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by Cointelegraph by Yashu Gola on April 15, 2025 at 5:42 pm

The total-value-locked (TVL) on Mantra’s RWA blockchain protocol reached a yearly high despite OM’s 90% price crash.Mantra TVL surges 500% following OM’s crashAs of April 15, Mantra’s TVL (in OM terms) jumped to 4.21 million OM (~$3.24 million), an increase of over 500% from two days prior, according to data resource DefiLlama.Mantra’s cumulative TVL chart. Source: DefiLlama.Interestingly, the TVL rise accompanied a dramatic collapse in OM prices, which plunged over 90% during the weekend. The Mantra team attributed the sell-off to “reckless forced liquidations” initiated by centralized exchanges.A rising TVL typically indicates that users are locking more tokens into a protocol’s smart contracts via staking, liquidity pools, lending, or farming for yield or network participation. Analyst DOM spotted “aggressive buying” on crypto exchanges during the 90% OM price crash on April 13, amounting to $35 million worth of OM purchases when “the [Mantra] collapse was happening.” Mantra total aggregated spot CVD vs. Binance spot price. Source: DOMDespite the 90% price crash, the simultaneous TVL spike and “aggressive buying” suggest that certain participants saw the collapse as a buying opportunity. The fact that millions of dollars were deployed while the crash unfolded points to tactical accumulation, possibly by whales, insiders, or opportunistic speculators betting on a rebound or farming incentives.As of April 15, OM’s price was trading for as high as $0.99, up around 170% from the weekend lows.OM/USDT daily price chart. Source: TradingView97% of Mantra TVL is one DApp Increases in Mantra’s TVL accompany red flags.For instance, around 97% of Mantra’s TVL growth came from Mantra Swap, the protocol’s native decentralized exchange. Its automated market-making pools accounted for 4.11 million OM in TVL, making it the primary driver behind the sharp uptick.Mantra Swap TVL performance chart. Source: DefiLlama A more decentralized ecosystem would have a greater capital distribution with multiple liquidity sources across lending markets, staking platforms, derivatives, etc. Related: Mantra says one particular exchange may have caused OM collapseAdditionally, Mantra’s fully diluted valuation (FDV) of $1.88 billion as of April 15 dwarfs the total value locked (TVL) of $3.24 million, a glaring disconnect that could signal potential overvaluation.Mantra TVL vs. FDV (in dollar terms). Source: DefiLlamaWith only 0.17% of its theoretical value actively deployed in its ecosystem, the protocol shows low capital efficiency and limited real-world usage. This imbalance suggests the market cap is likely driven more by speculation than adoption, and with a large portion of tokens likely still locked, there’s a high risk of future dilution as vested tokens are unlocked.Analyst JamesBitunix posed Mantra’s FDV as a huge risk to OM dip buyers, saying:“A lot of traders jumped in at this ‘bottom’ — both on spot and with leverage. Personally, I’d trigger another correction — preferably a sweep of the lows followed by a quick bounce.”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 Biraajmaan Tamuly on April 15, 2025 at 5:31 pm

After consecutive drawdowns of 17.39% and 2.3% in February and March, Bitcoin’s (BTC) Q2 is shaping up nicely, with a return of 3.77% in April. While fresh yearly lows were formed at $74,500, BTC is currently closer to $90,000 than its new range bottom. Bitcoin 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin’s higher time frame (HTF) market structure has achieved its first breakout of 2025, fueling optimism among bulls for significant upward momentum. However, the following factors could limit BTC’s gains over the next two weeks, likely capping its price at around $90,000.Related: Can 3-month Bitcoin RSI highs counter bearish BTC price 'seasonality?'Bitcoin needs spot volume, not just leverage-drivenCointelegraph identified a cooldown period in the futures market as the BTC-USDT futures leverage ratio dropped by 50%. De-leveraging in the futures market is a positive development over the long term, but derivatives traders have taken control of the market at the time as well. Bitcoin cumulative net take volume. Source: X.comBitcoin researcher Axel Adler Jr. pointed out that Bitcoin’s cumulative net taker volume spiked to $800 million on April 11, hinting at a surge in aggressive buying. BTC price also jumped from $78,000 to $85,000 within three days, confirming previous historical patterns where high net take volume triggers price rallies. Likewise, Maartunn, a community analyst at CryptoQuant, confirmed that the current rally is a “leverage-driven pump.” The discrepancy arises because retail or spot traders are still not as relevant.Bitcoin 30-day apparent demand. Source: CryptoQuantAs illustrated in the chart, Bitcoin apparent demand is on a recovery path, but it is not net positive yet. Historically, 30-day apparent demand can move sideways for a prolonged period after BTC reaches a local bottom, leading to a sideways chop for the crypto. Thus, it is less likely that Bitcoin could breach $90,000 in the first attempt after dropping close to 20% until there is collective buying pressure from both spot and futures markets.Large liquidation clusters between $80-$90K may bait tradersWith futures traders positioning in either direction, data from CoinGlass highlighted significant cumulative long and short liquidation leverage between $80,000 and $90,000. Taking $85,100 at the base price, total cumulative short positions at risk of liquidation are at $6.5 billion if BTC price hits $90,035. Bitcoin exchange liquidation map. Source: CoinGlassOn the other hand, $4.86 billion in long orders will be wiped out if BTC drops to $80,071. While liquidation clusters do not determine directional bias, they can create long or short squeezes, baiting traders on either side of respective trades. With such high capital at risk under $90,000, it is possible that Bitcoin may target each cluster before moving toward the dominant side. Related: Bitcoin traders target $90K as apparent tariff exemptions ease US Treasury yieldsThis 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 Alex O’Donnell on April 15, 2025 at 5:15 pm

Bitcoin miner Bitdeer is reportedly expanding its self-mining operations and investing in United States-based production as looming trade wars rock global supply chains and cryptocurrency markets. Bitdeer has begun prioritizing mining Bitcoin (BTC) itself in response to cooling demand for its mining hardware from other miners, Bloomberg reported on April 15.“Our plan going forward is to prioritize our own self-mining,” Jeff LaBerge, Bitdeer’s head of capital markets and strategic initiatives, reportedly said. Additionally, Bitdeer plans to scale US hardware manufacturing in the second half of the year as US President Donald Trump touts plans to penalize foreign imports and promote domestic manufacturing, Bloomberg said.“This is something we’ve been planning for a long time,” LaBerge said about the manufacturing plans. “We want to bring jobs and manufacturing back to America.”In April, Trump tipped plans for sweeping tariffs on US imports. The Bitcoin network is especially vulnerable to trade barriers since mining hardware involves complex global supply chains.Bitcoin’s hash price is near all-time lows. Source: Hashrate IndexRelated: Tariffs, capital controls could fragment blockchain networks — ExecsSector-wide strugglesBitcoin miners — including Bitdeer — have struggled in 2025 as volatile crypto markets worsen the impact of the Bitcoin network’s April 2024 halving. In February, Bitdeer’s stock dropped by roughly 28% after the Bitcoin miner announced lower-than-expected earnings and revenues for the fourth quarter of 2024. Bitdeer’s “lower performance compared to Q4 2023 was primarily driven by the impact of the April 2024 halving,” among other factors, Harris Bassett, Bitdeer’s chief strategy officer, said during Bitdeer’s earnings call. Every four years, the amount of BTC mined per “block” — a bundle of transaction data stored on the blockchain — is cut in half. The April 2024 halving reduced mining rewards from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC per block.Bitcoin price versus stocks. Source: 21SharesSince then, mining revenues and gross profits have dropped by an average of 46% and 57%, respectively, JPMorgan said previously in a research note shared with Cointelegraph. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s hash price — a measure of miner profitability — has sunk to nearly all-time lows, according to data from the Hashrate Index. In 2024, Bitdeer tried to offset declining mining revenues by selling its own energy-efficient Bitcoin mining rigs. However, sales growth has been limited and did not offset weakness in other business lines in Q4. The market turbulence comes as Bitcoin Trump family-backed crypto mining operation American Bitcoin reportedly is considering an initial public offering. Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Matthew Doran on April 15, 2025 at 4:29 pm

Benjamin Netanyahu said recognising a Palestinian state would be a "huge reward for terrorism", after Emmanuel Macron suggested France could take the step in coming months.

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 15, 2025 at 4:28 pm

Synthetic stablecoin developer Ethena Labs is winding down its German operations less than a month after regulators identified “deficiencies” in its dollar-pegged USDe (USDE) stablecoin, signaling heightened scrutiny around crypto assets in Europe’s largest economy.Ethena Labs reached an agreement with Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, also known as BaFin, to cease all operations of its local subsidiary, Ethena GmbH, according to an April 15 announcement.Source: Ethena LabsAs such, Ethena Labs “will no longer be pursuing MiCAR authorization in Germany,” the company said, referring to the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.The company reiterated that Ethena’s German subsidiary has not conducted any mint or redeem activity for USDe since March 21, the day BaFin halted the stablecoin’s activities. As Cointelegraph reported at the time, the German regulator identified compliance failures and potential securities law violations tied to USDe.“All whitelisted mint and redeem users previously interacting with Ethena GmbH have at their request been onboarded with Ethena (BVI) Limited instead and have no ongoing relationship with Ethena GmbH whatsoever,” the company said.  Unlike popular stablecoins USDt (USDT) and USDC (USDC), Ethena’s USDe maintains its dollar peg through an automated delta-hedging strategy that includes a combination of spot holdings, onchain custody and liquidity buffers.  USDe is the fourth-largest stablecoin with a total circulating value of $4.9 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.The $233-billion stablecoin market is dominated by USDT and USDC. Source: CoinMarketCapRelated: Northern Marianas vetoes bill for Tinian to launch its own USD stablecoinMiCA tightens the noose around stablecoin usageMiCA is a comprehensive framework for cryptocurrency usage across the European Union, enforcing strict compliance standards and consumer protections.To meet the new requirements, stablecoin issuers must have adequate reserves backing their tokens, ensure reserve assets are segregated from users’ assets and fulfill regular reporting obligations.As of February, 10 stablecoin issuers have been approved under MiCA, including Circle, Crypto.com, Societe Generale and Membrane Finance.Patrick Hansen, Circle’s senior director of EU strategy and policy, told Cointelegraph that a total of 10 euro-pegged stablecoins and five US dollar-pegged stablecoins have been approved so far.However, notably absent from the list is USDt issuer Tether, which has decided not to pursue MiCA registration at this time.Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6-12

on April 15, 2025 at 4:14 pm

Papers filed last week accuse the online influencer, a self-described misogynist, of rape and sexual assault, and of pointing a gun at a woman's face.

