Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States may be able to start staking a portion of their tokens as soon as May, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart. On April 9, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) authorized exchanges to begin listing options contracts tied to spot Ether (ETH) ETFs after greenlighting Bitcoin (BTC) ETF options in September. However, issuers are still waiting for the regulator to allow Ether ETFs to offer staking after filing numerous requests for permission earlier this year.Source: James SeyffartThe approval of options contracts could represent a key step toward regulatory approval for staking services in the United States. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart said on April 9 that clearance for staking on ETH funds could come as early as May but would likely take until the end of 2025.“It's possible they could be approved for staking early, but the final deadline is at the end of October,” Seyffart said in a post on the X platform. “Potential intermediate deadlines before the final approval (or denial) are in late May & late August.”Options are financial derivatives that give investors the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price before a certain date. Staking, on the other hand, involves locking up a cryptocurrency, like ETH, to support network operations — such as validating transactions — in exchange for rewards. In ETH funds, options contracts allow investors to hedge or speculate on the tokens' prices, while staking offers a way to earn rewards by participating in Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network.Ether ETF inflows. Source: Farside InvestorsRelated: SEC approves options on spot Ether ETFsProgress toward adoptionEther ETFs launched in June 2024 but struggled to attract significant investor interest. According to data from Farside Investors, the funds have seen net inflows of $2.4 billion as of April 10, compared to $35 billion for Bitcoin ETFs introduced in January. Analysts say the SEC’s approval of Ether ETF options could help spur adoption. Asset managers are also waiting on the SEC to greenlight requests to allow in-kind creations and redemptions for Bitcoin and Ether ETFs.The emergence of options markets tied to spot crypto ETFs is a “monumental advancement” in crypto markets and creates “extremely compelling opportunities” for investors,” Jeff Park, Bitwise Invest’s head of alpha strategies, said in a Sept. 20 X post. But staking could be the most significant step forward for Ether funds. In March, Robbie Mitchnick, BlackRock’s head of digital assets, said Ether ETFs are “less perfect” without staking. “A staking yield is a meaningful part of how you can generate investment return in this space.”Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research
Solana has been able to remain above the key $110 price level even as big investors offload millions worth of tokens. The cryptocurrency is now trading at $114, registering a daily increase of 7.6% in the midst of a broad-based fear in the altcoin market. Related Reading: XRP ETF Launch Impresses Even In Bear Market, Says Analyst Big Investors Abandon Ship As Market Wobbles A number of key Solana holders have lost faith in the token’s near-term prospects. Blockchain analytics indicate that a whale (“4W1Ree”) unstaked 159,028 SOL tokens worth $16.5 million. The investor has already sold 60,000 of them for $6.13 million at an average price of $102. Whales are dumping $SOL! 4W1Ree unstaked 159,028 $SOL($16.5M) and sold 60,000 $SOL($6.13M) at $102 4 hours ago. 5cPair sold 89,734 $SOL($9.67M) at $108 14 hours ago.https://t.co/i2sVNng50nhttps://t.co/hJwIowTBPl pic.twitter.com/XLhXsLxHft — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) April 9, 2025 Yet another significant holder named “5cPair” offloaded close to 90,000 SOL tokens amounting to around $9.7 million, receiving an average of $108 per token. OnChainLens blockchain data also revealed that three interrelated wallets unstaked 168,498 SOL worth $17.86 million after being on the books for two months, taking an $11.38 million hit on their investment. Platform Activity Adds To Selling Pressure The offloading is not just limited to individual traders. According to recent transactions, Pump.Fun platform transferred 84,350 SOL tokens (valued at $9.3 million) to Kraken exchange. Since January 2025, the platform has already offloaded a whopping 1.72 million SOL tokens worth $310 million to exchanges. Pump.Fun currently has 3.24 million SOL tokens remaining, worth around $360 million at today’s prices. Technical Patterns Indicate Signs Of Reversal Even though there has been intense selling, some analysts are optimistic regarding Solana’s price trend. The cryptocurrency adheres to a growing falling-channel pattern on day charts. The recent decline reached a low of $95.16 on April 7, but buyers swiftly intervened to restore the price above $100. Today’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) also is now on the cusp of oversold levels, indicating a possible bounce. Some analysts are saying Solana just bounced off of a multi-year support trendline