Alternative News for You

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 25, 2025 at 2:24 pm

An official of the Swiss National Bank dismissed calls for the institution to add Bitcoin to its reserves as a hedge against the ongoing macroeconomic turmoil.According to an April 25 Reuters report, Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin Schlegel said that “cryptocurrency cannot currently fulfil the requirements for our currency reserves” during a shareholder meeting in Bern earlier today. The comments come amid mounting pressure from the local crypto industry to add Bitcoin (BTC) to the central bank’s reserves.Campaigner Luzius Meisser, a board member of cryptocurrency broker Bitcoin Suisse, told Reuters that “holding bitcoin makes more sense as the world shifts towards a multipolar order.” He claimed that the need is even more dire now that “the dollar and the euro are weakening.”This is not the first time Schlegel has pushed back against the idea. Reports from early March quoted Schlegel saying that he doesn’t want to make Bitcoin a reserve asset in Switzerland, citing a lack of stability, liquidity concerns and security risks.Related: Swiss canton of Bern votes to study Bitcoin mining feasibilitySwitzerland’s campaign for a Bitcoin reserveOn the last day of 2024, the Swiss Federal Chancellery initiated a proposal to constitutionally mandate the Swiss National Bank to hold Bitcoin on its balance sheet. The proposal needs to gather 100,000 signatures to trigger a referendum in Switzerland.Signature collection document. Source: InitiativeBTC.chThe initiative requests to change the third paragraph of Article 99 of the constitution. The relevant text currently states:“The Swiss National Bank shall create sufficient currency reserves from its revenues; part of these reserves shall be held in gold.”If successful, the campaign would result in adding “and in Bitcoin.” to the end of the paragraph. The initiative saw the participation of the Swiss Bitcoin nonprofit think tank 2B4CH, which was responsible for preparing and submitting the documents. 2B4CH had some ties to industry heavyweights, with Giw Zanganeh, vice president of energy and mining at leading stablecoin issuer Tether, helping launch the campaign.Related: Crypto bank Sygnum hits unicorn status with new $58M raiseThe campaign is still ongoingMeisser claims that holding Bitcoin would free the central bank from the political influence of its foreign currency holdings, most of which are in US dollars and euros. According to him, “politicians eventually give in to the temptation of printing money to fund their plans, but bitcoin is a currency that cannot be inflated through deficit spending.” 2B4CH founder and chairman Yves Bennaïm told Reuters:“We are not saying — go all in with bitcoin, but if you have nearly 1 trillion francs in reserves, like the SNB does, then it makes sense to have 1–2% of that in an asset that is increasing in value, becoming more secure, and that everyone wants to own.”Switzerland is a hub for blockchain enterprises, with its “Crypto Valley” in the town of Zug being the location where Ethereum was founded. The nation continues to generate crypto initiatives, with global grocery giant Spar rolling out Bitcoin-based payments in a Swiss city earlier this month.The crypto Valley surpassed the $593 billion valuation mark, showcasing the growth trajectory of the region’s blockchain industry in 2024. Last year, the area saw the emergence of 17 crypto startup unicorns.Magazine: Crypto Valley and the Crypto Oasis: Ralf Glabischnig

by Cointelegraph by Amin Haqshanas on April 25, 2025 at 2:10 pm

Decentralized AI startup Nous Research has raised $50 million in a Series A round led by crypto venture giant Paradigm, marking one of the largest investments at the intersection of blockchain and artificial intelligence to date.According to an April 25 report from Fortune, the funding round values Nous at a $1 billion token valuation. Previous investors include Distributed Global, North Island Ventures, and Delphi Digital, who contributed to Nous’s earlier $20 million seed rounds.Operating since 2022, Nous Research is stepping into the spotlight with the latest fundraising to develop open-source AI models powered by decentralized infrastructure.The company leverages the Solana blockchain to coordinate and incentivize global participation in training its AI models, aiming to challenge centralized giants like OpenAI and DeepSeek.Nous Research announcing Nous Psyche on Solana. Source: Nous ResearchRelated: Angels from Citadel, Jane Street, JPMorgan back $20M raise for Theo networkNous harnesses global idle compute power for AI trainingFounded by AI researchers, including collaborators like Diederik Kingma (co-inventor of the Adam optimizer), Nous is taking a different approach from typical crypto-AI projects.Instead of relying on centralized data centers, it enables individuals worldwide to contribute idle computing power for AI training.Blockchain technology underpins this model, ensuring secure, incentivized participation while mitigating risks like data poisoning through features such as Byzantine fault tolerance.“We very much came from a mentality that we want to create and serve the world’s best AI,” co-founder Karan Malhotra told Fortune.Per the report, the 20-person team at Nous Research will allocate much of the new capital toward scaling compute resources and advancing research.In December 2024, Nous told Venture Beat that it is pre-training a 15-billion-parameter LLM in a decentralized manner, livestreaming progress to showcase transparency and performance.Meanwhile, Paradigm’s backing signals a deepening interest in AI within crypto venture circles.“This open, community-oriented approach is a powerful contrast to the closed, centralized efforts from incumbent labs,” Paradigm partner Arjun Balaji reportedly told the outlet.Related: Crypto users cool with AI dabbling with their portfolios: SurveyParadigm becomes top-performing crypto VCParadigm is one of the biggest and most successful crypto venture capital firms.In March, Web3 data platform Kaito AI ranked Paradigm as the top-performing crypto VC over the past year, posting an impressive 11.80% performance metric, outperforming other major players like Alliance (10.64%), Dragonfly (8.32%), a16z (6.94%) and Multicoin Capital (5.86%).Source: RoryFounded by Coinbase’s Fred Ehrsam and ex-Sequoia partner Matt Huang, Paradigm has built a strong reputation for spotting high-potential crypto projects early.Its portfolio includes leading DeFi platforms like Uniswap (UNI) and dYdX, as well as consistent backing for Ethereum scaling solutions such as Optimism.Paradigm also led a $255 million round for StarkNet, a key player in zero-knowledge rollup technology.Magazine: Stablecoin for cyber-scammers launches, Sony L2 drama: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Savannah Fortis on April 25, 2025 at 2:00 pm

The crypto industry is bracing for a significant shift in regulatory tone following Paul Atkins’ swearing-in as chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21. A former SEC commissioner with deep roots in deregulatory philosophy, Atkins replaces Gary Gensler, whose combative stance toward crypto defined much of the agency’s recent legacy.In the latest episode of Byte-Sized Insight with Cointelegraph, key industry figures weigh in on the implications of this leadership change and what it might unlock for innovation, investment and clarity for digital assets.Crypto’s “golden age” continuesChris Perkins, president of CoinFund, spoke with host Savannah Fortis and described his excitement regarding the new SEC chair, predicting a reduction in regulatory uncertainty under the new administration. “We were under this regulatory reign of terror, you know, under the Biden administration,” said Perkins. “Investors in assets, they’re very comfortable taking market risk... but they’re not comfortable taking reputational risk, and along with that is regulatory risk.”He pointed out how it was not only investors and companies who were nervous under the last administration, but also developers in the crypto space who had been targeted for their work.Perkins highlighted how a shift in the regulatory climate could catalyze growth.“Now, again, you're taking that personal liability off… So in a way, you have this perfect storm of new institutional capital coming in and new developers coming in. And I think the this is going to be a golden age for venture and value creation.”Related: Paul Atkins’ loosely linked RSR token rises 13% after Coinbase listingKatherine Dowling, general counsel and chief commercial officer at Bitwise Asset Management, agreed that change is already visible. “The mood has already changed,” she said. “We’ve seen a flurry of activity around certain legal cases... being dismissed, dropped... not because all regulation is going away... but because more work needs to be done to define what these digital assets are.”Dowling emphasized that the shift is about clarity, not deregulation. “It’s a signal shift towards let’s take a step back and define what these are, what they look like, and how they should be regulated.”What to expect from the Atkins eraJames Gernetzke, chief financial officer of Bitcoin and crypto wallet Exodus, added that “the promise of being able to engage with a regulator on a reasonable basis… is going to be very helpful.” Gernetzke said he expects a return to “more normal time frames” for IPOs and access to capital markets. “I think the IPO rush... you will see probably towards the end... maybe months 10, 11, 12... it's coming for sure.”Perkins captured the broader sentiment, calling the incoming market structure bill a potential unlock. “This market structure bill is going to have a really big impact... because then I know what my asset is, and I have a process for capital formation. I have a process for disclosures... It’s going to be awesome.”Listen to the full episode of Byte-Sized Insight for the complete interview on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows! Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 25, 2025 at 1:37 pm

Today in crypto, Circle’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy, Dante Disparte, denied reports that the company is seeking a US federal bank charter, ARK Invest has said Bitcoin could hit a top of $2.4 million by 2030, and the CME Group said it plans to launch XRP futures contracts.Circle executive denies claims of seeking US banking licenseAn executive at major stablecoin issuer Circle denied reports that the company is looking to obtain a US federal bank charter.In an April 25 X post, Circle’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy, Dante Disparte, denied that the company is interested in obtaining a US federal bank charter or acquiring an insured depository institution.Instead, he said that Circle intends to comply with future US regulatory requirements for payment stablecoins, “which may require registering for a federal or state trust charter or other nonbank license.” He also urged lawmakers to reach regulatory clarity for stablecoins sooner rather than later.Source: Dante DisparteThe statement followed recent reports that major cryptocurrency firms, including stablecoin issuer Circle and crypto custodian BitGo, were considering applying for bank charters or licenses. Other firms cited as seeking such licenses included publicly traded US-based crypto exchange Coinbase and stablecoin issuer Paxos.ARK Invest ups its 2030 Bitcoin bull case prediction to $2.4 millionCathie Wood’s ARK Invest has raised its “bull case” Bitcoin (BTC) price target from $1.5 million to $2.4 million by the end of 2030, citing increased institutional investor interest and Bitcoin’s increasing acceptance as “digital gold.”It also bumped its “bear” and “base” case scenarios for Bitcoin to $500,000 and $1.2 million,  up from the $300,000 and $710,000 respective predictions it made in February.“Institutional investment contributes the most to our bull case,” said ARK research analyst David Puell, who estimated that Bitcoin would achieve a 6.5% penetration rate into the $200 trillion financial market in a best-case scenario (that figure excludes gold).ARK’s bear, base and bull case price targets for Bitcoin by Dec. 31, 2030. Source: ARK InvestBitcoin’s acceptance as “digital gold” was also a major contributor to the lofty estimate, with Puell estimating that it could capture up to 60% of gold’s market cap by the end of 2030 in a bull scenario.At $2.4 million per Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency’s market cap would be $49.2 trillion, assuming that Bitcoin’s total supply will have reached 20.5 million by the end of 2030, making it more valuable than the current gross domestic products of the US and China combined.Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group to launch XRP futuresThe Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group, which operates the largest financial derivatives exchanges worldwide, announced that XRP futures contracts will go live on May 19.According to the April 24 announcement, investors have the option of choosing between micro-sized contracts, featuring 2,500 XRP, or standard contract sizes of 50,000 XRP. All XRP futures contracts will be cash-settled.In January 2025, the CME Group signaled an impending launch of XRP futures before quietly pulling the related page from its website.CME’s announcement is the latest in a growing wave of crypto-focused financial products entering the market or awaiting regulatory approval in the US, a sign that cryptocurrencies have reached a new level of institutional acceptance.There are now more than 70 crypto ETF applications waiting to be reviewed by the SEC, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

on April 25, 2025 at 1:29 pm

The United Nations has called for calm from both sides days after a deadly attack in the region left 26 people dead.