on April 15, 2025 at 3:36 pm

Chinese President Xi Jinping has landed in Malaysia after visiting Vietnam, as he tries to secure more support from South-East Asian neighbours amid the trade war with Donald Trump.

by Yiying Li on April 15, 2025 at 3:08 pm

The Australian-born Oscar-winning actress says there were many things she wanted to do with her life following the release of her latest major spy film, Black Bag. 

on April 15, 2025 at 3:05 pm

The funding freeze comes after the institution said it would reject the Trump administration's demands to change hiring, admissions and other policies. 

by Cointelegraph by Blake Cassidy on April 15, 2025 at 3:00 pm

Opinion by: Blake Cassidy, CEO of BambooCrypto podcasts have been newcomers’ go-to source of information, helping bring crypto into the mainstream. Podcasters must remember, however, that fresh faces are constantly tuning in as they grow.While you may say, “FOMO, buy the dip, ignore the FUD because WAGMI,” your poor listener — tuning in for the first time just trying to learn crypto — might decide learning Spanish is easier.Podcasters are more vital to crypto’s adoption rate than everKeeping regular listeners engaged is important, but so is making sure newbies, who are only listening because they’re sick of hearing their mates brag about crypto at work, can follow along, too.You can see this balance pulled off well in some of the biggest crypto podcasts out there. Crypto podcasts that cater to the hodler and the novice enjoy dedicated followings and high view counts, whether the market is feeling bullish or bearish. Some worry that making things newbie-friendly will turn off industry professionals, but that’s not the case. Even the experts appreciate simplified content — it helps them stay on top of the week without digging through all the noise themselves.How do you get that balance right? Work in the week’s biggest news, and it’ll appeal to everyone — whether they’re new to crypto or industry veterans. Even if it’s just a segment of your podcast, crypto enthusiasts at any level love having a go-to podcast that sums up the week before they’ve even had their morning coffee.Crypto’s accessibility problemAccessibility has always been one of crypto’s biggest hurdles. The tech, the endless list of coins, even Web3-powered video games — many see it all as too complicated, unnecessary or just another scam. Some of these views represent a misunderstanding at best and outright ignorance at worst.On the flip side, podcasters talk about quantum-resistant blockchains, unlimited transactions per second or Ethereum’s dreaded Surge, Verge, Purge and Splurge malarky. There is a delicate balancePodcasters can play a key role in moving blockchain solutions further into the mainstream by helping to overcome the high knowledge entry requirements we’ve seen previously.There is a balance, however, as nobody wants to listen to an explainer podcast that feels like a weekly dictionary of crypto-bro jargon. The key is for podcasters to imagine they are in a room with a friend who knows nothing about crypto and someone who’s already clued in. Create content that works for both. If jargon is a must, which is often in this niche, a “here’s what we mean when we say this” now and then can go a long way to avoid alienating newcomers.Non-technical terms like “WAGMI” and “NGMI” should be spelled out instead of gatekeeping if we want to see retail swarm exchanges. Make it as easy as possible for the audienceSeveral successful podcasts do a great job of providing timestamps in their podcast episodes, which often run longer than an hour. If an audience member can quickly understand what is included in the podcast and navigate to the sections most interesting to them, this will only strengthen engagement and loyalty.Additionally, similes, analogies, metaphors and outright storytelling can help demystify some harder-to-grasp crypto concepts. There are so many ways that podcasters can help rather than hinder the mainstream adoption of crypto. In any discipline, providing clear and concise information so that audiences can make more informed decisions is a responsibility — why should crypto podcasts be any different?Opinion by: Blake Cassidy, CEO of Bamboo. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

by Cointelegraph by William Suberg on April 15, 2025 at 2:45 pm

Bitcoin (BTC) eyed new April highs at the April 15 Wall Street open amid skepticism over BTC price strength.BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin price faces multiple resistance hurdlesData from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD seeking to break through $86,000.Continued strength through the weekend had set up the pair for an attack on levels closer to $90,000, these absent since early March.Concerns over macroeconomic volatility, with the US trade war at its center, nonetheless kept market participants from calling an end to the Bitcoin bull market correction.“It's funny watching sentiment shift so quickly - just days ago everyone was calling for 50k, now they're rushing to flip bullish at the first green candle. This emotional rollercoaster is exactly why most traders lose money,” trading resource Stockmoney Lizards wrote in part of its latest analysis on X.“While short-term momentum appears bullish, we still face multiple resistance hurdles before confirming the correction is complete.”BTC/USDT perpetual contract 2-day chart. Source: Stockmoney Lizards/XStockmoney Lizards saw rangebound BTC price action continuing prior to a retest of the most significant longer-term resistance nearer $100,000.“My outlook remains cautiously optimistic - expect continued ranging between 78-88k for several weeks as Bitcoin builds energy for its next move,” they forecast. “Once we clear the 97k zone, the path to 110k+ becomes much more viable by late summer.”Brandt: BTC trendline break is not “transition of trend”A key topic of conversation among traders was a BTC price breakthrough attempt focusing on a multimonth downward trend line.Related: Can 3-month Bitcoin RSI highs counter bearish BTC price 'seasonality?'As Cointelegraph reported, this has been in place since BTC/USD set its current all-time highs in January. Now, its status as resistance appears to be waning.It didn't break a multimonth downtrend just for $86K, it wants to challenge for a higher high near the 200 MA,” popular trader SuperBro summarized in part of a recent X update.SuperBro referred to the 200-day simple moving average (SMA), a classic bull market support trend line, currently at $87,566.“If the HH is successful, which is likely imo, then it can retrace for a HL anywhere above the low before it runs for the wedge target above $100K,” he added.BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: SuperBro/XNot everyone, however, was convinced that breaking the downtrend would mark a watershed moment for Bitcoin bulls.For veteran trader Peter Brandt, nothing could be gained from observing price behavior around the trend line.“Of all chart construction, trendlines are the LEAST significant,” he told X followers on the day. “A trendline violation does NOT signify a transition of trend $BTC.”BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: Peter Brandt/XThis 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 Nancy Lubale on April 15, 2025 at 2:28 pm

Ether’s (ETH) market is very close to hitting all-time lows as a classic bearish chart pattern hints at a deeper correction toward $1,100.Ethereum’s market dominance keeps fallingOn April 9, Ethereum’s market dominance, or the measure of Ether’s share of crypto’s overall market capitalization, hit a new multiyear low of 7.18%, according to Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView data. This value was merely a hair’s breadth above the all-time low of 7.09% reached in September 2019.“Ethereum dominance is so very close to registering new all-time lows,” said popular crypto analyst Rekt Capital in an April 13 post on X, adding:“Ethereum Dominance needs to hold this green area to position itself to become more market-dominant over the coming months.”ETH market dominance %. Source: Rekt CapitalEther’s market share is now at its lowest value since 2019-2020. Meanwhile, Ether’s closest competitor in terms of market capitalization, XRP (XRP), has seen its dominance rise by over 200% over the same timeframe.  Its top layer-1 rival tokens, BNB Chain’s (BNB) and Solana’s (SOL), have also seen 40% and 344% increases in their market dominance since 2023. Several reasons for this underwhelming performance include weak institutional demand evidenced by negative ETF flows, a sluggish derivatives market, and increasing competition from other layer-1 blockchains.More trouble for Ethereum could also be found when analyzing the total value locked (TVL) of competing blockchains. Although Ethereum remains the leader with a market dominance of 51.7%, this metric has decreased from 61.2% in February 2024. In comparison, Solana’s dominance in terms of TVL has increased by 172% over the same period. Total value locked market share (%). Source: DefiLlamaETH price “bear flag” targets $1,100Ether price, or the ETH/USD trading pair, is expected to resume its prevailing bearish momentum despite recovering from recent lows as a classic (bearish) chart pattern emerges.Related: Ethereum could be AI’s key to decentralization, says former core devEther’s price action over the past three weeks is painting a possible bear flag pattern on the daily chart, as shown in the figure below. A daily candlestick close below the flag’s lower boundary at $1,600 would signal the start of a massive move downward.The flagpole’s height sets the target, putting Ether’s potential price drop target at $1,100, or a 33% drop from the current price.ETH/USD daily chart with potential bear flag. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewMeanwhile, one key indicator to keep an eye on remains the relative strength index, or RSI, which is still below the 50 mark, suggesting that the market trend still favors the downside.As Cointelegraph reported, ETH's price may ultimately bottom out at around $1,000 based on several other factors. 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 Adelaide Miller and Emilia Terzon on April 15, 2025 at 2:17 pm

Young renters are feeling the stress of an unstable rental market and are putting off significant life plans as new data reveals most investment properties are sold within two years of being rented out.

by Cointelegraph by Helen Partz on April 15, 2025 at 2:06 pm

The recent collapse of the Mantra (OM) token triggered comparisons to the infamous Terra ecosystem crash in May 2022, with some commentators referring to Mantra as the “next Terra.” Still, many in the community argue that the two projects share nothing in common besides visual similarities in price charts.“While it’s tempting to draw parallels between OM’s recent crash and the Terra Luna collapse, they’re fundamentally very different events,” said Ben Yorke, vice president of ecosystem at the decentralized finance (DeFi) project Woo, in a statement to Cointelegraph.Alexis Sirkia, chairman of the DeFi infrastructure project Yellow Network, agreed. “There are no real similarities apart from the visual of the price dropping,” he said.Visual similarity — different numbersMantra’s OM token dropped 92% on April 13, dropping from over $6 to around $0.52 within hours. According to data from CoinGecko, OM lost $5.4 billion in market capitalization in less than four hours.By contrast, TerraClassicUSD (formerly UST) took five days to lose a similar percentage, shedding $17.2 billion.Mantra’s OM crash in April 2025 versus USTC (formerly UST) crash in May 2022 (seven-day chart). Source: CoinGeckoThe LUNA crash was more gradual than both the OM token and USTC. It started plummeting some time before the UST token depegged on May 9, 2022.Still, the visual resemblance of the price charts has prompted comparisons among observers, despite significant structural differences between the projects.Terra collapse was systemic in contrast to MantraWoo’s Yorke and Yellow Network’s Sirkia agreed that Terra’s collapse was systemic and occurred due to the failure of its algorithmic stablecoin, while Mantra was not proven to be subject to any systemic flaws.“OM appears to be more of a case of mismanagement or negligence,” Yorke said, adding that the Mantra crash involved a “large number of insider-held tokens” moved to exchanges, which sparked cascading liquidations.Source: ZachXBT“The issue wasn’t a structural flaw in the protocol, but rather a breakdown in token handling and trust,” he noted.Related: Mantra CEO says OM token recovery ‘primary concern’ but in early stages“Mantra is not broken. There was no peg to fail. This is a market structure issue, not a protocol failure,” Sirkia stated, stressing that only an event like a smart contract failure could indicate a serious issue in the protocol. He added:“Terra collapsed because of how it was built. Mantra went through a market-driven correction. The team remained transparent throughout. After the drop, OM bounced over 200%, showing real demand and community belief. That kind of recovery never happened with Luna.”Yorke and Sirkia’s Mantra comments mark the second day after the OM crash, with the token slightly recovering to $0.80 by publishing time after a brutal sell-off from above $6 to $0.50 per token on April 13.According to the latest update by Mantra CEO John Mullin, Mantra expects to share a post-mortem report detailing the events leading to the crash of the OM token in the next 24 hours.Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 15, 2025 at 2:05 pm

