “This is the long tail of regulatory clarity that no one is talking about, and it’s just getting started,” Hougan said.The rise in stablecoin assets under management may also be a positive indicator that more upside is to come this year in the crypto market. Hougan said during the first quarter, stablecoin assets under management surged to “an all-time high of over $218 million.”“Growing stablecoin adoption will benefit adjacent sectors, including DeFi and other crypto applications,” he said. Related: Bitcoin rally to $86K shows investor confidence, but it’s too early to confirm a trend reversalThe firm also said that the “geopolitical chaos” seen in the global economy during Q1 2025, mainly after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration through his tariffs, “are pushing global investors to reassess their portfolios.”It comes only days after Hougan recently reiterated his prediction that Bitcoin may surge approximately 138% from its current price of $84,080 by the end of the year.“In December, Bitwise predicted that Bitcoin would end the year at $200,000. I still think that’s in play,” Hougan said.Meanwhile, crypto exchange Coinbase recently said, “When the sentiment finally resets, it’s likely to happen rather quickly, and we remain constructive for the second half of 2025.”Magazine: Riskiest, most ‘addictive’ crypto game of 2025, PIXEL goes multi-game: Web3 GamerThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
A new report by Reuters suggests that China may be looking to liquidate large stashes of confiscated Bitcoin, potentially exerting downward pressure on BTC’s price. Sources cited by Reuters indicate that local Chinese governments have been engaging private companies to convert seized Bitcoin into cash, in an effort to bolster public finances under strain from a slowing economy. Chinese Authorities Could Offload 15,000 Bitcoin The Chinese ban on Bitcoin and crypto trading stands in tension with these liquidation efforts, prompting legal experts, senior judges, and law enforcement officials to call for clearer regulations. Reuters quotes Chen Shi, a professor at the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, who described these disposals as “a makeshift solution that, strictly speaking, is not fully in line with China’s current ban on crypto trading.” Chen attended a seminar earlier this year alongside various government officials to debate potential changes to the rules, underscoring the urgency of creating a consistent framework for handling seized virtual currencies. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $1 Million? BPI Says One US Move Could Make It Happen China’s existing lack of transparency in dealing with confiscated digital coins has fueled concerns about corruption and emboldening further crypto-related crimes. The Reuters report highlights an alarming rise in such offenses: money involved in Bitcoin and crypto-related crimes surged to 430.7 billion yuan (roughly $59 billion) in 2023, reflecting a tenfold increase according to blockchain security firm SAFEIS. Further underscoring the scale of the issue, the country’s top procurator has recorded 3,032 people sued for Bitcoin and crypto-related money laundering last year. While Beijing forbids crypto trading and refuses to recognize digital tokens as legal tender or valid assets, the Reuters investigation points to a parallel reality where local governments rely on proceeds from these forced liquidations. Jiafenxiang, a Shenzhen-based technology company, reportedly sold cryptocurrencies worth more than 3 billion yuan in offshore markets on behalf of various municipal authorities in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. The US dollar proceeds from these transactions were then exchanged for yuan and transferred to local finance bureaus. Debate on potential reforms has unfolded at a time of heightened tensions between China and the US amidst Donald Trump’s second presidency, a period marked by the former American president’s push to deregulate cryptocurrencies and build a strategic BTC reserve. Guo Zhihao, a lawyer based in Shenzhen, believes China’s central bank should consider a similar strategy for seized Bitcoin and crypto assets, suggesting that “China’s central bank is better positioned to handle the cryptocurrencies, and should either sell them overseas or build a crypto reserve from seized tokens like Trump plans to.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Undervalued? Analyst Breaks Down Bullish On-Chain Metrics Other legal analysts, such as Sun Jun from Shanghai Landing Law Offices, see lucrative opportunities for private firms that help local governments dispose of large crypto holdings. Sun, however, stresses the importance of robust guidelines and vetting procedures, urging China to clarify the legal status of these tokens, set up a centralized disposal system, and regulate the entities involved. According to Winston Ma, an adjunct professor at NYU Law School and former managing director of China Investment Corp, a more centralized approach would help the country “maximize the value of the seized cryptocurrencies,” possibly through a crypto sovereign fund in Hong Kong, where digital trading is permitted. The potential for Beijing to retain some of these seized assets has also fueled broader speculation, particularly since China’s local governments collectively held an estimated 15,000 Bitcoins, making the Chinese state one of the largest institutional Bitcoin holders worldwide. Observers note that part of China’s crypto holdings likely originates from the country’s crackdown on illicit activities, including the high-profile PlusToken Ponzi scheme, which led to the seizure of 194,775 Bitcoin. According to crypto intelligence firm Arkham, these tokens were transferred to the national treasury in November 2020, though it remains unclear whether the holdings have been sold or remain in China’s possession. At press time, BTC traded at $84,071. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Over the past 30 days, crypto market participants have bridged more than $120 million in liquidity to Solana (SOL) from other blockchains, signaling renewed confidence in the network. Traders transferred the highest amount from Ethereum (ETH) at $41.5 million, followed by a $37.3 million influx from Arbitrum, according to data from Debridge. Meanwhile, users on Base, BNB Chain and Sonic moved $16 million, $14 million and $6.6 million, respectively. Total transferred amount from other chains to Solana. Source: debridgeThe return of liquidity to Solana paints a stark contrast to the network's recent challenges. Following Argentina’s LIBRA memecoin scandal, which ensnared President Javier Milei, Solana saw investors move $485 million to other blockchains like Ethereum and BNB Chain. The current liquidity influx to Solana coincides with the return of double-digit price rallies from memecoins as POPCAT, FARTCOIN, BONK and WIF rose 79%, 51%, 25% and 21%, respectively, over the past seven days. However, further analysis shows the total generated fees for March coming in just under $46 million. For context, Solana’s fees peaked at over $400 million in January 2025. Currently, the total fees generated for the month of April are roughly $22 million. Solana total generated fees and revenue. Source: DefiLlamaRelated: Spot Solana ETFs to launch in Canada this weekSolana price has a tough uphill climb aheadFrom a technical perspective, Solana remains in a bearish trend on the 1-day chart. SOL must exhibit a bullish break of structure by closing a daily candle above $147 for a bullish trend shift. Solana 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSolana remains under the $140 level, with the 50-day exponential moving average (blue line) acting as a strong resistance. A bullish close above the 50-EMA would have increased the likelihood of a positive trend reversal, but SOL prices have stalled at current levels. On a lower time frame (LTF) chart, Solana exhibited a bearish divergence between the price and relative strength index (RSI) indicator. Historically, a bearish divergence setup has signaled a correction period for Solana in 2025. SOL has experienced four bearish divergences since January, each following a price decline. Solana 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThere is a strong similarity between its previous and current bearish divergence. Both setups took place after the price moved temporarily above the 50-day and 100-day EMA (blue and green line) on the 4-hour chart, eventually leading to a price drop. Thus, it is possible that Solana could follow a similar path in the next few days. The 1-day demand zone is the immediate area of interest for a bounce between $115 and $108. Meanwhile, in a recent X post, Glassnode reported a significant shift in Solana’s realized price distribution, with over 32 million SOL bought at the $130 level over the past few days. That is 5% of the total supply, which means the $130 level could be a strong support level in the future. The analysis added,“Below $129, we see 18M $SOL (3%) at $117.99, while above, 27M $SOL(4.76%) sit at $144.54. In the short term, $144 could act as resistance and $117 as the lower bound of the price range, with $129 serving as the key pivot zone.”Solana UTXO realized price. Source: GlassnodeRelated: Bitcoin price recovery could be capped at $90K — Here’s whyThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Michael Novogratz’s Galaxy Ventures Fund I LP is expected to raise around $175 million to $180 million by the end of June to build a portfolio of 30 crypto and blockchain startups.According to an April 17 Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, the fund — which has had a focus on payments and stablecoins — has surpassed its goal of raising $150 million.The fund closing above target comes at a time when crypto venture capital is thin on the ground despite an industry-friendly administration in the United States. Earlier this year, Novogratz’s firm reported that 2024 was also a tough year for crypto VC despite potential market drivers such as Bitcoin ETFs, the memecoin craze, and AI agents, which it said were “not particularly suited to venture capital.” Venture capitalists invested $11.5 billion into crypto and blockchain-focused startups across 2,153 deals in 2024, it reported. This was slightly higher than the $10 billion invested in 2023 but way down from over $30 billion invested in 2022. Crypto VC investments in America have also decreased by 22% to around $1.3 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to