Alternative News for You

by David Chen and Dan McCray on April 17, 2025 at 8:15 pm

Queenslanders can expect dry and sunny conditions across most of the state for the Easter long weekend. 

by Dunja Karagic, Tallulah Bieundurry, and Charlie Mills on April 17, 2025 at 8:03 pm

The cyclone is expected to cross the coast on the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome as a category one system.  

by Sarah Lawrence on April 17, 2025 at 8:00 pm

The longtime primary school crossing guard wins an unfair dismissal case against a regional Victorian council that sacked her due to a disputed knee injury.

on April 17, 2025 at 7:52 pm

A cable car carrying tourists south of Naples crashed on Thursday after the cable snapped, officials say.

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 17, 2025 at 7:44 pm

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

on April 17, 2025 at 7:42 pm

Test yourself with this week's quiz. 

by Widia Jalal on April 17, 2025 at 7:38 pm

People are turning to AI chatbots for cheap or even free therapy but how does this compare to seeking a professional for help, and what does it mean for the future of mental health treatment?

on April 17, 2025 at 7:32 pm

China has previously projected an image of neutrality on the Ukraine invasion, but has forged closer ties with Russia as the fighting as raged. 

by Patrick Martin on April 17, 2025 at 7:29 pm

Donald Trump's comments came after he indicated Beijing was keen to meet to discuss the tariff war the two countries are locked in. 

by Stephen Dziedzic and Andrew Greene on April 17, 2025 at 7:21 pm

Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos Horta has said his country's forces could join with China's as long as the activity is "not directed at any perceived hostile entity". 

by Cointelegraph by Turner Wright on April 17, 2025 at 7:17 pm

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

by Adelaide Miller on April 17, 2025 at 7:16 pm

HESTA won't process super contributions, regular withdraws, investment switches and insurance claims until June, due to a system changeover. Consumer advocates and members have expressed concern about the freeze on funds.  

by Michelle Grattan on April 17, 2025 at 7:01 pm

Peter Dutton, now seriously on the back foot, has made an extraordinarily big "aspirational" commitment at the back end of this campaign.

by Kate McKenna and Janelle Miles on April 17, 2025 at 6:58 pm

A Queensland Health spokesperson said early investigations suggested human error and a failure to follow processes were behind the Monash IVF mistake, which resulted in a patient being implanted with another woman's embryo. 

by Claudia Long on April 17, 2025 at 6:54 pm

From Cairns to the Cape, Leichhardt is up for grabs with the departure of long-serving MP Warren Entsch. We go behind the scenes with the two candidates who want to fill his shoes.

by Cointelegraph by Biraajmaan Tamuly on April 17, 2025 at 6:48 pm

The price of gold surged to a new all-time high of $3,357 per ounce on April 17, igniting speculation on whether Bitcoin (BTC) would follow. Bitcoin-gold comparison. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewIn 2017, Bitcoin rallied to $19,120 after gold witnessed a 30% hike a few months earlier. Similarly, gold reached a new high near $2,075 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which preceded Bitcoin’s surge to $69,000 in 2021.Bitcoin has historically surpassed its previous all-time highs whenever gold rallies, reflecting a dynamic relationship between the two assets during periods of economic uncertainty and when investors look for a US dollar alternative.Further highlighting the interconnections between the assets, Joe Consorti, head of growth at Theya, pointed out that BTC follows gold’s directional bias with a lag of 100-150 days at a time. Consorti said, “When the printer roars to life, gold sniffs it out first, then Bitcoin follows harder.”Bitcoin vs gold price movement correlation. Source: X.comConsidering Consorti’s view, Bitcoin is expected to potentially attain new all-time highs between Q3 and Q4 of 2025. Anonymous Bitcoin proponent apsk32 expected a similar outcome or bullish period between July and November. Looking at data from past Bitcoin price cycles and BTC’s “power curve time contours,” the analyst predicted that Bitcoin will enter a parabolic phase in the latter half of 2025, with a price target as high as $400,000. Using the power law model, the analyst normalized Bitcoin's market cap to gold's and plotted BTC on a logarithmic scale, measuring each Bitcoin in ounces of gold instead of dollars.Bitcoin price and power curve chart. Source: X.comRelated: Bitcoin gold copycat move may top $150K as BTC stays 'impressive'Bitcoin trading like “Mag 8” amid tariff uncertaintyIn a recent interview with CNBC, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz said that Bitcoin and gold are “key indicators of financial stewardship” amid global macroeconomic uncertainty. Highlighting it as a “Minsky Moment” for the US economy, Novogratz said that Bitcoin thrives in market turbulence, driven by a weakening US dollar and capital flowing into safe havens like gold, which has recently rallied. Novogratz added that despite a 10% year-to-date drop in equities, markets underestimate the scale of global economic shifts, with tariffs and Trump’s policies adding uncertainty. He cautioned that rising interest rates and a weakening dollar signal the US is behaving like an emerging market, with Bitcoin and gold reflecting growing concerns over unsustainable deficits and the $35 trillion national debt.Related: Bitcoin online chatter flips bullish as price chops at $85K: SantimentThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

by Cointelegraph by Christopher Tepedino on April 17, 2025 at 6:46 pm

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

by Tyne Logan on April 17, 2025 at 6:45 pm

Striking historic drawings of the Great Barrier Reef found in an old, waterlogged book capture the spell this underwater world has put on people for centuries. 

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 17, 2025 at 5:27 pm

Barry Silbert, the CEO of Digital Currency Group, said he would have secured higher investment gains by just holding the Bitcoin that he invested in early-stage crypto projects around 2012.During an April 17 appearance on Raoul Pal's Journey Man podcast, Silbert said he discovered Bitcoin (BTC) in 2011, purchasing BTC at $7-$8 per coin. Once the price of BTC surged, Silbert started looking for early-stage crypto companies to invest in. The executive told Raoul Pal:"I was using Bitcoin to make a bunch of those investments, and you would think, if you invested in Coinbase you would have done really well. Had I just held the Bitcoin, I actually would have done better than making those investments."Silbert's comments come at a time when Bitcoin maximalists, including Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor, forecast a seven-figure Bitcoin price in the coming decade, and BTC receives greater attention from governments worldwide.Bitcoin price history 2011-2025. Source: CoinMarketCapRelated: Bitcoin gold copycat move may top $150K as BTC stays 'impressive'Bitcoin could hit $1 million if US begins buying BTC Zach Shapiro, the head of the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) think tank, recently predicted BTC would hit $1 million per coin if the United States government were to purchase 1 million BTC.“If the United States announces that we are buying a million Bitcoin, that’s just a global seismic shock," Shapiro told Bitcoin Magazine in an April 16 podcast appearance.Bo Hines, the executive director of President Trump's White House Crypto Council, signaled that the council is exploring several budget-neutral strategies for acquiring more Bitcoin for the US Strategic Reserve.These strategies included revaluing the US Treasury's gold reserves, which are currently priced at $43 per ounce while the market rate is at an all-time high of $3,300 per ounce, and funding Bitcoin acquisition through trade tariffs.BTC has been floated as a way to eliminate or alleviate the growing national debt by President Trump and several market analysts.According to asset management firm VanEck, Bitcoin could help claw back the $36 trillion national debt by $14 trillion if the US Treasury introduces long-term bonds with BTC exposure.Magazine: TradFi fans ignored Lyn Alden’s BTC tip — Now she says it’ll hit 7 figures: X Hall of Flame

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 5:00 pm

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has decided against joining any lawsuits targeting the tariffs put into place by President Trump, Commerce Secretary Lutnick and the National Economic Council.  This is quite a new shift in tone from the generally hostile CoC. In the background, the U.S. CoC has historically surveyed their corporate sponsors and conducts The post U.S Chamber of Commerce Decides Not to Join any Lawsuits Over Trump Tariffs appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Marco Castrovilli on April 17, 2025 at 5:00 pm

Over the past year, most altcoins have struggled to keep up with Bitcoin, but one project is breaking away from the pack: XRP.While other tokens have stagnated or slid, XRP (XRP) has surged more than 300% in just six months against Bitcoin (BTC) to quickly become one of the best-performing assets in the crypto space. But what’s really behind this rally — and more importantly, can it last?Some say it’s the fundamentals finally shining through. Others argue it’s just hype and speculation driven by a passionate community. Then there’s the legal, political, and institutional side of things — factors that could have a far greater impact on XRP’s trajectory than many realize.In Cointelegraph's latest video, we dive deep into the forces driving XRP’s recent performance, the growing institutional interest, and the potential game-changing developments on the horizon. From exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and stablecoins to regulation and Ripple Labs’ evolving strategy, this video breaks it all down.Whether you’re an XRP holder, a skeptic, or just trying to make sense of the altcoin market in 2025, this is a video you don’t want to miss.Check out the full breakdown on our YouTube channel — and make sure to subscribe for future updates.

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 4:58 pm

Folks, I know this is going to be hard, but we must remain steadfast in bearing the burden of new tariffs for our essential items.  Hermes has announced they will pass along the cost of President Trump’s tariffs to consumers. Currently, Hermes branded purses ranging from $20,000 to $200,000 are purchased by a whopping 0.001% The post Brace Yourselves – Hermes Announces Price Increase Due to Trump Tariffs, $50,000 Handbags Now $55,000 appeared first on The Last Refuge.

on April 17, 2025 at 4:50 pm

The president has placed the head of the US central bank in his sights, floating a move that could cause market chaos and undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve.