Today in crypto, data from the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador has revealed that just 11% of registered Bitcoin service providers in the country are operational, Emblem Vault CEO Jake Gallen said he lost thousands worth of digital assets after a suspicious Zoom meeting, and Anchorage Digital Bank is reportedly under investigation by the US Department of Homeland Security.Only 11% of El Salvador’s registered Bitcoin firms operational Only 20 of the 181 Bitcoin service providers registered with El Salvador’s central bank are operational, with the rest failing to meet the country’s requirements under its Bitcoin Law. Local media outlet El Mundo cited data from the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, showing that 11% of the service providers are operational. According to the central bank’s database, the rest of the providers are classified as non-operational. The data showed that at least 22 non-operational providers have failed to meet most of the country’s Bitcoin Law requirements, which mandate that providers implement stringent supervision of their financial systems. El Salvador’s Bitcoin Law requires providers to maintain an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) program, keep records that accurately reflect the company’s assets, liabilities and equity and have a tailored cybersecurity program depending on the nature of its services. The data showed that 89% of the registered providers have failed to meet some of these obligations to be classified as operational. Still, a few firms have satisfied the legal criteria, including the state-backed Chivo Wallet and companies including Crypto Trading & Investment and Fintech Américas.Crypto exec issues warning on Zoom after losing $100,000 in cryptoJake Gallen, the CEO of the non-fungible token (NFT) platform Emblem Vault, has warned crypto users to be wary of the meeting app Zoom, saying a threat actor known as “ELUSIVE COMET” stole over $100,000 worth of crypto assets from him.Gallen said he had a “complete computer compromise” that ended up with a loss of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) assets from different wallets in a scam that took place over Zoom.“We were able to retrieve a malware file that was installed on my computer during a Zoom call with a YouTube personality of over 90k subs,” said Gallen, who said he set up a call after being contacted by a verified X account with 26,000 followers that claims to be the founder and CEO of a crypto mining platform. Source: Jake GallenDuring the call, Gallen said he was tricked into giving permission for Zoom to allow the host of the call to have remote access to his computer. The host, supposedly ELUSIVE COMET, then installed malware that stole credentials and accessed Gallen’s crypto wallets. SEAL security researcher Samczsun told Cointelegraph that Zoom, by default, allows meeting participants to request remote control access. “At this point in time we believe the victim still needs to be social engineered into granting access,” they said. Other X users recommended those using Zoom change the app’s settings to block other users from being able to remotely control their device.Anchorage Digital faces scrutiny from US Homeland Security — ReportThe US Department of Homeland Security's El Dorado Task Force has reportedly launched an investigation into Anchorage Digital Bank, a Wall Street-backed cryptocurrency firm. According to an April 14 Barron's report, members of the task force have contacted former employees of the company over the past weeks to examine its practices and policies. The report cites unidentified sources. The reported Homeland task force probe hints at cross-national financial activities. Established in 1992, the El Dorado Task Force focuses on “transnational money laundering” activities and financial crimes carried out by organizations. Anchorage is co-founded by Portuguese-American entrepreneur Diogo Mónica and Nathan McCauley, according to its website. Along with its US businesses, Anchorage has operations in Singapore and Portugal. Its investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs and Visa, among others. 

by Tallulah Bieundurry and Charlie Mills on April 15, 2025 at 1:43 pm

Tropical Cyclone Errol has formed in waters off the northern Kimberley coast and is expected to become a category three system by Thursday morning. 

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 15, 2025 at 1:35 pm

Market data shows PumpSwap, the decentralized exchange of memecoin launch platform Pump.Fun, processed $2.5 billion of trades last week.DefiLlama data shows that in the week of April 6, PumpSwap saw a trading volume increase of nearly 40% over the previous week starting on March 30, with its trading volume of $1.8 billion. Since its launch in late March, the decentralized exchange (DEX) has processed $98.4 million of trades.The news follows Pump.Fun launching PumpSwap on March 19, as a dedicated “frictionless environment” for trading memecoins. The DEX attracted considerable trading activity, exceeding $1 billion of volume in its first week of activity.Related: Pump.fun memecoins are dying at record rates, less than 1% surviveAccording to Dune data, PumpSwap’s trades reached a new record high daily count of over 6.1 million on April 12, and on April 14 the platform saw over 5.7 million swaps. It also saw its highest daily active wallets, reaching nearly 264,500 — over 163,000 recurring and 101,000 new.PumpSwap daily active wallets. Source: DuneOn April 15, PumpSwap broke its daily volume record, reaching $417.8 million at the time of publication. The previous record was reported on Monday, April 14, when the volume reached $412.7 million.PumpSwap’s trading volume shows a clear uptrend. Source: DefiLlamaRelated: Memecoins, markets and Trump: Cointelegraph’s Q1 editorial roundtableRevenues are growing alongside volumePumpSwap’s income is growing alongside its trading volume, with Dune data showing that daily fees reached a record of over $1.05 million on April 14. That day, $840,000 were liquidity provider fees and $210,000 protocol fees.PumpSwap daily fees. Source: DuneParaSwap features a 0.25% fee, with 0.2% going to liquidity providers and 0.05% to the protocol itself. The total lifetime fees generated by the DEX stand at $14.2 million at the time of publication, out of which $3.56 million were destined for the protocol.Pump.Fun making millionairesThe developers behind the platform are not the only ones who managed to make money on Pump.Fun. Dune data shows that 506 wallets managed to earn over $1 million on the platform, while over 9,000 made over $100,000.Top five 30-day active Pump.Fun wallets. Source: DuneThe most profitable wallet over the past 30 days has realized gains of nearly $40.6 million, the data shows.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 15, 2025 at 1:17 pm

Decentralized exchange (DEX) KiloEx has offered the hacker who exploited $7.5 million in crypto from its platform a 10% white hat bounty. On April 15, KiloEx posted an offer directed to the hacker who stole millions from the DEX. KiloEx said it had worked with law enforcement, cybersecurity agencies and exchanges to uncover information about the hacker’s activities. The DEX also shared wallet addresses linked to the hackers that the DeFi platform and other organizations are actively monitoring. KiloEx said they were prepared to freeze the stolen funds. However, the DEX offered the hacker $750,000 in exchange for returning 90% of the stolen assets. KiloEx said that it would treat the incident as a white hat exploit if the hacker returned the funds.Hacker stole $7.5 million from KiloExOn April 14, cybersecurity companies reported that an exploiter looted the platform through a price oracle vulnerability. A report from PeckShield said that about $3.3 million in Base, $3.1 million opBNB and $1 million BSC tokens were taken. The blockchain security company said that the information used by a smart contract to determine price assets was manipulated, which led to the exploit. In response to the attack, the platform suspended its DEX. The platform also said the exploit had been contained. Related: Ethical hacker intercepts $2.6M in Morpho Labs exploitKiloEx to pursue legal action if the hacker doesn’t return the fundsThe DEX added that it would drop the matter and publicly acknowledge that the incident is settled if the hacker agrees to return the funds. KiloEx wrote: “We will tweet about this resolution, acknowledging your cooperation and closing the case without further action.”The DEX informed the hacker to contact its email or send an onchain message if they accepted the offer. If the hacker doesn’t accept the offer, the DEX said it would escalate the matter with the relevant law enforcement and pursue the investigation with its cybersecurity partners. “Your identity and activities will be exposed to relevant authorities. We will pursue legal action relentlessly. The choice is yours. Act now to avoid irreversible consequences,” KiloEx wrote. Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Aaron Wood on April 15, 2025 at 1:13 pm