that set off a 1,000% bounce when tested in Q3 2023. Related Reading: XRP Will Explode—And This Korean Expert Says He’ll Be ‘Laughing’ At Critics Analysts Set Key Price Targets For Coming Weeks Market observers have pointed to key price levels that will decide Solana’s next direction. The TD sequential indicator has flashed a buy signal on SOL’s weekly chart, says analyst Ali Martinez. Solana needs to hold above $95 and break above $120 to initiate a significant recovery, Martinez believes. If these levels are held, Solana may look to $147 in the near future. If the $95 support fails, though, prices may plummet towards $69.94, the analyst said. The cryptocurrency is now trading between the center pivot level of $114 and the S1 pivot level of $94.29. Prediction site Polymarket indicates mixed sentiment, with 20% of participants believing SOL will fall to $80 in April, and 21% that it will reach $150. Featured image from Marca, chart from TradingView
OpenAI’s ChatGPT can now reference all past conversations to create more personalized responses—which is both convenient and scary.
Gold-backed crypto tokens outperformed most crypto sectors, including stablecoins, in market cap growth since Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, a CEX.IO report said.
TokenTable, the entity managing the airdrop, paused the process to address the failed transactions and promised full compensation.
The NFT sold for 4,000 ETH after last selling for 4,500 ETH last March, which at the time was worth $16 million.
Nova Labs, the creator of the Helium Network, said the U.S. SEC has dropped its claims that the firm sold unregistered securities.
Crypto startup Meanwhile has raised $40 million to scale its Bitcoin-denominated life insurance business, targeting so-called “inflation-prone economies” where policyholders may seek alternatives to traditional fiat-based payouts.The Series A investment round was led by Framework Ventures and Fulgur Ventures, with additional participation from Xapo founder Wences Casares, the company disclosed on April 10. Meanwhile previously secured $20.5 million in seed funding backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and others.Source: MeanwhilelifeRegulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, Meanwhile offers a whole life insurance policy denominated in Bitcoin (BTC), giving policyholders the ability to safeguard the value of their life insurance against currency debasement. Policyholders can access the value of their life insurance anytime through loans and tax-free partial withdrawals. Meanwhile co-founder Zac Townsend told Fortune that the company’s life insurance policies operate similarly to typical life insurance policies, but monthly premiums are paid in Bitcoin. When a policyholder passes away, their family receives the value of the claim entirely in BTC. The company’s policies are geared toward clients living in regions with high inflation or currency instability, Townsend said. Given the inflationary tendencies of Western economies and the extreme currency fluctuations in emerging markets, Meanwhile has cast a very wide net on its addressable market. Related: Bitcoin price could rally even as global trade war rages on — Here’s whyBitcoin and the inflation problemBitcoin’s deflationary design has made it a popular store of value for early cryptocurrency adopters, but its role as an inflation hedge in the traditional sense is subject to debate. A 2025 study that appeared in the Journal of Economics and Business determined that Bitcoin’s inflation-hedging abilities have weakened in recent years due to rising institutional adoption. The study referenced Bitcoin’s 60% drop in 2022 when US inflation surged to a 40-year high above 9%.However, some analysts may counter that claim by arguing that investors purchased Bitcoin during the pandemic on expectations that inflation would rise due to massive government stimulus.During this period, “Investors saw that inflation was coming, so they began buying bitcoin hand-over-fist,” said investor and analyst Anthony Pompliano.Regardless of whether Bitcoin meets the technical definition of an inflation hedge, the asset has significantly outperformed inflation, or the debasement of currency, since its inception. The Bitcoin price dipped below $80,000 on April 10 after the latest US inflation data triggered renewed volatility in the market. Nevertheless, the report showed a sharp deceleration in annual inflation in March, with the Consumer Price Index falling to 2.4% from 2.8% in February. The Bitcoin price experienced heavy intraday volatility following the latest US CPI data. Source: CointelegraphRelated: As Trump tanks Bitcoin, PMI offers a roadmap of what comes next
The overall cryptocurrency market has been confusing traders and investors due to its immense volatility over the past 24 hours. Amid this, an Ethereum (ETH) price prediction seems like a key topic to discuss in order to determine where the price might head next. Tariff Pause Rally Wiped Out by CPI Report Following the 90-day …
The Dogecoin Foundation’s corporate arm plans to market the fund as it aims for wider adoption of the popular meme token.
