Alternative News for You

by Sohani Goonetillake on April 2, 2025 at 7:13 pm

The frenzy to create Ghibli-style art using ChatGPT has sparked a heated debate about the ethical concerns of AI-generated art, copyright issues and the future livelihoods of artists.

by Scout Wallen on April 2, 2025 at 7:09 pm

A Tasmanian seafood business has pulled salmon from menus after negative attention on salmon farming practices. Its fishmongers and retail outlets have not yet followed suit.

by Rachael Merritt on April 2, 2025 at 7:04 pm

Despite the growing number of adult female prisoners across Australia, advocates say there are few gender-specific support services to help them transition back into the community.

by Jessica Longbottom and Ben Butler on April 2, 2025 at 7:02 pm

Jim* moved into an apartment rented by a disability company linked to suspected NDIS fraudster Khawaja Haroon. He's now facing homelessness and has paid thousands of dollars of his NDIS funding for services he didn't receive. 

by David Speers on April 2, 2025 at 7:00 pm

The opposition leader is trying to talk to two audiences: the pro-Trump supporters on his right flank, and the Trump-anxious voters in the middle. 

by Geraldine Fela on April 2, 2025 at 7:00 pm

Former prime minister John Howard has always downplayed involvement in the waterfront dispute, but new evidence raises more questions about the government's knowledge of the events leading up to it. 

by Cointelegraph by Turner Wright on April 2, 2025 at 6:59 pm

Zoop, the social app created by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely, and the HBAR Foundation have reportedly submitted a bid to purchase the video-sharing app TikTok in the United States.According to an April 2 Reuters report, the HBAR Foundation and Zoop filed an intent to bid on TikTok with the Trump administration the previous week. The bid will follow others from major technology companies, including Amazon, Oracle, Microsoft, and Rumble, in an attempt to keep the video-sharing app’s services alive for US users.“Our bid for TikTok isn’t just about changing ownership, it’s about creating a new paradigm where both creators and their communities benefit directly from the value they generate,” Zoop co-founder RJ Phillips reportedly said.In 2024, the US Congress passed, and former President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that could potentially ban TikTok if the firm’s operations weren’t separated from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The initial deadline for the sale of the company under the law was Jan. 19. After assuming office, President Donald Trump signed a 75-day extension for enforcement, pushing the potential TikTok sale until April 5.Cointelegraph reached out to the HBAR Foundation and Zoop but did not receive a response at the time of publication.This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

by Angus Verley and Andrew Kelso on April 2, 2025 at 6:58 pm

Legislation to replace Victoria's Fire Services Levy with an expanded tax could be voted through by the Legislative Council today, but farmers are calling for it to be blocked.

by Riley Stuart and Elias Clure on April 2, 2025 at 6:52 pm

The United Kingdom launches a parliamentary inquiry into the AUKUS partnership, with its scope to include the "impact of geopolitical shifts" on the deal since it was signed.

by Jake Evans on April 2, 2025 at 6:43 pm

Independent Allegra Spender is pitching a scheme to help "permanently" cut the power bills of owners and renters through zero-interest loans for home batteries and other appliances, saying the major parties are only offering temporary relief that will expire within months.

on April 2, 2025 at 6:37 pm

Daylight saving finishes for people in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT and won't return until October 5.

by Evelyn Manfield and Samantha Dick on April 2, 2025 at 6:34 pm

Students and union groups fear their interests could be targeted under a Coalition crackdown on "woke" ideology in schools and universities.

by Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell on April 2, 2025 at 6:19 pm

Pump.fun is launching a lending platform to enable users to buy memecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with borrowed cryptocurrency, the Solana-based memecoin launchpad said. Dubbed Pump.Fi, the onchain lending protocol provides “immediate… financing for [any] digital asset,” Pump.fun said in an April 1 X post.According to Pump.fun, borrowers pay one-third up front and the rest over 60 days. In addition, Pump.Fi will create a marketplace for lenders to buy debt. The protocol did not specify how Pump.Fi — which doesn’t do credit checks — plans to ensure repayment of undercollateralized onchain loans. Pump.Fi will let users borrow to buy memecoins. Source: Pump.funRelated: Pump.fun launches own DEX, drops RaydiumCompetitive market Pump.fun has been grappling with a sharp drawdown in memecoin trading activity on Solana after several high-profile scandals — such as the LIBRA token’s disastrous launch — soured sentiment on memecoins among retail traders. Adding onchain lending has the potential to draw more liquidity into the space, which has seen trading volumes stabilize in recent weeks, according to data from Dune Analytics.Pump.fun has also been expanding its offerings to stay ahead of mounting competition from rival platforms.Raydium, Solana’s largest decentralized exchange (DEX) by volume, plans to roll out its own memecoin launchpad, LaunchLab. Other rival protocols — including Daos.fun, GoFundMeme, and Pumpkin — are also vying for a share of Solana’s memecoin market. Number of tokens successfully “bonding” on Pump.fun each day. Source: Dune AnalyticsOn March 20, Pump.fun launched its own DEX — known as PumpSwap — to replace Raydium as the final home for tokens that successfully bootstrap liquidity on Pump.fun.Switching to PumpSwap has streamlined PumpFun’s process for listing new tokens and cut costs for users, it said.PumpSwap also plans to start distributing a portion of trading fees to coin creators, according to Pump.fun co-founder Alon. The newly launched DEX has already captured a more than 10% share of Solana’s trading volumes and even overtaken Raydium — along with every other Solana app — in 24-hour fees, according to data from Dune Analytics and DefiLlama. On April 1, PumpSwap generated nearly $4 million in fees. Magazine: Help! My parents are addicted to Pi Network crypto tapper

by Jacinta Bowler and Olivia Willis on April 2, 2025 at 6:00 pm

The shingles vaccine could be an effective intervention for dementia, with a large "natural experiment" in Wales finding a substantial drop in dementia risk for those who received the vaccine.

by Matthew Doran on April 2, 2025 at 5:41 pm

Gaza's health ministry says children are among the dead in an Israeli strike on a UN-run clinic in the strip's north, where people had been sheltering.

by Cointelegraph by Turner Wright on April 2, 2025 at 5:27 pm

California Representative Maxine Waters, ranking member of the US House Financial Services Committee, used her opening statement at a markup hearing to criticize President Donald Trump’s business and ethical entanglements with the crypto industry, including the launch of a stablecoin by a family-backed company.Addressing lawmakers at an April 2 hearing, Waters said Trump had used his position as president to leverage “multiple crypto schemes” for profit, including a US dollar-pegged stablecoin launched by World Liberty Financial (WLFI) — the firm backed by his family. The California lawmaker pointed to Trump’s memecoin launched in January, his plans to establish a national cryptocurrency stockpile, and “his own stablecoin,” referring to WLFI’s USD1 token launched in March.Rep. Maxine Waters addressing the House Financial Services Committee on April 2. Source: GOP Financial Services“With this stablecoin bill, this committee is setting an unacceptable and dangerous precedent, validating the president and his insiders’ efforts to write rules of the road that will enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else,” said Waters, adding:“Trump likely wants the entire government to use stablecoins from payments made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to Social Security payments, to paying taxes. And which coin do you think Trump would replace the dollar with? His own, of course.”Waters does not stand alone in her criticism of Trump’s crypto ventures, with many lawmakers and experts across the political spectrum suggesting potential conflicts of interest. Committee Chair French Hill, who spoke on stablecoins before Waters, also reportedly said that the Trump family’s involvement in the industry makes legislation “more complicated.”“If there is no effort to block the President of the United States of America from owning his stablecoin business [...] I will never be able to agree on supporting this bill, and I would ask other members not to be enablers,” said Waters. Related: Crypto has a regulatory capture problem in Washington — Or does it?Representative Bryan Steil, who introduced the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy, or STABLE Act, did not immediately address Waters’ concerns about Trump’s stablecoin but referred to establishing safeguards for consumers. Hill did not mention Trump in his opening statement but said there needed to be a “clear federal framework” for payment stablecoins.Crypto legislation moving through CongressThe committee will consider amendments to the STABLE Act, as well as bills to combat illicit finance using emerging financial technologies and blocking the US government from issuing a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. The markup hearing was a necessary step before the committee could vote on whether to advance the bills to the House of Representatives. Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 2, 2025 at 5:17 pm

The First Digital US dollar-pegged stablecoin (FDUSD) depegged on April 2 following claims of insolvency from Tron network founder Justin Sun, who said that the issuer of the tokenized fiat equivalent, First Digital, is insolvent.First Digital responded to the claims by assuring users they are completely solvent and said that FDUSD is still fully backed and redeemable with the US dollar on a 1:1 basis.The firm also said that the ongoing dispute is with TrueUSD (TUSD), another stablecoin. The firm wrote in an April 2 X post:"Every dollar backing FDUSD is completely secure, safe, and accounted for with US-backed Treasury Bills. The exact ISIN numbers of all of the reserves of FDUSD are set out in our attestation report and clearly accounted for."First Digital also indicated they would be taking legal action against Sun for making the claims on social media. "This is a typical Justin Sun smear campaign to try to attack a competitor to his business," spokespeople for First Digital wrote.FDUSD loses dollar peg: Source: CoinMarketCapRelated: SMBC, Ava Labs, Fireblocks sign MoU for stablecoin framework in JapanProof of reserves: the answer to FUD, runs on the bank, and depegging?Proof-of-reserve audits are onchain cryptographic verifications that a custodian, crypto firm, or stablecoin issuer has the digital assets it claims to hold.These proof-of-reserve audits use zero-knowledge tech and Merkle Trees — a data structure used to verify onchain information — as an alternative to audit reports or attestations widely used in the crypto industry.Despite proof-of-reserve technology not yet tracking liabilities against reserves, the system promises to be better than the current system of audits that do not use real-time, onchain data.First Digital’s audit report of reserves as of Feb. 28, 2025. Source: First DigitalTal Zackon, founder of the Tres Finance auditing and reporting platform, previously told Cointelegraph that current attestations and third-party audit reports only represent "snapshots" of reserves that can be manipulated, exploited, or misconstrued.Stablecoin issuers will likely need to adopt proof-of-reserve tools as the tokenized fiat equivalents become more integrated into global capital markets and critical financial infrastructure such as stock exchanges, escrow services, and clearinghouses.This integration will require stablecoin issuers to provide up-to-date, real-time data, which may need to be updated several times per minute as opposed to the monthly audit reports that are typically released by firms to attest to asset reserves.Magazine: Justin Sun reignites HTX feud, India reconsiders crypto hate: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Rakesh Upadhyay on April 2, 2025 at 5:06 pm