The crypto industry’s inability to access banking services still concerns many industry observers despite recent policy victories.In past years, financial services firms and banks concerned about fiduciary risk, reporting liabilities and reputational risk often would refuse to offer service to crypto firms — i.e., “debanking” them. Legislative efforts in the United States and Australia are attempting to remove these barriers for the crypto industry. In the former, legislators repealed guidelines that made it difficult for banks to custody crypto assets, as well as those stating that crypto carried “reputational risk” for banks. In the latter, the Labor Party has introduced a bill to create a legal framework for crypto, giving banks the clarity they need to interact with the crypto industry.Despite these tangible efforts, some crypto industry observers say that the crypto’s debanking problem is far from over. US crypto execs say debanking is still an issue The crypto industry has long decried “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” its nickname for a suite of policies that they claim constrained the crypto industry from growing under the administration of former President Joe Biden. Among these were measures making it more difficult for crypto firms to access banking services. The early days of the second administration of President Donald Trump have seen many of these repealed or changed. One of the first was the repeal of Staff Accounting Bulletin 121, which required banks offering custody for customers’ cryptocurrencies to list them as liabilities on their balance sheets — this made it very difficult for banks to justify offering such services. The administration also appointed a new head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Rodney Hood. Dennis Porter, CEO of the Bitcoin-focused policy organization Satoshi Action, told Cointelegraph that under Hood’s tenure, the OCC has already said banks can offer crypto-related services like custody, stablecoin reserves and blockchain participation.Related: Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industry“This opens the door for broader adoption of digital asset technology and custodial services by traditional financial institutions, signaling a major shift in how banks engage with crypto,” he said.Despite these victories, Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, said on March 21 that debanking is likely to remain a problem for crypto firms into 2026. Long said the non-partisan board of governors of the Federal Reserve is “still controlled by Democrats,” alluding to Democrats’ more skeptical stance on crypto. Long claimed that “there are two crypto-friendly banks under examination by the Fed right now, and an army of examiners was sent into these banks, including the examiners from Washington, a literal army just smothering the banks.”Long noted that Trump won’t be able to appoint a new Fed governor until January, meaning that, while other agencies may be more crypto-friendly, there are still roadblocks. Australia’s Labor Party to create crypto frameworkStand With Crypto, the “grassroots” crypto advocacy organization started by Coinbase that has spread to the US, UK, Canada and Australia, said that “in Australia, debanking is quietly shutting out innovators and entrepreneurs — particularly in the crypto and blockchain space.”In a post on X, the organization claimed that debanking results in “reputational damage, loss of revenue, increased operational costs, and inability to launch or sustain services.” It also claimed that it forces some companies to move offshore. In response to these concerns, the ruling center-left Labor Party in Australia has proposed a new set of laws for the cryptocurrency industry. The changes to current financial services law seek to tackle the issue of debanking in the country’s cryptocurrency industry.Australia’s Treasury says its new crypto regulations have four priorities. Source: Australian Department of the TreasuryEdward Carroll, head of global markets and corporate finance at MHC Digital Group — an Australian crypto platform — told Cointelegraph that in Australia, debanking decisions were “not the result of regulatory directives.”“Rather, they appear to stem from a more general sense of risk aversion due to the current lack of a clear regulatory framework.”Related: US gov’t actions give clue about upcoming crypto regulationCarroll was optimistic about the Labor Party’s proactive stance. The major political parties were “showing a shift in sentiment and a shared commitment to establishing formal crypto regulation.” “We are hopeful that this will give banks the confidence to reengage with crypto businesses that meet compliance standards,” he said.Canada unlikely to relieve crypto firmsIn Canada, “debanking remains a serious and ongoing challenge for the Canadian crypto industry,” according to Morva Rohani, executive director of the Canadian Web3 Council.“While some firms have successfully established relationships with banking partners, many continue to face account closures or denials with little explanation or recourse,” she told Cointelegraph. While debanking actions aren’t explicit, financial institutions’ interpretation of Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer regulations “creates a risk-averse environment where banks weigh compliance and reputational concerns against the relatively low revenue potential of crypto clients.”The end result, per Rohani, is a systemic debanking problem for the digital assets industry.But unlike in the US and Australia, the Canadian crypto industry may not find relief anytime soon. Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose more crypto-skeptic Liberal Party is surging in the polls ahead of the April 28 snap elections, is himself a crypto-skeptic.Polls show Carney firmly in the lead. Source: IpsosCarney has stated that the future of money lies more in a “central bank stablecoin,” otherwise referred to as a central bank digital currency.Rohani said that “no comprehensive legislative solution has been implemented” with regard to debanking. “A more structured approach, including mandated disclosure of reasons for account termination and regulatory oversight, is needed,” she said.Critics claim crypto is “hijacking” the debanking issueThere is another side to the debanking debate, which claims that crypto’s debanking “problem” is a non-issue or a vehicle for crypto firms to get what they want in terms of regulation. Molly White, the author of Web3 Is Going Just Great and the “Citation Needed” newsletter, has noted that, in the US at least, crypto firms have claimed to be victims of debanking while lauding Trump’s efforts to end protections for debanking at the same time.In a Feb. 14 post, White stated that the crypto industry had “hijacked” the discussion around debanking, which contains legitimate concerns regarding access to financial services — particularly regarding discrimination due to race, religious identity or industry affiliation. She claims the crypto industry has used debanking as a means to deflect legitimate regulatory inquiries into crypto companies’ compliance efforts. Further of note is the fact that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has applauded the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with Elon Musk at the helm, to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). One of the CFPB’s responsibilities is to investigate claims of debanking. But when DOGE instructed the agency to halt all work, Armstrong said it was “100% the right call,” in addition to making dubious claims about the agency’s constitutionality. In the meantimeWhether the industry’s debanking concerns stem from legitimate discrimination or an attempt at regulatory capture, crypto firms are developing solutions in the interim. Porter said that, as an alternative to banking services, “many crypto companies have leaned on stablecoins as a primary tool for managing finances,” while others have worked with “smaller regional banks or specialized trust companies open to digital assets.”Rohani said that this kind of “patchwork of relationships” can increase operational costs and risks and are “not sustainable long-term solutions for growth or to build a competitive, regulated industry.”Porter concluded that the banking workarounds could actually strengthen the industry’s position, stating that they may “continue evolving into fully integrated relationships with traditional financial institutions, further cementing crypto’s place in mainstream finance.”Magazine: UK’s Orwellian AI murder prediction system, will AI take your job? AI Eye

by Cointelegraph by Arunkumar Krishnakumar on April 15, 2025 at 12:55 pm

Bitcoin joins the safe-haven debate as trade tensions rise For decades, investors fled to gold and US Treasurys during crises, but in today’s digital, decentralized world, Bitcoin is starting to enter the safe-haven conversation. Despite its volatility, Bitcoin (BTC) has shown signs of resilience during global turbulence, including trade wars, prompting a fresh look at its role in preserving value.Let’s rewind a bit to understand where this question comes from. For decades, whenever uncertainty rattled the global economy, be it war, inflation, or sudden political shifts, investors did what they always do — run to the safest hills. Historically, those hills were made of gold or filled with US Treasury bonds. But things are changing. In a world that’s more digital, decentralized, and volatile than ever, people are asking whether Bitcoin might now be part of the conversation as a modern safe-haven asset, especially during disruptive events like trade wars.To get into this, you need to explore what makes an asset a safe haven in the first place, how Bitcoin has behaved during recent trade-related turbulence and whether it has earned its spot alongside more traditional defensive plays.First, the concept of a “safe haven” isn’t about making a profit. It’s about preserving value. In times of crisis, investors want assets that hold up under pressure. Gold has done this for decades. The US dollar, despite being fiat, is often seen as a safe haven due to its global reserve status and the strength of US financial institutions. Treasury bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. All these assets are supposed to be relatively low in volatility and high in liquidity.Now, here’s the twist: Bitcoin is not low in volatility. It’s notoriously wild. But despite that, you might have seen moments where it behaves like a safe haven. Not always, but sometimes, and that’s interesting.Isn’t it? The 2018-19 trade war vs Bitcoin’s role in times of turmoil During the 2018–19 US-China trade war, Bitcoin surged as traditional markets faltered, hinting at its potential as a hedge in turbulent times. While its “digital gold” narrative gained traction, Bitcoin’s behavior often mirrors that of speculative tech stocks, keeping its safe-haven status an open question.Take the 2018–19 US-China trade war, for example. As tariff threats escalated and tensions between the two economic giants intensified, global markets became increasingly jittery. Tech stocks took a hit. Commodities wavered. Amid all this, something strange happened. Bitcoin quietly surged. From April to July 2019, the price of Bitcoin climbed from about $5,000 to over $12,000. It wasn’t alone. Gold also rallied during that time. However, this was one of the earliest signs that Bitcoin might not be just a risk-on asset but could also serve as a hedge in turbulent times. That period sparked a new narrative: Bitcoin as “digital gold.”The fixed supply of 21 million coins gave it scarcity. Its decentralized nature meant it wasn’t bound to any single government’s policies. And because it lived on a global, censorship-resistant network, it was insulated from the kind of capital controls that often follow during periods of financial stress. These qualities started to resonate with investors looking for alternatives to traditional safe havens.To be fair, Bitcoin hasn’t always stuck to the script. While there are moments where it moves inversely to risk assets, more often than not, it behaves like a speculative tech stock, especially over short time frames. Historically, Bitcoin has had a strong correlation with the Nasdaq. So, while the “digital gold” narrative is growing, it still sits side-by-side with the idea of Bitcoin being a high-beta bet for risk-seeking investors.Did you know? A 2025 study titled Institutional Adoption and Correlation Dynamics: Bitcoin’s Evolving Role in Financial Markets analyzed daily data from 2018 to 2025. The study found that Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq 100 intensified following key institutional milestones, with peaks reaching 0.87 in 2024. This suggests that Bitcoin has transitioned from an alternative asset toward a more integrated financial instrument. Inside the Trump tariff wars of 2025: Markets rattle, Bitcoin rises In early 2025, Trump’s sweeping tariffs triggered panic across financial markets, with the Nasdaq and S&P suffering historic drops. Within two days, US stock indexes lost trillions, reigniting the debate over Bitcoin's role as a modern safe haven.Fast forward to April 2025, and the question of whether Bitcoin can serve as a safe haven got tested again. This time, it was in a much more pronounced way. In February 2025, Trump, now in his second term as president, announced a fresh wave of aggressive tariffs aimed at revitalizing American manufacturing. This was the kind of headline that immediately spooks financial markets, especially when major trading partners began whispering about retaliation. By April 2, Trump had declared what he called “Liberation Day,” a sweeping set of tariffs covering nearly all imported goods. It was framed as economic patriotism, but to markets, it spelled chaos.Chaos came quickly. On April 3, the Nasdaq Composite plunged by nearly 6%, losing over 1,000 points in one session. This was a record-setting drop in terms of raw numbers. The S&P 500 didn’t fare much better, falling close to 5%. Investors began to panic about supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and a possible global slowdown. Then came April 4, and the panic only deepened. The Nasdaq slid into official bear market territory, and the Dow lost over 2,200 points in a single day. Within 48 hours, America’s major stock indexes had lost trillions in value.Did you know? Barry Bannister, chief equity strategist at Stifel, noted that Bitcoin and the Nasdaq 100 have been driven by speculative fervor fueled by lenient Fed policies. He highlighted that Bitcoin tends to trade in tandem with highly leveraged tech-focused ETFs, indicating a strong correlation between Bitcoin and tech stocks. Bitcoin didn’t soar amid market crash, but It didn’t sink either During the April 2025 market crash, Bitcoin held steady while stocks plunged, surprising many with its resilience. It didn’t surge, but its stability amid chaos hinted at its growing role as a value-preserving asset in turbulent times.So, what did Bitcoin do? Surprisingly, nothing catastrophic, and that was the story. While nearly everything else was tanking during the tariff-fueled sell-off, Bitcoin didn’t crash. That alone turned heads.In a market where even the most established benchmarks were falling apart, Bitcoin’s relative stability stood out to portfolio managers and institutional watchers.Long criticized as too volatile for serious portfolios, Bitcoin quietly weathered the storm better than many traditional assets. This wasn’t a moonshot moment. It was a resilience moment. Value preservation over value multiplication. And that’s what investors look for in a safe haven. Its ability to hold ground while the Nasdaq and S&P plunged gave more weight to the idea that Bitcoin might be evolving into something sturdier.To be clear, Bitcoin hasn’t fully decoupled from risk assets. It still responds to liquidity flows, monetary policy and investor sentiment. But at times like April 2025, it showed something different. It didn’t break. It held! And for a growing number of investors, that’s starting to matter. Bitcoin isn’t the new gold, but it’s not the old BTC either Bitcoin’s growing resilience stems from a maturing market, rising institutional adoption and its appeal as a non-sovereign, portable hedge in times of financial or geopolitical stress. While not yet the ultimate safe haven, it’s clearly moved beyond its speculative roots and is earning a seat at the table.Part of this growing strength is structural. Over the past few years, the Bitcoin market has matured. Institutional adoption has risen. Spot Bitcoin ETFs now live in major markets. Custody solutions are better. And perhaps most importantly, there’s a broader understanding of what Bitcoin represents. Bitcoin is not just a speculative coin anymore. It’s a tool for financial sovereignty, for hedging against fiat depreciation and for stepping outside the boundaries of politicized financial infrastructure.There’s also the fact that Bitcoin is entirely non-sovereign. In a trade war scenario, where fiat currencies can be weaponized, and capital controls are deployed, Bitcoin becomes very attractive to people who want to move money across borders without interference. It’s portable, permissionless and increasingly liquid. These are three attributes of an asset you want in a crisis.Of course, none of this means Bitcoin is now the undisputed king of safe havens. Gold still plays that role for most of the world’s conservative investors. The US dollar is still the default when people want liquidity in a crunch. And Bitcoin’s price swings can still make people nervous. But you are seeing it graduate amid the market chaos. It’s no longer the outsider it once was. Bitcoin in times of crisis, safe haven 2.0? In both 2019 and 2025, Bitcoin showed flashes of safe-haven behavior, proving it can act as a hedge in times of geopolitical stress. While it’s not gold just yet, its unique properties make it an increasingly serious contender in the global financial playbook.During both the 2019 trade tensions and the 2025 tariff escalation, Bitcoin acted more like a hedge than it did in earlier cycles. And that’s noteworthy. Even if Bitcoin doesn’t yet consistently play the safe-haven role, it’s starting to show it can, at least in specific contexts.There’s a bigger question brewing here, too. What does it mean for financial markets if Bitcoin does become a mainstream safe-haven asset? How does that change portfolio construction, risk models or even geopolitical strategy? After all, Bitcoin isn’t gold. It plays by entirely different rules.Bitcoin is programmable. It can be moved across the world instantly. It can be sliced into satoshis and embedded into smart contracts. If it becomes part of the global toolkit for navigating crises, that changes the game. So, is Bitcoin the new safe haven during trade wars? Not quite, at least not in the traditional sense. But it has undoubtedly earned a seat at the table. Bitcoin may not be the asset your grandparents bought to protect themselves in uncertain times, but for a growing number of investors, especially in the digital age, it’s becoming their version of safety. As geopolitical tensions rise and confidence in traditional financial systems erodes, Bitcoin is positioning itself as a potential hedge for the future.

