Alternative News for You

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 former soldier will serve 15 years and it is the first time Russia has prosecuted for the crime since it was introduced in September 2022.

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 since restored services, including user withdrawals, thanks to the exchange’s quick collaboration with AWS, a Binance spokesperson confirmed to Cointelegraph.Related: 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.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

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 OfficeTinian 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.The stablecoin was to be known as the Marianas US Dollar (MUSD), which 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.Related: The GENIUS stablecoin bill is a CBDC trojan horse — DeFi execThe Tinian local 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.The token was slated to launch 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.The launch of MUSD was meant to coincide with Google’s $1 billion plan announced in April to route fiber-optic subsea cables from the mainland US through Tinian and onto Japan to improve internet connectivity.Magazine: Elon Musk’s plan to run government on blockchain faces uphill battle 

by Eva Blandis on April 15, 2025 at 5:46 am

A woman who was abused at the hands of her ex-partner – a former police detective – says she felt "silenced" after reaching out to SA Police, a court has heard. Their daughter also recounted his abuse and said she no longer considered him her father.

by Stephanie Chalmers on April 15, 2025 at 5:40 am

Casino firm Star Entertainment pulled back from the brink of collapse thanks to a deal with US giant Bally's and pub billionaire Bruce Mathieson. Now its shares are set to return to trade, after it posted a steeper-than-expected financial fall.

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 Aoife Hilton and Charlotte Gore on April 15, 2025 at 5:30 am

A new $4 million wetland at Belconnen oval in Canberra opens in a bid to help reduce pollution caused by stormwater runoff into Lake Ginninderra and decrease its likelihood of toxic blue-green algae blooms.

by Samantha Dick on April 15, 2025 at 5:23 am

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is refusing to say how much he wants Australian house prices to rise, as Labor remains tight-lipped on the impacts of its first home buyer policy on the housing market. 

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 Nadia Daly on April 15, 2025 at 4:58 am

With home ownership more out of reach than ever for younger Australians, some are pondering whether their retirement fund would be better off used now, to buy a house. 

by Chris De Silva on April 15, 2025 at 4:56 am

The AFL is ripe with some fresh contenders this season, but Gather Round shows they won't simply be able to stroll their way to the premiership without experiencing some growing pains.

by Virginia Trioli on April 15, 2025 at 4:53 am

Tim Michin's career has evolved from working as a jobbing musician to winning major awards for his Broadway and West End musical, Matilda. But he's still driven by seeing how much he can make his audiences feel.

by Eden Hynninen on April 15, 2025 at 4:47 am

Victorian mother of two Karla Lee Jordan was 50 years old when she died by her own hand in 2019. A coronial inquest has found she was subject to long-term stress in a workplace plagued with cultural issues.

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.

by Cointelegraph by Martin Young on April 15, 2025 at 4:15 am

The chief executive of non-fungible token platform Emblem Vault is warning X users to be wary of the video meeting app Zoom after a nefarious threat actor known as “ELUSIVE COMET” recently stole over $100,000 of his personal assets. On April 11, Emblem Vault CEO, podcaster and NFT collector Jake Gallen said on X that he had been battling a “complete computer compromise” that ended up with a loss of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) assets from different wallets. “Unfortunately, this led to $100k+ in purchased digital assets being lost,” he said. Days later, Gallen said he had been working with cybersecurity firm The Security Alliance (SEAL) to track an ongoing campaign against crypto users by a threat actor identified as “ELUSIVE COMET.”Gallen said the scam was facilitated over the video conference platform Zoom, which resulted in his crypto wallet being drained. “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 on April 14. The malicious actor “employs sophisticated social engineering tactics with the goal of inducing victims into installing malware and ultimately stealing their crypto,” SEAL reported in late March.Source: Jake GallenGallen said he’d arranged an interview 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. However, during the interview, the X user left their screen switched off while Gallen’s was on. During the call, Gallen was tricked into enabling the installation of malware called “GOOPDATE,” which stole credentials and accessed his crypto wallets. Cointelegraph reached out to the X account for comment. Zoom remote access threat“For this scam to take place, it’s said that the guest of the Zoom video call allows remote access to the host of the call, which is a requestable feature that is DEFAULT ON for every Zoom account,” said Gallen.NFT collector Leonidas confirmed the default settings and advised those in the crypto industry to prevent remote access. “If you don’t do this, anybody who is on a Zoom call with your employees can take over their entire computer by default,” he said. Source: LeonidasSEAL 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. Cointelegraph reached out to Zoom for comments but did not receive an immediate response. Related: Crypto founders report deluge of North Korean fake Zoom hacking attemptsGallen also stated that the hackers accessed his Ledger wallet even though he had only logged in a few times over the three years and had never written the password down anywhere digitally. They also hacked his X account in an attempt to lure in other victims through private messages. SEAL reported that ELUSIVE COMET is known to operate Aureon Capital, which claims to be a legitimate venture capital firm. The threat actor is responsible for “millions of dollars in stolen funds” and poses a significant risk to users due to their “carefully engineered backstory,” the firm noted. Samczsun advised users who have interacted with Aureon Capital to contact SEAL’s emergency hotline on Telegram. Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest

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

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL. The post Tuesday April 15th – Open Thread appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Sundance on April 15, 2025 at 4:12 am

Speaking from Buenos Aires, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent talks about President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, countries trying to work out new trade deals, Argentina paying off its swap line with China and the need for the U.S. to focus on central America to block Chinese expansion. WATCH: . Posted in Banking and Finance, Donald Trump, The post Secretary Scott Bessent Outlines Objective of Trump Administration Blocking China from Influence in Central America appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Sundance on April 15, 2025 at 4:10 am

Stephen Miller works earnestly to stop the nonsense narrative created by Democrats and left-wing corporate media in the deportation case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. As noted by Miller, a DOJ embed Lawfare operative, purposefully and with malicious political intent, inserted into a court filing that Garcia was “mistakenly” deported.  As we have outlined, there are The post Stephen Miller Corrects the False Media Narrative Surrounding Deportation of MS13 Gang Member Kilmar Abrego Garcia appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Sundance on April 15, 2025 at 4:05 am

Attorney General Pam Bondi makes her 76th appearance on Fox News to discuss the deportation of MS13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. The Democrats and left-wing media allies are furious that Garcia has been deported despite two judges previously issuing a deportation order. Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador who has The post #76 Attorney General Pam Bondi on Fox appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Jody McDonald on April 15, 2025 at 3:43 am

Gibraltar-based Xapo Bank, a private bank and Bitcoin custodian, reported a surge in Bitcoin trading volumes in the first quarter as its high-net-worth members scooped up Bitcoin amid market turbulence. Xapo Bank said that Q1 trading volume grew 14.2% compared to Q4 2024, as the Bitcoin (BTC) price drop helped drive trading volume growth on its platform. It said that during the decline, its high net-worth members “actively bought the dip,” reflecting these members’ “commitment to the long-term potential of Bitcoin.”In the first quarter of 2025, Bitcoin had its worst start to a year since 2018, closing the quarter down 13%. The crypto-friendly bank became the first licensed bank to launch interest-bearing Bitcoin and fiat banking accounts in the UK in 2025 and launched Bitcoin-backed USD loans of up to $1 million in March 2025.Xapo Bank’s self-selected poll on X showed respondents favored using Bitcoin for savings and investment. Source: Xapo Bank It also recorded a 50% quarter-on-quarter jump in euro deposits. “This rapid increase in volume came amidst mounting concern about the future of US dollar primacy and the threat of a US recession as markets braced for Trump’s planned ‘Liberation Day’ in April,” the bank said.There were also significant shifts in Xapo members’ stablecoin deposit patterns, with USDC deposits up 19.8% in Q1 and Tether (USDT) deposits down 13.4%. This shift comes as European cryptocurrency exchanges moved to delist Tether in order to comply with Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation regulations.“Xapo Bank member data shows that despite short-term headwinds, the bigger picture for Bitcoin remains strong and current volatility does not diminish Bitcoin's importance,” said Gadi Chait, Xapo Bank’s head of investment. Chait added that “while global events painted an erratic picture, the opportunity for Bitcoin has always been in its long-term performance, not its short-term volatility.”Related: Exclusive: Inside a Swiss nuclear bunker’s secret Bitcoin vaultCrypto exchange Bitget also sees Q1 trading volumes surgeMarket turmoil also prompted a flurry of activity on digital currency exchange Bitget, according to its Q1 2025 Transparency Report. Bitget’s total trading volume hit $2.1 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, as spot trading volume saw a quarter-on-quarter increase of 159%, rising to $387 billion.This surge in trading volume came as Bitget’s total user base grew by almost 20%, with the exchange adding an additional 4.89 million users on its centralized exchange and 15 million users on its Bitget Wallet app — bringing its total global user count to over 120 million.Bitget’s CEO, Gracy Chen, said the exchange will continue to “focus on institutional-grade infrastructure and double down on expanding its Web3 presence through our ecosystem.”In February, Bitget loaned rival exchange Bybit 40,000 ETH, valued at approximately $100 million, after Bybit suffered a major hack. The loan has since been fully repaid by Bybit.“No interest, no collateral — this was simply about supporting a peer in need. Great to see Bybit fully recovered, and we never doubted the return of the loan,” Chen said. Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6 – 12

