Kraken exchange has posted a security update, saying that insiders recorded client data and are now demanding a ransom for it. According to the firm’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), the case comprises two incidents that occurred between February 2025 and early this year. In the first incident, the criminal group threatened to release videos of …
Ethereum has been consolidating below $2,200 for weeks. The selling pressure is real. The uncertainty is higher. And the participants who hold enough ETH to move markets just crossed back into profit, which, in the history of this asset, has never happened quietly. Related Reading: Ethereum Mirrors A 2023 Setup As Buyers Take Control Of Derivatives On Binance A CryptoQuant analyst tracking the behavior of Ethereum’s largest holders has identified a transition that demands attention precisely because of how rarely it occurs. The cohort holding more than 100,000 ETH — wallets large enough that their decisions do not just reflect the market, they influence it — briefly entered an unrealized loss state as Ethereum’s price declined. They have now returned to profitability. That sequence matters for a specific structural reason. When whale-sized holders are underwater, they face a choice between absorbing the loss and selling to prevent it from deepening. The market lives under that overhead. Every session at the wrong price level is a session where the largest holders have an incentive to exit. When that cohort returns to profit, the incentive structure inverts — they are no longer potential sellers defending a loss, they are holders with gains and no urgency to move. Every Time. Without Exception. Until Now, Nobody Was Watching The analyst’s historical reading is the element that transforms the current whale profitability transition from a data point into a signal. In the entire recorded history of Ethereum, every single instance where this cohort — holders of more than 100,000 ETH — crossed from an unrealized loss state back to a profitable state marked the beginning of a rally. Not in most instances. Not the majority. Everyone. That is not a tendency. It is a pattern with a perfect track record across every market cycle Ethereum has experienced. The corrections, the bear markets, the prolonged consolidations — each one produced at least one moment where the largest holders briefly went underwater before recovering. And each one of those moments, without exception, preceded upward movement. The analyst’s conclusion is stated without embellishment: that historic signal has appeared again. What that means for the current consolidation below $2,200 is not a guarantee — no signal in financial markets carries certainty, and the macro environment remains genuinely uncertain. What it means is that the on-chain condition that has historically marked the beginning of Ethereum rallies is now present, for the first time since the current correction began. The pattern has never been wrong. The question is whether this cycle is the first time it fails — or the latest time it does not. Related Reading: Capital Is Rotating From Bitcoin To Ethereum – On-Chain Data Shows It Is Not Over Ethereum Holds Critical Weekly Support as Structure Tightens Ethereum is consolidating near the $2,150–$2,200 region on the weekly timeframe, a level that is increasingly acting as a structural pivot. After the rejection from the $4,000–$4,500 range in late 2025, ETH entered a corrective phase that found support just above the 200-week moving average (red), preserving the long-term trend despite the volatility. The current structure reflects compression rather than continuation. Price is trading between the 100-week (green) and 200-week moving averages, while the 50-week (blue) has flattened and is beginning to turn slightly upward. This convergence of key averages signals a market in equilibrium, where neither buyers nor sellers have clear control. Related Reading: XRP Supply Is Thinning, and Leverage Is Absent. Learn What Happens When One Of Those Changes Importantly, the recent downside wicks into the $1,700–$1,800 zone were met with strong buying, indicating demand remains active at lower levels. However, upside attempts have stalled below the $2,400–$2,600 region, reinforcing that resistance remains intact. Volume patterns align with this interpretation. Spikes during sell-offs suggest liquidation-driven moves, while the current normalization indicates reduced stress but limited conviction. Structurally, Ethereum is coiling within a broad range. A break above $2,500 would confirm strength, while a loss of $2,000 would expose deeper support. For now, the market remains balanced, awaiting resolution. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
As institutional capital increasingly explores blockchain infrastructure, the focus is shifting from experimentation to execution. In this evolving landscape, the XRP Ledger is steadily positioning itself at the center of efficiency, scalability, and reliability. With its ability to handle high-value transactions at speed and low cost, it is emerging as a serious contender for institutions seeking to move capital seamlessly across global markets. The XRP Ledger is emerging as a foundational layer for trillions of dollars in institutional opportunity. An analyst known as ChartNerd on X has reported a video in which Marius Jurgilas, CEO of Axiology, highlighted the scale of the opportunity, pointing to multi-trillion-dollar funding gaps and idle capital across European markets waiting to be tokenized on-chain. Tokenization Of Real-World Assets On The XRP Ledger At the center of this transformation is Axiology’s permissioned implementation of XRPL. The platform is designed to compress today’s complex capital market stack, including broker-dealers, custodians, and intermediaries, into a single, efficient, and compliant layer. This specific DLT