by Cointelegraph by Shailey Singh on April 15, 2025 at 12:47 pm

Key takeawaysPi coin finally went live on open mainnet in February 2025, unlocking real-world use cases after years in closed beta.You can spend Pi coin, but mostly within P2P communities and KYC-verified Pi apps — mainstream adoption is still in its early stages.Pi is now tradable on several CEXs, such as OKX, Bitget and MEXC, but Binance still hasn’t listed it despite 2 million+ user voters lobbying for the listing.Merchant adoption is growing slowly, with real goods and services being exchanged for Pi in localized markets and app-based ecosystems.Often described as a crypto for the people, Pi is a decentralized project that runs without the need for GPUs or gas fees. But five years since its closed mainnet launch in 2021, the million-dollar question still hangs in the air: Can you actually buy anything with Pi coin in 2025?Let’s dive into the Pi Network’s real-world usability and answer what every Pi miner and curious crypto observer is wondering: Does Pi coin work in real life, or is it still just theoretical digital dust?What is Pi coin, and what’s driving the attention around it in 2025? Launched in March 2019 by a trio of Stanford Ph.D.s — Nicolas Kokkalis, Chengdiao Fan and Vincent McPhillip — the Pi Network set out to solve one of crypto’s core problems: accessibility. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, which require specialized hardware to mine, Pi coin was designed to be mined directly from a smartphone, without draining battery or data. The idea? Democratize crypto from the palm of your hand.The Pi Network quickly went viral, spreading through invitation-only mining that created a sense of exclusivity and social virality. By 2021, the app had surpassed 20 million engaged users, or “Pioneers,” and by late 2023, that number had reportedly hit 47 million, making it one of the largest pre-mainnet crypto communities in the world.Here’s a quick timeline of key moments:March 2019: The Pi Network launches a beta version of its app on Android and iOS.2020–2021: User growth accelerates through referrals; Pi phases move toward testnet. December 2021: Closed mainnet goes live; Pi transactions remain within the ecosystem. 2022–2024: Over 100 Pi apps are built for testing in the closed economy.February 2025: Pi Network officially launches its open mainnet, enabling blockchain interaction with the outside world. This long-awaited mainnet move opened the doors for Pi (PI) coin to be listed on centralized exchanges (CEXs) and used outside its sandbox — finally bringing the project closer to its goal of becoming a real digital currency for everyday use.From an ambitious student project to one of the most downloaded crypto apps ever, Pi Network’s journey has been anything but ordinary. But now that the tech is live and tradable, the big question is: Can you actually use Pi coin to buy things?Did you know? Over 2 million users voted for Binance to list Pi coin — and yet, Binance has remained completely silent. Despite Pi Network boasting 47 million users and a fully launched mainnet, the world’s biggest exchange hasn’t budged. Why? Some say it’s a lack of decentralization. Others point to the controlled KYC rollout. Either way, it’s a reminder that in crypto, even a viral army can’t force the gatekeepers to open the doors.Where can you buy Pi coin in 2025?Following the launch of Pi Network’s open mainnet in February 2025, Pi coin has become available for trading on several cryptocurrency exchanges. As of April 2025, Pi coin is listed on the following exchanges:​OKX: One of the first to list PI, offering trading pairs such as PI/USDT.​Bitget: Provides PI trading with liquidity and user-friendly interfaces.​MEXC: Another early adopter, supporting PI trading pairs.​BitMart: Supports PI trading, though some listings may be IOUs.​HTX (formerly Huobi): Has listed PI, though it’s based on IOU listings.Despite community efforts, including over 2 million votes in favor, Binance has not listed Pi coin as of April 2025. Concerns over blockchain compatibility, transparency and regulatory issues have been touted as reasons for the hesitation.Did you know? Many Pi coin listings on exchanges are actually IOUs, which is not the real deal. These “I Owe You” tokens are speculative placeholders that aren’t backed by mainnet Pi, meaning you can’t withdraw or use them within the Pi Network ecosystem. It’s like trading a movie ticket for a film that hasn’t even premiered yet. Always check whether you’re buying the actual PI token or just a promise.What can you actually buy with Pi coin?Here’s where things get real (or not so real). While you might not be buying a Tesla with Pi (yet), the Pi community has been documenting purchases such as:T-shirts, mugs and phone accessoriesFreelance graphic design servicesBasic electronics and gadgetsFood, drinks and small restaurant meals (in localized Pi events)Handmade crafts and collectibles.The catch? Most of these transactions happen via social media groups, Telegram chats or Pi’s own ecosystem apps such as Pi Browser and Pi Chat. These platforms act as informal marketplaces, often relying on trust and reputation rather than formal escrow systems.So, while Pi isn’t quite ready for prime time in major retail environments, it is functioning — in a grassroots, community-driven way. Think of it more as a barter system with crypto flair than a fully integrated payment network. For now, at least.Pi Network merchant list — fact or fiction?If you search “Pi coin accepted stores” on Google, hoping for a list of your favorite retailers, you’ll be disappointed.There is no official Pi Network merchant list that guarantees where Pi is accepted. Instead, adoption is grassroots and highly localized. One group of Pi Pioneers in Indonesia might be able to buy food with Pi, while another in Vietnam uses it for mobile data top-ups. But it’s hard to track, standardize or verify.Merchant adoption is still early — but gaining traction.Now that Pi Network’s open mainnet is live, the conversation is no longer about “if” Pi will integrate with the broader crypto ecosystem — it’s about how fast it can onboard real merchants and use cases.One promising trend is the rise of Know Your Customer (KYC)-verified Pi apps, platforms that require users and businesses to complete identity verification before participating in the Pi economy. This layer of trust helps Pi Network build a more legitimate commercial environment, where merchants feel more confident accepting Pi coin as payment.In the months following the open mainnet launch, Pi Network’s developers and community have focused on scaling real-world integrations, which include:Local businesses in countries such as Nigeria, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines accept Pi for goods and services. Pi Chain Mall and other marketplaces are enabling digital commerce in Pi. Third-party integrations are being tested to connect Pi with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, crosschain bridges and non-fungible token (NFT) platforms. Pi Browser and Pi Apps allow decentralized application (DApp) developers to launch new payment-enabled services using mainnet Pi.With over 100 Pi apps already built during the testnet phase — and a global army of KYC-verified users — Pi Network now has the tools to grow a real, scalable economy. Whether that turns into a bustling merchant network or a niche payment layer depends on what the community builds next.With that said, there’s growing interest in onboarding merchants through KYC-verified Pi apps, hinting at a slow but potentially scalable adoption model.Now with the open mainnet live, Pi is also expected to launch integrated DeFi protocols, decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and NFT marketplaces. If these integrations succeed, serious use cases beyond the Pi bubble could be unlocked.Did you know? During PiFest 2025, over 1.8 million users engaged in transactions using Pi coin across 58,000 active merchants worldwide. This event showcased Pi Network’s growing real-world adoption and its potential to facilitate everyday commerce.Is Pi coin ready for real-world payments?Let’s be honest: Pi coin isn’t a Visa killer at the moment. It’s not ready to power global commerce or even compete with Bitcoin in El Salvador. However, it serves as a testbed for what crypto payments might look like when driven by community trust rather than institutional backing.Think of it less like a universal payment tool and more like a local barter system on crypto steroids.If the Pi Network nails its open mainnet rollout and expands merchant onboarding with real compliance and liquidity support, 2025 could mark the moment Pi goes from playful experiment to actual contender.Final verdict: Can you buy stuff with Pi coin?Yes — but with limitations.You can spend Pi coin, but only in select peer-to-peer (P2P) markets, community-driven stores or pilot programs run by Pi Pioneers. Most of it is still happening in closed circuits, with no large-scale merchant integration yet.But is that really a problem?Maybe not. After all, the early days of Bitcoin weren’t much different — experimental, niche and often dismissed.Back then, buying a pizza with Bitcoin (BTC) was groundbreaking. Now, BTC sits in exchange-traded fund (ETF) portfolios and corporate treasuries.Whether Pi Network breaks through or fades into obscurity depends on what happens next: regulatory clarity and whether the network can scale beyond its internal community.Believer or skeptic, one thing’s certain: The real-world test of the Pi Network economy is just getting started — and the world is watching.