by Cointelegraph by Jesse Coghlan on April 15, 2025 at 2:54 am

The amount of Bitcoin held on the books of publicly traded companies rose by 16.1% in the first quarter of 2025, according to crypto fund issuer Bitwise.Total company Bitcoin (BTC) holdings rose to around 688,000 BTC by the end of Q1, with firms adding 95,431 BTC over the quarter, Bitwise reported in an April 14 X post.The value of the combined Bitcoin stacks rose around 2.2%, reaching a total combined value of $56.7 billion with a price per BTC of $82,445, the firm added.Source: BitwiseBitwise noted that the number of public companies holding Bitcoin rose to 79, with 12 firms buying the cryptocurrency for the first time in Q1.The largest first-time Bitcoin buyer was the Hong Kong construction firm Ming Shing, whose subsidiary Lead Benefit bought a total of 833 BTC over the quarter, with an initial 500 BTC buy in January and a follow-up 333 BTC buy in February.The next largest maiden Bitcoin holder was the far-right favored YouTube alternative Rumble, which bought 188 BTC in mid-March.One notable debut Bitcoin buyer was the Hong Kong investment firm HK Asia Holdings Limited, which only purchased a single Bitcoin in February, but the announcement caused its share price to nearly double in value in a single trading day.Metaplanet buys the dip with 319 Bitcoin scoopMeanwhile, Japanese investment firm Metaplanet said in an April 14 note that it purchased another 319 Bitcoin for an average price of 11.8 million yen ($82,770) per coin, bringing its total holdings to 4,525 Bitcoin, currently worth $383.2 million.However, the company has spent a total of 58.145 billion yen, nearly $406 million, buying up its current Bitcoin stack.Metaplanet (3350) was down 0.5% by the April 15 lunch break on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after closing trading on April 14 up 3.71%, according to Google Finance.Metaplanet opened the April 15 trading day flat after disclosing a Bitcoin buy the day before. Source: Google FinanceThe Tokyo-based firm’s latest Bitcoin buy puts it firmly in tenth place among the world’s largest public companies holding Bitcoin, trailing behind Jack Dorsey’s Block, Inc., which holds 8,485 BTC, according to Coinkite data.Bitcoin is trading around $84,440 and has traded flat over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko. It’s up around 2.3% since the end of Q1 on March 31, having clawed back from a low of under $75,000 on April 7 after a wider market drop due to a round of fresh global tariffs imposed by the US.Asia Express: Bitcoiner sex trap extortion? BTS firm’s blockchain disaster 

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 15, 2025 at 1:40 am

Decentralized exchange KiloEX has confirmed it has suspended usage of its platform and is tracing stolen funds after suffering a $7.5 million exploit. The exploit has been contained, with use of the platform suspended and an investigation underway, the KiloEX team said in an April 14 statement to X.“The team has immediately suspended platform usage and is working with security partners to trace the flow of funds,” KiloEX said. “We are analyzing the attack vector and affected assets. We are collaborating with ecosystem partners to trace and recover funds where possible.” Source: KiloEXA bounty program and a full report on how the exploit occurred is also in the works, according to KiloEX. In an update, the KiloEX team said it was collaborating with BNB Chain, Manta Network, and cybersecurity firms Seal-911, SlowMist and Sherlock in an effort spanning “multiple ecosystems.” “Our investigation has confirmed that the stolen assets are currently being routed through zkBridge and Meson,” KiloEX said. “We are urgently attempting to engage with both protocols to halt ongoing transactions and prevent additional losses.” KiloEX attacker exploited price oracle issue, say analysts Cybersecurity firm PeckShield said in an April 14 post to X the exploiter looted $7.5 million in total, $3.3 million Base, $3.1m opBNB and $1m BSC. The firm has speculated the exploit is likely a “price oracle issue,” where the information used by a smart contract to determine the price of an asset is manipulated or inaccurate, leading to the exploit. “Our initial analysis on one transaction exploit indicates a price oracle issue,” PeckShield said. Source: PeckShield“The hacker exploits it to create a new position with initial given ETH/USD price of 100 and then immediately close the position with inflated ETH/USD price of 10000, netting the $3.12m profit in one single transaction.” Chaofan Shou, co-founder of blockchain analytics firm Fuzzland, also weighed in, speculating the exploit was likely due to a price oracle issue.“Anyone can change the Kilo’s price oracle. They did verify that the caller shall be a trusted forwarder, though, but didn’t verify the forwarded caller,” Shou said. Shou added it was a “very simple vulnerability” when a user asked about the complexity of the exploit. Source: Chaofan ShouThe news has sent the KiloEX’s native token, KILO, plunging over 27% to trade at $0.03596, according to CoinGecko. It’s still down over 78% from its all-time high of $0.1648, which it hit on March 27.Related: Mantra CEO says OM token recovery ‘primary concern’ but in early stagesKiloEx was established in 2023 and is backed by Binance Labs, which is a lead investor and strategic partner. This exploit comes just days after the exchange announced a partnership with Dubai-based Web3 venture capitalist firm DWF Labs on April 13, which promised to expand KiloEx's market presence and accelerate growth. On March 25, DWF Labs launched a $250 million Liquid Fund to accelerate the growth of mid- and large-cap blockchain projects and drive real-world adoption of Web3 technologies.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 15, 2025 at 12:58 am