Bitcoin (BTC) bulls have pushed the price above the $87,000 level even as US trade tariffs are slated to kick in on April 2. Bitcoin may remain volatile in the near term, but analysts remain bullish for the long term.According to Fidelity analyst Zack Wainwright, Bitcoin is currently in an acceleration phase, which “can conclude with a sharp, dramatic rally” if history repeats itself. If that happens, Wainwright expects $110,000 to be the starting base of the next leg of the upmove.Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom chief investment officer Arthur Hayes said in a post that if the Federal Reserve pivots to quantitative easing, then Bitcoin could rally to $250,000 by year-end.Could Bitcoin break above the $89,000 overhead resistance, starting a rally in select altcoins? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.Bitcoin price analysisBitcoin has risen close to the resistance line, where the sellers are expected to pose a solid challenge.BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe flattening 20-day exponential moving average ($85,152) and the relative strength index (RSI) just above the midpoint signal the bears are losing their grip. That improves the prospects of a rally above the resistance line. If that happens, the BTC/USDT pair could climb to $95,000 and eventually to $100,000.Alternatively, if the price turns down sharply from the resistance line and breaks below $81,000, it will suggest that the bears are back in the driver’s seat. The pair may then tumble to $76,606.Ether price analysisEther (ETH) rebounded off the $1,754 support on March 31, signaling that the bulls are attempting to form a double-bottom pattern.ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe bears will try to stall the relief rally at the 20-day EMA ($1,965). If the price turns down from the 20-day EMA, the possibility of a break below $1,574 increases. The ETH/USDT pair may then collapse to $1,550.Contrarily, a break and close above the 20-day EMA opens the doors for a rise to the breakdown level of $2,111. If buyers pierce this resistance, the pair will complete a double-bottom pattern, starting a rally to the target objective of $2,468.XRP price analysisXRP’s (XRP) weak bounce off the crucial $2 support suggests a lack of aggressive buying by the bulls at the current levels.XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThat heightens the risk of a break below $2. If that happens, the XRP/USDT pair will complete a bearish head-and-shoulders pattern. This negative setup could start a downward move to $1.27. There is support at $1.77, but it is likely to be broken.On the upside, a break and close above the 50-day SMA ($2.39) suggests solid buying at lower levels. The pair may then rally to the resistance line, where the bears are expected to mount a strong defense. A break and close above the resistance line signals a potential trend change.BNB price analysisBNB’s (BNB) recovery attempt stalled at the moving averages on April 1, indicating that the bears are selling on rallies.BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe bears will try to strengthen their position by pulling the price below $587. If they can pull it off, the BNB/USDT pair could descend to the 50% Fibonacci retracement level of $575 and later to the 61.8% retracement of $559. The deeper the pullback, the greater the time needed for the pair to recover.A break above the moving averages is the first sign that the selling pressure has reduced. The pair may rally to $644 and then to $686, which is likely to attract sellers.Solana price analysisSolana (SOL) is getting squeezed between the 20-day EMA ($132) and the $120 support, signaling a possible range expansion in the short term.SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewIf the price breaks and closes above the 20-day EMA, it suggests that the buyers have overpowered the sellers. The SOL/USDT pair may rise to the 50-day SMA ($145) and, after that, to $180.This positive view will be invalidated in the near term if the price turns down from the moving averages and breaks below $120. That could pull the price to $110, where the buyers are expected to step in.Dogecoin price analysisDogecoin (DOGE) remains pinned below the 20-day EMA ($0.17), indicating that the bears continue to sell on minor rallies.DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe first sign of strength will be a break and close above the 20-day EMA. The DOGE/USDT pair may climb to $0.21, which could act as a strong barrier. If buyers pierce the $0.21 resistance, the pair may rally to $0.24 and later to $0.29.Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will try to defend the moving averages and pull the price below $0.16. If they manage to do that, the pair could descend to the $0.14 support. A break and close below the $0.14 level may sink the pair to $0.10.Cardano price analysisBuyers are trying to push Cardano (ADA) back above the uptrend line, but the bears are likely to sell near the moving averages.ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe downsloping 20-day EMA ($0.71) and the RSI just below the midpoint signal that bears have the edge. If the price turns down and breaks below $0.63, the ADA/USDT pair could plunge to $0.58 and thereafter to $0.50.Buyers will have to drive and maintain the price above the 50-day SMA ($0.75) to signal a potential trend change in the near term. The pair could rally to $0.84, which may act as a hurdle. Related: Is Bitcoin price going to crash again?Toncoin price analysisToncoin (TON) broke above the $4.14 resistance on March 1, but the bulls could not sustain the breakout.TON/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewA minor positive in favor of the bulls is that they have not allowed the price to slip much below $4.14. That increases the possibility of a break above the overhead resistance. The TON/USDT pair could rally to $5 and later to $5.50.The 20-day EMA ($3.71) is the critical support to watch out for on the downside. If the support cracks, it will signal that the bulls are losing their grip. The pair may slide to the 50-day SMA ($3.48) and then to $2.81.Chainlink price analysisChainlink (LINK) tried to rise above the 20-day EMA ($14.32) on April 1, but the bears held their ground.LINK/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSellers will try to pull the price to the support line of the descending channel pattern, which remains the key short-term level to keep an eye on. If the price breaks below the support line, the LINK/USDT pair could descend to $10.If buyers want to prevent the downside, they will have to push and maintain the price above the 50-day SMA ($15.47). If they manage to do that, the pair could rally to $17.50 and subsequently to the resistance line.UNUS SED LEO price analysisUNUS SED LEO (LEO) turned down from the overhead resistance of $9.90 and plunged below the uptrend line on March 30.LEO/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewHowever, the bears could not sustain the lower levels, and the bulls pushed the price back into the triangle on April 1. The recovery is expected to face selling at the 20-day EMA ($9.60). If the price turns down from the 20-day EMA and breaks below the uptrend line, it increases the risk of a fall to $8.Instead, if the LEO/USD pair breaks above the 20-day EMA, it suggests that the markets have rejected the breakdown. A breakout and close above $9.90 will complete an ascending triangle pattern, which has a target objective of $12.04.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 Georgie Hewson, Andrew Thorpe, Stephanie Chalmers, and Clint Jasper on April 2, 2025 at 5:00 pm

America's trading partners, financial markets, Australian exporters and political leaders are bracing for an announcement from the US President, who is due to speak at the White House this morning. Follow live.

by Cointelegraph by Marco Castrovilli on April 2, 2025 at 5:00 pm

If you’ve ever wondered when is the right time to invest in Bitcoin (BTC), you won’t want to miss our latest interview with Matt Hougan. As the chief investment officer at Bitwise, Hougan provides an in-depth analysis, explaining why, from a risk-adjusted perspective, there has never been a more opportune time to buy Bitcoin.In our discussion, Hougan lays out a compelling argument: Bitcoin’s early days were filled with uncertainty — technology risks, regulatory threats, trading inefficiencies, and reputational concerns. Fast forward to today, and those risks have significantly diminished. The launch of Bitcoin ETFs, adoption by major institutional investors, and even the US government’s strategic Bitcoin reserve have all cemented its place in the global financial ecosystem. “Bitcoin is only 10% of gold. So just to match gold, which I think is just a stopping point on its long-term journey, it has to ten-x from here,” he said. But that’s just the beginning. Hougan also touches on Bitcoin’s long-term price potential, why institutional adoption is about to accelerate, and how market fundamentals could push Bitcoin to new heights. “There's just too much structural long-term demand that has to come into this market against a severely limited new supply,” he said.Watch the full interview now on our YouTube channel, and don’t forget to subscribe!

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 2, 2025 at 4:43 pm

Bitfarms, a global computer infrastructure company known for its Bitcoin mining operations, has entered into a $300 million loan agreement with Macquarie Group to finance the development of its high-performance computing (HPC) data centers.According to an April 2 announcement, Macquarie’s private debt facility will provide $50 million in initial funding for Bitfarms’ Panther Creek data center project in Pennsylvania. The remaining $250 million will be released once Bitfarms achieves “specific development milestones at its Panther Creek location,” the announcement said.Once developed, Panther Creek will have a nearly 500-megawatt capacity fueled by several power sources. Panther Creek “will be sought after by HPC tenants once construction of the project is underway,” said Joshua Stevens, an associate director at Macquarie Group. Source: BitfarmsThe project is being delivered at a time when AI applications are fueling growing demand for new sources of computational power and data storage capacity. Bitcoin miners are rushing to fill the void — and to secure reliable revenue streams for themselves in a post-halving environment. However, Bitfarms disclosed in its recent quarterly report that it continues to face “regulatory challenges in expanding its energy capacity,” with the approval timeline ranging from 12 to 36 months. In the meantime, Bitfarms expects its $125 million acquisition of Stronghold Digital Mining to do much of the heavy lifting in providing additional capacity, CEO Ben Gagnon told investors.Related: Bitfarms sells Paraguay site to Hive for $85M, refocuses on USAmid industry pressure, miners are HODLing Bitfarms mined 654 Bitcoin (BTC) in the final quarter of 2024 at an average all-in cash cost of $60,800. Like other miners, Bitfarms has elected to retain a significant portion of its mined Bitcoin. Industry data shows it currently holds 1,152 BTC on its books, placing it among the top 25 publicly traded Bitcoin investors.Miners like Hive Digital have doubled down on their long-term Bitcoin “hodl” strategy as a way to bolster their balance sheet. The company’s Bitcoin holdings have swelled to 2,620 BTC. Meanwhile, MARA Holdings has accumulated 46,374 BTC and has announced plans for a $2 billion stock offering to acquire more Bitcoin. Source: Frank HolmesLike Bitfarms, Hive Digital, Core Scientific, Hut8 and Bit Digital have also made a strategic pivot toward AI and HPC.Hive executives told Cointelegraph that the company has repurposed a portion of its Nvidia GPUs for such tasks. They said AI applications can generate more than $2.00 per hour in revenue, compared to just $0.12 per hour for crypto mining activities. Related: BTC miners adopted ‘treasury strategy,’ diversified business in 2024: Report

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 2, 2025 at 4:00 pm

Sentient, an artificial intelligence development platform backed by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, has released an open-source AI search framework that it says outperforms leading closed-source competitors.The company announced the public release of Open Deep Search (ODS) on April 2, describing it as a high-performance, developer-friendly alternative to platforms like Perplexity AI and OpenAI’s GPT-4o.Sentient’s ODS aims to empower developers with open-source “Loyal AI” models, which Sentient says preserve the original intent of their developers.The firm’s fingerprinting technology allows developers to protect intellectual property while maintaining model openness — aiming to solve the biggest issue of open-source AI, the challenges of monetizing a model without centralization.“AI should belong to the community, not controlled by closed-source corporations,” according to Himanshu Tyagi, co-founder of Sentient and professor at the Indian Institute of Science.“We’re building, monetizing and delivering open-source AI with a key principle in mind: singularity in intelligence but plurality in use cases,” he added. ”Open-source development ensures performance and user control that closed systems simply cannot match.”Related: Crypto trader turns $2K PEPE into $43M, sells for $10M profitSentient’s ODS outperforms ChatGPT, PerplexitySentient’s ODS scored 75.3% accuracy on the “Frames” benchmark, which measures factuality, retrieval and reasoning capabilities, used to answer complex “multi-hop questions” that require the integration of multiple sources.ODS surpassed OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o Search Preview’s 50.5% and the Perplexity Sonar Reasoning Pro, which scored 44.4%. To prevent potential bias, Sentient ensured that its researchers didn’t have access to the Frames testing sets during the benchmarking process.Dobby NFT mint. Source: Sentient“Independent verification is only needed for closed-source solutions because open-source solutions have no incentive to falsely report the evaluations,” Tyagi said, adding:“Anyone with a computer can run our code, reproduce our results, and verify whether it is correct or not. The numbers reported can be reproduced using the repo's eval section by anyone and thus are globally verifiable.”The ODS release follows growing interest in Sentient’s platform. The firm said it amassed more than 1.8 million waitlist registrations in the lead-up to the launch.Related: $1T stablecoin supply could drive next crypto rally — CoinFund’s PakmanA turning point for open-source AIThe release of Sentient’s new open-source search framework comes amid a tipping point for open-source AI development.“We’re witnessing a significant shift as open-source AI solutions increasingly challenge closed-source dominance,” Tyagi said.“Examples such as DeepSeek’s advancements in reasoning, Manus’s innovations with agents, and now our own contributions to ODS with advanced AI search frameworks highlight this shift,” he added.“Open-source models can easily outperform closed-source giants with the right architecture,” said Sewoong Oh, Sentient’s lead researcher and professor at the University of Washington. “The results of these benchmarks validate our mission to create an open ecosystem that benefits all AI builders and users.”The launch also builds on Sentient’s earlier momentum. In February, the firm completed one of the largest NFT minting campaigns to date, with more than 650,000 participants gaining fractional ownership of its AI models.Magazine: ‘Chernobyl’ needed to wake people to AI risks, Studio Ghibli memes: AI Eye

