The proposal details how banks, nonbanks and foreign issuers could operate stablecoins under U.S. banking supervision.
“They’ve heard the promises of institutional adoption for so long that they no longer register," said Bitwise's Matt Hougan.
Ether, solana, and cardano all outpaced bitcoin on the day, suggesting a rotation into higher-beta tokens as forced selling from the February crash begins to clear.
A governance proposal would activate protocol fees across eight additional chains and automate fee collection on all v3 pools, potentially adding an estimated $27 Million in annualized revenue.
Dogecoin started a major increase above $0.10 against the US Dollar. DOGE is now consolidating and might decline again if it fails to clear $0.1060. DOGE price started a fresh increase above $0.0950 and $0.10. The price is trading above the $0.10 level and the 100-hourly simple moving average. There was a break above a bearish trend line with resistance at $0.0942 on the hourly chart of the DOGE/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The price could aim for a fresh increase if it remains stable above $0.0988. Dogecoin Price Consolidates Gains Dogecoin price started a fresh increase after it settled above $0.0950, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. DOGE climbed above the $0.0980 resistance to enter a positive zone. There was also a break above a bearish trend line with resistance at $0.0942 on the hourly chart of the DOGE/USD pair. The bulls were able to push the price above $0.10. A high was formed at $0.1061 and the price is now correcting some gains. There was a move below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $0.0910 swing low to the $0.1061 high. Dogecoin price is now trading above the $0.10 level and the 100-hourly simple moving average. If there is another increase, immediate resistance on the upside is near the $0.1028 level. The first major resistance for the bulls could be near the $0.1050 level. The next major resistance is near the $0.1080 level. A close above the $0.1080 resistance might send the price toward $0.1120. Any more gains might send the price toward $0.120. The next major stop for the bulls might be $0.1220. Another Decline In DOGE? If DOGE’s price fails to climb above the $0.1050 level, it could start a downside correction. Initial support on the downside is near the $0.10 level. The next major support is near the $0.0.988 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $0.0910 swing low to the $0.1061 high. The main support sits at $0.0950. If there is a downside break below the $0.0950 support, the price could decline further. In the stated case, the price might slide toward the $0.0920 level or even $0.090 in the near term. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for DOGE/USD is now losing momentum in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for DOGE/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $0.0988 and $0.0.950. Major Resistance Levels – $0.1050 and $0.1120.
Stripe executives Patrick and John Collison expect blockchain network demands to increase significantly as adoption and use of AI agents grow in the future.
Bitcoin continues to struggle to push decisively above the $66,000 level as persistent selling pressure weighs on sentiment across the crypto market. Despite intermittent rebound attempts, momentum remains weak, with buyers showing limited conviction while volatility stays elevated. The broader environment — shaped by cautious liquidity conditions, macro uncertainty, and restrained risk appetite — has kept Bitcoin locked in a consolidation phase rather than a sustained recovery trend. Related Reading: Why XRP’s 0.16 Leverage Floor Ends The Era Of The Flash Crash – And the Hope for a Quick Recovery Increasingly, Bitcoin is not behaving like “digital gold,” a narrative that dominated market discourse for years. Instead of acting as a defensive asset during periods of economic stress, Bitcoin has recently traded in closer alignment with equity markets, particularly technology stocks. This correlation suggests that capital is treating Bitcoin more as a high-beta risk asset than as a store of value comparable to precious metals. This shift challenges a long-standing thesis within the crypto ecosystem. While the digital gold narrative remains influential, current price behavior indicates that liquidity cycles, institutional positioning, and broader macro risk dynamics are exerting stronger short-term influence. Whether Bitcoin eventually reclaims its perceived safe-haven role or continues behaving like a risk asset will likely depend on evolving macro conditions and investor positioning. Correlation With Nasdaq Highlights Structural Shift According to On-Chain Mind, Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq has structurally tightened since 2020, marking a significant shift in how capital allocates to the asset. While earlier cycles showed more episodic alignment, recent data reveals that BTC now frequently trades in tandem with technology equities. Notably, the sharpest