by Cointelegraph by Helen Partz on April 25, 2025 at 1:10 pm

As the Russian government is considering a ban on cash-to-cryptocurrency transactions, some major local crypto exchange platforms have experienced police raids.Mosca, a crypto-to-cash exchange located in the Moscow International Business Center, was raided on April 23 in connection with fraud by one of its customers, Mosca’s development head Dmitry Titarenko confirmed to Cointelegraph.“Law enforcement agencies have carried out a standard procedure of checking our customer data,” Titarenko told Cointelegraph at the local crypto event Blockchain Forum 2025.The Mosca office raid followed online reports linking several arrests of some Mosca customers to a crypto robbery involving a victim reportedly giving fraudsters a massive cash deposit worth millions of dollars.Cash-to-crypto ban to protect investors?The police raid on Mosca came the next day after Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber, proposed banning crypto exchangers from accepting cash from their customers to buy cryptocurrencies like Tether USDt (USDT).A potential ban on cash-to-crypto transactions would be a “massive blow to fraudsters,” Masharov said, adding that phone scammers were “often using crypto exchangers for withdrawing cash funds.”Olga Serova, a former adviser to the head of the government of Samara region, claims to have lost up to $5 million to crypto fraudsters. Source: BazaSubsequently, local news channel Baza reported on the Mosca raid, linking the event with a “record-breaking fraud” against Olga Serova, a former government adviser in Russia’s Samara region.Serova, 71, reportedly fell victim to scammers in late 2024, cashing out her bank accounts to pass the fraudsters about 421 million Russian rubles ($5.1 million). According to Baza, at least seven people were arrested, allegedly in connection with the case.Mosca clients can buy up to 100,000 USDT with cash dailyMosca, which allows investors to deposit up to 100,000 USDT ($100,000) daily, was unaware whether Serova’s incident was connected to its office raid, Titarenko said.“Maybe it was another client,” he said, adding that the raid was the first criminal-case-related office raid at Mosca in the past three months.Titarenko also said that Mosca has been actively beefing up its Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer checks, including maintaining a blacklist of suspicious users.Related: Russia’s central bank, finance ministry to launch crypto exchangeThe raid caught Mosca during a major local event, Blockchain Life, returning to Moscow for the first time since October 2021. The company was one of the main guests at the conference, taking two center stands and winning a title of the “best crypto exchange service.”One of Mosca’s stands at the Blockchain Forum 2025. Source: CointelegraphAccording to Sergey Mendeleev, a prominent figure in the Russian crypto community, the proposal to ban cash-to-crypto transactions is an alarming development for the community.Speaking at the event, Mendeleev suggested that the Russian government might be turning away from crypto adoption if it approves such a ban.He also mentioned that raids are a common situation for crypto exchange services located at the Moscow International Business Center, also known as Moscow City.Garantex, a crypto exchange that halted trading after Tether froze $27 million in USDT due to sanctions, was also among the exchangers located in Moscow City.Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

on April 25, 2025 at 1:07 pm

Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin was due to walk out onto the field at the Storm vs. Rabbitohs match alongside Aboriginal women from the Djirri Djirri dance group. 

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 25, 2025 at 1:01 pm

Bitcoin adoption among United States financial institutions could see a major boost after the US Federal Reserve withdrew its guidance discouraging banks from engaging with cryptocurrency.On April 24, the Fed withdrew its 2022 supervisory letter that served as guidance to deter banks from engaging in crypto and stablecoin activities. The withdrawal spurred a notable uplift in Bitcoin (BTC) investor sentiment.The Federal Reserve Board’s withdrawal giving banks guidance on crypto activities. Source: Federal ReserveThe 2022 guidance initially warned that crypto may pose risks to investors and the stability of the US financial system.The Fed’s move means that “banks are now free to begin supporting Bitcoin,” said Michael Saylor, co-founder of the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holding firm, Strategy, in an April 25 X post.Source: Michael SaylorThe Fed’s decision “is a significant development, as it will simplify the path to institutional adoption,” according to Anastasija Plotnikova, co-founder and CEO of blockchain regulatory firm Fideum.“The withdrawal of this particular guidance ensures that crypto assets will be overseen through standard supervisory processes,” she told Cointelegraph, adding:“We still need to have GENIUS and STABLE bills to be passed to further harmonize the crypto activities amongst Fed-supervised firms and other market participants. The combination of legislative effort will be the main driver behind the institutional adoption.”The Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy, or STABLE Act, passed the US House Financial Services Committee with a 32–17 vote on April 2. The bill aims to create clear regulatory guidelines for dollar-denominated stablecoins.Source: Financial Services GOPThe GENIUS Act, short for Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, passed the Senate Banking Committee by a vote of 18–6 on March 13.Related: Trump fought the bond market, the bond market won: Saifedean AmmousFed’s shift marks end of us regulatory hostilityThe Federal Reserve’s decision may be a “meaningful turning point” for Bitcoin’s institutional adoption in the US, according to Eneko Knörr, co-founder and CEO of Stabolut, a yield-bearing stablecoin project.“Up until now, US regulatory hostility made it virtually impossible for traditional financial institutions to participate in this space,” Knörr told Cointelegraph.“With the recent shift in the Fed’s guidance, the door is finally open. This unlocks an enormous opportunity for banks — one that until now has been dominated by players like Coinbase and other crypto-native firms,” Knörr added. Knörr added that banks are now likely to move quickly to meet client demand and retain market share previously captured by crypto-native firms like Coinbase. Related: Serbia’s Prince Filip says Bitcoin is being stifled, expects huge rallyBitcoin adoption among financial institutions is also lagging in Europe, with less than 20% of European banks offering crypto services, despite the rising investor demand and regulatory clarity in the region.Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

on April 25, 2025 at 12:58 pm

The mayor said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might be forced to accept a "painful solution" to achieve peace, as US envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Russia for more talks. 

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 25, 2025 at 12:42 pm

US President Donald Trump’s memecoin team denied social media rumors that holders of the Official Trump (TRUMP) token need at least $300,000 to participate in an upcoming dinner with the president. On April 25, the official X account of the Trump memecoin clarified that there is no $300,000 requirement to join the memecoin project’s dinner event featuring the US president. The rumor stemmed from community members citing the Solana blockchain explorer showing holders on the token’s contract address. At the time of writing, the explorer shows that the 220th-largest holder has 33,114 TRUMP, worth more than $400,000. However, the memecoin team said the explorer doesn’t reflect their criteria. “People have been incorrectly quoting #220 on the block explorer as the cutoff. That’s wrong because it includes things like locked tokens, exchanges, market makers, and those who are not participating. Instead, you should only be going off the leaderboard,” they wrote. Leaderboard for Trump Coin holders. Source: Trump CoinRelated: SEC task force met with Trump-supporting firms to discuss crypto regulationTrump to hold dinner for top 220 memecoin holdersOn April 23, the Trump Coin team revealed the leaderboard, showing the wallet addresses of those who are in the lead to qualify for the dinner event. The final guest list is still not finalized, but the memecoin team said any tokenholder who wants to be eligible must go through a background check. In addition, their wallet will also go through Know Your Customer and compliance measures. According to the memecoin’s official site, the team will pick the winners based on time-weighted holdings. This calculates the amount held and the time the tokens were held. “The longer you hold, the higher your weighted score becomes,” the team wrote. At the time of writing, the top holder in the leaderboard holds over 1.1 million tokens, worth $14.6 million, but only has a time-weighted score of over 686,000. The 220th wallet holder has 1,125 TRUMP, valued at almost $15,000, and a score of 136. The leaderboard also shows that some addresses with zero current TRUMP holdings remain eligible for the dinner. This is likely due to how long they previously held their tokens. Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 25, 2025 at 12:29 pm

An executive at major stablecoin issuer Circle denied reports that the company is looking to obtain a US federal bank charter.In an April 25 X post, Circle’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy, Dante Disparte, denied that the company is interested in obtaining a US federal bank charter or acquiring an insured depository institution.Instead, he said that Circle intends to comply with future US regulatory requirements for payment stablecoins, “which may require registering for a federal or state trust charter or other nonbank license.” He also urged lawmakers to reach regulatory clarity for stablecoins sooner rather than later.Source: Dante DisparteThe statement followed recent reports that major cryptocurrency firms, including stablecoin issuer Circle and crypto custodian BitGo, were considering applying for bank charters or licenses. Other firms cited as seeking such licenses included publicly traded US-based crypto exchange Coinbase and stablecoin issuer Paxos.Related: Circle’s EURC grows as trade war pushes euro higher — AnalystThe report was not entirely baselessCointelegraph reached out to all the companies cited in the report, requesting a confirmation or denial. All companies except one did not comment, with Coinbase confirming that it is considering such a license.Still, it was not the first report that Circle was interested in a US bank charter. In April 2022, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said in an interview with Bloomberg that the firm was already in discussions with regulators as part of its efforts to apply for a bank charter “hopefully in the near future.”Circle did not respond to Cointelegraph’s request for further comment as of publication time. Another previous report indicated that the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had granted a preliminary, conditional approval for a US bank charter to Paxos in 2021.Related: Circle considers IPO delay amid economic uncertainty — ReportUS stablecoin regulation is evolvingThe news came as US regulators were working to change how stablecoins are regulated. The US House Financial Services Committee passed a Republican-backed stablecoin framework bill earlier this month.The bill in question is the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act. Another bill currently moving through the US legislative process is the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.The STABLE and GENIUS bills differ in how they would regulate the stablecoin industry, with the former emphasizing strict federal oversight and the latter being more flexible, allowing for both federal and state rules. The GENIUS Act bill was introduced first and passed the US Senate Banking Committee in mid-March.Magazine: Stablecoin for cyber-scammers launches, Sony L2 drama: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Amin Haqshanas on April 25, 2025 at 11:40 am