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 2, 2025 at 3:44 pm

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC), a Japanese banking and financial services conglomerate, along with business systems firm TIS Inc, Ava Labs — the developer of the Avalanche network — and digital asset infrastructure company Fireblocks, have signed an agreement to explore a framework for commercializing stablecoins in Japan.Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the companies will focus on developing strategies around issuing and circulating stablecoins pegged to the US dollar and Japanese yen, according to a joint announcement.Additionally, the collaboration will explore stablecoins as a settlement mechanism for tokenized real-world assets such as stocks, bonds, and real estate.Stablecoins continue to be a major focus of crypto regulatory frameworks worldwide, and one of the sectors venture capitalists are eyeing in 2025 as nation-states push stablecoins to the forefront of their digital asset strategies.Stablecoin total market overview. Source: RWA.XYZRelated: Stablecoins, tokenized assets gain as Trump tariffs loomStablecoins become central to US digital asset policySpeaking at the White House Crypto Summit on March 7, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that comprehensive stablecoin regulation was central to President Donald Trump’s stated goal to become the worldwide leader in crypto.Bessent said stablecoins would help protect US dollar hegemony in global markets by expanding the use and scope of the dollar across the world.Centralized overcollateralized stablecoins rely on short-term US Treasury instruments and fiat money held in banks to back the value of the tokenized real-world assets.According to Paolo Ardoino, the CEO of stablecoin issuer Tether, the company is now the seventh-largest buyer of US Treasury bills, beating out sovereign countries such as France, Singapore, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.Stablecoin issuer Tether is now the seventh-largest buyer of US Treasury bills. Source: Paolo ArdoinoStablecoin issuers like Tether and Circle accumulate the yield from holding US debt instruments as part of their profit from issuing tokenized fiat assets to buyers.Recently, calls to share stablecoin yield with customers have escalated, with industry leaders like Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong proposing that stablecoin laws change in the US to allow firms to distribute yield to clients onchain.US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand disagreed with those proposals and warned against stablecoin issuers sharing yield with clients, arguing that it would displace the banking industry and disrupt home mortgage loans, small business loans, and local bank lending.Magazine: Unstablecoins: Depegging, bank runs and other risks loom

by Thomas Morgan on April 2, 2025 at 3:32 pm

The European Union and major Asian economies have begun putting in place measures to prepare for Donald Trump's announcement at the White House.

by Cointelegraph by William Suberg on April 2, 2025 at 3:09 pm

Bitcoin (BTC) reached new April highs at the April 2 Wall Street open as markets braced for US “Liberation Day.”BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin teases breakout in US tariff countdownData from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed local highs of $86,444 on Bitstamp, the best performance for BTC/USD since March 28.Volatility remained in the run-up to US President Donald Trump announcing a sweeping round of reciprocal trade tariffs.The measures would be unveiled in an address from the White House Rose Garden at 4 pm Eastern Time, with Trump then holding a press conference.While US stocks traded slightly down after the open, Bitcoin managed to claw back lost ground, acting in a key area of interest filled with long-term trend lines.As Cointelegraph reported, these include various simple (SMA) and exponential (EMA) moving averages, among them the 200-day SMA — a classic bull market support line currently lost.  BTC/USD 1-day chart with 200 SMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewIn his latest observations, popular trader and analyst Rekt Capital made additional reference to the 21-week and 50-week EMAs.“The consolidation between the two Bull Market EMAs continues. However, the 21-week EMA (green) represents lower prices as it declines,” he wrote in a post on X alongside an illustrative chart.“This week the green EMA represents $87650. The declining nature of this EMA will make it easier for $BTC to breakout.”BTC/USD 1-week chart with 21, 50 EMA. Source: Rekt Capital/XRekt Capital flagged more bullish news in the making, thanks to BTC/USD attempting to break out of an extended downtrend on daily timeframes.He confirmed:“Bitcoin is one Daily Candle Close above & retest of the Downtrend away from breaking out into a new technical uptrend.”BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: Rekt Capital/XLast month, Bitcoin’s daily relative strength index (RSI) metric broke free from its own downtrend that had been in place since November 2024.Analysis warns $76,000 BTC price may returnContinuing on the macro picture, however, trading firm QCP Capital was uninspired.Related: Bitcoin sales at $109K all-time high 'significantly below' cycle tops — GlassnodeRisk assets, it told Telegram channel subscribers on the day, were likely to “remain under pressure” following the tariffs announcement.“In crypto, sentiment remains broadly subdued. BTC continues to trade without conviction, while ETH is holding the line at $1,800 support. Across the board, crypto markets are showing signs of exhaustion with numerous coins down 90% YTD, with some shedding over 30% in the past week,” it summarized. “Without a material shift in macro or a compelling catalyst, we don't expect a meaningful reversal. While light positioning could support a grind higher, we're not chasing any upside moves until the broader macro picture improves.”Previous tariff moves in Q1 almost unanimously delivered downward BTC price reactions.Other industry participants were more hopeful, including asset management firm Swissblock, which argued that “no sign of an imminent collapse” occurred on Bitcoin.“Will $BTC hold as a hedge, or follow TradFi into a pullback?” it queried in an X thread on March 31, describing BTC price action as being “at a crossroads.”Bitcoin price momentum chart. Source: Swissblock/XSwissblock saw the potential for a return to $76,000 multimonth lows in the event of a negative reaction — a drop of 11% versus current levels.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 James Strudwick on April 2, 2025 at 3:00 pm

Opinion by: James Strudwick, executive director, Starknet FoundationThe outlook surrounding the use of new technologies has shifted in Washington. Tesla CEO and presidential adviser Elon Musk’s proposition to incorporate blockchain technology into the US Treasury has placed blockchain and its use for state finances at the forefront of the global debate. According to Musk, much of this drive is rooted in the concern over the unsustainability of current government spending. With its immutable ledgers and transparent audit trails, blockchain is waiting in the wind, offering a potential solution to managing vast public finances. Musk advocates for a unified information system that can track real-time payments, credentials and government resources, spurring a debate within the fintech community about the pros and cons of introducing such a tool at the government level. The idea is compelling, as the description on the blockchain tin effectively promises accountability, traceability and streamlined operations. The shift here, namely to a blockchain-powered government infrastructure, presents several challenges that may prove to be beyond what the new administration has expected thus far.Blockchain as state appendage A concern for stakeholders orbiting the blockchain world revolves around the sheer scale of government operations. Every day, the US government handles thousands of transactions across various departments. The feasibility of Musk’s vision is put into question simply as a result of its own complexity. The provable security that blockchain technology must offer while handling millions of daily transactions without buckling under the load to succeed at this scale is enormous.A proposed solution by Musk is a hybrid model that uses “Validium” zero-knowledge rollups. The speed and efficiency of modern ZK-rollups, which can handle hundreds of millions of transactions daily, have the potential to make sure each citizen’s share of government transactions is intact and verifiable. The technology’s rapidly evolving nature, scaling to handle even higher transaction volumes in the coming years, indicates that this could be achievable.Unfortunately, this in itself comes with its own hurdles, particularly when integrating public services, which tend to operate in silos.The human questionThe great irony here is that Musk’s declarations of government inefficiency as a reason for the ongoing shakeups could be one of the biggest reasons not to go ahead with the plan. The real obstacle here is not so much technological as it is deeply, irrevocably human. The transition from archaic legacy systems to the more modern infrastructure of blockchain requires not just software updates but an entire reprogramming of the workforce. Government employees embedded in bureaucracy are used to outdated systems, and retraining them will be no small task.Recent: US housing dept mulls blockchain, stablecoin to pay and monitor grants: ReportMoreover, current government databases are a labyrinth of poorly documented, indecipherable data. Extracting and migrating this data to a blockchain infrastructure is itself a task that may require serious investment. For all its elegance, blockchain wasn’t built to contend with such inefficiency. Despite its potential for handling complex, distributed environments, the difficulties present in the system itself could make the transition more complicated than the hassle is worth.Balancing transparency and confidentiality Transparency of federal spending is also a factor worth highlighting. The innate strength of blockchain and its much-lauded appeal is its strength. It permits citizens to track how public funds are allocated and spent. Musk’s premise could foster a so-far unseen level of accountability, which makes transactions, every delegation of power and every resource distribution visible to the public in real-time. The problem is that sensitive government data, classified information or personal identification could be dangerously exposed on a public blockchain. Musk’s response is to try to tether sensitive data to private channels in the blockchain and ensure that only individuals with the appropriate authorization or from specific departments can access confidential information. Theoretically, this addresses the security concern while allowing blockchain’s public verifiability.Musk’s offer could lead to a more efficient, accountable system. The social drive behind this is the longstanding criticism of wasted spending and resource misallocation. There is also a possibility of strengthening democratic processes by holding public officials more accountable. A decentralized authority has the broader impact of empowering citizens through real-time access.There is a forward-thinking aspect to the vision. It raises a profound question. Technology could address human governance challenges, but we run the risk of a fundamental shift in how we understand privacy and accountable authority. As we question the nature of governance, it warrants careful consideration of the role of blockchain and what it could ultimately mean for the future of society as a whole.Opinion by: James Strudwick, executive director, Starknet Foundation.This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

on April 2, 2025 at 2:48 pm

Elon Musk's electric vehicle company has also been targeted by vandals in recent months amid backlash to his embrace of far-right politics.

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 2, 2025 at 2:36 pm

Major cryptocurrency asset manager Grayscale Investments announced two new Bitcoin outcome-oriented exchange-traded funds (ETFs).According to an April 2 announcement, the new products are the Grayscale Bitcoin Covered Call ETF (BTCC) and the Grayscale Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (BPI). According to an email sent to Cointelegraph, the two new Bitcoin (BTC) funds are meant to generate revenue by harnessing BTC volatility:“Both strategies may be considered as an alternative income stream that’s less correlated to traditional income-oriented investments.“A complex derivative productThe Bitcoin Covered Call product seeks to capture the highest premiums and maximize potential income. Grayscale suggests that it may serve as a complement to Bitcoin exposure.Related: Bitcoin traders are overstating the impact of the US-led tariff war on BTC priceThe fund's strategy involves systematically writing calls very close to spot prices. The hope is that, due to Bitcoin’s historically high volatility, it would generate income through paid call generation.On the other hand, the Bitcoin Premium Income product seeks to balance upside participation with a degree of income generation. This is meant to act as an alternative to direct Bitcoin ownership and seeks a balance between growth and income generation.This fund systematically writes calls targeting strike prices well out-of-the-money on Bitcoin ETFs, including Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) and Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC). The announcement reads:“By focusing on this type of call writing strategy, BPI allows investors to participate in much of Bitcoin's upside potential while possibly benefiting from some dividend income.“Related: Bitcoin price gearing up for next leg of ‘acceleration phase’ — Fidelity researchGrayscale Investments promises that both the new products will allow for a differentiated source of revenue that “delivers an uncorrelated source of income for investors.” Furthermore, the new derivatives will feature monthly distributions and systematic options management.Just the latest grayscale filingEarlier this week, Grayscale also filed to list an exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding a diverse basket of spot cryptocurrencies. This new product includes Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), XRP, Solana (SOL) and Cardano (ADA).In late March, the US stock exchange Nasdaq also filed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) seeking permission to list Grayscale Investments’ spot Avalanche ETF. Grayscale’s website lists 28 crypto products, of which 25 are single-asset derivatives, and three are diversified.Grayscale is also among the asset managers currently waiting for the approval of its XRP spot ETF, as well as other products. Among those products, we can find the spot Cardano ETF filing and its Litecoin Trust conversion to an ETF. Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 23 – 29

on April 2, 2025 at 2:11 pm

State-run media in Myanmar announced the military's ceasefire call, which comes after days of pressure from international aid groups and humanitarian organisations.

