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Bitcoin’s (BTC) realized market cap reached a new all-time high of $872 billion, but data from Glassnode reflects investors’ lack of enthusiasm at BTC’s current price levels. In a recent X post, the analytics platform pointed out that despite the realized cap milestone, the monthly growth rate of the metric has dropped to 0.9% month over month, which implied a risk-off sentiment in the market. Bitcoin realized cap net position. Source: X.comRealized cap measures the total value of all Bitcoin at the price they last moved, reflecting the actual capital invested, providing insight into Bitcoin’s economic activity. A slowing growth rate highlights a positive but reduced capital inflow, suggesting fewer new investors or less activity from current holders.Additionally, Glassnode’s realized profit and loss chart recently exhibited a sharp decline of 40%, which signals high profit-taking or loss realization. The data platform explained,“This suggests saturation in investor activity and often precedes a consolidation phase as the market searches for a new equilibrium.”While new investors remained sidelined, existing investors are probably adopting a cautious approach due to the short-term holder’s realized price. Data from CryptoQuant suggested that the current short-term realized price is $91,600. With BTC currently consolidating under the threshold, it implies short-term holders are underwater, which can increase selling pressure if they sell to cut their losses.Bitcoin short-term holders’ price and MVRV. Source: CryptoQuantSimilarly, Bitcoin's short-term holder market value to realized value remained below 1, a level historically associated with buying opportunities and further proof that short-term holders are at a loss.Related: Bitcoin US vs. offshore exchange ratio flashes bullish signal, hinting at BTC price highs in 2025Bitcoin chops between US and Korean tradersData shows a sentiment divergence between Bitcoin traders in the US and Korea. The Coinbase premium, reflecting US trading, recently spiked, signaling strong US demand and potential Bitcoin price gains. Conversely, the Kimchi premium index fell during the correction, indicating lagging retail engagement among Korea-based traders.This particular uneven demand is reflected in Bitcoin’s recent price action. The chart shows that Bitcoin’s price has oscillated between a tight range of $85,440-$82,750 since April 11. On the 4-hour chart, BTC has retained support from the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages, but on the 1-day chart, these indicators are putting resistance on the bullish structure.Bitcoin 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewRelated: Bitcoin online chatter flips bullish as price chops at $85K: SantimentThis 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.

Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov has signed a constitutional law authorizing the launch of a central bank digital currency pilot project while also giving the “digital som” — the national currency in digital form — legal tender status.The law gives the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic the exclusive right to issue the digital som, establish the rules for its issuance and circulation, and oversee the platform on which the national currency will operate, Kyrgyzstan’s presidential office said on April 17.However, a final decision on whether to officially issue the CBDC is not expected until the end of 2026, local outlet Trend News Agency reported in December.If the central bank decides to adopt the digital som, it would also need to outline cryptographic protection measures to ensure the digital som remains secure and isn’t used for fraudulent transactions.Testing of the digital som platform is expected to take place sometime this year.Zhaparov’s sign-off comes nearly a month after Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh, approved the amendment to Kyrgyzstan’s constitutional law on March 18.CBDCs continue to be heavily criticized by some members of the crypto community, flagging concerns that they could undermine financial privacy and enable excessive government oversight, among other things.While 115 nations have initiated CBDC projects, only four CBDCs have officially launched — the Bahamas Sand Dollar, Nigeria’s e-Naira, Zimbabwe’s ZiG and Jamaica’s JAM-DEX, data from cbdctracker.org shows.Over 90 CBDC projects are yet to move past the research stage.Kyrgyzstan continues to make moves in cryptoEarlier this month, former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said he would begin advising Kyrgyzstan on blockchain and crypto-related regulation after signing a memorandum of understanding with the country’s foreign investment agency.Zhaparov said the initiative would assist with the growth of the economy and the security of virtual assets, “generating new opportunities for businesses and society as a whole.”Source: Sadyr ZhaparovRelated: Bitcoin price levels to watch as Fed rate cut hopes fadeThe mountainous, land-locked country is considered well-suited for crypto mining operations due to its abundant renewable energy resources, much of which is underutilized.Over 30% of Kyrgyzstan’s total energy supply comes from hydroelectric power plants, but only 10% of the country’s potential hydropower has been tapped, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.Magazine: Your AI ‘digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones

#bitcoin #crypto #btc #gold #bitcoin etf #digital asset #cryptocurrency #bitcoin news #bitcoin bull market #btcusdt

As gold continues to set new all-time highs (ATH) – trading at $3,333 per ounce at the time of writing – Bitcoin (BTC) has seen more subdued price action, consolidating in the mid-$80,000 range. However, analysts suggest that the top digital asset may soon mirror gold’s recent momentum. Bitcoin Set To Follow Gold’s Momentum? In a recent post on X, crypto trading account Cryptollica hinted that BTC may be poised to replicate gold’s historic price movement seen over the past few months. The account shared the following chart, highlighting the striking similarities between the price actions of gold and BTC. The chart shows both gold and BTC forming a macro-bottom around early 2023, followed by a rejection at the range top in early 2024. Gold eventually broke out in the following months, while BTC lagged slightly, breaking out around November 2024. Related Reading: Bitcoin Undervalued? Analyst Breaks Down Bullish On-Chain Metrics According to Cryptollica, BTC now appears to be breaking out of a consolidatory wedge pattern, with a potential mid-term target as high as $155,000. Currently, Bitcoin’s ATH stands at $108,786, recorded earlier this year in January. BTC is also likely to benefit from several favorable macroeconomic trends. For example, the global M2 money supply is expected to increase in 2025, a development that typically supports risk-on assets like Bitcoin. BTC Maturing As A Safe Haven Asset Beyond technical chart patterns, BTC has demonstrated remarkable resilience amid escalating global tariff-induced uncertainty. According to the latest The Week On-Chain report, both gold and BTC have performed well during the ongoing tariff war. The report notes: Amidst this turmoil, the performance of hard assets remains remarkably impressive. Gold continues to surge higher, having reached a new ATH of $3,300, as investors flee to the traditional safe haven asset. Bitcoin sold off to $75k initially alongside risk assets, but has since recovered the week’s gains, trading back up to $85k, now flat since this burst of volatility. The report also mentions that BTC recently experienced its largest price correction of the 2023–25 cycle, a -33% drawdown from its ATH earlier this year. However, this correction remains relatively modest compared to those seen in previous market cycles. Related Reading: Bitcoin Weekly RSI Breakout Signals Trend Shift – Is $100,000 Next For BTC? The following chart illustrates BTC bull market correction drawdowns since 2011. As shown, the recent -33% correction is the shallowest among past cycles, with the deepest being -72% during the 2012–14 bull market. While BTC continues to show signs of maturing as a reliable asset during times of geopolitical uncertainty, institutional investors appear to be taking profits. This is evidenced by recent outflows from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). At press time, BTC is trading at $84,694, up 0.7% in the past 24 hours. Featured image from Unsplash, charts from X, Glassnode, and Tradingview.com

#defi #lazarus #security #exploits #hacks #dexs #crypto ecosystems #exch

The exchange said it will close down on May 1, and said that there is a 'transatlantic operation' to prosecute the project.

