In a recent Onchain Economy episode, Michael Arrington doubled down on a long-standing belief that XRP has been misunderstood for years. He pointed out that critics labeling it a “banking coin” missed the bigger picture, arguing that XRP is actually a foundational part of the crypto ecosystem. “Ripple and XRP have been completely misunderstood in …
Ethereum is trying to hold above $2,300 as the market enters a consolidation phase that feels more fragile than it looks. Buyers have been present, but the price has struggled to build meaningful momentum — and a CryptoQuant analysis published today suggests there may be a structural reason for that hesitation playing out in the derivatives markets beneath the surface. Related Reading: XRP Is Moving Higher While Its Order Flow Stays Negative: A Gap Worth Watching For the second time since the March lows, Ethereum derivatives traders appear to be going through a short-term capitulation event. Open interest across derivatives platforms has fallen by more than $2 billion — a significant reduction in leveraged positioning that mirrors the deleveraging episode that preceded the end-of-March bottom. The first flush helped form a local floor. Whether the second one does the same, or signals something more prolonged, is the question the data is now raising. The bulk of the latest decline is concentrated on two exchanges. Binance recorded an open interest decline of approximately $323 million over the past seven days, while Gate.io saw a far sharper reduction — roughly $1.7 billion — bringing the combined drop on the two platforms alone to more than $2 billion. The Gate.io move is particularly striking in scale and speed, and it is the kind of single-venue flush that tends to reflect forced exits rather than orderly repositioning. The Gate.io Move Tells the Most Complete Story The scale of what happened on Gate.io over the past week puts the broader derivatives picture in sharper focus. Ethereum open interest on the exchange stood at $4.67 billion on April 14. By April 21, it had fallen to $2.88 billion — a reduction of approximately $1.8 billion in seven days, representing a 38% collapse in leveraged positioning on a single venue. Moves of that magnitude and speed typically reflect something beyond routine deleveraging. They tend to reflect traders getting out because they feel they have to, not because they planned to. The funding rate data adds the sentiment dimension that confirms what the open interest is already suggesting. Across most ETH derivatives exchanges, funding rates have moved back toward the negative levels last seen in February 2026 — the period that preceded Ethereum’s sharpest correction of the year before the subsequent recovery. Negative funding means short positions are paying to stay open, which is the derivatives market’s clearest signal that near-term sentiment has turned defensive. Taken together, the picture the CryptoQuant analysis describes is a second short-term capitulation event — leveraged exposure coming off across multiple venues simultaneously while the mood among speculative traders darkens toward caution. The constructive reading, and the one worth holding alongside the bearish surface data, is that the first capitulation event of this kind — the one that occurred at the end of March — marked a local bottom rather than a continuation. Two flushes of this nature in close succession have historically done more to clear the market of fragile positions than to confirm a deeper decline. Whether that pattern holds this time is what the coming sessions will determine. Related Reading: A $292M Hack Created $200M In Bad Debt On Aave: Here Is What That Means For Users Ethereum Consolidates Below Resistance Ethereum is trading near the $2,300 level after recovering from the sharp capitulation that drove price down to the $1,750–$1,800 range in February. The chart shows a clear shift from aggressive selling to a more controlled consolidation, with price now forming higher lows over the past several weeks. This suggests that the immediate downside pressure has eased, even if a full trend reversal has not yet been confirmed. The short-term structure is constructive. ETH has reclaimed its 50-day moving average and is attempting to hold above it, a level that had previously acted as dynamic resistance throughout the downtrend. However, the price continues to struggle below the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, both of which remain downward sloping. This alignment reinforces that the broader trend is still bearish despite the recent recovery. Related Reading: Aave Is Trading Like 2022 Again: Danger Zone Or Entry Point? Volume provides additional context. The spike during the February sell-off reflects forced liquidation and panic-driven exits, while the subsequent recovery has occurred on more moderate participation — a typical characteristic of early-stage rebounds. For Ethereum to shift its structure meaningfully, a sustained break above the $2,400–$2,600 region is required. Until then, the current price action represents a stabilization phase, where accumulation may be building, but conviction remains tentative. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Iran's looming oil shut-ins could exacerbate economic pressures, increasing regime instability and impacting global oil markets.
