Alternative News for You

by Bec Symons on April 16, 2025 at 7:17 am

Disgraced school teacher Peter Farmer had been living a quiet life in Queensland until Victorian Police uncovered his history of sexual assault 37 years after his offending.

by Shalailah Medhora and Angel Parsons on April 16, 2025 at 7:06 am

Dozens of young Australians reached out to Gabby Petito's family after a documentary series on her death launched in Australia

by Brett Worthington on April 16, 2025 at 7:05 am

Today on the campaign trail the opposition leader doubles down on his response to a report about Russia seeking access to a military base in Papua, the Speaker of the House might soon be out of a job and an MP campaigns on OnlyFans. 

by Alex Brewster on April 16, 2025 at 6:59 am

CS Energy has conceded there has not been adequate reporting of serious issues following an explosion at the facility on April 4.

by Jess Scully on April 16, 2025 at 6:55 am

Police allege a 19-year-old P-plater they caught at "ridiculous speeds" three times in four hours "just wanted to get to Melbourne", even after having her licence suspended.

on April 16, 2025 at 6:50 am

The parents of a three-year-old child who was killed when a car lost control in Victoria last week have paid tribute to their daughter and spoken of the "outpouring of love" they have received from the community.

by Annabel Bowles on April 16, 2025 at 6:26 am

An illegal foreign fisher was taken to hospital after a suspected crocodile attack in NT waters, which authorities believe occurred days before they intercepted the vessel.

by Malcolm Sutton on April 16, 2025 at 6:25 am

Adelaide public transport users continue to pay maximum fares for short trips three years after Labor returned to government, despite its former treasury spokesperson labelling it a "blatant cash-grab" when the Liberal party axed it in 2019.

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 16, 2025 at 6:10 am

Bitcoin could be heading into another extended consolidation phase, with short-term indicators suggesting a more bearish outlook, contrary to the broader crypto community’s view, according to the head of research at 10x Research.While many crypto analysts predict new Bitcoin (BTC) all-time highs by June, Markus Thielen said in an April 14 markets report that he is skeptical, pointing out that onchain data signals “more of a bear market environment than a bullish one.”Short-term indicators signal potential market topThielen said the Bitcoin stochastic oscillator — which compares a particular closing price to a range of prices over a specific period to determine momentum — shows patterns “more typical of a market top or late-cycle phase rather than the early stages of a new bull run.”Bitcoin is trading at $83,810 at the time of publication. Source: CoinMarketCap“As a result, short-term signals are not aligning with longer-term indicators, highlighting the disconnect in the market outlook,” Thielen said.“Bitcoin is no longer a parabolic ‘Long-Only’ retail-driven market,” he added, explaining it now “demands a more sophisticated, finance-oriented approach.”“Bitcoin’s rally over the past year hasn’t been driven by typical ‘crypto-bro’ speculation but by long-term holders seeking diversification and adopting a buy-and-hold strategy,” Thielen said. Over the past 12 months, Bitcoin is up 32.80% and is trading at around $83,810 at the time of publication, according to CoinMarketCap.Bitcoin price action may repeat 2024 patternThielen reiterated his stance that Bitcoin may consolidate for an extended period, much like it did in 2024. “Despite our cautious optimism, we view Bitcoin as trading within a broad range of $73,000 to $94,000, with a slight upward bias,” he said.In March 2024, Bitcoin reached its then-all-time high of $73,679 before entering a consolidation phase, swinging within a range of around $20,000 until Donald Trump won the US elections in November.Related: Bitcoin price recovery could be capped at $90K — Here’s whyMany crypto analysts are eyeing June as the month when Bitcoin could surpass its current all-time high of $109,000, which it reached in January just before Trump’s inauguration.Swan Bitcoin CEO Cory Klippsten told Cointelegraph in early March that “there’s more than 50% chance we will see all-time highs before the end of June this year.”Sharing a similar view, Bitcoin network economist Timothy Peterson and Real Vision chief crypto analyst Jamie Coutts have also marked June as when Bitcoin could reach a new high.“It is entirely possible Bitcoin could reach a new all-time high before June,” Peterson said.Meanwhile, Coutts said, “The market may be underestimating how quickly Bitcoin could surge – potentially hitting new all-time highs before Q2 is out.”Magazine: Riskiest, most ‘addictive’ crypto game of 2025, PIXEL goes multi-game: Web3 GamerThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

by Cointelegraph by Martin Young on April 16, 2025 at 6:03 am

Chipmaking giants Nvidia and AMD have seen their share prices slide in after-hours trading after Nvidia said US restrictions on artificial intelligence chips to China would cause it to face major costs.Nvidia stated in an April 15 regulatory filing that it is expecting around $5.5 billion in charges associated with its AI chip inventory due to significant export restrictions imposed by the US government affecting the company’s business with China. Nvidia said that the US government informed it on April 9 that export licenses are now required for its popular H20 integrated circuits and any chips with similar bandwidth capacity.“First quarter results are expected to include up to approximately $5.5 billion of charges associated with H20 products for inventory, purchase commitments, and related reserves.”The restrictions specifically mention China, Hong Kong and Macau, and the government indicated that the license requirement “addresses the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a supercomputer in China.” The H20 is the most advanced AI chip Nvidia can export to China under previous export rules. Government officials have been calling for stronger export controls on the chip, which was reportedly used to train models from China-based AI startup DeepSeek. The Trump administration initially put the restrictions on hold following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang earlier this month, NPR reported. Related: Nvidia's stock price forms ’death cross’ — Will AI crypto tokens follow?On April 14, Nvidia announced that it would spend hundreds of millions of dollars over the next four years manufacturing some AI chips in the US. However, that has not prevented the stock slump in light of the latest filing and predicted impact on its upcoming revenue report. “Truly no company is safe from tariffs,” commented the Kobeissi Letter. Nvidia’s first quarter of fiscal year 2026 ends on April 27.Nvidia, AMD stocks slump after hours Shares in Nvidia (NVDA) fell 6% in after-hours trading on April 15 to $105, according to Google Finance.Nvidia’s share price is down 22% so far this year, slumping in a wide market rout caused by Trump’s escalating trade war and tariff threats. NVDA price tanks in after-hours trading. Source: Google FinanceRival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) saw a similar share price drop, falling more than 7% to $88.55 in after-hours trading. AMD shares have declined by more than 25% since Jan. 1. Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Kellie Scott on April 16, 2025 at 5:54 am

Census data shows the number of one-child families in Australia has more than doubled in the past 40 years. We spoke to mums who are happily "one and done" to learn more. 

by Jennifer Nichols on April 16, 2025 at 5:53 am

Stopping thousands of bees from starving during drought will be easier for commercial beekeepers, as Biosecurity Queensland relaxes varroa mite rules around moving hives.

on April 16, 2025 at 5:33 am

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg considered spinning off popular photo-sharing app Instagram in 2018 over concerns about the growing risk of antitrust scrutiny.

