Alternative News for You

by Emma Field and Annie Brown on April 17, 2025 at 8:25 am

Fruit and vegetable traders at Melbourne Market say a revised rent proposal from the state government landlord is still too expensive.

by Elizabeth Byrne on April 17, 2025 at 7:44 am

It comes as the court heard there is a fifth alleged victim in the case. The doctor has pleaded not guilty.

by Stephen Dziedzic and Annika Burgess on April 17, 2025 at 7:41 am

After news of Russia wanting access to an Indonesian air base, the obvious question is, what would it gain?

on April 17, 2025 at 7:37 am

Ricky Nixon, a formerly powerful figure the AFL, is charged by police following social media posts which police allege were threatening.

by Chris De Silva on April 17, 2025 at 7:21 am

Dante Exum makes an instant impact off the bench for the Dallas Mavericks in a win over the Sacramento Kings whose GM Monte McNair parts ways with the club after a disappointing season.

by Kate Ainsworth on April 17, 2025 at 7:10 am

The Coalition is demanding Labor clarify its stance on negative gearing after Anthony Albanese dodged questions over Treasury modelling changes to the policy during the second leaders debate.

by Bryn Wakefield and Liam O'Connell on April 17, 2025 at 6:55 am

North Queensland police say there is a worrying rise in the number of children — some as young as 12 — riding high-powered modified e-bikes that can reach speeds up to 80kph.

on April 17, 2025 at 6:53 am

King Charles III is set to attend the Church of England's annual Maundy Thursday service and says there are three virtues the world in 2025 still needs: 'faith, hope and love'.

by Justine Longmore and Annie Brown on April 17, 2025 at 6:46 am

A pesticide called fipronil caused the deaths, but how the bees came into contact with it is yet to be established.

by Kelly Fuller on April 17, 2025 at 6:39 am

At a private roundtable this week, senior legal, government and health leaders mapped out what it would take and why the regions can't afford to wait. 

by Brett Worthington on April 17, 2025 at 6:27 am

Everyone was spurred into action on the campaign trail — explaining, defending and backtracking — after last night's leaders' debate. 

by Jacob Greber on April 17, 2025 at 6:15 am

The Coalition has sent voters contradictory messages about whether it has accounted for the vast water requirements of its seven proposed nuclear plants after Peter Dutton declared the issue all but resolved.

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 17, 2025 at 6:15 am

A Russian finance ministry official has reportedly said the country should be developing its own stablecoin after a recent freeze on wallets linked to the sanctioned Russian exchange Garantex by US authorities and stablecoin issuer Tether. Deputy director of Russia’s Finance Ministry’s financial policy department, Osman Kabaloev, said the Kremlin should be exploring the possibility of developing a stablecoin like Tether’s (USDT) to avoid similar actions in the future, according to April 16 reports by Reuters and the state-owned news agency TASS.“We do not impose restrictions on the use of stablecoins within the experimental legal regime. Recent developments have shown that this instrument can pose risks for us,” Kabaloev told TASS.“This leads us to consider the need to develop internal instruments akin to USDT, potentially pegged to other currencies.”On March 6, the US Department of Justice collaborated with authorities in Germany and Finland to freeze domains associated with Garantex, which authorities claimed processed over $96 billion worth of criminal proceeds since launching in 2019.Stablecoin operator Tether also froze $27 million worth of its stablecoin on March 6, forcing Garantex to halt all operations, including withdrawals.The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control first hit Garantex with sanctions in April 2022 over alleged money laundering violations.Russian crypto exchange Garantex had to halt withdrawals after Tether Froze $27 million of its USDT. Source: US Department of JusticeGarantex has allegedly resurfaced under a new name after reportedly laundering millions in ruble-backed stablecoins and transferring them to a newly established exchange, a Swiss blockchain analytics firm has claimed.Russia already making crypto moves Meanwhile, Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber, proposed on March 20 to create a Russian government crypto fund that would include assets confiscated from criminal proceedings.Related: $1T stablecoin supply could drive next crypto rally — CoinFund’s PakmanAt the same time, other officials were progressing with new legislation on recognizing crypto as property for the purposes of criminal procedure legislation.The whole stablecoin market capitalization has grown since mid-2023, surpassing $200 billion in early 2025. A joint report from onchain analysis platforms Artemis and Dune, meanwhile, showed that active stablecoin wallets increased by over 50% in one year. Stablecoins also saw massive adoption in 2024, driven by the increased use of bots, with total stablecoin volumes reaching $27.6 trillion, surpassing the combined volumes of Visa and Mastercard by 7.7%. Magazine: DeFi will rise again after memecoins die down: Sasha Ivanov, X Hall of Flame

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 17, 2025 at 6:07 am

The tone of Bitcoin-related social media posts has flipped to bullish according to crypto analytics platform Santiment, despite Bitcoin continuing to swing around $85,000.“Traders are showing optimism that BTC can regain $90K, which will likely be dependent on tariff and global economy news as the week progresses,” Santiment said in an April 16 X post. The last time Bitcoin (BTC) traded above $90,000 was March 6.Traders regaining confidence in BitcoinSantiment’s social media tracker, which measures how social media users feel about crypto based on the tone of their posts, moved into “bullish territory” on April 16 with a score of 1.973. Before that, it was neutral, with a score below 1.606, as social media users were unsure about where Bitcoin’s price was headed as it “has been repeatedly crossing above and below $85K,” Santiment added.Bitcoin tapped as high as $86,000 on April 15 before retracing down to $83,000 the following day. Bitcoin is trading at $84,390 at the time of publication, according to CoinMarketCap.Bitcoin is up 2.73% over the past seven days. Source: CoinMarketCapIf Bitcoin reclaims the $85,000 price level, approximately $254 million in short positions will be at risk of liquidation, according to CoinGlass.In the past 24 hours, several popular crypto accounts on X have shared bullish comments on Bitcoin. Samson Mow’s firm Jan3 said that Bitcoin hitting $500,000 “isn’t crazy.”Crypto trader “Ted” said, “Global money supply is going up, and eventually, this liquidity will go into Bitcoin. Just wait and watch.” Meanwhile, crypto trader Titan of Crypto said that “according to Dow Theory, BTC remains in an uptrend, consistently printing higher highs and higher lows.”Related: Bitcoin’s wide price range to continue, no longer a ’long only’ bet — AnalystOther crypto sentiment trackers are not flashing as bullish, however. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which measures overall market sentiment, reads a “Fear” score of 30 out of 100.It comes after the crypto market posted its weakest first quarter performance in years. Bitcoin and Ether (ETH), the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, saw price declines of 11.82% and 45.41%, respectively, over Q1 2025 — a quarter that has historically seen strong results for both assets. Magazine: Your AI’ digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved onesThis 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.

