Alternative News for You

by Thomas Kelsall on April 13, 2025 at 4:04 am

With a floodwater levee wrapped around their town, residents in the remote South Australian community of Innamincka say they are stocked up and ready for weeks in isolation. 

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 13, 2025 at 3:57 am

Crypto gaming and gambling campaigns are the most expensive way to acquire users with existing crypto wallets, ranking highest in cost among all sectors of the crypto industry, recent data shows.“Gaming and gambling campaigns are the most expensive, with a median CPW of $8.74 and a lower quartile of $3.40,” Web3 marketing firm Addressable co-founder Asaf Nadler said in a recent report posted on X. CPW, or cost per wallet, is deemed a higher “quality” metric because it tracks the cost of website visitors with a crypto wallet already installed in their browser.“Higher churn” rate may be to blameNadler previously told Cointelegraph that their analysis data showed that users with a wallet are more likely to convert to crypto products. CPW across different regions during the bull markets in Q1 an Q4 of 2024. Source: Asaf NadlerNadler said the high cost-to-return ratio of crypto gaming and gambling might be due to “higher churn, speculative behavior, and intense competition.” He added:“If Web3 gaming is truly “inevitable,” we need to find a more powerful UA engine to make it as sustainable as in Web2.”However, Axie Infinity co-founder Jeff “JiHo” Zirlin said in an April 11 post on X that periods of high CPW are a good time to experiment.“Create new games/product lines, consolidate our market share, and get ready for the next market expansion,” Zirlin said. “Know when it's a coiling phase. Know when it's time to explode,” he added.Meanwhile, decentralized finance (DeFi) and Centralized Finance (CeFi) campaigns have it a lot easier with attracting new crypto users. “DeFi/CeFi campaigns are the most cost-efficient, with a median CPW of $2.79 and a lower quartile of just $0.10,” Nadler said.The results are based on 200 programmatic campaigns run on Addressable by over 70 advertisers, claiming to target an estimated 9.5 million users globally. CPW results across various sectors of the crypto industry. Source: Asaf NadlerIt tracks how CPW varies across market cycles, regions, campaign strategies, and audience segments.Premium markets cost more to reach crypto users during downturnsNadler said that while premium markets experience low-cost conversions for existing crypto wallet holders during bull runs, attracting their attention becomes significantly more expensive during market downturns. Related: Trump kills DeFi broker rule in major crypto win: Finance RedefinedHe highlighted that in 2024, the US and Western Europe saw CPW increase by four times and 27 times, respectively, between Q1 and Q3, as the markets continued to consolidate and interest from crypto wallet holders waned.“While these markets provide scale and quality during bull runs, they become significantly more expensive when sentiment turns bearish, making them less sustainable during downturns,” Nadler said.Meanwhile, emerging markets like Latin America and Eastern Europe “offer exceptionally low CPW in favorable conditions but can experience extreme cost volatility.” Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6 – 12

by Holly Richardson on April 13, 2025 at 3:39 am

Squeezed from the skin of a stonefish, a recently discovered toxin shows enormous promise, according to researchers in Far North Queensland.

by Julia André and Aaron Kelly on April 13, 2025 at 3:32 am

Steven Hall says the floods in western Queensland have wiped out most of his flock and destroyed 19 kilometres worth of fencing.

by Jon Healy on April 13, 2025 at 2:53 am

Johnathan Thurston's post-game chat with Roosters coach Trent Robinson after a clash with Spencer Leniu has been revealed by Channel Nine. Follow live.

on April 13, 2025 at 2:46 am

An autistic and non-verbal teenage boy who was shot repeatedly by Idaho police has died after being removed from life support, his family says.

by Gareth Hutchens on April 13, 2025 at 2:37 am

In last week's market chaos, traders turned their backs on US government bonds. Is Donald Trump destroying America's "exorbitant privilege"? 

by Justin Huntsdale on April 13, 2025 at 2:29 am

In Stephen Brown's collection of about 20,000 butterflies are three new species he discovered while searching the country's most remote places.

by Sean Tarek Goodwin and Courtney Barrett Peters on April 13, 2025 at 2:07 am

Families of the victims and dignitaries commemorate the April 13 stabbing attack inside Westfield Bondi Junction that claimed six lives.

by Emma Siossian on April 13, 2025 at 1:52 am

High school student Frida Aaso is part of Australia's top Lego robotics team that has won through to the US final of an international competition.

by Maani Truu on April 13, 2025 at 1:43 am

Independent MP Monique Ryan says she would have to give thought to whether influencer content paid for by politicians should be clearly labelled as such, after fellow "teal" Allegra Spender revealed she had paid for posts.

by Luke Pentony on April 13, 2025 at 1:26 am

Jess Hull knows what Cameron Myers is going through, as the teenage star looks to navigate his way from being a talented junior to a medal contender at the major championships.

by Michael Doyle on April 13, 2025 at 1:19 am

Rugby league champion Johnathan Thurston has said he is happy to discuss any issues Spencer Leniu has with him privately, following an "unwarranted" altercation at Lang Park on Friday.

by Anna Cox on April 13, 2025 at 1:14 am

In Bringo, 370 kilometres north of Perth, Bridgitte Brooks is adding "fashion designer" to her CV, under occupational therapist, farmer and mother of four.

by Lachlan Ford and Meg Whitfield on April 13, 2025 at 1:09 am

For a week, the Tasmanian government has been hinting it was seeking to move away from the planning process underway to assess the contentious Macquarie Point stadium. It's now official.

on April 13, 2025 at 1:09 am

Sunday AFL kicks off in the Barossa Valley with young Tiger Steely Green kicking a stunning goal as Richmond stays in range against Fremantle. Follow live.