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Bitcoin's surge highlights its role as a geopolitical hedge, potentially increasing institutional interest and market volatility.
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Bitcoin price started a recovery wave above the $75,000 zone. BTC is consolidating and might aim for more gains if it clears the $77,350 resistance zone. Bitcoin managed to form a base above $74,500 and started a recovery wave. The price is trading above $75,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. There is a rising channel forming with resistance at $77,350 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might gain bullish momentum if it settles above the $77,500 zone. Bitcoin Price Regains Traction Bitcoin price remained supported above the $74,000 zone. BTC formed a base and settled above $74,500 to start a recovery wave. There was a move above the $75,000 and $75,500 levels. The bulls were able to push the price above the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $78,344 swing high to the $73,637 low. There is also a rising channel forming with resistance at $77,350 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading above $75,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $75,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $77,250 level and the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $78,344 swing high to the $73,637 low. The first key resistance is near the $77,350 level. A close above the $77,350 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $78,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $78,500 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $80,000. Another Decline In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $77,350 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $76,000 level. The first major support is near the $75,650 level. The next support is now near the $75,400 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $74,250 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $73,200, below which BTC might struggle to recover in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $76,000, followed by $75,400. Major Resistance Levels – $77,250 and $78,000.
The 24-hour swap volume on THORChain surged to $394 million, significantly exceeding usual daily volumes of under $35 million.
US Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo said Bitcoin’s proof-of-work technology has "really important" computer science applications when it comes to cybersecurity.
Anthropic’s powerful Claude Mythos AI model found hundreds of vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox, highlighting its cybersecurity potential.
Ethereum is approaching a critical resistance zone as recent recovery attempts begin to lose momentum. With price action still showing signs of a corrective structure, attention is shifting toward the possibility of a move back to lower range levels if sellers step in at key resistance. HTF Range Aligns With Ethereum TCT Distribution Model According to crypto analyst The Composite Trader, Ethereum is currently developing within a well-defined higher timeframe (HTF) range that aligns with a TCT distribution model. This structure suggests that price action may be building toward a potential bearish rotation, with the broader range still intact and guiding market behavior. Related Reading: Ethereum Flips Key Resistance, ETF Demand Returns, Analysts Eye Next Leg Higher The analyst emphasized that full confirmation has not yet been achieved, as a clean and high-quality third tap is still required to validate the setup. That third interaction with resistance is a key component of the model, often acting as the trigger point for a more decisive move toward the lower end of the range. While waiting for this confirmation, the expert focuses on lower-timeframe (LTF) opportunities, particularly short-term accumulation setups that can drive the price upward into the anticipated third tap zone. He further explained that some of his most successful trading sequences come from linking these timeframes, capturing gains on the way up through LTF longs, then rotating those profits into short positions near HTF resistance. By treating the entire process as one continuous sequence rather than separate trades, it becomes possible to compound gains more aggressively. This strategy is rooted in the concept of ‘TCT creating TCT’, where patterns on lower timeframes build into and reinforce structures on higher timeframes. B-Wave Bounce Faces Key Resistance At $2,332–$2,420 More Crypto Online pointed out that the first major resistance for a potential B-wave bounce is positioned between $2,332 and $2,420. This zone is expected to act as a decisive barrier, where any upward move could face selling pressure and determine whether the recovery has strength or remains corrective. Related Reading: Ethereum Signals Major Reversal – $2,900 Target Back In Focus The analysis emphasizes that the structure of the bounce is just as important as the level itself. As long as any move into this resistance region unfolds in a clear three-wave pattern, it would suggest that the market is still within a corrective phase. Under this scenario, the door remains open for additional downside in the short term before a more meaningful recovery rally can develop. On the downside, the $2,037 level is identified as the key support to watch in the coming sessions. This level could act as a stabilization point if tested. Still, a decisive break below it would increase the probability of an extended correction before the next bullish phase begins. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
The deaths highlight instability in US-Mexico operations and amplify skepticism about the US-Iran ceasefire's sustainability.