correlation spikes have tended to coincide with broader market drawdowns, particularly during bear market phases. This pattern is critical. In theory, an asset positioned as “digital gold” would be expected to decorrelate from risk assets during periods of stress. Instead, the data suggests the opposite: when liquidity contracts and equities sell off, Bitcoin often follows. These synchronized declines indicate that institutional capital increasingly treats BTC as part of the broader risk complex rather than as an independent hedge. Whether this development aligns with ideological expectations is secondary. The reality is that capital flows, portfolio construction frameworks, and macro-driven positioning now play a dominant role in Bitcoin’s price formation. Large allocators appear to manage BTC exposure alongside growth equities, responding to the same liquidity signals, rate expectations, and volatility regimes. Until correlation regimes shift meaningfully, Bitcoin’s behavior is likely to remain closely tied to macro risk cycles rather than to traditional safe-haven dynamics. Related Reading: The $33 Billion Drain: Bitcoin Realized Cap Craters as Capital Abandons the Network for a Second Month Bitcoin Price Structure Shows Persistent Downtrend Pressure Bitcoin continues to trade under clear technical pressure, with price action struggling to reclaim the $66,000–$67,000 zone after a sharp corrective move from late-2025 highs. The weekly chart shows a decisive break below the 50-week moving average, followed by rejection near that level, which now acts as dynamic resistance rather than support. This shift typically reflects weakening medium-term momentum. Price is currently hovering just above the 200-week moving average, a level historically associated with major cycle support. While this area often attracts strategic buyers, repeated tests without strong rebounds can weaken its effectiveness. Volume spikes during recent downside moves suggest distribution rather than accumulation, although confirmation would require sustained follow-through. Related Reading: The Saylor Discount: Why Bitcoin Trading Below Strategy’s Realized Price is a Gift for Late-Cycle Allocators Market structure also shows a sequence of lower highs since the peak near the $120K region, indicating that bullish continuation has stalled. Until Bitcoin reclaims the mid-$70K range and stabilizes above key moving averages, rallies may remain corrective rather than trend-reversing. That said, proximity to long-term support means volatility could increase. Either a structural rebound or a deeper capitulation phase remains possible, depending largely on liquidity conditions, macro sentiment, and institutional positioning in the coming weeks. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
XRP price started a decent increase above $1.40. The price is now consolidating gains and might aim for more gains above the $1.50 zone. XRP price started a decent upward move above the $1.420 zone. The price is now trading above $1.4250 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $1.3820 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it settles above $1.50. XRP Price Rally Reaches Resistance XRP price started a fresh upward move above $1.40 and $1.420, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The price gained pace for a clear move above the $1.450 resistance. There was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $1.3820 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. The bulls even pumped the price toward the $1.50 zone. A high was formed at $1.4936 and the price started a consolidation phase. There was a drop below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3125 swing low to the $1.4936 high. The price is now trading above $1.420 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If there is a fresh upward move, the price might face resistance near the $1.460 level. The first major resistance is near the $1.50 level, above which the price could rise and test $1.5450. A clear move above the $1.5450 resistance might send the price toward the $1.650 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $1.720 resistance. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be near $1.80. Another Decline? If XRP fails to clear the $1.460 resistance zone, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1.420 level. The next major support is near the $1.4030 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1.3125 swing low to the $1.4936 high. If there is a downside break and a close below the $1.4030 level, the price might continue to decline toward $1.3820. The next major support sits near the $1.3430 zone, below which the price could continue lower toward $1.320. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now losing pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $1.420 and $1.4030. Major Resistance Levels – $1.460 and $1.50.
The governance staking overhaul could enhance decentralized decision-making and align long-term incentives, potentially boosting platform stability.