by Mary-Louise Vince on April 13, 2025 at 12:24 am

Police received reports early on Sunday morning that a woman had entered the water at Newcastle Beach and failed to return.

on April 13, 2025 at 12:20 am

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says military operations will intensify and expand to other areas throughout most of Gaza while Gazans are urged to evacuate from the battlefield. 

by Gavin McGrath on April 12, 2025 at 11:51 pm

Four kilometres below the Southern Ocean surface is a strange world inhabited by even stranger creatures. In its autumn voyage, the CSIRO's Research Vessel Investigator took a closer look.

on April 12, 2025 at 11:34 pm

Scott Avery has dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of First Nations Australians and people with disability. His mission is inspired by ancient footprints thought to have belonged to a one-legged man on a hunt with his community.

by Jack Hislop on April 12, 2025 at 11:14 pm

Darwin's Catholic bishop writes to the Northern Territory government expressing concern over a chronic lack of access to NT prisons, saying chaplains are effectively being locked out. 

by Elsie Adamo and Selina Green on April 12, 2025 at 11:12 pm

Dairy farmers say the sector is struggling amid consumers turning to cheaper cheese imports flooding supermarket shelves.

by Jacob Greber on April 12, 2025 at 11:02 pm

Peter Dutton has super-charged his fight against Labor over housing with a promise that first-time buyers of newly built homes will be able to deduct the interest on their mortgage payments from income taxes for five years.

by Bec Pridham on April 12, 2025 at 10:48 pm

In a bid to support self-built low-cost housing, an architect who built his own property for $150,000, has released free plans for others to download and use. 

by Emma Field and Annie Brown on April 12, 2025 at 10:42 pm

A year after the Victorian government banned lethal control of dingoes in the state's north-west, a farmer on a national park border says authorities need to do more prevent the predators' constant bloody raids on his livestock.

by Dianne King on April 12, 2025 at 10:38 pm

Award-winning Alice Springs cinematographer Chris Tangey's world-first wildlife drone film will be among the works showcased at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka.

by Cointelegraph by Cointelegraph on April 12, 2025 at 10:25 pm

Today in crypto, Trump exempts select electronics from trade tariffs, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao denied reports that he agreed to testify against Justin Sun, calling them baseless and politically motivated, and acting Chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Mark Uyeda, proposed a temporary crypto framework in the US.Select electronics spared from reciprocal tariffsSelect electronic products, including smartphones, processing chips, and computers are exempt from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs under President Trump’s sweeping tariff order, a relief to US tech companies and shareholders.According to a release from the US Customs and Border Protection, other consumer electronics such as internet modems, storage devices, and components such as semiconductors are also exempt from the additional reciprocal tariffs.Notice exempting select electronics from reciprocal trade tariffs. Source: US Customs and Border ProtectionThe price of Bitcoin (BTC) surged by approximately 2.5% on the same day of the announcement and broke the $85,000 level. Bitcoin's price reaction could signal that at least some investors are entering the market again as risk appetite rebounds on positive macro headlines.CZ claps back against “baseless” US plea deal allegationsChangpeng “CZ” Zhao, former CEO of Binance, has denied claims that he agreed to provide evidence against Tron founder Justin Sun as part of a plea deal with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).In an April 11 report, The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources alleging that CZ had agreed to testify against Sun under the terms of his settlement with US prosecutors.“As part of Zhao’s plea deal, he agreed to give evidence on Sun to prosecutors,” an “arrangement” that “hasn’t previously been reported,” the WSJ report stated, citing sources familiar with the matter.“WSJ is really TRYING here. They seem to have forgotten who went to prison and who didn't,” Zhao wrote in an April 12 X post. “People who become gov witnesses don’t go to prison. They are protected. I heard someone paid WSJ employees to smear me.”Source: Changpeng ZhaoCZ was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024 for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations. He walked free from federal prison on Sept. 27 as the wealthiest person to ever serve a US prison sentence, with a $60 billion net worth at the time.In a separate April 11 post, CZ claimed multiple individuals had warned him about the Journal’s intentions to publish what he described as a “hit piece.”US crypto industry needs band-aid now, “long-term solution” later — UyedaA fast-tracked temporary crypto regulatory framework could bolster innovation within the US crypto industry while permanent regulations are still in the works, says acting US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Mark Uyeda.“A time-limited, conditional exemptive relief framework for registrants and non-registrants could allow for greater innovation with blockchain technology within the United States in the near term,” Uyeda said at the SEC’s April 11 Crypto Task Force roundtable titled “Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading.”Uyeda said this might be the short-term answer as the SEC works toward a “long-term solution,” at the roundtable with SEC members and crypto industry executives, including Uniswap Labs’ Katherine Minarik, Cumberland DRW’s Chelsea Pizzola, and Coinbase’s Gregory Tusar.