Central banks, particularly China, may start to shift away from US Treasurys, exploring alternatives such as gold and Bitcoin, according to Jay Jacobs, BlackRock’s head of thematics and active ETFs.In a recent interview with CNBC, Jacobs said that geopolitical tensions and rising global uncertainty are accelerating diversification strategies among central banks.He pointed to a long-term trend where countries have been reducing their reliance on dollar-based reserves in favor of assets like gold and, increasingly, Bitcoin (BTC).“This whole diversification away from traditional assets and into things like gold and also crypto [...] probably began three, four years ago,” Jacobs explained.He said that recent geopolitical fragmentation has intensified the push toward alternative stores of value.Jacobs referenced growing concerns about the freezing of $300 billion in Russian central bank assets following its invasion of Ukraine, suggesting that such events have prompted countries like China to rethink their reserve strategies.BlackRock executive Jay Jacobs on CNBC. Source: YouTubeRelated: Crypto, stocks enter ‘new phase of trade war’ as US-China tensions riseGeopolitical fragmentation to shape global marketsDuring the interview, Jacobs said BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has identified geopolitical fragmentation as a defining force for global markets over the coming decades:“We really identified geopolitical fragmentation as a mega force that is driving the world forward over the next several decades.”He noted that this environment is fueling demand for uncorrelated assets, with Bitcoin increasingly viewed alongside gold as a safe-haven asset.“We’ve seen significant inflows into gold ETFs. We’ve seen significant inflows into Bitcoin. And this is all because people are looking for those assets that will behave differently,” Jacobs said.Related: Bitcoin ‘decouples,’ stocks lose $3.5T amid Trump tariff war and Fed warning of ‘higher inflation’Investors highlight Bitcoin decouplingNotably, Jacobs is not alone in stressing Bitcoin’s declining correlation with US equities. Several analysts have also observed that Bitcoin is beginning to decouple from the US stock market.On April 22, Alex Svanevik, co-founder and CEO of the Nansen crypto intelligence platform, said Bitcoin’s price is showcasing its growing maturity as a global asset, becoming “less Nasdaq — more gold.”He added that Bitcoin was “surprisingly resilient” amid the trade war compared to altcoins and indexes like the S&P 500, but remains vulnerable to economic recession concerns.Source: Alex SvanevikEchoing this sentiment, QCP Capital said in an April 21 Telegram note that Bitcoin seemed to be sharing some of gold’s limelight as a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty.“With equities finishing last week in the red and extending an April drawdown, the narrative of BTC as a safe haven or inflation hedge is once again gaining traction. Should this dynamic hold, it could provide a fresh tailwind for institutional BTC allocation,” it wrote.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 25, 2025 at 11:32 am

Key takeaways: SUI is up 23% in the past 24 hours and 73% weekly, outperforming top-cap cryptocurrencies.The launch of the Grayscale SUI Trust and the xPortal/xMoney Mastercard partnership boosted investor confidence.SUI’s TVL is up 40%, and daily DEX volumes surge by 177%, signaling strong ecosystem trust and utility.Sui (SUI) price was up 23% in one day, to trade at $3.67 on April 25. This is part of a prevailing rebound that began on April 21 and has seen Sui rise more than 73% over the last seven days.Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows SUI rose from a low of $2.11 on April 21, climbing as much as 77% to an intraday high of $3.71 on April 25.SUI/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSUI’s performance over the last seven days made it the biggest gainer among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap.Top gainers April 25. Source: CoinMarketCapSUI price buoyed by positive fundamentalsSUI’s gains are primarily fueled by increasing investor confidence following the Grayscale SUI Trust launch and SUI’s strategic partnership with xPortal and xMoney to issue a virtual Mastercard across Europe.“SUI’s officially out of stealth mode,” said pseudonymous analyst Kyledoops in an April 24 post on X.“Grayscale just launched a trust, social chatter is exploding, and it’s [SUI] now sitting above AVAX and LINK in market cap,” Kyledoops expressed, adding:“This isn’t just retail hype—Wall Street is stepping into the SUI zone. Momentum feels different this time. It’s real. And it’s accelerating.”On April 23, Grayscale launched the Grayscale SUI Trust, which enables investors to gain exposure to SUI. The trust is now open to all eligible accredited investors.Source: GrayscaleAdding to the tailwinds is SUI’s latest partnership with xPortal and xMone, which introduced a virtual Mastercard, enabling 2.5 million European users to spend the token at over 20,000 merchants via Apple Pay and Google Pay.Source: Sui NetworkSui’s growing DeFi ecosystemSui remains among the top 10 layer-1 blockchains, with over $1.65 billion in total value locked (TVL) on the network. The chart below shows that the SUI’s TVL has increased about 40% over the last seven days.Sui network: TVL and daily DEX volumes. Source: DefiLlamaCompared to other top-layer networks, SUI is well ahead of its rivals in terms of TVL gains on the daily, weekly and monthly time frames, as shown in the chart below.Comparison of TVL performance on top layer-1 blockchains. Source: DefiLlamaSUI’s daily DEX volumes have risen by more than 177% over the last week, to $599 million. This is significantly higher than the 68% and 67% increases on BNB Chain and Solana, respectively. Related: Price predictions 4/23: BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, LINK, AVAX, SUIAlthough Ethereum remains the undisputed leader at $10.6 billion, this has declined by more than 14% over the last seven days.Are new all-time highs coming for SUI?From a technical perspective, SUI price gained momentum after breaking out of a falling wedge pattern, as shown on the daily chart below.After breaching a multimonth resistance trendline near $2.20, SUI reached the wedge’s technical target at $3.30. Bulls are now focused on all-time highs of $5.35, reached on Jan. 6.SUI/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe relative strength index (RSI) has increased from 45 to 78 since April 20, reinforcing the strength of the bullish momentum.However, to sustain the ongoing recovery, SUI price has to first overcome the resistance between $4.50 and $5.10, before going into price discovery.Based on Elliott Wave analysis of the weekly chart, pseudonymous analyst Bitcoinsensus set a “massive” price target of $11.50 for SUI.Source: BitcoinsensusThis 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 Zoltan Vardai on April 25, 2025 at 11:24 am

The emerging blockchain industry lags behind the artificial intelligence sector in terms of job creation, but this hiring gap may narrow by 2030.Blockchain remains one of the smallest sectors in the tech industry, with about 300,000 global jobs, compared to 1.5 million in AI and machine learning and 25 million in software development, according to a new Bitget Research report shared with Cointelegraph.The blockchain sector added around 20,000 new jobs in 2024, according to job listings aggregated from platforms like LinkedIn, Web3 Jobs and Crypto Job List.Total workforce in tech industry. Source: Bitget ResearchWhile blockchain-based jobs had an average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45%, outpacing most traditional tech sectors, it trails the AI industry’s 57% CAGR, according to the report.The AI industry’s maturity and larger share of venture capital investment are the main reasons behind the hiring discrepancy, Vugar Usi Zade, chief operating officer of Bitget exchange, told Cointelegraph:“Venture investors put more than $100 billion into AI startups in 2024, with AI-centric titles topping a million vacancies worldwide,” Usi Zade said. “Blockchain companies, meanwhile, advertise barely 20,000 openings and drew only about $5.4 billion in new funding during the same period.”Regional blockchain market distribution. Source: Bitget ResearchRelated: Crypto firms moving into Wall Street territory amid ‘growing synergy’Blockchain may generate over 1 million jobs by 2030AI-related job listings have risen between 75% and 100% year-over-year, while blockchain job growth remains around the 45% to 60% growth range.Blockchain vs AI job listings growth. Source: Bitget ResearchBlockchain could exceed 1 million jobs by 2030 if it manages to scale at the same rate as AI-based roles, the report said.More regulatory clarity from laws such as Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) may encourage blockchain firms to increase their hiring efforts, Zade said:“Europe’s MiCA rule-book, live since December 2024, is already thawing hiring freezes; similar clarity in the United States and Asia would unlock global head-count plans.”“Second comes enterprise-grade performance: Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade cut typical layer-2 fees by more than 95%, signaling that blockchains can now handle corporate traffic at an acceptable cost,” he added.Related: Trump fought the bond market, the bond market won: Saifedean AmmousWhile blockchain-based jobs are poised for growth, “AI will naturally garner more talent in the next decade,” Jawad Ashraf, CEO of Vanar Chain, told Cointelegraph.“This is because AI’s market integration has been faster than any other modern technology we can remember,” he said. “If you look at blockchain, we’re still very much focused on integrating with TradFi and broader Web3 markets like gaming, real-world tokenization, etc.”He added: “Blockchain still hasn’t penetrated the more conventional consumer-oriented markets. It will, in the near future, but we are not there yet.”Blockchain and AI are not competing for talent“AI and blockchain aren’t competing for talent; they’re working together to create new opportunities,” Yakov Lebedev, chief business development officer at 3Commas, a trading automation solution, told Cointelegraph.Combining the two technologies enables “sophisticated financial tools accessible for everyone, not just big institutions, he said, adding:“Companies are paying top dollar for professionals who understand both AI and blockchain, recognizing the value of this cross-domain expertise.” Lebedev added that the integration of blockchain with AI is driving steady job growth in both fields, as financial and tech firms move integrated solutions from pilot programs into core operations.Thanks to the synergistic benefits of the two technologies, blockchain job growth may start mirroring the AI industry, according to Adi Ben-Ari, founder and CEO at Applied Blockchain, an AI-powered blockchain development firm.AI technology is “probabilistic and introduces uncertainty,” which creates more demand for blockchain and cryptographic technologies, he told Cointelegraph.“AI produces outcomes that are not always accurate, can be fake, and can sometimes be incorrect,” he said. “This new uncertainty needs to be countered by a technology that brings absolute certainty, and this is where blockchain and cryptography come in.”Ben-Ari added that blockchain’s ability to secure sensitive information through cryptography would become increasingly important as AI consumes larger amounts of personal data. LUNA payments to STIX protocol. Source: BasescanAI agents are already using cryptocurrency for autonomous transactions. On Dec. 16, 2024, Luna, an AI agent on Virtuals Protocol, paid another AI agent from STIX Protocol, in exchange for its image generation services — sending $1.77 worth of Virtual (VIRTUAL) tokens, onchain data shows.Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19