The post Trump-backed World Liberty plans governance staking overhaul to reward active participation appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The crypto markets are sitting in a mood that rarely looks like hope. Fear sits very high, and that kind of fear has traders asking whether the worst is already behind them or still to come. Extreme Fear And Market Signals Reports note the Crypto Fear & Greed Index recently hit a low of 11, one of the weakest readings this year. That kind of reading has shown up near big turns before, but it is not a guarantee of an instant rebound. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red Some pieces of market data point to deeper stress — consumer credit trouble, weak housing figures, and loan strain — while other parts of the market, especially certain tech sectors, have kept rising. One analyst warns that what looks like calm at the surface may be hiding pressure underneath. Jesse Eckel argues the broader economy has been dragged forward by gains in AI-driven stocks, even though many everyday measures show strain. His view: investors who want exposure to AI’s upside may find it easier to chase smaller crypto tokens than to buy into giant tech firms. AI Speculation Spreads To Smaller Tokens That logic is simple. Big tech stocks are expensive. Smaller crypto projects promise bigger upside for retail traders who want a quick win. Analysts say this pattern could push money into crypto rails when mania returns, and that retail buyers often prefer instruments that feel close at hand and cheap. Yet there is a difference between wanting a bet and finding a solid reason to make one, and that difference matters to outcomes. A Paid Model’s Bold Numbers Some forecasts backing the bullish case come from an AI model accessed by market participants. The model gave numbers that look dramatic: roughly $155,000 for Bitcoin by the end of 2026 and about $240,000 by 2027. Those figures are treated as directional estimates, not precise promises, and the analyst using the model stressed they should guide thinking rather than dictate it. How This Might Play Out If money does rotate from expensive tech shares into speculative crypto bets, the flow would likely start small and then build as headlines and social chatter amplify the move. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin The Poor Man’s Hedge Against Inflation? Coinbase CEO Thinks So That could lift small tokens first. Big moves often happen after long stretches where few people expect them. But the timing is hard to pin down. Market sentiment can stay negative for a long time even when conditions for a rebound are present. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The crypto market is showing fresh signs of strength, and veteran trader Gareth Soloway says a short-term rally may have more room to run, even though he is not calling for a full bull market just yet. “Charts are unbiased,” he explained. “If I see a bullish pattern, I trade it long. If I see …
“The goal is to decouple slots and finality, to allow us to reason about both separately,” explained Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.
Ethereum price started a major rally above the $2,000 resistance. ETH is now correcting gains from $2,150 and might decline to $2,000. Ethereum started a fresh upward move above the $1,950 zone. The price is trading above $2,000 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There was a break above a bearish trend line with resistance at $1,920 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could start a fresh decline if it stays below the $2,120 zone. Ethereum Price Rallies Over 15% Ethereum price managed to form a base and traded above the $1,920 resistance, like Bitcoin. ETH price rallied above the $2,000 and $2,020 resistance levels. There was a break above a bearish trend line with resistance at $1,920 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. The bulls even pumped the price above $2,100. A high was formed at $2,158 before there was a sharp downside correction. The price dipped below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1,792 swing low to the $2,158 high. Ethereum price is now trading above $2,000 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If the bulls remain in action above $2,000, the price could attempt another increase. Immediate resistance is seen near the $2,080 level. The first key resistance is near the $2,120 level. The next major resistance is near the $2,150 level. A clear move above the $2,150 resistance might send the price toward the $2,200 resistance. An upside break above the $2,200 region might call for more gains in the coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $2,250 resistance zone or even $2,320 in the near term. Another Drop In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $2,120 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,000 level. The first major support sits near the $1,975 zone or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $1,792 swing low to the $2,158 high. A clear move below the $1,975 support might push the price toward the $1,930 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $1,900 region. The main support could be $1,880. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is losing momentum in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone. Major Support Level – $1,975 Major Resistance Level – $2,150
Aave continues to lead DeFi lending, with $27.2 billion in user value secured and $83.3 million in fees over the past 30 days, nearly four times more than its closest competitor.
The GENIUS Act will take effect on the earlier of 18 months after enactment, which would make it Jan. 18, 2027.