Stablecoin issuer Tether has announced it intends to deploy its existing and future Bitcoin hashrate to Ocean’s Bitcoin mining pool in an effort to strengthen the network’s decentralization.“Deploying hashrate to OCEAN aligns with both our mining investments and our broader mission to fortify Bitcoin against centralizing forces,” Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino said in an April 15 statement.Source: OCEAN MiningWhile Bitcoin hashrate is decentralized, the block-building process conducted by mining pools is mostly centralized by a few dominant actors — most notably Foundry USA, AntPool and ViaBTC.The Ocean protocol attempts to decentralize this process by empowering miners to build their own block templates using their open-source Datum protocol, reducing dependency on centralized intermediaries and enhancing censorship resistance, Tether said.Tether’s deployment would leverage Ocean’s Datum software across all of its mining operations worldwide, including in rural areas in Africa. “By enabling on-site generation of unique block templates and aggregating thousands of rig connections with low-latency performance, Datum ensures global competitiveness while promoting geographic and operational diversity,” Tether said.Related: Inside the Trump-backed Bitcoin mining mega-deal with Hut 8Tether currently deploys Bitcoin hashrate at sites in Uruguay, Paraguay and El Salvador, where the $144 billion stablecoin issuer is also headquartered.Those initiatives emerged around the time Tether announced it would invest $500 million into Bitcoin mining in late 2023.Ocean was created by Bitcoin core developer Luke Dashjr in 2023 and has been backed by the likes of Block CEO Jack Dorsey. Ocean also relocated its headquarters to El Salvador in May 2024.Dashjr sparked controversy in December 2023 when he slammed Bitcoin Ordinals users for clogging the network with “spam.” However, he refuted claims that Ocean censored the non-fungible token-like transactions.Ocean still has a lot of market share to captureThe Ocean protocol currently mines between 0.2% to 1% of Bitcoin blocks, according to mempool.space data.It has mined nine blocks over the last week, including two in a row at 892342 and 892343 on April 14.However, Ocean’s output remains a fraction of that seen by Foundry USA, AntPool and ViaBTC, which have mined 331, 199 and 161 Bitcoin blocks, respectively, over the same time frame — accounting for over 66% of all blocks.The Tether partnership would likely provide a much-needed boost to Ocean’s hashrate, which has amounted to 18.3 exahashes per second (EH/s) over the last 24 hours.OCEAN protocol’s Bitcoin mining statistics. Source: mempool.spaceBy comparison, Foundry USA’s hashrate over the same timeframe has exceeded 298 EH/s, leveraging hashrate from the likes of Bitcoin mining firms Hut 8, Bitdeer and Bitfarms.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