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 12, 2025 at 8:48 pm

Senator Tim Scott, the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, recently said that he expects a crypto market bill to be passed into law by August 2025.The chairman also noted the Senate Banking Committee's advancement of the GENIUS Act, a comprehensive stablecoin regulatory bill, in March 2025, as evidence that the committee prioritizes crypto policy. In a statement to Fox News, Scott said:"We must innovate before we regulate — allowing innovation in the digital asset space to happen here at home is critical to American economic dominance across the globe."Scott's timeline for a crypto market structure bill lines up with expectations from Kristin Smith, CEO of the crypto industry advocacy group Blockchain Association, of market structure and stablecoin legislation being passed into law by August.The Trump administration has emphasized that comprehensive crypto regulations are central to its plans for protecting the value of the US dollar and establishing the country as a global leader in digital assets by attracting investment into US-based crypto firms.Senator Tim Scott highlights the Senate Banking Committee’s goals and accomplishments in 2025. Source: Fox NewsRelated: Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industrySupport for comprehensive crypto regulations is bipartisanUS lawmakers and officials expect clear crypto policies to be established and signed into law sometime in 2025 with bipartisan support from Congress.Speaking at the Digital Assets Summit in New York City, on March 18, Democrat Representative Ro Khanna said he expects both the market structure and stablecoin bills to pass this year.The Democrat lawmaker added that there are about 70-80 other representatives in the party who understand the importance of passing clear digital asset regulations in the United States.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, pictured left, President Donald Trump in the center, and crypto czar David Sacks, pictured right, at the White House Crypto Summit. Source: The White HouseKhanna emphasized that fellow Democrats support dollar-pegged stablecoins due to the role of dollar tokens in expanding demand for the US dollar worldwide through the internet.Bo Hines, the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, also spoke at the conference and predicted that stablecoin legislation would be passed into law within 60 days.Hines highlighted that establishing US dominance in the digital asset space is a goal with widespread bipartisan support in Washington DC.Magazine: How crypto laws are changing across the world in 2025

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 12, 2025 at 6:31 pm

The US Social Security Administration (SSA) will move all public communications to the X social media platform amid sweeping workforce cuts recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by X owner Elon Musk. According to anonymous sources who spoke with WIRED, the government agency will no longer issue its customary letters and press releases to communicate changes to the public, instead relying on X as its primary form of public-facing communication. The shift comes as the SSA downsizes its workforce from 57,000 employees to roughly 50,000 to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. The agency issued this statement in February 2025:“SSA has operated with a regional structure consisting of 10 offices, which is no longer sustainable. The agency will reduce the regional structure in all agency components down to four regions. The organizational structure at Headquarters also is outdated and inefficient.”Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, has accused the Social Security system of distributing billions of dollars in wrongful payments, a claim echoed by the White House. Musk's comments sparked intense debate about the future of the retirement program and sustainable government spending.Source: Elon MuskRelated: Musk says he found ‘magic money computers’ printing money ‘out of thin air’DOGE targets US government agencies in efficiency pushThe Department of Government Efficiency is an unofficial government agency tasked with identifying and curbing allegedly wasteful public spending through budget and personnel cuts.In March, DOGE began probing the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and gained access to its internal systems, including data repositories.SEC officials signaled their cooperation with DOGE and said the regulatory agency would work closely with it to provide any relevant information requested.Musk and Trump discuss curbing public spending and eliminating government waste. Source: The White houseDOGE also proposed slashing the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) workforce by 20%. The workforce reduction could impact up to 6,800 IRS employees and be implemented by May 15 — exactly one month after 2024 federal taxes are due.Musk’s and the DOGE's proposals for sweeping spending cuts are not limited to slashing budgets and reducing the size of the federal workforce.DOGE is reportedly exploring blockchain to curb public spending by placing the entire government budget onchain to promote accountability and transparency.Magazine: Elon Musk’s plan to run government on blockchain faces uphill battle

by Sundance on April 12, 2025 at 5:33 pm

Comedian and avowed leftist who adored Barack Obama, Bill Maher, used his HBO show to describe what it was like to meet with President Trump for dinner at the White House. There is quite a bit of salty language in this segment that aired on HBO. Proceed accordingly. WATCH: . Posted in Big Government, Donald The post Bill Maher Describes His White House Dinner with President Donald Trump appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 12, 2025 at 5:12 pm

United States President Donald Trump has exempted an array of tech products including, smartphones, chips, computers, and select electronics from reciprocal tariffs, giving the tech industry a much-needed respite from trade pressures.According to the US Customs and Border Protection, storage cards, modems, diodes, semiconductors, and other electronics were also excluded from the ‘reciprocal’ trade tariffs. "Large-cap technology companies will ultimately come out ahead when this is all said and done," The Kobeissi letter wrote in an April 12 X post.US Customs and Border Protection announces tariff exemptions on select tech products. Source: US Customs and Border ProtectionThe tariff relief will take the pressure off of tech stocks, which were one of the biggest casualties of the trade war. Crypto markets are correlated with tech stocks and could also rally as risk appetite increases on positive trade war headlines.Following news of the tariff exemptions, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) broke past $85,000 on April 12, a signal that crypto markets are already responding to the latest macroeconomic development.Related: Billionaire investor would ‘not be surprised’ if Trump postpones tariffsMarkets hinge on Trump's every word during macroeconomic uncertaintyPresident Trump walked back the sweeping tariff policies on April 9 by initiating a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs and lowering tariff rates to 10% for countries that did not respond with counter-tariffs on US goods.Bitcoin surged by 9% and the S&P 500 surged by over 10% on the same day that Trump issued the tariff pause.Macroeconomic trader Raoul Pal said the tariff policies were a negotiation tool to establish a US-China trade deal and characterized the US administration's trade rhetoric as "posturing."Bitcoin advocate Max Keiser argued that exempting select tech products from import tariffs would not reduce bond yields or further the Trump administration's goal of lowering interest rates.Yield on the 10-year US government bond spikes following sweeping trade policies from the Trump administration. Source: TradingViewThe yield on the 10-year US Treasury Bond shot up to a local high of approximately 4.5% on April 11 as bond investors reacted to the macroeconomic uncertainty of a protracted trade war."The concession just given to China for tech exports won’t reverse the trend of rates going higher. Confidence in US bonds and the US Dollar has been eroding for years and won’t stop now," Keiser wrote on April 12.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.Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