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SpaceX's investment in AI could revolutionize coding, impacting tech industries and potentially reshaping global software development dynamics.
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The coup rumors in Iran underscore deepening internal divisions, potentially destabilizing the regime and affecting regional geopolitics.
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Goldman's ETF filing may boost institutional interest in Bitcoin, potentially driving prices up despite geopolitical and market challenges.
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The potential ceasefire extension could stabilize oil markets temporarily, but lasting impacts hinge on broader diplomatic progress.
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David Schwartz, the former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Ripple, has addressed recent concerns over DeFi bridge security, reassuring XRP Ledger (XRPL) users that the network is not exposed to attacks like those linked to the Kelp DAO exploit. He emphasized that vulnerability in cross-chain bridge systems largely depends on how they are designed and implemented, as well as on the level of reliance on external bridge infrastructure. How XRP Users Remain Protected From Kelp DAO-Related Exploits In an X post on April 20, Schwartz provided context on how users in the XRP Ledger (XRPL) ecosystem are positioned differently from those exposed to cross-chain risks in Kelp DAO exploits. The discussion follows concerns in the DeFi space after Kelp DAO suffered a major security breach tied to vulnerabilities in its bridging infrastructure. This hack resulted in approximately $292 million in rsETH tokens being stolen from the protocol and immediately used as debt collateral on Aave, a lending protocol. Related Reading: What’s Really Going On With Ripple’s XRP Ledger And Are Investors Coming Back? Schwartz noted that his past evaluations of DeFi bridging systems, including those considered for Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD, were heavily focused on security design. According to his assessment, many of these systems already had strong mechanisms to prevent the type of fraudulent cross-chain message manipulation observed during the Kelp DAO attack. However, he noted that actual protection depends on whether projects fully activate those safeguards. The ex-Ripple CTO also pointed to a recurring issue in DeFi infrastructures, where security features exist but are often practiced optionally. He noted that most bridge providers tend to promote their systems as “super safe,” while also emphasizing ease of use and fast deployment across different blockchains. In reality, some of these stronger security settings are left optional or disabled. As a result, Schwartz noted that many developers sometimes choose simpler configurations instead of fully enabling the full set of available security options. He added that, due to the trade-off between convenience and the costs of operational complexity, some teams avoid more robust setups. In his view, this creates a serious gap and can leave systems exposed to attacks that the underlying design was intended to prevent. For XRP Ledger users, Schwartz noted that the blockchain’s reliance on bridge security systems is significantly reduced. As a result, exposure to vulnerabilities similar to the Kelp DAO incident is structurally limited. How XRP Ledger Design Reduces Reliance On Bridge Systems Schwartz has noted a structural difference in how the XRP Ledger operates compared to many DeFi ecosystems that depend on external bridges. In systems like Kelp DAO’s rsETH setup, assets move across chains through third-party bridge protocols, which introduce additional points of failure if verification rules are not strictly enforced. Related Reading: Pundit Says This Chart Paints The Clearest Macro Picture For XRP In contrast, the XRP Ledger is designed with built-in transaction finality and does not rely on the same type of external cross-chain messaging infrastructure for its core functions. This significantly reduces the ledger’s exposure to security breaches and exploits that target tricking bridge validators or falsifying cross-chain instructions. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Warsh's push for Fed policy change could challenge institutional norms, impacting market expectations and monetary policy stability.
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Market skepticism highlights the gap between political narratives and ground realities, potentially affecting future diplomatic credibility.
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Rising US-Iran tensions threaten global energy stability, highlighting the urgent need for diplomatic solutions to prevent economic fallout.