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 17, 2025 at 3:46 pm

Bitcoin mining company Bit Digital has acquired an industrial building in Madison, North Carolina, upping the ante in a business diversification strategy that includes strategic pivots into AI and high-performance computing. Bit Digital agreed to buy the property for $53.2 million through Enovum Data Centers Corp., the company’s wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, regulatory filings show. The investment includes a $2.25 million initial deposit, with $1.2 million being non-refundable. The transaction is expected to close on May 15.Bit Digital disclosed the acquisition in a Form 8-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Source: SECBit Digital’s regulatory filing was submitted around the same time that it announced a new Tier 3 data center site in Quebec, Canada, which will support the company’s 5 megawatt colocation agreement with AI infrastructure provider Cerebras Systems. The Quebec facility is being retrofitted with roughly $40 million in upgrades to meet Tier 3 standards — strict requirements that ensure high reliability for critical systems and continuous operation.Bit Digital CEO Sam Tabar said at the time that the Quebec operation “represents continued momentum in our strategy to deliver purpose-built AI infrastructure at scale.”Related: Auradine raises $153M, debuts business group for AI data centersMiners under pressure to diversifyFaced with volatile crypto prices and a quadrennial Bitcoin halving cycle that squeezes revenues, several mining firms have leveraged their existing infrastructure to pivot to other data-intensive workloads. Mining companies like Hive Digital say AI data centers offer potentially higher revenue streams than crypto mining. In the latest sign of economic pain, public Bitcoin miners sold more than 40% of their Bitcoin (BTC) holdings in March, according to data from TheMinerMag publication. Public miners that can’t keep their costs under control struggle the most in maintaining their Bitcoin operations, placing more pressure on executives to seek out alternative revenue streams.An October report by CoinShares suggested that the least profitable miners are more likely to shift gears to AI and other workloads. The cost per Bitcoin is an important metric for mining companies, which have struggled to remain profitable in a post-halving environment. Source: CoinSharesRelated: SEC says proof-of-work mining does not constitute securities dealing

by Cointelegraph by Bradley Peak on April 17, 2025 at 3:44 pm

Algorithmic trading strategies in crypto Algorithmic trading has become a go-to for many traders as it lets you automate trades based on specific rules — no emotions, no hesitation, just pure logic. These strategies can scan markets 24/7, react instantly to price movements, and handle large volumes way faster than a human ever could.Some common algo trading strategies include:Trend following: riding the wave of upward or downward momentum.Arbitrage: taking advantage of price differences across exchanges.Market making: placing buy and sell orders to profit from the spread.Mean reversion: betting that prices will return to their average over time.Now, within the world of algorithmic trading, there’s a special group called execution algorithms. These aren’t about predicting where the market is going — they’re about how to get in or out of a position without moving the market too much. They’re especially useful for handling large orders discreetly.A key subset of these is passive order execution strategies. These aim to minimize slippage and get you as close as possible to a fair average price. The two big names here are:Time-weighted average price (TWAP): splits your order into equal parts over time, ignoring volume. It’s great for low-liquidity situations or when you want to stay under the radar.Volume-weighted average price (VWAP): adjusts your trade size based on market volume, placing bigger trades when activity is higher.Both help you avoid tipping off the market and are essential tools in the crypto trader’s toolkit. What is time-weighted average price (TWAP)? TWAP, or time-weighted average price, is one of the simplest and most widely used execution strategies in algorithmic crypto trading. At its core, TWAP helps traders break down a large order into smaller trades, executed evenly over a set period of time — regardless of market volume. The goal? To get an average price that reflects time, not market activity, and to avoid causing sudden price moves.This strategy is especially useful in two scenarios: when you’re trying to quietly execute a large trade without alerting the market and when you’re trading in low-liquidity environments where even moderate orders can move prices. By pacing your trades, TWAP helps reduce slippage and keeps your activity under the radar.Its biggest strength is its simplicity — it’s easy to implement and understand. But that simplicity also comes with a tradeoff: TWAP doesn’t account for trading volume. So, during high-volatility periods or sudden market shifts, it might miss key signals and give you an execution price that doesn’t reflect the true state of the market.In short, TWAP is a great option when you need to trade steadily over time, especially in quieter markets. But if volume and volatility are major concerns, it might not always give you the best result.Did you know? You can easily add TWAP (time-weighted average price) to your trading setup on platforms like TradingView by simply opening your chart, clicking “Indicators” and searching for “TWAP.”  How to calculate TWAP To calculate TWAP, you take the price of the asset at regular time intervals, add them all up, and divide by the number of times you checked the price.Here is the formula to calculate TWAP:In layman’s terms, the formula looks like this:TWAP = (Price₁ Price₂ ... Priceₙ) / nLet’s walk through an example.Say you check the price of Bitcoin (BTC) every 10 minutes and get the following:90,000 → 90,100 → 89,900 → 90,050Now add them together:90,000 90,100 89,900 90,050 = 360,050Then divide by the number of intervals (4):TWAP = 360,050 ÷ 4 = 90,012.5 What is volume-weighted average price (VWAP) VWAP stands for volume-weighted average price, and it’s a go-to metric for traders who want a more realistic sense of an asset’s average price throughout the day. Unlike TWAP, which just averages prices over time, VWAP factors in how much volume was traded at each price. That means prices with more trading activity carry more weight in the final average — making it a better reflection of where the market actually values the asset.Traders often use VWAP as a benchmark. If you buy below VWAP, you’re likely getting a better-than-average deal compared to the rest of the market. It’s also handy for spotting trends — if the current price is above VWAP, the market’s probably bullish; if it’s below, that could be a bearish signal.VWAP has its advantages: It gives a more accurate picture of market value and can help identify when an asset might be overbought or oversold. But it’s not perfect. It’s more complex to calculate and can get thrown off by a few unusually large trades, which might skew the average.All in all, VWAP is a powerful tool for traders who want deeper insight into market dynamics, but like any indicator, it works best when used alongside other signals.Did you know? ​The term volume-weighted average price (VWAP) was first introduced to the trading community in a March 1988 Journal of Finance article titled “The Total Cost of Transactions on the NYSE” by Stephen Berkowitz, Dennis Logue, and Eugene Noser Jr. In this paper, the authors presented VWAP as a benchmark for assessing the quality of trade executions by institutional investors. How to calculate VWAP VWAP works a bit differently. Instead of treating each price equally, it gives more weight to prices where more trading volume occurs. Here is the formula to calculate VWAP:In plain terms, the formula is:VWAP = (Price × Volume at each point, all added up) ÷ Total VolumeLet’s go through an example.Say you have this data for BTC:90,000 at 10 trades90,100 at 20 trades89,900 at 5 trades90,050 at 15 tradesFirst, multiply each price by its volume:90,000 × 10 = 900,00090,100 × 20 = 1,802,00089,900 × 5 = 449,50090,050 × 15 = 1,350,750Now add those results:900,000 1,802,000 449,500 1,350,750 = 4,502,250Then calculate the total volume:10 20 5 15 = 50Finally, divide the total value by the total volume:VWAP = 4,502,250 ÷ 50 = 90,045 When to use TWAP vs. VWAP? It really comes down to what kind of trade you’re making and what the market looks like at the time.If you’re trading during busy hours and want to make sure you’re not overpaying — or underselling — compared to where most of the action is happening, VWAP is your friend. It gives you a sense of the market’s “true” average price by factoring in volume, so it’s great for benchmarking your trades or timing your entry and exit in line with market momentum. If you’re buying below VWAP, you’re likely getting a solid deal.TWAP, on the other hand, is better when you’re trying to stay under the radar. Maybe you’re dealing with a less liquid coin, or you’re trading at a quieter time of day when volume is all over the place. In that case, TWAP helps you slowly work your way into or out of a position without spooking the market. It doesn’t care about volume — it just paces your trade out over time in equal chunks.So, big picture: Use VWAP when you’re following the crowd and want to time things smartly. Use TWAP when you’d rather move quietly and keep things simple. TWAP vs. VWAP: Key differences to be aware of TWAP and VWAP in crypto trading Traders and institutions use TWAP and VWAP to minimize market impact and secure better execution prices. Let’s look at two real-world examples that show how these algorithms perform when the stakes are high.1. Strategy’s $250-million Bitcoin buy with TWAPBack in August 2020, Strategy (called MicroStrategy at the time) made headlines by announcing a $250-million investment in Bitcoin (BTC) as a treasury reserve asset. Rather than entering the market all at once — and risking a sharp price jump — they partnered with Coinbase and used a TWAP strategy. By spreading the purchase out over several days, Strategy was able to blend into market activity, minimizing slippage and securing a favorable average price.2. Definitive’s TWAP strategy for Instadapp (INST)A major crypto VC firm used TWAP to handle a large position in Instadapp (INST), a decentralized finance token known for its low liquidity. Over two weeks in July 2024, it executed the trade in small chunks using Definitive’s TWAP algorithm. The result was a 7.5% improvement over what it would’ve paid using VWAP, and gas fees made up just 0.30% of the $666,000 order. It was a clear win in terms of both cost-efficiency and stealth execution.3. Kraken Pro and the use of VWAPKraken offers advanced trading capabilities through its Kraken Pro platform, which includes VWAP as a built-in technical indicator for traders. On Kraken Pro, users can access VWAP directly in the charting interface, powered by TradingView integration, to analyze crypto assets across various timeframes.For instance, a trader on Kraken Pro might use VWAP to optimize a Bitcoin trade. They could set up an order to buy BTC when the price dips below the daily VWAP — indicating it’s trading below the volume-weighted average and potentially undervalued — and sell when it rises above, suggesting overvaluation or profit-taking opportunities. Institutional clients and high-volume traders, in particular, rely on Kraken’s VWAP functionality for precision in the fast-moving crypto market.Whether you’re managing a big order or just trying to get a fair entry, knowing when and how to use both TWAP and VWAP can give you a serious edge in the market.Happy crypto trading! 