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 2, 2025 at 1:59 pm

Today in crypto, VanEck became the first company to propose a potential BNB ETF in the US, potentially signaling an expansion of BNB Chain. Stablecoin issuer Circle filed to go public in the US, and Ethereum's revenue from blob storage sinks to its lowest level of 2025.VanEck eyes BNB ETF with latest Delaware trust filingInvestment company VanEck filed to register a Delaware trust company for an exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking Binance-linked BNB cryptocurrency.VanEck, on March 31, registered a new entity under the name VanEck BNB ETF in Delaware, according to public records on the official Delaware state website.VanEck BNB ETF trust registration in Delaware. Source: Delaware.govIn filing 10148820, the entity is registered as a trust corporate service company in Delaware, hinting at a potential spot BNB (BNB) ETF in the United States.Circle files for Initial Public Offering planned for AprilUSDC (USDC) stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1 to go public later this month on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “CRCL.”Its Form S-1 registration statement didn’t detail the number of shares it would offer or what its initial public offering target price would be, but it did shed some light on the firm’s financials.The filing shows Circle’s revenue last year was $1.67 billion in revenue for 2024, a 16% year-on-year bump, while its 2024 net income was $155.6 million — a 41.8% fall from 2023.Circle’s financials over the last three years ended Dec. 31. Source: SECOver 99% of Circle’s revenue in 2024 came from its stablecoin reserves. The company issues the second-largest stablecoin by market cap behind only Tether (USDT) and generates part of its income by holding yield-bearing Treasury bills.Circle attempted to go public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) merger in 2021— which it abandoned in December 2022 — and again in January 2024 via a confidential filing with the SEC.Ethereum's weekly blob fees hit 2025 lowsThe Ethereum network’s main source of income from layer-2 (L2) scaling chains — “blob fees” — has sunk to the lowest weekly levels so far this year, according to data from Etherscan. In the week ending March 30, Ethereum earned only 3.18 Ether (ETH) from blob fees, according to Etherscan, or approximately $6,000 US dollars as of April 1. This figure marks a 73% drop from the prior week and a more than 95% decline from the week ending March 16, when Ethereum’s income from blob fees exceeded 84 ETH, Etherscan said in an X post. Ethereum’s blob fee income has been uneven. Source: Dune AnalyticsIn March 2024, Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade migrated L2 transaction data to temporary offchain stores called “blobs.” The upgrade cut costs for users but also reduced overall fee revenue for Ethereum — initially by as much as 95%, according to data from asset manager VanEck.Since then, growth in blob fees has been unsteady. Ethereum’s weekly blob fee income peaked at nearly $1 million in November before declining sharply in recent weeks, according to data from Dune Analytics. 

by Cointelegraph by Nick M on April 2, 2025 at 1:57 pm

A new report by Cointelegraph Research explores Coreum’s role in institutional blockchain adoption. It analyzes the project’s technical architecture, compliance framework and its potential impact on regulated asset tokenization. The report presents insights into transaction efficiency, security mechanisms and crosschain interoperability. It also evaluates how Coreum fits into the evolving financial landscape.Blockchain evolution and institutional requirementsThe adoption of blockchain technology by financial institutions has been increasing in lockstep, with the value locked in tokenized real-world assets (RWA). The latter grew by 85% in 2024. Our report examines how third-generation blockchains, such as Coreum, are addressing the challenges of scalability, regulatory compliance and interoperability. Improvements in the infrastructure on the base layer will lead to more seamless institutional adoption in the future.Read the full version of the report for free here.Coreum is structured to support applications that require predictable transaction costs, regulatory oversight and seamless integration with financial infrastructure. Network data indicates that Coreum achieves a transaction throughput in excess of  7,000 TPS and a time to finality of about 1.2 seconds. This positions Coreum well in a crowded and highly competitive layer-1 blockchain landscape. Coreum integrates most of its compliance features at the protocol level, a critical factor for institutional adoption. The network includes onchain KYC and AML monitoring in collaboration with AnChain.ai, an AI-driven compliance provider. This is unlike conventional blockchains, where compliance tools are third-party application-layer software. Coreum puts compliance at its foundation together with real-time risk assessment and fraud detection.Decentralized exchange (DEX) and institutional trading infrastructureOur report also analyses Coreum’s decentralized exchange (DEX) infrastructure. While many layer-1 blockchains rely on liquidity pools, Coreum features a built-in onchain order book. There are important differences between the models. Coreum’s order book DEX allows for deterministic trade execution with minimal slippage, which makes it well-suited for institutional trading strategies. In contrast, AMM-based DEXs rely on liquidity pools that sometimes lead to price inefficiencies and higher exposure to impermanent loss. Coreum’s DEX architecture also supports high-frequency trading, with transaction processing speeds comparable to traditional financial exchanges.A notable aspect of Coreum’s DEX is its advanced API, which enables integration with institutional trading systems. The API is designed to provide low-latency access to order book data, market execution tools and automated trading strategies. This infrastructure allows financial firms and market makers to integrate Coreum’s DEX into their existing trading workflows. It ensures compliance with industry standards and benefits from blockchain-based settlement efficiencies.Read the full version of the report for free here.Interoperability and network connectivityCoreum’s interoperability strategy includes connections with the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and the Cosmos/IBC network. These integrations enable crosschain liquidity and asset transfers, which creates support for financial applications that require seamless movement between blockchain ecosystems. This integration allows institutional users to leverage XRPL’s efficiency in payments and Cosmos’ modular interoperability framework with over 100 connected chains. The ability to interact with multiple networks without sacrificing security or compliance aligns with institutional requirements for blockchain adoption.Conclusion: Networks designed for institutional adoption will need to address compliance, scalability and interoperability challenges. Coreum’s technical structure and regulatory considerations provide a case study for how blockchain networks may evolve to meet these requirements. With its deterministic fee structure, built-in compliance framework and high-speed trading infrastructure, Coreum represents an example of how third-generation blockchains are positioning themselves at the intersection of crypto and regulated financial markets.Read the full version of the report for free hereDisclaimer. 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.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.Cointelegraph does not endorse the content of this article nor any product mentioned herein. Readers should do their own research before taking any action related to any product or company mentioned and carry full responsibility for their decisions.

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 2, 2025 at 1:51 pm

Bitcoin (BTC) is up 16% from the four-month low of $76,600 to reach $88,700 on March 24. The price has since hovered around $85,000 on April 2. The latest rejection from the $85,500 resistance level raises questions about whether BTC price could drop further over the next few days.BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewTrump’s tariffs could drive Bitcoin prices lower?April 2 marks what US President Donald Trump dubbed “Liberation Day,” unveiling sweeping reciprocal tariffs targeting imports from numerous countries. Market participants are concerned this might trigger another sell-off in cryptocurrencies, pushing prices lower.Key takeaways:The proposed tariffs include a 25% levy on auto imports and broad duties on goods from nations like China, Canada, and Mexico.While these measures aim to reduce the US trade deficit and bolster domestic manufacturing, they could result in inflation and a risk-off mood.This could spook investors in the global market, with risk-on assets like Bitcoin bearing most of the brunt.For instance, when Trump imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China in early March, Bitcoin dropped from $105,000 to $92,000 overnight.Commenting on the current risk-asset landscape, trading firm QCP Capital emphasized the effects of Trump’s trade tariffs release today, especially as investors brace for retaliatory measures from affected nations. “The US seems increasingly intent on isolating itself in pursuit of more favorable trading terms,” the firm said in a Telegram note to investors, adding that the targeted countries are “not likely to concede.”QCP also pointed out that “rather than fracturing under pressure,” global players appear to be closing ranks, particularly after a meeting by officials from China, Japan and Korea to explore deeper regional trade cooperation.“In the short term, we expect all risk assets to remain under pressure.”Inflationary pressures and a shift to safe havensTrump’s tariffs are widely expected to fuel short-term inflation, a dynamic that typically pressures risk-on assets like Bitcoin. Key points:Higher import costs translate to rising consumer prices, prompting a flight to traditional safe-haven assets such as gold, which hit a record high of $3,150 per ounce this year, or US Treasurys. Unlike gold, Bitcoin has yet to fully establish itself as a reliable inflation hedge in the eyes of investors. While some view it as “digital gold,” BTC price remains highly correlated to stocks. The February 2025 crypto crash, which saw $2 billion in liquidations after earlier tariff announcements, underscores this vulnerability. Liquidity could tighten as the Fed is signaling a cautious approach to rate cuts.Lowering of interest rates, for example, is unlikely before June, despite one Fed meeting scheduled in the interim, according to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool.Fed target rate probabilities for May 7 FOMC meeting. Source: CME GroupThe odds of the Fed keeping interest rates unchanged at the May 7 meeting are 83.5%. This could further dampen enthusiasm for BTC and push its price lower if key price levels do not hold.Related: Bitcoin price can hit $250K in 2025 if Fed shifts to QE: Arthur HayesBitcoin price analysis sees a ‘lot of volatility’ aheadBitcoin’s price is notoriously prone to overreactions, amplified by leveraged trading in the crypto derivatives market. The uncertainty surrounding the scope and retaliation to Trump’s April 2 tariffs could spark panic selling, triggering a cascade of liquidations.“Today is the day where the Trump administration shares details about the proposed tariffs on the rest of the world,” popular trader Daan Crypto Trades wrote on X. Market participants have been looking forward to this event over the last few weeks, which has caused a lot of uncertainty. “Depending on the severity of the tariffs and how the market interprets it, a larger move is due,” the trader said, adding:“Regardless of what happens, a lot of volatility is pretty much a guarantee today.”Others doubted the severity of Trump’s tariffs, with analyst and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe arguing that it could be “a big non-event or an event that's heavily priced into the markets.”“I would expect the markets to go back to neutral after today is over.”Fellow analyst AlphaBTC believes that Bitcoin price must hold above $84,000 to avoid deeper corrections. The analyst shared a chart showing that a breakdown of the $84,000 support would trigger a sell-off to areas below $80,000, with the March 14 low at $79,900 being the first level of interest.#Bitcoin must hold 84K Keeping it simple, no H4 close below 64K and last the day without Trump dumping on markets.#Crypto #BTC https://t.co/UPRkWfegdP pic.twitter.com/OkJDc5jXWl— AlphaBTC (@mark_cullen) April 2, 2025This 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 Aaron Wood on April 2, 2025 at 1:37 pm

The crypto industry’s sway in Washington, DC has made it more likely that the industry will get beneficial legislation, but it’s also creating problems. Concerns of regulatory capture — a situation in which regulators or lawmakers are co-opted to serve the interests of a small constituency — have grown as crypto lobbying gains influence in Washington.The risks of regulatory capture are twofold: First, the public interest is shut out from policy-making in favor of a single industry or company, and second, it can make regulators blind to or paralyzed by economic risks. Now, not even three months into Trump’s presidency, American lawmakers and industry crypto observers have voiced concerns that this regulatory capture could not only negatively affect the country but curb competition within the crypto industry as well. Regulatory capture in the battle for crypto policyIn a March 28 letter, prominent members of the US Senate Banking Committee and Committee on Finance addressed Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood and Michelle Bowman, chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governor’s Committee on Supervision and Regulation.The letter specifically addresses the launch of USD1, a stablecoin project from the Trump family’s decentralized finance project, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), as Congress considers GENIUS Act legislation on stablecoins. Related: Trump’s crypto project launches stablecoin on BNB Chain, EthereumThe senators suggest there are opportunities for regulatory capture and conflict of interest. “President Trump may review any actions the OCC takes with regard to USD1’s stablecoin application. He would be positioned to intervene in and deny the OCC from promulgating stablecoin safeguards, or force the agency to refrain from initiating any enforcement actions against WLF.”Son Eric Trump pumps his father’s memecoin ahead of the inauguration. Source: Eric TrumpThey added that he could attempt to intervene or deny assistance to USD1’s competitors and that the GENIUS Act provides no provisions to prevent such conduct. Crypto industry observers have also echoed concern over a single entity’s undue influence over policy when it comes to Coinbase’s influence in Washington’s development of stablecoin policy.In January, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong signaled that his firm would be willing to delist Tether’s USDt (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, if the version of the stablecoin bill under consideration in Congress became law.Under those terms, USDC (USDC), in which Coinbase is a major shareholder, would essentially be fencing out its largest competitor from the US market. Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter cried foul, stating that “regulatory capture is poison. Reminds me of what SBF used to do.”Related: SBF always played both sides of the aisle despite new Republican pleaAt the time, Vance Spencer, founder of crypto venture firm Framework Ventures, said that it was “a blatant attempt at regulatory capture by US players done at the expense of US national interest.”“The future of stablecoins can be US dollar-based only if we allow a broader competitive set of stablecoin issuers to flourish and deny gatekeeping/gaslighting by those interested in regulatory capture,” he concluded.George Selgin, senior fellow and director emeritus of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, told Cointelegraph that the Bitcoin (BTC) reserve is another clear example of the crypto lobby’s influence over the regulatory process. Trump signs the Bitcoin reserve executive order. Source: David Sacks“It’s unlikely that anyone would have considered it desirable, let alone necessary, for the US government to maintain digital asset stashes — in fact, there’s no good reason for its doing so — had it not been for intense pressure from cryptocurrency enthusiasts,” he said.Regulatory capture is old hat in Washington lawmakingDifferent lobbies influencing policymaking in Washington are nothing new, so much so that “regulatory capture” to the layman would seem to describe business as usual. Selgin said that the Biden administration’s approach to crypto was equally an example of regulatory capture, just in favor of traditional financial firms that, with their lobbying efforts, wished to limit competition from industry upstarts. “Regulators’ relatively hostile stance toward crypto [under Biden] was no less evidence of regulatory capture than their more indulgent stance toward it today. The main difference was in who did the capturing,” he said. “Financial regulatory capture is an old story; only some new players are now proving to be adept hunters.”When asked how one would differentiate between legitimate industry advocacy and regulatory capture, Selgin said, “I don’t think you need to. First of all, the line between them is very thin.”Industries rarely take complete control of regulators due in part to the fact that individual firms within an industry have different ideas about what ideal regulation looks like, said Selgin.Furthermore, any kind of successful advocacy “captures regulators to some extent,” if only by virtue of the fact that it makes them change their beliefs about how best to regulate.What is to be done?The question remains then: Is regulatory capture just to be accepted as a natural part of the policymaking process?Some academics have suggested creating entirely new government bodies to deal with the problem. Gerard Caprio, William Brough professor of economics, emeritus at Williams College, proposed the creation of an expert panel dubbed a “Sentinel” to oversee regulator behavior. But such proposals face nearly impossible headwinds, not only because of their technical complexity but due to the simple fact that lawmakers have no incentive to set up an organization that oversees them. Related: Trump’s CFTC pick Brian Quintenz gets crypto’s foot in the revolving doorAccording to Selgin, the ultimate determination is not “whether or how the industry manages to influence regulators. It’s whether the resulting regulatory regime serves the public interest [...] If a regulation is harmful, it’s harmful whether it was lobbied for or not.”And the public’s interest in crypto is getting harder to see. Polls about crypto sentiment, trust and ownership vary wildly, and the Trump administration’s personal interest has done little to endear it to skeptics or middle-of-the-road voters. Some industry surveys claim that a whopping 70% of Americans own crypto. Source: NFT EveningEven crypto lobbyists admit that the (barely) bipartisan drive for crypto is driven by a desire to appease the crypto industry’s deep pockets ahead of the 2026 midterms. Dave Grimaldi, executive vice president of government relations at Blockchain Association, said, “There are [...] pro-crypto candidates who won and were funded by our industry and had votes coming to them from crypto users in their district. [...] And then there were also incumbent, sitting members of Congress who lost their seats because they were so negative for completely unnecessary and illogical reasons.”Little can be done until lawmakers and regulators agree there is a problem to solve and exert the political will to solve it. Magazine: Arbitrum co-founder skeptical of move to based and native rollups: Steven Goldfeder