Pitchbook. It also reported that there has been a pivot to AI, with the sector taking 58% of global venture dollars in the first quarter.Global crypto VC funding reached $4.8 billion in Q1, the highest since Q3 2022, reported CryptoRank earlier this month. However, the $2 billion investment in Binance from Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX was almost half of that. Crypto VC funding by quarter. Source: CryptoRankRelated: Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital gets SEC nod for Nasdaq listingThe initial close for the Galaxy Ventures Fund I was in June 2024, when it raised $113 million. At the time, the fund’s portfolio included synthetic dollar issuer Ethena; M^Zero, a stablecoin liquidity DeFi protocol; layer-1 blockchain Monad; layer-2 tokenized asset chain Plume; and Renzo, a protocol supporting derivatives on assets locked in EigenLayer and Ethereum. Crypto doing what its supposed to doGalaxy CEO Mike Novogratz remains confident in crypto and Bitcoin (BTC), stating on X on April 16 that it is “doing what it’s supposed to,” and “acting as a report card on financial stewardship.”“In times of uncertainty, it reflects both the flight to safety and a long-term bet on a new financial system. But as a young asset, it still needs calm to grow. Adoption doesn’t thrive in disorder.”Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express
The founder and lead developer of Ethereum Name Service has warned his X followers of an “extremely sophisticated” phishing attack that can impersonate Google and trick users into giving out login credentials. The phishing attack exploits Google’s infrastructure to send a fake alert to users informing them that their Google data is being shared with law enforcement due to a subpoena, ENS’ Nick Johnson said in an April 16 post to X. “It passes the DKIM signature check, and GMail displays it without any warnings - it even puts it in the same conversation as other, legitimate security alerts,” he said. The fake subpoena appears to be from a Google no-reply domain. Source: Nick JohnsonAs part of the attack, users are offered the chance to view the case materials or protest by clicking a support page link, which uses Google Sites, a tool that can be used to build a website on a Google subdomain, according to Johnson. “From there, presumably, they harvest your login credentials and use them to compromise your account; I haven’t gone further to check,” he said.The Google domain name gives the impression it’s legit, but Johnson says there are still telltale signs it’s a phishing scam, such as the email being forwarded by a private email address. Scammers exploit Google systems In an April 11 report, software firm EasyDMARC explained that the phishing scam works by weaponizing Google Sites. Anyone with a Google account can create a site that looks legitimate and is hosted under a trusted Google-owned domain.They also use the Google OAuth app, where the “key trick is that you can put anything you want in the App Name field in Google,” and use a domain via Namecheap that allows them to “put no-reply@google account as From address and the reply address can be anything.”Source: Nick Johnson “Finally, they forward the message to their victims. Because DKIM only verifies the message and its headers and not the envelope, the message passes signature validation and shows up as a legitimate message in the user’s inbox — even in the same thread as legit security alerts,” Johnson said. Google deploying countermeasures soon Speaking to Cointelegraph, a Google spokesperson said they are aware of the issue and are shutting down the mechanism that attackers are using to insert the “arbitrary length text,” which will prevent the method of attack from working in the future. Related: Hackers hide crypto address-swapping malware in Microsoft Office add-in bundles“We’re aware of this class of targeted attack from the threat actor, Rockfoils, and have been rolling out protections for the past week. These protections will soon be fully deployed, which will shut down this avenue for abuse,” the spokesperson said. “In the meantime, we encourage users to adopt two-factor authentication and passkeys, which provide strong protection against these kinds of phishing campaigns.” The spokesperson added that Google will never ask for any private account credentials — including passwords, one-time passwords or push notifications, nor call users. Magazine: Your AI ‘digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones
Crypto exchange Coinbase has distanced its blockchain network Base from a memecoin it shared that saw massive backlash after the token rapidly gained, then dropped in value by millions of dollars.Base posted to X on April 16 with an image promoting the network with its marketing tagline, “Base is for everyone,” it also shared a link to a token of the same name on Zora, a social network where users can make posts into tokens for others to speculate on.In just over an hour after it was created, the Base is for everyone token hit a peak market capitalization of $17.1 million — then dropped by nearly 90% over the next 20 minutes to a market value of $1.9 million, DEX Screener data shows.The Base is for everyone token’s market cap saw a slight recovery after a rapid, nearly 90% fall in value soon after its launch. Source: DEX ScreenerThe token has since made a slight recovery and was trading around $7.7 million at time of publication.A Coinbase spokeswoman distanced Base from the token, telling Cointelegraph that “Base did not launch a token.”“This is not an official Base token, and Base did not sell this token. Base posted on Zora, which automatically tokenizes content,” the spokeswoman said.The spokeswoman pointed to a legal disclaimer on the token’s Zora page that states Base’s posts on the token-making platform “are similar to those already shared on X — do not expect profits or returns and no ongoing development or efforts will be made to increase their value.”The post adds that Base will receive 10 million tokens out of a total supply of 1 billion that it pledged never to sell, and money made from fees will support grants for the network’s developers.Base’s X post linking to the post on Zora. Source: BaseZora shows Base has earned over $61,000 from the token, which has seen its total trading volume surpass $26 million.Hundreds of X posts have criticized Base over the token, with one X user saying that “any credibility this chain had is now gone.”Former Riot Platforms researcher Pierre Rochard called the token “terrible for the industry, very short-term transactional extraction.” AP Collective founder Abhishek Pawa said on X that Base “tried redefining memecoins as ‘contentcoins’ and completely botched the execution.”“The core innovation actually has potential,” he added. “But base utterly fumbled execution, optics, and trader expectations, resulting in justified backlash.”Meanwhile, Base creator Jesse Pollack, who has posted to Zora to create dozens of tokens in the past two months, defended Base creating the token, saying on X that “someone has to normalize putting all of our content onchain. I'm not afraid for it to be us.”He added that creating a token for internet content is “the end game for how we can build a new economy where creators earn from their creativity,” which he said would “require overhauling our mental models and product experiences.”Token “horrifically sniped” and second launch fizzlesHarrison Leggio, the co-founder of crypto startup g8keep, said that the Base is for everyone token “was HORRIFICALLY sniped.”Leggio, who goes by “Pop Punk” on X, said he found two addresses that bought 21% of the token’s supply for 2 Ether (ETH), currently worth about $3,200, before both wallets transferred the tokens to other addresses and sold them for a toal profit of around $300,000.Source: Harrison LeggioRelated: Pump.Fun’s PumpSwap DEX processed $2.5B of trades last week, up 40% Just over 75 minutes after the creation of the Base is for everyone token, Base again posted to Zora to promote its presence at an event in New York next month — which also generated a related token.DEX Screener shows that token, called “Base @ FarCon 2025,” reached a peak value of only $987,570 in the minute after its launch before quickly dropping nearly 77% to settle to a value of around $230,000.Magazine: Memecoins are ded — But Solana ‘100x better’ despite revenue plunge
XRP price started a fresh decline below the $2.150 zone. The price is now consolidating above $2.00 and facing hurdles near the $2.120 zone. XRP price started a downside correction from the $2.250 resistance zone. The price is now trading below $2.10 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a key bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2.130 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair might extend losses if there is a close below the $2.00 support zone. XRP Price Faces Resistance XRP price started a downside correction from the $2.250 zone, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price traded below the $2.150 and $2.120 levels to enter a bearish zone. The price even spiked below $2.050 but stayed above $2.00. A low was formed at $2.036 and the price is now consolidating losses. There was a recovery wave above the $2.10 level. The price spiked above the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.184 swing high to the $2.036 low. The price is now trading below $2.10 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. On the upside, the price might face resistance near the $2.120 level. There is also a key bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2.130 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. The trend line is near the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.184 swing high to the $2.036 low. The first major resistance is near the $2.180 level. The next resistance is $2.20. A clear move above the $2.20 resistance might send the price toward the $2.250 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $2.320 resistance or even $2.350 in the near term. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be $2.50. More Losses? If XRP fails to clear the $2.120 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2.030 level. The next major support is near the $2.00 level. If there is a downside break and a close below the $2.00 level, the price might continue to decline toward the $1.920 support. The next major support sits near the $1.840 zone. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $2.030 and $2.00. Major Resistance Levels – $2.120 and $2.180.