by Cointelegraph by Yashu Gola on April 25, 2025 at 10:36 am

Key Takeaways:BTC liquidation levels, onchain data and chart setups converge at the $100K target.Profitability has surged, suggesting a rebound in market confidence.BTC breakout patterns point to $100K as a short-squeeze and euphoria magnet.Bitcoin (BTC) is flashing multiple technical and onchain signals suggesting that a rally to $100,000 is possible by May. Here are five charts making the case for a near-term breakout.BTC double bottom hints at $100,600 targetBTC’s daily chart has formed a textbook double bottom, confirming a breakout above the neckline resistance at $87,643. The structure projects a measured move to $100,575 or above.BTC/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingViewMomentum indicators like the relative strength index (RSI) support this thesis, staying in bullish territory with more room to expand. Meanwhile, the 50- and 200-day exponential moving averages (EMAs) have flipped into support, offering additional tailwinds.Volume has remained steady post-breakout, showing that buyers are still in control. This setup creates a strong foundation for Bitcoin to push toward $100,600.Bull pennant setup eyes six-figure BTC priceOn the hourly timeframe, BTC consolidates inside a bull pennant following a sharp rally. This pattern indicates temporary indecision before the next leg higher. The target sits near $100,900.BTC/USD hourly price chart. Source: TradingViewThe pennant formed after a steep rise, suggesting that BTC price is likely coiling before resuming its up move. Despite the low volume, the structure remains intact and is supported by strong EMA alignment.A breakout above the pennant’s upper trendline could trigger fresh upside momentum, attracting short-term traders and algorithms targeting round-number breakouts.Bitcoin’s falling wedge breakout targets $102,000The three-day chart shows a completed falling wedge breakout, with the price breaking a key resistance zone near $94,000. The projected move targets $102,270.BTC/USD three-day price chart. Source: TradingViewFalling wedges are typically bullish reversal patterns, and BTC’s clean breakout above the upper trendline adds technical conviction. Price is also riding above the 50-3D EMA, a key trend signal.Volume surged during the breakout, suggesting strong buyer conviction. The $94,000-95,000 resistance is now capping Bitcoin’s upside attempts. Breaking it means BTC could deliver its complete measured move toward $100,000 quickly.Binance heatmap shows liquidity magnet at $100KLiquidation data reveals a thick cluster of short liquidations around the $100,000 level. These positions often act like a magnet, pulling the price toward them as market makers hunt for liquidity.BTC/USDT three-month liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlass If BTC continues climbing, it will pressure short sellers who may be forced to exit, triggering a cascade of buy orders.Related: $635M liquidated in 24H as trader predicts $100K Bitcoin short squeezeLiquidity maps often front-run price. With such dense activity near six figures, the path of least resistance appears upward in the near term.Bitcoin profitability increases post-breakoutAs of April 23, 87.3% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply was in profit, up from 82.7% when BTC last traded near $94,000 in early March, according to Glassnode data. The increase indicates that a significant portion of the Bitcoin supply changed hands at lower levels during the March correction, reflecting a fresh wave of accumulation.BTC percent supply in profit. Source: GlassnodeHistorically, when the Percent Supply in Profit remains above 90% for an extended period, markets tend to enter a euphoric phase. With profitability now nearing that threshold, bullish sentiment continues to build.Combined with bullish chart structures and concentrated short liquidity overhead, BTC remains positioned for a potential move toward $100,000 by May. 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 Michael Tabone on April 25, 2025 at 10:00 am

The tide of capital once destined for raw spot Bitcoin has begun to flow through institutional canals, spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs), structured products and wrapped exposure, and while the water is rising fast, the waves aren’t quite the same. Bloomberg’s senior ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, pointed out on X that there is a large movement in leveraged long ETFs and, at the same time, safer bets like gold and cash. Suppose one had to choose if Bitcoin (BTC) was a risk-on or risk-off asset. In that case, it may come down to how investors interpret its narrative, whether they see it as digital gold or another speculative vehicle.Bitcoin’s ETF ecosystem has entered a new phase of capital absorption. On April 23, 2025, daily inflows surpassed $912 million, setting a record for the year. This seemingly marked a dramatic return to bullish sentiment just weeks after prolonged outflows.But this surge is not just a simple return to form. What is taking shape is a strategic redistribution of investor positioning, one with structural implications that could temper the speculative heat familiar from past crypto bull cycles.Bitcoin, in 2025, is no longer a monolithic asset. It is a spectrum of exposure. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) was declared the “best new ETF product” by etf.com. From IBIT to derivatives, trusts and leveraged vehicles, the market is now defined by access mechanisms just as much as by price. That access may be soaking up energy that once fueled altcoin seasons, meme runs and vertical spot rallies.This is not a cycle of runaway liquidity. It is one of refined distribution.When exposure displaces ownershipSince the United States greenlit spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, over a dozen products have emerged. By April 2025, ETF inflows had become a primary barometer of market sentiment. Year-to-date, these ETFs have pulled in more than $2.57 billion in net inflows.The biggest single-day surge hit $978.6 million on Jan. 6. Conversely, Feb. 25 saw the largest outflow of the year at $937.9 million. Across 81 trading days in 2025 so far, only 37 have been net positive. The average daily net flow is a modest $31.8 million, suggesting that while institutional interest is robust, it remains volatile and dependent on external signals.These data points reveal a new structural rhythm. ETF capital tends to flow in pulses, reacting to macroeconomic headlines, not crypto-native momentum. Unlike 2021, when funding rates and leverage dominated market direction, today’s price action hinges on whether allocators view Bitcoin as a hedge, a risk asset or both.Related: A guide to crypto trading bots: Analyzing strategies and performanceThis new market plumbing is both a blessing and a bottleneck. Liquidity is deeper than ever, but it is not as kinetic. Long-horizon capital doesn’t chase candles. It waits for basis points. That creates a more stable floor but a lower ceiling. It also suppresses the retail euphoria that once catalyzed altseasons and speculative parabolas.The frontier has not disappeared — it has been absorbed.When everyone buys Bitcoin, but nobody buys riskThe same forces responsible for Bitcoin’s institutional ascent may also be strangling the lifeblood of altcoin speculation. One of the most notable shifts in 2025 is the absence of a classic altseason. In past cycles, BTC dominance would rise, then rotate into Ether (ETH), mid-caps and micro-caps. But this year, the cascade has stalled.Capital that would once have dripped into altcoins now stops at the ETF gateway. With the likes of Larry Fink floating a $700,000 BTC projection, the capital behind that optimism stayed in structured products. It went into IBIT, not Uniswap or a centralized exchange like Coinbase.ETF liquidity fragments exposure. Sovereign wealth funds buy Bitcoin. They do not ape into Solana NFTs. They buy ticker symbols and rebalance quarterly. Their entry provides stability but crowds out chaos, which has always been crypto’s native accelerant.Ether and Solana ETF proposals are now pending. If approved, they may not revive altseasons but institutionalize them. Instead of meme rotations, we may see ETF pair trades instead of MetaMask and Bloomberg terminals. This is capital concentration, not dispersion.Macro catalysts reinforce this trend. In both February and March, CPI prints exceeded expectations. Bitcoin ETFs saw inflows above $200 million on each release, turning inflation anxiety into passive accumulation. This behavior mirrors gold’s post-2008 ETF boom, when monetary policy began shaping commodity flows.Bitcoin has now entered that regime. It is still speculative but no longer wild. Still volatile and still increasingly calculable. The market still runs on belief but trades on compliance.Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Arijit Sarkar on April 25, 2025 at 9:43 am

Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron called for a fundamental shift in how decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols manage liquidity, labeling the sector’s ongoing liquidity crisis as “self-inflicted.” In an exclusive interview, Boiron outlined Polygon’s vision for sustainable DeFi, emphasizing chain-owned liquidity and transparent economic models as the path forward.Boiron criticized DeFi protocols for fueling a cycle of “mercenary capital” by offering sky-high annual percentage yields (APYs) through token emissions. “It’s just renting liquidity; it’s not real loyalty,” he told Cointelegraph, noting that such strategies lead to fleeting liquidity that vanishes when yields drop or token prices falter. This reliance on short-term hype, he argued, undermines the sector’s stability and deters institutional adoption.Chasing DeFi stability over hypeTo break that cycle, Boiron urged protocols to prioritize fundamentals over flashy returns. “Sustainable DeFi needs models where liquidity sticks around for the right reasons,” he said, pointing to Polygon’s POL token as a blueprint for achieving this.“Protocols can put their treasury to work, earning yield instead of diluting token value. Over time, this strengthens the treasury rather than just paying off temporary liquidity providers.”Polygon’s approach centers on chain-owned liquidity, where protocols build treasuries to directly own liquidity positions rather than relying on external providers. Unlike token emissions, which Boiron said attract liquidity quickly but dilute token value, owned liquidity offers long-term stability and capital efficiency.The only trade-off in the plan, according to Boiron, is time. He explained that building a treasury through captured fees, bond mechanisms or limited emissions requires patience and disciplined management.Polygon prepares to onboard traditional finance in cryptoFor traditional finance (TradFi), liquidity stability and predictability are prerequisites for full DeFi adoption:“Traditional finance runs on models that need stable, reliable market access. If a DeFi protocol suddenly loses liquidity or slippage spikes, it creates a level of risk most institutions just won’t take.”However, Boiron said that Polygon’s solutions — sustainable treasury management, owned liquidity and transparent models — are not just for institutions. “These are good financial fundamentals that work for any protocol,” he said, dismissing suggestions that Polygon’s strategy is too narrow to address DeFi’s broader issues.Related: Yemenis are turning to DeFi as US sanctions target Houthi groupBuilding a scalable blueprint for chain-owned liquidityAs Polygon pushes for a DeFi reset, Boiron remains optimistic about getting support from frameworks like Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation and evolving US guidance. “We’re 12–18 months away from seeing a lot more institutional involvement,” he predicted.Looking to 2026, Boiron envisions a more stable DeFi ecosystem with less volatility, stronger community governance and sophisticated financial products bridging TradFi and real-world assets. He said Polygon (POL) could reduce reliance on mercenary capital, fostering true decentralization.He added that POL is the foundation for long-term growth, as it helps protocols focus on building better products and keeping users engaged, instead of plugging liquidity gaps or diluting tokens to stay afloat:“POL doesn’t solve everything on its own, but it gives protocols the breathing room to tackle bigger challenges like user retention and capital inflows the right way.”Boiron’s core message to DeFi protocols is clear: “Sustainable economics always win in the long run.” While market pressures make it tempting to chase high APYs, he noted that surviving protocols from past cycles prove the value of sustainability. “More teams are starting to get it,” he said, urging the ecosystem to adopt models that prioritize long-term growth over fleeting buzz.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