by Cointelegraph by Ana Paula Pereira on April 14, 2025 at 10:12 pm

US President Donald Trump hosted El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele at the White House on April 14, with talks centered on trade and immigration, excluding Bitcoin from the public agenda.Pressing issues of migration and bilateral security cooperation set the tone of Bukele's first official meeting at the White House during Trump's second term. According to a livestream shared by Bukele’s office on X, Trump raised the possibility of transferring US citizens convicted of crimes to prisons in El Salvador, urging Bukele to expand the country’s prison system to house more prisoners. “I said homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You gotta build about five more places.” Source: Nayib BukeleSince taking office, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of alleged foreign criminal individuals to El Salvador under a $6 million deal between the countries.Trump also addressed the ongoing trade war unleashed by his administration on April 2, suggesting a potential temporary exemption for automakers aimed at easing the transition of their supply chains.“I’m looking at something to help some of the car companies with it,” Trump told reporters present at the meeting, adding that the US auto industry “need[s] a little bit of time” to relocate production to the country. The meeting did not touch on digital assets and Bitcoin (BTC) policy — a flagship initiative of both presidents’ administrations. El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, pioneering the Bitcoin strategic reserve approach later followed by Trump. The US president positioned himself as a pro-crypto candidate during the 2024 election. On March 6, Trump signed an executive order to create a Bitcoin strategic reserve and digital asset stockpile in the United States. The US holds nearly 198,000 BTC, valued at over $17 billion as of March. The reserve is primarily formed of Bitcoin seized in criminal and civil cases, including significant amounts from the Silk Road and Bitfinex hack cases.Related: How much Bitcoin does the US hold, and where did it come from?El Salvador's BTC plans face IMF oppositionEl Salvador signed off in December a $1.4 billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which included commitments to unwind Bitcoin-related initiatives and reduce public sector involvement with digital assets.While the Salvadoran Congress amended its Bitcoin laws in January to comply with the deal, the government has continued its daily purchases of BTC. The country’s National Bitcoin Office’s tracker shows it currently holds 6,147.18 BTC, worth about $520.7 million at this writing. Related: Tether will relocate HQ to El Salvador after securing license

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 14, 2025 at 10:02 pm

Today in crypto, Emblem Vault CEO Jake Gallen says he lost thousands worth of digital assets after a suspicious Zoom meeting, Anchorage Digital Bank is reportedly under investigation by the US Department of Homeland Security and Mantra CEO John Mullin rebuffed onchain data suggesting insider token sales ahead of OM’s 90% price crash.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. Mantra CEO denies insider OM token dump, says Arkham “mislabeled” walletsMantra CEO John Mullin denied reports suggesting large-scale token transfers by major Mantra investors in the days leading up to the sharp collapse of the OM token, while speaking in an AMA hosted by Cointelegraph on April 14.“The Mantra association, our key investors, our advisers — no one has sold, and we are going to categorically deny and also provide verifiable proof onchain proof that this is the case,” Mullin stated in the AMA.Previous reports suggested that Laser Digital, a strategic Mantra investor, cashed out large portions of Mantra (OM) tokens before the cryptocurrency collapsed on April 13.At least two wallets linked to Laser Digital were among 17 wallets that moved a combined 43.6 million OM tokens — worth about $227 million at the time — to exchanges before the crash, the blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain reported on April 13, citing Arkham Intelligence data.Source: LookonchainLaser Digital is a digital asset business backed by Nomura. The firm announced a strategic investment in Mantra in May 2024.According to Arkham data, one Laser Digital-linked wallet had moved about 6.5 million OM tokens ($41.6 million at the time) to OKX in seven transactions since April 11.The last recorded transaction from the wallet occurred on April 11 at around 10:00 pm UTC, days before the Mantra crash, which took place on April 13 at roughly 7:00 pm UTC, according to data from CoinGecko.Another wallet sent about 2.2 million OM (worth $13 million) to Binance in a series of transfers starting April 3.The data also indicated that Laser Digital may have started reducing its OM holdings as early as February. The wallets linked to the firm reportedly received a large portion of their OM from crypto trading firm GSR in 2023.Mantra (OM) outflows from one of the wallets linked to Laser Digital. Source: ArkhamLaser Digital subsequently denied reports alleging its involvement in the OM volatility, claiming that the referenced wallets did not belong to it.

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

Escalating trade wars are rattling cryptocurrency markets — but they are also creating new use cases for blockchain networks, Truebit executives told Cointelegraph. On April 2, President Donald Trump announced plans to charge sweeping tariffs on US imports, prompting other nations to threaten retaliatory measures. Trump later paused the tariff rollout for certain countries — but the possibility of a global trade war still looms, especially after Trump reiterated his commitment to taxing Chinese goods. If high tariffs materialize, blockchain technology can play an important role in ensuring governments apply them fairly, according to the executives. Blockchain can “really help you prove provenance [...] proving the chain of custody,” Federico Kattan, Truebit’s chief technology officer, told Cointelegraph. Trump’s proposed tariffs would transform global trade. Source: StatistaFor example, a company might “assemble or do some packaging in a low-tariff country and then import into the US at 10% instead of 58%... [but] blockchain can help establish where the product actually came from,” Kattan said.Blockchain networks can enhance supply chain transparency by recording every transaction on an immutable public ledger, greatly limiting the scope for fraud across trillions of dollars worth of imported goods. Trump’s proposed tariffs would impact $2.4 trillion worth of imports, according to a report by the Tax Foundation. Retaliatory measures by other countries could add to that figure. Truebit is a blockchain network specializing in helping users add trustless verification to a wide variety of applications. It is already in talks with software vendors servicing the US government and has been working on a European Union-funded project exploring Web3’s potential role in global supply chains, the executives said. "We’re not yet talking directly to governments, but to the software vendors trying to interface with them — because that’s where we want to be,” Jason Teutsch, Truebit’s CEO, said.Truebit’s native token has struggled since launching in 2021. Source: CoinGeckoRelated: Trade tensions to speed institutional crypto adoption — ExecsTruebit was launched in 2017 and launched its TRU token in 2021. The token has a fully diluted market capitalization of $20 million, according to CoinGecko.Trade war risksHowever, several other crypto executives cautioned that tariffs pose serious risks to blockchain networks’ integrity and accessibility to users. Worsening trade wars threaten to disrupt networks’ physical infrastructure, fragment regulatory regimes, and censor users, they said. “Aggressive tariffs and retaliatory trade policies could create obstacles for node operators, validators, and other core participants in blockchain networks,” Nicholas Roberts-Huntley, CEO of Concrete & Glow Finance, told Cointelegraph.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