infrastructure is being deployed within the European Central Bank’s (ECB) pilot initiatives, specifically the PONTES program, which is scheduled to begin in Q3 2026. Related Reading: XRP Could Be The Hidden Beneficiary Of FedNow Expansion — Here’s Why Further reinforcing its institutional credibility, Axiology has become only the second company to secure a Trading and Settlement System (TSS) license under the European Union’s (EU) DLT pilot regime for Central Bank Money Settlement. This TSS license allows the firm to operate a trading and settlement system using distributed ledger technology. Crypto analyst Skipper has also revealed that Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, has consistently maintained that XRP was not limited to payments alone. From the beginning, Ripple’s goal was to build real-world utility technology capable of solving deep inefficiencies within the global financial system, rather than accelerating the movement of money. According to Brad, what initially emerged as a solution for cross-border payments has evolved into a much broader ecosystem. Presently, XRP and XRPL are being explored for a growing range of use cases, including asset tokenization, liquidity solutions, and wider financial applications. As adoption increases and use cases expand, that early vision is beginning to take shape, showing that the strategy was always about starting small and building toward something much bigger. The Imbalance That Could Reshape XRP Markets XRP is entering a phase where market structure is becoming the dominant force behind price behavior. A researcher known as SMQKE on X pointed out that only 1.7 billion XRP is left on exchanges, marking the lowest available exchange supply in seven years. Related Reading: XRP Holders Are Seeing Major Losses Since The Bull Market, And The Numbers Are Rising 21Shares describes this dynamic as a supply-shock mechanism, a scenario where declining liquid supply collides with growing demand. SMQKE explains that this convergence of scale and scarcity is the primary engine for a non-linear repricing event throughout 2026. Featured image from Pxfuel, chart from Tradingview.com
The technology services provider said wealth managers have faced challenges integrating digital assets without relying on separate systems.
The crypto exchange will distribute a record $1 million Cronos (CRO) fighter bonus pool at the upcoming UFC fight at the White House.
Hester Peirce, who heads the SEC’s crypto task force, said that the staff statement represented “expansive readings of the securities laws“ in response to digital assets.
SoftBank, Sony, Honda, and NEC have formed a new company to build physical AI for robots and machines, backed by $6.7 billion in government funding.
A crypto analyst has announced that Bitcoin (BTC) has hit its last bull trap, signaling that the price of the flagship cryptocurrency could fall much further before a potential reversal begins. The analyst has shared a chart highlighting key accumulation areas at levels below $60,000, the lowest price BTC has reached since its all-time high in 2025. Bitcoin Reaches Final Bull Trap Following Bitcoin’s rebound over the weekend, a pseudonymous whale and crypto analyst known as NoName shared an update on Bitcoin’s latest price action and what its next moves may be. In a post on X, NoName announced that Bitcoin has recently hit its second and final bull trap since reaching a price peak in 2025. Related Reading: This Bitcoin Metric Has Predicted Every Cycle Bottom, But What Is It Saying Now? He shared a video chart showing how the Bitcoin price has moved throughout its ongoing bear market. After a prolonged rally that eventually pushed Bitcoin to an all-time high above $126,700, the market shifted direction and entered a sustained downtrend, marked by multiple corrective waves. Later during Q1 2026, Bitcoin experienced its first major bull trap. At the time, the price spiked sharply upward, drawing in late buyers and briefly reviving bullish sentiment before quickly reversing and resuming its decline. The move ultimately caught overleveraged traders off guard, leading to significant losses for those who entered near the top. After this initial trap, the price continued to slide and establish lower price levels before forming its latest bull trap this month. Here, BTC surged above $72,000 shortly after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement. The rally held for several days, sustaining optimism slightly, before momentum faded and the price retraced back toward the $70,000 level at the time of writing. With this last bull trap in place, NoName has stated that Bitcoin’s path has become clearer. The analyst is now anticipating a final downside flush, suggesting that more volatility and pain could lie ahead for BTC. He projects a potential price crash to $50,000, representing a more than 28% drop from its current price and a drawdown of about 60% from BTC’s peak. Notably, NoName has marked the $50,000 level as a potential accumulation area, and investors and traders could begin entering the market again to prop up their positions. What’s Next For The BTC Price? Based on NoName’s analysis, the $50,000 level is likely Bitcoin’s final price bottom before a bullish reversal. Once the cryptocurrency hits this accumulation point, the analyst anticipates an upward move to the next re-accumulation area between $75,000 and $85,000. Related Reading: Analyst Says Bitcoin Has Printed A Historically Aggressive Recovery Setup, What To Expect After consolidating around this range for a bit, NoName projects that Bitcoin could rise sharply to his “mark-up” target between $95,000 and $110,000, before skyrocketing to a new all-time high above $130,000. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Anti-crypto sentiment is expected to surge in November, potentially impacting market dynamics and investor confidence.
