Alternative News for You

by Joshua Boscaini and Andrew Thorpe on April 25, 2025 at 10:03 pm

Anthony Albanese campaigns in Victoria, where he will announce a funding boost to community language schools, while Peter Dutton starts the day in the Far North Queensland seat of Leichhardt. Follow live.  

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 25, 2025 at 10:00 pm

Today in crypto, SEC chair Paul Atkins speaks at the agency’s roundtable. Circle executive Dante Disparte denies reports that the company is pursuing a US federal bank charter, and ARK Invest projects Bitcoin could reach as high as $2.4 million by 2030.SEC chair suggests 'huge benefits' in agency's third crypto roundtableIn one of his first appearances as the recently sworn-in chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Atkins delivered remarks to the agency’s third roundtable discussion of crypto regulation. In the “Know Your Custodian” roundtable event on April 25, Atkins said he expected “huge benefits” from blockchain technology through efficiency, risk mitigation, transparency, and cutting costs. He reiterated that among his goals at the SEC would be to facilitate “clear regulatory rules of the road” for digital assets, hinting that the agency under former chair Gary Gensler had contributed to market and regulatory uncertainty. “I look forward to engaging with market participants and working with colleagues in President Trump’s administration and Congress to establish a rational fit-for-purpose framework for crypto assets,” said Atkins.SEC chair Paul Atkins addressing the April 25 crypto roundtable. Source: SECSome critics of US President Donald Trump see Atkins’ nomination to lead the SEC as a nod to the crypto industry, acting on campaign promises to remove Gensler — the former chair resigned the day Trump took office — and cut back on regulation. Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee questioned Atkins on his ties to the industry, potentially presenting conflicts of interest in his role regulating crypto.Circle executive denies claims of seeking US banking licenseAn executive at major stablecoin issuer Circle denied reports that the company is looking to obtain a US federal bank charter.In an April 25 X post, Circle’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy, Dante Disparte, denied that the company is interested in obtaining a US federal bank charter or acquiring an insured depository institution.Instead, he said that Circle intends to comply with future US regulatory requirements for payment stablecoins, “which may require registering for a federal or state trust charter or other nonbank license.” He also urged lawmakers to reach regulatory clarity for stablecoins sooner rather than later.Source: Dante DisparteThe statement followed recent reports that major cryptocurrency firms, including stablecoin issuer Circle and crypto custodian BitGo, were considering applying for bank charters or licenses. Other firms cited as seeking such licenses included publicly traded US-based crypto exchange Coinbase and stablecoin issuer Paxos.ARK Invest ups its 2030 Bitcoin bull case prediction to $2.4 millionCathie Wood’s ARK Invest has raised its “bull case” Bitcoin (BTC) price target from $1.5 million to $2.4 million by the end of 2030, citing increased institutional investor interest and Bitcoin’s increasing acceptance as “digital gold.”It also bumped its “bear” and “base” case scenarios for Bitcoin to $500,000 and $1.2 million,  up from the $300,000 and $710,000 respective predictions it made in February.“Institutional investment contributes the most to our bull case,” said ARK research analyst David Puell, who estimated that Bitcoin would achieve a 6.5% penetration rate into the $200 trillion financial market in a best-case scenario (that figure excludes gold).ARK’s bear, base and bull case price targets for Bitcoin by Dec. 31, 2030. Source: ARK InvestBitcoin’s acceptance as “digital gold” was also a major contributor to the lofty estimate, with Puell estimating that it could capture up to 60% of gold’s market cap by the end of 2030 in a bull scenario.At $2.4 million per Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency’s market cap would be $49.2 trillion, assuming that Bitcoin’s total supply will have reached 20.5 million by the end of 2030, making it more valuable than the current gross domestic products of the US and China combined.

on April 25, 2025 at 9:53 pm

Pat Cummins leads Sunrisers Hyderabad to a five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings to revive his side's chances of reaching the Indian Premier League play-offs. 

by Cointelegraph by Turner Wright on April 25, 2025 at 9:51 pm

Though the identities of many of the top holders of US President Donald Trump’s memecoin were still unknown, blockchain data showed significant outflows over the past seven days — during which time he announced a dinner and White House tour for certain tokenholders. According to data from blockchain analytics firm Nansen as of April 25, the TRUMP memecoin had seen more than $869 million in outflows in the last seven days compared to roughly $96 million in inflows among the top 500 changes. Some of the changes followed Trump announcing that the top 220 TRUMP holders could apply to meet him at a golf club dinner in Washington, DC, with fewer opportunities for a White House tour.“It’s clear that more people took the opportunity to offload their Trump tokens than new buyers came in,” said Nansen. “There still appears to be some interest — either A) to secure the dinner ticket, or B) to capitalize on price volatility. As a result, a few new wallets have entered the top 250 holders, while some previous holders seem to have taken the opportunity to exit their positions.”Top TRUMP memecoin holders as of April 25. Source: TRUMP tokenLaunched in January before Trump took office, his memecoin, and that of his wife, Melania, have seen criticism from US lawmakers and leaders in the crypto industry for potential conflicts of interest. At the time of publication, the identity of many of the top tokenholders and those who might apply to attend the dinner were unknown.Who is investing in Trump’s memecoin?As of April 25, the top tokenholder had 1,176,803 TRUMP memecoins worth roughly $16 million at the time of publication. The wallet holder, under the username “Sun,” had led to speculation that Tron founder Justin Sun — a Trump supporter and investor in the Trump family-backed crypto firm World Liberty Financial — could be among the dinner attendees. Cointelegraph reached out to Sun’s team for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.Related: Trump memecoin team denies $300K dinner requirement rumorsOther tokenholders included usernames like “elon” and “doge,” though it was unclear if Tesla CEO Elon Musk, also a Dogecoin (DOGE) advocate, was involved in the project. The team behind the TRUMP token controls 80% of the total supply, resulting in many critics suggesting the Trump or someone in his family could still rug-pull investors.Before the 2024 election, Trump arranged a similar dinner at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida with supporters who purchased non-fungible tokens depicting his mugshot during his arrest for allegedly attempting to subvert the results of the 2020 election. It’s unclear whether any of the same people who attended the May 2024 event are among the top TRUMP memecoin holders.Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

by Baz Ruddick and Jess Naunton on April 25, 2025 at 9:41 pm

A devastating cyclone helped Kenn Parker build his rainforest home, and now his favourite neighbours are the cassowaries who come to visit with their chicks.

on April 25, 2025 at 9:34 pm

Mr Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson late last year. 

by Cointelegraph by Christopher Tepedino on April 25, 2025 at 9:32 pm

Stripe, a global payments platform, is building a new US dollar stablecoin product for companies based outside the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe in a move that may further expand the footprint of the dollar around the world.Stripe CEO Patrick Collison confirmed the product on X, posting an invitation for companies interested in testing the solution. The move gained traction after Stripe recently received regulatory approval to acquire the stablecoin payments network Bridge.Bridge's network competes with banks and companies that use the SWIFT system, a global financial messaging network that facilitates international wire transfers. Two former Coinbase executives, Zach Abrams and Sean Yu, co-founded the company in 2022.Source: Patrick CollisonRelated: Former Square, Coinbase execs raise $58M for Bridge stablecoin networkStablecoin adoption grows in 2025Stripe has a long-standing history with crypto, becoming the first major payments processor to integrate Bitcoin (BTC) in 2014. However, it discontinued support due to Bitcoin’s long transfer times and high transaction fees. The company began rebuilding its crypto team in 2021 as part of a renewed push into the space.Stripe has recently accelerated that push. In October 2024, the company introduced a stablecoin payment option, which users adopted in over 70 countries on the first rollout day. In June that year, Stripe partnered with Coinbase to offer fiat-to-crypto conversions. Collison noted on X that Stripe's latest crypto initiative is something the company has "wanted to build for around a decade."Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to assets like fiat currencies. In the United States, USD-backed stablecoins have increasingly gained attention at the federal level, with figures like US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell calling for dedicated legislation. PayPal launched its own stablecoin in 2023 and recently announced that it would begin offering yield to holders of its token.As of April 25, the stablecoin market cap stands at $237.5 billion, according to DefiLlama.Magazine: Bitcoin payments are being undermined by centralized stablecoins

by Leah MacLennan on April 25, 2025 at 9:24 pm

The Liberal Party holds the seat of Sturt on an ultra-thin margin. This is what voters are saying in the inner eastern suburbs electorate.

by Gemma Ferguson and Shari Hams on April 25, 2025 at 9:23 pm

Researchers say women are feeling under represented in politics and struggle to speak up about the issues that matter to them.

by Sally-Anne Young on April 25, 2025 at 9:08 pm

The transition from military service to a career in firefighting is a natural fit for many in the Australian Army, a former commando says, describing it as "going from one family to another".  

by Sinéad Mangan, Alex Hyman, Alex Barwick, Eliza Bidstrup, Matt Neal, Olivana Lathouris, Lee Robinson, Louise Miolin, Piia Wirsu, Bec Pridham, Michael Black, Kelly Fuller, Adriane Reardon, Ted O'Connor, Jean Bell, Olivia Sanders, and Jessica Hinchliffe on April 25, 2025 at 9:05 pm

In the upcoming federal election, there are five seats in regional Australia that could influence the overall result. Here's why they matter.

by Kate Ashton on April 25, 2025 at 9:01 pm

Labor has held Macnamara, which takes in Melbourne's inner south, for more than a century, but it's now an unpredictable three-way contest between Labor, the Greens and the Liberals.

by Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell on April 25, 2025 at 9:00 pm