Prosecutors told a New York judge on Thursday that they don’t plan to change the charges against Kwon in light of the memo.
Users fled the DEX and TVL has dropped to $150 million from $540 million in the past month.
Solana has staged an impressive comeback, rallying over 25% from its recent low of $95 earlier this week. The sharp move followed a major shift in macroeconomic sentiment after US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for all countries except China, which was hit with a 125% tariff. The temporary relief sparked a renewed wave of optimism in financial markets, helping risk-on assets like Solana regain strength after weeks of heavy selling pressure. Related Reading: XRP Network Activity Hits All-Time High Despite Market Volatility – Bullish Signal? Top analyst Bluntz weighed in on the rally, sharing on X that the recent bounce could be more than just a short-term reaction. He noted that Solana’s latest downtrend lasted nearly three months—a duration he believes could mirror the length of the current recovery phase. If his analysis plays out, SOL may be entering a sustained period of upward momentum. Despite broader market uncertainty and continued global tensions, Solana’s sharp rebound is offering bulls some relief and potentially setting the stage for a longer-term rally. Traders are now closely watching key resistance levels and overall market sentiment to determine whether this bounce will evolve into a lasting trend shift. Solana Eyes Recovery After Deep Correction Solana has finally seen a burst of buying activity after enduring nearly three months of relentless selling pressure. Since reaching its all-time high in January, SOL has lost more than 60% of its value, with bulls losing momentum the moment prices slipped below the $180 level. The correction was deep, sharp, and reflective of broader weakness in crypto and traditional markets as macroeconomic tensions escalated. President Trump’s continued push for tariffs has added significant stress to global markets, dampening risk appetite and weighing heavily on altcoins like Solana. The environment has been far from friendly for speculative assets, but the recent bounce suggests that sentiment may be shifting. Bluntz’s insights on X note that Solana’s previous downward leg lasted nearly three months—a timeline he believes the current recovery could mirror. According to his analysis, this bounce could impact prices by as much as 75% in the near term, with a potential target around the $200 level. While it’s too early to confirm a full trend reversal, this optimistic outlook offers some hope to investors holding through the drawdown. For now, Solana must reclaim key resistance levels and sustain momentum above $120 to validate a broader recovery phase. The next few weeks will be critical as volatility continues to dominate and global tensions remain. Related Reading: Dogecoin Whales Offload Over 1.32 Billion DOGE In 48 Hours – Risk-Off Or Panic Selling? Bulls Must Hold $110 And Reclaim $130 to Confirm Recovery Solana is currently trading at $114 after briefly dropping below the critical $100 support level earlier this week. The recent bounce has given bulls a fighting chance, but price action remains fragile. For Solana to confirm a recovery rally, bulls need to reclaim the 4-hour 200-day Moving Average (MA) and Exponential Moving Average (EMA), both of which sit around the $130 level. Holding above the $110 support zone is key. If SOL manages to maintain strength at current levels and successfully pushes above $130, it could open the door for a massive upside move. A breakout above the 4-hour MAs would likely trigger fresh momentum and renewed buying pressure, potentially sending Solana back into the $150–$180 range. Related Reading: XRP Breaks Out Of Head-And-Shoulders Pattern — Eyes Move Toward $1.30 However, the bullish outlook hinges entirely on reclaiming these technical levels. Failing to do so could lead to renewed consolidation in the $100–$115 range or even spark another sell-off. If Solana falls back below $110 and retests the $100 mark, it could invite further downside and shake investor confidence again. The coming days will be pivotal as bulls try to shift momentum and stabilize the recent recovery. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin (BTC) price failed to hold its weekly open gains on April 10 as US stocks ignored positive inflation data.BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewData from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC price volatility ticking higher around the release of the March Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers.These numbers came in broadly below expectations, revealing slowing inflationary forces despite mass-market disruption due to US trade tariffs.An official press release from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated:“The all items index rose 2.4 percent for the 12 months ending March, after rising 2.8 percent over the 12 months ending February. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.8 percent over the last 12 months, the smallest 12-month increase since March 2021.”US CPI 12-month % change. Source: BLSWhile notionally a tailwind for risk assets, US stocks were in no mood for relief at the open. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index were down 3% and 3.7%, respectively, at the time of writing.“Markets think the recently strong jobs report and cool inflation data gives Trump the ‘green light’ to continue the trade war,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter suggested in part of a response on X.Kobeissi nonetheless acknowledged the implications of rapidly declining inflation — something which tariffs had yet to influence.“This marks the lowest Core CPI inflation rate in 4 years,” it continued in a separate X thread. “It also puts Headline CPI inflation just 40 basis points above the Fed's 2% target. Inflation is down 60 basis points over the last 3 months alone.”BTC price rebound may rest with ”Spoofy the Whale”Turning to BTC price action, market participants were in a wait-and-see mode after the US paused the majority of its tariff implementations for 90 days.Related: Crypto trading firm warns of 'classic bull trap' as Bitcoin tags $82.7KFor popular trader Daan Crypto Trades, a reclaim of at least $83,000 was necessary as an initial step for bulls.“$BTC Saw a strong move after the tariff pause was announced,” he told X followers.“Where BTC was more resilient on the downside, we saw equities pump more on the back of this pause (which makes sense as those are directly influenced by the tariffs).”An accompanying chart showed nearby key trend lines around the spot price.“BTC traded right back into the 4H 200MA (Purple) which has capped price over the past couple of weeks. That $83-85K is a key level to overtake for the bulls,” he continued.“Right below we can see the ~$81.1K horizontal being a key level that sees quite a lot of action. I think it's a good one to watch in the short term. Trading below that area could turn this into a nasty deviation/stop hunt.”BTC/USDT perpetual swaps 4-hour chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/XAnalyzing order book liquidity, Keith Alan, co-founder of trading resource Material Indicators, drew attention to both the 21-day and 50-day simple moving averages (SMA) on the daily chart.“First attempt at breaking resistance at the 21-Day MA was rejected, however BTC bid liquidity is moving higher so I think we’ll see another attempt,” he summarized earlier on the day. “If bulls can R/S Flip the 21-Day, there is even stronger resistance where liquidity is stacked around the trend line and the 50-Day MA.”BTC/USD 1-day chart with 21, 50 SMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewAlan reiterated the role of large-volume traders shifting liquidity above and below Bitcoin’s spot price to influence price action. The actions of one entity in particular, which he previously dubbed “Spoofy the Whale,” remained a point of consideration.“If ‘Spoofy’ will give us a roof pull, we’ll get a shot at the 100-Day and the 2025 open at $93.3k, which is the gateway back to 6-figure Bitcoin,” he concluded.BTC/USDT order book liquidity data. Source: Keith Alan/XThis 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.
The Swiss company's former CFO was based in London, and joined the crypto trading firm last September.
World Liberty Financial's altcoin investment shift signals a strategic pivot towards diversified crypto assets and potential DeFi innovation.
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Spot bitcoin ETFs saw $127 million in net outflows and the Bitcoin life insurance firm Meanwhile raised $40 million in Series A financing.