by Cointelegraph by Adrian Zmudzinski on April 25, 2025 at 9:40 am

Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried, the disgraced co-founder of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, to a low-security US federal correctional institutionBankman-Fried was moved to the low-security Terminal Island federal correctional institution. Previously, he was located at the Victorville medium-security facility, a notoriously violent place, according to prison consultant firm Elizabeth Franklin-Best.Samuel Goldfaden, a partner at the crypto-centric lawfirm, DLT Law told Cointelegraph that while his previous facility was violent, BankmanFried had been held in a safer part of the facility, adding:“Sam Bankman-Fried spent most of his detention in the more secure dorm units of MDC Brooklyn, reportedly alongside other high-profile inmates such as Sean P. Diddy to ensure his safety.“Terminal Island FCI review. Source: Elizabeth Franklin-BestIn “good” companyTerminal Island is located in San Pedro, California and houses involved in financial crime. According to Franklin, notable inmates at the facility include ormer stockbroker Anthony Elgindy (wire fraud, racketeering, securities fraud and extortion) and internet music entrepreneur Mouli Cohen (wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasionNew York ttorney Aaron Brogan told Cointelegraph that Bankman-Fried’s “non-violent record may well have been incorporated into a risk score” which led him to this low-security facility. His alleged autism, on the other hand, was unlikely to have had an influence despite layers playing it as a card:“I've heard reports that describe Sam as autistic, but that is within a particular subclinical contemporary lens — autism can be a debilitating condition, but Sam graduated from MIT, founded multiple billion-dollar companies, and successfully defrauded millions of people.“Goldfaden suggested a tie between Bankman-Fried’s interview with political commentator Tucker Carlson, which was not approved by prison authorities and followed by solitary confinement. He highlighted that shortly after the interview,“was transferred, to improved conditions and moved closer to his family.A win for the FTX co-founderBrogan pointed out that lower security facilities are usually “nicer” and said that as a result he is less likely to become a victim of violent crime. will probably have a “slightly easier” time communicating with his attorneys.Still, Brogan said that those are suppositions that are likely to be true, but not guaranteed and the change may be negative for Bankman-Fried instead:“It is hard to say from the outside, but generally one would expect lower security prisons to make such communication less challenging.“The timeline of the FTX co-founder’s appeal will not be affected by the move, his pardon-seeking. The move also raises questions about the markedly different safety and rehabilitation environments that inmates guilty of non-violent offences find themselves in.Still, Brogan said that is “the nature of the United States prison system.” He highlighted that “the prison system treats all inmates unfairly, and almost nobody cares.” He :“This is a punishment and the mass of people want it to be hard. There is some threshold of human decency, but nothing that has happened to Sam approaches that.“

by Cointelegraph by Ezra Reguerra on April 25, 2025 at 9:13 am

Non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace OpenSea regained its position as the leading platform for digital collectible trading, even as overall market activity declined.Data tracker NFTScan shows that OpenSea has held the top spot in NFT marketplace trading volume for the last 30 days. According to the data, OpenSea holds more than 40% of the market’s trading volume, while Blur, its largest competitor, is at 23%. NFT platform Magic Eden has a 7.69% market share, while OKX NFTs have a 5% market share. The data tracker also shows that in the last month, almost 70% of the wallets transacting with NFTs engaged with OpenSea. More than 610,000 wallets used OpenSea. In the last three months, OpenSea had over 2.1 million wallets engaging with its platform. By comparison, wallets engaging with Magic Eden, Blur and OKX NFT reached a combined market share of 17%, about 103,000 wallets. In the last three months, the platforms had a total of 380,000 wallets trading NFTs on their platforms. NFT marketplace wallet distribution data. Source: NFTScanOpenSea regained NFT dominance amid platform developmentsIn the last quarter of 2024, OpenSea promoted the launch of its new platform OS2. OpenSea co-founder and CEO Devin Finzer said they would “reimagine everything,” and that a new version would come in December.  On Feb. 13, OpenSea launched the open beta for OS2, allowing the public to finally use its platform after a period of reserved access for private beta users. The NFT marketplace also teased the launch of the project’s official token, SEA. Apart from launching a revamped NFT marketplace, the project ventured into crypto token trading. On April 19, the platform announced that it had opened its Solana trading access for all its users, skipping a scheduled closed beta phase limited to 50,000 users. The new feature allows OpenSea users to trade Solana tokens, including popular memecoins like Bonk and Ai16z. In addition to platform developments, the NFT marketplace had also been freed from regulatory scrutiny. On Feb. 22, Finzer said the US Securities and Exchange Commission had dropped its investigation into the digital collectible marketplace. Related: Polygon NFTs overtake Ethereum collectibles in 7-day salesNFT sales dropped 61% in the first quarter of 2025 OpenSea is regaining its market dominance amid a slowdown in NFT sales volumes. CryptoSlam data shows that in Q1 2025, NFT sales volumes reached $1.5 billion. This represented a 61% decline compared to the $4.1 billion volume in the same period in 2024. Despite declining sales volumes, some metrics show that NFTs are still interesting to many traders. CryptoSlam shows over 359,000 NFT buyers in the last seven days, a 52% increase compared to the previous week. Furthermore, despite the volume slowdown, some collections have shown signs of life. In the last seven days, CryptoPunks surged 82% in sales. In the last 30 days, the collection reached almost $20 million in sales volumes. Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Laddin on April 25, 2025 at 8:51 am

When Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple had the idea to make the documentary film Vitalik: An Ethereum Story, they were actually filming another documentary, and over the course of their filmmaking journey, they ended up capturing both a deeper, human look at the world of crypto and an end product that serves as a use case for the future of crypto filmmaking.When crafting a documentary, filmmakers will typically start with a vision of what they’d like to explore, a vision often saddled with a set of assumptions, only to shatter that vision once filming begins, creating an entirely new direction for the project.It’s a creative evolution that filmmakers Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple also experienced while making the documentary feature This Is Not Financial Advice, during which they realized they had an entirely different film on their hands.“While we were making that film, we wanted to interview Vitalik Buterin,” Ingrasci said to me during a recent interview. “We got connected to him, but as soon as we met him, we were really inspired by his unique form of tech optimism and how he broke stereotypes we’d had of the crypto space. He was a billionaire but very humble, funny, quirky and truly committed to his values of decentralization. That was very inspiring for us — so much so, we thought we should make a piece about Vitalik or about the Ethereum community at large.”Temple and Ingrasci (left to right) while filming their PBS feature “Five Years North.” Source: OptimistBut Ingrasci and Temple weren’t crypto-native filmmakers — rather, they were individuals interested in technology and communities using technology in new ways, and Vitalik and Ethereum just happened to check both of those boxes.The human touch in techIngrasci and Temple then went out and launched a non-fungible token (NFT) crowdfunding campaign, raising almost $2 million in 50 hours, allowing them to get started quickly in the summer of 2021 during the height of the NFT boom.“It allowed us to own the film without being beholden to any stakeholder, platform or middleman who would otherwise be directing the content of the film,” Temple said. “It was an amazing opportunity to spend over two years following Vitalik — a global nomad — all around the world.”Temple and Ingrasci followed Buterin to Ukraine, Montenegro, Toronto and Colombia, trying to understand the man behind the technology. They even spent time with Buterin’s father and his family members, diving into the history of his family emigrating from Russia to Canada.“We wanted to understand how Vitalik’s upbringing had affected his values,” Temple said. “We spent time talking with folks in the Ethereum community, with Vitalik’s friends and others, trying to paint this deeper picture and understand how the creators of crypto technologies affect the end product. How are they coding their values, blindspots and interests into the end result?”‘Vitalik: An Ethereum Story’ premiered globally on April 15. Source: OptimistFrom the beginning, Temple and Ingrasci’s main goal was to create a piece that would be accessible to a mainstream audience, one that could help translate some of the values and interesting things they were seeing in the Ethereum community in a way that a non-crypto native person could understand.But they didn’t really know what that meant or what it would lead to initially since they were following different stories and different people within the Ethereum ecosystem. As they were editing the documentary together, they started testing it with people who knew nothing about crypto, who, as expected, were very confused.“It’s so difficult to create a documentary that’s accessible and entertaining for people who know nothing about the crypto space, but we saw very clearly in the feedback from these early screenings that when people could connect to someone — especially Vitalik, who is so likeable and inspiring — it creates an entry point to then get into these more abstract concepts,” Ingrasci said.“We did not set out to make the film only about Vitalik, and I don’t think the film is only about Vitalik,” Ingrasci told Cointelegraph.“Vitalik is our human hook, our human story about someone who is going to surprise you, break your stereotypes about crypto, and leave you a little more excited than you thought you would be after watching this film.”According to Ingrasci, Buterin’s favorite scenes in the film were when he was drinking tea or making breakfast — being his normal, quirky, funny self.“That’s what makes this film entertaining, watchable and human,” Ingrasci said. “When someone is willing to be natural on camera with us as filmmakers, it creates a much more human story rather than this very intellectual version of Vitalik that we were already very aware of.”Related: Institutions break up with Ethereum but keep ETH on the hookDeveloping a crypto use case for filmDuring the filming of Vitalik, Buterin’s father talked to the filmmakers about how, growing up, Buterin’s favorite toy was the computer, and his favorite thing was to play with Excel. “When he was seven years old, he actually built a 100-page manifesto that was an imaginary world for bunnies,” Temple said. “It had their financial systems, energy systems and was full of graphs and tables — an amazing creation for a seven-year-old’s mind. I think to so many of the people we shared this with, it helps people connect to the world of Ethereum as a new world being built. If you can imagine Vitalik as a seven-year-old building this whole new imaginary world, that’s what he’s trying to build again with Ethereum.”It’s all part of Buterin’s hope for Ethereum creating real utility in the world, something Ingrasci felt was epitomized when Buterin visited Ukraine.“When he went to Ukraine, he was talking to the vice prime minister, Fedorov, and it quickly became apparent that the banking system at the beginning of the war was in shambles,” Ingrasci said. “Without crypto, thousands of lives in the military would have been lost because crypto was able to get money very quickly to the front lines and was able to mobilize across borders, raising over $130 million for Ukraine to resist this invasion. When Vitalik was there visiting Kyiv during the war, he got to see this thing he helped create being used in this incredibly important way, and that’s where that world-building came into reality. It was an emotional moment to witness just how powerful it was.”In many ways it’s because Buterin is simply a child at play, tapping into his inner youthful creativity, only now with an adult mind and body and the relationships and resources to execute on his ideas.“Vitalik has said he’s a builder and a thinker first and foremost,” Temple said. “An interesting tension for him during filming was how people looked to him to be something more, to be this leader and representative of the entire crypto movement. Throughout the film, he wrestles with how much to use his voice, how much to become a leader and how much to speak out against things he doesn’t always agree with. He eventually does decide to speak out against speculation and say that he doesn’t think Ethereum was designed to trade million-dollar monkeys and that there’s a lot more we can do to fix systems and help people.”It’s a humanizing element of a pedestaled tech founder, epitomizing how at times we all struggle with speaking up on our values — especially when those values are different or run counter to the dynamics of our own social circles and society at large.And that’s the power of Vitalik. The film is not just about crypto; it’s about the human stories that can resonate beyond the immediate environment the film is in — crypto just happens to be the backdrop.Quite a bold story to tell by a couple of “non-native” crypto filmmakers.“We’ve actually used crypto for a lot of elements in the distribution process for this film, which is exciting because the documentary space is broken,” Ingrasci said. “For an independent documentary to happen, it’s just so difficult these days. A lot of streamers have a lot of control over the film you ultimately make, but because we were able to crypto-crowdfund in the beginning on Mirror, we were able to have creative control over the film.”Related: Dark Knight & Superman writer launches AI-powered crypto film universeIngrasci and Temple executed a movie trailer drop through Zora and an early onchain release of the film this past September on Bonfire, both powered by Web3, which helped raise the funds the duo is currently using to market the documentary to mainstream audiences.“A lot of independent filmmakers have zero marketing budget; there’s very little money in documentaries. But instead [because of our crypto-crowdfunding], we’re able to really make sure the trailer, the message and the film gets out there.”In this way, Ingrasci and Temple have created a sub-narrative around the making of a film using crypto-native tools, providing a real-world use case for other filmmakers on how they, too, might find success by utilizing blockchain platforms for the creation of their own film projects.“I think there’s so much potential for these tools to have a big impact on filmmakers, though we’re still at the beginning,” said Ingrasci. “It’s still difficult to understand, and the complexities are not abstracted away enough. The short initial onchain release of the film — while a testament — was very difficult for people who were not in crypto to access it.”But ultimately, the decentralized theatrical release of the film occurred in 24 countries and 30 cities all around the world, all on the same night.“At the premiere in New York where we were, somebody came up to me and was, like, ‘I feel like I can share this with someone, and they’ll finally understand what I do for a living and why I do it,’” Temple said. “Those kinds of reactions — the ‘I feel seen’ and ‘I feel understood as a technologist’ — as a filmmaker, hearing those reactions from people who are trying to build new systems is the dream.”Ingrasci, producer Jenna Kelly, co-producer Linda Xie, producer Carrie Weprin, and Temple at the premiere in New York. Source: OptimistFor Ingrasci and Temple, the dream continues to evolve, with their film now available all around the world on mainstream platforms such as Apple and Prime Video.“If the goal is to be able to make a film you can send to your mom — while she might not understand what Ethereum is, she’ll understand why you’re interested in this thing — so I think we did that,” Ingrasci said.“Vitalik believes technology can be used to make our lives better, especially today when there’s a lot of polarization and cynicism surrounding blockchain tech and questions around if it’s worth it. If we use these technologies in good ways and invest the energy into finding real use cases for them, it can make our lives better, and Vitalik showed us these are questions worth asking.”Magazine: 3 reasons Ethereum could turn a corner: Kain Warwick, X Hall of Flame

by Cointelegraph by Amin Haqshanas on April 25, 2025 at 8:27 am

The planning commission of Vilonia, Arkansas, unanimously rejected a proposal to establish a cryptocurrency mining facility within the city limits, following strong opposition from residents.According to local reports, the decision came after weeks of community pushback, where citizens voiced concerns over potential noise pollution, increased energy consumption and the overall environmental impact associated with crypto-mining operations.During public meetings, Vilonia residents expressed concern that the mining operation could disrupt the town’s quiet atmosphere and strain local infrastructure.Many pointed to examples from other regions where similar facilities led to rising electricity costs and constant noise from mining rigs.“I just want to ask, like, did we make a mistake moving here? We’re not asking these people to come here. I grew up here. I graduated from Vilonia, and we [are] Arkansas, the natural state, not Arkansas, the Bitcoin state,” one community member told THV11.Vilonia community members oppose a new crypto mine in their town. Source: YouTubeRelated: Crypto startups no longer welcome in Nvidia’s accelerator programVilonia has a history of rejecting crypto miningVilonia has confronted the prospect of crypto mining before. In previous years, residents expressed disinterest in hosting miners, citing long-term sustainability concerns and minimal local economic benefits.In 2023, the city’s planning commission denied Vilo AR permission to build a crypto mine in town and revoked its permit permanently.The same year, Vilonia residents voiced strong opposition to a crypto-mining facility proposed by Green Digital near residential areas, citing concerns over constant loud noise from powerful mining computers and potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party.In 2024, the Arkansas State House passed two bills that restrict cryptocurrency mining within the state.Related: Bitdeer turns to self-mining Bitcoin, US operations amid tariff tumult — ReportIn January, Arkansas lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban crypto mining operations within 30 miles of any US military facility in the state.Senate Bill (SB 60) was introduced by Senator Ricky Hill and House Speaker Brian Evans, aiming to amend the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023 to keep crypto mining facilities away from military installations. However, the Arkansas Senate’s City, County and Local Affairs Committee eventually rejected the bill.The opposition to crypto mining centers in Arkansas follows a broader trend across various US municipalities where crypto-mining initiatives have faced increasing scrutiny.In October 2024, a group of residents in Granbury, Texas, filed a lawsuit against Marathon Digital, alleging that its mining facility generated too much noise.The lawsuit claimed that residents were experiencing physical symptoms from the noise, including fatigue, headaches, nausea, hearing loss, memory issues and even psychological problems.Magazine: Crypto AI tokens surge 34%, why ChatGPT is such a kiss-ass: AI Eye

on April 25, 2025 at 8:19 am

A man has been swept off rocks at Cape Schanck south of Melbourne in another Easter-Anzac Day beach tragedy in Australia.

by Cointelegraph by Brayden Lindrea on April 25, 2025 at 8:15 am

More than 19,800 CloneX digital avatars developed by non-fungible token firm RTFKT Studios have reappeared after Cloudflare blacked out the NFTs for apparently violating its terms of service.“This content has been restricted. Using Cloudflare’s basic service in this manner is a violation of the Terms of Service. Please visit cfl.re/tos to learn more,” the message read on April 24.RTFKT’s head of tech, Samuel Cardillo, has refuted claims that it missed a payment, attributing the issue to changes happening with RTFKT’s “current Cloudflare setup.”NFT content creator Wale Swoosh earlier speculated that RTFKT may have subscribed to an inadequate Cloudflare plan for high-traffic image serving. Cloudflare offers a range of web infrastructure services.Source: Wale SwooshMost of the CloneX NFTs have started to reappear, according to Cardillo, who added that Cloudflare has fixed the issue.However, the incident sparked considerable outrage from some CloneX holders, including one NFT holder who spent $1.25 million on a CloneX NFT.Source: mOpO680The issue prompted Cardillo to find a more decentralized solution to host the NFTs.“I am working closely with ArDrive to decentralize both CloneX and Animus to ensure that post-30 April, no downtime of your favorite art ever happen again.”In a separate post, Cardillo said CloneX would specifically move to the decentralized data storage platform Arweave.Cardillo is RTFKT’s last man standing since the firm shuttered in JanuaryRTFKT — which pioneered virtual sneakers and was bought out by Nike in December 2021 — has largely been a one-man show since the shoe maker shuttered its operations in January.“Keep in mind that I am the last man standing and therefore I am doing it all myself,” Cardillo said in response to a flood of complaints shortly after the incident occurred.RTFKT confirmed its closure with an ambiguous letter, claiming it “isn’t ending” and would become what it has always meant to be — an “artifact of cultural revolution.”No substantial developments at RTFKT have come about since the December announcement.Related: Polygon NFTs overtake Ethereum collectibles in 7-day salesSeveral NFT marketplaces have also shuttered in recent months.DraftKings, GameStop and crypto exchange Bybit all closed their NFT marketplaces, with Bybit citing falling NFT trading volumes in its April 8 announcement.X2Y2 also recently announced that its NFT marketplace would shut down on April 30 as the firm looks to pivot into artificial intelligence.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

by Samantha Goerling on April 25, 2025 at 8:08 am

A search and rescue operation is underway at Salmon Holes, near Albany, after reports of a man falling off a cliff and into the water on Friday afternoon. 

by Sarah Forster and Shauna Foley on April 25, 2025 at 7:32 am

Family friends of Audrey Griffin, who is believed to have been murdered on the NSW Central Coast last month, say they have mixed emotions following the death of the man accused of her killing.