#bitcoin #btc price #bitcoin price #btc #bitcoin news #btcusd #btcusdt #btc news #tradingshot

Bitcoin’s price action in recent weeks has been mostly highlighted by a trading range between $80,000 and $85,000, with a struggle to reclaim buying pressure. Despite the current lack of a strong bullish momentum, many crypto analysts are banking on a bullish continuation and a new Bitcoin price all-time high before the end of 2025. According to crypto analyst TradingShot, Bitcoin could be approaching the final leg of this bull cycle, predicting a peak above $125,000. However, this analysis comes with a caveat that an extended bear market might roll in by October 2025. Long-Term Bitcoin Cycles Hint At Imminent Peak TradingShot’s analysis, which was posted on the TradingView platform, is based on over a decade of symmetrical Bitcoin market behavior that shows both bull and bear cycles unfolding in consistent timeframes. According to TradingShot, the bull cycles dating back to 2015 have all lasted approximately 1,064 days, or 152 weeks, with each cycle topping out almost exactly three years after the previous bottom. On the other hand, bear cycles have consistently lasted for around one year, either from December to December or November to November. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Following Analyst’s Prediction For Bullish Breakout, Here’s The Target This historical symmetry is reflected in the chart below, which highlights three bull cycles followed by three bear periods, all forming a repeating pattern. The most recent bottom, recorded on November 7, 2022, marked the start of the current bull cycle. If this pattern holds, Bitcoin could reach its next peak in the week of October 6, 2025.  The bull cycle has led to Bitcoin breaking above $100,000 and now with an all-time high of $108,786, but like many others, the analyst predicted this peak will still be broken this year. This peak will likely mirror the explosive rallies that ended the 2017 and 2021 cycles and eventually surpass $125,000. Sell Everything In October 2025, Buy Back In October 2026 TradingShot’s primary advice is blunt but strategic: sell everything by October 2025. According to the analyst, this window could be the final opportunity to exit near the top before the next bear cycle takes hold. Counting 1064 days from the most recent bottom of $15,600 in November 07 2022, gives a time estimate for the next cycle top on October 6 2025. If history repeats itself, the subsequent bearish phase will likely last for 12 months and bottom out around October 12, 2026, before the next bull phase. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Stalls Below $85,000 Psychological Level, Why A Drop To $74,000 Is Possible This timing is not speculative; it’s based on a consistent one-year bearish phase across three full market cycles. Therefore, it would be better to sell before October 2025 and start accumulating by October 2026. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $84,500, up by 0.9% in the past 24 hours and 48% away from the predicted peak of $125,000. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

#markets #exclusive #funds #xrp etf #companies #company intelligence

Ripple will be seeding the initial investment as its anchor investor, according to a release shared exclusively with The Block.

OpenAI was reportedly in talks to buy Anysphere, the company that produces the Cursor AI coding assistant, before entering into talks with rival company WindSurf.According to CNBC, OpenAI approached Anysphere in 2024 and again in 2025, but talks stalled both times. Failing to arrive at a deal led OpenAI to look elsewhere for potential acquisitions.Sources familiar with the deal also say OpenAI is prepared to pay $3 billion to purchase WindSurf, which would make it the company's largest corporate acquisition to date.An example of OpenAI’s ChatGPT producing computer code through simple text prompts. Source: ChatGPTOpenAI's attempted acquisition of an AI coding assistant company follows the release of DeepSeek R1 in January 2025, which shattered long-held assumptions about artificial intelligence.DeepSeek was reportedly trained at a fraction of the cost of leading AI models while delivering comparable performance — challenging the belief that scaling requires massive computing power, rattling financial markets, and raising questions about the billions spent by US AI giants.Related: OpenAI to release its first ‘open’ language model since GPT-2 in 2019OpenAI inches toward profitability but cheaper competitors still a challengeOpenAI expects to triple its revenue in 2025 to approximately $12.7 billion by selling paid subscriptions for its leading AI models to individuals and businesses.The company surpassed 1 million premium business subscribers in September 2024. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the AI giant might not be profitable until 2029.According to Altman, OpenAI needs revenues of approximately $125 billion to turn a profit on its capital-intensive business.In February 2025, Altman said that AI development costs were dropping dramatically. “The cost to use a given level of AI falls about 10x every 12 months," the CEO wrote in a Feb. 9 blog post.Despite this, high costs and centralization issues continue to plague large-scale corporate AI developers, who must compete with more nimble open-source counterparts.Dr. Ala Shaabana — co-founder of the OpenTensor Foundation — recently told Cointelegraph that the release of DeepSeek solidified open-source AI as a serious contender against centralized AI systems.Shaabana added that the lower cost of open-source systems proves that AI does not need billions of dollars to scale or achieve high-performance benchmarks.Magazine: 9 curious things about DeepSeek R1: AI Eye

#crypto #regulation #taxes #featured

Slovenia’s Ministry of Finance released two legislative proposals for public consultation to clarify and align the taxation of digital assets and derivatives ahead of a planned 2026 rollout, according to an April 17 release. The first proposal, the Law on the Tax on Profit from the Disposal of Crypto Assets, introduces a 25% capital gains […]
The post Slovenia proposes legislation to impose 25% tax on gains from crypto, derivatives appeared first on CryptoSlate.