The recent decision by Donald Trump to pause tariff increases, along with signs that inflation is slowing down, has stopped the recent selling trend in the market. As a result, more holders are buying Bitcoin again, and many believe it could reach $100,000 this month. However, sellers continue to weaken hopes of a bullish comeback. …
Amid the carnage, gold continued to be well-bid, surging to another record high.
OpenAI's upcoming model releases could accelerate AI advancements, impacting industries reliant on AI-driven solutions and innovation.
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Elon Musk targets an uncrewed SpaceX mission with Tesla's Optimus robot next year, while space veterans question the ambitious timeline.
Opinion by: Roman Cyganov, founder and CEO of AntixIn the fall of 2023, Hollywood writers took a stand against AI’s encroachment on their craft. The fear: AI would churn out scripts and erode authentic storytelling. Fast forward a year later, and a public service ad featuring deepfake versions of celebrities like Taylor Swift and Tom Hanks surfaced, warning against election disinformation. We are a few months into 2025. Still, AI’s intended outcome in democratizing access to the future of entertainment illustrates a rapid evolution — of a broader societal reckoning with distorted reality and massive misinformation.Despite this being the “AI era,” nearly 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about its growing role in daily life. Add to this the findings of another recent survey that 68% of consumers globally hover between “somewhat” and “very” concerned about online privacy, driven by fears of deceptive media. It’s no longer about memes or deepfakes. AI-generated media fundamentally alters how digital content is produced, distributed and consumed. AI models can now generate hyper-realistic images, videos and voices, raising urgent concerns about ownership, authenticity and ethical use. The ability to create synthetic content with minimal effort has profound implications for industries reliant on media integrity. This indicates that the unchecked spread of deepfakes and unauthorized reproductions without a secure verification method threatens to erode trust in digital content altogether. This, in turn, affects the core base of users: content creators and businesses, who face mounting risks of legal disputes and reputational harm. While blockchain technology has often been touted as a reliable solution for content ownership and decentralized control, it’s only now, with the advent of generative AI, that its prominence as a safeguard has risen, especially in matters of scalability and consumer trust. Consider decentralized verification networks. These enable AI-generated content to be authenticated across multiple platforms without any single authority dictating algorithms related to user behavior.Getting GenAI onchainCurrent intellectual property laws are not designed to address AI-generated media, leaving critical gaps in regulation. If an AI model produces a piece of content, who legally owns it? The person providing the input, the company behind the model or no one at all? Without clear ownership records, disputes over digital assets will continue to escalate. This creates a volatile digital environment where manipulated media can erode trust in journalism, financial markets and even geopolitical stability. The crypto world is not immune from this. Deepfakes and sophisticated AI-built attacks are causing insurmountable losses, with reports highlighting how AI-driven scams targeting crypto wallets have surged in recent months. Blockchain can authenticate digital assets and ensure transparent ownership tracking. Every piece of AI-generated media can be recorded onchain, providing a tamper-proof history of its creation and modification. Akin to a digital fingerprint for AI-generated content, permanently linking it to its source, allowing creators to prove ownership, companies to track content usage, and consumers to validate authenticity. For example, a game developer could register an AI-crafted asset on the blockchain, ensuring its origin is traceable and protected against theft. Studios could use blockchain in film production to certify AI-generated scenes, preventing unauthorized distribution or manipulation. In metaverse applications, users could maintain complete control over their AI-generated avatars and digital identities, with blockchain acting as an immutable ledger for authentication.End-to-end use of blockchain will eventually prevent the unauthorized use of AI-generated avatars and synthetic media by implementing onchain identity verification. This would ensure that digital representations are tied to verified entities, reducing the risk of fraud and impersonation. With the generative AI market projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032, securing and verifying digital content, particularly AI-generated media, is more pressing than ever through such decentralized verification frameworks.Recent: AI-powered romance scams: The new frontier in crypto fraudSuch