by Cointelegraph by Christopher Tepedino on April 14, 2025 at 8:57 pm

South Korea is expanding a ban on digital asset firms’ applications servicing its citizens. On April 11, the country’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced that 14 crypto exchanges were blocked on the Apple store. Among the affected exchanges are KuCoin and MEXC.The report, which was made public on April 14, says the banned exchanges were allegedly operating as unregistered overseas virtual asset operators. The report also states that the Financial Information Analysis Institution (FIU) will continue to promote the blocking of the apps and internet sites of such operators to prevent money laundering and user damage.The request to block applications on the Apple Store comes after Google Play blocked access to several unregistered exchanges on March 26. KuCoin and MEXC were also targeted during the blocking of the Google Play apps. The FSC published a list of 22 unregistered platforms operating in the country, with 17 of them already blocked on Google's marketplace. The 17 crypto exchanges blocked on Google Play. Source: FSCAccording to the FSC report, users will not be able to download the apps on the Apple Store, while existing users will not be able to update the apps. The FSC notes that “unreported business activities are criminal punishment matters” with penalties of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 50 million won ($35,200).FIU considers sanctions against unregistered VASPsOn March 21, South Korean publication Hankyung reported that the FIU and the FSC were considering sanctions against crypto exchanges operating in the country without registration with local regulators. The sanctions included blocking access to the companies’ apps.In South Korea, operators of crypto sales, brokerage, management, and storage must report to the FIU. Failure to comply with registration and reports is subject to penalties and sanctions.Related: South Korea reports first crypto ‘pump and dump’ case under new lawThe latest sanctions come as crypto is reaching a “saturation point” in South Korea. As of March 31, crypto exchange users in the country passed 16 million — equivalent to over 30% of the population. Industry officials predict that the number could surpass 20 million by the end of 2025.Over 20% of South Korean public officials hold cryptocurrencies, with the total amount reaching $9.8 million on March 27. The assets varied and included Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), and Dogecoin (DOGE).Magazine: Asia Express: Low users, sex predators kill Korean metaverses, 3AC sues Terra