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 16, 2025 at 5:23 am

Brazilian fintech firm Meliuz has floated a plan to expand its Bitcoin holdings and make the cryptocurrency a strategic asset on the company’s books.Meliuz, which provides cashback and financial technology services, is taking the plan to make Bitcoin (BTC) the primary strategic asset in the firm’s treasury to shareholders in a meeting slated for May 6, according to a translated April 14 statement.The company said its core business will remain unchanged, but “the generation of cash from operations is fundamental to the strategy of acquiring more Bitcoin over time.” If shareholders approve the measure, Bitcoin will be adopted as the firm’s main strategic treasury asset, but it will also look to foster “the incremental generation of Bitcoin for its shareholders, whether through the generation of operating cash or through possible financial transactions and strategic initiatives.” Shareholders who disagree with the new direction and held their shares before April 14 can request reimbursement. Meliuz shares jump on Bitcoin planIn the trading session after its new Bitcoin plan was announced, Meliuz (CASH3) jumped over 14% from 3.28 Brazilian reals ($0.56) to 3.76 Brazilian reals ($0.64) on the Brazilian Stock Exchange, according to Google Finance.In total, Meliuz’s share price has spiked up over 27% in the last five days to 3.85 Brazilian reals ($0.65).Meliuz’s share price has risen over 27% in the last five days, including a 14% spike after its new Bitcoin plan was revealed. Source: Google Finance Meliuz purchased Bitcoin for the first time in March after its board of directors approved using up to 10% of the company’s cash for Bitcoin, purchasing 45 BTC for about $4.1 million.Related: Corporate Bitcoin treasuries drop more than $4B on US tariff hike impactThe amount of Bitcoin held on the books of publicly traded companies rose by 16.1% in the first quarter of 2025, according to Bitwise. Public companies bought around 95,431 Bitcoin over the quarter, increasing the total holdings across all company’s balance sheets to around 688,000. Meliuz was among 12 firms that added Bitcoin to their balance sheets for the first time in Q1 20025, joining the likes of video-sharing platform Rumble.Michael Saylor’s digital asset firm, Strategy, has also continued its long-term strategy of acquiring more Bitcoin with its most recent April 14 purchase consisting of 3,459 Bitcoin bought for $285.5 million. Asia Express: Bitcoiner sex trap extortion? BTS firm’s blockchain disaster 

by Ethan Rix and Lia Harris on April 16, 2025 at 5:23 am

Police say the woman, who was also a grandmother, was not the intended target of the shooting.

by James Paras and Liana Boss on April 16, 2025 at 5:20 am

NSW authorities failed to inform the 53-year-old and his family about the severity of his illness, a coroner has ruled.  

on April 16, 2025 at 5:16 am

NSW Police are calling on the public for any information after an 83-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by an unknown man earlier this week.

by Charles Rushforth on April 16, 2025 at 5:11 am

Police allege the man was assaulted at a home in Coffs Harbour by two men early this morning.

on April 16, 2025 at 5:02 am

Port coach Ken Hinkley labels racist abuse directed towards Willie Rioli as "a disgrace", as the Power forward returns to training after being granted a day off.

by Georgie Burgess on April 16, 2025 at 5:01 am

Tasmania Police is investigating a disturbance that broke out yesterday at a department store in Hobart's northern suburbs, as a video of the affray emerges. 

by Kate Evans, Claire Nichols, Daniel Browning, Anna Kelsey-Sugg, Nicola Heath, and Declan Fry on April 16, 2025 at 5:00 am

A novel that tricks its readers, another exploring the "incessant gnaw" of grief after death, non-fiction about emigrating to Australia from Gaza, or the vital role of Black media: the powerful books shortlisted for one of Australia's top literary awards.

by Cointelegraph by Martin Young on April 16, 2025 at 4:58 am

Local governments in China are reportedly seeking ways to offload seized crypto while facing challenges due to the country’s ban on crypto trading and exchanges.The absence of clear rules on how authorities should manage seized cryptocurrency has led to “inconsistent and opaque approaches,” which some lawyers fear could open the door to corruption, according to an April 16 report by Reuters.Chinese local governments are using private companies to sell seized cryptocurrencies in offshore markets in exchange for cash to replenish public coffers, Reuters reported, citing transaction and court documents. The local governments reportedly held approximately 15,000 Bitcoin (BTC) worth $1.4 billion at the end of 2023, and the sales have been a significant source of income.China holds an estimated 194,000 BTC worth approximately $16 billion and is the second largest nation Bitcoin holder behind the US, according to Bitbo. Zhongnan University of Economics and Law professor Chen Shi told Reuters that these sales are a “makeshift solution that, strictly speaking, is not fully in line with China’s current ban on crypto trading.”Countries and governments that hold BTC. Source: BitboThe issue has been exacerbated by a rise in crypto-related crime in China, ranging from online fraud to money laundering to illegal gambling. Additionally, the state sued more than 3,000 people involved in crypto-related money laundering in 2024. China crypto reserve floated as solutionShenzhen-based lawyer Guo Zhihao opined that the central bank is better positioned to deal with seized digital assets and should either sell them overseas or build a crypto reserve.Ru Haiyang, co-CEO at Hong Kong crypto exchange HashKey, echoed the suggestion saying that China may want to keep forfeited Bitcoin as a strategic reserve as US President Donald Trump is doing. Related: Bitcoin rebounds as traders spot China ‘weaker yuan’ chart, but US trade war caps $80K BTC rallyCreating a crypto sovereign fund in Hong Kong, where crypto trading is legal, has also been proposed.This issue has gained attention amid rising US-China trade tensions and Trump’s plans to regulate stablecoins and foster growth and innovation in the crypto industry.Several industry observers have suggested that China’s tariff response could result in a devaluation of the local currency, which may result in a flight to crypto. Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Gemma Ferguson and Stephen Clarke on April 16, 2025 at 4:57 am

One less infant, under the age of six months, was hospitalised each day following the release of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) shot, Queensland Health says.

by Natasha Schapova on April 16, 2025 at 4:48 am

Bailey Clifford, who stabbed father Paul Grapsas to death in 2023, could be freed from jail in under four years.

on April 16, 2025 at 4:41 am

A designer store on Collins Street was ram raided on Wednesday morning, continuing a spate of similar incidents at luxury retailers in the city. The mayor is promising tougher CBD security in response.