frameworks would further help combat misinformation and content fraud while enabling cross-industry adoption. This open, transparent and secure foundation benefits creative sectors like advertising, media and virtual environments.Aiming for mass adoption amid existing toolsSome argue that centralized platforms should handle AI verification, as they control most content distribution channels. Others believe watermarking techniques or government-led databases provide sufficient oversight. It’s already been proven that watermarks can be easily removed or manipulated, and centralized databases remain vulnerable to hacking, data breaches or control by single entities with conflicting interests.It’s quite visible that AI-generated media is evolving faster than existing safeguards, leaving businesses, content creators and platforms exposed to growing risks of fraud and reputational damage.For AI to be a tool for progress rather than deception, authentication mechanisms must advance simultaneously. The biggest proponent for blockchain’s mass adoption in this sector is that it provides a scalable solution that matches the pace of AI progress with the infrastructural support required to maintain transparency and legitimacy of IP rights. The next phase of the AI revolution will be defined not only by its ability to generate hyper-realistic content but also by the mechanisms to get these systems in place on time, significantly, as crypto-related scams fueled by AI-generated deception are projected to hit an all-time high in 2025. Without a decentralized verification system, it’s only a matter of time before industries relying on AI-generated content lose credibility and face increased regulatory scrutiny. It’s not too late for the industry to consider this aspect of decentralized authentication frameworks more seriously before digital trust crumbles under unchecked deception.Opinion by: Roman Cyganov, founder and CEO of Antix.This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
The crypto industry has welcomed the confirmation of American businessman and former US Securities and Exchange Commissioner Paul Atkins as chair of the agency.Atkins’ approval has taken months. He appeared before the Senate on March 27 to explain his intended approach to securities regulation in the United States, as well as his views on digital assets. Atkins will replace acting chair Mark Uyeda as head of the agency, which began unwinding a number of court cases and enforcement action against cryptocurrency firms when President Donald Trump took office. However, these actions don’t amount to clear guidance — yet.Now that Atkins is ready to take the helm, the blockchain industry is hoping for the guidance they’ve been wanting for years. So who is Paul Atkins, and what can the industry expect?Senator Cynthia Lummis celebrated the confirmation. Source: Cynthia LummisPaul Atkins wants to provide guardrails for the crypto industryAn alumnus of Wofford College and Vanderbilt, Atkins has a long career in finance. He initially worked at Davis Polk and Wardwell, before serving on the staff of two former chairmen of the SEC from 1990-1994.Notably, under Chairman Breeden, he assisted in efforts to decrease barriers to entry to capital markets for small businesses and middle market companies.After working at PwC and Coopers and Lyband, Atkins joined the SEC again as commissioner at the appointment of former President George W. Bush.At the SEC, Atkins focused on improving financial services compliance with SEC regulations. He worked with law enforcement agencies in cases where investors were harmed. This included the Bennett Funding incident, a $1 billion Ponzi scheme by the leasing company in which 20,000 investors lost much of their investments. After leaving this role as commissioner, he founded and led Potomak Global Partners, a consultancy for banks and financial services firms. Ahead of his 52-44 confirmation vote — largely along party lines — Atkins faced a grilling from the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. At the hearing, Atkins said the “top priority” of his tenure as chair would be to “provide a firm regulatory foundation for digital assets through a rational, coherent and principled approach.”Related: Trump’s pick for SEC chair makes it out of committeeHe said that the current “ambiguous and non-existent regulation of digital assets” harms innovation and the sector. More broadly, he claimed that world industry wants to invest in America, but “the current regulatory environment for our financial system inhibits investment and often punishes success.”Congressman Tom Emmer said of Atkins’ nomination “It’s gonna be great,” stating that the former Chair Gary Gensler under ex-President Joe Biden had “set a pretty low bar.” Emmer said the SEC can soon provide the clarity the industry expects: “We need stablecoins. We need market structure. We need to have clarity and certainty in the system.”Faryar Shirzad, chief policy officer at Coinbase, said the confirmation was the “dawn of an era.”Source: Faryar ShirzadSEC actions under Uyeda point