Ethereum has faced persistent selling pressure throughout the year, with price action repeatedly failing to reclaim the $2,000 level. Despite intermittent rebound attempts, momentum has remained weak, reflecting cautious sentiment across both retail and institutional participants. The broader market environment — characterized by tightening liquidity, macro uncertainty, and subdued risk appetite — has further complicated Ethereum’s recovery path, leaving the asset locked in a fragile consolidation phase. Related Reading: Why XRP’s 0.16 Leverage Floor Ends The Era Of The Flash Crash – And the Hope for a Quick Recovery Recent on-chain data has added another layer to this narrative. According to blockchain analytics platform Arkham, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sold an additional 675.88 ETH, worth roughly $1.25 million, in the past several hours. Over the last month alone, his total ETH sales have reached approximately 11,422 ETH, equivalent to about $23.33 million at prevailing market prices. Buterin remains one of the most influential figures in the Ethereum ecosystem, widely recognized as the protocol’s principal architect and a key voice in its technical and strategic direction. Transactions associated with such prominent insiders often attract attention because they can influence market sentiment, even when motivated by operational, philanthropic, or diversification needs rather than outright bearish positioning. Vitalik’s Ethereum Distribution Progress Nears Completion On-chain tracking suggests that Vitalik Buterin’s recent transactions are part of a broader planned distribution totaling approximately 16,384 ETH. Based on the latest observed transfers, roughly 70% of that amount appears to have already been executed. This leaves an estimated 4,962 ETH — valued near $9.5 million at current prices — potentially still pending. While these figures depend on wallet attribution accuracy, they provide a useful framework for interpreting recent market flows. From a market-structure perspective, such activity does not automatically imply directional intent. Large transfers from prominent figures often trigger short-term sentiment reactions because participants anticipate potential sell-side liquidity. However, historical precedent shows that founder-related transactions frequently relate to treasury management, ecosystem funding, or diversification rather than speculative positioning. In the near term, awareness that additional ETH may still enter the market can contribute to cautious positioning among traders, particularly in a fragile liquidity environment. Some participants may reduce exposure preemptively, which can amplify volatility even if actual selling volume remains moderate relative to total market depth. At the same time, markets typically absorb known supply events over time. If the remaining distribution proceeds gradually and demand remains stable, the overall price impact may remain contained rather than structurally bearish. Related Reading: The $33 Billion Drain: Bitcoin Realized Cap Craters as Capital Abandons the Network for a Second Month Price Tests Long-Term Support As Weekly Momentum Remains Under Pressure Ethereum continues to trade under sustained pressure, with price now hovering near the $1,900 zone after failing to reclaim the $2,000 psychological threshold. The weekly chart shows a clear loss of momentum following the rejection near the $3,500–$4,000 region earlier in the cycle, with lower highs and lower lows defining the current structure. This pattern typically reflects a transition from expansion to consolidation or corrective behavior rather than an immediate trend reversal. From a moving-average perspective, ETH is trading below the 50-week and 100-week averages, both of which are beginning to slope downward. This alignment generally signals weakening intermediate-term momentum. The 200-week average remains below price but is approaching as potential structural support, making this zone particularly relevant for longer-term positioning. Related Reading: The Saylor Discount: Why Bitcoin Trading Below Strategy’s Realized Price is a Gift for Late-Cycle Allocators Volume dynamics suggest increased activity during recent selloffs, indicating distribution rather than passive consolidation. However, there are early signs of stabilization as volatility compresses, often a precursor to either continuation or a relief rebound. If Ethereum fails to reclaim the $2,000–$2,200 region convincingly, downside probes toward the long-term average remain plausible. Conversely, sustained acceptance above that level would be required to rebuild bullish momentum and restore confidence among sidelined capital. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin price started a major increase above $68,000. BTC is now struggling to clear the $70,000 resistance and might correct some gains. Bitcoin started a fresh increase after it settled above the $67,000 support. The price is trading above $67,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. There was a break above a bearish trend line with resistance at $66,500 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might dip again if it trades below the $67,500 and $67,200 levels. Bitcoin Price Rallies 10% Bitcoin price managed to form a base above the $66,000 zone. BTC started a fresh increase and was able to surpass the $67,000 resistance zone. The price even rallied above the $68,000 resistance. Finally, the bears appeared near $70,000. A high was formed at $70,000, and the price is now correcting gains below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $62,500 swing low to the $70,000 high. Bitcoin is now trading above $67,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $67,500, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $68,500 level. The first key resistance is near the $69,200 level. A close above the $69,200 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $70,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $71,200 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $72,200 and $72,500. Another Decline In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $68,500 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $67,500 level. The first major support is near the $67,200 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $62,500 swing low to the $70,000 high. The next support is now near the $66,250 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $66,000 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $65,500, below which BTC might struggle to recover in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now losing pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $67,500, followed by $67,200. Major Resistance Levels – $68,500 and $69,200.