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Pakistan's efforts highlight the complexities of diplomatic mediation, underscoring the challenges in altering entrenched geopolitical stances.
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Warsh's hawkish stance signals a focus on inflation control, reducing near-term rate cut expectations and impacting market dynamics.
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Institutional BTC purchases signal bullish sentiment, potentially influencing market dynamics amid geopolitical tensions and regulatory shifts.
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Aave is having one of the worst weeks in its history. On April 18, attackers exploited a vulnerability in KelpDAO’s rsETH bridge and deposited the stolen tokens as collateral on Aave V3, borrowing roughly $196 million in wrapped ether against assets the protocol had no reason to reject at the time. The bad debt was not caused by a flaw in Aave’s own code — but that distinction has done little to calm the market’s reaction. Related Reading: XRP Is Moving Higher While Its Order Flow Stays Negative: A Gap Worth Watching Over the 48 hours that followed, Aave lost $8.45 billion in deposits as users moved to reduce their exposure. The AAVE token has shed between 14% and 18% from pre-incident levels and is currently trading near $96, a price that brings it back toward valuations not seen since the depths of the previous bear market. The surface picture is about as difficult as it gets for a DeFi protocol — a confidence crisis layered on top of a genuine liquidity event. But a CryptoQuant report is pointing to something happening beneath the fear that is worth examining carefully. The Spot Average Order Size metric — which measures the average size of executed spot trades by dividing total volume by trade count — is registering elevated readings in the Big Whale Orders category. In plain terms, the participants who do not react to noise are currently positioned through it. That signal, in the middle of Aave’s worst week, is not the detail most people are watching. It may be the most important one. The Pattern That Has Called Every Bottom Since 2022 Is Flashing Again The CryptoQuant report places the current whale activity in a historical context that is difficult to dismiss. Since late 2022, every major cluster of elevated whale spot orders in AAVE has coincided with a significant price bottom — either a local low or a broader market floor. The pattern has appeared across the 2022 bear market lows, the mid-2023 consolidation periods, the 2024 corrections, and again in early 2025. None of those instances guaranteed an immediate reversal. All of them marked zones where the risk-reward balance shifted materially in favor of patient buyers. Right now, with AAVE trading between $90 and $100 and fear metrics approaching their highest readings since the 2022 bear market, whale order size is spiking again. The report annotates the current cluster with a question mark — because the outcome is genuinely open — but the structural similarity to every prior accumulation window is visible and consistent. The smart money, historically, has acted at precisely this kind of moment. Not because the situation looked safe, but because the situation looked exactly like the ones that preceded every meaningful recovery in AAVE’s price history. Two variables will determine whether the pattern holds this time. The first is the resolution of the Umbrella reserve coverage for the approximately $196 million deficit — the cleaner that process, the faster confidence can return. The second is whether whale order size remains elevated as price tests the $85 to $95 range. A sustained cluster at those levels would mirror every prior accumulation window almost exactly. The chart has a question mark on it. The history behind it does not. Related Reading: A $292M Hack Created $200M In Bad Debt On Aave: Here Is What That Means For Users AAVE Attempts Stabilization as Selling Pressure Begins to Exhaust AAVE is trading near the $90–$100 range after a prolonged downtrend that has defined price action since late 2025. The chart shows a clear bearish structure, with persistent lower highs and lower lows, and price consistently rejected below all major moving averages. The 200-day moving average continues to slope downward, confirming that the broader trend remains intact. However, the most recent price behavior suggests a potential shift in momentum. After the sharp sell-off into the $85–$90 zone, AAVE has begun to stabilize, forming a short-term base with multiple attempts to hold this level. This type of price compression often signals that aggressive selling pressure is starting to fade, even if buyers have not yet fully taken control. Related Reading: XRP Just Settled $291 Million On-Chain, Almost Nothing Hit Binance: Find Out What’s Happening Volume adds an important layer. The recent spike in activity, particularly during the bounce toward the $110 area, indicates that participation is returning. The subsequent pullback into the $90 range, combined with elevated volume, suggests that both sides are actively positioning, not disengaging. For a meaningful structural shift, AAVE would need to reclaim the $110–$120 region and sustain momentum above it. Until then, the current price action reflects a fragile stabilization phase within a broader downtrend, where the balance between exhaustion and renewed selling remains unresolved. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
The meeting underscores potential military action, highlighting geopolitical tensions and market uncertainty over swift diplomatic solutions.