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 16, 2025 at 4:41 am

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin believes that privacy should be a top priority for developers, warning that assumptions about transparency and good intentions in global politics are overly optimistic.In an April 14 blog post, Buterin argued that privacy is essential to maintain individual freedom and protect against the growing power of governments and corporations. He criticized the idea that increased transparency is inherently beneficial, saying it relies on assumptions about human nature that are no longer valid.These assumptions include believing that global political leadership is “generally well-intentioned and sane,” and that social culture continues to progress in a positive direction.” Both are proving to be increasingly untrue, Buterin argued.Buterin claimed there was “no single major country for which the first assumption is broadly agreed to be true.” Furthermore, he wrote that cultural tolerance is “rapidly regressing,” which is reportedly demonstrable by an X post search for “bullying is good.” Buterin’s personal privacy issuesButerin said that he found his lack of privacy unsettling at times. He added:“Every single action I take outside has some nonzero chance of unexpectedly becoming a public media story.”Covertly taken photos of Vitalik Buterin. Source: Vitalik.ethWhile this may appear as a suggestion that privacy is an advantage only for those who venture outside the social norms, he highlighted that “you never know when you will become one of them.”Buterin only expects the need for privacy to increase as technology develops further, with brain-computer interfaces potentially allowing automated systems to peer directly into our brains. Another issue is automated price gouging, with companies charging individuals as much as they expect them to be able to pay.Related: Messaging apps are spying on you — Here’s how to stay safe in 2025There is no privacy with government backdoorsButerin also argued strongly against the idea of adding government backdoors to systems designed to protect privacy. He said such positions are common but inherently unstable.He highlighted how, in the case of Know Your Customer data, “it’s not just the government, it’s also all kinds of corporate entities, of varying levels of quality” that can access private data. Instead, the information is handled and held by payment processors, banks, and other intermediaries.Similarly, telecommunication companies can locate their users and have been found to illegally sell this data. Buterin also raised concerns that individuals with access will always be incentivized to abuse it, and data banks can always be hacked. Lastly, a trustworthy government can change and become untrustworthy in the future, inheriting all the sensitive data. He concluded:“From the perspective of an individual, if data is taken from them, they have no way to tell if and how it will be abused in the future. By far the safest approach to handling large-scale data is to centrally collect as little of it as possible in the first place.“Related: Privacy will unlock blockchain’s business potentialAuthorities have more data than everButerin raised the issue of governments being able to access anything with a warrant “because that‘s the way that things have always worked.” He noted that this point of view fails to consider that historically, the amount of data available for obtaining through a warrant was far lower.He said the traditionally available data would still be available even “if the strongest proposed forms of internet privacy were universally adopted.” He wrote that “in the 19ᵗʰ century, the average conversation happened once, via voice, and was never recorded by anyone.”Buterin’s proposed solutionsButerin suggested solutions based mainly on zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) because they allow for “fine-grained control of who can see what information.” ZK-proofs are cryptographic protocols that allow one party to prove a statement is true without revealing any additional information.One such system is a ZK-proof-based proof of personhood that proves you are unique without revealing who you are. These systems rely on documents like passports or biometric data paired with decentralized systems.Another solution suggested is the recently launched privacy pools, which allow for regulatory-compliant Ether (ETH) anonymization. Buterin also cited on-device anti-fraud scanning, checking incoming messages and identifying potential misinformation and scams.These systems are proof of provenance services for physical items using a combination of blockchain and ZK-proof technology. They track various properties of an item throughout its manufacturing cycle, ensuring the user of its authenticity.The post follows Buterin’s recent privacy roadmap for Ethereum. In it, he highlighted the short-term changes to the base protocol and ecosystem needed to ensure better user privacy.Magazine: Cypherpunk AI: Guide to uncensored, unbiased, anonymous AI in 2025

by James Elton on April 16, 2025 at 4:35 am

Police have seized weapons including machetes and axes after a "large disturbance" in Katherine, during which an 18-year-old was allegedly struck by a vehicle.

by Cointelegraph by Brayden Lindrea on April 16, 2025 at 4:30 am

Developers behind the Ethereum layer 2 Aztec Network have launched a whistleblowing platform called StealthNote that allows workers to vent about their employer without revealing themselves.StealthNote uses zero-knowledge proofs to prove that posts on its platform are written by someone with access to an email address of the company that they’re reviewing.Aztec Labs developer Saleel Pichen wrote in an April 14 X post that StealthNote creates a zero-knowledge proof of a Google JSON Web Token, which is used to authenticate users and allows the platform to prove a poster owns “an email from a company domain without revealing any personal info.”Two of the latest posts on StealthNote from personnel at Aztec Labs and Cornell University. Source: StealthNote.xyzAccording to Aztec’s documentation, the privacy solution had been in development since at least Oct. 22, while the first test post from Aztec occurred about three months ago.Workers from Ethereum Foundation, StarkWare and Scroll, as well as Columbia and Cornell universities, have made posts on StealthNote, primarily sharing greetings and voicing their support for privacy solutions.“Let’s make privacy cool again,” a worker from Nim Network wrote.ZK-proofs needed more than ever, says ButerinZK-proofs have become an increasingly used privacy solution in the internet age as concerns over data security and government surveillance continue to grow.The concerns were raised in an April 14 blog post by Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin, who criticized the assumption that governments are generally well-intentioned when it comes to sacrificing privacy for a more “transparent society.” Related: Vitalik Buterin unveils roadmap for Ethereum privacyHe championed ZK-proofs as a solution to mitigate this trade-off, highlighting the technology’s ability to provide “fine-grained control of who can see what information.”Related: Vitalik Buterin unveils roadmap for Ethereum privacyThe privacy-focused Aztec Network launched on Ethereum in February 2020. The firm raised $100 million in Series B funding led by the tech-focused venture capital firm Andreessen “a16z” Horowitz in December 2022, with A Capital and King River also contributing.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

by Leanne Wong and Elise Kinsella on April 16, 2025 at 4:25 am

Whittlesea mayor Aidan McLindon has been suspended for six months amid concerns over alleged poor conduct and intimidating behaviour.