Vitalik Buterin is continuing his planned Ethereum sales, even as the market rallies sharply. According to on-chain tracking platforms Lookonchain and Onchain Lens, Buterin recently sold another 4,458 ETH worth approximately $8.92 million. This latest transaction brings his total progress to 97% completion of a previously disclosed plan to sell 16,384 ETH. Only 504 ETH, …
ETHZilla will now go by Forum in its second rebrand in less than 12 months as it looks to catch a windfall from the hype around tokenization.
The Reform UK party was the first to accept crypto donations in May last year, with leader Nigel Farage announcing the group is accepting Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency contributions.
After losing key structure and breaking below major support, Ethereum is now approaching a critical high-timeframe demand zone. This level has historically acted as a foundation for reversals, making it a pivotal area to watch. The question now is whether the breakdown extends, or if this test marks the beginning of a broader bottoming process. High-Timeframe Support Lost After Repeated Rejections In a recent Ethereum analysis, crypto analyst Luca outlined why the breakdown below the high-timeframe support range marked in purple significantly shifted the market structure. After losing that level and facing repeated rejections, the probability tilted toward continued downside. The failure to recover that zone signaled weakening bullish momentum and opened the door for the price to seek liquidity lower. Related Reading: Ethereum Caught Between Weak Bounce And High-Timeframe Risk – What’s Next? The most logical downside target sits at the high-timeframe support range marked in green, which aligns with the early-April 2025 bottoming formation. This is a technically significant area because it is where buyers previously stepped in aggressively and where they may be incentivized to do so again. He emphasized that the risk-reward profile becomes far more favorable if Ethereum trades into that green support region. A move into that area would likely create better positioning opportunities for swing longs, prompting him to gradually scale out of hedge positions and rotate capital back into spot holdings in anticipation of a potential upside reversal. Until then, Luca remains patient, avoiding new entries or adjustments to his spot exposure unless price tests the high-timeframe green support zone, or Ethereum breaks back above the 1D Bull Market Support Band. That band, currently sitting around $2,000, is serving as resistance when tested. As long as Ethereum remains below that $2,000 band and hasn’t yet tapped into the stronger high-timeframe green support, Luca believes the path remains to the downside on lower timeframes. In his view, further weakness or consolidation is more likely in the near to mid-term before a sustainable bullish reversal structure can properly form. Ethereum Capitulation Complete At $1,800 Ethereum has already gone through its capitulation phase, with price flushing into the $1,800 zone in what appeared to be an emotional sell-off. That sharp move likely marked peak fear, forcing weaker hands out of the market and clearing excessive leverage built up during the prior structure. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Holds Key 5-Year Demand Area Amid Heavy Whale Transfers As Cyril-DeFi noted, price action is stabilizing and moving sideways, and the intensity of selling pressure has noticeably slowed. Volatility is compressing, and the aggressive downside momentum that defined the drop is no longer present. Although this phase feels dull and uneventful, it’s often how sustainable bases are formed. Holding the $1,800 region is therefore significant; it suggests that panic has subsided and that Ethereum may be transitioning from distribution into early-stage accumulation. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
The Etherem Foundation (EF) has released a decade-long roadmap dubbed the “strawmap” that is designed to scale the ecosystem, while improving privacy and quantum resistance. More specifically, the project intends to bring up the transaction speeds of L1 and L2 protocols to 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) and 10 million TPS, respectively. This will happen …
Reports show both Anthropic and OpenAI are revising safety commitments amid surging investment and competition.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is urging the Ethereum ecosystem to treat oracle design and decentralization as a priority security problem, warning that key parts of DeFi’s stack still hide uncomfortable fragilities behind the industry’s recent growth. In a post outlining how the Ethereum Foundation is thinking about DeFi, Buterin framed decentralized finance as “a central part of the value that Ethereum provides” and argued that its next phase must pair renewed innovation with a harder line on security and centralization risks. “Defi is a central part of the value that Ethereum provides. Financial empowerment is a central part of what it means to have agency and freedom in our current world. Finance is far from the only thing that Ethereum is good for, but it is an important thing,” Buterin wrote, positioning DeFi not as a side quest, but as one of Ethereum’s flagship deliverables. Related Reading: Ethereum’s Legal Status Gains Clarity After SEC Leadership Signal Ethereum Foundation’s DeFi Crackdown: No Centralized Shortcuts Buterin’s thesis has two edges. The first is aspirational: DeFi should return to the early-era willingness to invent new primitives rather than iterating on the same product shapes. He pointed to AMMs as an example of the kind of paradigm shift he wants developers to chase again, arguing that teams should “dig a layer deeper” than surface-level improvements like “make a better stablecoin” and instead attack the underlying financial problems: risk management and hedging future expenses with new mechanisms. The second edge is a filter. Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation is not looking to support “onchain finance” or “defi” indiscriminately, but to push toward a narrower vision: “permissionless, open-source, private, security-first global finance that maximizes people’s control over their own assets, minimizes centralized chokepoints and trusted third parties, and democratizes risk management and wealth building … as well as payments.” A key standard in that vision is operational resilience. Buterin said the ecosystem should prefer protocols that “pass the walkaway test”: systems that keep functioning even if the founding team disappears overnight or worse, “becomes hostile / compromised without warning.” It’s a stark yardstick in a sector where governance keys, upgrade mechanisms, and offchain dependencies often concentrate power long after a protocol looks “decentralized” in marketing. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Holds Key 5-Year Demand Area Amid Heavy Whale Transfers Where the alarm bell rings loudest is oracles: the bridge between onchain logic and offchain reality. In a list of priority areas, Buterin singled out “oracle security and decentralization,” adding a blunt aside: “there’s A LOT of skeletons in the closet here, we as an ecosystem really need to point a big eye of sauron at it for a while.” The line is telling: it implies risks that are known, tolerated, or under-discussed, despite oracles sitting on the critical path for lending, stablecoins, derivatives, and liquidations. Buterin framed DeFi as a “complex toolchain” that mixes onchain components with user-side and other offchain pieces — wallets, local agents, and more. His roadmap-like list reflects that breadth: classic security work such as audits, standards, and wallet-side safeguards; newer approaches like “AI-assisted formal verification” and “user-side agents as safeguards”; privacy for both payments and more complex positions, including the question of what a “maximally privacy-preserving CDP” would look like; and renewed emphasis on open source licensing and forkability. The closing message is permissive but not passive. Ethereum will always allow people to deploy “insecure protocols” or systems that embed “ultimately unneeded centralized trust in the name of convenience,” Buterin wrote, as well as what he called “dopamine-maximizing gambleslop.” But he signaled the Foundation’s intent to actively collaborate with builders aligned around minimizing intermediaries and maximizing user agency, with the aim of making that version of DeFi not just Ethereum’s best option, but “a globally compelling way to manage funds” for anyone who values those properties. At press time, ETH traded at $1,912. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
CFTC chair Mike Selig said the agency established a prediction markets advisory to help catch insider traders, warning there would be consequences.
According to a new forecast from an Elliott Wave analyst, the Bitcoin price could be gearing up for more pain as bearish pressures continue to weigh heavily on it. As a final bear market move, the analyst has projected that Bitcoin could crash by more than 14% from its current price near $65,000. Bitcoin Price Readies For Final Bear Market Plunge Elliott Wave Strategy, a market expert on X who focuses primarily on Elliott Wave structures and analysis, has warned that Bitcoin is entering its final leg down of its current bear market cycle. In his updated post, the analyst declared that BTC’s corrective Wave 4 structure has ended precisely as projected. He summarized the outlook bluntly, stating that the relief phase is finally over and Wave 5 is now in motion. Related Reading: Bitcoin Dominance To Experience Major Crash? Pundit Shares What This Would Mean The accompanying TradingView chart shows Wave 5 beginning at the end of a triangle formation, which marked Wave 4. The projected target for the final wave has been clearly defined, with the first measured move expected to drag Bitcoin’s price down toward the 1.0 Fibonacci Retracement level at $60,385. Elliott Wave Strategy has also forecasted a potential market bottom. He expects Bitcoin to decline further to the next bearish target at $55,759, marked by the 1.618 Fibonacci level. Based on the expert’s analysis, BTC’s current structure shows no clear signs of a possible recovery until it completes its correction. As a result, the analyst has urged investors and traders to brace for the potential decline to $55,759, which could wipe out more than 55% of BTC’s value from its ATH levels above $126,000. A Recap Of Bitcoin’s