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 3:30 pm

Ahead of the upcoming election, Tucker Carlson interviews Canadian government official, Maxime Bernier. In the background of the conversation the leading candidates for Prime Minister, Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre both hold similar trade and tariff views, both support a new alignment with the EU, and both support cultural Marxism.  Canada has their own version The post Tucker Carlson Interviews Canadian Politician Maxime Bernier appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Alexander Guseff on April 17, 2025 at 3:00 pm

Opinion by: Alexander Guseff, founder and CEO of TectumCrypto companies have spent years pushing digital wallets and exchange apps, convinced they’ll bring financial inclusion to the world. Here’s the reality: 1.4 billion people remain unbanked, and crypto adoption has barely exceeded 8%. For all the talk about decentralization and accessibility, the industry continues to overlook the billions of people who rely on cash for their daily lives.In developing economies of Africa, South Asia and Latin America, cash is not just dominant — it’s essential. Banking services are sparse, smartphone penetration is low, and digital literacy remains a hurdle. Expecting these populations to onboard through a process designed for tech-savvy users with internet access is unrealistic.Yet whenever offline crypto solutions have been tested, adoption has jumped. The message is clear: People are willing to use crypto but need a way to access it that fits their reality.The global reality of cash dependenceDespite assumptions that digital finance will eventually replace cash, that’s not what the numbers show. Take Romania. Notably, 76% of transactions there are still cash-based, yet crypto adoption has hit 14%. In Morocco, cash remains king despite digital payment growth, yet 16% of the population has found a way to use crypto — even though it’s officially banned.Then there’s Egypt, where approximately 72% of payments rely on cash, but crypto adoption sits at around 3%, primarily due to limited digital infrastructure. Even in India, where crypto enthusiasm runs high, 63% of transactions still happen in cash. Across these markets, the pattern is clear: People want to use crypto, but the industry isn’t giving them a practical way to integrate it into their everyday transactions.Crypto’s real problemThe barriers to crypto adoption go far beyond technology. Government regulations, economic conditions and local financial habits all play a role. Crypto’s biggest flaw isn’t a lack of demand. It’s the assumption that digital wallets and banking apps are the only viable entry points. That thinking ignores billions of people who still operate in cash-driven economies.A more practical approachInstead of forcing a digital-only model onto cash-heavy regions, crypto should adapt. Blockchain-linked physical banknotes, QR-coded vouchers and SMS-based transfers could bring crypto into the real economy in a way that makes sense for people who already use cash.Recent: Stop making crypto complexThe idea isn’t as radical as it sounds. Africa’s M-Pesa, which has over 66.2 million active users, operates on a simple agent-based model that lets people exchange cash for digital value without needing a bank account. The same approach could work for crypto, enabling users to trade blockchain-linked cash notes at local vendors.It’s already happening in small pockets. Machankura, for example, enables Bitcoin transactions via basic mobile networks, attracting over 13,600 users in Africa. In a region where nearly all digital payments rely on simple mobile codes rather than smartphone apps, solutions like this are far more viable than pushing another exchange-based onboarding process.Security concerns will always come up with physical assets, but trained agents and proper oversight can mitigate risks. More importantly, that’s a solvable problem — excluding billions of people from the financial system isn’t.The digital purists get it wrongMany in the crypto space dismiss paper-based solutions as outdated. The idea that everything must be digital ignores how financial systems evolve. People need time to transition and systems that fit their current way of life.CoinText, an SMS-based crypto transfer service, spread to 50 countries before it shut down — not because the idea didn’t work, but because the industry wasn’t ready to support it. The same rigid thinking that dismissed SMS transfers is now preventing adoption in cash-heavy economies. A new service called Text BSV has emerged, enabling seamless peer-to-peer (P2P) payments of satoshis via SMS — no app downloads, registrations or prior knowledge of Bitcoin (BTC) is required. It works on any phone, even non-smartphones.If crypto adoption remains stalled at 8%, it won’t be because people don’t want it. It’ll be because the industry insisted on an approach that doesn’t work for most of the world.A $50-billion opportunity The financial upside of integrating crypto into cash economies is enormous. Similar markets could follow if Romania, with a 76% cash reliance, can reach 14% adoption. That translates into a $50-billion opportunity globally as crypto enters economies where trillions of dollars move in informal cash transactions every year.A network of cash-to-crypto agents could generate $10 billion in revenue by 2030, mirroring the success of mobile money platforms like M-Pesa. Even crypto exchanges would benefit from tapping into these underserved markets, bridging the gap between digital and cash economies.Regulators may hesitate at paper-based crypto owing to transparency concerns, but financial inclusion at this scale is hard to ignore. If governments see a potential $50 billion in new economic activity, they’re more likely to work toward solutions rather than block progress.Cash meets cryptoCrypto was supposed to revolutionize financial access, but it remains out of reach for billions of people. Expecting these communities to abandon cash entirely and jump straight into digital wallets is unrealistic and a bad strategyThe solution isn’t to wait for these economies to modernize. It’s to meet people where they are. That means experimenting with cash-compatible solutions, partnering with telecom providers, and rolling out agent-based models that let people use crypto in a way that feels familiar.The current adoption stall will become permanent if the industry doesn’t make these changes. Instead of a step backward, paper-based crypto could be the bridge that finally connects billions of people to the future of finance.Opinion by: Alexander Guseff, founder and CEO of Tectum. 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 Zoltan Vardai on April 17, 2025 at 2:41 pm

Cryptocurrency and equities markets entered a “new phase of the trade war, amid ongoing tariff escalations between the United States and China.Global trade war concerns intensified on April 15 after the White House published a fact sheet announcing that Chinese imports would be hit with tariffs of up to 245%.The penalties include a “125% reciprocal tariff, a 20% tariff to address the fentanyl crisis, and Section 301 tariffs on specific goods, between 7.5% and 100%,” according to the White House.Fact sheet on tariffs, investigation into security risks posed by US reliance on imports. Source: White HouseCrypto, tech stocks and other “expensive assets” have entered a “new phase” of the global trade war in response to the latest escalation, according to Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at crypto intelligence platform Nansen.“We are now in a new phase of the trade war, with the focus on high-added-value sectors, Tech (and Pharma), and the zeroing in on US-China,” the analyst told Cointelegraph, adding:“Until and IF we see a resolution of the US-China conflict (one leader picks up the phone and gives some concessions to the other), we are facing highly correlated risk assets.”“I also think this situation is negative for non-US equities,” Barthere said. US equities and crypto have been “highly correlated” since November 2024, which increased to the downside during the current market correction, as “investors de-risk, especially expensive assets,” she added.BTC, SPX, Nasdaq, gold chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewRelated: Bitcoin’s safe-haven appeal grows during trade war uncertaintyThe recovery of global equities and cryptocurrency markets hinges on the tone of global tariff negotiations, with a 70% chance to bottom by June 2025 before recovering, Nansen analysts previously predicted.China recently appointed a new chief trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, a former assistant commerce minister during the first administration of US President Donald Trump.Chenggang is characterized as a “very intense” negotiator experienced in dealing with US officials, Reuters reported on April 16, citing an unnamed source in Beijing’s “foreign business community.”Related: Trump’s tariff escalation exposes ‘deeper fractures’ in global financial systemEyes on Powell’s next moveAs tariff tensions increase alongside inflation-related concerns, all eyes are now on US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming speech during the next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on May 6.“Markets were on edge for any signal that the Fed might delay rate cuts due to sticky inflation or heightened geopolitical risk,” analysts from Bitfinex exchange told Cointelegraph, adding that if Powell leans hawkish, risk assets like Bitcoin could see downside:“A neutral or balanced tone may calm markets more than they already have over the past week with some signficant recoveries across many risk assets and particularly crypto where many lower market cap assets have moved 30–40% off the lows.”“Crypto is reacting to macro news not because fundamentals have changed, but because positioning is thin and confidence is sensitive,” the analysts added.Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 23–29

on April 17, 2025 at 2:35 pm

Asked how he was doing and marking this year's Easter season, Francis said in a weak voice: “I am living it as I can.”

by Cointelegraph by Aaron Wood on April 17, 2025 at 2:33 pm

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, is facing antitrust proceedings that could limit its ability to develop AI amid a field of competitors.First filed in 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that Meta’s strategy of absorbing firms — rather than competing with them — violates antitrust laws. If the court rules against Meta, it could be forced to spin out its various messenger services and social media sites into independent companies.The loss of its stable of social media companies could harm Facebook’s competitiveness not only in the social media industry but also in its ability to train and develop its proprietary Llama AI models with data from those sites.The trial could take anywhere from a couple of months to a year, but the outcome will have lasting consequences on Meta’s standing in the AI race.Meta’s antitrust case and its effect on AIThe FTC first opened its complaint against Meta in 2020 when the firm was still operating as Facebook. The agency’s amended complaint a year later alleges that Meta (then Facebook) used an illegal “buy-or-bury” scheme on more creative competitors after its “failed attempts to develop innovative mobile features for its network.” This resulted in a monopoly of the “friends and family” social media market.Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had the chance to address these allegations on April 14, the first day of the official FTC v. Meta trial. He testified that only 20% of user content on Facebook and some 10% on Instagram was generated by users’ friends. The nature of social media has changed, Zuckerberg claimed.“People just kept on engaging with more and more stuff that wasn’t what their friends were doing,” he said — meaning that the nature of Meta’s social media holdings was sufficiently diverse.The FTC alleges that Meta identified potential threat competitors and bought them up. Source: FTCAt the time of the FTC’s initial complaint, Meta called the allegations “revisionist history,” a claim it repeated on April 13 when it stated the agency was “ignoring reality.” The company has argued that the purchases of Instagram and WhatsApp have benefited users and that competition has appeared in the form of YouTube and TikTok. If the District of Columbia Circuit Court rules against Meta, the global social media giant will be forced to unwind these services into independent firms. Jasmine Enberg, vice president and principal analyst at eMarketer, told the Los Angeles Times that such a ruling could cost Meta its competitive edge in the social media market. “Instagram really is its biggest growth driver, in the sense that it has been picking up the slack for Facebook for a long time, especially on the user front when it comes to young people,” said Enberg. “Facebook hasn’t been where the cool college kids hang out for a long time.”Such a ruling would also affect the pool of data from which Meta can draw to train its AI models. In July 2024, Meta halted the rollout of AI models in the European Union, citing “regulatory uncertainty.” The pause came after privacy advocacy group None of Your Business filed complaints in 11 European countries against Meta’s use of public data from its platforms to train its AI models. The Irish Data Protection Commission subsequently ordered a pause on the practice until it could conduct a review. Related: Meta’s Llama 4 puts US back in lead to ‘win the AI race’ — David SacksOn April 14, Meta got the go-ahead to use public data — i.e., posts and comments from adult users across all of its platforms — to train the model. If these firms dissolved into separate companies, with their own organizational structures and data protection policies and practices, Meta would be cut off from an ocean of data and human communication with which its AI could be improved. Andrew Rossow, a cyberspace attorney with Minc Law and CEO of AR Media Consulting, told Cointelegraph that in such an event, “companies would most likely control their own user data, and Meta would be restricted from using it unless new data-sharing agreements were negotiated, which would be subject to regulatory scrutiny and user/consumer privacy laws.”However, Rossow noted that it wouldn’t be a total loss for Meta. Zuckerberg’s firm would retain the wealth of data from Facebook and Messenger. It could continue to use “opt-in” data from consumers who allow their posts to be used for AI training, and it could also employ synthetic data sets as well as third-party and open data.Meta, the AI race and data protectionsThe race to unseat OpenAI and its ChatGPT model from AI dominance has grown more competitive in the last year as DeepSeek joined the fray and Meta launched the fourth iteration of its open-source Llama model. In addition to training new models, major AI development firms are investing billions in new data centers to accommodate new iterations. In January 2025, Meta announced the construction of a 2-gigawatt data center with more than 1.3 million Nvidia AI graphics processing units. Zuckerberg wrote in a post on Threads, “This will be a defining year for AI. In 2025, I expect Meta AI will be the leading assistant serving more than 1 billion people [...] To power this, Meta is building a 2GW+ datacenter that is so large it would cover a significant part of Manhattan.”Illustration of the data map coverage. Source: Mark ZuckerbergHis announcement followed the $500-billion Stargate project, which would see massive investment in AI development led by OpenAI and SoftBank, with Microsoft and Oracle as equity partners. Related: Trump announces $500B AI infrastructure venture ‘Stargate’Amid this competition, AI firms are looking for broader and more varied sources of data to train their AI models — and have turned to dubious practices in order to get the data they need. In order to stay competitive with OpenAI when developing its Llama 3 model, Meta harvested thousands of pirated books from the site LibGen. According to court documents in a case pending against Meta, Llama developers harvested data from pirated books because licensing them from sources like Scribd seemed “unreasonably expensive.” Time was another perceived motivator for using pirated works. “They take like 4+ weeks to deliver data,” one engineer wrote about services through which they could purchase book licenses.The practice is not limited to Meta. OpenAI has also been accused of mining data from pirated work hosted on LibGen. Rossow suggested that, “to ensure lasting impact — beyond short-term profit,” Meta would do well to “prioritize investment in advanced data collection, rigorous auditing and the implementation of privacy-preserving and encryption-based technologies.”By focusing on transparency and responsible practices, “Meta can continue to genuinely advance AI capabilities, rebuild and nurture long-term user trust, and adapt to evolving legal and ethical standards, regardless of changes to its platform portfolio.”What a ruling for the FTC would meanLitigation is now hitting tech firms from all sides as they face allegations of privacy violations, copyright law infringement and stifling competition. Major cases like those facing Google, Amazon and Meta that have yet to play out will decide how and whether these firms can proceed as they have, defining the guardrails for AI development as well. Rossow said that the current antitrust case against Meta could decide how courts interpret antitrust law for tech firms, spanning tech mergers, data usage and market competition. It would also signal that courts are “willing to break up tech conglomerates” when issues of smothering competition are involved, while at the same time, “taking current precedent a step further in harmonizing it with the laws of cyberspace.”Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 17, 2025 at 2:27 pm