by Adam Harvey on April 16, 2025 at 4:20 am

Leah Pitman and Dustin Atkinson say failings at Northern Beaches Hospital caused the death of their newborn baby Harper. This is their harrowing and heartbreaking story.

on April 16, 2025 at 3:58 am

Chris Fagan doesn't believe the Brisbane Lions can keep getting away with playing from behind despite regularly overturning first-half deficits so far this season.

by Cointelegraph by Martin Young on April 16, 2025 at 3:50 am

Healthcare technology firm Semler Scientific has reported paper losses on its Bitcoin holdings over the first quarter of this year as the cryptocurrency saw a heavy correction. The firm reported a preliminary unrealized loss from the change in fair value of Bitcoin holdings of approximately $41.8 million since Dec. 31, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 15.Semler declared holdings of 3,182 Bitcoin (BTC) valued at around $263.5 million as of March 31. During the three-month period, BTC prices fell 12% from $93,500 at the beginning of January to $82,350 by the end of March. The full correction from its all-time high to the low below $75,000 on April 7 stands at 32%. Semler reported expected revenues of $8.8 to $8.9 million and operational losses of $1.3 to $1.5 million for the period. It held cash and cash equivalents of approximately $10 million as of March 31.In November, Semler Scientific CEO Doug Murphy-Chutorian said, “We remain laser-focused on acquiring and holding Bitcoin while supporting innovation and growth in our healthcare business.” Semler is the twelfth largest corporate holder of BTC, ahead of Hong Kong gaming firm Boyaa Interactive International Limited, according to Bitbo data. Semler also reported that it had reached an agreement in principle to pay almost $30 million to settle claims related to a civil investigation by the Department of Justice.Semler floats $500 million securities sale In a separate April 15 SEC filing, the firm outlined its plan to offer and sell securities worth up to $500 million, in part to continue its Bitcoin acquisition strategy.Related: Healthcare tech firm Semler buys 871 Bitcoin, yield tops 150%“We may offer and sell securities from time to time in one or more offerings, up to an aggregate value of $500,000,000,” it stated. Semler’s common stock is listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol SMLR.“Our stock price has been volatile and may continue to be volatile,” the firm cautioned. Shares in the medical firm have fallen 36% since the beginning of 2025. SMLR price year-to-date. Source: Google FinanceSemler intends to use the net proceeds from the securities sale “primarily for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of Bitcoin,” it revealed. Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 16, 2025 at 3:38 am

Bullish sentiment could be returning to Bitcoin as a key metric from Binance, the largest crypto exchange by trading volume, shows that buyers are starting to dominate the platform’s volumes.The Binance Taker Buy Sell Ratio, which calculates the ratio of buyers to sellers of Bitcoin (BTC) in Binance, “has returned to neutral territory,” CryptoQuant contributor DarkFost said in an April 15 note.Bitcoin’s bullish momentum is “picking up again”The ratio currently stands at 1.008. When the ratio is higher than 1, buyers — usually a bullish sentiment indicator — dominate volumes, conversely, a ratio below 1 indicates that sellers, or bearish sentiment, are dominating.Bitcoin is trading at $83,810 at the time of publication. Source: CoinMarketCapBitcoin is trading at $83,810 at the time of publication, down 1.47% over the past seven days, according to CoinMarketCap data.“Over the past few days, the ratio has been mostly positive, suggesting that bullish sentiment is picking up again on Binance’s derivatives market,” Darkfost said. On April 14, when Bitcoin was above $86,000, the ratio was above 1.1. CoinGlass data shows that if Bitcoin reclaims $85,000, almost $637 million in short positions will be at risk of liquidation. Several key market indicators suggest that investors continue to favor Bitcoin over altcoins.CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index is currently at 15 out of 100, signalling it is still very much “Bitcoin Season.” TradingView’s Bitcoin Dominance Chart shows the asset’s market share is sitting at 63.81%, up 9.82% so far this year.Bitcoin Dominance is up 9.88% since the beginning of 2025. Source: TradingViewOverall, crypto market participants are still appearing to feel hesitant. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index shows the overall market sentiment on April 16 is in “Fear” with a score of 29 out of 100.Some analysts, including DeFiDaniel, commented that Bitcoin’s recent price action is “so boring.” However, Cointelegraph earlier reported that 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 Bitcoin reaches a local bottom, leading to its price chopping sideways.Related: Bitcoin price recovery could be capped at $90K — Here’s whyAnalysts have differing views over where Bitcoin is going to go next.Real Vision chief crypto analyst Jamie Coutts told Cointelegraph in late March that “the market may be underestimating how quickly Bitcoin could surge — potentially hitting new all-time highs before Q2 is out.” AnchorWatch CEO Rob Hamilton said in an April 15 X post that Bitcoin’s price “is flat for the day because we are in an epic tug of war between people who are selling Bitcoin to pay their taxes and people using their refunds to buy Bitcoin.” The tax deadline in the US was April 15.Magazine: Is Cambria S2 the riskiest, most ‘addictive’ crypto game of 2025? Web3 GamerThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

by Cointelegraph by Jody McDonald on April 16, 2025 at 3:30 am

The X account of UK member of Parliament and Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, was hacked to promote a scam crypto token.In a series of now-deleted posts on April 15, Powell’s X account shared links to a token called the House of Commons Coin (HOC), describing it as “a community driven digital currency.”Source: Daniel GreenA member of Powell’s staff confirmed to the BBC that the account had been hacked and that “steps were taken quickly to secure the account and remove misleading posts.”DEX Screener shows the HOC token saw limited interest from would-be investors, achieving a peak market cap of just over $24,000 shortly after the posts from Powell’s account.The token has seen a total of 736 transactions and a trading volume of just $71,000.While Powell hasn’t promoted a cryptocurrency before, it isn’t unheard of for political figures to back real crypto tokens.US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump both launched and promoted memecoins days before they entered the White House, sparking criticism from the president’s political rivals and even some supporters.Argentine President Javier Melei also promoted a token called LIBRA, which quickly crashed in value and has caused a political scandal in Argentina and calls for a probe into Melei’s involvement with the token.Powell’s account hack follows similar attack on Ghana’s presidentIn March, the X account of Ghana’s President John Mahama saw a similar breach, with attackers taking over his account for 48 hours to promote a scam cryptocurrency called Solanafrica.The Ghanaian president’s X account was hacked in March 2025. Source: CrediRates Related: UK trade bodies ask government to make crypto a ‘strategic priority’The scammers made similar crypto-promoting posts to Mahama’s 2.4 million followers, claiming that the scam project was “making payments fast and free across the continent with support from Solana and the Bank of Ghana.”The president’s team regained control of Mahama’s X account two days later. His spokesman, Kwakye Ofosu, told the AFP that the account “has now been fully restored, and we urge the public to disregard any suspicious cryptocurrency-related posts from the handle.”Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 16, 2025 at 2:25 am