Semler Scientific has bought approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin since Feb. 14, the healthcare technology company said in an April 25 statement. The company purchased 111 Bitcoin (BTC) for $10 million at an average price of roughly $90,000 per coin, Semler said. It holds a total of more than 3,300 Bitcoin worth approximately $300 million in aggregate. Semler said its Bitcoin purchases have earned stockholders a Bitcoin yield of 23.5% in the year to date. Bitcoin yield measures the ratio of BTC holdings to outstanding shares, reflecting growing exposure per share for investors. “Semler Scientific uses BTC Yield as a [key performance indicator] to help assess the performance of its strategy of acquiring bitcoin in a manner Semler Scientific believes is accretive to stockholders,” it said. Semler bought 111 BTC since Feb. 14. Source: Eric SemlerThe company said it acquired its Bitcoin treasury for an average price of nearly $89,000. As of April 25, Bitcoin trades at approximately $95,000 per coin, according to data from Cointelegraph. Semler Scientific is a healthcare technology company that develops and sells medical diagnostic products, with a primary focus on detecting chronic diseases. The company has partially financed its Bitcoin purchases by issuing roughly $125 million in new stock, it said. Semler also announced plans to raise $75 million through the private offering of convertible senior notes in January. Corporations are among the biggest Bitcoin buyers. Source: BitcoinTreasuries.NET Related: Bitcoin, showing 'signs of resilience', beats stocks, gold as equities fold — BinanceCorporate Bitcoin buyingIn 2024, Bitcoin’s surging price pushed Michael Saylor’s Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) up more than 350%, according to data from FinanceCharts. Strategy’s success has inspired dozens of other companies, such as Semler, to start accumulating Bitcoin treasuries. Public companies are now among the largest institutional Bitcoin holders. As of April 25, corporate Bitcoin holdings are worth approximately $71 billion in the aggregate, according to data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET.Strategy is still the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, with a treasury worth more than $50 billion. During the week of April 14, Strategy bagged 6,556 Bitcoin for an average price of $84,785 per coin.Among institutional buyers, corporate treasuries still lag exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which cumulatively hold approximately $110 billion in Bitcoin as of April 25, according to Coinglass data. Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

by Sundance on April 25, 2025 at 8:58 pm

Chopper pressers are the best pressers. President Trump and First Lady ¹Melania Trump depart the White House traveling to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.  Our President notes that he and our First Lady will not be spending the night in Italy but will be returning back to the USA immediately following the funeral. The post Chopper Presser – President Trump Delivers Impromptu Remarks Departing the White House appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Turner Wright on April 25, 2025 at 8:16 pm

In one of his first appearances as the recently sworn-in chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Atkins delivered remarks to the agency’s third roundtable discussion of crypto regulation. In the “Know Your Custodian” roundtable event on April 25, Atkins said he expected “huge benefits” from blockchain technology through efficiency, risk mitigation, transparency, and cutting costs. He reiterated that among his goals at the SEC would be to facilitate “clear regulatory rules of the road” for digital assets, hinting that the agency under former chair Gary Gensler had contributed to market and regulatory uncertainty. “I look forward to engaging with market participants and working with colleagues in President Trump’s administration and Congress to establish a rational fit-for-purpose framework for crypto assets,” said Atkins.SEC chair Paul Atkins addressing the April 25 crypto roundtable. Source: SECSome critics of US President Donald Trump see Atkins’ nomination to lead the SEC as a nod to the crypto industry, acting on campaign promises to remove Gensler — the former chair resigned the day Trump took office — and cut back on regulation. Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee questioned Atkins on his ties to the industry, potentially presenting conflicts of interest in his role regulating crypto.Related: Atkins SEC era sparks massive industry optimism, crypto execs speak outThe direction of the SEC under new leadership“We’ve noticed that we don’t have to be as concerned [...] about being accused of things that we’re not doing, like being broker-dealers for securities,” Exodus chief legal officer Veronica McGregor, who participated in the roundtable, told Cointelegraph on April 24.”It’s just a less scary regulatory environment in general. It is, however, still unclear what the ultimate regs are going to look like for crypto.” The SEC crypto task force is scheduled to hold two more roundtables in May and June to discuss tokenization and decentralized finance, respectively. Commissioner Hester Peirce, who leads the task force, told Cointelegraph in March that she welcomed the opportunity to work with Atkins to “reorient the agency,” hinting at an SEC with regulations more favorable to the crypto industry.In addition to the roundtables, the crypto task force has reported several meetings with digital asset firms to discuss various policies and considerations in developing a regulatory framework.Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

by Angus Mackintosh on April 25, 2025 at 8:05 pm

As Nepal moves to reform safety on Mt Everest, some of the peak's most respected guides question whether the new rules will save lives. 

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 25, 2025 at 8:00 pm

US President Donald Trump’s first 90 days in office have been miserable for Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader cryptocurrency industry. Despite positive regulatory developments, culminating in the first-ever White House crypto summit on March 7, digital asset prices have been dragged down by the currents of trade war and fear of recession.However, crypto saw a huge sentiment shift this week amid reports that Trump was backing off on his full-scale tariff war against China. It also didn’t hurt that Trump’s media empire, Trump Media and Technology Group, inked a deal with Crypto.com for its forthcoming Made in America exchange-traded funds (ETFs).This week’s Crypto Biz newsletter covers renewed inflows into Bitcoin ETFs, a potential crypto venture backed by Cantor Fitzgerald, and Coinbase’s possible pursuit of a federal banking charter. It wraps up with a look at Tesla’s decision to hold its Bitcoin position despite a disappointing earnings quarter.Bitcoin ETFs see largest inflows since JanuaryCapital is flowing back into US spot Bitcoin ETFs, highlighting a positive sentiment shift among institutional investors. According to Glassnode data, the 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs registered $381.3 million in net inflows on April 21, with the ARK21Shares Bitcoin ETF accounting for nearly a third of the total. One day later, the 11 funds registered $912.7 million in net inflows, the largest since January when Bitcoin was trading at all-time highs. The ARK21Shares, Fidelity and BlackRock Bitcoin funds saw the largest inflows on April 22. As billions flowed back into Bitcoin ETFs, spot BTC prices climbed back to $94,000 on April 23, pushing the total cryptocurrency market cap close to the $3 trillion mark again.Net inflows to US spot Bitcoin ETFs are surging again. Source: CoinglassCantor Fitzgerald is backing $3B crypto venture: ReportCantor Fitzgerald is reportedly in talks with Softbank, Tether and Bitfinex to establish a $3 billion crypto acquisition company called 21 Capital. According to an April 23 report by the Financial Times, the new company aims to capitalize on the favorable crypto environment in the United States following US President Donald Trump’s election. It also seeks to emulate the success of Strategy, the business intelligence firm turned Bitcoin bank that has amassed more than 534,000 BTC. The report suggested that stablecoin issuer Tether will contribute $1.5 billion to the new venture. Softbank is expected to add $900 million and Bitfinex another $600 million. 21 Capital is reportedly eyeing another $350 million raise via convertible bonds alongside a $200 million private equity placement. The proceeds will reportedly be used to buy Bitcoin.Cantor Fitzgerald is led by Brandon Lutnick, the son of Howard Lutnick (right), who became President Trump’s Secretary of Commerce. Source: White HouseCoinbase weighs US banking licenseCoinbase is considering applying for a United States federal bank charter, potentially signaling the cryptocurrency exchange’s intention to move into traditional banking services.A spokesperson for Coinbase confirmed to Cointelegraph that the exchange was considering this option, but did not elaborate on the reasons why.“This is something Coinbase is actively considering but has not made any formal decisions yet,” the spokesperson said.A US federal bank charter is significant because it allows licensees to perform core banking activities, including deposit taking and lending. For crypto exchanges like Coinbase, obtaining such a charter could represent a major step toward integrating traditional banking with digital assets.Tesla HODLs Bitcoin despite earnings slumpElectric vehicle maker Tesla reported disappointing first-quarter earnings this week but opted to hold onto its Bitcoin investments, signaling that Elon Musk’s company still sees significant upside in digital asset prices.Tesla’s net income plunged 71% in the first quarter, with revenue falling 9% and automotive sales down 20% year over year.Tesla’s disappointing earnings highlight the folly of mixing business and politics, with the results partly attributed to Musk’s role in Trump’s White House.Despite the earnings slump, Tesla held firm on its digital asset position, maintaining 11,509 BTC — unchanged since 2022. At current prices, that stake is valued at just under $1.1 billion.Tesla’s Bitcoin investments. Source: BitcoinTreasuries.NETCrypto Biz is your weekly pulse on the business behind blockchain and crypto, delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday.

by Sohani Goonetillake on April 25, 2025 at 7:54 pm

We spoke to two experts to answer questions about what recourse the judiciary has when its authority is tested by the executive branch.

by Sundance on April 25, 2025 at 7:47 pm

Attorney General Pam Bondi makes her 78th appearance on Fox News to outline the reasoning why Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI agents earlier today for interfering with the arrest of a criminal illegal alien. This is the second judge arrested for harboring and assisting a criminal illegal alien.  WATCH: The post #78 – Attorney General Pam Bondi Outlines FBI Arrest of Wisconsin Judge for Interfering in Immigration Arrest appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Rachel Rasker on April 25, 2025 at 7:41 pm

RAW comedy has been running for almost 30 years, kickstarting the careers of Australia's up-and-coming stand-ups, including Ronny Chieng, Josh Thomas, Celia Pacquola and Hannah Gadsby.

by Annika Burgess and Lucy Cooper on April 25, 2025 at 7:29 pm

Ahead of Pope Francis's funeral, everyday people from Australia and neighbouring countries share the unique encounters and experiences they had with the pontiff.  

by Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell on April 25, 2025 at 7:29 pm

Nasdaq has urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to hold digital assets to the same regulatory standards as securities if they constitute “stocks by any other name,” according to an April 25 comment letter. The exchange said the US financial regulator needs to establish a clearer taxonomy for cryptocurrencies, including categorizing a portion of digital assets as “financial securities.” Those tokens, Nasdaq argued, should continue to be regulated “as they are regulated today regardless of tokenized form.”“Whether it takes the form of a paper share, a digital share, or a token, an instrument’s underlying nature remains the same and it should be traded and regulated in the same ways,” the letter said. It also proposed categorizing a portion of cryptocurrencies as “digital asset investment contracts,” to be subject to “light touch regulation” but still overseen by the SEC. Nasdaq’s April 25 letter to the SEC. Source: NasdaqRelated: Certain stablecoins aren't securities, SEC says in new guidanceRegulatory U-turnThe SEC has dramatically pivoted its stance on cryptocurrency oversight since US President Donald Trump took office in January. Under the leadership of former Chair Gary Gensler, the SEC took the position that practically all cryptocurrencies, with the exception of Bitcoin (BTC), represent investment contracts and therefore qualify as securities. This stance led the agency to bring upwards of 100 lawsuits against crypto firms for alleged securities law violations.However, under Trump nominee Paul Atkins, who was sworn in as chair on April 21 after a lengthy Senate confirmation, the SEC has claimed jurisdiction over a narrower segment of cryptocurrencies. In February, the agency issued guidance stating that memecoins — if clearly identified as purely speculative assets with no intrinsic value — do not qualify as investment contracts pursuant to US law. In April, the SEC said that stablecoins — digital tokens pegged to the US dollar — similarly do not qualify as securities if they are marketed solely as a means of making payments.Stablecoin market overview. Source: RWA.xyzIntegrating crypto into TradFiIn its April 21 letter, Nasdaq said existing financial infrastructure “can readily absorb digital assets by establishing the proper taxonomy and calibrating certain rules to reflect what is truly new and novel about digital assets.”The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) — a private US securities clearinghouse closely overseen by the SEC — has been laying the foundation for integrating blockchain technology into regulated financial markets. In March, the DTCC committed to promoting Ethereum’s ERC-3643 standard for permissioned securities tokens.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

by Yiying Li on April 25, 2025 at 7:17 pm

It has been 11 years since Russia took control of the Crimean Peninsula. Here is what we know about what to expect next.  