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The Coinbase Independent Quantum Advisory Council has published a blockchain and quantum position paper, detailing the risks that quantum computers pose to cryptographic systems, as well as possible preventive measures ahead of Q-Day. The board consists of researchers from the Ethereum Foundation, Stanford, UT Austin, Eigen Labs, Bar-Ilan University, and UC Santa Barbara. The team …
A return to all-time highs would put Shiba Inu near $0.000088 — a price level the token has not touched since 2021. That target is back in focus after an analyst flagged that SHIB is trading inside the same accumulation zone that previously sent the meme coin surging by four digits. Related Reading: Strategy Raises $1.76B War Chest As Saylor Signals Bigger Bitcoin Buy Analyst Pins Target At $0.000087 Crypto Patel, a market analyst, published a chart showing SHIB sitting inside what he calls “Support Zone (Accumulation Zone 1).” According to the analyst, buyers flooded this same zone twice before — once in 2021, which produced a 1,660% rally, and again in 2024, when the token climbed 746%. The current price, around $0.000006, sits above his key floor at $0.000004. If that floor holds and buying pressure builds, Patel projects the token could climb as high as $0.00008789 — a gain of roughly 1,364% from where it trades now. $SHIB Is Back At The Exact Zone That Pumped It 1660% & 746% Before…???? Will #SHIBAINU 20x This Alt Season? pic.twitter.com/7V7RMXWH9J — Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) April 18, 2026 The full bullish projection puts the move at 2,200%, though Patel himself raised doubts about whether that ceiling is reachable, even in a strong altcoin market. The token has spent years trying and failing to reclaim the heights it hit in 2021. That year marked both its all-time high and the last time it traded anywhere near the projected target. A Tightening Chart Pattern Adds To The Setup A descending resistance line has been pressing down on SHIB’s price over time, squeezing the range in which it trades. According to the analyst, that compression is approaching its end. When such patterns resolve, prices tend to move sharply in one direction. The question is which direction. On-chain data adds a layer of nuance. Reports indicate that SHIB’s exchange netflow turned negative recently, with a net outflow of 41.67 billion tokens. When more coins leave exchanges than enter, it often signals that holders are moving assets into personal wallets — a pattern associated with accumulation rather than selling. That said, over 81 trillion SHIB tokens remain on exchanges, a figure that dwarfs the recent outflow. Related Reading: Rave Token Crashes 95% As Manipulation Allegations Trigger Panic Bears Still Hold The Advantage On Longer Timeframes Not all analysts share Patel’s optimism. Separate reports note that SHIB remains caught in a pattern of lower highs, with resistance stacked between $0.0000073 and $0.0000079. A drop below current support could pull the price toward $0.0000051, according to those projections. The picture, for now, is split. The technical setup that Patel points to has delivered before. Whether history repeats depends on whether buyers show up in force at the levels that matter. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Iran's shift to military-security governance may heighten internal tensions and external conflicts, impacting regional stability and global relations.
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Geopolitical tensions highlight Bitcoin's vulnerability to external shocks, affecting market confidence and future price expectations.
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Institutional interest in Bitcoin amid low exchange reserves could drive price volatility and influence market dynamics significantly.
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A sideshow stablecoin yield debate has dragged the market structure bill through months of delay, even as the Senate's available floor time diminishes for 2026.
Advisory council says validator signatures and wallet cryptography could be vulnerable if future quantum computers break current encryption.