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 15, 2025 at 12:06 pm

A crypto investment executive said the biggest problem with digital asset markets is price manipulation, claiming that collusion between market makers and exchanges distorts token prices. Arthur Cheong, founder of crypto investment firm DeFiance Capital, said in an X post that market makers and crypto projects work together to create artificial prices that can be sustained for long periods. Cheong wrote: “You don’t know whether the price is a result of organic demand & supply or simply due to projects and market makers colluding to fix the price to achieve other objectives.”He added that if the industry’s players don’t step up and improve the situation, a big part of the crypto market will remain “uninvestable for the foreseeable future.”Centralized exchanges turning a “blind eye” Cheong said it was strange that centralized exchanges (CEXs) are “turning an absolute blind eye” to the issue. He described the altcoin market as a “lemon’s market,” a term in economics that describes a market where low-quality products drive out the good due to information asymmetry.In addition, Cheong described most token generation event pricing in 2025 as an “absolute joke” where the assets’ prices went down by 70% to 90% a few months after listing. “Anyone that bought is down massively,” Cheong added. Related: Binance, KuCoin, MEXC report service issues due to AWS network interruption88% of crypto tokens listed on Binance in 2025 declined after listing Data compiled by crypto analyst Miles Deutscher showed that among crypto tokens listed this year on the trading platform Binance, only 3 out of 27 are performing well. This means that 88% of the tokens have declined since listing. The price drops ranged from 19% up to 90%. Deutscher said this was the reason why retail investors were quitting. Only 3 out of 27 tokens listed in Binance in 2025 are in the green. Source: Miles Deutscher A community member responded to the data saying that this is where the industry is currently at. The X user added that they hoped Binance would realize starting at a high valuation wasn’t good for users. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao previously admitted that Binance’s listing process needs reform. On Feb. 10, the former Binance CEO said that the current system is flawed and suggested that CEXs should automate listings similar to how decentralized exchanges (DEXs) work. Magazine: New ‘MemeStrategy’ Bitcoin firm by 9GAG, jailed CEO’s $3.5M bonus: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 15, 2025 at 12:05 pm

XRP (XRP) price is up 15% over the past seven days from a low of $1.61. According to several technical analysts, a sustained recovery daily close above $2.20 will signal a strong trend reversal that could put double digits within reach. XRP/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewXRP price must reclaim $2.20After the cryptocurrency market experienced a relief rally due to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of tariff exemptions for a range of tech products, traders are optimistic about the possibility of XRP price breaking into double digits.Analyst DOM said XRP’s recent retest of the support at $1.96 saw it regain a key “value area” above $2.00, established in December 2024. “$2.20 is now the only objective here,” the analyst said in an April 13 post on X, adding that a decisive move above this level would lead to a rise toward $2.50.An accompanying chart showed that the price has also reclaimed the election VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price) at $2.03, suggesting a potential for further gains.“If $2.00 and election VWAP stay as support, this chart looks very constructive.”XRP/USD chart. Source: DomXRP’s immediate support at $2.10, also the 100-day exponential moving average (EMA), is especially important, according to the liquidation heatmap.A wall of bid liquidity is building around this level, suggesting that a retest of support and a liquidity grab here is becoming increasingly likely in the short term.XRP liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlassWill XRP price hit $20 in 2025?Following the recent recovery in XRP price, Maelius, an anonymous crypto analyst, said that the altcoin could reach $10 and an “optimistic” target of between $15 and $20, according to the Elliott Wave Theory on the weekly time frame chart.“Conservative case assumes XRP has completed its W3, currently in the process of finalizing W4, before expanding to a final W5.”He added that the price action and RSI were mirroring the 2017 cycle, with the RSI topping out in the resistance area (in red), suggesting overbought conditions. If the current cycle repeats, Maelius predicts XRP could reach a W5 target of around $10 toward the end of the year. “Conservative assumption is for a magnitude of W5 to replicate the one of W3, thus targeting $10.”XRP/USD weekly chart. Source: MaeliusContinuing, the analyst argued that there is a possibility that the W3 top is not in just yet.Related: Price analysis 4/14: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, LEOThe reason given is a larger accumulation period compared to the 2017 cycle in terms of both price and the RSI.“Therefore, there is a possibility we have just completed W3 out of larger W3, meaning it is just taking a bit more time than previously,” Maelius explained. If it is taking longer this time, Maelius expects the RSI to retest the resistance to confirm the completion of the third wave. Also, the Eliott Wave count would be in line with the previous cycle, with a longer fourth wave within the third wave as before.“In such a case, the final W5 top could easily get prolonged to Q1-2 of 2026, with higher targets than in the conservative case, i.e. likely in the range of $15-$20 or even higher. ” XRP/USD weekly chart. Source: MaeliusMeanwhile, fellow analyst XForceGlobal noted that XRP is still in a “major bull market,” with its price action standing out dramatically from the rest of the crypto market from an Elliott Wave Theory perspective.“If we have all the ideas aligned together with even the simple technical analysis, there is a very good chance that we’re are gonna be working for all-time highs at the very minimum expectation.” XRP/USD daily chart. Source: XForceGlobalAs reported by Cointelegraph, XRP’s symmetrical triangle pattern suggests a possible rally to new all-time highs over $3.50. 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 Marian Faa on April 15, 2025 at 11:53 am

Papua New Guinea's foreign minister says he personally hopes Labor wins the Australian election, stating the incumbent government had done "a tremendous job" of rebuilding relationships in the Pacific.

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 15, 2025 at 11:18 am

Only 20 of the 181 Bitcoin service providers registered with El Salvador’s central bank are operational, with the rest failing to meet the country’s requirements under its Bitcoin Law. Local media outlet El Mundo cited data from the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, showing that 11% of the service providers are operational. According to the central bank’s database, the rest of the providers are classified as non-operational. The data showed that at least 22 non-operational providers have failed to meet most of the country’s Bitcoin Law requirements, which mandate that providers implement stringent supervision of their financial systems. Most of El Salvador’s Bitcoin service providers are non-operationalEl Salvador’s Bitcoin Law requires providers to maintain an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) program, keep records that accurately reflect the company’s assets, liabilities and equity and have a tailored cybersecurity program depending on the nature of its services. The data showed that 89% of the registered providers have failed to meet some of these obligations to be classified as operational. Still, a few firms have satisfied the legal criteria, including the state-backed Chivo Wallet and companies including Crypto Trading & Investment and Fintech Américas.Related: Cathie Wood to kick off El Salvador’s AI public education programEl Salvador’s Bitcoin experimentIn 2021, El Salvador became the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender along with the US dollar. This move made Bitcoin integral to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s economic strategy. However, the Central American country recently signed a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a $1.4 billion loan in exchange for rolling back some of its Bitcoin-related efforts. Under the agreement, taxes will be paid in US dollars and public institutions will limit their use of Bitcoin.On March 3, the IMF asked the country to stop its public sector Bitcoin buys. Still, Bukele said the government will continue to purchase Bitcoin, seemingly contradicting its IMF deal.The IMF deal prompted speculation about whether the country would rescind Bitcoin’s status as legal tender. John Dennehy, an El Salvador-based Bitcoin activist and educator, said in an X Space with Cointelegraph that a rollback law changing Bitcoin’s legal status is set to take effect on April 30.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 15, 2025 at 10:46 am

Bitcoin is showing growing resilience to macroeconomic headwinds compared with traditional financial markets, according to an April 14 report from crypto market maker Wintermute.The report noted that Bitcoin (BTC) has held up relatively well during the ongoing market downturn, even as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped to their lowest levels in a year and bond yields surged to highs that had not been seen since 2007.“Bitcoin’s decline was comparatively modest, revisiting price levels from around the US election period,“ Wintermute wrote.According to Wintermute, “This marks a notable shift from its historical behavior in crisis situations.” In the past, Bitcoin’s losses were considerably greater than those of traditional finance indexes. The shift highlights Bitcoin’s “apparent growing resilience amid macroeconomic turbulence.“Founder of Obchakevich Research, Alex Obchakevich, told Cointelegraph that he expects this to be a temporary trend:“As the trade war intensifies, Bitcoin may return to the list of risky assets. Because investors will most likely look for salvation in gold.“Obchakevich said that factors that caused the stability of Bitcoin were growing institutional interest through exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and the promotion of Bitcoin as digital gold due to its decentralization and independence.Related: Bitcoin traders target $90K as apparent tariff exemptions ease US Treasury yieldsA change in Bitcoin market dynamicsOver the past week, Bitcoin’s price increased by 7% to $83,700 — later reaching nearly $86,000 at the time of publication. This growth occurred as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.4% year-over-year, with a month-over-month decline of 0.1% — the first monthly decrease since May 2020. This signals that inflation is cooling off.Year-over-year CPI percentage change. Source: US Bureau of Labor StatisticsFurthermore, the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 2.7% year-over-year in March. The same metric stood at 3.2% in February, also showing signs of disinflationary pressures. Still, according to Wintermute, the trend may soon reverse:“Despite this progress toward the Fed’s 2% inflation target, the recent escalation in global trade tensions introduced new potential inflationary risks, which are not yet reflected in March’s data.”Monthly PPI percentage change. Source: US Bureau of Labor StatisticsRelated: Trade wars could spur governments to embrace Web3 — TruebitMore market turmoil expectedBitwise analyst Jeff Park recently argued that US President Donald Trump’s trade policies will create worldwide macroeconomic turmoil and short-term financial crises that will ultimately lead to greater adoption of Bitcoin. He said that we should expect an inflation increase:“The tariff costs, most likely through higher inflation, will be shared by both the US and trading partners, but the relative impact will be much heavier on foreigners. These countries will then have to find a way to fend off their weak growth issues.”Wintermute explained that the ongoing trade war heightens the risk of increased inflation and economic slowdown. Prediction market Kalshi traders recently placed the odds of a recession hitting the US this year at 61%, and JPMorgan sees a 60% likelihood.Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6 – 12