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price failed another attempt at breaking above resistance at $86,000 on April 16 as  Fed Chair Jerome Powell dashed hopes of early rate cuts, citing the impact of Trump’s tariffs.Since April 9, BTC price has formed daily candle highs between $75,000 and $86,400, but has been unable to produce a close above $86,000.BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewMany analysts and traders ask, “Where is Bitcoin price headed next?” as the asset remains stuck in a tight range on the lower time frame (LTF) of the 4-hour chart.88% chance interest rates unchangedPolymarket bettors say there is an 88% chance that the current interest rates will remain between 4.25% and 4.50%, leaving just a 10% probability of a 0.25% rate cut.Interest rate expectations. Source: PolymarketHowever, a common market belief is that any bearish price action from unchanged interest rates is already priced in.On April 16, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the Fed is not rushing to cut interest rates. Speaking in Chicago, he emphasized a "wait-and-see" approach, needing more economic data before adjusting policy. Powell highlighted risks from President Trump’s tariffs, which could drive inflation and slow growth, potentially creating a "challenging scenario" for the Fed’s dual mandate of stable prices and maximum employment. "The level of the tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated," said Powell in a speech, adding: "The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth."He stressed maintaining a restrictive policy to ensure inflation doesn’t persist, suggesting any immediate rate cuts despite market volatility and tariff uncertainties.Related: Bitcoin gold copycat move may top $150K as BTC stays 'impressive'As a result, President Trump has threatened Powell with termination, arguing that he is “always too late and wrong” and that his April 16 report was a typical and complete “mess.”“Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!”Meanwhile, Polymarket now says there’s a 46% chance that Bitcoin’s price will hit $90,000 on April 30, with less than 5% possibility of hitting new all-time highs above $110,000.Key Bitcoin price levels to watchBitcoin must flip the $86,000 resistance level into support to target higher highs at $90,000.For this to happen, BTC/USD must first regain its position above the 200-day exponential moving average (purple line) at $87,740. This trendline was lost on March 9 for the first time since August 2024.Above that, there is a major supply zone stretching all the way to $91.240, where the 100-day SMA sits. Bulls will also have to overcome this barrier in order to increase the chances of BTC’s run to $100,000.Bitcoin daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewConversely, the bears will attempt to keep the $86,000 resistance in place, increasing the likelihood of new lows under $80,000. A key area of interest lies between $76,000 and the previous range lows at $74,000, i.e., the previous all-time high from March 2024.Below that, the next move would be a retest of the US election day price of $67,817, erasing all the gains made from the so-called Trump pump.Onchain analyst James Check points out that Bitcoin’s true bottom lies at its "true market mean" — the average cost basis for active investors — around the $65,000 area. “The $75,000 zone is an area where you want the bulls to mount a defense,” check said in an interview on the TFTC podcast, adding:“If they don’t, the next step is we go back to the chop consolidation range, we find out how deep into that we go, and the flag in the sea of sand is $65,000.”Interestingly, this price level aligns closely with Michael Saylor’s Strategy cost basis, which sits around $67,500. 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 17, 2025 at 2:17 pm

Eliza Labs, the developer behind the AI agent framework ai16z, announced the launch of auto.fun, a new no-code platform allowing users to launch AI agents on Web3 applications.Auto.fun allows for the creation, deployment and monetization of AI agents by non-developers without programming knowledge, according to an April 17 announcement.The platform supports the creation of AI agents that interact with social media, decentralized finance (DeFi) apps and other Web3 services.“The vision for auto.fun is to democratize access to both AI and Web3 technologies by creating agents that can execute tasks autonomously on behalf of users,” said Shaw Walters, founder of Eliza Labs and the open-source elizaOS.The animated ASCII art shown to auto.fun visitors ahead of launch. Source: auto.funWalters said the agents could automate yield farming strategies, manage social media accounts or trade on behalf of users. The platform is focused on X support, with DeFi, gaming and other application support promised in the future.Related: AI takes nearly 60% of global venture capital dollars in Q1: PitchbookAI agents with no coding requiredEliza Labs said auto.fun will allow users to create agentic AI systems that both respond to queries and perform tasks. Users will purportedly be able to tell their AI agents what to do with their funds in DeFi through simple commands. “Find me the best staking opportunities with at least 12% APY and automatically allocate funds.”An Eliza Labs spokesperson told Cointelegraph that the product’s focus is accessibility, with some user education in place:“While the platform makes it possible for users to spin up agents in a few clicks, key educational prompts and user experience guardrails are embedded throughout the process to help users make informed choices.Token launch mechanicsAuto.fun also introduces what Eliza Labs calls “fairer than fair” token launches. The company is employing a bonding curve mechanism that “combines the benefits of a fair launch with enough flexibility for project teams to secure up to 50% of their tokens before market listing.”Related: Ethereum could be AI’s key to decentralization, says former core devA bonding curve is a smart contract-based algorithmic pricing model in DeFi that dynamically adjusts a token’s price based on its circulating supply. When tokens are bought or sold, the bonding curve automatically adjusts the price according to predefined mathematical relationships, ensuring continuous liquidity without relying on traditional order books.The Eliza Labs spokesperson said (RAY) purportedly allows for “a more sustainable alternative.”that traditional token launches often leave core teams with little in terms of resources and allow for easier token dumps. The hybrid bonding curve approach developed in partnership with Raydium The system allows project teams to pre-reserve up to 50% of the supply, which supposedly ensures “they have meaningful skin in the game and resources for post-launch development.” The remaining tokens are sold through a bonding curve that should limit the advantages of bot-driven purchases.Walters also highlighted that auto.fun is open source. This “ensures users can verify exactly how their agents operate and what happens with their data.”Agents that will operate on the platform include FightFi, a collection of social media agents that compete with each other with agent-specific tokens providing token-gated access to higher-level functions.Other agents include Secret, which launches Solana (SOL) tokens, and Sigma Music Agent, which connects musicians and fans with AI agents. Another agent on the platform is Astra, which manages crosschain payments between Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) blockchains, Solana, and the Bitcoin (BTC) layer-2 Lightning Network.Magazine: ‘Chernobyl’ needed to wake people to AI risks, Studio Ghibli memes: AI Eye