on April 17, 2025 at 6:04 am

A Papua New Guinea-based team will enter the NRL in 2028, but the league hopes to have a number of players from the Kumuls flourishing in the league in the preceding years.

by Cointelegraph by Martin Young on April 17, 2025 at 6:03 am

A US federal judge has agreed to pause a lawsuit filed by 18 state attorneys general and the crypto lobby group DeFi Education Fund against the Securities and Exchange Commission after all parties said new SEC leadership could make the action moot.Kentucky District Court Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove ordered a 60-day stay on the case on April 16, noting a mid-March filing from the SEC that “this case could potentially be resolved” due to a leadership transition at the regulator.He added that the parties must file a joint status report within 30 days.Paul Atkins, a Wall Street adviser who has held board positions with crypto advocacy groups, was sworn in as the new SEC chair earlier this month, replacing acting chair Mark Uyeda and taking over from Gary Gensler.The 18 attorneys general, all hailing from Republican states, filed the lawsuit with the DeFi Education Fund against the securities regulator in November, alleging that the SEC exceeded its authority when targeting crypto exchanges with lawsuits, accusing the regulator and then-chair Gensler of “gross government overreach.” The plaintiffs included attorneys general from Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi, Ohio, Montana, Indiana, Oklahoma and Florida, among others.“Without Congressional authorization, the SEC has sought to unilaterally wrest regulatory authority away from the States through an ongoing series of enforcement actions,” the lawsuit stated. Screenshot from filing ordering pause of proceedings. Source: CourtListenerDeFi groups drop case against IRS over killed broker ruleMeanwhile, the DeFi Education Fund, Blockchain Association, and Texas Blockchain Council dropped their lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service on April 16. “The parties hereby stipulate to voluntary dismissal of this action without prejudice because the case has become moot,” stated the filing. The lawsuit, filed in December, argued that the so-called IRS DeFi broker rule went beyond the agency’s authority and was unconstitutional.Related: NY attorney general urges Congress to keep pensions crypto-free — ‘No intrinsic value’On April 11, President Donald Trump signed a bill to revoke the rule that would have required DeFi protocols to report transactions to the IRS.It comes as the SEC has paused or dropped several high-profile lawsuits against crypto companies this year under its new leadership.Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Hannah Jose on April 17, 2025 at 5:56 am

Conservationists and journalists say they’re being threatened with legal action after raising questions about the impact of India's largest zoo. 

by David Weber on April 17, 2025 at 5:51 am

Brodie Palmer, one of four people accused of murdering Indigenous teenager Cassius Turvey, tells the WA Supreme Court he didn't help his friend assault the 15-year-old, or stomp on his head.

by Cindy Wockner and Peter Gunders on April 17, 2025 at 5:49 am

The two men who wish to lead the country for the next three years went head to head on the big issues last night in their second debate. Here's what ABC Your Say participants thought.

on April 17, 2025 at 5:37 am

There were two people on board, and one of them has suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment.

by Isabella Carbone on April 17, 2025 at 5:33 am

South Australians are being urged to take care with campfires over Easter, as the fire danger season is extended for the Mount Lofty Ranges. Beachgoers are also being warned to assess local conditions as an algal bloom persists along parts of the coast.  

by Jo Lauder on April 17, 2025 at 5:32 am

Last night's leaders debate revealed a clear difference between how Labor and the Liberals view the role of climate change in more frequent and severe weather affecting Australia.

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 17, 2025 at 5:30 am

Transaction costs on the Ethereum network have dropped to the lowest level in five years as the amount of activity on the blockchain is in a lull, according to the onchain analytics platform Santiment.Ethereum network fees are now around $0.168 per transaction and the reduction in fees coincides with fewer people sending Ether (ETH) and interacting with smart contracts, Santiment marketing director Brian Quinlivan said in an April 17 blog post.“When many people are using Ethereum, users bid higher fees to get their transactions confirmed faster This drives the average costs up,” Quinlivan said.“When fewer people are transacting, like we see now, users don’t need to bid much. As a result, the average fee drops,” he explained. “It’s essentially a supply and demand system.”Source: SantimentQuinlivan said that, from a trading perspective, low fees can preclude a price rebound, still, he added that traders appear to be patiently waiting for the global economic uncertainty to pass before scaling up their usual frequency of Ether and altcoin transactions.Traditional and crypto markets tanked after US President Trump’s sweeping tariffs were announced on April 2. Many assets haven’t recovered to the same level as before their unveiling, despite tariff exemptions and a 90-day pause for most countries.ETH has fallen over 12.5% in the past 14 days and has traded flat over the past 24 hours, hovering just under $1,600, according to CoinGecko.“We can visibly see the increased sensitivity toward Ethereum discussions and tariff/economy news as prices have really threatened long-time support levels,” Quinlivan said.“The more the retail community leans away from an asset, especially one with still thriving development, the higher the likelihood of an eventual surprise rebound with little resistance,” he added.  Pectra upgrade on the wayAfter delays due to configuration issues and an unknown attacker causing headaches during the Holesky and Sepolia testnet activations, the Pectra upgrade for the Ethereum network is now scheduled to go live on the mainnet on May 7.Phase one is expected to double the layer-2 blob capacity from three to six, reduce transaction fees and network congestion and allow fees to be paid in stablecoins like USDC (USDC) and DAI (DAI).Related: Ethereum devs prepare final Pectra test before mainnet launchThe maximum staking limit will also be increased from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH.The second phase of Pectra is expected in late 2025 or early 2026 and will introduce a new data structure to enhance data storage efficiency and a system that improves scalability by enabling nodes to verify transaction data without storing the entire data set.The Pectra fork follows the network’s Dencun upgrade in March 2024, which slashed transaction fees for layer-2 networks and improved the economics of Ethereum rollups.Magazine: What are native rollups? Full guide to Ethereum’s latest innovation