to further crypto priorities While no one has a crystal ball, recent analysis from Cointelegraph shows that the recent dismissals of court cases and enforcement actions may indicate the future direction of crypto regulation — or lack of regulation — by the SEC. Related: US gov’t actions give clue about upcoming crypto regulationThe dismissal of cases revolving around “the unregistered sale and offer of securities under the Securities Act of 1933 and acting unregistered as a broker, dealer, clearing agency and exchange” suggests that the SEC may not consider the assets involved as securities.This idea is bulwarked by recent statements from the SEC that proof-of-work mining, pooled mining and dollar-backed stablecoins are not subject to securities laws. On the whole, this suggests that the SEC does not consider cryptocurrencies to be subject to securities law. Crypto agenda could be hamstrung by recent SEC dismissalsOne point of friction in Aktins’ ascension to SEC chair is the recent spate of dismissals of SEC staff. The Trump administration’s efforts to cut certain types of government spending through the temporary committee of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has not spared the securities regulator. As reported by Politico in March, a combination of different buyout and dismissal programs will effectively get rid of 10% of the agency’s 5,000-strong workforce in the coming months. One source mentioned in the report suggested the total could be closer to 15%.DOGE leader Elon Musk — who himself has run afoul of the SEC numerous times throughout his career — is reportedly seeking further cuts to the SEC’s already lacerated budget and staff. A group of prominent securities law professors known as the "Shadow SEC," have raised the alarm about the recent cuts, saying the policy is “diminishing the SEC’s staff will lead to chaotic financial markets, longer review times for registration statements, and weakened enforcement capabilities.”Creating a new framework for digital assets, especially from scratch, could take longer if the agency is bleeding staff and expertise while Musk wields a scythe in Washington. Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research
Standard Chartered and cryptocurrency exchange OKX are piloting a new program allowing institutions to use crypto assets and tokenized money market funds (MMFs) as collateral.Announced on April 10, the collateral mirroring program enables off-exchange collateral usage while enhancing security by placing custody with a globally systemically important bank, according to a joint statement from the companies.The pilot has been launched under the regulatory oversight of the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, with Standard Chartered acting as a regulated custodian in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).The program launched in collaboration with crypto-friendly asset manager Franklin Templeton and features Brevan Howard Digital among the first institutions to trial the new capability.OKX clients to gain access to assets by Franklin TempletonAs part of the collaboration, OKX clients will have access to onchain assets developed by Franklin Templeton’s digital assets team.“We take an authentic approach, from directly investing in blockchain assets to developing innovative solutions with our in-house team,” Franklin Templeton’s head of digital assets, Roger Bayston, said, adding:“By ensuring assets are minted onchain, we enable true ownership, allowing them to move and settle at blockchain speed — eliminating the need for traditional infrastructure.”According to the announcement, Franklin Templeton will be one of the first in a “series of MMFs” that are expected to be offered under the program by Standard Chartered and OKX.Standard Chartered backs tokenized fundsIn the crypto lending industry, collateral is any blockchain-based asset used to secure loans from a lender as a security measure when taking out a loan. By allowing borrowers to pledge those assets, the lender guarantees that the loan is going to be repaid.Despite the high volatility of digital assets, Standard Chartered’s Margaret Harwood-Jones, global head of financing and securities services, is bullish on crypto collaterals as a major step in the evolution of institutional crypto services.A visual of the crypto lending process with collaterals and deposits. Source: CoinRabbitRelated: Xapo Bank launches Bitcoin-backed USD loans targeting hodlers“Our collaboration with OKX to enable the use of cryptocurrencies and tokenized MMFs as collateral represents a significant step forward in providing institutional clients with the confidence and efficiency they need,” Harwood-Jones said, adding:“By leveraging our established custody infrastructure, we are ensuring the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance, fostering greater trust in the digital asset ecosystem."According to Ryan Taylor, group head of compliance at Brevan Howard, the program is another example of the ongoing innovation and institutionalization in the crypto industry.“As a significant investor in the digital assets space, we are thrilled to partner with industry leaders to further grow and evolve the crypto ecosystem globally,” he noted.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research