by Rhiannon Stevens on April 25, 2025 at 7:00 pm

At CECOT in El Salvador there are no family visits, no access to the outdoors, no rehabilitation programs. 

by Laura Tingle on April 25, 2025 at 7:00 pm

We have a sometimes mystifying relationship with ideas about honouring those who serve our country, and with ideas about how we defend it.

by Casey Briggs on April 25, 2025 at 7:00 pm

Political players have been thinking about how the hung parliament worked last time and what they'd do differently if a similar scenario comes to pass next weekend. 

by Alex Lim, Daniel Mercer, and Tim Leslie on April 25, 2025 at 6:54 pm

Our energy system is evolving at breakneck speed. Here we look at how our power grid works, what more renewables mean for energy prices, how nuclear fits into the picture, and how we might build a grid fit for the future.    

by Cointelegraph by Christopher Tepedino on April 25, 2025 at 6:40 pm

New data from RWA.xyz, a platform tracking tokenized real-world assets, shows that six entities are responsible for 88% of all tokenized US Treasurys. The data suggests a concentration among a few funds as the market continues to develop.The largest issuer of tokenized treasures continues to be BlackRock. The company's tokenized US treasury fund, called BUIDL, has a market capitalization of $2.5 billion, 360% higher than its nearest competitor. BlackRock disclosed a total of $11.6 trillion in assets under management in the first quarter of 2025. Rounding out the top six are Franklin Templeton’s BENJI, with a market capitalization of $707 million, Superstate’s USTB at $661 million, Ondo’s USDY at $586 million, Circle’s USYC at $487 million, and Ondo’s OUSG fund holding assets worth $424 million. Together, those six funds account for 88% of all tokenized treasuries issued.A chart of the top six tokenized treasury funds by market cap. Source: RWA.xyzAccording to RWA.xyz data, the largest tokenized treasury funds have seen consolidation since the beginning of 2025. Of the top six funds, only Circle’s USYC experienced a decline in market cap over the past few months. Notably, BUIDL’s market cap increased by 291% from Jan. 1 to April 24. It now makes up 41.1% of the total tokenized US Treasurys market cap.Tokenized treasury funds market cap over time graph. Source: RWA.xyzCentralization of tokenized RWAs has a dark side: MEXCAccording to Tracy Jin, chief operating officer of MEXC, the centralization of tokenized real-world assets has a dark side, especially if those RWAs are on permissioned or semi-centralized blockchains."Most tokenized assets will be issued on permissioned or semi-centralized blockchains,” Jin told Cointelegraph. “This gives authorities the power to issue restrictions or confiscate assets. The tokenization of assets such as real estate or bonds is still tied to the national legal system."The tokenized real-world asset market is expected to boom in 2025. The trend is driven by regulatory clarity, interoperability, solutions for liquidity, the evolution of identity from physical to digital, and even fractional ownership. According to RWA.xyz, the sector total market cap reached a high of $21.3 billion on April 21. Magazine: Tokenizing music royalties as NFTs could help the next Taylor Swift

by Sundance on April 25, 2025 at 6:05 pm

An interesting report from the U.K reflects British government officials who feel their legal position against ‘free speech’ in Great Britain is now part of the negotiations for President Trump’s tariffs.  Essentially, the tariff discussion is encompassing more than just tariffs; if the nation does not support traditional freedoms and liberty, they could face stronger The post Good Stuff – British Officials Worry President Trump Tariffs are Being Leveraged to Support Free Speech appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 25, 2025 at 6:00 pm

Cryptocurrency firms and centralized exchanges are launching more traditional investment offerings, bridging the divide between traditional financial and digital assets.With investors seeking more flexible product offerings under one platform, the “line is blurring” between traditional finance (TradFi) and the cryptocurrency space, as the two financial paradigms signal a “growing synergy,” according to Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, the world’s sixth-largest crypto exchange.In the wider crypto space, Securitize partnered with Mantle protocol to launch an institutional fund that will generate yield on a basket of diverse cryptocurrencies, similar to how traditional index funds track a mix of stocks.The developments come after crypto investor sentiment staged a significant recovery, moving from “fear” to “neutral” for the first time since January 2025.Fear & Greed Index chart. Source: CoinMarketCapInvestor sentiment was bolstered after US President Donald Trump said that import tariffs on Chinese goods will “come down substantially,” adopting a softer tone in negotiations for the first time since the reciprocal tariff announcement.Crypto firms moving into Wall Street territoryCryptocurrency firms and exchanges are increasingly moving into Wall Street territory, launching more traditional investment offerings and showcasing the increasing connection between crypto and traditional finance (TradFi).“There’s a growing synergy between traditional financial investments and the emerging crypto space,” according to Gracy Chen, the CEO of Bitget, the world’s sixth-largest crypto exchange.“Crypto players are now checking out traditional finance as they see the opportunity to bridge it,” Chen told Cointelegraph.“The lines are blurring. Investors want flexibility, and products that can straddle both worlds are naturally attractive,” Chen said. “Some players see TradFi as a safety net; others, like Bitget, see it as a launchpad for broader adoption.” She added:“In a volatile market, integration is smarter than isolation.”Continue readingSecuritize, Mantle launch institutional crypto fundTokenization platform Securitize partnered with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Mantle to launch an institutional fund designed to earn yield on a diverse basket of cryptocurrencies, the companies said. Similar to how a traditional index fund tracks a mix of stocks, the Mantle Index Four (MI4) Fund aims to offer investors exposure to cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Solana (SOL), as well as stablecoins tracking the US dollar, Securitize said in an April 24 announcement. The fund also integrates liquid staking tokens — including Mantle’s mETH, Bybit’s bbSOL, and Ethena’s USDe — in a bid to enhance returns with onchain yield, according to the announcement.The launch comes as retail and institutions alike increase exposure to cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, as a hedge amid escalating macroeconomic uncertainty.Continue readingMantra says CEO has begun the process of burning his 150 million OM tokensMantra founder and CEO John Patrick Mullin has started unstaking 150 million of his Mantra (OM) tokens in preparation for sending them to a burn address in an attempt to restore the token’s value by tightening supply. Mantra announced on April 21 that the unstaking process had begun, and would be completed by April 29, at which point Mullin's Mantra (OM) tokens will be sent to the burn address and permanently removed from circulating supply.Source: John Patrick MullinMullin said it was a “first step in rebuilding trust with the community, but far from the last.” Mantra said it was also in talks with “key ecosystem partners” about burning a further 150 million OM to bring the total burn amount to 300 million.With 150 million fewer OM, Mantra’s total supply will decline to 1.67 billion, and its number of staked tokens will drop by over 26% to 421.8 million OM from 571.8 million OM. Continue readingSymbiotic raises $29 million for staking-based universal coordination layerCryptocurrency staking protocol Symbiotic closed a $29 million Series A funding round led by Web3-focused investment firms, including Pantera Capital and Coinbase Ventures, to support the launch of a new economic coordination layer for blockchain security.The round included more than 100 angel investors, with participation by major industry players Aave, Polygon and StarkWare, the company said in an April 23 announcement shared with Cointelegraph.The closing of the funding round also marks the launch of Symbiotic’s Universal Staking Framework, which aims to be an economic coordination layer that bolsters blockchain security via staking.The new staking layer enables the use of any combination of cryptocurrencies to secure networks, including monolithic and modular layer-1 and layer-2 blockchains, the announcement said.“We’ve created a modular framework that lets protocols evolve security models over time while efficiently coordinating risk,” Misha Putiatin, co-founder of Symbiotic, told Cointelegraph. “This empowers protocols at every stage of their lifecycle to evolve their security models seamlessly without rebuilding infrastructure.”Continue readingSEC delays decision on Polkadot ETFThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) delayed a decision on whether to approve a proposed exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding Polkadot’s native token, regulatory filings show. According to an April 24 filing, the regulator has extended its deadline for a final ruling until June 11, nearly four months after the Nasdaq sought permission to list Grayscale Polkadot Trust on Feb. 24.Grayscale’s ETF filing adds to a roster of about 70 proposed ETFs awaiting SEC approval, including funds holding altcoins, memecoins and crypto-related financial derivatives, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.  Asset managers are pitching ETFs for “[e]verything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between,” Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said in an April 21 post on the X platform. Asset manager 21Shares is also awaiting permission to list its own Polkadot ETF.Continue readingDeFi market overviewAccording to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the green.The Official Trump (TRUMP) token rose over 73% as the week’s biggest gainer, after the president announced an exclusive in-person dinner for the top tokenholders. The Sui (SUI) token rose over 69% as the week’s second-best performing token.Total value locked in DeFi. Source: DefiLlamaThanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.