by Cointelegraph by Brayden Lindrea on April 17, 2025 at 5:15 am

The firm behind the Solana-based automated market maker (AMM) Raydium has launched its memecoin-making protocol, LaunchLab, which looks to compete with Pump.fun.The arrival of LaunchLab on April 16 comes a month after Pump.fun, previously a key contributor to Raydium’s revenue, severed ties with the firm by moving its token migration from Raydium’s liquidity pools to its own new decentralized exchange, PumpSwap.LaunchLab will leverage Raydium’s liquidity pools and aim to dethrone Pump.fun as the leading Solana memecoin launchpad.Raydium said LaunchLab provides memecoin enthusiasts with customizable bonding curves and no migration fees, while tokens that raise 85 Solana (SOL) — currently worth $11,150 — will transition to Raydium’s AMM instantly.Around 10 LaunchLab tokens have already surpassed this threshold, according to the LaunchLab platform.Raydium said tokens can be launched for free and creators can opt-in to earn 10% of trading fees from the AMM pool post-graduation.Source: RaydiumLaunchLab trading fees are set at 1%, and 25% of those fees will be used for Raydium (RAY) buybacks.Related: Trump’s next crypto play will be Monopoly-style game — ReportThe news triggered a near 14% price surge of the RAY token, pushing it up to $2.41 four hours after the announcement before falling back to $2.21 at the time of writing, CoinGecko data shows.PumpSwap volume on a tearPumpSwap’s daily record in trading volume has now been broken five days in a row after posting $460 million on April 17.The April 17 tally narrowly edged out the $454.9 million in trading volume seen on April 16, making it the fourth consecutive day above $400 million.Daily change in trading volume on PumpSwap since March 22. Source: DefiLlamaPumpSwap has now processed $7.3 billion worth of volume since it launched on March 22, DefiLlama data shows.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Chantelle Al-Khouri on April 17, 2025 at 5:02 am

A report by the NSW auditor-general reveals the hospital was not effectively delivering the best health services and clinical outcomes for the community.

on April 17, 2025 at 4:54 am

Tasmania Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of a two-vehicle crash that led to the death of a motorcyclist. 

by Cointelegraph by Martin Young on April 17, 2025 at 4:43 am

Artificial intelligence startups received the lion’s share of venture capital investments across the globe in the first quarter of 2025, according to new data from Pitchbook.“Investors still have an AI FOMO [fear of missing out] problem,” the research firm said in an April 17 report, which revealed that 57.9% of global venture capital dollars in Q1 went to AI and machine learning startups.Comparatively, the first quarter of 2024 saw just 28% of VC dollars channeled into AI startups.Pitchbook said the capital flowing into AI was even more concentrated in North America, with 70% of venture funding in the region going into AI startups in the first quarter.The global AI sector raised $73 billion in the first quarter, which was more than half of the total value of AI-related deals made last year. However, more than half of that was for OpenAI, which closed a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank on March 31.Other notable AI funding rounds in March included Anthropic, which raised $3.5 billion in a Series E round. “The fear of somebody else winning your market has never been higher than it is now,” said Maria Palma, general partner at Freestyle Capital. “You haven’t seen a slowdown because the rate of change on the technology side is almost indigestible,” she added. Nnamdi Okike, co-founder and managing partner at 645 Ventures, cautioned that there are extremes happening, “and that’s going to mean there’s going to be a lot of losers.” “A lot of VC funds are just kind of saying, ‘Hey, this can only go up.’ And that’s usually a recipe for failure — when that starts to happen, you’re becoming detached from reality,” he added.AI deals as a share of all global VC deal activity. Source: PitchBookCrypto venture capital creeps up Comparatively, crypto and blockchain startups raised just $4.8 billion in Q1, according to CryptoRank. Almost half of that, $2 billion, was Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX investing in Binance. This was still over four times as much as the $1.1 billion raised in the fourth quarter of 2024, and the biggest quarter for crypto venture capital deal value since the third quarter of 2022.Related: Crypto VCs ‘excited’ about AI agents but not yet investingCrypto venture capital appears to be warming again with a friendlier regulatory environment emerging in the US.On April 17, Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Ventures Fund I was reportedly set to exceed its $150 million funding target and could hit $180 million when it closes at the end of June. Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Luke Cooper on April 17, 2025 at 4:41 am

The United States' most populous jurisdiction, California, and its Governor Gavin Newsom are suing the Trump administration in a lawsuit aimed at blocking President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on foreign trading partners.

by Luke Goodsell on April 17, 2025 at 4:40 am

Based on a true story, this heartwarming film stars Steve Coogan as a grumpy English teacher, and a scene-stealing penguin as the one who might just save him.

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 4:20 am

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency. This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread. Posted in The post April 17th – 2025 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day 88 appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Romy Gilbert on April 17, 2025 at 4:17 am

A 54-year-old man has died despite frantic efforts to save him after he was pulled from the water unresponsive at Bawley Point on the NSW South Coast.  

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 4:15 am

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL. The post Thursday April 17th – Open Thread appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Lauren Smith on April 17, 2025 at 4:12 am

An interim report into the collision between a container ship and the sail-training ship STS Leeuwin in Fremantle Port last year provides new details on the accident, which severely damaged the Leeuwin and injured two of its crew.

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 4:10 am

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr provides an update on the latest scientific study of the growth in Autism cases within the U.S and a new HHS initiative to find the root causes. As noted by RFK Jr, there is no longer any valid scientific debate about the rate of growth in The post HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr Outlines Autism as a Preventable Disease, and New HHS Program to Find Root Environmental Causes appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 4:08 am

President Trump hosted a group of faith leaders from the U.S. at the White House for an Easter prayer service and dinner event.  Franklin Graham delivered remarks and introduced President Trump. [Video Prompted] . Posted in Celebrations, Christian Values, Culture, President Trump, Religion, Uncategorized The post Franklin Graham and President Donald Trump Deliver Remarks at White House Easter Prayer Dinner appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Sundance on April 17, 2025 at 4:05 am

Not since the Sandra Fluke election operation have the intel democrats coordinated so heavily with their media allies to organize support for a random person within the political/social narrative space, as they have with Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Apparently, the controlled U.S. media and their leftist politicians in office are choosing to use Garcia as a The post #77 – Pam Bondi Outlines Timeline and History of MS13 Illegal Alien, Kilmar Abrego Garcia appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 17, 2025 at 3:50 am