#bitcoin #crypto #btc #altcoins #coingecko #memecoins #btcusd

According to CoinGecko’s 2025 Q1 Report, the cryptocurrency market, led by Bitcoin, lost nearly one-fifth of its value in the first quarter of 2025, fully negating the gains made towards the end of 2024. Related Reading: Is Shiba Inu On Track To Dethrone Dogecoin? Here’s What The Experts Say Total market value witnessed a drop of $3.8 trillion to $2.8 trillion, an 18.6% decline over the quarter. This sharp plunge marked the turnaround before the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president, in stark contrast to last year’s ramp up. Trading volume also suffered some contractions, as the daily volumes dropped to $146 billion, a decrease of 27%. Bitcoin Rules Market While Others Decline Bitcoin insulated itself reasonably from the turbulence in other cryptocurrencies so that its market share reached nearly 60%, the highest in four years. Bitcoin achieved peak valuation at $106,182 in January shortly after inauguration but plunged almost 12% to finish the quarter at $82,514. Compared with Bitcoin during this period, gold and US Treasury bonds were traditional safe-haven investments with lower performance. Compared to Ethereum, however, the situation was much worse. Its price fell by 45%, essentially wiping out all gains in 2024. Its market share dropped to almost 8%, the lowest it has been since the end of 2019. As it has been observed by most analysts, this downturn is not something new since more and more activities have shifted toward “Layer 2” networks built atop Ethereum and not using the Ethereum main network. Meme Coins Crash After Major Scam The previously red-hot meme coin space received a rude wake-up call in early 2025. Following a boom in Trump-themed tokens, the industry was severely hurt when the Libra token – introduced by Argentina’s President Javier Milei – proved to be a scam. The project was abandoned by developers after they had taken investors’ funds, shattering confidence in such tokens. By late March, new token launches on the platform Pump.fun per day had dropped by over 50%. DeFi Industry Loses More Than A Quarter Of Its Value Not even the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry was exempted. Overall money in DeFi projects dropped 27% to $48 billion during the first quarter. Ethereum’s dominance in the DeFi space declined to 56% by quarter-end. Related Reading: Solana Hits Milestone As Canada OKs First Spot ETFs Not everything was negative, though. Stablecoins such as Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) became more popular with investors seeking a safer bet as the market tanked. Solana also remained in its leadership position, holding 39.6% of all decentralized exchange (DEX) trading during Q1, courtesy mostly of meme coin mania. Even Solana’s leadership, however, started to wane at the end of the period as the meme coin mania declined. The dramatic shift in market sentiment shows how quickly cryptocurrency fortunes can change. After a promising end to 2024, the new year brought a harsh reality check for crypto investors, with nearly $1 trillion in market value disappearing in just three months. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Cryptocurrency exchange eXch announced it will cease operations on May 1 after reports alleged the firm was used to launder funds from a Bybit hack.In an April 17 notice, eXch said the majority of people in its management team voted to “cease and retreat” in response to the allegations that North Korea’s Lazarus Group used the exchange to launder roughly $35 million of the funds stolen in a $1.4 billion exploit on Bybit. The exchange said it was the subject of “an active transatlantic operation” aimed at shutting it down and potentially pursuing charges.“Even though we have been able to operate despite some failed attempts to shut down our infrastructure (attempts that have also been confirmed to be part of this operation), we don’t see any point in operating in a hostile environment where we are the target of SIGINT [Signals Intelligence] simply because some people misinterpret our goals,” said eXch.Related: North Korean hackers target crypto devs with fake recruitment testsThe exchange initially denied reports from crypto sleuths suggesting that it had laundered digital assets for the Lazarus Group, but admitted to processing an “insignificant portion of funds” from the February hack. Individuals from eXch’s management team emphasized its focus on user privacy in announcing the shutdown, claiming that some exchanges “abus[e] customers with nonsensical policies” in their attempts to fight money laundering.The biggest hack in crypto historyThe Bybit hack, one of the largest in the history of the crypto industry, resulted in more than $5 billion in withdrawals from users, including the stolen funds. CEO Ben Zhou said on Feb. 22 that the exchange had the means to “cover the loss” if the funds were not recovered. However, the firm later announced it would shutter some of its Web3 services and close its non-fungible token marketplace.As of April 10, Bybit had regained its market share achieved before the hack: roughly 7%. The exchange paid more than $2 million to bounty hunters providing information that could be used to freeze some of the funds traceable to other platforms, which was estimated to be roughly 89% of the $1.4 billion as of March 20.Magazine: Your AI’ digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones

#law and order

Truth Social parent company Trump Media & Technology Group alleged that UK-based Qube might be shorting DJT stock without disclosing its positions properly.

Prime brokerage Hidden Road, which was recently acquired by Ripple for $1.25 billion, has secured a broker-dealer license from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) — a move that enhances its capacity in the fixed-income markets. As a FINRA broker-dealer, Hidden Road can further develop its fixed-income prime brokerage services and extend its capabilities in traditional markets, the company announced on April 17. This includes offering institutional clients regulatory-compliant clearing and financing services across fixed-income securities. Membership in FINRA is considered a significant commitment to compliance and investor protection. It also boosts registrants’ credibility in the eyes of investment bankers, according to Telos Capital Advisors, a Dallas-based investment bank.  Hidden Road operates a prime brokerage and credit network, clearing more than $10 billion in daily transactions on behalf of more than 300 institutional clients. When it was founded in 2018, Hidden Road focused mainly on foreign exchange markets before expanding into digital assets.These strengths positioned Hidden Road as an attractive acquisition for blockchain payments network Ripple, which ultimately purchased the company on April 8.Ripple’s chief technology officer, David Schwartz, described the acquisition as a “defining moment for the XRP Ledger” by expanding the settlement layer’s use cases across traditional financial markets. Under Ripple, Hidden Road will “exponentially expand its capacity to service its pipeline and become the largest non-bank prime broker globally,” said CEO Brad Garlinghouse. Garlinghouse comments on the Hidden Road acquisition on April 8. Source: Brad GarlinghouseRelated: US to get its first XRP-based ETF, launching on NYSE ArcaPositive regulatory backdrop supports Ripple expansionRipple’s acquisition of Hidden Road comes on the heels of a favorable regulatory backdrop in the United States following the election of President Donald Trump. In January, Ripple secured money transmitter licenses in both Texas and New York, allowing the company to facilitate capital transfers within those states. Two months later, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped its lawsuit against Ripple, ending one of crypto’s longest legal battles and positioning the company to once again focus on expansion. At the time, crypto lawyer John Deaton said the decision is the “final exclamation point that [XRP tokens] are considered digital commodities, not securities.”The SEC is about to get a pro-crypto Chair after Paul Atkins’ nomination was approved by the US Senate on April 9. Once he’s sworn in, Atkins will take the reins from Mark Yueda, who has served as Acting Chair since Jan. 20.Related: Court grants 60-day pause of SEC, Ripple appeals case

#crypto #regulation #featured

Hidden Road, a digital asset and foreign exchange prime brokerage firm recently acquired by Ripple, has secured a broker-dealer license in the US, expanding its capabilities to serve institutional investors, the firm’s President, Noel Kimmel, told Bloomberg News. The license enables Hidden Road to offer prime brokerage, clearing, and financing services across fixed-income assets to […]
The post Ripple-owned Hidden Road secures as broker-dealer license to expand institutional reach appeared first on CryptoSlate.