OpenAI has filed a countersuit against Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire of leading a deliberate campaign to undermine the organization. The legal filing, submitted on April 9, claimed that Musk’s actions allegedly included a fake takeover bid and coordinated efforts to damage the AI firm’s reputation. According to OpenAI, these attacks intensified after ChatGPT’s massive success. The […]
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Bitcoin’s price crash from $97,000 in late February surprised most crypto market participants but not this analyst. The crypto analyst known as Doctor Profit, who previously warned of a correction when Bitcoin was approaching $97,000, recently released a new technical outlook that dissuades a bullish trajectory in the short term. In a breakdown shared on the social media platform X, Doctor Profit noted that the breakdown isn’t complete yet. This outlook comes from a former detailed analysis in which the analyst highlighted various Bitcoin price movements to watch out for, all of which have come to pass. Doctor Profit Says Bitcoin Market Dump Is Just Beginning Bitcoin has experienced ups and downs in the past few days with incredibly volatile movements. These ups and downs saw the Bitcoin price fall below $75,000 at the beginning of the week before spending the past four days on a recovery path towards $80,000. Amidst the price volatility, crypto analyst Doctor Profit clarified that he expects the current downward move in Bitcoin’s price to extend further. Related Reading: Crypto Analyst Warns Of Volume Drop That Could Trigger 60% Bitcoin Price Crash To $49,000 In a recent post on social media platform X, the analyst described the correction as a “market massacre” that is expected to continue, stating that the party just started. He revealed that he had placed his first buy orders within the $58,000 to $68,000 range, suggesting that the Bitcoin price would keep falling until it reaches this region. Rather than seeing the recent decline as a setback, the price action is a calculated part of the broader strategy which the analyst laid out in an earlier detailed analysis. Doctor Profit’s analysis is based on the M2 money supply, a macroeconomic metric he believes is widely misunderstood within the crypto space. Many traders have recently cited the uptick in M2 as a bullish signal for Bitcoin, assuming that more liquidity means an immediate surge in prices. However, the analyst stressed that timing is everything. He noted that Bitcoin tends to front-run traditional markets when responding to M2 increases, but even then, the reaction is not instantaneous. What To Expect With BTC He reminds his followers that in July 2024, he predicted a 50bps rate cut, which was considered highly unlikely at the time. Once that cut materialized in September, around the same time Bitcoin was hovering near $50,000, he labeled it extremely bullish and called for a major rally. As it turned out, the M2 money supply began expanding in February 2025, which aligned with his forecast. Yet, he cautions that while M2 is now climbing, its effect on Bitcoin will play out gradually. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Mirrors Global M2 As Crypto Analyst Reveals May Timeline For “Blast Off” Looking at Bitcoin’s price behavior on the charts, Doctor Profit shifted his focus to the $70,000 to $74,000 range. He believes this range could either serve as a springboard for a fresh upward rally if a strong daily close occurs above the “Golden Line” around the weekly EMA50 or as a signal for a deeper downside if the price breaks beneath it. Should a more dramatic breakdown occur, the analyst advised scaling back and waiting for even lower entries around the $50,000 to $60,000 zone. Doctor Profit predicted that the bull run will not resume until sometime around May or June, with upside targets of $120,000 to $140,000. Bitcoin has managed to push above $81,000 after Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on his ground-breaking tarriffs. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $82,000, up by 7% in the past 24 hours. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview.com
Despite the recent regulatory thaw around digital assets, regulating digital assets remains a thorny problem. Here is a primer on the more common riddles currently facing developers of tokenized securities from Skadden’s Daniel Michael, Michelle Gasaway and Greg Zaffino.
Block's compliance failures highlight the critical need for fintechs to strengthen regulatory practices to prevent financial system vulnerabilities.
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TRX Rallies 10% as Tether Mints $1B on Tron Amid Global Trade Tensions
Centrifuge V3 aims to unify real-world asset tokenization across blockchains, and is starting with the $230 million Janus Henderson Anemoy Treasury Fund.