Despite recent major developments in the crypto industry, the market has just posted its weakest Q1 performance in years — but a crypto analyst is pointing to several catalysts that could make Q2 more promising.“Frustrating. That’s the best word to describe the past quarter,” Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said in a recent market report, calling Q1 the “best worst quarter in crypto’s history.”Bitcoin and Ether took an unusual hit in Q1Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, saw price declines of 11.82% and 45.41%, respectively, over Q1 2025 — a quarter that has historically seen strong results for both assets. Since 2013, Q1 has been Bitcoin’s second-strongest quarter on average (51.2%) and historically the best for Ether (77.4%), according to CoinGlass data.Historically, Q1 2025 is the second-best performing quarter for Bitcoin on average, but it’s the best for Ether. Source: CoinGlassHougan pointed to a few key catalysts that could help crypto deliver more upside to Q2. He noted the rise in global money supply, which “after years of tightening, central banks across the globe are signaling a shift toward monetary easing and M2 expansion.”“Historically, these conditions have been favorable for risk assets, particularly for digital assets,” Hougan said. Echoing a similar sentiment, Pav Hundal, the lead analyst at Australian crypto exchange Swyftx, told Cointelegraph in February that “in normal times, global loosening measures are a pretty reliable lead indicator for crypto.”More recently, on April 14, analyst Colin Talks Crypto said, “Global M2 has remained at an ATH for 3 days in a row.” Bitcoin moves in the direction of global M2 83% of the time, economist Lyn Alden wrote in a September research report.BTC/USD vs global M2 supply. Source: Colin Talks CryptoHougan also said the “clean sweep of pro-regulations” in the US may be another bullish factor for the crypto market. “This is the long tail of regulatory clarity that no one is talking about, and it’s just getting started,” Hougan said.The rise in stablecoin assets under management may also be a positive indicator that more upside will come this year in the crypto market. Hougan said during the first quarter, stablecoin assets under management surged to “an all-time high of over $218 million.”“Growing stablecoin adoption will benefit adjacent sectors, including DeFi and other crypto applications,” he said. Related: Bitcoin rally to $86K shows investor confidence, but it’s too early to confirm a trend reversalThe firm also said that the “geopolitical chaos” seen in the global economy during Q1 2025, mainly after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration through his tariffs, “are pushing global investors to reassess their portfolios.”It comes only days after Hougan recently reiterated his prediction that Bitcoin may surge approximately 138% from its current price of $84,080 by the end of the year.“In December, Bitwise predicted that Bitcoin would end the year at $200,000. I still think that’s in play,” Hougan said.Meanwhile, crypto exchange Coinbase recently said, “When the sentiment finally resets, it’s likely to happen rather quickly, and we remain constructive for the second half of 2025.”Magazine: Riskiest, most ‘addictive’ crypto game of 2025, PIXEL goes multi-game: Web3 GamerThis 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 Biraajmaan Tamuly on April 17, 2025 at 3:26 am

Over the past 30 days, crypto market participants have bridged more than $120 million in liquidity to Solana (SOL) from other blockchains, signaling renewed confidence in the network. Traders transferred the highest amount from Ethereum (ETH) at $41.5 million, followed by a $37.3 million influx from Arbitrum, according to data from Debridge. Meanwhile, users on Base, BNB Chain and Sonic moved $16 million, $14 million and $6.6 million, respectively. Total transferred amount from other chains to Solana. Source: debridgeThe return of liquidity to Solana paints a stark contrast to the network's recent challenges. Following Argentina’s LIBRA memecoin scandal, which ensnared President Javier Milei, Solana saw investors move $485 million to other blockchains like Ethereum and BNB Chain. The current liquidity influx to Solana coincides with the return of double-digit price rallies from memecoins as POPCAT, FARTCOIN, BONK and WIF rose 79%, 51%, 25% and 21%, respectively, over the past seven days. However, further analysis shows the total generated fees for March coming in just under $46 million. For context, Solana’s fees peaked at over $400 million in January 2025. Currently, the total fees generated for the month of April are roughly $22 million. Solana total generated fees and revenue. Source: DefiLlamaRelated: Spot Solana ETFs to launch in Canada this weekSolana price has a tough uphill climb aheadFrom a technical perspective, Solana remains in a bearish trend on the 1-day chart. SOL must exhibit a bullish break of structure by closing a daily candle above $147 for a bullish trend shift. Solana 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSolana remains under the $140 level, with the 50-day exponential moving average (blue line) acting as a strong resistance. A bullish close above the 50-EMA would have increased the likelihood of a positive trend reversal, but SOL prices have stalled at current levels. On a lower time frame (LTF) chart, Solana exhibited a bearish divergence between the price and relative strength index (RSI) indicator. Historically, a bearish divergence setup has signaled a correction period for Solana in 2025. SOL has experienced four bearish divergences since January, each following a price decline. Solana 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThere is a strong similarity between its previous and current bearish divergence. Both setups took place after the price moved temporarily above the 50-day and 100-day EMA (blue and green line) on the 4-hour chart, eventually leading to a price drop. Thus, it is possible that Solana could follow a similar path in the next few days. The 1-day demand zone is the immediate area of interest for a bounce between $115 and $108. Meanwhile, in a recent X post, Glassnode reported a significant shift in Solana’s realized price distribution, with over 32 million SOL bought at the $130 level over the past few days. That is 5% of the total supply, which means the $130 level could be a strong support level in the future. The analysis added,“Below $129, we see 18M $SOL (3%) at $117.99, while above, 27M $SOL(4.76%) sit at $144.54. In the short term, $144 could act as resistance and $117 as the lower bound of the price range, with $129 serving as the key pivot zone.”Solana UTXO realized price. Source: GlassnodeRelated: Bitcoin price recovery could be capped at $90K — Here’s whyThis 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 Martin Young on April 17, 2025 at 3:19 am

Michael Novogratz’s Galaxy Ventures Fund I LP is expected to raise around $175 million to $180 million by the end of June to build a portfolio of 30 crypto and blockchain startups.According to an April 17 Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, the fund —  which has had a focus on payments and stablecoins — has surpassed its goal of raising $150 million.The fund closing above target comes at a time when crypto venture capital is thin on the ground despite an industry-friendly administration in the United States. Earlier this year, Novogratz’s firm reported that 2024 was also a tough year for crypto VC despite potential market drivers such as Bitcoin ETFs, the memecoin craze, and AI agents, which it said were “not particularly suited to venture capital.” Venture capitalists invested $11.5 billion into crypto and blockchain-focused startups across 2,153 deals in 2024, it reported. This was slightly higher than the $10 billion invested in 2023 but way down from over $30 billion invested in 2022. Crypto VC investments in America have also decreased by 22% to around $1.3 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to Pitchbook. It also reported that there has been a pivot to AI, with the sector taking 58% of global venture dollars in the first quarter.Global crypto VC funding reached $4.8 billion in Q1, the highest since Q3 2022, reported CryptoRank earlier this month. However, the $2 billion investment in Binance from Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX was almost half of that. Crypto VC funding by quarter. Source: CryptoRankRelated: Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital gets SEC nod for Nasdaq listingThe initial close for the Galaxy Ventures Fund I was in June 2024, when it raised $113 million. At the time, the fund’s portfolio included synthetic dollar issuer Ethena; M^Zero, a stablecoin liquidity DeFi protocol; layer-1 blockchain Monad; layer-2 tokenized asset chain Plume; and Renzo, a protocol supporting derivatives on assets locked in EigenLayer and Ethereum. Crypto doing what its supposed to doGalaxy CEO Mike Novogratz remains confident in crypto and Bitcoin (BTC), stating on X on April 16 that it is “doing what it’s supposed to,” and “acting as a report card on financial stewardship.”“In times of uncertainty, it reflects both the flight to safety and a long-term bet on a new financial system. But as a young asset, it still needs calm to grow. Adoption doesn’t thrive in disorder.”Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 17, 2025 at 3:11 am