#solana #sol #solana technical analysis #solana price #solusdt #solana news #solana analysis #solana bullish #solana bullish pattern

Solana is now at a critical juncture as it trades around a pivotal price level that could determine its short-term direction. After weeks of selling pressure and underwhelming price action, bulls are attempting to regain control—but success hinges on reclaiming higher resistance zones. Without a decisive move upward, Solana’s price action may continue to follow the broader downtrend that has defined the last few months. Related Reading: Over 1.9M Ethereum Positioned Between $1,457 And $1,598 – Can Bulls Hold Support? Meanwhile, macroeconomic tensions continue to escalate. Trade conflicts between the United States and China are intensifying, with both nations imposing aggressive tariffs. This has created a high-risk environment across global financial markets, and altcoins like Solana are particularly vulnerable. With uncertainty rising and investor sentiment turning cautious, digital assets are under growing pressure. However, there is a glimmer of technical optimism. Top crypto analyst Crypto Seth shared an analysis suggesting that Solana has flipped bullish on the 8-hour chart. According to his view, if SOL can break above key resistance, it could confirm a trend shift and trigger a potential recovery rally. Until then, traders are watching closely as Solana navigates a critical support-resistance battleground amid a volatile macro backdrop. Bulls Must Hold the Line as Market Faces Trade War Pressure Solana is currently trading in a make-or-break zone, having lost 55% of its value since reaching its all-time high in January. This decline mirrors a broader crypto and equities market correction that began when macroeconomic tensions escalated—most notably due to rising inflation, global instability, and intensifying trade war rhetoric between the United States and China. Bulls now face a critical moment. Solana must hold current levels and reclaim key resistance zones to spark a recovery rally. Failing to do so could open the door to a sharp meltdown in price, particularly if macro conditions continue to deteriorate. US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policy decisions, especially surrounding tariff impositions, have created a hostile environment for risk assets like Solana. Ongoing tariff escalations with China are only adding to market uncertainty, further weighing on investor sentiment. However, there is a glimmer of hope from the technical side. Seth shared insights suggesting that Solana has flipped bullish on the 8-hour chart. According to his analysis, a break above the $147 level would confirm a trend shift and potentially pave the way for a sustained recovery. For now, all eyes remain on whether SOL can clear this level or face renewed pressure in a volatile global climate. Related Reading: Dogecoin Whales Buy 800 Million DOGE in 48 Hours – Smart Money Or Bull Trap? Solana Faces Pivotal Resistance: Can Bulls Break Through? Solana (SOL) is currently trading at $132 after several days of struggling to reclaim this key resistance zone. Price action remains uncertain, and bulls must now show strength to avoid a deeper correction. Reclaiming the $132–$135 range is crucial, as it could confirm short-term momentum and signal the start of a recovery rally. To establish a higher high and shift the current downtrend structure, SOL must push decisively above the $150 level. This area has served as a strong rejection point in previous attempts and stands as the next major test for bullish continuation. A clean breakout above this level could open the path toward higher targets and renewed investor confidence. However, if bulls fail to defend the $125 support level, Solana may risk a drop back to lower demand zones around $100—or potentially even lower, depending on broader market conditions. Macroeconomic uncertainty, continued trade tensions between the U.S. and China, and overall weakness in altcoins are all contributing factors weighing heavily on SOL’s price. Related Reading: Solana Retests Bearish Breakout Zone – $65 Target Still In Play? For now, traders are watching the $135 level closely. A breakout above this key threshold could shift the tide in Solana’s favor. Until then, caution remains warranted. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView 