by Cointelegraph by Ray Salmond on April 2, 2025 at 1:30 pm

Social messaging apps tend to make major news headlines a few times per year for either their use in planning some sort of crime or, more routinely, for users’ privacy concerns over how companies like Meta — which owns WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger — handle user data. In a somewhat separate event, the Trump administration became the focus of national discussion after members of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet were found to be using Signal to plan military actions in Yemen. While a hack, backdoor access or misuse of user data was not the source of criticism in this scenario, the event did raise national security concerns about Signal’s security and whether or not high-ranking government officials should be using messaging apps to discuss classified information. Apple’s recent decision to stop offering end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage in the UK instead of creating a backdoor that would allow the UK government access to user data also raised eyebrows, and it highlights the ability of tech companies to make unilateral decisions about users’ data and their privacy. On Episode 58 of The Agenda podcast, hosts Ray Salmond and Jonathan DeYoung spoke to Sessions technical co-founder Kee Jefferys about how the decentralized, encrypted messaging app works to protect users’ privacy and data. Decentralize, or else the writing is on the wallBy downloading and using messaging apps, users, whether they realize it or not, often give the app and its operator permission to track their location, view their contacts and other data on their phone, and also keep records of their conversations.Even in instances where the app operator pledges not to do any of the above, if they process and keep user data on just one or two servers, the company itself is a risk of being compromised by hackers — and this presents a direct risk to users. Related:The case against Pavel Durov and why it's important for cryptoWhen asked whether Apple’s aforementioned decision to cease E2EE services rather than grant a government request backdoor access was an isolated event, Jeffreys said it likely was not. “I see countries moving more towards this ideology of pushing applications like backdoors for applications and arresting developers of open-source code,” he said. “I mean, obviously, we saw this with Durov, the founder of Telegram, being arrested in France. Even though he himself didn't do anything wrong, because Telegram was being used for malicious acts, the French government felt empowered to arrest the founder, even though all of the Telegram code is open source. So, that's really concerning from my perspective.” As mentioned earlier, malicious attacks also remain an ever-present threat to users and the companies that operate messaging apps. Jeffreys explained that Session messages are E2EE, the app does not require a mobile phone number to sign up, and the platform uses Onion routing to hide users’ IP addresses, and he said that blockchain is one of the most optimal solutions for decentralizing and hardcoding security to applications. Jeffreys said: “In Session, you don't reveal your IP address to the nodes that you store your messages on, and then it's decentralized as well. So it doesn't have a single central server where all of the messages are stored. It actually has this decentralized network of around 2,200 nodes, which kind of splits and stores your messages temporarily on the network. So from that perspective, like it's censorship-resistant, it hides a lot of metadata when you use the service, and it doesn't require these real-world identifiers when you sign up for Session.” When asked for some suggestions that normal people can take if they want to increase their privacy, Jefferys said that there are some very “simple steps [people] can take to protect themselves, mostly against hackers and corporate intrusion.”  “Making sure that your social media footprint, like the things that you put out there publicly, are as clean as possible. So, like going through your old social media posts and removing things which are publicly accessible not only to train AI tools, but also to start forming these pictures about you, about what your interests are, what products do you like. Those are things that are publicly accessible. I would just remove as much as possible and be careful about what you're saying online and the digital footprint that you're creating as well.”To hear more from Jeffreys’ conversation with The Agenda — including his future vision for blockchain-based messaging apps — listen to the full episode on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows! Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a crime? Crypto lawyers weigh inThis 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 Jonathan DeYoung on April 2, 2025 at 1:23 pm

DNA testing firm 23andMe is bankrupt, and now the genomic data of its 15 million users is up for sale to the highest bidder. Could that data end up on the blockchain?The company announced on March 23 that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that its CEO, Anne Wojcicki, had stepped down. The announcement sent waves of concern among 23andMe’s customers, many of whom are now scrambling to delete their data from the service.Privacy advocates and government officials have weighed in, urging users to download and then delete their data. The sense of urgency increased on March 26 when a judge gave 23andMe the official stamp of approval to sell user data. Still, there is the question of where these users should move their data and whether there is a better alternative.In the wake of the bankruptcy, blockchain advocates have seized the opportunity to make the case that DNA is better off on the blockchain, whether directly stored on the servers of a decentralized network or using some elements of Web3 technology on the back end. The promise of a more private 23andMe, where users control their own data, is alluring to many, yet actually bringing the world of DNA sequencing onto the blockchain is not without its challenges.23andMe’s complicated privacy history23andMe may be most known for selling DNA testing kits and offering ancestry and health reports, but its core business model is selling its customers' genetic data to pharmaceutical companies and other researchers.The company’s privacy policy states that it will only share a user’s DNA with a third party if the user grants permission. Around 80% of its users ultimately opt into this agreement. 23andMe also claims that any user information is anonymized before being shared, though it’s not inconceivable that someone’s unique genetic data could still be linked back to them.A December 2024 study by data removal service Incogni found that 23andMe’s privacy policy was actually one of the strongest among its competitors. Still, the agreement also states that user data can be sold or transferred if the company is acquired, and the new owner may not have the same privacy policy.How DNA testing services use genetic information. Source: IncogniDarius Belejevas, head of Incogni, told Cointelegraph that customers give their genetic data to companies like 23andMe under the assumption that it will be protected under the privacy terms they agreed to. “A bankruptcy sale fundamentally alters the terms of that agreement, potentially exposing their most sensitive biological information to use by the highest bidder,” he said.“Yet again, we see a regulatory gap in the data collection industry, which, in this case, will likely leave 23andMe users never knowing what really happens with their physical samples and sensitive information.”Privacy policy concerns aside, 23andMe has also faced data leaks. In 2023, hackers stole ancestry data of about 6.9 million users, roughly half of its customer base at the time. What was particularly concerning was that the hack may have specifically targeted users of Ashkenazi Jewish and Chinese descent.A user of an online forum claimed to be selling stolen 23andMe data in October 2023. Source: ResecuritySecurity experts have warned that stolen genomic information could potentially be used to carry out identity theft or even design targeted bioweapons. In July 2022, US lawmakers and military officials issued a warning at the Aspen Security Forum that the data held by DNA testing services — specifically calling out 23andMe — were potential targets for foreign adversaries aiming to develop such bioweapons.“There are now weapons under development, and developed, that are designed to target specific people,” said Representative Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado who sits on the House Intelligence Committee. “That's what this is, where you can actually take someone's DNA, you know, their medical profile, and you can target a biological weapon that will kill that person.”Putting 23andMe on the blockchainPutting DNA on the blockchain is not a novel idea; Genecoin pitched it as early as 2014. But 23andMe’s bankruptcy is making headlines, and several blockchain projects are capitalizing on the momentum to make their respective pitches for why they offer a better alternative.At least four potential buyers have publicly declared their interest in 23andMe, and one of them is the Sei Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing the Sei blockchain. The mechanics of how the foundation would bring 23andMe onto the blockchain are not entirely clear, but it reiterated on March 31 that it would ensure “one of the nation’s most valuable assets - the health of its people, survives on chain.”Source: SeiPhil Mataras, founder of the decentralized cloud network AR.IO, which is built atop Arweave, said that the move was a “flashy, but exciting prospect,” in comments shared with Cointelegraph. “The data would be more secure and tamper-resistant than any other kind of centralized data storage solution.”AR.IO has itself been pushing for 23andMe users to download their data and move it over to the ArDrive decentralized storage solution, which has published a step-by-step guide explaining how to upload the data to an encrypted drive. “This is something you can do right now, and then you won’t have to even worry about what will happen to your data, since it will no longer be in the 23andMe database,” said Mataras.Blockchain project Genomes.io, which describes itself as “the world’s largest user-owned genomics database,” has seen new users flocking to the platform since 23andMe’s bankruptcy. “Hundreds of new users per week are joining us,” its CEO, Aldo de Pape, told Cointelegraph.According to de Pape, “This is a clear use case for decentralized technology to improve a process that has been flawed from the beginning, and which is this essence of bringing data sovereignty back to individuals, giving the health information back to an individual, making sure that the owner and the health data are one.”Genomes.io uploads users’ genomic data into what it calls “vaults,” which are end-to-end encrypted so that only the user holds the private keys needed to access the data. This also means that users' DNA will still be secured if the company is ever hacked or sold.Users can then opt into specific studies on a case-by-case basis, and they get paid in the project’s native token when their data is used. Related: Stop giving your DNA data away for free to 23andMe, says Genomes.io CEOAnother solution, GenoBank, has an alternative approach: tokenizing genetic information onchain as “BioNFTs.” The company offers DNA testing kits linked to non-fungible tokens that are self-custodied by the customer, meaning they can have their DNA sequenced anonymously.“What if this moment of disruption could actually become a catalyst for positive change?” asked its CEO, Daniel Uribe, in a March 24 blog post. Much like Genomes.io, Uribe laid out a vision where everyone owns their data, controls who accesses it, captures its value and maintains privacy. “This isn’t science fiction. The technology exists today.”Blockchain comes with its own concernsDespite the current hype around bringing blockchain to DNA, there are still challenges in doing so, and decentralized solutions offer their own set of potential risks.If a customer misplaces the private keys to their genomic data, there is only so much any project or company can do to help them. Perhaps more terrifying is the idea of a user having their private keys hacked and their genomic data stolen.De Pape said that Genomes.io, for its part, will work with customers to secure their vaults if their private keys are compromised, although they are unable to actually unlock a user’s vault.Then there are additional privacy concerns at the laboratory level. Even if the final data is stored in the most private, secure manner possible, the sequencing laboratories themselves may not follow the same strict guidelines.In terms of uploading DNA data directly to the blockchain, there could be an astronomical cost associated. A raw whole genome sequencing file a laboratory generates can be up to 30 GB. This means uploading the raw files for 15 million customers — the total number of people who have given their DNA to 23andMe — to a decentralized storage solution like Arweave would cost upward of $492 million as of April 1. 450,000 TB of raw DNA data would cost nearly half a billion dollars to upload to Arweave. Source: Arweave Fees“Don't upload it [DNA] to the blockchain. That is the biggest mistake you could make,” argued de Pape. In addition to the cost, he said there are privacy concerns.Blockchain, more often than not, is a public space, right? So, even if you put it on the blockchain, it doesn't mean that it's entirely private to you. There is a track record of you uploading the data there.Finally, regulations add another layer of complexity to the matter. A 2020 study written in part by GenoBank’s Uribe found that regulatory frameworks like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which sets strict guidelines for the handling of user data, have “generated some challenges for lawyers, data processors and business enterprises engaged in blockchain offerings, especially as they pertain to high-risk data sets such as genomic data.”So, while blockchain certainly offers several advantages over centralized companies like 23andMe, it’s no panacea, and it may not be for everyone.But regardless of where users choose to move their data, the message from privacy advocates and security experts remains clear: Don’t leave it with 23andMe.Magazine: Crypto fans are obsessed with longevity and biohacking: Here’s why