by Cointelegraph by William Suberg on April 15, 2025 at 10:30 am

Bitcoin (BTC) demands a breakout as a key leading indicator reaches its highest levels since January.Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows the relative strength index (RSI) hinting at more BTC price gains next.Bitcoin RSI breakout has days to “full confirmation” Bitcoin bull runs traditionally begin with telltale RSI signals, and on daily timeframes, conditions are ripe for a classic BTC price rebound.As BTC/USD made lower lows over the past month, RSI began trending in the opposite direction, setting higher lows and attempting a type of bullish divergence.More recently, the daily RSI broke above the 50 midpoint, only to successfully retest it as support from above before making new multimonth highs.BTC/USD 1-day chart with RSI data. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewAmong those monitoring the topic is popular trader and analyst Rekt Capital.“Bitcoin has successfully retested red as support & the Daily RSI Higher Low continues to maintain itself as well,” he commented alongside a chart in an X post this weekend.“Growing signs of a maturing Bullish Divergence here, with price just below the key Price Downtrend (blue).”BTC/USD 1-day chart with RSI data. Source: Rekt Capital/XRekt Capital also reported that RSI trends suggested a long-term BTC price floor at around $70,000.Meanwhile, fellow analyst Kevin Svenson captured similarly promising signals on weekly RSI this week.“Once confirmed, weekly RSI breakout signals have proven to be among the most reliable macro breakout indicators,” he told X followers. “6 Days until full confirmation.”BTC/USD 1-week chart with RSI data. Source: Kevin Svenson/XAs Cointelegraph reported, another key breakout currently under the microscope for Bitcoin market participants involves a downward-sloping trendline in place since January’s all-time highs.April BTC price performance far below medianCountering the bullish anticipation is an analysis focusing on the troublesome macroeconomic conditions in which Bitcoin now finds itself.Related: Bitcoin price metric that called 2020 bull run says $69K new bottomThe ongoing US trade war and risk-asset rout make for an unlikely influx of capital to BTC, which has closely followed stocks while gold sets repeated all-time highs.In his latest forecast for April, network economist Timothy Peterson saw little reason to celebrate.Uploading a chart of the median yearly price path for BTC/USD, he concluded that this year was a firm underperformer.“Half the days are above the blue line and half are below it. This April is obviously a 'below' month,” part of accompanying commentary read.“That is almost certainly not going to change, given the level of interest rates and other risk factors at work in the market and economy.”BTC price seasonality. Source: Timothy Peterson/XOther perspectives likewise see a lackluster April before bullish undercurrents catch up with Bitcoin, these in the form of record global M2 money supply and a weakening US dollar index (DXY).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 Yiying Li on April 15, 2025 at 10:26 am

This vote, which will be held on May 3, will be Lawrence Wong's first electoral test after he succeeded long-standing premier Lee Hsien Loong as leader of the People's Action Party last May. 

by Kristian Silva on April 15, 2025 at 9:29 am

Now-retired officers Jim O'Brien and Dale Flynn have been revealed as two of the four police officers involved in the Lawyer X scandal.

on April 15, 2025 at 9:23 am

The US president said the Ukrainian leader should share blame with Vladimir Putin for the war and the "millions of people dead".

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 15, 2025 at 8:53 am

Update April 15, 9:17 am in UTC: This article has been updated with information throughout.Binance, KuCoin, MEXC and other exchanges and wallet providers have been experiencing service issues due to a significant network interruption by Amazon Web Services (AWS).Centralized cryptocurrency exchanges (CEXs) were hit by an AWS data center outage, which reported “connectivity issues” that affected at least 12 of its services on April 15.AWS Service health. Source: Health.aws.amazon“We are seeing initial signs of recovery but continue to monitor and work toward full recovery. Other AWS services are also impacted by this issue, and are also observing recovery. We will provide another update within the next 30-60 minutes,” AWS said in an April 15 update.Binance was among the first to report issues with its services.“We are aware of an issue impacting some services on the #Binance platform due to a temporary network interruption in the AWS data center,” wrote Binance in an April 15 X post, adding that “some orders are still successful, but some are failing. If users failed, they may keep retrying.”Source: BinanceBinance has restored services, including user withdrawals, following technical support from AWS, a spokesperson told CointelegraphRelated: Kraken rolls out ETF and stock access for US crypto tradersOther large exchanges, including KuCoin and MEXC, also reported service interruptions.“Due to a large-scale network outage with AWS services, our platform is currently experiencing temporary disruptions,” KuCoin said in an April 15 X post.Source: MEXCOn MEXC, mobile app and web platform users were warned of “abnormal candlestick charts, failed order cancellations,” and asset transfer delays. However, users’ assets “remain fully secure,” the exchange said in an April 15 X post.At least eight exchanges reported AWS-related issues as of 9:30 am UTC, including Coinstore, Gate.io, DeBank, Rabby Wallet and Weex. All the affected platforms have confirmed the restoration of their services as of 1:50 pm UTC, with the exception of DeBank.Related: Google to enforce MiCA rules for crypto ads in Europe starting April 23AWS provides cloud infrastructure for centralized exchanges that can handle high transaction volumes with low latency in trading orders. AWS is used by some of the biggest crypto exchanges, including Coinbase, Crypto.com, Huobi, BitMEX and Kraken.The effect of the AWS outage may be perceived as another signal of the vulnerability of centralized infrastructure providers, which may suffer cascading effects due to a single point of failure.AWS failure highlights need for decentralized alternativesThe wide-reaching impact of the AWS service disruption may highlight the need for more decentralized alternatives, eliminating single points of failure.“AWS down and 90% of crypto is down. Decentralization is a meme,” Edmund Chua, the head of mETH Protocol, said in an April 15 X post.Source: Gracy Chen“AWS data center issues impacted several CEXs — no need to panic,” wrote Gracy Chen, the CEO of Bitget exchange, adding that “it’s a solid reminder: Maybe it’s time to explore decentralized cloud services.”Decentralized alternatives include Filecoin for storage, decentralized computing marketplace Akash Network, and decentralized graphics processing unit compute service Render Network.Additional reporting by Helen Partz.Magazine: Crypto market is ‘not playing ball’ so far in 2025: Jason Pizzino, X Hall of Flame

by Donna Harper on April 15, 2025 at 8:39 am

Police allege a 56-year-old man punched the victim as he walked his dog in a country New South Wales town and continued to hit him while he was lying on the road.

by Jason Om and Richard Mockler on April 15, 2025 at 7:42 am

A class action against Sydney Water over PFAS is looming as mystery surrounds the sudden departure of a former executive.

by Alex Brewster on April 15, 2025 at 7:40 am

Treasurer and Energy Minister David Janetzki failed to mention the incident in a major address a week ago, despite being briefed about the incident the day it happened.

by Dominic Cansdale on April 15, 2025 at 7:30 am

Tom Tate indicates he was only half serious about sending rough sleepers into northern NSW as experts note that the underlying causes of homelessness need to be addressed.

on April 15, 2025 at 7:10 am

Only a day after Wests Tigers confirmed he would be leaving the club when his contract expires, Lachlan Galvin says his departure is the right move for his personal development.

by Coquohalla Connor on April 15, 2025 at 6:58 am

A teacher is being investigated after police say they brought a 3D-printed gun to a Canberra school, in what they believe may have been a “misguided effort to demonstrate the capabilities of 3D printing”.

on April 15, 2025 at 6:55 am

In an election promise, federal Labor pledges $3.8 million to ensure a Canberra health co-op, which had nearly 5,000 patients on the books, can reopen. 

by Brett Worthington on April 15, 2025 at 6:53 am

Harry Dutton joined his father for a second press opportunity on Tuesday, the prime minister said Tanya Plibersek would get a "senior" cabinet job if Labor was re-elected and an MP has compared his peer to a dog. 

by Jane Norman and Jacob Greber on April 15, 2025 at 6:35 am

One of the National Party's top hopes for an election pick-up in Western Australia has blasted the Coalition's opposition to Labor's resources production tax credits, saying "good policy deserves support". 

by Geraden Cann on April 15, 2025 at 6:33 am

A court has heard the events surrounding the opioid overdose deaths of four people in Melbourne's northern suburbs last year.

by Stephen Dziedzic and Bill Birtles on April 15, 2025 at 6:26 am

Indonesia has denied it will allow any Russian long-range aircraft at its air force base after reports send Canberra scrambling.

by Velvet Winter on April 15, 2025 at 6:22 am

Two years after season one, dystopian zombie series The Last of Us has finally returned for another bite.

on April 15, 2025 at 6:22 am

A woman in her 30s is taken to hospital after being rescued from a suspicious house fire in the beachside Perth suburb of Scarborough.

on April 15, 2025 at 6:06 am

Police have issued more than 46,000 fines in six months to Adelaide drivers caught using mobile phones and are "disappointed" at the number of repeat offenders – including one driver detected 41 times.