The latest US initial jobless claims data came at 215,000, below the estimated expectation of 225,000, on April 17. The dip in jobless claims indicated that the US labor market remained stable, with fewer people being affected by the uncertainty of US tariffs. Initial jobless claims are a leading economic indicator that measures the health of the US economy and it often impacts investor sentiment around risk assets like Bitcoin (BTC). US jobless claims data. Source: Investing.comResiliency in the labor market comes on the back of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s recent comment about the impact of tariffs. In a press conference at the economics club of Chicago on April 16, Powell said,“The level of the tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated. The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”The Fed Reserve Chair also stated that the Fed has no plans to intervene with market bailouts or implement rate cuts in the near future. This stance aligns with his earlier comments from April 4, 2025, when he noted it was "too soon" to consider rate reductions, reflecting the Fed's cautious approach amid ongoing economic uncertainty. However, the European Central Bank cut interest rates to 2.25% from 2.50% in order to combat economic pressure from US trade tariffs. According to data, the ECB has taken borrowing costs to its lowest level since late 2022, with the current rate cut marking its seventh reduction in a span of a year. Related: Bitcoin gold copycat move may top $150K as BTC stays 'impressive'Bitcoin remains at an inflection point, says analystFor risk assets like Bitcoin, the recent US jobless claims data leans bearish in the short term, as a strong labour market reduces the likelihood of rate cuts, which supports speculative investments. BTC prices have consolidated in a tight range over the past few days, failing to break above the $86,000 level. In light of that, anonymous crypto trader Titan of Crypto said that Bitcoin is at an “inflection point”. Bitcoin analysis by Titan of Crypto. Source: X.comAn inflection point in trading is a critical juncture where the market's direction or momentum may shift significantly. It’s a moment where the balance between buyers and sellers reaches a tipping point, often leading to a reversal or acceleration in the trend. The trader said,“Bitcoin Inflection Point. On the 1H chart, BTC is contracting within a triangle and is about to choose a direction. The RSI is above 50 and attempting to break its resistance. A move is brewing.”Order flow trader Magus noted that Bitcoin is consolidating between $83,700 and $85,200. For the bullish momentum to persist, BTC must break above $85,000 soon, as the long-term chart signals potential bearish risks if this level isn't surpassed.Related: Bitcoin price levels to watch as Fed rate cut hopes fadeThis 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.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, announced a $55 million investment in LayerZero, a Web3 company that runs a crosschain messaging protocol. The investment was disclosed in an April 17 X post by Ali Yahya, a general partner in the firm.A16z has made previous investments in LayerZero, including an initial investment in March 2022 and a subsequent investment during LayerZero’s Series B funding round in April 2023. The companies have not disclosed the funding round's valuation.Source: Ali Yahja | alive.ethThe Canada-based LayerZero was valued at $3 billion during its Series B funding round, which saw participation from 33 investors. In addition to a16z, Circle Ventures, OKX Ventures, OpenSea Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and many others participated at the time. In January 2025, LayerZero reached a settlement with the FTX Estate over a long-running dispute stemming from allegations that it exploited the exchange’s liquidity crisis by “negotiating a fire-sale transaction,” according to the Estate. In June 2024, LayerZero launched its own token, LayerZero (ZRO).Related: ‘Big Sybil hunt’ and durable users helped LayerZero airdrop succeed, says CEOCrosschain protocols, chain-agnosticism gain tractionCrosschain messaging protocols allow programs to share information across ecosystems and can be a critical function for decentralized applications (DApps) or traders who want seamless swaps across blockchains.Some protocols competing in the same space as LayerZero include Wormhole, Stargate, Superbridge, Connext, and many others.Related: PayPal USD links with LayerZero for transfers between Ethereum and SolanaWormhole may be one of the largest competitors to LayerZero, having raised $225 million at a $2.5 billion valuation in November 2023. Like LayerZero, Wormhole hosted an airdrop for its token, Wormhole (W), although the airdrop attracted scammers and spoof tokens. Chainlink also has a crosschain interoperability protocol that allows for messaging between blockchains. More and more companies are realizing the value of being omnichain or at least chain-agnostic. Phantom, which at first was a Solana-centric wallet, now supports six major blockchains, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Magic Eden, an NFT-infrastructure company, also started as Solana-centric but has launched marketplaces for multiple blockchains now.Magazine: X Hall of Flame: ChainLinkGod was in High School when he started the account! 

Ethena Labs, the developer of the USDe synthetic dollar (USDe), and financial technology company Securitize, released a preliminary roadmap for their upcoming Converge network, a high-throughput blockchain focused on real-world assets and decentralized finance (DeFi).According to the announcement, a testnet will be live in the coming weeks, with a mainnet launch later in 2025. Converge will feature a 100 milliseconds (ms) native block time, with plans to reduce block times to 50ms by Q4 2025. The developers also plan to achieve at least one gigagas of potential throughput during 2025. Gigagas is a measure of billions of gas units processed by a blockchain network in one second.Ethena and Securitize are launching the network to support permissioned real-world tokenized applications and permissionless DeFi applications as the line between traditional and decentralized finance continues to blur.Converge 1-year performance targets. Source: ConvergeRelated: Ethena Labs exits German market following agreement with BaFinTraditional finance converging with the crypto worldTraditional financial institutions are increasingly using decentralized finance protocols and interacting with tokenized real-world assets like stablecoins and tokenized bonds.The merging of TradFi and DeFi has drawn mixed reactions from the crypto community, with some saying it was inevitable that the two worlds came together, and others warning of institutional capture.In a Jan. 21 interview, Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson told Bloomberg that US President Donald Trump would integrate crypto and traditional finance by establishing clear regulations.“We need to have some sort of regulatory clarity so that you could bring these together because, fundamentally, it will drive out costs, and there is great innovation that the technology enables,” Johnson said.Shibtoshi, the founder of the SilentSwap privacy-preserving trading platform, recently told Cointelegraph that some institutions are currently hesitant to adopt decentralized finance solutions.The DeFi founder said that a lack of privacy, legal liability issues, and unclear regulations have stymied institutional adoption, but added that the tools to address these concerns already exist."Institutions have realized the benefits of a securely decentralized system. As early as 2021, reports said nearly one in three institutional investors in crypto were already using DeFi," Shibtoshi told Cointelegraph.Magazine: DeFi will rise again after memecoins die down: Sasha Ivanov, X Hall of Flame

#news

BNB has shown significant market resilience similar to Bitcoin in the recent past catalyzed by rising demand. Bullish sentiment has been building up for the BNB price in the last three months, but it could be delayed if the support level at $520 is breached. In a surprising move to crypto traders, Kraken Exchange had …

Key points: Monetary stimulus in China and Europe increases investors’ focus on Bitcoin price.The US Federal Reserve is under political pressure to cut rates, as the DXY weakens.Bitcoin’s decoupling from traditional markets continues to gain attention. Bitcoin (BTC) traders are somewhat puzzled by BTC price jumping to $85,000, especially since the S&P 500 index has dropped 5.7% in April, and this move came after the cryptocurrency managed a 14% rebound off its trade-war induced crash to $74,400. Investors are cautiously optimistic, but multiple events and data points to further gains above $90,000.Several metrics and events support a “decoupling,” meaning Bitcoin’s price is not closely following traditional financial instruments. However, some skepticism emerges as BTC has not matched gold’s performance. Gold reached an all-time high of $3,358 on April 16, leading to speculation that governments and central banks are increasing their gold reserves.Global stimulus rises as US economy shows early weaknessAs central banks respond to the threat of an economic recession, the chances of an increase in monetary supply are rising. While the US Federal Reserve (Fed) has held off on lowering interest rates or expanding its balance sheet, other nations have already taken such steps. This puts more pressure on the US economy, which is starting to show signs of weakness.US Federal Reserve total assets, USD million. Source: St Louis FedIn China, new bank loans in March rebounded more than expected to $500 billion, over 20% higher than analysts had predicted and a strong recovery from the previous month’s decline. According to Reuters, the PBOC has promised to increase stimulus measures to reduce the impact of the trade war with the United States.On April 17, the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the seventh time in a year to support the eurozone economy. The ECB has lowered the cost of capital to its lowest level since late 2022. Several investment banks have also reduced their inflation forecasts for the region, as the tariff war could reduce the region’s gross domestic product by 0.5%, according to Reuters.Weaker US dollar and Bitcoin miners’ long-term commitmentFurther adding pressure on the US Federal Reserve to end its restrictive monetary policy is the weakening of the US dollar compared to major global currencies, as the DXY Index has dropped to its lowest level in three years. A weaker dollar usually helps exports, which can be positive for the current account balance, but this is unlikely to last during a trade war.US Dollar Index (DXY). Source: TradingView / CointelegraphInvestor confidence has also been hurt by US President Donald Trump’s public criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s administration. This situation makes it harder for the US Treasury to rely on issuing Treasurys to stay afloat, which further weakens the US dollar. President Trump even said that Powell’s removal “cannot come fast enough,” while also calling for lower interest rates.However, when looking at the current macroeconomic data, there is little reason to support a more relaxed monetary policy from the US Fed, especially after the latest US jobless claims reported on April 17. Initial claims fell by 9,000 to 215,000 in the week ending April 12, according to the US Labor Department. Powell repeated on April 16 that the labor market is in a “solid condition,” according to Reuters.Related: When gold price hits new highs, history shows ‘Bitcoin follows’ within 150 days — AnalystBitcoin 7-day average estimated hashrate. Source: Blockchain.comBitcoin miners have also shown a strong long-term commitment, as the hashrate increased by 8% compared to the previous month. Since the Bitcoin halving in April 2024, traders were worried that lower profits would cause many miners to leave, possibly leading to a sell-off, since miners reportedly hold almost 1.8 million BTC, according to Glassnode.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.