by Cointelegraph by Jack Lu on April 12, 2025 at 3:00 pm

Opinion by: Jack Lu, CEO of BounceBitFor years, crypto has promised a more open and efficient financial system. A fundamental inefficiency remains: the disconnect between US capital markets and Asia’s liquidity hubs.The United States dominates capital formation, and its recent embrace of tokenized treasuries and real-world assets signals a significant step toward blockchain-based finance. Meanwhile, Asia has historically been a global crypto trading and liquidity hub despite evolving regulatory shifts. These two economies operate, however, in silos, limiting how capital can move seamlessly into digital assets.This isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a structural weakness preventing crypto from becoming a true institutional asset class. Solving it will cause a new era of structured liquidity, making digital assets more efficient and attractive to institutional investors.The capital bottleneck holding crypto backInefficiency between US capital markets and Asian crypto hubs stems from regulatory fragmentation and a lack of institutional-grade financial instruments.US firms hesitate to bring tokenized treasuries onchain because of evolving regulations and compliance burdens. Meanwhile, Asian trading platforms operate in a different regulatory paradigm, with fewer barriers to trading but limited access to US-based capital. Without a unified framework, cross-border capital flow remains inefficient.Stablecoins bridge traditional finance and crypto by providing a blockchain-based alternative to fiat. They are not enough. Markets require more than just fiat equivalents. To function efficiently, they need yield-bearing, institutionally trusted assets like US Treasurys and bonds. Without these, institutional capital remains largely absent from crypto markets.Crypto needs a universal collateral standardCrypto must evolve beyond simple tokenized dollars and develop structured, yield-bearing instruments that institutions can trust. Crypto needs a global collateral standard that links traditional finance with digital assets. This standard must meet three core criteria.First, it must offer stability. Institutions will not allocate meaningful capital to an asset class that lacks a robust foundation. Therefore, collateral must be backed by real-world financial instruments that provide consistent yield and security.Recent: Hong Kong crypto payment firm RedotPay wraps $40M Series A funding roundSecond, it must be widely adopted. Just as Tether’s USDt (USDT) and USDC (USDC) became de facto standards for fiat-backed stablecoins, widely accepted yield-bearing assets are necessary for institutional liquidity. Market fragmentation will persist without standardization, limiting crypto’s ability to integrate with broader financial systems.Third, it must be DeFi-native. These assets must be composable and interoperable across blockchains and exchanges, allowing capital to move freely. Digital assets will remain locked in separate liquidity pools without onchain integration, preventing efficient market growth.Without this infrastructure, crypto will continue to operate as a fragmented financial system. To ensure that both US and Asian investors can access tokenized financial instruments under the same security and governance standard, institutions require a seamless, compliant pathway for capital deployment. Establishing a structured framework that aligns crypto liquidity with institutional financial principles will determine whether digital assets can truly scale beyond their current limitations.The rise of institutional-grade crypto liquidityA new generation of financial products is beginning to solve this issue. Tokenized treasuries, like BUIDL and USYC, function as stable-value, yield-generating assets, offering investors an onchain version of traditional fixed-income products. These instruments provide an alternative to traditional stablecoins, enabling a more capital-efficient system that mimics traditional money markets.Asian exchanges are beginning to incorporate these tokens, providing users access to yields from US capital markets. Beyond mere access, however, a more significant opportunity lies in packaging crypto exposure alongside tokenized US capital market assets in a way that meets institutional standards while remaining accessible in Asia. This will allow for a more robust, compliant and scalable system that connects traditional and digital finance.Bitcoin is also evolving beyond its role as a passive store of value. Bitcoin-backed financial instruments enable Bitcoin (BTC) to be restaked as collateral, unlocking liquidity while generating rewards. For Bitcoin to function effectively within institutional markets, however, it must be integrated into a structured financial system that aligns with regulatory standards, making it accessible and compliant for investors across regions.Centralized decentralized finance (DeFi), or “CeDeFi,” is the hybrid model that integrates centralized liquidity with DeFi’s transparency and composability, and is another key piece of this transition. For this to be widely adopted by institutional players, it must offer standardized risk management, clear regulatory compliance and deep integration with traditional financial markets. Ensuring that CeDeFi-based instruments — e.g., tokenized treasuries, BTC restaking or structured lending — operate within recognized institutional frameworks will be critical for unlocking large-scale liquidity.The key shift is not just about tokenizing assets. It’s about creating a system where digital assets can serve as effective financial instruments that institutions recognize and trust.Why this matters nowThe next phase of crypto’s evolution depends on its ability to attract institutional capital. The industry is at a turning point: Unless crypto establishes a foundation for seamless capital movement between traditional markets and digital assets, it will struggle to gain long-term institutional adoption.Bridging US capital with Asian liquidity is not just an opportunity — it is a necessity. The winners in this next phase of digital asset growth will be the projects that solve the fundamental flaws in liquidity and collateral efficiency, laying the groundwork for a truly global, interoperable financial system.Crypto was designed to be borderless. Now, it’s time to make its liquidity borderless, too.Opinion by: Jack Lu, CEO of BounceBit. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 12, 2025 at 1:52 pm