Fresh from successfully convincing game retailer GameStop to add Bitcoin to its balance sheet, Strive Asset Management CEO Matt Cole has now set his sights on fintech firm Intuit to do the same.Cole said in an April 14 open letter to Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarzi that Intuit’s growth is admirable, but Bitcoin (BTC) is the best way to ensure the company’s long-term success and hedge against any potential disruption caused by artificial intelligence.Intuit’s flagship products are its tax preparation app TurboTax and the small business accounting software Quickbooks. The company laid off 10% of its staff in July to pursue its AI endeavors, but Cole said the firm needs an additional hedge because TurboTax is at risk of being automated away by AI. “While we appreciate Intuit’s own investments and internal implementation of AI, we believe an additional hedge is warranted, and that a Bitcoin war chest is the best option available,” Cole said. An excerpt from Matt Cole’s letter urging Intuit to consider adding Bitcoin to its balance sheets, among other suggestions. Source: Strive Asset Management That Bitcoin war chest, he added, will ensure Intuit has “enough strategic capital to weather the AI storm and act from a position of strength through the turbulence of the AI revolution.” Cole sent a similar letter to GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen in February to advise the gaming retailer to use its $4.6 billion in cash to buy Bitcoin. GameStop’s Cohen acknowledged the letter in an April 1 regulatory filing and revealed his company had finished a convertible debt offering that raised $1.5 billion, with some proceeds earmarked for buying Bitcoin.Strive urges Intuit change crypto policyIn his letter to Intuit, Cole said the firm should reconsider the acceptable use policy for its marketing platform Mailchimp, which he claims has continued to suspend crypto-related accounts over policy violations.Source: Strive Asset ManagementCole said he “remains concerned that Intuit’s censorship and de-platforming policies discriminate against Bitcoin enthusiasts, which may harm long-term shareholder value.”Mailchimp has said that crypto-related content isn’t necessarily banned under its policy, and crypto content can be sent provided the sender isn’t involved in the sale, exchange, or marketing of crypto. Related: Saylor signals Strategy is buying the dip amid macroeconomic turmoilIts current acceptable use policy states that the platform might not allow accounts that offer “cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, and any digital assets related to an initial coin offering.” According to Cole, Mailchimp likely adopted its policies when the legal status of crypto and related businesses was uncertain, but said with the crypto-friendly Trump administration, it’s time to “amend the acceptable use policy to end the blanket ban on crypto-related businesses.”Intuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6–12

by Cointelegraph by Brayden Lindrea on April 16, 2025 at 12:49 am

Mantra CEO John Mullin said he is planning to burn all of his team’s tokens in order to win back the trust of the network’s community following the sudden collapse of the Mantra (OM) token on April 13.“I’m planning to burn all of my team tokens and when we turn it around the community and investors can decide if I have earned it back,” Mullin posted to X on April 16.Mantra set aside 300 million OM, 16.88% of the token’s nearly 1.78 billion total supply, for its team and core contributors. They are currently locked and were scheduled to be released in stages between April 2027 and October 2029, according to an April 8 blog post.The team’s tokens are worth around $236 million, with OM currently trading around 78 cents but were worth around $1.89 billion before the token sank on April 13, going from around $6.30 to a low of 52 cents and wiping over $5.5 billion in value, according to CoinGecko.Source: JP MullinMany community members welcomed Mullin’s pledge, but others saw the token burn as a potential blow to the team’s long-term commitment to building the real-world asset tokenization platform.“This would be a mistake. We want teams that are highly incentivized. Burning the incentive may seem like a good gesture but it will hurt the team motivation long term,” said Crypto Banter founder Ran Neuner.Mullin suggested a decentralized vote could determine whether to burn the 300 million team tokens.Mantra recovery process already underwayMullin promised a post-mortem statement explaining what went wrong to be transparent with the community. Speaking to Cointelegraph on April 14, Mullin outlined plans to leverage the $109 million Mantra Ecosystem Fund for potential token buybacks and burns to stabilize OM’s price, which had fallen from $6.30 to as low as $0.52.Related: Red flag? Mantra's TVL jumped 500% as OM price collapsedMullin’s firm has strongly refuted rumors that it controls 90% of OM’s token supply and engaged in insider trading and market manipulation.Mantra claims the OM price implosion was triggered by “reckless liquidations," adding that it wasn’t related to any actions undertaken by the team.OKX and Binance were among the crypto exchanges that saw significant OM activity right before the token collapse.Both exchanges denied any wrongdoing, attributing the collapse to changes made to OM’s tokenomics in October and unusual volatility that ultimately triggered high-volume cross-exchange liquidations on April 13.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 15, 2025 at 9:53 pm

Today in crypto, Strive is urging Inuit to buy Bitcoin after it successfully convinced GameStop to do so, Ethena Labs exited Germany after regulators flagged “deficiencies” in its USDe stablecoin, and El Salvador central bank data shows just 11% of registered Bitcoin service providers are active. Strive urges Intuit to buy Bitcoin after converting GameStopStrive Asset Management CEO Matt Cole has urged fintech firm Intuit to add Bitcoin (BTC) to its balance sheet in an April 14 open letter after successfully convincing game retailer GameStop to buy the cryptocurrency for its books.Cole told Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarz in the letter that Bitcoin is the best way to ensure the company’s long-term success and hedge against any potential disruption caused by artificial intelligence.He said the firm needs an additional hedge as its flagship tax preparation app, TurboTax, is at risk of being automated away by AI. Intuit is also known for its small business accounting software, Quickbooks.An excerpt from Matt Cole’s letter urging Intuit to consider adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet, among other suggestions. Source: Strive Asset Management “We believe an additional hedge is warranted,” Cole wrote, pitching a Bitcoin “war chest” as “the best option available” as it would ensure Intuit has “enough strategic capital to weather the AI storm and act from a position of strength through the turbulence of the AI revolution.”Cole sent a similar letter to GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen in February to advise it to use its $4.6 billion in cash to buy Bitcoin. GameStop said in early April that it raised $1.5 billion, some of which would be used for Bitcoin.Ethena Labs exits German market following agreement with BaFinSynthetic 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.As 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.Source: Ethena LabsOnly 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.