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 2, 2025 at 1:09 pm

Over $2 billion was lost to cryptocurrency hacks in the first quarter of 2025.According to a report shared with Cointelegraph by crypto cybersecurity firm Hacken, in Q1 2025, nearly $1.63 billion was lost just to access control exploits. Anmol Jain, vice president of investigations at crypto forensics firm AMLBot, told Cointelegraph that the exceptionally high figure is mainly attributable to the recent hack of the crypto exchange Bybit.The data is similar to that recently shared by crypto cybersecurity firm PeckShield. The competing firm’s report — which excludes scams — suggested that crypto hacks total at $1.6 billion in Q1 2025.Total 2025 Q1 crypto hack losses by category. Source: HackenLate February reports indicate that the North Korean hackers behind the $1.4 billion Bybit hack control over 11,000 cryptocurrency wallets used to launder stolen funds. The increasing participation of North Korean state actors highlights increasing sophistication and scale.This hack had a significant impact on this quarter’s figures. This is particularly clear when one considers that the entirety of 2024 saw a total loss of $2.25 billion. Hacken shared a key lesson on the subject:“Securing digital assets requires more than just secure on-chain code — the entire infrastructure, from front-end interfaces to internal processes, must be equally hardened, as all it takes is a single weak spot to wreck the entire system.“No one is safeHacken’s report highlighted that the past few months saw “even the biggest centralized and decentralized players falling victim to operational failures, access control weaknesses, and in a few cases, social engineering.” The quarter did not see any notable new exploits, “but rather the continued effectiveness of existing attack vectors.”The report further highlights that, while smart contract vulnerabilities remain an issue, “most damage is now caused by failures in people, processes, or permission systems.” This is also reportedly the third quarter in a row that has seen the top exploit be a multisignature wallet-related hack.The ByBit hackers compromised the Safe{Wallet} front end. Previous hacks involving multisignature wallet implementations or management include the Radiant Capital hack in Q4 2024 and the WazirX hack in Q3 2024.The crypto scam industryScams also resulted in large-scale damage, with Hacken data attributing $96.37 million of losses to phishing scams and $300 million to rug pulls. Jain also highlighted a troubling trend in crypto scams becoming an industry:“The most worrying trend is the professionalization of scam networks, where criminals operate with startup-like efficiency, including ‘training programs’ for scammers, internal quotas, and multi-stage laundering schemes using platforms like Huione Pay.“The statement follows mid-January reports that Huione, often described as”“the largest online illicit marketplace to have ever operated”” highlighted that the service has seen its monthly inflows increase by 51% in just half a year. This growth followed the platform's deployment of its USD-pegged stablecoin and financial services dedicated to illegal activities.Anmol highlighted that “most pig butchering scams originate from Southeast Asian cybercrime compounds,” with many being located in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, with some presence in Thailand. The operators also often “employ” human trafficked young people from India, Nepal, Vietnam, and the Philippines.Magazine: China’s ‘point running’ crypto scams, pig butchers kidnap kids: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 2, 2025 at 12:55 pm

Avalanche saw a significant surge in stablecoin supply over the past year, but the onchain deployment of this capital points to passive investor behavior, which may be limiting demand for the network’s utility token.The stablecoin supply on the Avalanche network rose by over 70% over the past year, from $1.5 billion in March 2024, to over $2.5 billion as of March 31, 2025, according to Avalanche’s X posMarket capitalization of stablecoins on Avalanche. Source: AvalancheStablecoins are the main bridge between the fiat and crypto world and increasing stablecoin supply is often seen as a signal for incoming buying pressure and growing investor appetite.However, Avalanche’s (AVAX) token has been in a downtrend, dropping nearly 60% over the past year to trade above $19 as of 12:31 pm UTC, despite the $1 billion increase in stablecoin supply, Cointelegraph Markets Pro data shows.AVAX/USD,1-year chart. Source: Cointelegraph Markets Pro“The apparent contradiction between surging stablecoin value on Avalanche and AVAX's significant price decline likely stems from how that stablecoin liquidity is being held,” according to Juan Pellicer, senior research analyst at IntoTheBlock crypto intelligence platform.Related: Bitcoin can hit $250K in 2025 if Fed shifts to QE: Arthur HayesA “substantial portion” of these inflows consists of bridged Tether (USDT), the research analyst told Cointelegraph, adding:“This seems as inactive treasury holdings rather than capital actively deployed within Avalanche's DeFi ecosystem (at least for the time being). If these stablecoins aren't being used in lending, swapping, or other DeFi activities that would typically drive demand for AVAX (for gas, collateral, etc.), their presence alone wouldn't necessarily boost the AVAX price”The AVAX token’s downtrend comes during a wider crypto market correction, as investor sentiment is pressured by global uncertainty ahead of US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal import tariff announcement on April 2, a measure aimed at reducing the country’s estimated trade deficit of $1.2 trillion.Related: Michael Saylor’s Strategy buys Bitcoin dip with $1.9B purchase70% chance for crypto market to bottom by June: Nansen analystsNansen analysts predict a 70% chance that the crypto market will bottom in the next two months leading into June as the ongoing tariff-related negotiations progress and investor concerns are alleviated.“Once the toughest part of the negotiation is behind us, we see a cleaner opportunity for crypto and risk assets to finally mark a bottom,” Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at the Nansen crypto intelligence platform, told Cointelegraph.Both traditional and cryptocurrency markets continue to lack upside momentum ahead of the US tariff announcement.BTC/USD, 1-day chart. Source: Nansen“For the main US equity indexes and for BTC, the respective price charts failed to resurface above their 200-day moving averages significantly, while lower-lookback price moving averages are falling,” wrote Nansen in an April 1 research report. Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 23 – 29

by Cointelegraph by Yashu Gola on April 2, 2025 at 12:45 pm

XRP (XRP), the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), has been touted by proponents as a high-speed, low-cost solution for cross-border payments. But just how much value flows through the network on a daily basis? Let’s examine.XRP volumes have risen since Trump’s reelectionBased on recent data from Glassnode, XRP’s daily transfer volume settled on its blockchain in US dollars frequently ranges between $300 million and $1 billion. However, since November 2024, when Donald Trump won the US presidential election, XRP has settled an average of $2.28 billion per day, signifying heightened network activity likely fueled by XRP’s price boom in the same period.XRP total transfer volume. Source: GlassnodeThat said, these spikes don’t necessarily reflect steady adoption or payment activity; instead, they could further be tied to speculative behavior, Ripple-related transfers, whale moves, and reshuffling between exchanges. Ripple is behind many big XRP transfersOne important factor behind the spikes in XRP’s daily transfer volume is large token sales by Ripple and its co-founder, Chris Larsen.Chris Larsen’s XRP sales (2024–2025):On Sept. 18, he transferred 50 million XRP (~$29 million) from a wallet inactive for 11+ years. 50,000,000 #XRP (29,120,312 USD) transferred from Chris Larsen to unknown wallethttps://t.co/D9iopMqePM— Whale Alert (@whale_alert) September 16, 2024By early 2025, Larsen had sold over $116 million worth of XRP.These sales reduced XRP reserves on one of his wallets from 500 million to 410 million XRP.Previously, the SEC estimated Larsen sold ~$453.69 million worth of XRP between 2017 and 2020.The 2024–2025 sales stand out for their scale and timing during XRP’s rally past $3.Ripple’s XRP escrow sales (2017–2025):Ripple started selling XRP from escrow in 2017, releasing up to 1 billion XRP/month, often returning unsold tokens.It sold $91.6 million during the cryptocurrency’s 30,000% rally in Q4 2017In Q3 2018, Ripple sold $163 million during volatile markets.In Q2 2019, the firm sold $251 million in XRP, one of its largest sales.Sales dropped to $1.75M in Q1 2020, likely due to regulatory pressure from the SEC.Across 2021, around $1.5B were sold, per Ripple’s reports.This suggests that Ripple tends to ramp up sales during bullish periods and scale back during XRP price downtrends.Related: Ripple ‘should act in its own interest’ when selling XRP — Ripple CTOIn 2017, Ripple locked 55 billion XRP—the majority of the total supply—into a series of escrow contracts. Each contract held 1 billion XRP, set to be released monthly over 55 months.However, any unused portion is returned to escrow, with a new contract pushed to the back of the queue, i.e., re-locked for 55 months.During active sale periods, these movements could result in noticeable spikes in total transfer volume, especially when paired with high speculative interest. 370,000,000 #XRP (778,259,699 USD) locked in escrow at #Ripplehttps://t.co/Rk079yzgNf— Whale Alert (@whale_alert) April 2, 2025Bitcoin and Ethereum outperform XRP overallBitcoin and Ethereum continue to dominate XRP in terms of daily transfer volume, highlighting broader adoption and greater trust in these ecosystems.The overall average daily transfer volume for Bitcoin across the full data set is approximately $23.26 billion, according to Glassnode. Bitcoin total transfer volume. Source: GlassnodeIn recent years, the network has settled an average of $64.03 billion per day over the past 30 days, likely due to strong institutional flows, ETF-driven activity, and speculative trading.Meanwhile, Ethereum's overall daily transfer volume is approximately $2.53 billion. But its recent 30-day average of the same comes to be at around $5.67 billion.Ethereum total transfer volume. Source: GlassnodeTotal transfer volume reflects real-life usageTransfer volume is a key onchain metric, showing how much real value is settled daily via blockchain. High volumes, especially when sustained, indicate greater user activity in moving money onchain. Bitcoin and Ethereum see consistent activity from custodians, ETFs, and DeFi apps.In XRP’s case, however, usage appears concentrated around trading cycles. Despite Ripple’s efforts to promote XRP in cross-border settlements via On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), onchain volumes suggest limited adoption among enterprise users.However, XRPL has recently introduced tools for stablecoin issuance, tokenization, and EVM compatibility. Related: Redemption arcs of 2024: Ripple’s victory, memecoins’ rise, RWA growthIn Q4 2024, for instance, the ledger’s Automated Market Maker (AMM) volume increased by 3,100%, reflecting exponential growth in usage.XRP Ledger Key Metrics as of Dec. 31, 2024. Source: MessariHowever, these innovations have yet to generate volume levels comparable to Ethereum and Bitcoin.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 Helen Partz on April 2, 2025 at 12:31 pm