by Cointelegraph by Marcel Pechman on April 14, 2025 at 8:15 pm

Bitcoin (BTC) reclaimed the $84,500 level on April 14, and the recovery appears partially fueled by the announcement of partial import tariff relief by US President Donald Trump. However, traders’ optimism faded on April 13 when it became apparent that the relaxation was temporary and that tariffs on the electronics supply chain could be revisited.Uncertainty surrounding the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China impacted Bitcoin markets, causing traders to lose some of their regained confidence. This explains why Bitcoin’s price failed to break above $86,000 and why BTC derivatives showed limited short-term potential, potentially setting the tone for the next few days.Bitcoin 2-month futures annualized premium. Source: Laevitas.chThe premium on Bitcoin monthly futures contracts peaked at 6.5% on April 11 but has since dropped to 5%, which is near a neutral to bearish threshold. Sellers typically require a 5% to 10% annualized premium for longer settlement periods, so anything below this range indicates reduced interest from leveraged buyers.Bitcoin sentiment dims as stock market ties dent bullish momentumTraders’ brief excitement can be linked to President Trump’s April 13 announcement that tariffs on imported semiconductors would be reviewed during the week. This suggests that exemptions for smartphones and computers are not final, according to Yahoo Finance. Trump reportedly said: “We want to make our chips and semiconductors and other things in our country.”Bitcoin traders experienced emotional swings during this period of fluctuating expectations. The performance of broader markets, particularly large technology companies reliant on global trade, appears to have influenced Bitcoin sentiment. The strong intraday correlation between Bitcoin and stock markets has dampened bullish enthusiasm, leaving open questions about whether this effect is limited to BTC futures.S&P 500 futures (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD (right). Source: TradingView / CointelegraphTo determine whether Bitcoin traders’ sentiment is merely mirroring trends in the S&P 500, it is helpful to examine the BTC options markets. If professional traders anticipate a significant price drop, the 25% delta skew indicator will rise above 6%, as put (sell) options become more expensive than call (buy) options.Bitcoin 30-day options 25% delta skew (put-call) at Deribit. Source: Laevitas.chOn April 13, the Bitcoin options delta skew briefly dipped below 0%, signaling mild optimism. However, this momentum did not hold on April 14, reinforcing data from Bitcoin futures that show no significant bullish sentiment despite prices recovering from the $74,440 lows.Weak spot Bitcoin ETF inflows also behind traders’ limited optimismAnother way to gauge market sentiment is by analyzing stablecoin demand in China. Strong retail interest in cryptocurrencies usually pushes stablecoins to trade at a premium of 2% or more above the official US dollar rate. In contrast, a premium below 0.5% often indicates fear as traders move away from crypto markets.Related: Crypto markets ‘relatively orderly’ despite Trump tariff chaos: NYDIGUSDT Tether (USDT/CNY) vs. US dollar/CNY. Source: OKXBetween April 6 and April 11, Tether (USDT) in China traded at a 1.2% premium, reflecting moderate enthusiasm. However, this trend reversed, with the premium now at just 0.5%, suggesting that the earlier excitement has dissipated. Hence, traders remain cautious and show little confidence in Bitcoin surpassing $90,000 in the near term.The announcement of Strategy’s $286 million Bitcoin acquisition at $82,618 failed to boost sentiment, as investors suspect that the recent temporary decoupling from stock market trends was largely driven by this purchase. Similarly, Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw $277 million in outflows between April 9 and April 11, further weakening any potential improvement in trader confidence.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 Alex O’Donnell on April 14, 2025 at 8:14 pm

Update (April 14 at 9:12 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include a comment from the Ontario Securities Commission. Spot Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are set to launch in Canada on April 16, according to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas. In an X post on April 14, the analyst shared a private client note from TD Bank, a Canadian financial institution, claiming the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) greenlighted asset managers Purpose, Evolve, CI and 3iQ to issue ETFs holding Solana (SOL). Canada does not have a federal securities agency, with its territories and provinces applying their own securities laws. Toronto’s securities exchange is regulated by Ontario’s OSC. The ETFs are permitted to stake a portion of the SOL holdings for added yield, Balchunas said, adding that the upcoming listings are “our first look at the alt coin race.” In a statement to Cointelegraph, the OSC said the approval and oversight of SOL ETFs are in accordance with a January notice outlining amending rules for publicly traded funds holding cryptocurrencies. Source: Eric BalchunasRelated: SEC approves options on spot Ether ETFsWaiting on US approvalThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has acknowledged dozens of applications to list ETFs holding alternative cryptocurrencies, or “altcoins,” but so far has only approved funds holding spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) for trading. Staking is still off-limits for US crypto ETFs. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart said Ether ETFs could be greenlighted to start staking as soon as May, but the process may take months longer. However, investors’ demand for altcoin ETFs may be weaker than for funds holding core cryptocurrencies, Katalin Tischhauser, crypto bank Sygnum’s research head, told Cointelegraph in August.“[T]here is all this frothy excitement in the market about these ETFs coming, and no one can point to where substantial demand is going to come from,” Tischhauser told Cointelegraph. Volatility Shares’ SOL futures ETF has roughly $5 million in net assets. Source: Volatility SharesIn March, asset manager Volatility Shares launched the first ETFs to track Solana’s performance using financial derivatives. Volatility Shares Solana ETF (SOLZ) has seen a lukewarm reception, attracting only around $5 million in net assets as of April 14, according to its website. “FWIW, the 2 solana ETFs in US (which track futures so not a perfect guinea pig) haven't done much. Very little in aum. The 2x XRP already has more aum than both the solana ETFs and it came out after,” Balchunas said. Balchunas added that he “[w]ouldn't read a ton into it” as a predictor for spot SOL ETFs. Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6–12