by Cointelegraph by Aaron Brogan on April 25, 2025 at 5:00 pm

Recent months have seen the ebb and flow of a certain pattern: US President Donald Trump will take some objectively harmful action to the US economy, and the markets will crash. Seeing this, Trump turns to Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, and demands he lower the Fed Funds Rate — the rate at which the Fed lends money to banks. And the steely-eyed Powell will say, “No.”Trump wants to lower rates because doing so is an effective cash injection into the United States economy, stimulating activity and lifting the market. This, he believes, will make him appear successful. Powell wants to follow rigorous economic standards to set rates to carefully balance the Fed’s dual mandates of maximizing employment and maintaining stable prices. He also wants to maintain the Fed’s independence from political pressure and, crucially, maintain the Fed’s appearance of independence from political pressure. If the markets believe that the central bank’s independence has failed in the US, it may become more difficult to sell US Treasury Bills, the United States’ sovereign debt. That is a problem in the fundamental sense that the US will have to pay more to borrow money, making it poorer — but it is an especially acute problem now because the US already has an enormous, $30-trillion pile of debt, which it has to periodically refinance.If it is forced to refinance at higher rates because markets do not trust the US government anymore, then an ever greater percentage of GDP will be absorbed by the cost of interest, and, as the kids say, the United States will be cooked. That dance takes us to now. Last week, Trump repeatedly intimated that he would like to fire Powell, and the market didn’t like it. On Monday, Trump provoked a crash by calling Powell “a major loser” on Truth Social. In response, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly voiced concerns with the risks of firing Powell to Trump, who seems, for now, to have acquiesced, stating Tuesday that he would not fire his Fed chair. Trump and Powell in 2017. Source: TrouwStill, this process feels more like a spiral than anything else, and many market watchers are waiting for the next shoe to drop. That forces the question: If Trump does go through with his base instincts and axes Powell, what will be the result? In particular, what effect will this have on the cryptocurrency industry?Cracking the FedIt bears mentioning that the president is not supposed to be able to fire the Fed chair at will. Section 10 of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 states that “each member shall hold office for a term of fourteen years from the expiration of the term of his predecessor, unless sooner removed for cause by the President.”This language may appear ambiguous, but in the 1935 case Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not give the president an “illimitable power of removal” and so the president’s removal power is limited by statutory language. This decision ratified the concept of “independent agencies,” which reside within the executive branch, but have independent authority. While a number of agencies have this characteristic, including the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, the Fed is the most important. Related: US gov’t actions give clue about upcoming crypto regulationEconomists do not think much about the political control of central banks. Politicians have relatively short-term incentives, thinking in years or election cycles. This inherently pushes them to prefer short-termist policies, of which hot cash injections are the purest form. However, fiscal and monetary policy are delicate arts that often animate painful policy choices. In a classic example, Richard Nixon pressured then-Fed Chair Arthur Burns to pursue expansionary monetary policy in the lead up to the 1972 election, believing that it would help his reelection odds. Nixon won that election in a landslide, but soon followed catastrophic “stagflation” that crippled the US economy for a decade and indeed may still be felt in the industries that hollowed out during that period. Contrast this with the policies of Paul Volcker, who, after this devastating period of stagflation, implemented a vicious series of rate increases between 1979 and 1987, which caused the “Volcker Shocks,” a series of painful recessions. However, the effect of this policy was to eventually strangle inflation and herald in the boom times of the 90s, facilitating Bill Clinton’s remarkable fiscal policy. No politician could have made these choices, none will in the future, and that is the rub. Economists — and, crucially, markets — believe deeply that the Fed must remain independent or else the entire economic fabric of American society risks collapse. This is no hyperbole — nations with politically controlled central banks like Weimar Germany, Peronist Argentina and Venezuela have experienced such crippling hyperinflation that it led variously to multigenerational geopolitical backsliding, reports of citizens starving and eating rats and the rise of Adolph Hitler. This is serious stuff.To fire Powell, Trump will first have to defeat the Humphrey’s Executor precedent, a prospect that many legal scholars believe likely in light of the current Supreme Court composition. This is a Rubicon which, once crossed, marks a point of no return. Not just Trump, but every president who follows will have plenary legal authority to direct all executive officers — Fed chair included — at their will. Most believe this will lead to ruin. But disaster or no, it will be a test for cryptocurrency. The original Bitcoin white paper aimed to disintermediate financial transactions from “financial institutions serving as trusted third parties.” If the Fed falls, and US monetary policy is unmoored from sound judgment, the thesis of cryptocurrency’s early years will be put in stark relief. As Trump has provoked capital flight in recent weeks, investors have sought safety in various assets. Traditionally, any time there was a crisis, sophisticated parties fled risk assets into US Treasurys. The thinking was that these were riskless assets. Well, those days may be done. Ten-year bond yields approached 5% during the peak of the tariff crisis and have not yet fully returned to previous lows. If Trump breaks the Fed, these outflows will be a drop in a bucket in a river, and that money may move into cryptocurrencies. Trump admonishes Powell, referred to here as “Mr. Too Late.” Source: Donald TrumpHistorically, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) has tightly tracked the Nasdaq (albeit with a multiplier). However, since the tariff crisis, while US securities prices have remained largely depressed, Bitcoin has miraculously begun to pump. This has led some to speculate that we are witnessing the long-prophesied “decoupling,” wherein crypto-assets will fulfill their original purpose and move independently from centralized assets. It is impossible to say if this will or will not happen, but if Trump gives Powell the boot, we will find out for sure. Out of the frying pan and into the fire Of course, world-historical collapse can’t be all good for crypto, and there will be significant pain across a variety of surfaces from this crisis as well. In the first instance, stablecoins will feel dire consequences almost immediately. In the last decade, two US dollar-denominated stablecoins — USDC (USDC) and Tether’s USDt (USDT) — have dominated the market. Their issuers, Circle and Tether, are both important systemic institutions and major buyers of US Treasurys, which collateralize the majority of their stablecoin obligations. An immediate result of a Fed crisis could be a Treasury default. The economist Noah Smith has speculated that Trump might try to write down the US’s sovereign debt:“I suspect Trump will do something more like what he used to do as a businessman when his debt went bad — look for a cheap bailout, and if one doesn’t emerge, declare bankruptcy.”Indeed, the president has hinted darkly at this prospect himself, in February suggesting that they might rely on pretense to mark the bills down:“There could be a problem - you’ve been reading about that, with Treasuries and that could be an interesting problem. It could be that a lot of those things don’t count. In other words, that some of that stuff that we’re finding is very fraudulent, therefore maybe we have less debt than we thought.”Related: Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industryA sovereign default would immediately affect Circle and Tether by marking down the value of their collateral. This, in turn, could leave the stablecoins undercollateralized, which might provoke a bank run. The markets may ultimately stabilize, but events could easily turn the other way, leading to the collapse of major stablecoins. This would have numerous second-order effects, as smart contracts holding stables as collateral would begin liquidating positions, with contagion sweeping the rest of the market. Interestingly, these mechanical consequences may be less dire than the political costs of a Fed crisis because treasuries are not the only asset that has systemic importance to crypto. The US dollar has been the world’s reserve currency for many, many years. There are lots of good reasons for this: It is relatively strong and stable, so it is good to settle trade with. But if the government backing it ceases to be strong and stable, this paradigm will likely shift. And as more trade is executed in euro- or yuan-denominated accounts, regulators in the EU and China will have much more control of the flows of fiat currency through cryptocurrency. One prominent cryptocurrency attorney, who chose not to be named for fear of political reprisal, speculated exactly this:“​​I think China will fill a lot of the void, and EU will fill most of the rest. Neither would be good for crypto generally between CCP and EU over-regulating in different ways for different goals. This seems bad.”This might prompt flight to uncollateralized crypto-primitive assets, but there is essentially no precedent for such assets being used at scale for real-world transactions. It is just as likely that a stablecoin crisis could simply kneecap the industry for years as it is catching its stride.Ultimately, nobody knows whether Trump will fire Powell, or even if he can. Nobody knows what consequences might flow downstream from his decisions. But if a butterfly flapping its wings in Argentina can cause a tornado in Prague, then Donald Trump muttering incantations in the West Wing might vindicate or destabilize the blockchain forever.Like it or not, we’re all along for the ride. Magazine: UK’s Orwellian AI murder prediction system, will AI take your job? AI Eye

by Cointelegraph by Turner Wright on April 25, 2025 at 4:42 pm

A high court in Nigeria has reportedly granted the country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the authority to arrest six individuals who were allegedly involved in investment fraud at a cryptocurrency exchange.According to an April 24 report from Nigerian news outlet The Cable, the Federal High Court in Abuja approved the arrest and detention of six people who promoted the Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), allegedly defrauding investors out of 1 billion naira, or roughly $620,000. The suspects in the cases did not appear to have been arrested at the time of publication. “[The defendants used] their company ST Technologies International Limited, promoted another company Crypto Bridge Exchange by making adverts, and lured unsuspecting members of the public to invest cryptocurrencies on the CBEX investment platform,” the EFCC reportedly said in its motion for the arrest.The legal case marked another instance of Nigeria cracking down on representatives of crypto exchanges in the country. In February 2024, Nigerian authorities detained and arrested two Binance executives who were visiting to discuss the exchange’s activities. Related: Nigeria still open to crypto business despite rocky past: ReportIn April, many CBEX users began reporting that they could not withdraw their funds from the exchange, resulting in online outrage that led to real-world violence. A group of investors stormed CBEX’s local office in Ibadan, looting items like the air conditioning unit in an apparent attempt to recuperate some of their losses.The case against Binance is still onThe Nigerian case against Binance, in which a US citizen, Tigran Gambaryan, was detained and whose health reportedly deteriorated as he waited in prison, drew criticism from many in the crypto industry and US lawmakers. He was held for eight months on tax and money laundering charges before being released to US custody.Nigeria’s tax evasion case against Binance continues to move forward after Gambaryan’s release, though the exchange has no office in the country. Cointelegraph reached out to a representative from Nigeria’s Ministry of Information for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

on April 25, 2025 at 4:05 pm

The US Marshals Service confirmed Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit judge, was arrested at the courthouse where she works. 