Update (April 2, 1:50 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add official registration data from the Ontario Securities Commission.Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken obtained a new registration in Canada as its latest compliance milestone.Kraken secured a restricted dealer registration from the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) on April 1, according to official data on the OSC website. The registration reaffirms Kraken’s commitment to serving Canadian investors as its platform now has more than $2 billion Canadian dollars ($1.4 billion) in combined assets under custody.An excerpt from the list of crypto asset trading platforms registered with the OSC. Source: OSCIn conjunction with the registration, Kraken announced the appointment of Cynthia Del Pozo as general manager for North America. Before joining Kraken in 2025, Del Pozo served as head of strategy at the Winklevoss twins’ Gemini, which exited the Canadian market in late 2024.Restricted dealer registration is subject to specific requirementsAccording to the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), restricted dealer registration is one of the eight-firm registration types in Canada, telling investors what products and services they can offer.Unlike an investment dealer or investment fund manager, restricted dealer registration is a special classification used for firms that “do not quite fit under any other category” and is subject to specific requirements or conditions by securities regulators.An excerpt from the CSA’s firm and individual registration types explainer. Source: CSAIn the announcement, Kraken said that the registration enables its Canadian clients to benefit from a solid regulatory foundation, ensuring that its platform is supervised by the OSC.Rival Gemini exchange exited Canada in late 2024Kraken’s strengthening commitment to the Canadian market comes months after rival Gemini exchange departed from the country before the end of 2024.Gemini’s abrupt exit from Canada was unexpected by many, raising questions about the clarity of cryptocurrency regulation policies in the country.Related: APX Lending gains exemptive relief from Canadian Securities AdministrationKraken’s new North American general manager, Del Pozo, spent three years working at Gemini Canada, with her most recent position as head of strategy and corporate development, according to her LinkedIn profile.An excerpt from Cynthia Del Pozo’s LinkedIn profile. Source: LinkedInDespite Gemini’s shutdown in Canada, Del Pozo is optimistic about the state of the local crypto market.“Canada is at a turning point for crypto adoption, with a growing number of investors and institutions recognizing digital assets as a vital part of the financial future,” she said in the announcement, adding:“I’m thrilled to join Kraken’s mission at this critical moment, and to lead our expansion efforts, ensuring we continue to serve our clients long-term with innovative and compliant products.”Kraken’s latest registration in Canada marks another milestone in the long story of the company in the jurisdiction.According to a blog post by the exchange, Kraken’s Canada journey began in 2011 with the launch of CaVirtEx, an early local crypto trading platform based in Calgary, which Kraken acquired later in 2016.Magazine: How crypto laws are changing across the world in 2025

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 2, 2025 at 12:13 pm

Social cryptocurrency project Pi Network’s price approaches all-time lows as more and more coins are unlocked.CoinMarketCap data shows that Pi Network (PI) is trading at $0.6722 as of press time, very close to its all-time low of $0.6152 reported on Feb. 20. The price action comes as over 126.6 million PI tokens are expected to be unlocked this month, equivalent to just under 1.87% of the coin’s current circulating supply.Monthly Pi unlock chart. Source: PiScanFounder of Obchakevich Research, Alex Obchakevich, attributed the price downturn to continued PI unlocks in correspondence with Cointelegraph. He described the event as “inevitable in any case” and said:“Monthly unlocks exceed demand, which greatly affects the value of the token.“Related: The truth about Pi coin: Could it be the next Bitcoin?So far, the network has unlocked 4.9 billion PI, with 1.54 billion more coins being freed in the next 12 months. So far, Pi Network has unlocked an average of 133 million PI per month.The current downturn follows February's all-time lows following the Pi Network mainnet launch. The project operated with trading restrictions that prevented its listing on any platform until that point and then was listed on Bitget, OKX and MEXC.The potential is thereStill, Obchakevich also recognized the potential of the Pi Network. He highlighted that the network should now “focus on project development now to increase usage and interest.” Talking about growth potential, he also said:“The project certainly has the potential to compete with the top 10 projects in the future. But now they need to stay on the market in such unstable times, as competitors offer more interesting conditions and products.“Related: Pi Network mainnet launch: What it means for pioneersWhat is Pi Network?Pi Network is a mobile-first blockchain project allowing users to earn its native token, Pi coin, through an in-app daily check-in process. The network first launched in 2019 and is developed by a team of Stanford University graduatesPi Network employs a referral-based structure that sees users invite others to join in exchange for token earnings. In late February, Ben Zhou, the CEO of crypto exchange ByBit, challenged the project’s legitimacy and accused it of being a scam. He wrote at the time:“Yes, I still think you are a scam, and no, Bybit will not list scam.“Magazine: Help! My parents are addicted to Pi Network crypto tapper

on April 2, 2025 at 12:06 pm

The ruling military junta says it fired warning shots at the group because the convoy failed to stop and it hadn't told them they were working in an active combat zone.

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 2, 2025 at 11:24 am

The cryptocurrency market may see a local bottom in the next two months amid global uncertainty over ongoing import tariff negotiations, which have been limiting investor sentiment in both traditional and digital markets.US President Donald Trump is set to detail on April 2 his reciprocal import tariffs, measures aimed at reducing the country’s estimated trade deficit of $1.2 trillion in goods and boosting domestic manufacturing. While global markets took a hit from the first tariff announcement, there is a 70% chance for cryptocurrency valuations to find their bottom by June, according to Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at the Nansen crypto intelligence platform.The research analyst told Cointelegraph:“Nansen data estimates a 70% probability that crypto prices will bottom between now and June, with BTC and ETH currently trading 15% and 22% below their year-to-date highs, respectively. Given this data, upcoming discussions will serve as crucial market indicators.”“Once the toughest part of the negotiation is behind us, we see a cleaner opportunity for crypto and risk assets to finally mark a bottom,” she added.Related: Bitcoin can hit $250K in 2025 if Fed shifts to QE: Arthur HayesBoth traditional and cryptocurrency markets continue to lack upside momentum ahead of the US tariff announcement.BTC/USD, 1-day chart. Source: Nansen“For the main US equity indexes and for BTC, the respective price charts failed to resurface above their 200-day moving averages significantly, while lower-lookback price moving averages are falling,” wrote Nansen in an April 1 research report. “Fragile market psychology highlights the necessity of “good news,” mainly on US growth and on tariffs,” added the report.Related: Michael Saylor’s Strategy buys Bitcoin dip with $1.9B purchaseBitcoin needs to hold $82,000 amid crypto market “wait and see” mode: AnalystInvestors are currently in “wait and see mode” and are hesitant to take on large positions as markets lack direction.However, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index remained above the “extreme fear” mark for a third consecutive session, which suggests a marginal improvement despite continued caution, Stella Zlatareva, dispatch editor at digital asset investment platform Nexo, told Cointelegraph.“This reinforces the view that markets are in a wait-and-see mode,” Zlatareva told Cointelegraph, adding:“Bitcoin continues to consolidate within the $82,000 – $85,000 range after experiencing a period of directional recalibration in Q1. The asset is navigating this zone with key support at $82,000 and upside potential toward $86,500 and $90,000 if broader sentiment stabilizes.”Other traders are awaiting a Bitcoin breakout above $84,500 as a signal for more upside momentum amid the ongoing tariff uncertainty.Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 23 – 29

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 2, 2025 at 10:52 am

XRP (XRP) price fell 22% between March 19 and March 31, potentially forming a local bottom at $2.02. The price then increased by 9% to $2.20 before retracing to current levels. Has the popular altcoin finally bottomed out, or is there a deeper retracement in the cards? XRP bullish divergence on multiple timeframesThe XRP relative strength index (RSI) displays bullish divergence conditions in lower timeframes, according to analyst CasiTrades.A bullish divergence is when the asset’s price prints lower lows and the RSI produces higher lows, indicating that downward momentum is waning.“After reaching the 0.786 retrace at $2.05, XRP is printing bullish divergences from the 15-min all the way up to the 4-hour chart,” the analyst said in a March 31 post on X. CasiTrades notes that these signals are a positive indicator both for short-term bounces and potential macro recovery.“That’s the kind of signal we want to see for both short-term bottom and macro! The bounce is holding so far!”XRP/USD hourly chart. Source: CasiTradesShe added that $2.25 remains a key resistance level to watch, as breaching it with strong momentum would signal a convincing bullish breakout. “If we break above $2.25 with strong momentum, that would invalidate the need for another support retest, a very bullish sign,” CasiTrades said, adding that the demand zone between “$2.00 and $2.01 remains a support if the $2.05 doesn’t hold.”The analyst projects a bullish month for XRP in April, with targets of $2.70 and $3.80 in the short term.“Once the price reaches its target, I expect a large impulse to the upside!  Key resistance aligning to $2.70 and $3.80.”Related: XRP funding rate flips negative — Will smart traders flip long or short?Is the XRP local bottom in?Despite XRP’s recent recovery from local lows, the risk of a deeper correction remains, according to veteran trader Peter Brandt.Last week, Brandt said the presence of a “textbook” head-and-shoulders pattern (H&S) could see XRP price as low as $1.07.This potential H&S pattern is still in play on the daily chart (see below) and will be completed on a break and close below the neckline at $1.90. If the price stays below the neckline, the pair could plummet to $1.50 and then to the pattern’s target of $1.07.Brandt said:“Below $1.9, I would not want to own it. H&S projects to $1.07. Don't shoot the messenger.”XRP/USD daily chart with H&S pattern. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBrandt said this bearish chart pattern would be invalidated if buyers push and maintain the price above $3.00.Meanwhile, macroeconomic headwinds from US tariffs on April 2 may spook traders, pulling the XRP price toward $1.31.Not everyone agrees. Analyst Dark Defender shared a positive outlook, saying that XRP price is likely to revisit the last Fibonacci level at $2.04 before bouncing back again.According to the analyst, a key resistance level for XRP is $2.22, which “should be broken” to ensure a sustained recovery toward the Wave 5 target at $8.“April-May will be hot, and our targets of Wave 5 stand at $5-8 levels, as expected.”XRP/USD daily chart. Source: Dark DefenderThis 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 Helen Partz on April 2, 2025 at 10:46 am

Investment company VanEck filed to register a Delaware trust company for an exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking Binance-linked BNB cryptocurrency.VanEck, on March 31, registered a new entity under the name VanEck BNB ETF in Delaware, according to public records on the official Delaware state website.In filing 10148820, the entity is registered as a trust corporate service company in Delaware, hinting at a potential spot BNB (BNB) ETF in the United States.VanEck BNB ETF trust registration in Delaware. Source: Delaware.govAccording to social media reports, VanEck is the first company to propose a potential BNB ETF in the US, potentially signaling an expansion of BNB Chain — formerly known as Binance Chain — across traditional financial products in the market.BNB ETP product already exists in EuropeWhile VanEck is the first to move toward a potential BNB ETF product in the US, similar products have been trading in Europe for several years.Prominent European crypto asset manager 21Shares launched a BNB exchange-traded product (ETP) in Switzerland in October 2019, according to TradingView.21Shares BNB ETP details. Source: TradingViewTradingView data suggests that 21Shares BNB ETP has only $15 million in assets under management (AUM), a 0.3% share of Switzerland’s total crypto AUM of $5.3 billion as of March 28, as reported by CoinShares.Related: Grayscale files S-3 for Digital Large Cap ETFThe product reportedly saw a significant drop in fund flows in the past year, totaling 537 million euros, or $580 million.What is BNB?Formerly known as Binance Coin, BNB is the native digital asset of the BNB Chain, which is now described as a “community-driven and decentralized blockchain ecosystem for Web3 decentralized applications.”BNB was launched by Binance in July 2017 as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain as a tool to incentivize users to trade on their platform and pay for fees at a discounted rate.Five top crypto assets by market capitalization. Source: CoinGeckoAt the time of writing, BNB is the fifth-largest cryptocurrency asset by market capitalization, worth about $88 billion, according to CoinGecko.Altcoin filings surge with Trump administrationVanEck’s BNB ETF trust filing is just one of many new US altcoin ETF filings and registrations that have followed Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January.In early March, VanEck registered a similar Delaware trust for an ETF tracking the price of Avalanche (AVAX), also becoming one of the first companies to register such a trust.Many ETF issuers have filed for an XRP (XRP) ETF with the Securities and Exchange Commission, with at least nine companies submitting standalone XRP ETF filings as of March 12.Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 2, 2025 at 9:32 am