The founder and lead developer of Ethereum Name Service has warned his X followers of an “extremely sophisticated” phishing attack that can impersonate Google and trick users into giving out login credentials. The phishing attack exploits Google’s infrastructure to send a fake alert to users informing them that their Google data is being shared with law enforcement due to a subpoena, ENS’ Nick Johnson said in an April 16 post to X. “It passes the DKIM signature check, and GMail displays it without any warnings - it even puts it in the same conversation as other, legitimate security alerts,” he said. The fake subpoena appears to be from a Google no-reply domain. Source: Nick JohnsonAs part of the attack, users are offered the chance to view the case materials or protest by clicking a support page link, which uses Google Sites, a tool that can be used to build a website on a Google subdomain, according to Johnson. “From there, presumably, they harvest your login credentials and use them to compromise your account; I haven’t gone further to check,” he said.The Google domain name makes the email appear legitimate, but Johnson points out there are still clear signs it’s a phishing scam — such as it being forwarded from a private email address.Scammers exploit Google systems In an April 11 report, software firm EasyDMARC explained that the phishing scam works by weaponizing Google Sites. Anyone with a Google account can create a site that looks legitimate and is hosted under a trusted Google-owned domain.They also use the Google OAuth app, where the “key trick is that you can put anything you want in the App Name field in Google,” and use a domain via Namecheap that allows them to “put no-reply@google account as From address and the reply address can be anything.”Source: Nick Johnson “Finally, they forward the message to their victims. Because DKIM only verifies the message and its headers and not the envelope, the message passes signature validation and shows up as a legitimate message in the user’s inbox — even in the same thread as legit security alerts,” Johnson said. Google deploying countermeasures soon Speaking to Cointelegraph, a Google spokesperson said they are aware of the issue and are shutting down the mechanism that attackers are using to insert the “arbitrary length text,” which will prevent the method of attack from working in the future. Related: Hackers hide crypto address-swapping malware in Microsoft Office add-in bundles“We’re aware of this class of targeted attack from the threat actor, Rockfoils, and have been rolling out protections for the past week. These protections will soon be fully deployed, which will shut down this avenue for abuse,” the spokesperson said. “In the meantime, we encourage users to adopt two-factor authentication and passkeys, which provide strong protection against these kinds of phishing campaigns.” The spokesperson added that Google will never ask for any private account credentials — including passwords, one-time passwords or push notifications, nor call users.  Magazine: Your AI ‘digital twin’ can take meetings and comfort your loved ones

by Cointelegraph by Jesse Coghlan on April 17, 2025 at 3:10 am

Crypto exchange Coinbase has distanced its blockchain network Base from a memecoin it shared that saw massive backlash after the token rapidly gained, then dropped in value by millions of dollars.Base posted to X on April 16 with an image promoting the network with its marketing tagline, “Base is for everyone,” it also shared a link to a token of the same name on Zora, a social network where users can make posts into tokens for others to speculate on.In just over an hour after it was created, the Base is for everyone token hit a peak market capitalization of $17.1 million — then dropped by nearly 90% over the next 20 minutes to a market value of $1.9 million, DEX Screener data shows.The Base is for everyone token’s market cap saw a slight recovery after a rapid, nearly 90% fall in value soon after its launch. Source: DEX ScreenerThe token has since made a slight recovery and was trading around $7.7 million at the time of publication.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.The spokeswoman pointed to a legal disclaimer on the token’s Zora page that states Base’s posts on the token-making platform “are similar to those already shared on X — do not expect profits or returns and no ongoing development or efforts will be made to increase their value.”The post adds that Base will receive 10 million tokens out of a total supply of 1 billion that it pledged never to sell, and money made from fees will support grants for the network’s developers.Base’s X post linking to the post on Zora. Source: BaseZora shows Base has earned over $61,000 from the token, which has seen its total trading volume surpass $26 million.Hundreds of X posts have criticized Base over the token, with one X user saying that “any credibility this chain had is now gone.”Former Riot Platforms researcher Pierre Rochard called the token “terrible for the industry, very short-term transactional extraction.” AP Collective founder Abhishek Pawa said on X that Base “tried redefining memecoins as ‘contentcoins’ and completely botched the execution.”“The core innovation actually has potential,” he added. “But base utterly fumbled execution, optics, and trader expectations, resulting in justified backlash.”Meanwhile, Base creator Jesse Pollack, who has posted to Zora to create dozens of tokens in the past two months, defended Base creating 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.”He added that creating a token for internet content is “the end game for how we can build a new economy where creators earn from their creativity,” which he said would “require overhauling our mental models and product experiences.”Token “horrifically sniped” and second launch fizzlesHarrison Leggio, the co-founder of crypto startup g8keep, said that the Base is for everyone token “was HORRIFICALLY sniped.”Leggio, who goes by “Pop Punk” on X, said he found two addresses that bought 21% of the token’s supply for 2 Ether (ETH), currently worth about $3,200 before both wallets transferred the tokens to other addresses and sold them for a total profit of around $300,000.Source: Harrison LeggioRelated: Pump.Fun’s PumpSwap DEX processed $2.5B of trades last week, up 40% Just over 75 minutes after the creation of the Base is for everyone token, Base again posted to Zora to promote its presence at an event in New York next month — which also generated a related token.DEX Screener shows that the token, called “Base @ FarCon 2025,” reached a peak value of only $987,570 in the minute after its launch before quickly dropping nearly 77% to settle at a value of around $230,000.Magazine: Memecoins are ded — But Solana ‘100x better’ despite revenue plunge