by Cointelegraph by Daniel Ahmed on April 25, 2025 at 3:00 pm

Opinion by: Daniel Ahmed, co-founder of Fasset and founding member of the Own FoundationCrypto was born from a vision to decentralize power, democratize finance and build systems where equity prevails over exploitation. Somewhere along the way, however, the movement lost its moral compass. As speculation surged, purpose dwindled.We must return crypto to its decentralized roots, a technological revolution built on long-term value, inclusivity and ethics rather than cyclical, speculative gains. The industry should take inspiration from emerging regions and how ethical financial investing can help to repair some of the ways our industry has often fallen short. The rise of layer 2When Vitalik wrote a blog post on layer 2s as a cultural extension of Ethereum, he brought up a critical point not only in business and technology but humanity — what we build in this life should be more significant than ourselves. Citing blockchains, he described how layer 2s, which he framed as subcultures of Ethereum, don’t merely differ in their technical benefits but how their positioning and intricacies trickle down into the culture of their communities. In a space where new layer 2s are emerging rapidly, Vitalik’s insights are accurate and inspiring. When we build in a vacuum of echo chambers and monocultures, we miss out on the actual value of community in Web3. What really brings communities together? Too often in crypto, that answer has been making people rich. What it should be is shared ideals that solve real issues. If done with purpose and conviction, this can still make people money. While the rapid rise of layer 2 and layer 3 solutions promises scalability and efficiency, they are too often motivated by speculative gains rather than lasting value creation. If there’s any doubt, the numbers speak for themselves. Layer-2 fatigue aside, the sheer scope of this data raises the question: Is our industry innovating just because it can, or is it creating a real-world utility that improves the lives of fellow humans? There’s nothing wrong with building something to make money, but if that’s the only reason we’re building something, that’s a problem.Recent: Islamic finance and Web3 take stage at Istanbul Blockchain WeekWe need to shift the narrative and look at how Web3 is solving actual, fundamental issues in emerging markets — particularly in regions like the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa — as a north star for how to ethically build the future of our space. What does innovation indeed mean?If crypto projects think innovation in Web3 is only about VC-led fundraising rounds, comparing transactions per second, or building the next great decentralized application to trade cat coins, they have probably never existed in a place where even the simplest of financial transactions is cumbersome. In emerging markets, where people grapple with inflation, high remittance fees and limited access to financial services, we’ve witnessed how meaningful effects can transform the daily lives of millions. These are not abstract issues. They affect business owners, families, students, creators and more. From stablecoins to secure and user-friendly payment applications, Web3 offers a unique opportunity to address these problems by creating decentralized financial systems that bypass the inefficiencies and inequities of traditional banking. For Web3 to truly make a difference in these regions, it must be designed with a focus on ethics, accessibility and long-term utility. We must lead by example. In these markets, if innovation doesn’t create a meaningful disruption that improves people’s lives and addresses real-world problems, it’s nothing more than a buzzword. The most powerful solutions in technology are those that solve the world’s greatest problems.Ethical finance — Web3’s future?If you want inspiration, pay attention to those doing something different. If you want to inspire others, lead by example. Ethical finance, particularly Islamic finance, offers valuable lessons for Web3. Dating back to the 1960s and 70s in the Middle East and North Africa (and even further to around 620 AD), this sector is built on risk-sharing, ethical investment and a focus on tangible assets. Islamic finance has endured for centuries because it rejects speculation in favor of real, meaningful value. For example, we’ve seen the rise of ethical finance institutions like Al Rajhi Bank, one of the most prominent Islamic banks globally, known for its investments in tangible assets and community-oriented financial products. This model, which strives to build based on morals, substance and necessity versus mere financial opportunity, can guide Web3 as it moves beyond hype-driven growth.Build by example As we look toward the next few years with the wind and a bull market beneath our wings, the time has come for Web3 to take a hard look in the mirror and redefine what success and innovation genuinely look like. The answer to this won’t be the same for everyone — that would be pretty boring if it were. We must find a common ground of shared values that extends beyond technical achievements, market capitalization, total value locked or X followers but strives to innovate something more significant than any layer 2 or token. When gearing up to launch something new, our industry must ask itself something that lives at the heart of Islamic finance: How will this product improve people’s lives? Is it true to the ethos of creating decentralized systems that are transparent, fair and built for the benefit of all?If we can’t answer that, perhaps we should step back and ask why. Then, get back to work.Opinion by: Daniel Ahmed, co-founder of Fasset and founding member of the Own Foundation. 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.

by Cointelegraph by Marcel Deer on April 25, 2025 at 2:48 pm

What is a Bitcoin flash crash? A Bitcoin flash crash is a sudden, sharp plunge in the market price of BTC that only lasts a short period of time before prices start to normalize. The appearance of unique market conditions causes a jolt in the leading cryptocurrency’s market price. Typically, the reason behind a flash crash is a large group of sellers (called whales) deciding to sell Bitcoin (BTC) suddenly and flood the market with supply. This overwhelms buyers and can erase billions from the market in minutes. The fact that BTC flash crashes have still occurred in recent years highlights the continued crypto volatility risks, even with a robust crypto asset like BTC. Despite crypto’s multitrillion-dollar market status, it is still maturing. Particularly for newer investors in the space, it is critical to understand BTC price crashes and why they happen. Without this knowledge, watching an event like this unfold can be devastating and lead to badly judged emotional trading decisions rather than insightful, profitable investing.Did you know? Traditional stock markets have built-in circuit breakers where trading is temporarily halted when an asset or index moves a certain amount. BTC markets do not have these circuit breakers, so it’s hard to control rapid market declines. How does a Bitcoin flash crash occur? The speed and severity of a flash crash can often be hard to understand. For the average investor, it sparks terror and perhaps confirms their deepest fears of their crypto stash becoming worthless. But with a calm head, the “tripwire” for a BTC crash is usually tied to a certain combination of interconnected factors. Let’s take a look at how flash crashes happen:Liquidation of leveraged positions when markets move unexpectedly. If leveraged traders can’t maintain their collateral during a big market drop, exchanges automatically sell their position to pay off the loan. When this happens on a large scale, it sends a wave of selling pressure through the market, crashing prices along the way.Algorithmic trading errors can cause a cascade of sell orders. Many traders use computer programs with preset rules. When these systems react to unusual market conditions, the trading bots can start selling aggressively. This then has a knock-on effect, sending sell signals and causing a chain reaction of automatic selling. Low market liquidity makes prices more sensitive to large trades. Think of this as far more active sellers than buyers. For BTC, it’s more prevalent on smaller exchanges where someone wants to sell a large amount quickly. They exhaust the available buy order immediately and cause a sudden BTC drop.Technical glitches in exchange infrastructure can cause trading to break down. It could be from servers going offline, data feeds freezing or order matching failing. This can lead to incorrect pricing displays and orders executing at extreme prices. Panic selling regularly occurs during scary news events. As the old trader’s saying goes, “Buy the rumor, sell the news.” When bad news breaks, markets could panic and everyone sells simultaneously, overwhelming buyers and sending prices plummeting.Did you know? In December 2024, BTC finally breached the elusive $100,000 mark but then tumbled back down to $94,000 within hours. In the process, over 200,000 traders were liquidated, causing losses of over $1 billion. Benefits of a Bitcoin flash crash The unfurling of a crypto market crash sends an icy stab through most investors’ bodies; of course, they are highly unfavorable market conditions in most scenarios. But once you’ve gotten over the initial shock, there can be some hidden benefits to explore. Exceptional buying conditions: While destructive for panicked investors, for those who are prepared, it offers a golden buying opportunity to buy BTC at a substantially discounted price. Market stress test: Assuming there is a quick recovery, these types of events serve as a stress test to get valuable insight into how markets react under extreme circumstances. Improved industry practices: It provides a learning opportunity for platforms like crypto exchanges to understand what went wrong and improve their infrastructure to avoid incidents in the future.Increased investor protection: Flash crashes attract the attention of mainstream media and regulators. This focus can be a catalyst for better regulation and protection for retail investors.Did you know? Despite its reputation for crashes and volatility, BTC now shows signs of becoming a mature asset. It can be less volatile than many well-known securities, such as the “Magnificent 7,” which includes Nvidia, Meta, Tesla and others.  Examples of Bitcoin flash crashes There have been several BTC flash crashes since the cryptocurrency was launched in 2009. Some of the biggest exchanges have seen prices evaporate in minutes, and market-wide crashes have left investors grappling with wiped-out portfolios. On June 19, 2011, the infamous Mt. Gox exchange was exposed to a database hack and compromised accounts. BTC’s price was pulverized from $17 down to $0.01, almost valueless. It was an early setback for Mt. Gox and BTC’s reputation, but it exposed early exchange vulnerability and showed the need for more robust infrastructure. More recently, on March 18, 2024, BTC flash crashed on BitMEX. While other exchanges were trading at over $60,000, the price on BitMEX crumbled down to $8,900. It all happened in just two minutes, but the recovery was swift, with prices rebounding to normal levels within 10 minutes. In addition, BTC-EUR prices on Coinbase briefly crashed from €63K to €48K, sharply diverging from other markets, as reported by Kaiko Research.CryptoQuant’s head of research, Julio Moreno, commented on the flash crash that saw Bitcoin briefly drop to around $88,800 on December 5, 2024. According to him, the flash crash was driven by a sell-off cascade and deleveraging in the BTC futures market, with open interest dropping as leveraged long positions were liquidated.COVID-19 was also responsible for a market-wide crash in March 2020 when the world’s most widely held crypto slid 50% in two days. The price collapsed from over $9,000 to below $4,000. It then took two months for market prices to return to previous levels. How to protect against a Bitcoin flash crash in the future Flash crashes are almost impossible to accurately predict. When they strike, things happen quickly. Usually, the damage is done before a human can react, particularly when positions are liquidated and trading bots react to sell signals. But it is still possible to prepare and protect yourself against the fallout. Set up price alerts at key technical levels: This will help to alert you to unnatural market conditions so you are not caught off guard. Use leverage lightly; flash crashes burn highly leveraged traders instantly. So, don’t overexpose yourself to highly leveraged market positions.Learn to use a stop loss to protect capital. This enables you to sell your position early on in a crash, although they’re not foolproof, as a flash crash can fly past a stop loss in the worst cases. Keep spare capital in reserve to give you the ability to capitalize on low market prices when they arrive.Don’t keep the bulk of your holdings in an exchange account. Crashes can put platforms under severe financial stress, so try to self-custody your assets.As learned, flash crashes happen fast and can wipe out positions in seconds, especially for leveraged traders. Keeping a diversified portfolio, setting stop-loss orders and only investing what you can afford to lose are simple but effective ways to reduce risk during sudden market drops.

by Tessa Flemming on April 25, 2025 at 2:46 pm

The US president said his Chinese counterpart called him and it was not a "sign of weakness" as Beijing quietly exempted some US good from import levies. 