by Cointelegraph by Christopher Tepedino on April 15, 2025 at 9:39 pm

A hacker compromised a ZKsync admin account on April 15, minting $5 million worth of unclaimed airdrop tokens, according to a statement from the official ZKsync X account. The attack was described as isolated, with no user funds affected.Following an investigation, ZKsync detailed the incident on April 15, disclosing that the compromised account had administrative control over three airdrop distribution contracts. The attacker exploited a function called sweepUnclaimed() to mint 111 million unclaimed ZK tokens, increasing the total token supply by 0.45%. As of the latest update, the attacker still held control of most of the stolen funds.Source: ZKsyncZKsync is coordinating recovery efforts with the Security Alliance (SEAL). According to the protocol, its governance and token contracts are unaffected. The company stated that no further exploits are possible via the “sweepUnclaimed()” vector.ZKsync is an Ethereum layer-2 protocol that processes main-layer transactions in batches using a technology called zero-knowledge rollups. The ZKsync Era platform has $57.3 million in total value locked as of April 15, according to DefiLlama. ZKsync had been in the process of airdropping 17.5% of its token supply to ecosystem participants.Related: DeFi platform KiloEx offers $750K bounty to hackerZK token drops 7% in 24-hour trading ZKsync’s token, ZK (ZK), saw volatile price action in the wake of the hack and the project’s public disclosure on X. Around 1:00 pm UTC, the token had dropped 16%, falling to $0.040 before rebounding to $0.047 at the time of writing. Despite the bounce, ZK remains down 7% over the past 24 hours.Overall, $2 billion has been lost to crypto hacks in the first quarter of 2025 alone, just $300 million less than the total lost in 2024.Magazine: Lazarus Group’s favorite exploit revealed — Crypto hacks analysis

by Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell on April 15, 2025 at 9:14 pm

CleanSpark will start selling a portion of the Bitcoin earned from its mining operations each month in a bid to become financially self-sufficient, the US Bitcoin miner said on April 15. In addition, CleanSpark secured a $200 million credit facility backed by Bitcoin (BTC) through an agreement with Coinbase Prime, the institutional brokerage division of the crypto exchange, according to a statement.Together, the Bitcoin sales and credit line mean CleanSpark has “achieved escape velocity — the ability to self-fund operations, augment our bitcoin treasury, and contribute to expansion capital through operational cash flow,” Zach Bradford, CEO of CleanSpark, said. CleanSpark has opened an institutional Bitcoin trading desk to facilitate the cryptocurrency sales, it added. Crypto mining stocks are down sharply in 2025. Source: MorningstarRelated: Bitdeer turns to self-mining Bitcoin, US operations amid tariff tumult — ReportNavigating market volatility The Bitcoin miner’s emphasis on self-funding comes as mining stocks reel from across-the-board selloffs in the first quarter of 2025. Shares of CoinShares Crypto Miners ETF (WGMI) — a publicly traded fund tracking a diverse basket of Bitcoin mining stocks — are down more than 40% since the start of the year, according to data from Morningstar. “[W]e believe this is the right time to evolve from a nearly 100% hold strategy adopted in mid-2023 and move back using a portion of our monthly production to support operations,” Bradford said. Cheaper stock prices effectively increase Bitcoin miners’ cost of capital and can potentially cause creditors to demand faster loan repayments. Analysts at JP Morgan attributed the downturn to eroding cryptocurrency prices, which added pressure to business models already strained by the Bitcoin network’s April 2024 halving. Halvings occur roughly every four years when the Bitcoin network automatically cuts mining rewards in half. Price per Bitcoin versus network hashrate. Source: JPMorganIn April, pressure on mining stocks worsened when US President Donald Trump announced plans for sweeping tariffs on US imports.US Bitcoin miners are especially vulnerable to trade wars because they rely on specialized mining hardware, often sourced from foreign manufacturers.  Bradford said he expects CleanSpark’s financial self-sufficiency to differentiate it from peers “who continue to rely on equity dilution to fund operating costs or increased leverage to grow their Bitcoin reserves.”Other miners are taking similarly aggressive measures to adapt to the changing market.Bitdeer, a Singapore-based crypto miner, has reportedly touted plans to start manufacturing mining hardware in the United States to mitigate the impact of Trump’s planned import tariffs. Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Marcel Pechman on April 15, 2025 at 8:58 pm

Spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds saw a total of $872 million in net outflows between April 3 and April 10, causing traders to wonder if overall interest in Bitcoin is fading. The strong selling pressure began on April 3, as global trade tensions increased and fears of an economic recession grew. This trend is especially concerning after two days of spot Bitcoin ETF net flows below $2 million on April 11 and April 14.Spot Bitcoin ETFs aggregate net flows, USD. Source: CoinGlassBitcoin’s price has remained relatively stable near $83,000 for the past five weeks, which further suggests weak interest from both buyers and sellers. On one hand, this lack of volatility could show that Bitcoin is becoming a more mature asset class. For example, several S&P 500 companies have dropped 40% or more from their all-time highs, while Bitcoin’s largest drawdown in 2025 was a healthier 32%.However, Bitcoin’s performance has disappointed those who believed in the “digital gold” narrative. Gold has gained 23% so far in 2025, reaching an all-time high of $3,245 on April 11. Even though Bitcoin outperformed the S&P 500 by 4% over the past 30 days, some investors worry that its appeal is fading, as it is currently uncorrelated with other assets and not acting as a reliable store of value.Average Bitcoin ETF volume surpasses $2 billion per dayWhen looking at the spot Bitcoin ETF market—especially compared to gold—Bitcoin has some advantages. On April 14, spot Bitcoin ETFs had a combined trading volume of $2.24 billion, which is 18% below the 30-day average of $2.75 billion. So, it would not be accurate to say that investor interest in these products has disappeared.Spot Bitcoin ETFs daily volumes, USD. Source: CoinGlassWhile Bitcoin ETF volumes are lower than the $54 billion per day traded by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), they are not far behind gold ETFs at $5.3 billion and are ahead of US Treasurys ETFs at $2.1 billion. This is impressive, considering that spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US only launched in January 2024, while gold ETFs have been trading for over 20 years and have $137 billion in assets under management.Even when including the Grayscale GBTC Trust, which surpassed 200,000 shares traded per day in 2017 before it was converted to an ETF, Bitcoin investment products are still less than eight years old. Currently, spot Bitcoin ETFs hold about $94.6 billion in assets under management, which is more than the market capitalization of well-known companies such as British American Tobacco, UBS, ICE, BNP Paribas, Cigna, Sumitomo Mitsui and several others.Related: Bitcoin shows growing strength during market downturn — WintermuteRanking of tradable assets by market capitalization, USD: Source: 8marketcapTo see how spot Bitcoin ETFs have become established in the industry, one can look at the top holders of these products. These include well-known names like Brevan Howard, D.E. Shaw, Apollo Management, Mubadala Investment, and the State of Wisconsin Investment. From pension funds to some of the world’s largest independent asset managers, Bitcoin ETFs provide an alternative to traditional assets, regardless of short-term price movements.As the asset class grows and more products like futures and options are listed, Bitcoin may eventually be included in global indexes, whether in the commodities or currencies category. This could lead passive funds to invest, increasing both price potential and trading volume. Therefore, the current lack of strong net inflows or outflows is not unusual and should not be seen as a sign of weakness.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 Sam Bourgi on April 15, 2025 at 8:57 pm

Blockchain infrastructure provider Figment has been selected as the staking provider for 3iQ’s newly approved Solana exchange-traded fund (ETF), underscoring Canada’s continued efforts toward adoption of digital asset financial products.Figment will enable institutional staking for the 3iQ Solana (SOL) Staking ETF, which launches on the Toronto Stock Exchange on April 16 under the ticker SOLQ, the companies said in a statement. In addition to 3iQ, Figment provides staking infrastructure solutions to more than 700 clients. The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), a provincial regulator, green-lighted 3iQ’s SOL fund on April 14. The approval was also extended to other fund managers seeking to offer SOL ETFs, including Purpose, Evolve and CI.As Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas reported at the time, the funds are permitted to stake a portion of their SOL holdings through TD Bank, Canada’s second-largest financial institution by assets. Source: Eric Balchunas3iQ estimates that its SOL fund will provide yields of between 6% and 8%, according to its website. Related: Solana, XRP ETFs may attract billions in new investment — JPMorgan3iQ leads Canadian crypto ETFs as US regulators drag their feetAs US regulators continue to consider various crypto-related fund offerings, Canada has been leading the curve in adoption going back to 2021. That was the year that 3iQ debuted its spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETF, which crossed $1 billion in net assets almost immediately. It would take nearly three more years before spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved in the United States. Like their Canadian counterparts, the US ETFs saw overwhelming success in their first year, generating more than $38 billion in net inflows.In October 2023, 3iQ launched an ETF tied to Ether (ETH), giving investors direct access to the smart contract platform. Unlike the Ether ETFs that US regulators approved the following year, 3iQ’s fund offers staking rewards. As Cointelegraph recently reported, US regulators may be on the cusp of approving staking rewards after they authorized exchanges to list options contracts tied to ETH.Source: James SeyffartRelated: SEC delays staking decision for Grayscale ETH ETFs

by Sundance on April 15, 2025 at 7:04 pm

After twenty years in congress, Curt Weldon was about to become chairman of the House Armed Services Committee when he publicly questioned the accuracy of the 9-11 report. In retaliation, the Bush administration sent federal agents to his daughter’s house and ended his political career. At 77, Weldon has decided to tell the truth about The post Tucker Carlson Interviews Curt Weldon About 9-11 and how the CIA Runs a Dark Parallel System of Government appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 15, 2025 at 6:45 pm

Large language model developer OpenAI is reportedly working on a new social media network, putting the company on a collision course with Elon Musk’s X and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms.Citing anonymous sources, The Verge reported on April 15 that OpenAI is developing an “X-like social network” that combines ChatGPT’s image generation tools and a social feed, presumably to allow users to share their AI-generated pictures with a broader audience. It’s unclear whether OpenAI will spin out a new social media platform or roll the features into ChatGPT, the sources said.OpenAI has become one of the most powerful technology companies in the world following the overwhelming success of its ChatGPT models. Its first-mover advantage in the AI race allowed it to raise $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation in a funding deal that was spearheaded by SoftBank Group.ChatGPT has 400 million weekly active users as of February 2025 — up from 50 million at the beginning of 2023. Source: Demandsage A pivot into social media — a natural landing spot for an AI company whose tools can be used for content creation and building chatbots for specialized tasks — would up the ante in the ongoing battle between former colleagues Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Related: OpenAI to release its first ‘open’ language model since GPT-2 in 2019Musk and Altman: A complicated historyThe rivalry between the two entrepreneurs stems from OpenAI’s commercialization efforts and Altman’s alleged abandonment of the startup’s founding mission as a nonprofit. Musk and a group of investors reportedly tabled a $97.4 billion buyout offer for OpenAI in February, but the proposed deal was apparently rejected by Altman, who took to social media to say “no thank you.”Altman did, however, express interest in buying X for $9.74 billion, or one-tenth of the proposed OpenAI buyout bid. The curt response may or may not have been genuine. Source: Sam AltmanMusk responded to Altman’s post by calling him a “swindler.”Musk acquired X, formerly Twitter, in a $44 billion deal in 2022. The platform remains a hotbed for social media engagement across the cryptocurrency industry. On March 7, US President Donald Trump used X to deliver welcoming remarks for the “first-ever White House Digital Asset Summit” in Washington, DC. Source: POTUSMagazine: 3 reasons Ethereum could turn a corner: Kain Warwick, X Hall of Flame