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, former CEO of Binance, has denied claims that he agreed to provide evidence against Tron founder Justin Sun as part of a plea deal with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).In an April 11 report, The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources alleging that CZ had agreed to testify against Sun under the terms of his settlement with US prosecutors.“As part of Zhao’s plea deal, he agreed to give evidence on Sun to prosecutors,” an “arrangement” that “hasn’t previously been reported,” the WSJ report stated, citing sources familiar with the matter.“WSJ is really TRYING here. They seem to have forgotten who went to prison and who didn't,” Zhao wrote in an April 12 X post. “People who become gov witnesses don’t go to prison. They are protected. I heard someone paid WSJ employees to smear me.”Source: Changpeng ZhaoCZ was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024 for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations. He walked free from federal prison on Sept. 27 as the wealthiest person to ever serve a US prison sentence, with a $60 billion net worth at the time.In a separate April 11 post, CZ claimed multiple individuals had warned him about the Journal’s intentions to publish what he described as a “hit piece.”Source: Justin SunSun said he was “not aware of the circulation rumors,” calling CZ his “mentor and close friend,” Cointelegraph reported on April 11.Related: Trump kills DeFi broker rule in major crypto win: Finance Redefined“Some players are lobbying against us again in the US” — CZCZ further speculated that the report could be linked to lobbying efforts against him and his former company. “I also heard some rumors about some players ‘lobbying’ against us again in the US,” CZ said.Cointelegraph has approached CZ for more details on the lobbying claims.In November 2023, Zhao said that “FTX sought regulatory ‘crack down’ on Binance to increase market share,” citing a Federal Newswire report.Related: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state paymentsZhao’s comments come over a month after crypto donations raised influence concerns among industry participants.Crypto firms spent over $134 million on the 2024 US elections in “unchecked political spending,” which presents some critical challenges, Cointelegraph reported on March 10.Fairshake donations. Source: politicalaccountability.net“While the companies making these contributions may be seeking a favorable regulatory environment, these political donations further erode public trust and expose companies to legal, reputational, and business risks that cannot be ignored,” according to a March 7 report by the Center for Political Accountability (CPA).Magazine: XRP win leaves Ripple and industry with no crypto legal precedent set

by Sundance on April 12, 2025 at 12:39 pm

A slight change of venue in Russia as President Trump envoy Steve Witkoff travels to St Petersburg for his third meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks come as President Trump’s other special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is apparently starting to realize Vladimir Putin is not going to return the four Russian speaking The post Steve Witkoff Has Third Meeting in St Petersburg, Russia with President Vladimir Putin appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 12, 2025 at 12:18 pm

An investor has sold a CryptoPunk non-fungible token (NFT) at a nearly $10 million realized loss, reflecting the continued decline in the once-booming blue-chip NFT market.A whale, or large cryptocurrency investor, sold a CryptoPunk NFT for 4,000 Ether (ETH) worth more than $6 million at the time of writing.The investor originally purchased the NFT for 4,500 ETH, or roughly $15.7 million, a year ago, according to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain.“Did he only lose 500 $ETH($774K)? No—he actually lost $9.73M!” Lookonchain wrote in an X post. “When he bought it, $ETH was trading at $3,509. By the time he sold, $ETH had dropped 57%,” the platform added.CryptoPunk buy and sell. Source: Arkham Intelligence / LookonchainDespite the steep loss, the $6 million transaction still ranks as the largest NFT sale over the past 30 days, according to data from CryptoSlam.Top NFT sales past 30 days. Source: CryptoSlamThe sale comes during a period of stagnation for NFTs, which have been lacking wider trader interest. NFT trading volume on Ethereum is down more than 53% over the past month, while Polygon’s NFT trading volume fell 41%.CryptoPunks saw a temporary floor price surge of 13% after rumors that its owner, Yuga Labs, might be “in the process” of selling the collection’s intellectual property, Cointelegraph reported on Jan. 14.Related: Sentient completes record 650K NFT mint for decentralized ‘loyal’ AI modelBlue-chip collections see steep dropThe top blue-chip NFT collections remain significantly down from their 2021 highs amid a lack of trading activity.CryptoPunks currently have a floor price of about 43 ETH, or $68,000, down more than 61% from their record high of 113.9 ETH in October 2021.CryptoPunks NFT floor price, all-time chart. Source: NFTpricefloor The Bored Ape Yacht Club’s floor price is also down 89%, while the Mutant Ape Yacht Club collection is down 93%, NFTpricefloor data shows.Related: Trump family memecoins may trigger increased SEC scrutiny on cryptoHowever, the Pudgy Penguin collection remains an outlier. It reached a new all-time high of over 25 Ether on Dec. 16, 2024, and amassed the highest sales volume of over $72 million in the first quarter of 2025, Cointelegraph reported on March 28.Source: Yuga Labs At the start of March, the US Securities and Exchange Commission closed its three-year investigation into Yuga Labs, an investigation initiated under former Chair Gary Gensler, which aimed to probe NFT creators and marketplaces, to see if some NFTs, such as fractional NFTs, were securities.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Sundance on April 12, 2025 at 12:02 pm

Regarding the recently released Russiagate files. Again, emphasizing that process matters, let me explain how and why we are being purposefully misled, even with Trump ‘allies’ in control of various govt agencies (silos). Using the reference of the James Wolfe storyline, let me outline how process matters and how you can tell when the process The post The Process Matters When Confronting the Deep State appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai on April 12, 2025 at 10:45 am