by Cointelegraph by William Suberg on April 25, 2025 at 2:45 pm

Key points:Bitcoin is witnessing a tussle between buy and sell volume as BTC/USD hits its highest levels since the start of March.BTC price action is making traders increasingly wary due to the pace of recent gains.$100,000 is likely to remain out of reach for the short term, multiple commentators say.Bitcoin (BTC) headed into key resistance after the April 25 Wall Street open as doubts over the BTC price breakout persisted.BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin sellers and buyers battle for controlData from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting new seven-week highs above $95,000.Having preserved its yearly open at $93,500 as intraday support, Bitcoin went on to liquidate leveraged shorts as $100,000 came closer.The latest data from monitoring resource CoinGlass shows progress in taking upside liquidity across exchange order books.BTC liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlassReacting, popular trader Daan Crypto Trades underscored the importance of the current price range in the context of the Bitcoin bull market.“Trading back above the Bull Market Support band as we speak,” he wrote in an X post, referring to a cluster of moving averages lost as support earlier in 2025.“A weekly close above this level would be a good look for the larger timeframe and I'd expect new highs at some point as long as it holds above.”BTC/USDT 1-week chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/XOthers were cautious, with fellow trader Skew revealing a tug-of-war between a large-volume buyer and seller.“Price would be a lot lower than it is now without the passive buyer matching this market selling,” he warned alongside an order book print.“Eventually one will throw in the towel & volatility will follow through.”BTC/USDT 1-minute chart with liquidity data. Source: Skew/XWaiting on a $100,000 BTC price “catalyst”Continuing, Keith Alan, cofounder of trading resource Material Indicators, likewise doubted whether BTC/USD could sustain a trip above $95,000.Related: Bitcoin exchange outflows mimic 2023 as whales buy retail 'panic'Alan noted declining volume as price moved higher, repeated wicks below the yearly open and a “down” signal on one of Material Indicators’ proprietary trading tools.“For me, a pump above $95k would invalidate the new signal, but I'd probably consider such a move to be a short squeeze unless we have a catalyst with some substance behind it,” he summarized.BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: Material Indicators/XMacroeconomic perspectives also favored a period of consolidation before BTC/USD returned to six figures.In its latest bulletin to Telegram channel subscribers, trading firm QCP Capital argued that Bitcoin lacked a $100,000 “catalyst.”“Given the pace of the recent rally, we remain tactically cautious,” it wrote. “Positioning has become more crowded, which could lead to sharper reactions around key levels. Market participants appear to be watching closely for signs of continuation or exhaustion.”This 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.

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 25, 2025 at 2:24 pm

An official of the Swiss National Bank dismissed calls for the institution to add Bitcoin to its reserves as a hedge against the ongoing macroeconomic turmoil.According to an April 25 Reuters report, Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin Schlegel said that “cryptocurrency cannot currently fulfil the requirements for our currency reserves” during a shareholder meeting in Bern earlier today. The comments come amid mounting pressure from the local crypto industry to add Bitcoin (BTC) to the central bank’s reserves.Campaigner Luzius Meisser, a board member of cryptocurrency broker Bitcoin Suisse, told Reuters that “holding bitcoin makes more sense as the world shifts towards a multipolar order.” He claimed that the need is even more dire now that “the dollar and the euro are weakening.”This is not the first time Schlegel has pushed back against the idea. Reports from early March quoted Schlegel saying that he doesn’t want to make Bitcoin a reserve asset in Switzerland, citing a lack of stability, liquidity concerns and security risks.Related: Swiss canton of Bern votes to study Bitcoin mining feasibilitySwitzerland’s campaign for a Bitcoin reserveOn the last day of 2024, the Swiss Federal Chancellery initiated a proposal to constitutionally mandate the Swiss National Bank to hold Bitcoin on its balance sheet. The proposal needs to gather 100,000 signatures to trigger a referendum in Switzerland.Signature collection document. Source: InitiativeBTC.chThe initiative requests to change the third paragraph of Article 99 of the constitution. The relevant text currently states:“The Swiss National Bank shall create sufficient currency reserves from its revenues; part of these reserves shall be held in gold.”If successful, the campaign would result in adding “and in Bitcoin.” to the end of the paragraph. The initiative saw the participation of the Swiss Bitcoin nonprofit think tank 2B4CH, which was responsible for preparing and submitting the documents. 2B4CH had some ties to industry heavyweights, with Giw Zanganeh, vice president of energy and mining at leading stablecoin issuer Tether, helping launch the campaign.Related: Crypto bank Sygnum hits unicorn status with new $58M raiseThe campaign is still ongoingMeisser claims that holding Bitcoin would free the central bank from the political influence of its foreign currency holdings, most of which are in US dollars and euros. According to him, “politicians eventually give in to the temptation of printing money to fund their plans, but bitcoin is a currency that cannot be inflated through deficit spending.” 2B4CH founder and chairman Yves Bennaïm told Reuters:“We are not saying — go all in with bitcoin, but if you have nearly 1 trillion francs in reserves, like the SNB does, then it makes sense to have 1–2% of that in an asset that is increasing in value, becoming more secure, and that everyone wants to own.”Switzerland is a hub for blockchain enterprises, with its “Crypto Valley” in the town of Zug being the location where Ethereum was founded. The nation continues to generate crypto initiatives, with global grocery giant Spar rolling out Bitcoin-based payments in a Swiss city earlier this month.The crypto Valley surpassed the $593 billion valuation mark, showcasing the growth trajectory of the region’s blockchain industry in 2024. Last year, the area saw the emergence of 17 crypto startup unicorns.Magazine: Crypto Valley and the Crypto Oasis: Ralf Glabischnig

by Cointelegraph by Amin Haqshanas on April 25, 2025 at 2:10 pm

Decentralized AI startup Nous Research has raised $50 million in a Series A round led by crypto venture giant Paradigm, marking one of the largest investments at the intersection of blockchain and artificial intelligence to date.According to an April 25 report from Fortune, the funding round values Nous at a $1 billion token valuation. Previous investors include Distributed Global, North Island Ventures, and Delphi Digital, who contributed to Nous’s earlier $20 million seed rounds.Operating since 2022, Nous Research is stepping into the spotlight with the latest fundraising to develop open-source AI models powered by decentralized infrastructure.The company leverages the Solana blockchain to coordinate and incentivize global participation in training its AI models, aiming to challenge centralized giants like OpenAI and DeepSeek.Nous Research announcing Nous Psyche on Solana. Source: Nous ResearchRelated: Angels from Citadel, Jane Street, JPMorgan back $20M raise for Theo networkNous harnesses global idle compute power for AI trainingFounded by AI researchers, including collaborators like Diederik Kingma (co-inventor of the Adam optimizer), Nous is taking a different approach from typical crypto-AI projects.Instead of relying on centralized data centers, it enables individuals worldwide to contribute idle computing power for AI training.Blockchain technology underpins this model, ensuring secure, incentivized participation while mitigating risks like data poisoning through features such as Byzantine fault tolerance.“We very much came from a mentality that we want to create and serve the world’s best AI,” co-founder Karan Malhotra told Fortune.Per the report, the 20-person team at Nous Research will allocate much of the new capital toward scaling compute resources and advancing research.In December 2024, Nous told Venture Beat that it is pre-training a 15-billion-parameter LLM in a decentralized manner, livestreaming progress to showcase transparency and performance.Meanwhile, Paradigm’s backing signals a deepening interest in AI within crypto venture circles.“This open, community-oriented approach is a powerful contrast to the closed, centralized efforts from incumbent labs,” Paradigm partner Arjun Balaji reportedly told the outlet.Related: Crypto users cool with AI dabbling with their portfolios: SurveyParadigm becomes top-performing crypto VCParadigm is one of the biggest and most successful crypto venture capital firms.In March, Web3 data platform Kaito AI ranked Paradigm as the top-performing crypto VC over the past year, posting an impressive 11.80% performance metric, outperforming other major players like Alliance (10.64%), Dragonfly (8.32%), a16z (6.94%) and Multicoin Capital (5.86%).Source: RoryFounded by Coinbase’s Fred Ehrsam and ex-Sequoia partner Matt Huang, Paradigm has built a strong reputation for spotting high-potential crypto projects early.Its portfolio includes leading DeFi platforms like Uniswap (UNI) and dYdX, as well as consistent backing for Ethereum scaling solutions such as Optimism.Paradigm also led a $255 million round for StarkNet, a key player in zero-knowledge rollup technology.Paradigm did not respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment by publication.Magazine: Stablecoin for cyber-scammers launches, Sony L2 drama: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Savannah Fortis on April 25, 2025 at 2:00 pm

The crypto industry is bracing for a significant shift in regulatory tone following Paul Atkins’ swearing-in as chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21. A former SEC commissioner with deep roots in deregulatory philosophy, Atkins replaces Gary Gensler, whose combative stance toward crypto defined much of the agency’s recent legacy.In the latest episode of Byte-Sized Insight with Cointelegraph, key industry figures weigh in on the implications of this leadership change and what it might unlock for innovation, investment and clarity for digital assets.Crypto’s “golden age” continuesChris Perkins, president of CoinFund, spoke with host Savannah Fortis and described his excitement regarding the new SEC chair, predicting a reduction in regulatory uncertainty under the new administration. “We were under this regulatory reign of terror, you know, under the Biden administration,” said Perkins. “Investors in assets, they’re very comfortable taking market risk... but they’re not comfortable taking reputational risk, and along with that is regulatory risk.”He pointed out how it was not only investors and companies who were nervous under the last administration, but also developers in the crypto space who had been targeted for their work.Perkins highlighted how a shift in the regulatory climate could catalyze growth.“Now, again, you're taking that personal liability off… So in a way, you have this perfect storm of new institutional capital coming in and new developers coming in. And I think the this is going to be a golden age for venture and value creation.”Related: Paul Atkins’ loosely linked RSR token rises 13% after Coinbase listingKatherine Dowling, general counsel and chief commercial officer at Bitwise Asset Management, agreed that change is already visible. “The mood has already changed,” she said. “We’ve seen a flurry of activity around certain legal cases... being dismissed, dropped... not because all regulation is going away... but because more work needs to be done to define what these digital assets are.”Dowling emphasized that the shift is about clarity, not deregulation. “It’s a signal shift towards let’s take a step back and define what these are, what they look like, and how they should be regulated.”What to expect from the Atkins eraJames Gernetzke, chief financial officer of Bitcoin and crypto wallet Exodus, added that “the promise of being able to engage with a regulator on a reasonable basis… is going to be very helpful.” Gernetzke said he expects a return to “more normal time frames” for IPOs and access to capital markets. “I think the IPO rush... you will see probably towards the end... maybe months 10, 11, 12... it's coming for sure.”Perkins captured the broader sentiment, calling the incoming market structure bill a potential unlock. “This market structure bill is going to have a really big impact... because then I know what my asset is, and I have a process for capital formation. I have a process for disclosures... It’s going to be awesome.”Listen to the full episode of Byte-Sized Insight for the complete interview on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows! Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

on April 25, 2025 at 1:29 pm

The United Nations has called for calm from both sides days after a deadly attack in the region left 26 people dead.