by Cointelegraph by Ana Paula Pereira on April 14, 2025 at 7:31 pm

Update (April 14 at 10:37 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include Anchorage's response. The 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. In a statement to Cointelegraph, a spokesperson for Anchorage refuted the report. “The Barron’s piece on our company was based on speculation," they said, adding that “[Barron's] had no information about the nature of the inquiry nor its targets, both of which are currently unspecified. We will, of course, fully cooperate with any legitimate inquiry that materializes.” Anchorage Digital is the only federally chartered crypto bank in the United States. It received its national trust bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in January 2021. Despite its advanced regulatory position, Anchorage Digital has faced regulatory challenges in the US. In April 2022, the OCC issued a consent order against the bank for deficiencies in its Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering compliance programs. At the time, the company was ordered to establish a committee to address the alleged issues under the oversight of the OCC.Anchorage's crypto footprintAnchorage was founded in 2017, and since then has been expanding its crypto footprint with services for institutional clients. The company is a custodian of BlackRock's Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) alongside Coinbase and BitGo. BlackRock's BTC funds have attracted over $35.5 billion in cumulative inflows since its launch in January 2024. Another of Anchorage's clients is Cantor Fitzgerald. The company has offered custody and collateral management for Cantor's Bitcoin holdings since March 2025. Anchorage reported over $50 billion in assets under management in 2024. Among Anchorage's custody competitors are players such as Ripple, Kraken, Taurus and Fireblocks, but the storage of digital assets has also attracted traditional financial institutions to the crypto field. HSBC, Citi and BNY Mellon — America's oldest bank — are also competing to safeguard crypto assets for institutional clients. According to Fireblocks’ Adam Levine, senior vice president of corporate development, the US market lacks qualified custodians for digital assets. "[...] there are limited options for certain market participants to keep their digital assets in safe keeping via a qualified custodian,” Levine told Cointelegraph in a previous interview.A 2025 survey by EY reveals that 59% of institutional investors plan to allocate over 5% of their assets under management to cryptocurrencies, indicating a growing demand for institutional-grade custody services.Institutional investors are expected to increase crypto allocations in 2025. Source: EYMagazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

by Cointelegraph by Biraajmaan Tamuly on April 14, 2025 at 7:23 pm

The US Treasury has injected $500 billion into financial markets since February by drawing liquidity from its Treasury General Account (TGA), funding government operations after a $36 trillion debt ceiling was hit on Jan. 2, 2025.Macroeconomic financial analyst Tomas said that this liquidity surge boosted the net Federal Reserve liquidity to $6.3 trillion, and it may support Bitcoin’s (BTC) price in the future, even though risk assets have reflected minimal growth so far. US Treasury General Account’s expected liquidity flow. Source: X.comThe TGA represents the government’s checking account at the Federal Reserve, holding capital for daily operations like paying bills or collecting taxes. A decrease in TGA capital means the balance has been deployed into the broader economy, boosting available cash in the markets. Tomas explained that The TGA drawdown commenced on Feb. 12, following the exhaustion of "extraordinary measures" after the debt ceiling was reached. The TGA balance has dropped from $842 to roughly $342 billion, releasing liquidity into the system, and the targeted liquidity is expected to rise up to $600 billion by the end of April. The analyst added that the current tax season will temporarily drain liquidity, but the drawdown is expected to resume in May. If debt ceiling talks extend to August, net liquidity could hit a multi-year high of $6.6 trillion, which could cause a bullish tailwind for Bitcoin. Bitcoin’s correlation with global liquidity. Source: Lynalden.comAccording to a study by financial analyst Lyn Alden, Bitcoin has historically moved 83% of the time in line with global liquidity in a given 12-month period. The research termed “Bitcoin a Global Liquidity Barometer” compared Bitcoin to other major asset classes such as SPX, gold and VT, and BTC topped the correlation index with respect to global liquidity. Past TGA drawdowns in 2022 and 2023 have fueled speculative assets like Bitcoin. Thus, a $600 billion boost, plus billions more added over Q2-Q3, could lift BTC’s value if market conditions remain stable. Related: Bitcoin traders target $90K as apparent tariff exemptions ease US Treasury yieldsBitcoin eyes $137,000 by Q2-Q3, says analystAnonymous crypto trader Titan of Crypto shared a bullish outlook for Bitcoin, predicting that BTC could surge to a new all-time high of $137,000 by July-August 2025. In a recent X post, the analyst pointed out a bullish pennant pattern on the daily chart, with the price potentially heading toward a positive breakout. Bitcoin bullish pennant by Titan of Crypto. Source: X.comHowever, before pushing chips into a long conviction play, BTC must break and retain a position above its 200-day exponential moving average (EMA). As illustrated in the chart, Bitcoin faces resistance from all three key EMAs, namely, the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day indicators. A collective reclaim above each moving average on a higher time frame chart could further strengthen the bullish case, allowing the crypto to retest its six-figure targets. Bitcoin 1-day chart analysis. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewRelated: Bybit integrates Avalon through CeFi to DeFi bridge for Bitcoin yieldThis 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.