The post Liquidity concerns at World Liberty Financial, flawed governance structures limit token effectiveness, and the impact of bad actors on crypto’s reputation | The Wolf Of All Streets appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Two technical indicators now suggest that Bitcoin (BTC) is entering a bottoming-out phase that precedes the next market rally. However, certain conditions must be met before the final major breakout occurs. Just today, Bitcoin fell below $71,000 following news of the US blockade at the Strait of Hormuz. The coin later recovered to trade above …
MiniMax M2.7 rivals Claude Opus on key coding benchmarks, but the Chinese AI lab updated commercial terms shortly after releasing the weights on Hugging Face.
While others refrain from boosting their Ether holdings, Bitmine's latest purchase gives it ownership of about 4% of total supply as the company expands its staking strategy.
RAVE’s sudden surge into crypto’s top ranks has drawn intense attention, with a mix of unusual trading patterns, tight supply and market dynamics fueling debate over what’s really behind the move.
The SEC released a new, permissive policy on DeFi interfaces Monday that was immediately celebrated by crypto industry leaders.
Bitcoin and altcoin charts highlight growing strength across the industry. Will geopolitics and US economic health concerns stand in the way of the rally?
Risk assets shrugged off the failed weekend negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, and the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The market may be pricing XRP through an outdated lens. Over the past several days, the most consequential development around XRP has come from outside crypto. On April 8, the Federal Reserve proposed allowing U.S. banks and credit unions to use intermediaries through the FedNow Service, a change the central bank said could support private-sector […]
The post The Fed is building competition for XRP’s core payments use case into the FedNow banking system appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Bitcoin (BTC) is trying to steady itself after a shaky start to the week. After dipping briefly toward the key $70,000 support level on Sunday, BTC has since bounced back and is now trading above $72,000 on Monday. However, the next move may depend less on internal crypto dynamics and more on the escalating geopolitical backdrop of tensions between the United States and Iran, and the events that unfold in the days ahead. $100,000 Bitcoin By Year-End In a new report, market analyst Sam Daodu argues that Bitcoin’s direction is closely tied to how the conflict unfolds. Rather than pointing to a single likely outcome, Daodu lays out three scenarios, each with a different implication for oil prices, investor sentiment, and ultimately BTC price action. Related Reading: Retail Crypto Activity Hits 9-Year Low As Big Money Steps In In Daodu’s bullish scenario, a full peace deal would shift the outlook for both geopolitics and commodities. He suggests oil prices would retreat back toward pre-war levels, roughly in the $65 to $70 per barrel range. Daodu says that if that happens, Bitcoin could push toward $100,000 by year-end, which would translate to a 39% price increase from current trading levels. April 15 Agreement Expectations The base case is more cautious and revolves around what could happen around April 15. Daodu’s view is that if the talks scheduled for that period lead to a new agreement, oil prices might drop below $95 again, similar to what happened after the first ceasefire was announced last week. Daodu also points to a specific positioning factor: there are reportedly about $6 billion in short positions between $72,200 and $73,500 right now. If oil prices fall quickly and risk sentiment improves fast, those short positions could unwind, triggering a squeeze. That could help drive Bitcoin higher between $75,000 to $80,000. Bear Path For BTC The bearish scenario centers on the ceasefire failing—either because it breaks apart completely or because it expires without a workable outcome. Daodu notes that the two-week ceasefire is already under strain. With talks having collapsed and a blockade being announced, the agreement is described as “hanging by a thread.” Related Reading: Ethereum About To Turn? Death Cross Says Bottom Is Closer Than You Think If negotiations fail and oil prices rise above $110 to $120, Daodu says Bitcoin would likely lose the $70,000 support level. From there, the downside path could accelerate, with BTC potentially sliding toward $65,000. If the crisis drags on, he adds that prices could fall further toward $55,000 to $60,000. Even with these three paths laid out, Daodu’s conclusion is that the base prediction is the most realistic outcome at the moment. In his assessment, Bitcoin is likely to remain range-bound until the next round of talks produces something tangible. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Former CFTC Chair Chris Giancarlo has advised several firms since leaving public office, including Polymarket and Paxos.