Bitcoin remains on track to surpass $1.8 million by 2035 despite recent price corrections and waning investor appetite caused by ongoing global trade tensions, according to Joe Burnett, director of market research at Unchained.Speaking during Cointelegraph’s Chainreaction live show on X, Burnett said that Bitcoin is still in a long-term bullish cycle and could potentially rival or surpass gold’s $21 trillion market capitalization within the next decade.Despite tariff uncertainty limiting risk appetite among investors, research analysts remain optimistic about Bitcoin’s (BTC) long-term prospects for the next decade.“When I think about where Bitcoin will be in 10 years, there are two models I admire,” Burnett said. “One is the parallel model, which suggests that Bitcoin will be about $1.8 million in 2035.” “The other is Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin 24 model, which suggests Bitcoin will be $2.1 million by 2035.” Burnett emphasized that both are “good base cases,” adding that Bitcoin’s trajectory could exceed these predictions depending on broader macroeconomic factors.Could Bitcoin really hit $10m by Q1 2035? Perhaps.But first, we need to unravel the tangled web of the markets this week, and for both discussions, @rkbaggs and @gazza_jenks are joined today by Joe Burnett (@IIICapital) on the #CHAINREACTION show! https://t.co/hfyEwGUCsh— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) April 11, 2025Related: Bitcoin price can hit $250K in 2025 if Fed shifts to QE: Arthur HayesBitcoin outlook remains long-term bullish“The automobile industry is significantly more valuable than the horse and buggy industry,” Burnett said, adding that Bitcoin’s more advanced technological properties will make it surpass the $21 trillion market capitalization of gold. He added:“The gold market is an estimated $21 trillion market. If Bitcoin just hit $21 trillion and had Bitcoin-gold parity, Bitcoin would be $1 million per coin today.”Since US President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, global markets have been under pressure due to heightened trade war fears. Hours after taking office, Trump threatened to impose sweeping import tariffs aimed at reducing the country’s trade deficit, weighing on risk sentiment across both equities and crypto.While Bitcoin’s role as a safe-haven asset may reemerge amid ongoing trade war concerns, physical gold and tokenized gold remain the current winners.Top tokenized gold assets, trading volume. Source: CoinGecko, Cex.ioTariff fears led tokenized gold trading volume to surge to a two-year high this week, topping $1 billion for the first time since the US banking crisis in 2023, Cointelegraph reported on April 10.Related: Bitcoin’s 24/7 liquidity: Double-edged sword during global market turmoilStrong hands hold during drawdownsBitcoin’s volatility is falling during both bear and bull markets, signaling its growing maturity as an asset class.While another 80% drawdown during future bear markets is still possible, this will act as a robust acquisition period for the “strongest” holders, Burnett said, adding:“The highs bring [Bitcoin] attention, and the deep, dark bear markets move coins into the hands of the strongest, most convicted holders, as fast as possible.”Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and chief investment officer at Maelstrom, predicted Bitcoin could climb to $250,000 by the end of 2025 if the US Federal Reserve formally enters a quantitative easing cycle.Despite the optimistic predictions, investors remain cautious and continue “rebalancing their portfolios” but are unlikely to take on significant positions in the next 90 days before markets gain more clarity on global tariff negotiations, Enmanuel Cardozo, market analyst at real-world asset tokenization platform Brickken, told Cointelegraph.“With money flowing out of Bitcoin ETFs, investors are looking for safer spots to hold their cash right now, including strong currencies. Gold’s a traditional vehicle in these cases and a go-to when markets are uncertain,” he added.BTC, gold, year-to-date chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSince the beginning of 2025, the price of gold has risen over 23%, outperforming Bitcoin, which has fallen by more than 10% year-to-date, TradingView data shows.Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