by Cointelegraph by Yohan Yun on April 17, 2025 at 2:13 pm

Mantra’s OM token collapsed by more than 90% overnight, and the crypto world can’t agree on why. On April 13, OM’s price plummeted from over $6 to below $0.50, wiping out more than $5 billion in market cap and triggering widespread panic across the crypto industry.The sudden crash drew comparisons to Terra’s LUNA implosion as traders scrambled for answers. Unverified rumors of insider dumping, forced liquidations, mislabeled wallets and exchange manipulation quickly spread — but Mantra insists it was caught in the middle.Mantra had built a strong position in the real-world asset tokenization narrative heading into April 13, backed by a $1-billion deal to tokenize Dubai-based Damac Group’s real estate and data centers. It secured a Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) license in Dubai and launched a $108-million ecosystem fund with support from heavyweights such as Laser Digital, Shorooq, Amber Group and Brevan Howard Digital. In February 2025, the OM token hit an all-time high of nearly $9.But on April 13, that momentum was violently interrupted. The hours that followed painted a messy picture of token transfers, insider speculation and shifting blame. Here’s a detailed look at how the OM collapse played out.24 hours of the Mantra OM fiascoApril 13 (16:00–18:00 UTC)Mantra’s OM token was trading sideways throughout the day. It dropped from $6.14 to $5.52 during this two-hour window.April 13 (18:00–20:00 UTC)The token suddenly fell to $1.38 in the first hour, then to as low as $0.52 in the next — losing over 90% of its value in a single day. Social media erupted with theories, including a rug pull, insider dumping, forced liquidation or exchange manipulation.Mantra’s OM loses over 90% of its value in just a few hours. Source: CoinGeckoApril 13 (20:00–22:00 UTC)Early speculation surrounded a rug pull, sparked by a screenshot of a deleted Telegram channel. This was later debunked, as the deleted group was not Matra’s official channel. Cointelegraph has confirmed that the project’s Telegram is active at the time of writing.Mantra shared its first statement on X, but the brief update was met with immediate backlash from the community.Mantra says OM’s crash was due to “reckless liquidations.” Source: Mantra/ExyApril 13 (22:00–00:00 UTC)Mantra co-founder and CEO John Patrick Mullin posted a more detailed statement on X, claiming OM’s market action was triggered by “reckless forced closures initiated by centralized exchanges on OM account holders.”“The timing and depth of the crash suggest that a very sudden closure of account positions was initiated without sufficient warning or notice,” Mullin said.“That this happened during low-liquidity hours on a Sunday evening UTC (early morning Asia time) points to a degree of negligence at best, or possibly intentional market positioning taken by centralized exchanges.”Related: Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industryApril 14 (00:00–02:00 UTC)In the days leading up to the crash, at least 17 wallets had deposited a total of 43.6 million OM (worth $227 million) into Binance and OKX, according to blockchain tracker Lookonchain.Two of these wallets were labeled as belonging to Laser Digital, a strategic Mantra investor, by blockchain data platform Arkham Intelligence. The label triggered further speculation and allegations against Laser Digital. At the time of writing, the accuracy of Arkham’s labels has not been confirmed, and the platform has not responded to Cointelegraph’s request to clarify.Laser Digital is still tagged on Arkham’s platform. Source: Arkham IntelligenceMeanwhile, Mullin replied to community questions under his X post, suggesting internal findings pointed to one exchange as the main cause of the collapse while stating that it was not Binance.April 14 (02:00–05:00 UTC)Both Binance and OKX responded to the situation. Binance said, “Binance is aware that $OM, the native token of MANTRA, has experienced significant price volatility. Our initial findings indicate that the developments over the past day are a result of cross-exchange liquidations.”OKX CEO Star Xu posted on X, “It’s a big scandal to the whole crypto industry. All of the onchain unlock and deposit data is public, all major exchanges’ collateral and liquidation data can be investigated. OKX will make all of the reports ready!”OKX stated, “Following the incident, we have conducted investigations and identified major changes to the MANTRA token’s tokenomics model since Oct 2024, based on both publicly available on-chain data and internal exchange data.“Our investigation also uncovered that several on-chain addresses have been executing potentially coordinated large-scale deposits and withdrawals across various centralized exchanges since Mar 2025.”April 14 (05:00–12:00 UTC)Laser Digital denied ownership of the wallets tagged by Arkham and reported by Lookonchain, calling them mislabeled.“We want to be absolutely clear: Laser has not deposited any OM tokens to OKX. The wallets being referenced are not Laser wallets,” the company said on X, sharing three token addresses to support its claim that no sales had occurred.Lookonchain also identified another wallet using Arkham data that had remained dormant for a year before becoming active just hours before the crash. The wallet was labeled as belonging to Shane Shin, a founding partner of Shorooq Partners, and received 2 million OM shortly before the collapse.Source: Lookonchain/Shae ShinApril 14 (12:00–13:00 UTC)Mullin joined Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction show and denied reports that key Mantra investors dumped OM before the collapse. He dismissed allegations that the team controlled 90% of the supply.“I think it’s baseless. We posted a community transparency report last week, and it shows all the different wallets,” Mullin said, noting the dual-token setup across Ethereum and the Mantra mainnet. Additionally, he reassured users that OM token recovery is the team’s primary concern. “We’re still in the early stages of putting together this plan for a potential buyback of tokens,” he said. Related: The whale, the hack and the psychological earthquake that hit HEXApril 14 (13:00–16:00 UTC)More theories started emerging. Onchain Bureau claimed market makers at FalconX were responsible for the price crash. They blamed it on the loan option model — a service allowing market makers to borrow tokens and execute guaranteed purchases at contract expiry.“Instead of paying the market maker with a monthly retainer fee, they had a contract signed saying that they would be able to enforce a buy of, for example, 1M tokens at $1 by contract expiry. Clearly, when the contract expired, they enforced the contract and made their bags,” Onchain Bureau said in a now-deleted X post.Shortly afterward, Onchain Bureau followed up, saying FalconX had reached out and denied being Mantra’s market maker. Mullin also responded to the post, stating that FalconX was not the project’s market maker. He described them instead as a trading partner.Meanwhile, crypto detective ZachXBT weighed in, claiming that individuals linked to Reef Finance had allegedly been seeking massive OM-backed loans in the days leading up to the crash.Source: ZachXBTWhat we know of the OM crashSeveral theories have been thrown around. Initial fears ranged from a rug pull to insider trading, which Mantra has denied in several instances by sharing wallet addresses. The team has responded to online comments and media inquiries to assure that they haven’t run away.Mantra has also denied that the price collapse was a result of an expiring deal with market maker FalconX. Some fingers were pointed toward Laser Digital, which said it is a result of mislabeling at Arkham Intelligence. Arkham Intelligence has not responded to Cointelegraph’s request to clarify its labels. However, the Laser Digital tags on Arkham are a low-confidence prediction made by an AI model, not a verified entity with a blue checkmark.Magenta-colored labels on Arkham Intelligence are low-confidence AI predictions, not verified wallets. Source: Arkham IntelligenceIn the days following the OM crash, Mullin stated that he would burn all of his team’s tokens. He later said that he would start by putting his own allocation on the line.Mullin announced that Mantra would publish a post-mortem and followed with a “statement of events” on April 16. The team reiterated that no project-led token sales occurred and that all team allocations remain locked. The statement doubled down on Mantra’s plan to introduce a token buyback and burn program but lacked new information on the cause of the crash.Mullin told Cointelegraph that Mantra has tapped an unnamed blockchain analyst to investigate the underlying cause of the crash, though details remain confidential at this time.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

on April 17, 2025 at 2:06 pm

The World Press said the image "tells the story of one boy, but also of a wider war that will have an impact for generations."

on April 17, 2025 at 2:05 pm

The court's ruling on a request by Russia's Prosecutor General's Office followed last year's adoption of a law stipulating that the official designation as a terrorist organisation could be suspended by a court.

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 17, 2025 at 1:41 pm

Today in crypto, a new report from CoinGecko revealed crypto investor interest has yet to rotate into new narratives as memecoins and artificial intelligence continued to occupy mindshare during the first quarter of 2025, Coinbase has distanced its blockchain network Base from a token it was highly criticized for sharing, and a US appeals court paused the SEC’s case against Ripple amid settlement talks.AI tokens, memecoins dominate crypto narratives in Q1 2025: CoinGeckoThe cryptocurrency market is recycling old narratives, with few new trends emerging to replace the leading themes in the first quarter of 2025.Artificial intelligence tokens and memecoins were the dominant crypto narratives in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 62.8% of investor interest, according to a quarterly research report by CoinGecko. AI tokens captured 35.7% of global investor interest, overtaking the 27.1% share of memecoins, which remained in second place.Out of the top 20 crypto narratives of the quarter, six were memecoin categories while five were AI-related.AI tokens, memecoins, were leading crypto narratives in Q1 2025: CoinGecko“Seems like we have yet to see another new narrative emerge and we are still following past quarters’ trends,” said Bobby Ong, the co-founder and chief operating officer of CoinGecko, in an April 17 X post. “I guess we are all tired from the same old trends repeating themselves.”Interest in memecoins saw a sharp increase ahead of US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 after his team launched the Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin on Jan. 18 and the Official Melania (MELANIA) token on Jan. 19 on the Solana network.However, some industry watchers are concerned that memecoins are draining capital from utility tokens, such as Solana (SOL), limiting their price potential.Coinbase distances Base from highly criticized memecoin that dumped $15 millionCrypto exchange Coinbase has distanced its blockchain network Base from a memecoin it shared on X on April 16 that saw massive backlash after the token rapidly gained, then dropped in value.Base shared an image on X with its marketing tagline, “Base is for everyone,” alongside a link to a token of the same name on Zora, a social network where users can make posts into crypto tokens.The token hit a peak market capitalization of $17.1 million just over an hour after it was created before it then dropped by nearly 90% in the next 20 minutes to $1.9 million before making a recovery.A Coinbase spokeswoman distanced Base from the token, telling Cointelegraph that “Base did not launch a token. This is not an official Base token, and Base did not sell this token.”“Base posted on Zora, which automatically tokenizes content,” the spokeswoman said.G8keep co-founder Harrison Leggio said the token was sniped at launch, with two wallets making off with $300,000 in profits. Source: Harrison Leggio Hundreds of X posts criticized Base over the token, while others argued Base just poorly executed a plan to try to redefine memecoins.Base creator Jesse Pollack also defended Base's creation of the token, saying on X that “someone has to normalize putting all of our content onchain. I'm not afraid for it to be us.”Court grants 60-day pause of SEC, Ripple appeals caseAn appellate court has granted a joint request from Ripple Labs and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to pause an appeal in a 2020 SEC case against Ripple amid settlement negotiations.In an April 16 filing in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the court approved a joint SEC-Ripple motion to hold the appeal in abeyance — temporarily pausing the case — for 60 days. As part of the order, the SEC is expected to file a status report by June 15.The SEC’s case against Ripple and its executives, filed in December 2020, was expected to begin winding down after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced on March 19 that the commission would be dropping its appeal against the blockchain firm. A federal court found Ripple liable for $125 million in an August ruling, resulting in both the SEC and blockchain firm filing an appeal and cross-appeal, respectively.However, once US President Donald Trump took office and leadership of the SEC moved from former chair Gary Gensler to acting chair Mark Uyeda, the commission began dropping multiple enforcement cases against crypto firms in a seeming political shift. Ripple pledged $5 million in XRP to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Garlinghouse and chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty attended events supporting the US president.April 16 order approving a motion to hold an appeal in abeyance. Source: PACER