Wave 4 Performance Based on the wave count displayed on the Elliott Wave Strategy’s chart, Bitcoin has already completed Waves 1 through 4 of a five-wave bearish impulse. The structure shows an earlier price breakdown from above $90,000, slicing through the 0.382 retracement at $90,601 before accelerating below $75,300, which coincided with the 0.5 retracement level. Following this, Bitcoin continued its downward spiral below the 0.382 Fibonacci Retracement at $71,689.20, marking the start of the Wave 4 consolidation. Related Reading: Here’s What’s Driving The Bitcoin Price Crash Toward $60,0000 In a previous analysis, Elliott Wave Strategy noted that Bitcoin had already entered its corrective Wave 4 structure as of February 12. He warned that the temporary rally above $71,000 that preceded the onset of Wave 4 should not be mistaken for a new bull market cycle, reinforcing his predominantly bearish stance on BTC. The now-completed Wave 4 triangle has been capped by descending resistance near $70,000 and supported by a rising trendline around $66,000. Elliott Wave Strategy characterized this trendline as a classic bearish continuation pattern, suggesting further downside pressure for BTC’s already weak price. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Based on the 30-day Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) Ratio, Ethereum (ETH) is mildly undervalued at -5.5%. Bitcoin (BTC), XRP (XRP), and Chainlink (LINK) remain neutral at -1.4%, -0.1%, and +3.3%, respectively. By contrast, Cardano (ADA) is mildly overvalued, with an MVRV ratio of +6.8%. Source: Santiment Bitcoin and the wider crypto market showcase …
In a sign of the growing convergence between traditional finance and digital assets, Emirates NBD is reportedly exploring the addition of Bitcoin to its investment portfolio. The development reflects a broader shift in institutional strategy, as major financial institutions increasingly recognize BTC’s potential role in portfolio diversification, inflation hedging, and long-term value preservation. Why Emirates NBD Is Exploring Bitcoin Integration Emirates NBD, one of the largest banks in the United Arab Emirates but frequently described as the UAE’s second-largest bank, is actively evaluating whether to add Bitcoin to its investment portfolio. Crypto market commentator MartyParty has mentioned on X that the news stems directly from comments by Maurice Gravier, the Group Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Emirates NBD, during an appearance on CNBC Squawk Box. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sees “Most Aggressive” Institutional Selling Ever, Analyst Says Gravier’s key points were viewing BTC as digital gold and framing it primarily as a store of value rather than merely an alternative currency. He noted that Bitcoin has matured significantly, citing its proof-of-work security model, limited supply, and structurally low inflation rate as attributes that enhance its appeal to institutional investors. Furthermore, Gravier has suggested that BTC’s current valuation appears more attractive compared to six months ago, when the price was considered relatively high. According to MartyParty’s summary, the bank has an internet model, and indicates that BTC could reasonably approach the $100,000 range within the next 12 months. However, the projections are still being refined. The Emirates NBD’s bank asset management division reportedly oversees approximately $16 billion in assets, and any potential allocation would be limited in size and used for diversification purposes. Nonetheless, with no final decision or execution, it is still under review amid ongoing market volatility. This consideration has highlighted a growing institutional interest in BTC across traditional finance in the Middle East. How Businesses Are Using BTC Payments At Scale While individuals are focused on Bitcoin dropping to $63,000, with the price down 50% from its high, a major milestone in its underlying network activity last week has largely gone unnoticed. Crypto analyst Fernando Nikolić pointed out that the Lightning Network surpassed $1 billion in monthly transaction volume for the first time, reaching approximately $1.17 billion across 5.2 million transactions in November. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red The data shows that the average transaction size nearly doubled year-over-year from $118 to $223, indicating that this is not just micropayment experimentation. Nikolić believes that businesses are using it, and exchanges are moving real money through it. In other words, its actual usage as a payment network just hit an all-time high. In his view, both realities can coexist and underscore a broader disconnect between market narratives and underlying network fundamentals. Also, Nikolić noted that the adoption milestone has received relatively little attention because it challenges the dominant bearish storyline surrounding the BTC price action. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com
Nvidia’s earnings lifted technology shares and steadied broader markets, even as investors weigh how long the AI investment cycle can run.
The rally marks one of the strongest single-day rebounds in weeks, snapping a steady slide that had pushed bitcoin down sharply from its October highs.