#trading #defi #crypto #exchanges #featured

Mantra and associated market makers allegedly manipulated liquidity metrics for the OM token by exploiting vulnerabilities in data aggregators’ self-reporting systems, according to discussions on the latest edition of “The Chopping Block” podcast.  The scheme involved misrepresenting the circulating supply and trading volume of OM to create the appearance of broader market activity than existed. […]
The post Mantra, market makers allegedly exploited validation gaps to inflate OM token liquidity appeared first on CryptoSlate.

#nfts #shiba inu #meme coin #donald trump #shib #shib news #shib price #bitget #non-fungible tokens #shiba inu news #shiba inu price #shibusd #shibusdt #shibaswap #finder #treat #gracy chen #unocoin

The Shiba Inu price continues to attract the attention of analysts, who are watching for its next potential move. A recent report from Finder, based on the insights of 26 crypto industry experts, reveals a cautiously optimistic outlook for SHIB.  Finder, a US-based information service, released a new quarterly report featuring price predictions for Shiba Inu in 2025. The report is based on a comprehensive survey conducted in January 2025, during which 26 crypto industry specialists shared their insights on Shiba Inu’s potential price by the end of 2025 and its projected performance through 2035.   Diverging Opinions On SHIB Price In 2025 According to the panel, Shiba Inu is forecasted to reach an average price of $0.0000399 by year’s end, marking an 84.3% increase from its January starting point of about $0.00002165. For its long-term price projection, the panel predicts that the popular meme coin will see a steady rise in the following years, erasing one zero to reach $0.0001971 by 2030 and $0.0008543 by 2035.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Analyst Says Shiba Inu Price Is Not Hitting $1 – Here’s Why Gracy Chen, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bitget, a crypto exchange, is among the most bullish voices among the panelists for the Shiba Inu price outlook. Chen cites SHIB’s positive technical indicators and recent support/resistance developments as signs of an ongoing bullish trend. She projects that the Shiba Inu price could hit a new target of $0.00006 by year-end. This represents 445.45%. Increase from the meme coin’s current market value of $0.000011. Similarly, Ruadhan O, founder of Seasonal Tokens, sees SHIB closing 2025 at $0.00005, though he warns of Dogecoin’s enduring dominance in the space. He believes that Dogecoin will most likely take the spotlight away from SHIB, making it unlikely for it to reach a new all-time high this year.  Notably, not all panelists share the same bullish optimism for Shiba Inu. John Hawkins, a senior lecturer at the University of Canberra, projects that the price of SHIB will crash significantly, losing half of its value in 2025, falling to as low as $0.00001. His bearish prediction stems from the belief that meme coins could experience a similar decline to that of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Hawks points to broader macro trends like US President Donald Trump’s political influence and Bitcoin’s dominance as key barriers that would limit meme coins’ growth.  Shiba Inu And Dogecoin Rivalry Continues  Despite the majority of Finder’s panelists having significantly bullish projections for the Shiba Inu price, 79% of them agree that SHIB will never surpass Dogecoin in market capitalization. Sathvik Vishwanath, the CEO of Unocoin, believes SHIB’s substantial circulating supply currently and speculative nature limit its long-term bullish prospects. This is despite its rapidly evolving ecosystem, which includes innovative projects like ShibaSwap and the upcoming TREAT token. Related Reading: Shiba Inu Burn Update: 99.44% Daily Burn Crash Could Spell Trouble For Meme Coin When asked whether now is the right time to buy, sell, or hold SHIB tokens, the panel was divided: 57% recommended holding, 13% advised buying, and 30% suggested selling. In addition, opinions on Shiba Inu’s current valuation were mixed. 48% of the panel believed that SHIB was overpriced, while 44% stated that it was fairly priced.  Ronen Cojocaru, the CEO of 8081 Inc., was among the most bullish panelists. He forecasted that SHIB could hit $0.00000743 by year-end, although he acknowledged that Shiba Inu is currently overpriced. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

US President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, accusing him of being too slow to cut interest rates and escalating a long-running conflict that risks undermining the central bank’s political independence.With the European Central Bank (ECB) cutting interest rates again on April 17, “Too Late” Powell has failed to act appropriately in the United States, even with inflation falling, Trump said on Truth Social on April 17. “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” Trump said.Source: realDonaldTrumpFlorida Senator Rick Scott agreed with the president, saying, “it’s time for new leadership at the Federal Reserve.”Trump’s public criticism of the Fed breaks a decades-long convention in American politics that sought to safeguard the central bank from political scrutiny, which includes any executive decision to replace the chair. In an April 16 address at the Economic Club of Chicago, Powell said Fed independence is “a matter of law.” Powell previously signaled his intent to serve out the remainder of his tenure, which expires in May 2026. Related: S&P 500 briefly sees ‘Bitcoin-level’ volatility amid Trump tariff warCrypto, risk assets look to the Fed for guidanceThe Federal Reserve wields significant influence over financial markets, with its monetary policy decisions affecting US dollar liquidity and shaping investor sentiment.Since the COVID-19 pandemic, crypto markets have increasingly come under the Fed’s sphere of influence due to the rising correlation between dollar liquidity and asset prices. This was further corroborated by a 2024 academic paper written by Kingston University of London professors Jinsha Zhao and J Miao, which concluded that liquidity conditions now account for more than 65% of Bitcoin’s (BTC) price movements.As inflation moderates and market turmoil intensifies amid the trade war, Fed officials are facing mounting pressure to cut interest rates. However, Powell has reiterated the central bank’s wait-and-see approach as officials evaluate the potential impact of tariffs. A measure of real-time inflation known as “truflation” suggests that cost pressures are much weaker than the Fed’s primary indicators, which are several months out of date. Source: TruflationThe Fed is expected to maintain its wait-and-see policy approach at its next meeting in May, with Fed Fund futures prices implying a less than 10% chance of a rate cut. However, rate cut bets have increased to more than 65% for the Fed’s June policy meeting. Related: Weaker yuan is 'bullish for BTC' as Chinese capital flocks to crypto — Bybit CEO