by Cointelegraph by Brayden Lindrea on April 17, 2025 at 1:55 am

Quantum computing research firm Project Eleven has launched a competition to see just how much of a threat quantum computing currently poses to Bitcoin.Launching the competition on April 16, Project Eleven said it is offering 1 Bitcoin (BTC) to whoever cracks the biggest chunk of a Bitcoin key using a quantum computer within the next year. Project Eleven said the purpose of the “Q-Day Prize” is to test “how urgent the threat” of quantum is to Bitcoin and to find quantum-proof solutions to secure Bitcoin over the long term.“10 million+ addresses have exposed public keys. Quantum computing is steadily progressing. Nobody has rigorously benchmarked this threat yet,” Project Eleven wrote on X on April 16.More than 6 million Bitcoin — worth around $500 billion — could be at risk if quantum computers become powerful enough to crack elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) keys, Project Eleven said.Participants can register as individuals or as a team and have until April 5, 2026, to complete the task. The prize winner will win 1 Bitcoin, currently worth $84,100.Source: Project ElevenThe aim is to run Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer to crack as many bits of a Bitcoin key as possible, acting as a proof-of-concept that the technique could scale to crack a full, 256-bit Bitcoin key once the necessary compute is available. “The mission: break the largest ECC key possible using Shor's algorithm on a quantum computer. No classical shortcuts. No hybrid tricks. Pure quantum power,” Project Eleven said.“You don’t need to break a Bitcoin key. A 3-bit key would be big news,” it added.No ECC key used in real-world applications has ever been cracked, noted Project Eleven, adding that the winner could “go down in cryptography history.”Project Eleven noted that several online platforms offer quantum computing access, such as Amazon Web Services and IBM.Source: Jameson LoppRelated: Bitcoin’s quantum-resistant hard fork is inevitable — It’s the only chance to fix node incentivesCurrent estimates suggest that around 2,000 logical qubits (error-corrected) would be enough to break a 256-bit ECC key, Project Eleven noted.IBM’s Heron chip and Google’s Willow can currently do 156 and 105 qubits — significant enough to cause concern, according to Project Eleven, which believes a 2,000-qubit quantum system could be developed within the next decade.Quantum threat to Bitcoin is real, but there’s time, Bitcoiners sayBitcoin cypherpunk Jameson Lopp recently said the question of how concerned the industry should be about quantum computing is currently “unanswerable.”“I think it’s far from a crisis, but given the difficulty in changing Bitcoin it’s worth starting to seriously discuss,” Lopp said in a March 16 post.In February, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the concern is well-founded but is confident that quantum-proof Bitcoin addresses will be implemented well before any “serious threat” emerges.Source: Paolo ArdoinoMagazine: Bitcoin vs. the quantum computer threat: Timeline and solutions (2025–2035)

by Cointelegraph by Christopher Tepedino on April 16, 2025 at 10:45 pm

Stablecoins rose to popularity as a result of limitations in the US financial system — particularly restricted banking hours and the lack of a non-USD trading pair, according to Jerald David, president of Arca Labs. “So we start thinking about the reason why, we start talking about the nine-to-five banking hours,” David said during a panel at TokenizeThis 2025 event on April 16.The panel discussion centered on yieldcoins or, essentially, the rising of cryptocurrencies that can generate yield through holding, staking or lending, like stablecoins. “Well, nine-to-five banking hours don’t work, right? There are implementations right now of payment systems that are going to come to market very soon, that are a good combination of both yield-bearing instruments as well as stabletokens,” David said. According to David, the need for stablecoins stems from the fact that the traditional US banking infrastructure doesn’t support round-the-clock transactions. “And this industry, as we all know, is a 24-hour industry.”KYC for stablecoins Know Your Customer procedures were a significant topic at the panel. One representative from Figure Markets said that everyone who owns a yield-bearing stablecoin would have to be KYC-ed for tax reasons.But David pointed out that stablecoins have several use cases beyond yield generation, including payments. “Using this stable token to buy a cup of coffee is not something that really should require AML or KYC for somebody.”Nick Carmi, head of exchange at Figure Markets, suggested that part of the solution could be a trust-based KYC system that allows users to carry their credentials across platforms. KYC is a process used by financial institutions to verify a user's identity. It's meant to prevent fraud, money laundering, and other illegal activities by ensuring users are who they claim to be.Currently, users must complete separate KYC checks for each financial institution or service they use, creating friction and frustration — especially for those navigating multiple platforms or exploring different crypto ecosystems.Magazine: Bitcoin payments are being undermined by centralized stablecoins

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 16, 2025 at 10:20 pm

Panama’s capital city will accept cryptocurrency payments for taxes and municipal fees, including bus tickets and permits, Panama City mayor Mayer Mizrachi announced on April 15, joining a growing list of jurisdictions globally that have voted to accept such payments.Panama City will begin accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Circle's USDC (USDC), and Tether's USDt (USDT) stablecoin for payment once the crypto-to-fiat payment rails are established, Mizrachi posted on the X platform. Mizrachi said previous administrations attempted to push through similar legislation but failed to overcome stipulations requiring the local government to accept funds denominated in US dollars.In a translated statement, the Panama City mayor said that the local government partnered with a bank that will immediately convert any digital assets received into US dollars, allowing the municipality to accept crypto without introducing new legislation.Panama City joins a growing list of global jurisdictions on the municipal and state level accepting cryptocurrency payments for taxes, exploring Bitcoin strategic reserves to protect public treasuries from inflation and passing pro-crypto policies to attract investment.Source: Mayer MizrachiRelated: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state paymentsMunicipalities and states embrace digital assetsSeveral municipalities and territories around the globe already accept crypto for tax payments or are exploring various implementations of blockchain technology for government spending.The US state of Colorado started accepting crypto payments for taxes in September 2022. Much like Panama City said it will do, Colorado immediately converts the crypto to fiat.In December 2023, the city of Lugano, Switzerland, announced taxes and city fees could be paid in Bitcoin, which was one of the developments that earned it the reputation of being a globally recognized Bitcoin city.The city council of Vancouver, Canada, passed a motion to become a "Bitcoin-friendly city" in December 2024. As part of that motion, the Vancouver local government will explore integrating BTC into the financial system, including tax payments.North Carolina lawmaker Neal Jackson introduced legislation titled "The North Carolina Digital Asset Freedom Act" on April 10. If passed, the bill will recognize cryptocurrencies as an official form of payment that can be used to pay taxes.Magazine: Crypto City: The ultimate guide to Miami

by Sundance on April 16, 2025 at 10:17 pm

Senator Chris Van Hollen goes to El Salvador to speak with deported MS13 gang member, Kilmar Garcia, and bring him back to the USA. Van Hollen didn’t speak to Garcia, and Van Hollen is not bringing him back. Van Hollen did have a rather sketchy press conference. WATCH: (El Salvador) – Sen. Chris Van Hollen The post Democrat Senator Van Hollen Travels to El Salvador for Presser and Photo Op appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 16, 2025 at 10:08 pm