by Cointelegraph by Helen Partz on April 25, 2025 at 1:10 pm

As the Russian government is considering a ban on cash-to-cryptocurrency transactions, some major local crypto exchange platforms have experienced police raids.Mosca, a crypto-to-cash exchange located in the Moscow International Business Center, was raided on April 23 in connection with fraud by one of its customers, Mosca’s development head Dmitry Titarenko confirmed to Cointelegraph.“Law enforcement agencies have carried out a standard procedure of checking our customer data,” Titarenko told Cointelegraph at the local crypto event Blockchain Forum 2025.The Mosca office raid followed online reports linking several arrests of some Mosca customers to a crypto robbery involving a victim reportedly giving fraudsters a massive cash deposit worth millions of dollars.Cash-to-crypto ban to protect investors?The police raid on Mosca came the next day after Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber, proposed banning crypto exchangers from accepting cash from their customers to buy cryptocurrencies like Tether USDt (USDT).A potential ban on cash-to-crypto transactions would be a “massive blow to fraudsters,” Masharov said, adding that phone scammers were “often using crypto exchangers for withdrawing cash funds.”Olga Serova, a former adviser to the head of the government of Samara region, claims to have lost up to $5 million to crypto fraudsters. Source: BazaSubsequently, local news channel Baza reported on the Mosca raid, linking the event with a “record-breaking fraud” against Olga Serova, a former government adviser in Russia’s Samara region.Serova, 71, reportedly fell victim to scammers in late 2024, cashing out her bank accounts to pass the fraudsters about 421 million Russian rubles ($5.1 million). According to Baza, at least seven people were arrested, allegedly in connection with the case.Mosca clients can buy up to 100,000 USDT with cash dailyMosca, which allows investors to deposit up to 100,000 USDT ($100,000) daily, was unaware whether Serova’s incident was connected to its office raid, Titarenko said.“Maybe it was another client,” he said, adding that the raid was the first criminal-case-related office raid at Mosca in the past three months.Titarenko also said that Mosca has been actively beefing up its Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer checks, including maintaining a blacklist of suspicious users.Related: Russia’s central bank, finance ministry to launch crypto exchangeThe raid caught Mosca during a major local event, Blockchain Life, returning to Moscow for the first time since October 2021. The company was one of the main guests at the conference, taking two center stands and winning a title of the “best crypto exchange service.”One of Mosca’s stands at the Blockchain Forum 2025. Source: CointelegraphAccording to Sergey Mendeleev, a prominent figure in the Russian crypto community, the proposal to ban cash-to-crypto transactions is an alarming development for the community.Speaking at the event, Mendeleev suggested that the Russian government might be turning away from crypto adoption if it approves such a ban.He also mentioned that raids are a common situation for crypto exchange services located at the Moscow International Business Center, also known as Moscow City.Garantex, a crypto exchange that halted trading after Tether froze $27 million in USDT due to sanctions, was also among the exchangers located in Moscow City.Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

on April 25, 2025 at 1:07 pm

Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin was due to walk out onto the field at the Storm vs. Rabbitohs match alongside Aboriginal women from the Djirri Djirri dance group. 

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 25, 2025 at 1:01 pm

Bitcoin adoption among United States financial institutions could see a major boost after the US Federal Reserve withdrew its guidance discouraging banks from engaging with cryptocurrency.On April 24, the Fed withdrew its 2022 supervisory letter that served as guidance to deter banks from engaging in crypto and stablecoin activities. The withdrawal spurred a notable uplift in Bitcoin (BTC) investor sentiment.The Federal Reserve Board’s withdrawal giving banks guidance on crypto activities. Source: Federal ReserveThe 2022 guidance initially warned that crypto may pose risks to investors and the stability of the US financial system.The Fed’s move means that “banks are now free to begin supporting Bitcoin,” said Michael Saylor, co-founder of the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holding firm, Strategy, in an April 25 X post.Source: Michael SaylorThe Fed’s decision “is a significant development, as it will simplify the path to institutional adoption,” according to Anastasija Plotnikova, co-founder and CEO of blockchain regulatory firm Fideum.“The withdrawal of this particular guidance ensures that crypto assets will be overseen through standard supervisory processes,” she told Cointelegraph, adding:“We still need to have GENIUS and STABLE bills to be passed to further harmonize the crypto activities amongst Fed-supervised firms and other market participants. The combination of legislative effort will be the main driver behind the institutional adoption.”The Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy, or STABLE Act, passed the US House Financial Services Committee with a 32–17 vote on April 2. The bill aims to create clear regulatory guidelines for dollar-denominated stablecoins.Source: Financial Services GOPThe GENIUS Act, short for Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, passed the Senate Banking Committee by a vote of 18–6 on March 13.Related: Trump fought the bond market, the bond market won: Saifedean AmmousFed’s shift marks end of us regulatory hostilityThe Federal Reserve’s decision may be a “meaningful turning point” for Bitcoin’s institutional adoption in the US, according to Eneko Knörr, co-founder and CEO of Stabolut, a yield-bearing stablecoin project.“Up until now, US regulatory hostility made it virtually impossible for traditional financial institutions to participate in this space,” Knörr told Cointelegraph.“With the recent shift in the Fed’s guidance, the door is finally open. This unlocks an enormous opportunity for banks — one that until now has been dominated by players like Coinbase and other crypto-native firms,” Knörr added. Knörr added that banks are now likely to move quickly to meet client demand and retain market share previously captured by crypto-native firms like Coinbase. Related: Serbia’s Prince Filip says Bitcoin is being stifled, expects huge rallyBitcoin adoption among financial institutions is also lagging in Europe, with less than 20% of European banks offering crypto services, despite the rising investor demand and regulatory clarity in the region.Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

on April 25, 2025 at 12:58 pm

The Kremlin has blamed Ukraine for the car bomb that killed a senior Russian military officer just hours before US envoy Steve Witkoff was due to meet President Vladimir Putin.

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 25, 2025 at 12:42 pm

US President Donald Trump’s memecoin team denied social media rumors that holders of the Official Trump (TRUMP) token need at least $300,000 to participate in an upcoming dinner with the president. On April 25, the official X account of the Trump memecoin clarified that there is no $300,000 requirement to join the memecoin project’s dinner event featuring the US president. The rumor stemmed from community members citing the Solana blockchain explorer showing holders on the token’s contract address. At the time of writing, the explorer shows that the 220th-largest holder has 33,114 TRUMP, worth more than $400,000. However, the memecoin team said the explorer doesn’t reflect their criteria. “People have been incorrectly quoting #220 on the block explorer as the cutoff. That’s wrong because it includes things like locked tokens, exchanges, market makers, and those who are not participating. Instead, you should only be going off the leaderboard,” they wrote. Leaderboard for Trump Coin holders. Source: Trump CoinRelated: SEC task force met with Trump-supporting firms to discuss crypto regulationTrump to hold dinner for top 220 memecoin holdersOn April 23, the Trump Coin team revealed the leaderboard, showing the wallet addresses of those who are in the lead to qualify for the dinner event. The final guest list is still not finalized, but the memecoin team said any tokenholder who wants to be eligible must go through a background check. In addition, their wallet will also go through Know Your Customer and compliance measures. According to the memecoin’s official site, the team will pick the winners based on time-weighted holdings. This calculates the amount held and the time the tokens were held. “The longer you hold, the higher your weighted score becomes,” the team wrote. At the time of writing, the top holder in the leaderboard holds over 1.1 million tokens, worth $14.6 million, but only has a time-weighted score of over 686,000. The 220th wallet holder has 1,125 TRUMP, valued at almost $15,000, and a score of 136. The leaderboard also shows that some addresses with zero current TRUMP holdings remain eligible for the dinner. This is likely due to how long they previously held their tokens. Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 25, 2025 at 12:29 pm

An executive at major stablecoin issuer Circle denied reports that the company is looking to obtain a US federal bank charter.In an April 25 X post, Circle’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy, Dante Disparte, denied that the company is interested in obtaining a US federal bank charter or acquiring an insured depository institution.Instead, he said that Circle intends to comply with future US regulatory requirements for payment stablecoins, “which may require registering for a federal or state trust charter or other nonbank license.” He also urged lawmakers to reach regulatory clarity for stablecoins sooner rather than later.Source: Dante DisparteThe statement followed recent reports that major cryptocurrency firms, including stablecoin issuer Circle and crypto custodian BitGo, were considering applying for bank charters or licenses. Other firms cited as seeking such licenses included publicly traded US-based crypto exchange Coinbase and stablecoin issuer Paxos.Related: Circle’s EURC grows as trade war pushes euro higher — AnalystThe report was not entirely baselessCointelegraph reached out to all the companies cited in the report, requesting a confirmation or denial. All companies except one did not comment, with Coinbase confirming that it is considering such a license.Still, it was not the first report that Circle was interested in a US bank charter. In April 2022, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said in an interview with Bloomberg that the firm was already in discussions with regulators as part of its efforts to apply for a bank charter “hopefully in the near future.”Circle did not respond to Cointelegraph’s request for further comment as of publication time. Another previous report indicated that the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had granted a preliminary, conditional approval for a US bank charter to Paxos in 2021.Related: Circle considers IPO delay amid economic uncertainty — ReportUS stablecoin regulation is evolvingThe news came as US regulators were working to change how stablecoins are regulated. The US House Financial Services Committee passed a Republican-backed stablecoin framework bill earlier this month.The bill in question is the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act. Another bill currently moving through the US legislative process is the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.The STABLE and GENIUS bills differ in how they would regulate the stablecoin industry, with the former emphasizing strict federal oversight and the latter being more flexible, allowing for both federal and state rules. The GENIUS Act bill was introduced first and passed the US Senate Banking Committee in mid-March.Magazine: Stablecoin for cyber-scammers launches, Sony L2 drama: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Amin Haqshanas on April 25, 2025 at 11:40 am