The Bitcoin price may still rise to over $250,000 before the end of the year, with expectations of an increasing fiat supply remaining the significant catalyst for the world’s first cryptocurrency.Bitcoin’s (BTC) 2025 price rally may be boosted by the US Federal Reserve pivoting to quantitative easing (QE), when the Fed buys bonds and pumps money into the economy to lower interest rates and encourage spending during difficult financial conditions. “Bitcoin trades solely based on the market expectation for the future supply of fiat,” according to Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and chief investment officer of Maelstrom.Hayes wrote in an April 1 Substack post:“If my analysis of the Fed’s major pivot from QT to QE for treasuries is correct, then Bitcoin hit a local low of $76,500 last month, and now we begin the ascent to $250,000 by year-end.”The Fed reduced the Treasury runoff cap to $5 billion per month from $25 billion effective April 1, while keeping mortgage-backed securities (MBS) runoff steady at $35 billion.The Fed may allow the MBS roll off without replacement and the excess principal payment might be reinvested into Treasurys, according to comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell published by Reuters.“Mathematically, that keeps the Fed balance sheet constant; however, that is treasury QE. Bitcoin will scream higher once this is formally announced,” added Hayes.Related: Bitcoin’s next catalyst: End of $36T US debt ceiling suspensionOther analysts are eying a more conservative Bitcoin price top based on BTC’s correlation with the global liquidity index.BTC projected to reach $132,000 based on M2 money supply growth. Source: Jamie CouttsThe growing money supply could push Bitcoin’s price above $132,000 before the end of 2025, according to estimates from Jamie Coutts, chief crypto analyst at Real Vision.Related: Bitcoin ‘more likely’ to hit $110K before $76.5K — Arthur HayesFed will “flood the market with dollars” Hayes has been “buying Bitcoin and shitcoins at all levels between $90,000 to $76,500,” showcasing his conviction in the crypto market for the rest of 2025. The pace of capital deployment will increase or decrease depending on the accuracy of his predictions.“I still believe Bitcoin can hit $250,000 by year-end because now that the BBC has put Powell in his place, the Fed will flood the market with dollars,” wrote Hayes, adding:“That allows Xi Jinping to instruct the PBOC to stop tightening monetary conditions onshore to defend the dollar-yuan exchange rate, which increases the net quantity of yuan.”Despite the optimistic prediction, many market participants are betting on a lower Bitcoin price top for the end of 2025.Source: PolymarketOnly 9% of traders have placed bets on Bitcoin hitting $250,000, while 60% expect Bitcoin to hit $110,000 in 2025, according to Polymarket, the largest decentralized predictions market.Still, Bitcoin and global risk appetite remain pressured by global tariff fears ahead of US President Donald Trump’s upcoming tariff announcement, scheduled for April 2.“Long-term positioning remains intact, but near-term momentum appears tethered to unfolding macro headlines,” Stella Zlatareva, dispatch editor at digital asset investment platform Nexo, told Cointelegraph.Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 2, 2025 at 9:06 am

South Korea’s 7-Eleven stores will accept payments in the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) until June, as the retailer participates in the test phase of its CBDC project. The convenience store chain will reportedly provide a 10% discount on all products paid for with CBDC during the test period. According to Moon Dae-woo, head of 7-Eleven’s digital innovation division, the company is making an effort to incorporate digital technology advancements in its operations. The executive added that the company’s participation in the CBDC test will help accelerate the firm’s digital transformation. Many stores will participate in South Korea’s CBDC testing phase, which runs from April 1 to June 30. The project also involves 100,000 participants who will be allowed to test payments using CBDC issued by the central bank. Central bank digital currencies are digital assets issued by government agencies. Like other digital assets, CBDCs offer faster and more modernized payment features. However, unlike Bitcoin and other privacy-focused tokens that offer certain levels of anonymity, CBDCs are controlled and monitored by governments. Related: Over 400 South Korean officials disclose $9.8M in crypto holdingsSouth Korea tests CBDC from April to JuneOn March 24, government agencies including the Bank of Korea, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced the CBDC test. Participants can convert their bank deposits into tokens stored in a distributed ledger during the test period. The tokens hold the same value as the Korean won.The government agencies said citizens aged 19 or older with a deposit account in a participating bank could apply to take part. Registrations were limited to 100,000 participants. KB, Koomin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, NongHyup, IBK and Busan are among the banks participating in the CBDC tests. Apart from 7-Eleven, participants can use their CBDCs in coffee shops, supermarkets, K-Pop merchandise stores and delivery platforms. However, users will be limited to a total conversion limit of 5 million won ($3,416) during testing. The Bank of Korea first announced the retail CBDC testing for 100,000 users in November 2023 and was originally scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024. The FSS said the country’s CBDC test represents a step toward creating a prototype for a “future monetary system.”Magazine: Ridiculous ‘Chinese Mint’ crypto scam, Japan dives into stablecoins: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Bradley Peak on April 2, 2025 at 8:50 am

Measuring decentralization in blockchain Decentralization involves spreading control and decision-making across a network instead of a single authority. Unlike centralized systems, where one entity controls everything, decentralized blockchains distribute data among participants (nodes). Each node holds a copy of the ledger, ensuring transparency and reducing the risk of manipulation or system failure.In blockchain, a decentralized network provides significant advantages:Security: Decentralization reduces vulnerabilities associated with central points of attack. Without a single controlling entity, malicious actors find it more challenging to compromise the network. ​Transparency: All transactions are recorded on a public ledger accessible to all participants, fostering trust through transparency. This openness ensures that no single entity can manipulate data without consensus. ​Fault tolerance: Decentralized networks are more resilient to failures. Data distribution across multiple nodes ensures that the system remains operational even if some nodes fail. ​So, decentralization is good, but it’s not a fixed state. It’s more of a spectrum, constantly shifting as network participation, governance structures and consensus mechanisms evolve.And yes, there’s a ruler for that. It’s called the Nakamoto coefficient. What is the Nakamoto coefficient? The Nakamoto coefficient is a metric used to quantify the decentralization of a blockchain network. It represents the minimum number of independent entities — such as validators, miners or node operators — that would need to collude to disrupt or compromise the network’s normal operation. This concept was introduced in 2017 by former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan and was named after Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. A higher Nakamoto coefficient indicates greater decentralization and security within the blockchain network. In such networks, control is more widely distributed among participants, making it more challenging for any small group to manipulate or attack the system. Conversely, a lower Nakamoto coefficient suggests fewer entities hold significant control, increasing the risk of centralization and potential vulnerabilities. ​For example, a blockchain with a Nakamoto coefficient of 1 would be highly centralized, as a single entity could control the network. In contrast, a network with a coefficient of 10 would require at least 10 independent entities to collude to exert control, reflecting a more decentralized and secure structure.​Did you know? Polkadot's high score on the Nakamoto coefficient is largely due to Polkadot's nominated proof-of-stake (NPoS) consensus mechanism, which promotes an even distribution of stakes among a large number of validators.  Calculating the Nakamoto coefficient Calculating this coefficient involves several key steps:​Identification of key entities: First, determine the primary actors within the network, such as mining pools, validators, node operators or stakeholders. These entities play significant roles in maintaining the network’s operations and security.Assessment of each entity’s control: Next, evaluate the extent of control each identified entity has over the network’s resources. For instance, in proof-of-work (PoW) blockchains like Bitcoin, this involves analyzing the hashrate distribution among mining pools. In proof-of-stake (PoS) systems it requires examining the stake distribution among validators.Summation to determine the 51% threshold: After assessing individual controls, rank the entities from highest to lowest based on their influence. Then, cumulatively add their control percentages until the combined total exceeds 51%. The number of entities required to reach this threshold represents the Nakamoto coefficient.Consider a PoW blockchain with the following mining pool distribution:Mining pool A: 25% (of the total hashrate)​Mining pool B: 20%​Mining pool C: 15%​Mining pool D: 10%​Others: 30%​To determine the Nakamoto coefficient:​Start with mining pool A (25%).​Add mining pool B (25% 20% = 45%).​Add mining pool C (45% 15% = 60%).​In this scenario, the combined hashrate of mining pools A, B and C reaches 60%, surpassing the 51% threshold. Therefore, the Nakamoto coefficient is 3, indicating that collusion among these three entities could compromise the network’s integrity. Did you know? ​Despite Bitcoin's reputation for decentralization, its mining subsystem is notably centralized. The Nakamoto coefficient is currently 2 for Bitcoin. This means that just two mining pools control most of Bitcoin's mining power. Limitations of the Nakamoto coefficient While the Nakamoto coefficient serves as a valuable metric for assessing blockchain decentralization, it possesses certain limitations that warrant careful consideration.​ For example: Static snapshotThe Nakamoto coefficient provides a static snapshot of decentralization, reflecting the minimum number of entities required to compromise a network at a specific point in time. However, blockchain networks are dynamic, with participant roles and influence evolving due to factors like staking, mining power shifts or node participation changes. Consequently, the coefficient may not accurately capture these temporal fluctuations, potentially leading to outdated or misleading assessments. ​Subsystem focusThis metric typically focuses on specific subsystems, such as validators or mining pools, potentially overlooking other critical aspects of decentralization. Factors like client software diversity, geographical distribution of nodes and token ownership concentration also significantly impact a network’s decentralization and security. Relying solely on the Nakamoto coefficient might result in an incomplete evaluation.Consensus mechanism variationsDifferent blockchain networks employ various consensus mechanisms, each influencing decentralization differently. The Nakamoto coefficient may not uniformly apply across these diverse systems, necessitating tailored approaches for accurate measurement. ​External InfluencesExternal factors, including regulatory actions, technological advancements or market dynamics, can influence decentralization over time. For example, regulatory policies in specific regions might affect the operation of nodes or mining facilities, thereby altering the network’s decentralization landscape. The Nakamoto coefficient may not account for such externalities, limiting its comprehensiveness.To sum up, the Nakamoto coefficient is useful for assessing certain aspects of blockchain decentralization. It should be used alongside other metrics and qualitative assessments to gain a comprehensive understanding of a network’s decentralization and security. 

by Jamie McKinnell on April 2, 2025 at 8:47 am

Kristian White was handed a two-year Community Correction Order, which included 425 hours of community service, for fatally tasering 95-year-old Clare Nowland.

on April 2, 2025 at 8:32 am

The expanded operation appeared at least partly aimed at increasing civilian pressure on its leaders amid signs of protest between Hamas and Gazans.  

by Cointelegraph by William Suberg on April 2, 2025 at 8:10 am

Bitcoin (BTC) investors who bought BTC in 2020 or later are still waiting for higher prices, new research says.In findings published on X on April 1, onchain analytics firm Glassnode revealed that $110,000 was not high enough to make many hodlers sell.Glassnode: 2020 Bitcoin buyers “still holding”Bitcoiners who entered the market between three and five years ago have retained their holdings despite significant BTC price upside.According to Glassnode, this investor cohort, with a cost basis between the 2020 lows of $3,600 and the 2021 highs of $69,000, is still hodling.“Although the share of wealth held by investors who bought $BTC 3–5 years ago has declined by 3 percentage points since its November 2024 peak, it remains at historically elevated levels,” it said.“This suggests that the majority of investors who entered between 2020 and 2022 are still holding.”Bitcoin Realized Cap HODL Waves data. Source: GlassnodeAn accompanying chart shows data from the Realized Cap HODL Waves metric, which splits the BTC supply into sections based on when each coin last moved onchain.Using this, Glassnode is able to draw a distinction between the 2020-22 buyers and those who came immediately before them.“In contrast, over two-thirds of those who had bought $BTC 5–7 years ago exited their positions by the December 2024 peak,” it reveals, reflecting their lower cost basis.Speculators stay cool at BTC price highsAs Cointelegraph reported, more recent buyers, who form the more speculative investor cohort known as short-term holders (STHs), have proven much more sensitive to recent BTC price volatility.Related: Bitcoin sellers 'dry up' as weekly exchange inflows near 2-year lowEpisodes of panic selling have occurred throughout the past six months as BTC/USD hit new record highs and then fell by up to 30%.Continuing, Glassnode said that current STH participation does not suggest a speculative frenzy — something common to previous BTC price cycle tops.“Short-Term Holders currently hold around 40% of Bitcoin's network wealth, after peaking near 50% earlier in 2025,” it said, alongside Realized Cap HODL Waves data on March 31. “This remains significantly below prior cycle tops, where new investor wealth peaked at 70–90%, suggesting a more tempered and distributed bull market so far.”Bitcoin Realized Cap HODL Waves. 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.