by Cointelegraph by Bradley Peak on April 12, 2025 at 10:10 am

Key takeawaysLottery mining is cheap and fun, but don’t count on hitting a block.Solo ASIC mining gives you complete control, but it’s a long-odds game.Pool mining is the most practical way to earn steady payouts at home.Cloud mining saves you the hassle but usually isn’t worth the cost.Bitcoin is rapidly gaining legitimacy, and you couldn’t be blamed for wanting to peek behind the curtain to see how it’s made.Throughout 2024 and into 2025, you've seen a whirlwind of institutional investment from companies like Strategy, which continues to aggressively accumulate Bitcoin (BTC), and Metaplanet, Japan’s listed company that recently adopted BTC as a treasury reserve asset. Moreover, on the regulatory front, the return of a US President Donald Trump administration signals a friendlier stance toward crypto, with talk of rolling back SEC overreach and possibly supporting US-based mining. Across the Atlantic, the MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulation has gone into effect in the EU, offering clearer guidelines and reducing regulatory uncertainty for retail investors and miners alike.Then there's the price. Bitcoin finally broke the long-anticipated $100,000 resistance level in early 2025, following a post-halving supply shock and increased ETF-driven demand. As institutions pour in and supply tightens, more individuals are re-evaluating how to get involved.Whatever your motivation, one thing’s certain: You want to mine from the comfort of your home. This article will explain four realistic ways to mine Bitcoin at home in 2025, what gear you’ll need, how much it might cost, and what kind of returns you can expect.Did you know? Bitcoin mining has developed into a sizable industry, with revenues growing by over 6,700% from 2021 to 2025. Option 1: Lottery mining – Low power, high risk, rare rewardsIf you’re working with a limited budget but still want to try Bitcoin mining, lottery mining offers an interesting — if highly unpredictable — way.In July 2024, a solo miner using just three TH/s of hash power — roughly what you’d get from two small USB devices — successfully mined an entire Bitcoin block. The reward was 3.192 BTC, worth over $200,000 at the time. Statistically, that kind of result should take thousands of years. But with some luck and help from the Solo CKPool platform, it actually happened.These wins are extremely rare, but they do happen. And that’s what keeps some people interested.Most lottery miners use small, low-power devices like the Bitaxe HEX, an open-source miner built with actual Antminer chips. It runs at around three TH/s, costs about $600 and pairs easily with a Raspberry Pi. Another popular option is the GekkoScience R909, a USB miner running at 1.5 TH/s and a favorite among hobbyists. These devices aren’t built for steady income. They’re closer to digital slot machines, but ones that still contribute to securing the Bitcoin network.So why do people do it?Three main reasons:Running an independent node supports the health and resilience of the Bitcoin network.It’s a good way to get familiar with how mining works.A single successful block can be worth a lot, and it’s all yours if it happens.For most, it’s not about making money. It’s about the challenge and the curiosity, like building a custom PC or restoring a vintage radio. And yes, it also looks great plugged in on a shelf, blinking quietly under a glowing Bitcoin lamp.Next up: ASICs, the heavy-duty hardware of serious miners.Did you know? Solo CKPool is designed for independent miners who want to submit their shares directly to the Bitcoin network. Unlike traditional mining pools, if you’re successful here, the entire reward goes to you (minus a small pool fee). There’s no revenue sharing, no splitting blocks.Option 2: ASIC mining – Solo mining with real hardwareIf lottery mining is like buying a single ticket and hoping for a lucky break, solo mining with an ASIC is showing up with a small stack. Your chances improve, but it’s still a long shot.ASICs — application-specific integrated circuits — are purpose-built for Bitcoin mining. In 2025, high-end models like the Antminer S21 Hydro deliver impressive performances, reaching around 400 terahashes per second with improved energy efficiency over previous generations.Let’s look at the numbers.The Bitcoin network currently runs at around 500 exahashes per second. With one S21 Hydro, you’d control roughly 0.00008% of the total hashrate. That gives you odds of about one in 8.6 billion of finding a block on any given day. It's still extremely unlikely, but it's far better than what you’d get with low-power USB miners.To meaningfully improve your chances, you’d need to scale up.Running 20 ASICs could put you past eight petahashes per second, enough, in theory, to find a block about once a year. But that setup requires significant capital, proper ventilation or immersion cooling and a reliable energy supply. Even then, outcomes are unpredictable. The Bitcoin network might find several blocks in an hour or none at all.Still, some miners go this route. The appeal is simple: If you do find a block on your own, you keep the entire reward, currently over three BTC, plus transaction fees. There is no need to split the payout with anyone else.But for most people, even those with top-tier ASICs, solo mining remains a high-risk approach with uncertain rewards.Did you know? The cost of the latest mining equipment has significantly decreased, with prices around $16 per terahash in 2025, compared to $80 per terahash in 2022, enhancing mining efficiency.That’s why many home miners eventually turn to a more consistent and scalable model:Joining a mining pool.Option 3: Pool mining – Strength in numbersIf solo mining is a long shot, pool mining is the practical alternative. It’s how most home miners approach Bitcoin mining in 2025 – and with good reason.By joining a mining pool, you combine your hashrate with thousands of other participants. When the pool successfully mines a block, the reward is split based on each miner’s contribution. You’re no longer chasing a rare solo win, but earning smaller, steady payouts. It’s more predictable, less risky and not so dependent on luck.For example, if you’re running an Antminer S21 Hydro at 400 TH/s, that hash power earns you a proportional share of the pool’s rewards. You’ll likely see consistent daily income tied directly to your contribution.The largest pools today — Foundry USA, Antpool, ViaBTC, F2Pool — handle thousands of blocks every month. Many offer FPPS (Full Pay Per Share) models, where you’re paid for every valid share you submit, regardless of whether a block is found that day. Others use PPLNS (Pay Per Last N Shares), which only pays out when a block is discovered, but can result in slightly higher returns over time. The choice depends on how much payout fluctuation you're comfortable with.Setting things up is straightforward:Create an account with your chosen pool.Point your ASIC miner to the pool’s server.Add your Bitcoin payout address.Monitor your stats from the pool’s web dashboard.The returns won’t be massive, but they’ll be consistent, and for many miners, that’s exactly the goal.But what if you want to skip the hardware, the setup and the electricity costs altogether? What if you want exposure to mining without running a machine?That’s where cloud mining comes in.Option 4: Cloud mining – Mining without the machinesCloud mining lets you rent hash power from a remote provider, who runs the hardware on your behalf. You don’t have to manage equipment, deal with heat or noise, or worry about electricity costs. You simply buy a contract, and if all goes well, you will receive a portion of the mining rewards.On paper, it sounds straightforward. You select a provider, choose how much hash power you want to rent, and pay either upfront or through a subscription. The provider takes care of the infrastructure, including maintenance and cooling. In return, you earn a share of the Bitcoin mined, proportional to your rented power.But there are trade-offs – and risks.Cloud mining has gained a mixed reputation. Over the years, the space has been flooded with questionable operators, unrealistic return promises and outright scams. Many contracts turn out to be unprofitable once you factor in service fees, maintenance costs and the increasing difficulty of mining. You're effectively trusting a third party to operate machines you'll never see.That said, there are a few reputable providers. Platforms like NiceHash, BitDeer and ECOS have remained active in the space and offer flexible, transparent options. Some let you choose specific coins or pools. Still, even with these more established names, margins tend to be very thin, especially during bear markets or when global hashrates spike.Cloud mining may be worth considering if:You have limited access to cheap electricity or space for equipment.You’re looking for a low-effort way to get exposure to mining.You view it more as a speculative bet than a reliable income stream.However, if your goal is consistent returns or hands-on experience, then running your own gear or just buying and holding Bitcoin is likely a better use of resources.The bottom lineThere’s no single right way to mine Bitcoin at home in 2025. It comes down to what you’re after. Lottery mining is fun and cheap, but the odds are long. Going solo with an ASIC gives you full control and full risk. Mining pools are the go-to for steady, reliable payouts. Cloud mining offers convenience but not much certainty.If you're in it for the learning, the experience, or to slowly stack sats over time, there’s a setup that’ll fit. Just know what you’re getting into and why you’re doing it. 