#markets #news #bitcoin #market wrap #deribit #donald trump #jerome powell

A sharp plunge in the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index coupled with rising prices added to U.S. stagflation fears amid the tariff war.

#technology #crypto #governance #featured

Galaxy Research has submitted a new proposal to the Solana (SOL) community to reform the network’s inflation governance discussion through a method called Multiple Election Stake-Weight Aggregation (MESA), according to a filing published on April 17.  The mechanism seeks to introduce a market-driven process to refine the SOL emissions curve without relying on single-outcome votes. […]
The post Galaxy proposes consensus method to address Solana inflation debate appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a body authorized by the US state to issue a stablecoin, has suggested that it may clarify its language to better comply with potential guidelines from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).In an April 17 meeting in the extension of the Wyoming Capitol building, Commissioner Joel Revill suggested the body could reduce the risk of the state’s proposed WYST stablecoin qualifying as a security under SEC rules. The discussion among the commissioners and Executive Director Anthony Apollo followed the SEC issuing guidelines that certain “covered stablecoins” were considered” non-securities” and largely not subject to reporting requirements. Wyoming Stable Token Commission Executive Director Anthony Apollo with Senator Cynthia Lummis. Source: LinkedIn“We’re looking to kind of create our own vernacular around some of this, to clarify, and then use that as a jumping off point of discussion for the commission,” said Apollo, adding there were internal discussions regarding the SEC guidance but the commission was scheduled to address the matter in a May memo. Related: Wyoming treasury should run on blockchain — Stable Token Commission bossThe commission, established after Wyoming passed a law to issue a state-issued stablecoin pegged to the US dollar and redeemable for fiat currency, has been exploring issues surrounding WYST. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said in August that the government initially planned a launch in the first quarter of 2025 for the stablecoin, later amending the timeline to potentially launch in July.Looking to the US Congress for guidanceThe commission said it would be monitoring efforts by the federal government to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Among the proposed legislation was the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, or GENIUS Act, in the Senate, and the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy, or STABLE Act, in the House of Representatives.Though Wyoming is the least populated US state, with roughly 600,000 people, it has become home to some crypto firms likely seeking a regulatory-friendly jurisdiction. Custodia Bank, the digital asset bank established by Caitlin Long, is based in Cheyenne. US Senator Cynthia Lummis, who often advocates for crypto-friendly policies, represents Wyoming in the Senate. Magazine: Riskiest, most ‘addictive’ crypto game of 2025, PIXEL goes multi-game: Web3 Game

#ethereum #crypto #eth #ether #altcoin #altcoins #gas fees #ethusd

Ethereum transaction costs have fallen to their lowest point in five years. The drop comes as users pull back from the network amid economic concerns, according to data from Santiment, an on-chain analytics platform. Related Reading: Solana Hits Milestone As Canada OKs First Spot ETFs Ethereum Transaction Costs Plummet To Just 17 Cents The average fee to process a transaction on Ethereum now stands at approximately $0.168. This steep decline matches a pattern of reduced activity, with fewer people sending Ether or using smart contracts on the blockchain. Brian Quinlivan, marketing director at Santiment, explained the situation in an April 17 blog post. Market Uncertainty Keeps Traders On Sidelines According to Quinlivan, low network fees often appear before price rebounds. However, many traders seem to be waiting for global economic questions to clear up before they return to their normal trading patterns. ???????? BREAKING: Ethereum fees are at a 5-year low, with transactions currently costing just $0.168. This is the cheapest daily cost of making $ETH transfers since May 2, 2020. We briefly break this down in our latest insight. ????https://t.co/fg5CfRgsHn pic.twitter.com/QlLwyzdm1F — Santiment (@santimentfeed) April 16, 2025 Hesitation continues after market worries that had started from April 2 with US President Trump announcing sweeping tariffs. Traditional markets turned out to be hit alongside cryptocurrency, where most assets languish below pre-announcement values. Pectra Upgrade Set For Launch On May 7 Despite this market crisis, Ethereum development is on the move. Pectra is finally scheduled to go live on May 7 after some delays owing to the configuration hiccups as well as an unknown attacker causing problems during the testnet trials. The first part of Pectra will bring numerous enhancements to the network such as an increase to layer-2 blob capacity from three to six, transaction fee reduction, alleviation of network congestion, and also allow users to pay fees with stablecoins like USDC and DAI. The upgrade will also increase the maximum staking limit from 32 ETH to a much larger 2,048 ETH. A second phase planned for late 2025 or early 2026 will add new data structures for better storage efficiency. It will also create a system that helps nodes verify transaction data without storing the entire dataset. Long-Term Holders Begin Selling Positions Meanwhile, data from Lookonchain shows that long-term Ethereum holders are now selling their positions, even after holding through previous market cycles. These sales are happening in the $1,500 to $1,700 price range. After holding $ETH for 11 months, this guy capitulated and sold all 1,160 $ETH($1.83M) at a loss of $2.6M(-58.6%)! 11 months ago, he withdrew 1,160 $ETH($4.43M) from #OKX at $3,816, and deposited it to #OKX at $1,580 ~30 minutes ago, losing $2.6M(-58.6%).… pic.twitter.com/Cl0ebXie1f — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) April 16, 2025 The selling activity has created mixed signals for market watchers. Some analysts view this as a warning sign of a potential sell-off ahead. Others believe it could lead to market stabilization. Related Reading: Is Shiba Inu On Track To Dethrone Dogecoin? Here’s What The Experts Say This selling comes at an interesting time, with network usage at multi-year lows but major technical upgrades on the horizon. Based on Quinlivan’s assessment, reduced retail interest combined with ongoing development could create conditions for “an eventual surprise rebound with little resistance.” Ethereum price has dipped by more than 11% over the last two weeks. Based on figures from CoinMarketCap, this cryptocurrency is now trading just below $1,600. The price has remained unchanged over the last 24 hours. Featured image from Capital One, chart from TradingView