According to a recent CryptoQuant Quicktake post, while Bitcoin (BTC) has seen a steady rise in price from November 2024 to February 2025, sentiment in the cryptocurrency’s futures market has not shown a corresponding uptick. Bitcoin Futures Sentiment Index Signals Caution Bitcoin’s price surged from approximately $74,000 in November 2024 to a peak of $101,000 by early February 2025. However, following US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, risk-on assets – including BTC -have experienced a significant pullback. Related Reading: Bitcoin Boom Still In Play? Analyst Predicts Final Leg Up After hitting a potential local bottom of $74,508 earlier this month on April 6, the apex cryptocurrency has recovered some of its recent losses. The top digital asset is trading in the mid $80,000 range at the time of writing. Despite this recovery, BTC’s futures sentiment has continued to decline since February. Even as the price holds near local highs, sentiment in the futures market has notably cooled. CryptoQuant contributor abramchart highlighted this divergence, noting that it could indicate increasing caution or profit-taking behavior despite the ongoing bullish trend. The analyst commented: This indicates a cooling interest or increased fear in the futures market, possibly due to macroeconomic uncertainty, regulatory concerns, or expected corrections. A look at the BTC futures sentiment index shows a resistance zone around 0.8 and a support level near 0.2. The index is currently hovering around 0.4, pointing to a predominantly bearish sentiment across futures markets. Similarly, Bitcoin’s average price has steadily declined from its early 2025 highs. It is now ranging between $70,000 and $80,000, signalling possible market indecision amid heightened tariff tensions. According to abramchart, if futures sentiment remains low, BTC could face extended price consolidation or even downward pressure in the near term. However, any emerging bullish catalyst could quickly shift the sentiment and renew upward momentum. Is BTC Close To A Momentum Shift? Some analysts believe Bitcoin may be nearing a breakout. After consolidating in the mid-$80,000s for several weeks, on-chain metrics suggest BTC may be undervalued at current levels. Indicators such as BTC exchange reserves and the Stablecoin Supply Ratio support this view. Related Reading: Bitcoin Buy Signal Confirmed? Analysts Highlight Key Reversal Zone In Play In addition, momentum indicators like Bitcoin’s weekly Relative Strength Index have begun to break out of a long-standing downward trendline – raising hopes for a potential bullish rally back toward $100,000. However, several risks still remain. The recent appearance of a ‘death cross’ on BTC’s price chart – combined with persistent macroeconomic concerns related to trade tariffs – could still weigh heavily on market sentiment. At press time, BTC trades at $83,917, down 1.8% over the past 24 hours. Featured image from Unsplash, Charts from CryptoQuant and TradingView.com
Scientists have detected potential signs of life on the distant exoplanet K2-18b after identifying an Earth-like biomarker in its atmosphere.
Ethereum price started a fresh decline below the $1,650 zone. ETH is now consolidating and might decline further below the $1,550 support zone. Ethereum started a fresh decline below the $1,650 and $1,620 levels. The price is trading below $1,600 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a new connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1,600 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could start a fresh increase if it clears the $1,655 resistance zone. Ethereum Price Faces Resistance Ethereum price struggled to continue higher above $1,700 and started a fresh decline, like Bitcoin. ETH declined below the $1,620 and $1,600 support levels. It even spiked below $1,550. A low was formed at $1,538 and the price is now correcting some losses. There was a move above the $1,565 level. The price climbed above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1,690 swing high to the $1,538 low. Ethereum price is now trading below $1,600 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. On the upside, the price seems to be facing hurdles near the $1,600 level. There is also a new connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1,600 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. The next key resistance is near the $1,615 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $1,690 swing high to the $1,538 low. The first major resistance is near the $1,650 level. A clear move above the $1,650 resistance might send the price toward the $1,690 resistance. An upside break above the $1,690 resistance might call for more gains in the coming sessions. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $1,750 resistance zone or even $1,800 in the near term. Another Decline In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $1,600 resistance, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1,560 level. The first major support sits near the $1,535 zone. A clear move below the $1,535 support might push the price toward the $1,500 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $1,420 support level in the near term. The next key support sits at $1,400. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is losing momentum in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone. Major Support Level – $1,535 Major Resistance Level – $1,650
National security concerns grow as Washington eyes Chinese AI startup DeepSeek and pressures Nvidia over tech transfers.