Today in crypto, Coinbase has distanced its blockchain network Base from a token it was highly criticized for sharing, a US appeals court paused the SEC’s case against Ripple amid settlement talks, and a Coinbase report paints a bleak picture of the crypto market but anticipates a rebound in late 2025. Coinbase distances Base from highly criticized memecoin that dumped $15MCrypto 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: PACERCrypto in a bear market, rebound likely in Q3 — CoinbaseA monthly market review by publicly traded US-based crypto exchange Coinbase shows that while the crypto market has contracted, it appears to be gearing up for a better quarter.According to Coinbase’s April 15 monthly outlook for institutional investors, the altcoin market cap shrank by 41% from its December 2024 highs of $1.6 trillion to $950 billion by mid-April. BTC Tools data shows that this metric touched a low of $906.9 billion on April 9 and stood at $976.9 billion at the time of writing.Venture capital funding to crypto projects has reportedly decreased by 50%–60% from 2021–22. In the report, Coinbase’s global head of research, David Duong, highlighted that a new crypto winter may be upon us.“Several converging signals may be pointing to the start of a new ‘crypto winter’ as some extreme negative sentiment has set in due to the onset of global tariffs and the potential for further escalations,” he said.Duong cited some metrics to indicate when the crypto market is moving between bull and bear market phases, including risk-adjusted performance and the 200-day moving average.Another metric was the Bitcoin (BTC) Z-score, which compares market value and realized value to identify overbought and oversold conditions. A Z-score shows how unusual current price performance is when compared to historic data.This metric “naturally accounts for crypto’s larger volatility,” but it is also slow to react. This metric tends to generate few signals in stable markets. Coinbase’s model, based on it, determined that the bull market ended in late February but has since deemed the market neutral.

by Cointelegraph by Marcel Pechman on April 16, 2025 at 9:30 pm

Solana’s native token SOL (SOL) failed to maintain its bullish momentum after reaching the $134 level on April 14, but an assortment of data points suggest that the altcoin’s rally is not over. SOL price is currently 57% down from its all-time high, partially due to a sharp decline in its DApps activity, but some analysts cite the growth in deposits on the Solana network as a catalyst for sustained price upside in the short term.Blockchains ranked by total value locked, USD. Source: DefiLlamaSolana has established itself as the second-largest blockchain by total value locked (TVL), with $6.9 billion. After gaining 12% over the seven days ending April 16, Solana has pulled ahead of competitors such as Tron, Base, and Berachain. Positive signs include a 30% increase in deposits on Sanctum, a liquid staking application, and 20% growth on Jito and Jupiter.Solana's DEX volume surpasses Ethereum layer-2sOne could argue that Solana’s TVL roughly matches the Ethereum layer-2 ecosystem in deposits. However, this comparison overlooks Solana’s strong position in decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes. For example, in the seven days ending April 16, trading activity on Solana DApps totaled $15.8 billion, exceeding the combined volume of Ethereum scaling solutions by more than 50% during the same period.Blockchains ranked by 7-day DEX volumes, USD. Source: DefiLlamaSolana reclaimed the top spot in DEX activity, surpassing Ethereum after a 16% gain over seven days. This was supported by a 44% increase in volume on Pump-fun and a 28% rise on Raydium. In contrast, volumes declined on the three largest Ethereum DApps—Uniswap, Fluid, and Curve Finance. A similar trend occurred on BNB Chain, where PancakeSwap, Four-Meme, and DODO saw reduced volumes compared to the previous week.It would be unfair to measure Solana’s growth only by DEX performance, as other DApps handle much smaller volumes. For example, Ondo Finance tokenized a total of $250 million worth of assets on the Solana network. Meanwhile, Exponent, a yield farm protocol, doubled its TVL over the past 30 days. Similarly, the yield aggregator platform Synatra experienced a 43% jump in TVL during the past week.Synatra DApp screenshot. Source: CointelegraphAnalysts are confident that a Solana spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) will be approved in the United States in 2025. However, expectations for significant inflows are limited due to a general lack of interest from institutional investors and the recent poor performance of similar Ethereum ETF instruments. If the spot ETF is approved, it could strengthen Solana’s presence—especially if the US government’s Digital Asset Stockpile plans come to fruition.Related: Real estate fintech Janover doubles Solana holdings with $10.5M buyInvestors are eagerly awaiting the full audit of US federal agencies’ crypto holdings, initially expected by April 7. However, after missing this deadline, some journalists suggest that the executive order signed on March 7 did not require the findings to be made public. Regardless of whether SOL appears on that list, there are currently no plans from the government to acquire cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin (BTC).Currently, there are few catalysts to justify a rally to $180, a level last seen 45 days ago on March 2. Without external factors causing a large influx of new participants into the crypto ecosystem, the increase in TVL and DEX market share alone is unlikely to push SOL’s price to outperform the broader market.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 Sundance on April 16, 2025 at 9:15 pm

The State Dept. Global Engagement Center was the epicenter of the Dept of State operation to control speech on social media platforms.  Following revelations from within the Twitter Files, and facing increasing scrutiny, the GEC operation was shut down – but the remnants of the operation remained active within the State Dept. The terms “disinformation, The post Secretary of State Marco Rubio Shuts Down State Dept Censorship Apparatus, Eliminating Global Engagement Center Residual Agency appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Turner Wright on April 16, 2025 at 9:10 pm