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 25, 2025 at 7:26 am

Key takeaways:Bitcoin trades within a narrowing range between $91,000 and $94,500 over the last three days.A rare divergence between rising open interest and negative funding rates could set up a short squeeze.BTC price must establish $95,000 as new support to continue the uptrend.Bitcoin (BTC) price has been consolidating within a tight $91,700- $94,490 range since April 22. However, expert opinions and indicators suggest that Bitcoin’s choppy price action could soon end. The key question remains when Bitcoin will break out of consolidation.BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBTC funding rates hint at potential short squeezeOne of the most significant signs that consolidation will end soon is the presence of negative funding rates in its futures markets.While the recent recovery in Bitcoin price was accompanied by a 15% rise in open interest, average funding rates declined, suggesting rising short interest.Bitcoin’s funding rates dropped to as low as -0.023% as the price tapped $94,700. This indicates a growing bias toward short-side positioning, indicating that many traders are betting against the uptrend.This suggests that futures traders are “potentially viewing the recent move as overextended,”  Glassnode said in its latest Week Onchain report, adding:“This divergence between rising open interest and negative funding sets the stage for a possible short squeeze scenario if upward momentum continues.”Bitcoin open interest and funding Rates. Source: GlassnodeA short squeeze occurs when prices rise sharply, forcing traders with short positions to buy back contracts to cover losses. Often triggered by unexpected market events or supply constraints, this buying pressure further drives prices up, trapping short sellers.Commenting on this, analysts at Jlabs Digital said that “a rally with negative funding and rising OI is rare and bullish.”“Until that flips, the momentum has room to run despite some caution signals we see elsewhere.”Bitcoin must break $95K to end consolidationAccording to one popular crypto analyst, Bitcoin may continue consolidating in its current range for a bit longer, particularly if the resistance at $95,000 is not broken.“Bitcoin consolidating under resistance,” said market analyst AlphaBTC in an April 25 post on X.He referred to the resistance at $95,000, which capped Bitcoin’s latest rally. As Cointelegraph reported, $95,000 remains the next significant resistance. Until it is reclaimed, AlphaBTC says that the price is likely to continue consolidating within the $93,000-$95,000 range before moving higher.“The best case is $BTC consolidating and building a base before pushing higher to take liquidity above 100k.”BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: AlphaBTCAnalyst Jelle shared similar sentiments, saying Bitcoin’s current consolidation cycle could continue until the price breaks above $94,000.“Bitcoin is slowly munching its way through the monster resistance zone,” Jelle said in an April 24 post on X, highlighting the weekly resistance around $95,000.“Impressive strength. A break above $94K and this sends a lot higher.”BTC/USD daily chart. Source: JelleThe breakout could come in the next few days as April ends. QCP Capital said, "Call options at $95K strikes for end-April and end-May expiries have dominated flow, pointing to a tactical appetite for further upside.”In an April 25 Telegram note to investors, the investment firm said:“With macro risks temporarily subdued and trade tensions cooling, BTC is likely to consolidate in a narrow $90K–$94.5K range while awaiting a catalyst for a decisive push toward the elusive $100K mark.”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 Grace Burmas on April 25, 2025 at 7:24 am

Outgoing WA Senator Linda Reynolds is suing the Commonwealth over a payment it made to Brittany Higgins, which she claims gave validity to accusations her former staffer had made against her. 

on April 25, 2025 at 6:59 am

They didn't know each other before the earthquake. Now, after losing a leg each, they have found something strong, friendship. 

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 25, 2025 at 6:14 am

A subgroup of the North Korea-linked hacker organization Lazarus set up three shell companies, two in the United States, to deliver malware to unsuspecting users.The three sham crypto consulting firms — BlockNovas, Angeloper Agency and SoftGlide — are being used by the North Korean hacker group Contagious Interview to distribute malware through fake job interviews, Silent Push threat analysts said in an April 24 report.Silent Push senior threat analyst Zach Edwards said in an April 24 statement to X that two shell companies are registered as legitimate businesses in the US.“These websites and a huge network of accounts on hiring / recruiting websites are being used to trick people into applying for jobs,” he said.“During the job application process an error message is displayed as someone tries to record an introduction video. The solution is an easy click fix copy and paste trick, which leads to malware if the unsuspecting developer completes the process.”During the sham job interview, an error message is displayed, requiring the user to click, copy, and paste to fix it, which leads to the malware infection. Source: Zach EdwardsThree strains of malware — BeaverTail, InvisibleFerret and Otter Cookie — are being used according to Silent Push.BeaverTail is malware primarily designed for information theft and to load further stages of malware. OtterCookie and InvisibleFerret mainly target sensitive information, including crypto wallet keys and clipboard data.Silent Push analysts said in the report that hackers use GitHub job listing's and freelancer websites to look for victims, among others. AI used to create fake employees The ruse also involves the hackers using AI-generated images to create profiles of employees for the three front crypto companies and stealing images of real people.“There are numerous fake employees and stolen images from real people being used across this network. We’ve documented some of the obvious fakes and stolen images, but it’s very important to appreciate that the impersonation efforts from this campaign are different,” Edwards said.“In one of the examples, the threat actors took a real photo from a real person, and then appeared to have run it through an AI image modifier tool to create a subtly different version of that same image.”Related: Fake Zoom malware steals crypto while it’s ‘stuck’ loading, user warnsThis malware campaign has been ongoing since 2024. Edwards says there are known public victims. Silent Push identified two developers targeted by the campaign; one of them reportedly had their MetaMask wallet compromised. The FBI has since shut down at least one of the companies.“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) acquired the Blocknovas domain, but Softglide is still live, along with some of their other infrastructure,” Edwards said.Source: Zach EdwardsAt least three crypto founders have reported in March that they foiled an attempt from alleged North Korean hackers to steal sensitive data through fake Zoom calls.Groups such as the Lazarus Group are the prime suspects in some of the biggest cyber thefts in Web3, including the Bybit $1.4 billion hack and the $600 million Ronin network hack.Magazine: Lazarus Group’s favorite exploit revealed — Crypto hacks analysis

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 25, 2025 at 6:09 am

Key TakeawaysBitcoin Standard author Saifedean Ammous says that even if one entity owned a huge amount of Bitcoin, it wouldn’t hurt the protocolAmmous reiterated major companies like BlackRock and Strategy don’t own the Bitcoin they hold since it belongs to the investorsAmmous said if these companies ever abused their position, people would likely pull their money and invest somewhere else. Michael Saylor’s Strategy hypothetically hoarding nearly 48% of Bitcoin’s total supply wouldn’t pose any risk to the Bitcoin protocol or its price, says Bitcoin Standard author Saifedean Ammous.“If Michael Saylor ends up with 10 million Bitcoin, what is he going to do? He’s likely just going to leverage them to buy more Bitcoin,” Ammous said during an April 25 interview with crypto entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano.Ammous dismisses Bitcoin hoarders posing risks“Ultimately, I don’t see how it would threaten the protocol in the serious sense,” Ammous said.Ammous said if Saylor managed to accumulate 10 million Bitcoin (BTC), he would be unlikely to “wake up one day and say let’s try and hard fork this so we can make another 5 million Bitcoin supply so that I can have 15.” He reiterated it would diminish the value of his existing 10 million Bitcoin.Bitcoin is trading at $93,250 at the time of publication. Source: CoinMarketCapSeveral crypto market participants have previously raised concerns about Bitcoin whales and at what point their holdings could lead to risks like market manipulation, centralization, or liquidity issues.At the time of publication, Saylor’s firm Strategy holds 538,200 Bitcoin, worth approximately $50.18 billion, according to Saylor Tracker. Meanwhile, the BlackRock iShares spot Bitcoin ETF has net assets worth $54.48 billion, which equates to roughly 585,000 Bitcoin, according to BlackRock data.Strategy paid an average of $67,793 per Bitcoin. Source: Saylor TrackerCollectively, the two firms hold approximately 5.3% of the total Bitcoin supply. However, Ammous said this is not a cause for concern. “It’s not like Michael Saylor or Larry Fink owns all those Bitcoins. They have shareholders who own all those Bitcoins, or ETF holders that own those Bitcoins.”“To the extent that BlackRock and Strategy hold those, they hold those because they are doing their fiduciary share of duties to their shareholders and the ETF holders in a satisfactory way,” Ammous added.Related: ARK Invest ups its 2030 Bitcoin bull case prediction to $2.4MAmmous explained that if BlackRock or Strategy ever started to manage their holdings in a way that’s harmful to shareholders or ETF holders, or starts abusing their position, that’s when investors would sell and look for other ways to gain exposure to Bitcoin.On April 24, Cointelegraph reported that Twenty One Capital, a new Bitcoin treasury company led by Strike founder Jack Mallers with the support of Tether, SoftBank and Cantor Fitzgerald, is looking to supplant Strategy to become the “superior vehicle for investors seeking capital-efficient Bitcoin exposure.”Magazine: Crypto AI tokens surge 34%, why ChatGPT is such a kiss-ass: AI EyeThis 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 Madeleine Stuchbery on April 25, 2025 at 6:03 am

Police are investigating the incident, but locals in the Victorian town of Loch are calling for the plaques to be returned with no questions asked.