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 17, 2025 at 1:24 pm

Bybit is shutting down more of its Web3 services after axing its non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace earlier in April.According to an April 16 announcement, the exchange is shutting down its Cloud Wallet (a hosted custodial wallet​), Keyless Wallet (non‑custodial multiparty computation wallet with no seed phrase​), NFT marketplace, multi‑chain decentralized exchange (DEX)​ DEX Pro and the Swap & Bridge cross‑chain swap widget​ on May 31.Source: Bybit Web3On April 28, Bybit will also discontinue Web3 Points, its internal loyalty program that rewarded onchain activity with redeemable points for fee discounts, airdrop boosts and early-bird perks.​On the same day, the exchange will shut down its inscription marketplace, the decentralized NFT marketplace NFT Pro, the gateway to the Apex Pro derivatives DEX, its fiat-to-crypto on-ramp, and its initial DEX offering service.Related: Bybit recovers market share to 7% after $1.4B hackA strategic pivotBybit announced its intention to shut down its NFT marketplace earlier this month. The decision follows a similar decision by major NFT marketplace X2Y2.Still, the firm is not just cutting products. Recent reports indicate that Bybit has integrated the Bitcoin (BTC) yield product of lending protocol Avalon to offer Bitcoin yield to its users. Avalon said it will allow the platform’s users to earn yield from Bitcoin by arbitrating on its fixed-rate institutional borrowing layer.Bybit recently denied claims that it charges $1.4 million to list a token on its platform, following allegations made by a social media user.Related: BitMEX CEO explains how perpetual swaps test altcoin valueBybit refocusing its effortsBybit said it is shutting down the services in order to focus on the quality of its core products. The announcement reads:“In line with our commitment to the evolving onchain ecosystem and delivering high-quality services to our Web3 users, we will be optimizing our current Web3 product and service offerings.“These apparent cost-cutting efforts by the company follow Bybit’s loss of about $1.4 billion in a major hack in February.“Bybit is Solvent even if this hack loss is not recovered, all of the client’s assets are 1 to 1 backed — we can cover the loss.“Bybit had not responded to Cointelegraph’s request for comment by publication.Magazine: Your AI' digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones

by Cointelegraph by Yashu Gola on April 17, 2025 at 1:22 pm

Fartcoin (FARTCOIN), a Solana-based memecoin launched in October 2024, has soared over 370% from its yearly low, outperforming Bitcoin (BTC) even as global trade tensions weigh on broader risk assets.These are the five key reasons why FARTCOIN is rising faster than top cryptocurrencies.FARTCOIN/USDT vs. BTC/USD 30-day price chart comparison. Source: TradingViewPEPE boom similarities fuel FARTCOIN hypeFARTCOIN’s recent surge mirrors the early stages of Pepe’s (PEPE) meteoric rise.In 2023, PEPE launched with a rapid ascent to a $1.8 billion market cap before crashing down to $255 million, according to the PEPE/WETH weekly chart. From there, it bottomed out, consolidated, and then entered a second, even more powerful rally that carried it beyond a $4 billion valuation.PEPE/WETH weekly performance chart. Source: DEX Screener/MacroCRGThe euphoric pump, harsh correction, and quiet accumulation phase look similar to what FARTCOIN is showing now.The Solana memecoin peaked near $2.4 billion earlier this year before undergoing a brutal drawdown. Its valuation dropped to around $365 million, forming a rounded bottom pattern.FARTCOIN/SOL weekly price chart. Source: DEX Screener/MarcoCRGFrom there, FARTCOIN has steadily climbed back, reaching about $949 million this week. That is strikingly similar to PEPE’s post-hype accumulation phase in 2023.“I genuinely think there’s a chance Fartcoin repeats the PEPE playbook and pulls some crazy multiples from here,” wrote market analyst MacroCRG, citing the PEPE memecoin fractal.Fartcoin’s social media hype spikes 500%FARTCOIN appears to be riding a fresh wave of speculative mania, with social media metrics revealing a sharp rise in online activity.FARTCOIN’s social volume (orange line) surged by nearly 500% in early April, preceding its 100%-plus gains in the month, according to data resource LunarCrush. As of April 17, the engagement had cooled slightly, albeit remaining elevated at 177% above baseline.FARTCOIN social volume, dominance and contributors 30-day chart. Source: LunarCrushSocial dominance (purple) and social contributors (blue) have both trended higher, up 162% and 136%, respectively.Rising social media activity in crypto markets often correlates with increased speculative interest, particularly in meme-driven assets. While not a guaranteed indicator of future price action, a surge in social metrics can reflect growing community engagement and heightened visibility, factors that are now coinciding with sharp moves in FARTCOIN.Fartcoin OI jumps over 500%Fartcoin’s open interest (OI) in the futures market has jumped by around 504% so far in 2025, according to data resource CoinGlass. A rising OI indicates a massive influx of capital and attention from traders.FARTCOIN futures open interest. Source: CoinGlassIn contrast, Bitcoin’s OI has declined by 10.5% during the same period, reflecting reduced speculative interest in the leading crypto asset.Adding to the bullish case, FARTCOIN’s funding rates have remained largely positive throughout April, showing that more traders are betting on the price going up than down. FARTCOIN funding rates (8-hour). Source: CoinGlassPeriods of negative funding rates in the FARTCOIN futures market have consistently aligned with disproportionately large short liquidations, highlighting the risks of betting against this popular memecoin.A clear example occurred on April 9, when FARTCOIN’s eight-hour funding rate plunged to -0.023%, signaling a wave of bearish sentiment as traders aggressively shorted the token.FARTCOIN funding rates and liquidation charts. Source: CoinGlass But in a classic short squeeze, FARTCOIN surged by nearly 50% the same day, triggering $9.16 million in short liquidations, compared to just $2.52 million in longs.This stark imbalance underscores a growing pattern: When too many traders lean bearish, FARTCOIN often moves sharply against them. As a result, short sellers appear to be treading carefully, as excessive pessimism has repeatedly backfired, turning negative funding into a setup for explosive upside moves.Fartcoin is founderlessFartcoin’s rise reflects more than just meme-fueled hype—it stems from a unique narrative that actively blends AI innovation with internet absurdity.New Zealand-based AI researcher Andy Ayrey created an AI agent called the Terminal of Truth, which conceived Fartcoin as part of an experiment in merging artificial intelligence with blockchain humor. Source: XThis unusual origin story has caught the attention of traders looking to capitalize on the intersection of AI and crypto, positioning Fartcoin as more than just a typical memecoin.“Unlike most AI plays, it lives free of the execution risks and technical complexity of infra tokens *and* free of the fatigue and noise around tokenized agents,” wrote analyst Ben in December 2024, adding: “This simplicity coupled with absurdity is the perfect recipe for reflexivity: higher price = higher absurdity = higher attention = higher price.”Fartcoin’s team continues to build its brand around viral internet culture, planning a Goatse-inspired film to further fuel engagement. It pushes the absurdity even further by incorporating a digital fart sound into its “Gas Fee” system—turning transaction costs into a deliberately crude punchline that reinforces its meme-first identity.Source: XIn doing so, Fartcoin has leveraged novelty and narrative to attract speculative capital without relying on a roadmap, founder figure or utility. This strategy possibly explains why it has continued to gain momentum while many other tokens stall.Fartcoin price technicals hint at 100% gains nextFARTCOIN’s price rally also has strong technical backing. The four-hour chart of FARTCOIN/USDT shows an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, a classic bullish reversal signal that often marks the end of a downtrend and the beginning of a sustained upward move.This formation includes a left shoulder formed in early February, a deeper head in mid-March, and a right shoulder in early April, all anchored around a horizontal neckline around $0.63.FARTCOIN/USDT four-hour price chart. Source: TradingViewThe pattern confirmed its breakout on April 10 when FARTCOIN surged above the neckline with strong volume. Following the breakout, the price has held above key moving averages — the 50-EMA and 200-EMA — while consolidating just under the $0.90 level.Based on the distance from the head to the neckline, the measured move projection points to an upside target near $1.96, up by over 100% compared to current price levels.This breakout adds a layer of technical confirmation to the ongoing rally, supporting the view that FARTCOIN’s momentum is narrative-driven and structurally supported by bullish chart patterns.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 Ezra Reguerra on April 17, 2025 at 12:47 pm

North Korean hackers linked to the $1.4 billion Bybit exploit are reportedly targeting crypto developers using fake recruitment tests infected with malware. Cybersecurity outlet The Hacker News reported that crypto developers have received coding assignments from malicious actors posing as recruiters. The coding challenges have reportedly been used to deliver malware to unsuspecting developers.Malicious actors approach crypto developers on LinkedIn and tell them about fraudulent career opportunities. Once they convince the developer, the hackers send a malicious document containing the details of a coding challenge on GitHub. If opened, the file installs stealer malware capable of compromising the victim’s system.The scam is reportedly run by a North Korean hacking group known as Slow Pisces, also referred to as Jade Sleet, Pukchong, TraderTraitor and UNC4899. Cybersecurity professionals warn of fraudulent job offers Hakan Unal, senior security operations center lead at security firm Cyvers, told Cointelegraph that the hackers often want to steal developer credentials and access codes. He said these actors often look for cloud configurations, SSH keys, iCloud Keychain, system and app metadata, and wallet access. Luis Lubeck, service project manager at security firm Hacken, told Cointelegraph that they also try to access API keys or production infrastructure. Lubeck said that the main platform used by these malicious actors is LinkedIn. However, the Hacken team observed hackers using freelance marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr as well.“Threat actors pose as clients or hiring managers offering well-paid contracts or tests, particularly in the DeFi or security space, which feels credible to devs,” Lubeck added. Hayato Shigekawa, principal solutions architect at Chainalysis, told Cointelegraph that the hackers often create “credible-looking” employee profiles on professional networking websites and match them with resumes that reflect their fake positions. They make all this effort to ultimately gain access to the Web3 company that employs their targeted developer. “After gaining access to the company, the hackers identify vulnerabilities, which ultimately can lead to exploits,” Shigekawa added. Related: Ethical hacker intercepts $2.6M in Morpho Labs exploitBe wary of unsolicited developer gigsHacken’s onchain security researcher Yehor Rudytsia noted that attackers are becoming more creative, imitating bad traders to clean funds and utilizing psychological and technical attack vectors to exploit security gaps. “This makes developer education and operational hygiene just as important as code audits or smart contract protections,” Rudytsia told Cointelegraph. Unal told Cointelegraph that some of the best practices developers can adapt to avoid falling victim to such attacks include using virtual machines and sandboxes for testing, verifying job offers independently and not running code from strangers. The security professional added that crypto developers must avoid installing unverified packages and use good endpoint protection. Meanwhile, Lubeck recommended reaching out to official channels to verify recruiter identities. He also suggested avoiding storing secrets in plain text format. “Be extra cautious with ‘too-good-to-be-true’ gigs, especially unsolicited ones,” Lubeck added. Magazine: Your AI ‘digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 17, 2025 at 11:59 am