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced industry insiders from Kraken, Exodus, Anchorage Digital, and others would be participating in its crypto task force’s roundtable discussion on custody.In an April 16 notice, the SEC said commissioners Hester Peirce and Caroline Crenshaw, acting chair Mark Uyeda and crypto task force Chief of Staff Richard Gabbert will sit down with Mark Greenberg, crypto exchange Kraken’s vice president of consumer business and product, Anchorage Digital Bank’s Chief Risk Officer Rachel Anderika and Exodus Chief Legal Officer Veronica McGregor. Other representatives will include those from WisdomTree, Fidelity Digital Asset Services, and Fireblocks.“It is important for the SEC to grapple with custody issues, which are some of the most challenging as we seek to integrate crypto assets into our regulatory structure,” said Peirce, who heads the SEC task force.Notably, Uyeda was listed as acting chair of the commission at the April 25 event, despite the US Senate confirming that Paul Atkins would head the regulatory body on April 9. It’s unclear when Atkins will be sworn in as SEC chair, but at the time of publication, the regulator had not listed him as a current commissioner.Related: US gov’t actions give clue about upcoming crypto regulationAmong the topics listed on the roundtable’s agenda are discussions on broker-dealers and custody at investment firms. Demand for digital asset custody in the US has grown in the last few years, especially following the approval of crypto exchange-traded funds in January 2024. The trend has also drawn in traditional financial institutions, including long-standing firms such as BNY Mellon.Since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump in January and the departure of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, the agency has seemingly moved in a direction more favorable to the crypto industry by abandoning certain enforcement actions and dismissing efforts in court to expand or maintain its authority over digital assets.The first of the crypto task force’s roundtable events on March 21 dealt with the status of many tokens as securities. Another on April 11 included discussions on “tailoring regulation for crypto trading.”Is DOGE infiltrating the SEC?The roundtable discussions come as reports suggested the “government efficiency” team launched by Tesla CEO and presidential adviser Elon Musk had been given access to the SEC’s systems and data. Acting chair Uyeda has reportedly pushed back on requests by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE – which is not an official US government department — to access SEC data.DOGE faces criticism and some lawsuits over attempts to fire staff at US government agencies. It’s unclear whether Musk intends to “streamline” the SEC in the same way the group went after the US Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.Magazine: XRP win leaves Ripple and industry with no crypto legal precedent set

by Cointelegraph by Marie Poteriaieva on April 16, 2025 at 8:34 pm

Bitcoin (BTC) remains under pressure as macroeconomic uncertainty continues to weigh on its price action. After making a strong bounce from the local bottom near $75,000 on April 7 and 9, analysts are beginning to question whether BTC could be gearing up for a reversal of the downward trend that’s persisted since the start of the year.BTC/USD 1-day, RSI 1-week. Source: Marie Poteriaieva, TradingViewFor some, like the veteran trader Peter Brandt, this trendline is nothing but hopium. As he noted in his X post,“Of all chart construction, trendlines are the LEAST significant. A trendline violation does NOT signify a transition of the BTC trend. Sorry.”Others, however, see more reason for cautious optimism. Analyst Kevin Svenson highlighted a possible weekly RSI breakout, pointing out that “Once confirmed, weekly RSI breakout signals have proven to be among the most reliable macro breakout indicators.” Ultimately, price is driven by supply and demand—and while both sides of the equation are beginning to show subtle signs of recovery, they are yet to reach the levels needed for a proper breakout. Furthermore, the bulls must cut through a dense sell wall near $86,000 to confirm the reversal. Bitcoin demand — Are there early signs of recovery?According to CryptoQuant, Bitcoin’s apparent demand — measured by the 30-day net difference between exchange inflows and outflows — is showing early signs of recovery after a sustained dip into negative territory.However, the analysts caution against prematurely declaring a trend reversal. Looking back to the 2021 cycle peak, similar conditions occurred: demand remained low or negative for months, prices temporarily stabilized or rebounded, and true structural recovery only followed extended consolidation. This current uptick in demand may simply mark a pause in selling pressure—not a definitive bottom sign. Time and confirmation are still needed to confirm a shifting momentum.Bitcoin: apparent demand. Source: CryptoQuantFrom a trader’s perspective, the apparent demand metric does not look optimistic just yet. Bitcoin daily trade volumes currently hover around 30,000 BTC (spot) and 400,000 BTC (derivatives), according to CryptoQuant. This is, respectively, 6x and 3x less compared to the June-July 2021 period that preceded the last bull run of the 2019-2022 cycle. Despite hopeful comparisons of the current price dip to that period, current volume dynamics suggest a more subdued trader appetite.Bitcoin trading volume. Source: CryptoQuantInstitutional investors confirm the low demand trend. Since April 3, the spot BTC ETFs have recorded continuous outflows totaling over $870 million, with the first modest inflow not occurring until April 15. Despite this, trading volumes remain relatively high — only 18% below the 30-day average — indicating that some investor appetite for Bitcoin persists.Related: Crypto in a bear market, rebound likely in Q3 — CoinbaseBitcoin supply — Will liquidity return?On the supply side, liquidity remains weak. According to Glassnode’s recent report, the realized cap growth has slowed to 0.80% per month (from 0.83% previously). This points to a continued lack of meaningful new capital entering the Bitcoin network and, as Glassnode notes, “remains well below typical bull market thresholds.”Furthermore, the BTC balance on exchanges — often used to gauge available sell-side liquidity — has dropped to just 2.6 million BTC, the lowest level since November 2018.Yet, on a broader macroeconomic level, some analysts see reasons for cautious hope. Independent market analyst Michael van de Poppe pointed out the quickly rising M2 Supply, which, with a certain lag (here 12 weeks), has often influenced Bitcoin price in the past.“If the correlation remains, he wrote, then I assume that we'll see Bitcoin rally to an ATH in this quarter. This would also imply a rise in CNH/USD, a fall in Yields, a fall in Gold, a fall in DXY, and a rise in Altcoins.”Global M2 - 12-week lead. Source: Global Macro InvestorEven if bullish momentum and demand returns, Bitcoin will need to clear a critical resistance zone between $86,300 and $86,500, as shown on CoinGlass’ liquidity heatmap, which maps dense clusters of buy and sell orders at different levels.Alphractal adds another layer of insight through its Alpha Price Chart, which incorporates realized cap, average cap, and onchain sentiment — and comes to the same conclusion. According to the chart, BTC must decisively break above $86,300 to restore short-term bullish sentiment. If the price weakens again, support levels lie at $73,900 and $64,700.Bitcoin: Alpha price. Source: AlphractalOverall, calling a trend reversal at this stage may be premature. Liquidity remains thin, macroeconomic headwinds persist, and investors remain cautious. Still, Bitcoin’s resilience above $80,000 signals strong support from long-term holders. A decisive breakout above $86,300 could shift market sentiment—and, in a best-case scenario, ignite a new rally. For such a move to be meaningful, however, it must be backed by spot market volume, not just leverage-driven activity.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.