Quantum computing research firm Project Eleven has launched a competition to see just how much of a threat quantum computing currently poses to Bitcoin.Launching the competition on April 16, Project Eleven said it is offering 1 Bitcoin (BTC) to whoever cracks the biggest chunk of a Bitcoin key using a quantum computer within the next year. Project Eleven said the purpose of the “Q-Day Prize” is to test “how urgent the threat” of quantum is to Bitcoin and to find quantum-proof solutions to secure Bitcoin over the long term.“10 million+ addresses have exposed public keys. Quantum computing is steadily progressing. Nobody has rigorously benchmarked this threat yet,” Project Eleven wrote on X on April 16.More than 6 million Bitcoin — worth around $500 billion — could be at risk if quantum computers become powerful enough to crack elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) keys, Project Eleven said.Participants can register as individuals or as a team and have until April 5, 2026, to complete the task. The prize winner will win 1 Bitcoin, currently worth $84,100.Source: Project ElevenThe aim is to run Shor's algorithm on a quantum computer to crack as many bits of a Bitcoin key as possible, acting as a proof-of-concept that the technique could scale to crack a full, 256-bit Bitcoin key once the necessary compute is available. “The mission: break the largest ECC key possible using Shor's algorithm on a quantum computer. No classical shortcuts. No hybrid tricks. Pure quantum power,” Project Eleven said.“You don't need to break a Bitcoin key. A 3-bit key would be big news,” it added.No ECC key used in real-world applications has ever been cracked, noted Project Eleven, adding that the winner could “go down in cryptography history.”Project Eleven noted that several online platforms offer quantum computing access, such as Amazon Web Services and IBM.Source: Jameson LoppRelated: Bitcoin’s quantum-resistant hard fork is inevitable — It’s the only chance to fix node incentivesCurrent estimates suggest that around 2,000 logical qubits (error-corrected) would be enough to break a 256-bit ECC key, Project Eleven noted.IBM’s Heron chip and Google’s Willow can currently do 156 and 105 qubits — significant enough to cause concern, according to Project Eleven, which believes a 2,000-qubit quantum system could be developed within the next decade.Quantum threat to Bitcoin is real but there’s time, Bitcoiners sayBitcoin cypherpunk Jameson Lopp recently said the question of how concerned the industry should be about quantum computing is currently “unanswerable.”“I think it's far from a crisis, but given the difficulty in changing Bitcoin it's worth starting to seriously discuss,” Lopp said in a March 16 post.In February, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the concern is well-founded but is confident that quantum-proof Bitcoin addresses will be implemented well before any “serious threat” emerges.Source: Paolo ArdoinoMagazine: Bitcoin vs. the quantum computer threat: Timeline and solutions (2025–2035)
Bitcoin price started a fresh decline below the $85,500 zone. BTC is now consolidating and might attempt to clear the $85,200 resistance zone. Bitcoin started a fresh decline below the $85,500 zone. The price is trading below $85,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There is a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $84,800 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair could start another increase if it clears the $85,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Eyes Fresh Increase Bitcoin price struggled near the $86,500 zone and started a fresh decline. BTC declined below the $85,500 and $85,000 levels to enter a short-term bearish zone. The price tested the $83,200 support. A low was formed at $83,171 and the price recently corrected some losses. There was a move above the $83,800 level. The price surpassed the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $86,401 swing high to the $83,171 low. Bitcoin price is now trading below $85,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. On the upside, immediate resistance is near the $84,750 level. There is also a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $84,800 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. The first key resistance is near the $85,150 level or the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $86,401 swing high to the $83,171 low. The next key resistance could be $85,500. A close above the $85,500 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $85,800 resistance level. Any more gains might send the price toward the $86,400 level. Another Decline In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $85,000 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support on the downside is near the $83,900 level. The first major support is near the $83,200 level. The next support is now near the $82,200 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $81,500 support in the near term. The main support sits at $80,800. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now near the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $83,200, followed by $82,200. Major Resistance Levels – $84,750 and $85,150.