Small investors have all but disappeared from Bitcoin trading. Data from CryptoQuant shows crypto inflows from accounts holding less than one BTC dropped to a record low on Binance earlier this month — the weakest retail participation in nine years. Related Reading: Bessent Presses Congress On Crypto Rules As Senate Clock Ticks Down Wall Street Moves In While Main Street Sits Out The numbers tell a stark story. While everyday investors pull back, major financial institutions are quietly building their crypto positions. Morgan Stanley launched a Bitcoin ETF. Charles Schwab opened a waitlist for spot Bitcoin trading. Franklin Templeton announced a dedicated crypto division. Fannie Mae began accepting Bitcoin-backed mortgages. The stablecoin market hit an all-time high in capitalization this year. Exodus CEO JP Richardson summed it up bluntly in a post on X. “This might be the first cycle in crypto history where institutions are in a bull market, and retail doesn’t even know it,” he wrote. Richardson pointed out that in the downturns of 2018 and 2022, institutions pulled back alongside regular investors. This time, he said, they did the opposite. This might be the first cycle in crypto history where institutions are in a bull market and retail doesn’t even know it. Stablecoins at $319B. Morgan Stanley launched a Bitcoin ETF. Schwab opened a waitlist for spot bitcoin trading. Franklin Templeton announced a crypto… — JP Richardson (@jprichardson) April 13, 2026 Cost Of Living Keeps Small Investors On The Sidelines The reason retail is missing isn’t hard to find. MN Fund founder and crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe put it plainly — most people are struggling to cover their monthly bills. Inflation and rising living costs have eaten into the kind of disposable income that once fueled speculative crypto buying. “That’s why this cycle won’t be the retail cycle,” van de Poppe said. “It’s the institutional cycle and will take longer.” Some retail investors who were active in previous cycles may have shifted their money elsewhere. According to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, a portion of small-account holders appear to have moved into equities and commodities, both of which have posted strong returns recently. It’s super clear that retail isn’t interested in #Crypto. Almost everyone has a hard time paying their bills on a monthly basis. And then spending that amount of money in such a volatile asset? Hell no. That’s why this cycle won’t be the retail cycle. It’s the institutional… — Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) April 12, 2026 Near-Term Outlook Remains Tied To Macro Pressures Sentiment across crypto markets is still shaky. CoinEx chief analyst Jeff said that near-term conditions are “heavily macro-driven, especially by oil, the dollar, and inflation expectations.” Ko stopped short of calling it a structural breakdown in crypto interest. He described current pressure as a macro risk premium rather than fading demand for digital assets. Related Reading: XRP Eyes $17 After Massive Breakout—Is A 1,100% Surge Next? On the medium-term outlook, Ko said he does not expect oil prices to stay elevated given supply and demand fundamentals — a signal he reads as cautiously positive for markets down the road. What’s clear right now is that the usual retail energy that marked past crypto surges is absent. Whether it returns — and when — may depend less on crypto itself than on how much breathing room everyday people get in their finances. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
The exchange’s head of security said there had been two incidents involving “inappropriate access” to client data, involving about 2,000 user accounts.
Tom Duff Gordon exited to join OpenAI as head of EMEA Policy, a spokesperson for Coinbase said.
Crypto funds pulled in $1.1 billion last week as Bitcoin led inflows, Ethereum rebounded, and softer US CPI lifted risk appetite.
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A lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery seeks to compel Howat to comply with obligations under the November 24, 2025 Stock Purchase Agreement.
Bitcoin’s attempts to hold rallies above the $70,000 to $75,000 range continue as ETF demand limps along, US treasury yields rise and traders take profit as BTC price hits overhead resistance.
Patrick Witt told CoinDesk that a recent compromise on stablecoin yield should hold as the Senate tries to advance its crypto bill, even as bankers continue warnings.
Not all Bitcoin faces the same level of risk from quantum computing. Dormant wallets with exposed public keys could be the first targets.
Transitioning from L2 to L1 architecture reduces costs and enhances user experience in blockchain development.
The post Torab: Binance’s market maker fund freeze impacts the crypto ecosystem, the importance of a transparent strategic reserve, and the shift from L2 to L1 architecture | Epicenter appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The SEC is signaling openness to tokenization, encouraging firms to engage directly as it fine-tunes regulations.
Tokenization could unify Europe's capital market, enhancing liquidity and efficiency, but requires robust infrastructure and regulatory alignment.
The post ECB sees tokenization as opportunity to build unified European capital market appeared first on Crypto Briefing.