The price of gold surged to a new all-time high of $3,357 per ounce on April 17, igniting speculation on whether Bitcoin (BTC) would follow. Bitcoin-gold comparison. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewIn 2017, Bitcoin rallied to $19,120 after gold witnessed a 30% hike a few months earlier. Similarly, gold reached a new high near $2,075 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which preceded Bitcoin’s surge to $69,000 in 2021.Bitcoin has historically surpassed its previous all-time highs whenever gold rallies, reflecting a dynamic relationship between the two assets during periods of economic uncertainty and when investors look for a US dollar alternative.Further highlighting the interconnections between the assets, Joe Consorti, head of growth at Theya, pointed out that BTC follows gold’s directional bias with a lag of 100-150 days at a time. Consorti said, “When the printer roars to life, gold sniffs it out first, then Bitcoin follows harder.”Bitcoin vs gold price movement correlation. Source: X.comConsidering Consorti’s view, Bitcoin is expected to potentially attain new all-time highs between Q3 and Q4 of 2025. Anonymous Bitcoin proponent apsk32 expected a similar outcome or bullish period between July and November. Looking at data from past Bitcoin price cycles and BTC’s “power curve time contours,” the analyst predicted that Bitcoin will enter a parabolic phase in the latter half of 2025, with a price target as high as $400,000. Using the power law model, the analyst normalized Bitcoin's market cap to gold's and plotted BTC on a logarithmic scale, measuring each Bitcoin in ounces of gold instead of dollars.Bitcoin price and power curve chart. Source: X.comRelated: Bitcoin gold copycat move may top $150K as BTC stays 'impressive'Bitcoin trading like “Mag 8” amid tariff uncertaintyIn a recent interview with CNBC, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz said that Bitcoin and gold are “key indicators of financial stewardship” amid global macroeconomic uncertainty. Highlighting it as a “Minsky Moment” for the US economy, Novogratz said that Bitcoin thrives in market turbulence, driven by a weakening US dollar and capital flowing into safe havens like gold, which has recently rallied. Novogratz added that despite a 10% year-to-date drop in equities, markets underestimate the scale of global economic shifts, with tariffs and Trump’s policies adding uncertainty. He cautioned that rising interest rates and a weakening dollar signal the US is behaving like an emerging market, with Bitcoin and gold reflecting growing concerns over unsustainable deficits and the $35 trillion national debt.Related: Bitcoin online chatter flips bullish as price chops at $85K: SantimentThis 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.

Huaxia Fund is set to launch staking services on its Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF), making it the second in Hong Kong. OSL Digital Services (OSL) will provide custody and staking infrastructure for the fund.The staking feature will be live on May 15, moving the ETF from a strictly passive investment vehicle to an “active participant” in the Ethereum ecosystem, according to the announcement from OSL. Huaxia Fund, a subsidiary of China Asset Management (ChinaAMC), first launched its Ether ETF in April 2024. The introduction of a staking provision comes after Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) changed its rules on April 7 to allow for entities like centralized exchanges to offer crypto staking in a bid to position the city as a leader in Web3. When announcing the rule change, the SFC said it “recognizes the potential benefits of staking in enhancing the security of blockchain networks and allowing investors to earn yields.”Related: Hong Kong Bitcoin, Ether ETFs attract over $200M on day 1Staking is the process of locking up crypto tokens to help support the operations and security of a blockchain network. In return, participants earn rewards, typically in the form of more cryptocurrency.On April 10, Bosera HashKey was approved to be a staking provider in Hong Kong, the first under the new rule. According to a press release, staking will allow for Bosera HaskKey’s Ether ETF to take advantage of compound growth, as yield from the staked Ether can be reinvested into the financial instrument. According to Coinbase, ETH stakers are currently earning about 2.14% of their holdings in a 365-day average. 30-day ETH staking yield as of April 13. Source: Dune AnalyticsHong Kong changes rules to become Web3 hubStaking for Ether ETFs has been a central topic in the United States. In December 2024, Bernstein Research predicted that staking would be approved for Ether ETFs under the crypto-friendly Trump administration. Since then, CBOE and the NYSE have filed for a rule change with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to grant permission for staking in such funds.Asset manager BlackRock has remarked that while successful, ETH ETFs are less perfect without staking. Staking is seen as a way to attract more investors to the Ether ETFs, who may be lured by the possibility of yield, which leads to further gains.Related: Ether shoots up 3.5% as CBOE, 21Shares seek to add ETH staking to ETFHong Kong’s SFC appears to understand that and is acting accordingly. Chen Wu, the CEO of Hong Kong-based crypto exchange Ex.io, told Cointelegraph. “The SFC’s announcement signals that more doors are opening — not just for staking, but for a wider range of Web3 products to take shape under a regulated and trusted framework,” she said.Hong Kong has seen a 250% growth in its blockchain sector since 2022, with the city’s fintech market expected to reach over $600 billion by 2032. The Hong Kong government is considered to have proactive policies for cryptocurrency companies, a stark contrast to the sometimes combative tone other governments take to the emerging asset class.Magazine: What are native rollups? Full guide to Ethereum’s latest innovation

#ethereum #bitcoin #price analysis #altcoins

Following comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Ethereum’s price is struggling as it fails to validate a clear upward trend. On April 16, during a speech in Chicago, Powell stated that the Federal Reserve is not in a hurry to lower interest rates, highlighting a cautious “wait-and-see” approach that depends on further economic data. …

#adoption #analysis #stablecoins #featured

Standard Chartered believes stablecoin supply could swell to $2 trillion by 2028, driving $1.6 trillion in new demand for US Treasury bills if upcoming US legislation passes as expected. The report, authored by StanChart’s head of digital assets research, Geoffrey Kendrick, anticipates that the US GENIUS Act, which would formalize the legal framework for stablecoins, […]
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