On-chain data shows the Bitcoin Supply in Profit is yet to drop under this key level during the current cycle, a sign that could be optimistic for BTC. Bitcoin Supply in Profit Has Remained Above 70% So Far In a CryptoQuant Quicktake post, an analyst has talked about the the recent trend in the Supply in Profit for Bitcoin. The “Supply in Profit” is an indicator that keeps track of the percentage of the total BTC supply in circulation that’s being held at a net unrealized profit. The metric works by looking at the transaction history of each coin in the circulating supply to see what price it was last moved at. The previous transaction of any token is likely to represent the last point at which it changed hands, so the price at that time would denote its current cost basis. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Positioning Aggressively On Binance, Data Shows Naturally, if this acquisition level for a given coin is under the latest spot price, then that particular coin would be considered to be holding some net gain. The Supply in Profit adds up all tokens satisfying this condition and determines what part of the supply they make up for. Another indicator called the Supply in Loss deals with the tokens of the opposite type. This indicator’s value can also be found by subtracting the Supply in Profit from 100, since both of the metrics must add up to 100%. Now, here is the chart for the Bitcoin Supply in Profit shared by the quant that shows the trend in its value for the last several years: The value of the metric appears to have been on the rise in recent days | Source: CryptoQuant As is visible in the above graph, the Bitcoin Supply in Profit hit the 100% mark earlier as the cryptocurrency’s price explored new all-time highs (ATHs). With the drawdown that has occurred during the last few months, however, the indicator has plunged. In the chart, the quant has highlighted two lines that could prove to be of relevance to the asset. The bottom one (shaded in orange) corresponds to a value of 70%. It would appear that during the last cycle, losing this level meant the start of a bear market for BTC. So far in the current cycle, Bitcoin is yet to see a drop below it. The closest it came was during last year’s consolidation phase. A level that the asset has dropped under a few times already this cycle is the 80% one, colored in yellow. Related Reading: Behind The Mantra (OM) Collapse: Glassnode Reveals The On-Chain Side Of Things The recent correction also took the Supply in Profit below it, but the recovery rally has meant that it’s close to retesting the line again. During both the previous and current cycles, the initial break above the line signaled the start of the bull market for the coin. Based on the pattern, the analyst has noted, “next target is to push the supply in profit back to 80% to signal strong bullish momentum.” BTC Price Bitcoin has retraced some of its recent recovery during the past day as its price has slipped back down to $83,900. Featured image from Dall-E, CryptoQuant.com, chart from TradingView.com
While labeled "not an investment" created solely as a digital collectible, the unofficial Base token surged then crashed 92%, angering many.
Base faced criticism earlier Wednesday after the 'Base is for everyone' token briefly crashed by 95% following an initial surge in value.
A recent poll indicates that financial experts remain skeptical if Shiba Inu is able to overtake Dogecoin in value. The poll, conducted by Finders, surveyed 14 finance experts for their opinion on whether SHIB will ever overtake DOGE in market capitalization. Their findings? A whopping 79% of the total participants believe that Shiba Inu will never flip Dogecoin in the area of market capitalization. Related Reading: Crypto Holders Beware! New Malware Drains ETH, SOL, XRP Wallets Survey Reports Overwhelming Consensus Against SHIB Flipping DOGE The results point to a distinct stance by the majority of experts. A mere 7% of those polled showed confidence that SHIB would at some point in the future surpass DOGE, and these few stalwarts predicted it could occur as soon as 2026. The other 14% were uncertain about SHIB’s fate. The overwhelming rejection of Shiba Inu’s ability to replace DOGE as the leading meme coin mirrors wider market opinion regarding the two tokens. Supply Issues Present Major Hurdle For Shiba Inu Huge challenges in the SHIB token supply are one potential consideration preventing overtaking Dogecoin, Dr. Sathvik Vishwanath, Unnocoin’s jurisdictional head, disclosed. Consider the circulating supply of SHIB at 589.25 trillion versus just 148.82 billion for DOGE: the supply gap is massive. Vishwanath said that despite Shiba Inu’s excellent tokenomics and solid community support, the massive token supply keeps SHIB from taking over DOGE’s market cap. Huge Disparity In Current Market Position At present, Dogecoin is at the eighth position among cryptos with a market cap of $24.60 billion, while Shiba Inu holds 17th place with a market capitalization of $7.3 billion. SHIB would have to increase its worth by 240% to reach DOGE’s current rank by assuming that Dogecoin’s price remains constant, and both tokens share the same circulating supply. Related Reading: Solana Hits Milestone As Canada OKs First Spot ETFs Current Whale Activity Suggests Possible Turnaround Contrary to the negative expectations of analysts, new trading statistics show a significant Shiba Inu rise. According to IntoTheBlock, with whales dominating, SHIB daily trade volume rose to 224 billion tokens in 24 hours. Inflows from large-holders increased from 96 billion SHIB on April 13 to over 224 billion on April 14. This rise in interest from major investors could be a sign of changing sentiment as whales will set up before they anticipate a move in prices. This isn’t the first time these cryptocurrencies have seen conflicts regarding superiority. In 2021, Shiba Inu briefly dethroned Dogecoin when its market cap touched $39 billion. Alas, this victory was short-lived as DOGE quickly reclaimed the title of the number one meme coin. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from TradingView