by Cointelegraph by Martin Young on April 15, 2025 at 6:03 am

There is a “huge opportunity” for Ethereum to become a decentralized partner in solving current problems with artificial intelligence platforms, according to a former core Ethereum developer. Ethereum’s “biggest mainstream moment is waiting in the wings with AI,” said Eric Connor on X on April 15. While AI is on a fast track to reshape almost every aspect of our lives, it is “plagued by black-box models, centralized data silos, and privacy pitfalls,” Connor continued. However, these problems create an opportunity for Ethereum to shine, he said.Ethereum offers transparency through verifiable smart contracts, decentralization against Big Tech monopolies, aligned incentives via token economies, and built-in micropayment infrastructure, he added. Smart contracts can provide transparent records of AI model training processes and data sources, addressing the “black box” problem.However, major AI players may resist open models “as they profit from secrecy and control,” he said. Demand for transparency, fairness, and security will only grow, and that’s where Ethereum “offers an alternative path,” he added. “Ethereum already has the ethos with openness, collaboration and trust minimization,  things that ethical and accountable AI needs.”By proactively building the tooling, research and real-world use cases, Ethereum can give AI developers a reason to embrace decentralized approaches, “and that could deliver mainstream adoption far beyond finance,” Connor concluded. The next frontier for crypto will be decentralizing AI, Zain Jaffer, co-founder of Vungle, told Cointelegraph earlier this year. Connor left the Ethereum community in January amid growing leadership concerns to pursue interests in AI. AI agents on EthereumEthereum may also be important for the development of agentic AI — an emerging and experimental technology, according to a recent post on the Ethereum blog. AI agents are software programs that use artificial intelligence to autonomously perform tasks, make decisions, learn from data, and adapt to changes, and they are growing in numbers on Ethereum.The Ethereum blockchain provides key advantages for AI agents, including access to transparent, real-time blockchain data, true digital asset ownership, and the ability to execute transactions and interact with smart contracts, it noted.Related: The future of digital self-governance: AI agents in cryptoThe post highlighted three notable projects, which were Luna, an autonomous virtual influencer that controls its own onchain wallet; AIXBT, an AI agent providing crypto market analysis; and Botto, a decentralized autonomous artist creating NFTs guided by community voting.Meanwhile, projects like Bankr and HeyAnon are simplifying blockchain interactions through conversational interfaces, allowing users to manage wallets and execute transactions via simple chat commands.Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest

by Cointelegraph by Jesse Coghlan on April 15, 2025 at 5:57 am

Update (April 15, 10:47 am UTC): This article has been updated with comments from Marianas Rai Corp. co-founder Vin Armani.The governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, a small Pacific US territory just north of Guam, has killed the legislation that would have allowed one of the territory’s local governments to launch a fully backed US dollar-pegged stablecoin.In an April 11 letter seen by Cointelegraph, Northern Mariana Islands Governor Arnold Palacios said he vetoed the bill as it “presents several legal issues and may be unconstitutional.”Palacios’ letter said the bill, which largely dealt with issuing licenses to internet casinos, would regulate an activity that could not “be clearly restricted” to Tinian, a small island forming part of the territory that was hoping to launch a stablecoin.Tinian, which has just over 2,000 residents and a largely tourism-based economy, is governed by the local government, the Municipality of Tinian and Aguiguan, one of four municipalities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.In February, Republican Northern Marianas Senator Jude Hofschneider led the introduction of the bill to amend a local Tinian law to allow internet-only casino licenses, which tacked on a provision allowing the Tinian treasurer to issue, manage and redeem a “Tinian Stable Token.” The four-member Tinian delegation to the Marianas legislature passed the bill in a unanimous vote on March 12.In vetoing the bill, Palacios didn’t comment on the proposed stablecoin, instead taking issue with its aim to police an industry that can cross jurisdictional boundaries, and said the measure lacked “robust enforcement measures to prevent illegal gaming activities.”A highlighted excerpt of Governer Palacios’ letter noting his reasons for vetoing the stablecoin and internet gambling bill Source: Northern Mariana Islands Governor’s OfficeThe stablecoin, called the Marianas US Dollar (MUSD), was to be fully backed by cash and US Treasury bills held in reserve by the Tinian Municipal Treasury, according to statements shared with Cointelegraph last month.The Tinian government chose tech services firm Marianas Rai Corporation, based in the Commonwealth’s capital of Saipan, to exclusively provide the infrastructure to issue and redeem MUSD and develop its ecosystem.Marianas Rai Corp. co-founder and technology chief Vin Armani told Cointelegraph that the company doesn’t see a chance for a stablecoin bill to pass on its own and added that “the legal opinions noted are deeply flawed and do not reflect the actual contents of the bill.”“It is unfortunate, at a time when our Commonwealth is severely struggling financially due to decades of decline in and dependency on tourism, that this opportunity to launch the first fully-reserved, fiat-backed stable token issued by a public entity in the United States has not been achieved for the people of the Commonwealth,” he added.Tinian misses chance at beating WyomingThe bill’s passage could have seen Tinian’s government be the first US government entity to issue a stablecoin ahead of Wyoming, whose Governor Mark Gordon said in March that the state’s stablecoin could be ready for a launch in July.Armani said the bill “would have been an incredible accomplishment for a small self-funded company based in a small island nation in the middle of the Pacific, beating Wyoming to the finish line, given the resources [the state has] invested.”Related: The GENIUS stablecoin bill is a CBDC trojan horse — DeFi exec He said Marianas Rai Corp. fully owns the technology behind MUSD, which is built on the eCash blockchain, a network that rebranded from Bitcoin Cash ABC in 2021 and is a fork of Bitcoin Cash — a blockchain that split off from Bitcoin in 2017.Armani added that the company was “in active discussions with potential partners” about launching the token and was “poised to act quickly” as US Congress is looking to pass stablecoin laws.The Senate Banking Committee passed the stablecoin-regulating Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act in mid-March, while the US House Financial Services Committee passed the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act in early April.Magazine: Elon Musk’s plan to run government on blockchain faces uphill battle 

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 15, 2025 at 5:33 am

Tech giant Meta has been given the green light from the European Union’s data regulator to train its artificial intelligence models using publicly shared content across its social media platforms.Posts and comments from adult users across Meta’s stable of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, along with questions and queries to the company’s AI assistant, will now be used to improve its AI models, Meta said in an April 14 blog post.The company said it’s “important for our generative AI models to be trained on a variety of data so they can understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities that make up European communities.”Meta has a green light from data regulators in the EU to train its AI models using publicly shared content on social media. Source: Meta“That means everything from dialects and colloquialisms, to hyper-local knowledge and the distinct ways different countries use humor and sarcasm on our products,” it added.However, people’s private messages with friends, family and public data from EU account holders under the age of 18 are still off limits, according to Meta.People can also opt out of having their data used for AI training through a form that Meta says will be sent in-app, via email and “easy to find, read, and use.”EU regulators paused tech firms' AI training plansLast July, Meta delayed training its AI using public content across its platforms after privacy advocacy group None of Your Business filed complaints in 11 European countries, which saw the Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) request a rollout pause until a review was conducted.The complaints claimed Meta’s privacy policy changes would have allowed the company to use years of personal posts, private images, and online tracking data to train its AI products.  Meta says it has now received permission from the EU’s data protection regulator, the European Data Protection Commission, that its AI training approach meets legal obligations, and the company continues to engage “constructively with the IDPC.”“This is how we have been training our generative AI models for other regions since launch,” Meta said.“We’re following the example set by others, including Google and OpenAI, both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models.”Related: EU could fine Elon Musk’s X $1B over illicit content, disinformationAn Irish data regulator opened a cross-border investigation into Google Ireland Limited last September to determine whether the tech giant followed EU data protection laws while developing its AI models.X faced similar scrutiny and agreed to stop using personal data from users in the EU and European Economic Area last September. Previously, X used this data to train its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok. The EU launched its AI Act in August 2024, establishing a legal framework for the technology that included data quality, security and privacy provisions. Magazine: XRP win leaves Ripple a ‘bad actor’ with no crypto legal precedent set

by Cointelegraph by Brayden Lindrea on April 15, 2025 at 5:13 am

The US is exploring many ways to increase its Bitcoin reserve without taxpayer dollars, including through tariff revenue and revaluing the government’s gold certificates, according to the executive director of the Trump administration’s crypto council.“We're looking at many creative ways, whether it be from tariffs, there’s literally countless ways in which you can do this,” Bo Hines of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets said in a recent interview with Professional Capital Management CEO Anthony Pompliano.Hines said the Treasury could revalue its gold certificates, valued at $43 per ounce, to the current market price of $3,200 per ounce, creating a paper surplus to fund Bitcoin purchases without selling gold.“Everything is on the table, and like we've said, we want as much as we can get, so we’re going to make sure that no stone is unturned,” Hines said in the interview, which aired on April 14. LATEST: Executive Director of Digital Assets Bo Hines said the US government may buy Bitcoin using tariff revenue. pic.twitter.com/Gfc2HiEJoL— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) April 15, 2025The Bitcoin Reserve will initially comprise assets forfeited in government criminal cases but allow for the government to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional Bitcoin. During the interview, Hines said the White House is also developing a digital asset framework outlining how the US plans to support crypto innovation and promote US dollar stablecoins worldwide.“It'll provide clarity on many aspects of this space, whether it be from tokenization to staking, all sorts of things,” Hines said, adding that the Trump administration has been moving rapidly to make America the “crypto capital of the world.”Related: Bitcoin takes back seat as Trump, Bukele focus on trade and immigration“We're moving at tech speed, it’s like we’re a startup in this building,” Hines said. “We'll continue moving this along quite quickly.”The report Hines referred to is expected to be published in late July or August.No mention of Trump’s crypto venturesHines wasn’t asked to address some of Trump’s potential conflicts of interest in the crypto space, including the controversial Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin and the Trump family’s business venture with World Liberty Financial — which have been raised by the opposition party. I watched this interview in full.Pomp didn't ask about:1. How much Bitcoin the US government owns, and the internal audit the Trump administration told us that should have already been completed 2. Donald Trump's growing list of conflicts of interests in the cryptocurrency… https://t.co/bVnXBkCmK1— Pledditor (@Pledditor) April 14, 2025Last month, House Representative Gerald E. Connolly referred to the TRUMP token as a “money grab” that resulted in Trump-linked entities cashing in on over $100 million worth of trading fees.Representative Maxine Waters also criticized Trump’s memecoin on Jan. 20, referring to a rug pull while claiming the launch represented the “worst of crypto.”The White House’s AI and crypto czar, David Sacks, said the TRUMP memecoin was nothing more than a collectible.Hines also wasn’t asked whether the US completed an internal audit of its Bitcoin (BTC) holdings — a task that was supposed to be completed within 30 days of US President Donald Trump’s March 6 executive order establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

by Sundance on April 15, 2025 at 4:20 am

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency. This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread. Posted in The post April 15th – 2025 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day 86 appeared first on The Last Refuge.