Central banks, particularly China, may start to shift away from US Treasurys, exploring alternatives such as gold and Bitcoin, according to Jay Jacobs, BlackRock’s head of thematics and active ETFs.In a recent interview with CNBC, Jacobs said that geopolitical tensions and rising global uncertainty are accelerating diversification strategies among central banks.He pointed to a long-term trend where countries have been reducing their reliance on dollar-based reserves in favor of assets like gold and, increasingly, Bitcoin (BTC).“This whole diversification away from traditional assets and into things like gold and also crypto [...] probably began three, four years ago,” Jacobs explained.He said that recent geopolitical fragmentation has intensified the push toward alternative stores of value.Jacobs referenced growing concerns about the freezing of $300 billion in Russian central bank assets following its invasion of Ukraine, suggesting that such events have prompted countries like China to rethink their reserve strategies.BlackRock executive Jay Jacobs on CNBC. Source: YouTubeRelated: Crypto, stocks enter ‘new phase of trade war’ as US-China tensions riseGeopolitical fragmentation to shape global marketsDuring the interview, Jacobs said BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has identified geopolitical fragmentation as a defining force for global markets over the coming decades:“We really identified geopolitical fragmentation as a mega force that is driving the world forward over the next several decades.”He noted that this environment is fueling demand for uncorrelated assets, with Bitcoin increasingly viewed alongside gold as a safe-haven asset.“We’ve seen significant inflows into gold ETFs. We’ve seen significant inflows into Bitcoin. And this is all because people are looking for those assets that will behave differently,” Jacobs said.Related: Bitcoin ‘decouples,’ stocks lose $3.5T amid Trump tariff war and Fed warning of ‘higher inflation’Investors highlight Bitcoin decouplingNotably, Jacobs is not alone in stressing Bitcoin’s declining correlation with US equities. Several analysts have also observed that Bitcoin is beginning to decouple from the US stock market.On April 22, Alex Svanevik, co-founder and CEO of the Nansen crypto intelligence platform, said Bitcoin’s price is showcasing its growing maturity as a global asset, becoming “less Nasdaq — more gold.”He added that Bitcoin was “surprisingly resilient” amid the trade war compared to altcoins and indexes like the S&P 500, but remains vulnerable to economic recession concerns.Source: Alex SvanevikEchoing this sentiment, QCP Capital said in an April 21 Telegram note that Bitcoin seemed to be sharing some of gold’s limelight as a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty.“With equities finishing last week in the red and extending an April drawdown, the narrative of BTC as a safe haven or inflation hedge is once again gaining traction. Should this dynamic hold, it could provide a fresh tailwind for institutional BTC allocation,” it wrote.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 25, 2025 at 11:32 am

Key takeaways: SUI is up 23% in the past 24 hours and 73% weekly, outperforming top-cap cryptocurrencies.The launch of the Grayscale SUI Trust and the xPortal/xMoney Mastercard partnership boosted investor confidence.SUI’s TVL is up 40%, and daily DEX volumes surge by 177%, signaling strong ecosystem trust and utility.Sui (SUI) price was up 23% in one day, to trade at $3.67 on April 25. This is part of a prevailing rebound that began on April 21 and has seen Sui rise more than 73% over the last seven days.Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows SUI rose from a low of $2.11 on April 21, climbing as much as 77% to an intraday high of $3.71 on April 25.SUI/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSUI’s performance over the last seven days made it the biggest gainer among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap.Top gainers April 25. Source: CoinMarketCapSUI price buoyed by positive fundamentalsSUI’s gains are primarily fueled by increasing investor confidence following the Grayscale SUI Trust launch and SUI’s strategic partnership with xPortal and xMoney to issue a virtual Mastercard across Europe.“SUI’s officially out of stealth mode,” said pseudonymous analyst Kyledoops in an April 24 post on X.“Grayscale just launched a trust, social chatter is exploding, and it’s [SUI] now sitting above AVAX and LINK in market cap,” Kyledoops expressed, adding:“This isn’t just retail hype—Wall Street is stepping into the SUI zone. Momentum feels different this time. It’s real. And it’s accelerating.”On April 23, Grayscale launched the Grayscale SUI Trust, which enables investors to gain exposure to SUI. The trust is now open to all eligible accredited investors.Source: GrayscaleAdding to the tailwinds is SUI’s latest partnership with xPortal and xMone, which introduced a virtual Mastercard, enabling 2.5 million European users to spend the token at over 20,000 merchants via Apple Pay and Google Pay.Source: Sui NetworkSui’s growing DeFi ecosystemSui remains among the top 10 layer-1 blockchains, with over $1.65 billion in total value locked (TVL) on the network. The chart below shows that the SUI’s TVL has increased about 40% over the last seven days.Sui network: TVL and daily DEX volumes. Source: DefiLlamaCompared to other top-layer networks, SUI is well ahead of its rivals in terms of TVL gains on the daily, weekly and monthly time frames, as shown in the chart below.Comparison of TVL performance on top layer-1 blockchains. Source: DefiLlamaSUI’s daily DEX volumes have risen by more than 177% over the last week, to $599 million. This is significantly higher than the 68% and 67% increases on BNB Chain and Solana, respectively. Related: Price predictions 4/23: BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, LINK, AVAX, SUIAlthough Ethereum remains the undisputed leader at $10.6 billion, this has declined by more than 14% over the last seven days.Are new all-time highs coming for SUI?From a technical perspective, SUI price gained momentum after breaking out of a falling wedge pattern, as shown on the daily chart below.After breaching a multimonth resistance trendline near $2.20, SUI reached the wedge’s technical target at $3.30. Bulls are now focused on all-time highs of $5.35, reached on Jan. 6.SUI/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe relative strength index (RSI) has increased from 45 to 78 since April 20, reinforcing the strength of the bullish momentum.However, to sustain the ongoing recovery, SUI price has to first overcome the resistance between $4.50 and $5.10, before going into price discovery.Based on Elliott Wave analysis of the weekly chart, pseudonymous analyst Bitcoinsensus set a “massive” price target of $11.50 for SUI.Source: BitcoinsensusThis 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.

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 25, 2025 at 11:24 am

The emerging blockchain industry lags behind the artificial intelligence sector in terms of job creation, but this hiring gap may narrow by 2030.Blockchain remains one of the smallest sectors in the tech industry, with about 300,000 global jobs, compared to 1.5 million in AI and machine learning and 25 million in software development, according to a new Bitget Research report shared with Cointelegraph.The blockchain sector added around 20,000 new jobs in 2024, according to job listings aggregated from platforms like LinkedIn, Web3 Jobs and Crypto Job List.Total workforce in tech industry. Source: Bitget ResearchWhile blockchain-based jobs had an average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45%, outpacing most traditional tech sectors, it trails the AI industry’s 57% CAGR, according to the report.The AI industry’s maturity and larger share of venture capital investment are the main reasons behind the hiring discrepancy, Vugar Usi Zade, chief operating officer of Bitget exchange, told Cointelegraph:“Venture investors put more than $100 billion into AI startups in 2024, with AI-centric titles topping a million vacancies worldwide,” Usi Zade said. “Blockchain companies, meanwhile, advertise barely 20,000 openings and drew only about $5.4 billion in new funding during the same period.”Regional blockchain market distribution. Source: Bitget ResearchRelated: Crypto firms moving into Wall Street territory amid ‘growing synergy’Blockchain may generate over 1 million jobs by 2030AI-related job listings have risen between 75% and 100% year-over-year, while blockchain job growth remains around the 45% to 60% growth range.Blockchain vs AI job listings growth. Source: Bitget ResearchBlockchain could exceed 1 million jobs by 2030 if it manages to scale at the same rate as AI-based roles, the report said.More regulatory clarity from laws such as Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) may encourage blockchain firms to increase their hiring efforts, Zade said:“Europe’s MiCA rule-book, live since December 2024, is already thawing hiring freezes; similar clarity in the United States and Asia would unlock global head-count plans.”“Second comes enterprise-grade performance: Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade cut typical layer-2 fees by more than 95%, signaling that blockchains can now handle corporate traffic at an acceptable cost,” he added.Related: Trump fought the bond market, the bond market won: Saifedean AmmousWhile blockchain-based jobs are poised for growth, “AI will naturally garner more talent in the next decade,” Jawad Ashraf, CEO of Vanar Chain, told Cointelegraph.“This is because AI’s market integration has been faster than any other modern technology we can remember,” he said. “If you look at blockchain, we’re still very much focused on integrating with TradFi and broader Web3 markets like gaming, real-world tokenization, etc.”He added: “Blockchain still hasn’t penetrated the more conventional consumer-oriented markets. It will, in the near future, but we are not there yet.”Blockchain and AI are not competing for talent“AI and blockchain aren’t competing for talent; they’re working together to create new opportunities,” Yakov Lebedev, chief business development officer at 3Commas, a trading automation solution, told Cointelegraph.Combining the two technologies enables “sophisticated financial tools accessible for everyone, not just big institutions, he said, adding:“Companies are paying top dollar for professionals who understand both AI and blockchain, recognizing the value of this cross-domain expertise.” Lebedev added that the integration of blockchain with AI is driving steady job growth in both fields, as financial and tech firms move integrated solutions from pilot programs into core operations.Thanks to the synergistic benefits of the two technologies, blockchain job growth may start mirroring the AI industry, according to Adi Ben-Ari, founder and CEO at Applied Blockchain, an AI-powered blockchain development firm.AI technology is “probabilistic and introduces uncertainty,” which creates more demand for blockchain and cryptographic technologies, he told Cointelegraph.“AI produces outcomes that are not always accurate, can be fake, and can sometimes be incorrect,” he said. “This new uncertainty needs to be countered by a technology that brings absolute certainty, and this is where blockchain and cryptography come in.”Ben-Ari added that blockchain’s ability to secure sensitive information through cryptography would become increasingly important as AI consumes larger amounts of personal data. LUNA payments to STIX protocol. Source: BasescanAI agents are already using cryptocurrency for autonomous transactions. On Dec. 16, 2024, Luna, an AI agent on Virtuals Protocol, paid another AI agent from STIX Protocol, in exchange for its image generation services — sending $1.77 worth of Virtual (VIRTUAL) tokens, onchain data shows.Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19