by Cointelegraph by Marie Poteriaieva on April 15, 2025 at 6:42 pm

On April 6, Bitcoin price formed a death cross on a daily chart — a technical pattern where the 50-day moving average (MA) falls below the 200-day MA. Historically associated with trend reversals and long bearish trading periods, this ominous signal has sometimes preceded major market drawdowns.The latest death cross comes amid growing macroeconomic uncertainty. Equities are reeling from what appears to be the early stages of a tariff war, volatility is rising, and fear continues to dominate investor sentiment. For some investors, Bitcoin’s death cross could be the final blow to hopes of a near-term rally. Early signs of capitulation from short-term holders may already be emerging.Still, not everyone sees doom ahead.Bitcoin death crosses historyBy definition, a death cross confirms the end of a bullish phase. When the 50-day MA drops below the 200-day MA, it suggests recent price action has weakened relative to the longer-term trend. Its counterpart, the golden cross, occurs when the opposite happens — often heralding a new rally.Since its inception, Bitcoin has experienced 10 such death crosses, with the 11th unfolding right now. Analyzing their dates and durations gives a major insight: every bear market included a death cross, but not every death cross has led to a bear market. This distinction is key to understanding the current setup.BTC/USD 1-day death cross history (log). Source: Marie Poteriaieva, TradingViewIndeed, there are two types of death crosses: those that happen during bear markets and the rest. The three death crosses that formed during the bear markets of 2014-2015, 2018, and 2022 were long and painful. They lasted for 9 to 13 months and saw drawdowns between 55% and 68% from the day of the cross to the cycle bottom.The remaining seven were far less severe. They lasted from 1.5 months to 3.5 months and saw Bitcoin decline anywhere from 27% to nothing at all. In many cases, these signals marked local bottoms and were followed by renewed rallies.This brings us to the critical question: Is Bitcoin already in a bear market, or is this another bear trap?A bearish signal?If Bitcoin is indeed in bear territory, as CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju believes, the current death cross could signal 6 to 12 more months of downward price action. This outlook aligns with his observations of the difference between the current market cap and the realized cap (average cost basis for each wallet x amount of BTC held).“If Realized Cap is growing, but Market Cap is stagnant or falling, it means capital is flowing in, but prices aren’t rising—a classic bearish signal.”Current data clearly points to the latter, Ki Young Ju adds.“Sell pressure could ease anytime, but historically, real reversals take at least six months—so a short-term rally seems unlikely.”BTC growth rate difference. Source: CryptoQuantOther market participants disregard the presence of the death cross. Crypto analyst Mister Crypto argued that the current death cross is a setup for a rally rather than a slide. “The trap is set again. This will be the most hated rally of 2025!” he posted alongside a chart showing previous false signals of this cycle.Bitcoin death cross during the bull market. Source: Mister CryptoCoinShares head of research James Butterfill also downplayed the signal’s significance. As he put it, “For those of you that think the Bitcoin death cross means anything - empirically, it's total nonsense, and in fact, often a good buying opportunity.” Butterfill’s data shows that, on average, Bitcoin prices are only slightly lower one month after a death cross (-3.2%) and often higher three months out.Related: Trump tariffs reignite idea that Bitcoin could outlast US dollarInterestingly, Bitcoin isn’t the only asset flashing warning signs. The Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 are both on the verge of forming their own death crosses, while individual tech stocks — including Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Alphabet — have already triggered them or are close to doing so. Bitcoin’s recent move is part of a larger market reset, for better or for worse. At the moment, however, it leans more toward the "worse" side: as some analysts point out, what’s bad for the Nasdaq tends to be bad for Bitcoin, too. Unless, of course, Bitcoin fully claims its role as digital gold.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 Christopher Tepedino on April 15, 2025 at 6:14 pm

US President Donald Trump is venturing deeper into the world of digital assets with a new project blending gaming and cryptocurrency elements, Fortune reported, citing sources familiar with the project.The project, set to launch in late April, will resemble MONOPOLY GO!, a mobile game where players travel around a board and earn money for constructing buildings in a digital city, according to the report.Bill Zanker, a member of Trump’s circle and part of the team that helped launch Trump’s memecoin and various NFT collections, is behind the game, Fortune cited the sources as saying. A spokesperson for Zanker denied any similarity to Monopoly while confirming that Zanker is working on a game, according to the report.The Monopoly board game is owned by Hasbro, a company that acquired Parker Brothers, its original publisher, in 1991. Zanker reached out to Hasbro in May 2024 to seek a license for a Trump-branded Monopoly game, according to the sources, who requested anonymity due to the ongoing nature of business dealings. Zanker declined Fortune's requests for an interview. Related: Trump’s tariff escalation exposes ‘deeper fractures’ in global financial systemTrump’s crypto ventures detailedOnce a crypto skeptic, Trump showed Web3 enthusiasm during his 2024 presidential campaign. The president’s crypto endeavors include Official Trump (TRUMP), a memecoin with a $1.5 billion market capitalization at this writing, along with numerous non-fungible token (NFT) projects and a decentralized finance venture called World Liberty Financial.In February, Trump-owned DTTM Operations filed for a slew of trademarks for a Trump-branded metaverse and NFT marketplace. The metaverse would allow users to shop for physical and virtual goods, enjoy transport by limousine, aircraft, automobile and train, as well as watch public service programs.Trump's crypto ventures signal a significant change in his perspective regarding the crypto space. In 2021, Trump called Bitcoin “a scam against the dollar” and said the token was “based on thin air.” Since then, he has pivoted to court crypto voters and signed an executive order to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the US.Web3 gaming struggles amid macroeconomic turmoilTrump's crypto game may have trouble gaining traction. According to an April 10 report from DappRadar, daily active users of Web3 games dipped 6% in the first quarter of 2025, while investments in the sector dropped 71% quarter-over-quarter to $91 million.DappRadar cites the complex macroeconomic environment, including trade wars and geopolitical tensions, as reasons behind the slump in Web3 enthusiasm. The company notes that “investor sentiment remains cautious” in this environment.Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

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 near 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 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

by Sundance on April 15, 2025 at 3:18 pm

President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to St Petersburg (interesting venue), and spent approximately 5 hours in discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top two advisors.  This was Witkoff’s third direct face-to-face meeting with President Putin. First, President Putin would never give this much time to a non-principal in any geopolitical conversation, The post Envoy Steve Witkoff Gives Topline Review Following 5 Hour Meeting with Vladimir Putin appeared first on The Last Refuge.