by Cointelegraph by Jesse Coghlan on April 25, 2025 at 5:51 am

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is looking to drop its unregistered securities lawsuit against blockchain firm Dragonchain in the agency’s latest crypto-related backdown. In a joint stipulation filed with Dragonchain on April 24 in a Seattle federal court, the SEC said it “believes the dismissal of this case is appropriate,” citing the work of the agency’s Crypto Task Force in helping “develop the regulatory framework for crypto assets.”“The Commission and the Defendants stipulate that this Litigation be dismissed with prejudice [...] and without costs or fees to either party,” the filing reads.The SEC sued Dragonchain, Inc.; its backer, the Dragonchain Foundation; The Dragon Company; and Dragonchain’s founder, Joseph Roets, in August 2024, claiming they raised $16.5 million through a crypto token that was an unregistered securities offering.According to the SEC, the Dragonchain (DRGN) tokens raised $14 million in an August 2017 presale and an initial coin offering (ICO) that ran in October and November of that year. At the time, it said the company needed to register as the tokens were investment contracts under securities laws. The SEC said a further $2.5 million worth of DRGN was sold between 2019 and 2022, which it alleged was used to cover business expenses and develop the firm’s tech. The suit was stayed in October after Dragonchain made a settlement offer to the SEC, which was extended in January after the agency said the case should remain paused due to US President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order earlier that month calling for the country’s “leadership in digital assets.”Meanwhile, the DRGN token has jumped 95% over the past day to over 8.5 cents on news of the SEC’s planned dismissal, but it’s still down around 98.5% from its $5.46 peak in January 2018, according to CoinGecko.Dragonchain’s token jumped after the SEC filed to dismiss its lawsuit. Source: CoinGeckoSEC backs off crypto under TrumpIt’s the latest case involving crypto that the SEC has abandoned under the Trump administration.The SEC spun up a Crypto Task Force in January, the day after Trump re-entered the White House, to lead the regulator’s engagement with the crypto industry.Related: SEC task force met with Trump-supporting firms to discuss crypto regulation An agency memo shows its task force met with Dragonchain representatives on March 24 to discuss how the SEC should approach handling crypto.The SEC has also dismissed some of its most high-profile lawsuits against crypto firms, including its actions against Coinbase, Ripple and Kraken.It’s also dropped investigations into other crypto firms, including OpenSea, Crypto.com and Immutable, with no further action planned.Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered 

on April 25, 2025 at 5:39 am

South Sydney's 27-year winless run in Melbourne will last at least another season and their defeat to the Storm was worsened by a high tackle from Latrell Mitchell which will likely see the star fullback suspended. 

by Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte on April 25, 2025 at 5:17 am

Ethereum core developers are considering a four times increase in the layer 1 gas limit as one of the key features for the next hard fork after Pectra, known as Fusaka.The devs are proposing to test a raise in Ethereum’s gas limit to 150 million by the Fusaka hard fork, according to Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 9678, introduced on April 23 by Sophia Gold, a developer on the protocol support team at the Ethereum Foundation. During the last All Core Devs Execution (ACDE) meeting, there were discussions to make the gas limit increase a “key feature” of Fusaka, Ethereum core developer Tim Beiko said in an April 24 meeting summary. “To align on client defaults and keep this as a priority, we’ve drafted an EIP. It’s a bit unconventional, but not unprecedented (see EIP-7840). We plan to get it merged early next week and formally SFI it on the next ACDE,” Beiko said. “As we continue this work, we expect to identify changes that need to be made in-protocol to support a higher gas limit. This implies adding more EIPs to Fusaka, even though the fork scope is final.”Source: Tim BeikoThe next Ethereum upgrade, Pectra, is scheduled to go live on the mainnet in May. Fusaka has been flagged as possibly going online in late 2025.Gas limit increase a priority ahead of FusakaAs part of the motivation for increasing the gas limit, the developers said there was great interest in scaling layer 1 execution and that it could likely be done without implementing any new features.However, the move requires guidance from execution layer developers because “we expect to find bugs in clients at higher gas limits than currently used on mainnet,” which will “require time from client developers both to test and to fix any bugs that arise, therefore it makes sense to include as an EIP in a hard fork to commit to this.”The developers behind the EIP say client developers will need time to test and fix any bugs that arise while increasing the gas limit. Source: GitHub“While the gas limit is ultimately set by validators, we agreed that having an EIP to coordinate client defaults would help keep this a priority and ensure all clients update their defaults by the time Fusaka goes live,” Beiko said.Related: Vitalik Buterin says the app layer needs ‘good social philosophy’ mostThe average Ethereum gas limit was around 30 million after increasing in August 2021, according to data on Ycharts. Validators supported raising the network’s gas limit on Feb. 4, increasing the maximum amount of gas used for transactions in a single Ethereum block. It’s just under 36 million at the moment, Ycharts data shows. Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

by James Taylor and Lucy Loram on April 25, 2025 at 4:54 am

More than a century after hospital ship TSS Maheno was wrecked on the shores of K'gari (Fraser Island), families of its crew have gathered for a special Anzac Day ceremony.  

by Melissa Martin, Carly Cook, and Keely Johnson on April 25, 2025 at 4:38 am

Police have charged a 22-year-old man with murder over the fatal shooting of Ekampreet Sahni Singh, 18, in a Newcastle car park on Wednesday night.

by Matt Garrick on April 25, 2025 at 4:38 am

The organisation representing Darwin's Aboriginal traditional owners is urging remote community leaders, alongside the territory’s land councils, to join forces to help stamp out violent crime in the NT capital.

by Andrew McGarry and Chris De Silva on April 25, 2025 at 4:18 am

Adelaide faces a nervous wait to determine the severity of Riley Thilthorpe's hand injury after an 18-point loss to Fremantle in Perth.

by Emma Field and Selina Green on April 25, 2025 at 4:04 am

Anzac Day marks the traditional start for planting winter crops, but this year farmers are hoping for rain as they begin planting their crops in the dry.

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 25, 2025 at 3:53 am

Key takeaways:Crypto market sentiment hit a two-month high with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index returning to “Greed” territory on April 23. Despite Bitcoin’s price hold, the sentiment score is gradually declining, and analysts are expressing doubt over the rally’s sustainability.The crypto market remains Bitcoin-heavy, with its dominance above 64%, strong ETF inflows and a low altcoin season score.Bitcoin’s several-day surge above $90,000 pushed crypto market sentiment to its highest point in more than two months on April 23, but it’s gradually tapering off again as analysts air concerns about the sustainability of Bitcoin’s rally.On April 23, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index clocked a score of 72 out of 100, putting it in the “Greed” zone as Bitcoin (BTC) returned above the $90,000 level. However, as of April 25, the score has fallen to 60 despite the relatively stable price. Crypto sentiment at two-month high The last time the index hit this score was on Feb. 4, around the same time US President Donald Trump introduced tariffs and Bitcoin fell below $100,000. Bitcoin has since reclaimed the $90,000 price level for the first time since March 6. Bitcoin is trading at $93,130 at the time of publication. Source: CoinMarketCapHowever, despite Bitcoin trading between $91,800 and $94,304 over the past two days, sentiment within the “Greed” territory has been gradually cooling off, with the index falling to April 24 and 60 on April 25.The slight pullback follows warnings from several crypto analysts who remain cautious about the Bitcoin rally, including 10x Research's head of research, Markus Thielen, who isn’t yet convinced of a rally.“Given that our stablecoin minting indicator has yet to return to high-activity levels, we remain cautious about the sustainability of the current Bitcoin rally,” Thielen said on April 23.Meanwhile, Bitfinex analysts said on April 24 that while Bitcoin’s relative strength against US equities “appears real,” it is yet to be confirmed as structural.However, others are more bullish. MN Trading Capital founder Michaël van de Poppe said on April 24 that “buyers are likely going to step in, and then we’ll be continuing our path toward a new [all-time high].”Related: Bitcoin ‘short squeeze’ or $87K dip next? BTC price predictions varyCoinMarketCap’s altcoin season index indicates that the market is still heavily favoring Bitcoin over altcoins, with the altcoin season score sitting at a lowly 17 out of 100. It comes as Bitcoin Dominance is sitting at 64.39%, according to TradingView data.Bitcoin sentiment has gained momentum since it touched the mid-$80,000 price range. On April 17, crypto analytics firm Santiment pointed out that the tone of Bitcoin-related social media posts has flipped to bullish.Meanwhile, crypto analyst Trader T pointed out in an April 25 X post that US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs have, so far to April 24, seen their third-best week of inflows since launching in January 2024. Over the past four trading days, the spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen $2.6 billion in net inflows.Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia ExpressThis 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 Simon Smale on April 25, 2025 at 3:53 am

After winning silver at the Paris Olympics, Moesha Johnson knew she needed to keep swimming or risk falling out of the sport, so she traversed the globe competing. But despite being away, Johnson kept a deep fire for home burning within her.

by Annabel Bowles on April 25, 2025 at 3:33 am

A man has faced court over the Northern Territory's "largest ever" ketamine bust, after investigators found drugs with a street value of $800,000 concealed in energy drink and protein bar packs.

by Bridget Brennan on April 25, 2025 at 3:32 am

The heckling at Melbourne’s Anzac Day service mirrors the long, quiet and painful exclusion of Black diggers from the national conversation.

by Sonia Nair on April 25, 2025 at 3:07 am

In this largely Irish-language film, featuring almost exclusively women, you'll find many of the horror tropes you'd expect, along with masterfully slow reveals.

by Chloe Chomicki and Gabrielle Becerra Mellet on April 25, 2025 at 2:53 am

A stolen vehicle believed to have been involved in hit-and-run crashes has disrupted an Anzac Day parade in Townsville.

by Alex Brewster on April 25, 2025 at 2:49 am

The fertility company has responded to questions from the Australian Securities Exchange after its recent embryo mix-up dropped the share price.

on April 25, 2025 at 2:41 am

Perennial hope Minjee Lee is the top-placed Australian, five shots off the pace in a share of 16th position, at the first women's major of the year.

by Sundance on April 25, 2025 at 2:39 am

As most of you know I have been traveling extensively. However, a strange thing happened today upon return through the airport. Apparently, all of the test pilots for biometrics, real ID etc. are now linked and active.  As I approached the passport control kiosk with my passport in hand, the gentleman said “welcome back, enjoy The post Biometrics Active – A Weird Thing Happened Returning Through Airport appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Sophie Johnson on April 25, 2025 at 2:34 am

Over the last decade, Australia has emerged as one of the most promising international markets for Japanese sake.

on April 25, 2025 at 2:28 am

Police allege Joseph Kling left the wooden pallets without fully extinguishing the blaze which sparked the wildfire.