Mantra’s recent token collapse highlights an issue within the crypto industry of fluctuating weekend liquidity levels creating additional downside volatility, which may have exacerbated the token’s crash.The Mantra (OM) token’s price collapsed by over 90% on Sunday, April 13, from roughly $6.30 to below $0.50, triggering market manipulation allegations among disillusioned investors, Cointelegraph reported.While blockchain analysts are still piecing together the reasons behind the OM collapse, the event highlights some crucial issues for the crypto industry, according to Gracy Chen, CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Bitget.“The OM token crash exposed several critical issues that we are seeing not just in OM, but also as an industry,” Chen said during Cointelegraph’s Chainreaction daily X show, adding:“When it’s a token that’s too concentrated, the wealth concentration and the very opaque governance, together with sudden exchange inflows and outflows, [...] combined with the forced liquidation during very low liquidity hours in our industry, created the big drop off.” CEXs hit with outages as AWS runs into trouble. The question is, do we need more decentralization? Today, @RKBaggs and @ZVardai are joined by @GracyBitget, CEO of @Bitgetglobal on #CHAINREACTION to unpack the problem!https://t.co/OPoyu1IORC— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) April 15, 2025Related: Google to enforce MiCA rules for crypto ads in Europe starting April 23At least two wallets linked to Mantra investor Laser Digital were among 17 wallets that moved a combined 43.6 million OM tokens — worth about $227 million at the time — to exchanges before the crash, the blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain reported on April 13, citing Arkham Intelligence data.However, Mantra CEO John Mullin denied the allegations related to large-scale token transfers from Mantra investors, Cointelegraph reported on April 14.Mantra released a post-crash statement on April 16, reiterating that the OM crash didn’t involve token sales by the project itself and that the Mantra team continues investigating the incident. The report did not explain the rapid movement of OM tokens to exchanges and subsequent liquidations.Related: UFC boss Dana White becomes VeChain adviser to push blockchain mainstreamExchange movements point to strong “insider dumping” signalWhile the exact reason behind the collapse remains unclear, Mullin attributed the crash to “massive forced liquidations” on centralized exchanges during low-liquidity hours on Sunday.Mullin told an X user that the Mantra team believes one exchange “in particular” is to blame, but said the team was still “figuring out the details,” and specified that the exchange in question is not Binance. “I think OKX was the main exchange being accused of so-called liquidations,” said Chen, adding that the large transfers to multiple exchanges raised significant red flags. She added:“I did look at the onchain data, which revealed that there were millions of OM tokens moved to centralized exchanges. That’s a very strong signal of insider dumping.”Weekend liquidity issues have impacted even major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC).The lack of weekend trading volume, combined with Bitcoin’s 24/7 liquidity, resulted in Bitcoin’s correction below $75,000 on Sunday, April 6, Cointelegraph reported.The April 6 correction may have occurred due to Bitcoin being the only large tradable asset over the weekend available for de-risking amid global trade war concerns, Lucas Outumuro, head of research at crypto intelligence platform IntoTheBlock, told Cointelegraph.Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 17, 2025 at 11:28 am

Solana (SOL) has seen a remarkable price surge over the last 10 days, climbing 40% from its April 7 low of $95 to around $133 on April 17. The altcoin is up 8% over the last 24 hours.Its daily trading volume has jumped by 41% over the same period to $4.64 billion, reinforcing the intensity of the demand-side activity.SOL/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSeveral factors are driving the SOL price up today, including:The launch of the first spot Solana ETF in Canada.Growth in Solana network deposits.SOL’s strengthening price technicals are targeting $200.Growing institutional adoption of SolanaInstitutional interest in Solana is accelerating, evidenced by significant recent developments surrounding Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs).On April 16, Canada launched the first spot Solana ETFs in North America, issued by asset managers like 3iQ, Purpose, Evolve, and CI. These ETFs, which include staking options to generate yield, provide traditional investors with regulated exposure to SOL, boosting demand and liquidity. Source: Eric Balchunas3iQ’s ETF, for instance, leverages Figment as a staking provider to enhance returns, signaling confidence in Solana’s infrastructure.Additionally, real estate fintech firm Janover doubled its Solana holdings to 163,651 SOL, valued at $21.2 million, after purchasing 80,567 SOL for $10.5 million on April 15. Janover’s strategy, inspired by MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin playbook, includes staking and potentially running validators, reflecting its confidence in Solana’s long-term value.These moves underscore Solana’s growing appeal as a corporate treasury asset and investment vehicle.Increased Solana network inflowsSolana’s network activity has surged, driving capital inflows. Crypto market participants have bridged more than $120 million in liquidity from other blockchains to Solana over the last 30 days, according to data from deBridge. The highest amount was transferred from Ethereum at $41.5 million, followed by a $37.3 million influx from Arbitrum. Meanwhile, Base, BNB Chain, and Sonic users moved $16 million, $14 million, and $6.6 million, respectively.Total transferred amount from other chains to Solana. Source: deBridgeThe current liquidity influx to Solana coincides with the return of double-digit price rallies from memecoins as Popcat (POPCAT), Fartcoin (FARTCOIN), and Bonk (BONK) rose 50%, 26% and 13%, respectively, over the past seven days.Solana memecoins performance. Source: CoinGeckoFurther analysis reveals that the total value locked (TVL) on Solana has increased by 12% over the last seven days to rest at $7.08 billion on April 17, pulling ahead of competitors such as Tron, Base, and Berachain, according to data from DefiLlama. Related: Solana rallies 20% against Ethereum, but is $300 SOL price within reach?Promising signs for Solana include a 30% increase in deposits on Sanctum, a liquid staking application, and 15% growth on Jito and Jupiter. These inflows and growing TVL reflect heightened investor optimism and network adoption, supporting SOL’s recovery from a 14-month low below $100.SOL price validates falling wedge patternSOL price technicals, meanwhile, gained momentum after breaking out of a falling wedge pattern.A falling wedge is a bullish reversal pattern in technical analysis comprising two converging trend lines connecting lower lows and lower highs. The pattern resolves when the price breaks above the upper trendline, hinting at a price rally. After rebounding from a multi-year support trendline near $95, SOL broke above the upper trending line of the wedge at $120, with traders eying the technical target of the wedge at $200, representing a 50% increase from the current price.SOL/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe relative strength index (RSI) has increased from 33 to 55 since April 7, indicating an increasing bullish momentum.However, to sustain the ongoing recovery, Solana price has to first hold above the 50-day simple moving average (SMA), currently at $130, and then overcome the resistance between $160 and $180, where the 100-day and 200-day SMAs are.As Contelegraph reported, a decisive close above the 50-EMA ($135) will increase the likelihood of a rally toward the aforementioned targets. 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 Arijit Sarkar on April 17, 2025 at 11:20 am

As Polygon lays the groundwork for mainstream Web3 adoption in India by bringing blockchain access to over 450 million Reliance Jio users, it remains focused on balancing speed, scalability and affordability, without compromising on decentralization.Polygon is working with Jio, a telecom giant owned by India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, to find ways to infuse blockchain technology into its existing services. The duo is currently adding blockchain-based capabilities to the JioSphere web browser, which would have been expensive, cumbersome and time-consuming via traditional methods.“We’re building at an insane pace, onboarding massive partners, and pushing blockchain into the mainstream, but with that growth comes the responsibility to make sure we’re doing it the right way,” Polygon’s co-founder, Sandeep Nailwal, said while discussing Polygon’s India-focused initiatives with Cointelegraph. Preserving decentralization while ensuring system scalability“Scalability and decentralization don’t have to be either-or, and that’s exactly the balance we’re focused on at Polygon,” Nailwal said as he underscored the importance of keeping the core values of blockchain intact: security, transparency and decentralization.At the same time, Nailwal revealed that Polygon is investing heavily in zero-knowledge technology to make scaling more seamless across the ecosystem. “The goal is to give developers and users the best of both worlds: faster, cheaper transactions without compromising trust or decentralization,” he added.As a result of delivering the combination of low fees, fast transactions and decentralized security, Polygon is already powering some of the most active use cases in Web3, from stablecoin payments on Polygon PoS to real-world tokenization with major institutions: “The key challenge is making blockchain as seamless and accessible as Web2 without compromising what makes it special. That’s why we’re all-in on ZK technology and Agglayer, which let us scale while keeping the ecosystem trustless and interoperable.”Bringing blockchain tech to millions of usersAccording to Nailwal, a one-size-fits-all approach does not work when onboarding 450 million users from India’s diverse population. “We’ll be working closely with Jio to develop use cases that truly resonate with their users, and gradually onboard them onto the chain based on these real-world applications,” he added.Nailwal said that developers never have to compromise on the fundamentals, as Polygon’s infrastructure can scale without sacrificing what makes blockchain powerful in the first place:“What excites me most is that we're moving beyond technical discussions about blockchain to solving real problems for real people. These are the use cases that will drive the next wave of adoption.”“At the end of the day, it’s about more than just technology. We’re here to create a decentralized future that billions of people can actually use. And while that’s a massive challenge, it’s also what excites me the most,” Nailwal said.Related: Indian town adopts Avalanche blockchain for tamper-proof land recordsReal-world problem solving will drive the next wave of adoptionRising threats driven by artificial intelligence tools, including deepfakes and other misinformation campaigns, are another use case blockchain technology can help solve. Nailwal said that the escalating threat of misinformation and growing consumer insistence on trusted sources will eventually result in an uptick of blockchain-based verification tools.Additionally, Nailwal highlighted the growing relevance of Polymarket, a cryptocurrency-based prediction market, in mainstream finance and reporting. “Polymarket’s success is exactly what we’ve been working toward,” he said, adding:“Prediction markets are proving to be incredibly valuable tools for finance, risk assessment, journalism and even governance. They pull in insights from a wide range of sources, often making them more reliable than traditional polling.”Nailwal is placing his full bet on blockchain’s immutable nature to transform economic forecasting, policy-making and journalism, among others.Magazine: Your AI ‘digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 17, 2025 at 11:05 am

Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon saw $1.26 billion in BTC unstaked from its platform, reducing the protocol’s total value locked by 32%. On April 17, blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain flagged several addresses that had unstaked a total of 14,929 Bitcoin (BTC) from the staking platform. The security firm flagged four addresses that had unstaked 299 BTC, 499 BTC, 1,000 BTC and 13,129 BTC. One address held a majority of the unstaked assets worth $1.1 billion. With BTC prices hovering at around $84,400, the total unstaked BTC was worth about $1.26 billion.The unstaking event saw Babylon’s total value locked (TVL) drop by 32%. According to data tracker DefiLlama, Babylon’s TVL declined from $3.97 billion to $2.68 billion after the unstaking.Source: LookonchainUnstaked Bitcoin may be “staked back” to Babylon Community members are speculating on who was behind the unstaking. One X user suspected that the Bitcoin may belong to the Chinese government, while another said the move may simply be a rotation, risk-off, or a trader getting liquid.While it’s unclear who’s behind the four addresses cited by Lookonchain, the fund movements could be related to a transition initiated by the decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Lombard Finance. At the time of the unstaking, Babylon Labs retweeted an announcement from Lombard, saying it was unstaking Bitcoin as part of a transition to a new set of finality providers. Lombard Finance said it timed the unstaking with the end of Babylon’s phase 1 cap 1 on April 24 so users would not miss out on rewards. The protocol said it would stake the assets back. “All of this BTC will be staked back into Babylon as soon as the unbonding is complete,” Lombard Finance wrote. Cointelegraph reached out to Babylon Labs for comments but did not get a response by publication.Related: Bitcoin L2 ’honeymoon phase’ is over, most projects will fail — Muneeb AliBitcoin unstaking follows BABY airdropThe massive unstaking event follows a Babylon airdrop for early adopters. On April 3, Babylon announced the details of its early adopters airdrop program. The airdrop was allocated for its Phase 1 stakers, non-fungible token (NFT) holders and developers. The protocol allocated 600 million BABY tokens for the airdrop event. Following the airdrop, $21 million in BTC was unstaked from the protocol. Bitlayer co-founder Kevin He previously told Cointelegraph that this was a common short-term market behavior representing early redemption.  Babylon is one of the largest Bitcoin DeFi players in the space, with a TVL reaching over $6 billion in December. Babylon co-founder Fisher Yu previously told Cointelegraph that the platform allows staking to be a native use case for Bitcoin, eliminating the need to trust another party while staking. Magazine: Your AI ‘digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones

by Cointelegraph by Helen Partz on April 17, 2025 at 10:11 am

Update (April 17, 8:00 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include Binance's comments to Cointelegraph. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is involved in discussions on establishing strategic digital asset reserves with several countries, its CEO, Richard Teng, said.Binance has been advising multiple governments on establishing strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserves and formulating crypto asset regulations, Teng said in an interview with the Financial Times on April 17.“We have actually received quite a number of approaches by a few governments and sovereign wealth funds on the establishment of their own crypto reserves,” Teng told the FT.Binance confirmed the news to Cointelegraph but denied providing details on the specific countries that sought its assistance or the number of such collaborations with governments.US fuels global crypto reserve spreeAccording to Teng, the main reason for governments approaching Binance for help in handling potential strategic reserves is the new crypto-friendly agenda in the US.“Compared to many other jurisdictions, [the US] are way ahead on that front,” the CEO said.Teng referred to key US crypto policy developments, such as discussions around creating a national Bitcoin reserve and digital asset stockpile. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve seeded with BTC forfeited in federal criminal and civil cases.Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (on the left) next to Pakistan’s deputy prime minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Pakistan Crypto Council CEO Bilal bin Saqib. Source: Pakistan governmentWhile governments of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have announced collaboration with Binance and former CEO Changpeng Zhao on crypto regulations in the past few weeks, none of the jurisdictions mentioned crypto reserve plans on their agenda.Binance shifts stance on headquartersAs Binance deepens its involvement in efforts to help countries set up crypto reserves and regulations, it appears to have shifted away from its no-formal-headquarters approach under Zhao.According to Teng, Binance is “working very hard” on plans for a global headquarters for the exchange.Related: Crypto Biz: Ripple’s ‘defining moment,’ Binance’s ongoing purge“It requires serious deliberation and the board and the senior management are spending a lot of time doing the evaluation,” Teng said, adding: “Hopefully we are able to announce our intentions on that front.”Source: Changpeng “CZ” ZhaoIn 2019, Zhao said that offices and headquarters are “old concepts like SMS and MMS.”The shift comes as more jurisdictions adopt clearer frameworks for regulating crypto businesses. Binance was subject to heavy scrutiny and investigations by multiple governments in 2020.Cointelegraph approached Binance for comment regarding its crypto policy collaboration with governments worldwide, but had not received a response by the time of publication.Magazine: How crypto laws are changing across the world in 2025

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 10:03 am

The report comes as a result of leaks to the New York Times. Which, given the nature of the subject matter and administration officials involved, indicates the sourcing is from the domestic IC side of things. Specifically, the greatest likelihood is from someone in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) talking to The post REPORT: President Trump Opposed Israeli Strikes on Iran Nuclear Sites appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by William Suberg on April 17, 2025 at 9:44 am

Bitcoin (BTC) has a new gold-inspired $155,000 target, as analysis describes both assets as “remarkably impressive.”In a post on X on April 16, trading and analytics account Cryptollica predicted BTC/USD would copy gold to hit new all-time highs.Analysis sees key BTC price similarities to goldBitcoin has made headlines for its inability to follow in gold’s record-breaking footsteps in 2025.While XAU/USD continues to see repeated record highs, BTC/USD is down 9.3% year-to-date, data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows.BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewDespite calls for an imminent “blow-off top” for gold, Bitcoin bulls hope that after a delay of several months, its “digital” equivalent will follow suit.For Cryptollica, this means BTC/USD breaking out of a consolidatory wedge structure to swiftly reclaim six figures and more.“Bitcoin midterm target: 155K $,” it told X followers.XAU/USD vs. BTC/USD. Source: Cryptollica/XBTC price performance already has various potential tailwinds at its disposal, all of which have fueled bull runs in the past.As Cointelegraph reported, these include a declining US Dollar Index (DXY) and all-time highs in the global M2 money supply.Bitcoin “remarkably impressive” during trade warContinuing, onchain analytics firm Glassnode argued that despite the price performance disparity, Bitcoin and gold have weathered the current macroeconomic storm remarkably well.Related: Can 3-month Bitcoin RSI highs counter bearish BTC price ‘seasonality?’“Amid this turmoil, the performance of hard assets remains remarkably impressive,” it said in the latest edition of its regular newsletter, “The Week Onchain,” published on April 16. “Gold continues to surge higher, having reached a new ATH of $3,300, as investors flee to the traditional safe haven asset. Bitcoin sold off to $75k initially alongside risk assets, but has since recovered the weeks gains, trading back up to $85k, now flat since this burst of volatility.”XAU/USD vs. BTC/USD (screenshot). Source: GlassnodeGlassnode said that gold and BTC are “increasingly entering the center stage as global neutral reserve assets.”In terms of the BTC price drawdown, analysts stressed the fact that by historical standards, the dip versus all-time highs remains modest at around 30%.“In prior macroeconomic events like last week, Bitcoin has typically experienced greater than -50% sell-offs in such events, which highlights a degree of robustness of modern investor sentiment toward the asset during unfavorable conditions,” it wrote, referring to the ongoing US-China trade war.Bitcoin bull market drawdowns (screenshot). Source: GlassnodeThis 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 17, 2025 at 9:39 am

The cryptocurrency market is still recycling old narratives, with few new trends yet to emerge and replace the dominant themes in the first quarter of 2025.Artificial intelligence tokens and memecoins were the dominant crypto narrative in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 62.8% of investor interest, according to a quarterly research report by CoinGecko. AI tokens captured 35.7% of global investor interest, overtaking the 27.1% share of memecoins, which remained in second place.Out of the top 20 crypto narratives of the quarter, six were memecoin categories while five were AI-related.AI tokens, memecoins, were leading crypto narratives in Q1 2025: CoinGecko“Seems like we have yet to see another new narrative emerge and we are still following past quarters’ trends,” said Bobby Ong, the co-founder and chief operating officer of CoinGecko, in an April 17 X post. “I guess we are all tired from the same old trends repeating themselves.”Related: Bitcoin still on track for $1.8M in 2035, says analystInterest in memecoins saw a sharp increase ahead of US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 after his team launched the Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin on Jan. 18 and the Official Melania (MELANIA) token on Jan. 19 on the Solana network.However, some industry watchers are concerned that memecoins are draining capital from utility tokens, such as Solana (SOL), limiting their price potential.SOL/USDT, 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSOL has fallen by around 48% in the past three months since Trump’s inauguration, when it briefly peaked above $270, TradingView data shows.Related: Ethereum L2 development is ‘double-edged sword’ for ETH valueMemecoins “fell off a cliff” after Libra fiascoThe crypto industry took another hit after the collapse of the Libra (LIBRA) token, a memecoin endorsed by Argentine President Javier Milei, which wiped out $4 billion in market value within hours after insiders allegedly withdrew over $107 million in liquidity, causing a 94% price crash.Libra token crash. Source: Kobeissi LetterMemecoins “fell off a cliff” after the Libra scandal as the number of new tokens deployed on Solana’s Pump.fun saw a drastic fall, the report stated, adding:“Daily tokens deployed has fallen by over 56.3% from its peak in January to 31K at the end of 2025 Q1. The percentage of ‘graduated’ tokens also fell drastically to 0.7%, compared to 1.4% in 2025 January.”Memecoins deployed and graduated on Pump.fun. Source: CoinGeckoWhile the Libra scandal marked the end of the “politicam memecoin” trend, the industry’s most profitable traders are still hunting for speculative memecoin investments despite the end of the memecoin supercycle.“There was the recent meme surge and smart money is always happy to capitulate on that,” Nicolai Sondergaard, a research analyst at Nansen, told Cointelegraph, adding that memecoins may only be a “fun play” for smart investors, as they aren’t affected by the same macroeconomic concerns as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).At the end of March, a savvy trader turned an initial investment of just $2,000 into $43 million with the popular Pepe (PEPE) memecoin, but missed selling the top, locking in a realized profit of over $10 million, despite Pepe’s over 70% decline.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Joseph Hathaway-Wilson on April 17, 2025 at 9:35 am

Lisa Siebert has called for the Liberal Party's proposed royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities to be expanded to all Australian children.

by Simon Smale on April 17, 2025 at 9:05 am

The Dragons move into the NRL top eight with a battling, 20-18 victory over the Sea Eagles at Brookvale. 

by Simon Smale on April 17, 2025 at 9:04 am

Super W champions the Waratahs have been beaten 36-5 in atrocious conditions by the Blues in the first ever Super Rugby Women's Champions clash in Auckland.