by Sundance on April 12, 2025 at 10:00 am

After having his annual physical at Walter Reed hospital, President Trump delivers remarks to the assembled press pool aboard Air Force One. President Trump notes he feels great and has a great heart and good soul. lol  WATCH: . Posted in Donald Trump, President Trump, Press Secretary - Trump The post President Trump Delivers Remarks on Air Force One Following Physical at Walter Reed appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 12, 2025 at 8:19 am

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and crypto exchange Binance have asked a US federal judge for an additional two-month pause in their nearly two-year legal battle.“Since the Court stayed this case, the Parties have been in productive discussions, including discussions concerning how the efforts of the crypto task force may impact the SEC’s claims,” both parties said in an April 11 joint status report with the US District Court for the District of Columbia.SEC requests Binance to agree to the extensionAccording to the filing, the SEC requested and Binance agreed to another 60-day extension as the regulator continues to seek permission to “approve any resolution or changes to the scope of this litigation.” “The Defendants agreed that continuing the stay is appropriate and in the interest of judicial economy,” the filing said.The request comes not long after the SEC dropped a string of crypto-related lawsuits against crypto exchanges Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini, as well as Robinhood and Consenys.At the end of the 60-day period, the SEC and Binance plan to submit another joint status report. This marks the second 60-day pause the SEC and Binance have requested this year, following a previous extension granted by the judge on Feb. 11.The recently launched crypto task force was a key reason behind the request for the second extension. Source: CourtListenerThe request in February came just days after crypto skeptic Gary Gensler stepped down as SEC chair on Jan. 20, with crypto-friendly SEC commissioner Mark Uyeda taking over as acting chair.At the time, the SEC and Binance also cited the establishment of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force as a reason for the pause.Related: Crypto Biz: Ripple’s ‘defining moment,’ Binance’s ongoing purgeFormed just a day after Gensler resigned on Jan. 21, the task force said it aims to “help the Commission draw clear regulatory lines, provide realistic paths to registration, craft sensible disclosure frameworks, and deploy enforcement resources judiciously.” The SEC’s legal battle with Binance has dragged on for almost two years. It began in June 2023 when the agency filed a lawsuit against Binance, its US platform, and CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao.The US regulator pressed 13 charges against Binance, including unregistered offers and sales of the BNB and Binance USD tokens, the Simple Earn and BNB Vault products, and its staking program.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 12, 2025 at 5:04 am

Tron founder Justin Sun says he’s unaware of the recent rumors surrounding former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao following reports alleging that Zhao provided evidence against him as part of his plea deal with the US Department of Justice (DOJ).“I’m not aware of the circulating rumors. CZ is both my mentor and a close friend,” Sun said in an April 11 X post. Sun brushes off CZ rumors“He has played a crucial role in supporting me during my entrepreneurial journey,” Sun added.Sun’s X post came just hours after speculation grew over an April 11 Wall Street Journal report, which alleged that Zhao agreed to provide evidence on Sun as part of his plea deal, citing sources familiar with the matter. Source: dbZhao was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024 for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations.The report added, “that arrangement hasn’t previously been reported.”Zhao hasn’t publicly addressed the reports at the time of publication, but the day before, he warned his 10 million X followers that he had been told a “baseless hit piece” about him was being written.Sun commended Zhao’s integrity and said that the DOJ is one of T3 Financial Crime Unit’s (T3 FCU) — which Tron co-founded along with Tether and TRM Labs — “closest and most trusted partners.” “To this day, his conduct and principles remain the highest standard I strive to follow as a founder,” Sun said of Zhao. Sun added:“Whether it’s CZ or our partners at the DOJ, we maintain direct, honest communication at all times. I have full trust in each and every one of them.”Zhao walked free from a US federal prison on Sept. 27. With a reported net worth of approximately $60 billion at the time, Zhao is the wealthiest person ever to serve a prison sentence in the US.Source: Justin SunMeanwhile, on Feb. 26, the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Sun asked a federal court to pause the regulator’s case against the crypto entrepreneur to allow for settlement talks.In March 2023, the SEC sued Sun and three of his companies, the entity behind Tron, the Tron Foundation and the file-sharing platform backers the BitTorrent Foundation and its San Francisco-based parent firm, Rainberry Inc.Cointelegraph reached out to the US Department of Justice but did not receive a response by time of publication.

by Sundance on April 12, 2025 at 4:20 am

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency. This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread. Posted in The post April 12th – 2025 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day 83 appeared first on The Last Refuge.

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

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL. The post Saturday April 12th – Open Thread appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Ciaran Lyons on April 12, 2025 at 2:26 am

A fast-tracked temporary crypto regulatory framework could bolster innovation within the US crypto industry while permanent regulations are still in the works, says acting US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mark Uyeda.“A time-limited, conditional exemptive relief framework for registrants and non-registrants could allow for greater innovation with blockchain technology within the United States in the near term,” Uyeda said at the SEC’s April 11 Crypto Task Force roundtable titled “Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading.”Relief measures may address immediate challengesUyeda said this might be the short-term answer as the SEC works toward a “long-term solution” at the roundtable with SEC members and crypto industry executives, including Uniswap Labs’ Katherine Minarik, Cumberland DRW’s Chelsea Pizzola and Coinbase’s Gregory Tusar.He flagged state-by-state regulation of crypto trading as a concern, warning it could lead to a “patchwork of state licensing regimes.” Uyeda said that a favorable federal regulatory framework would ease the burden for market participants wishing to offer tokenized securities and non-security crypto assets, allowing them to operate under a single SEC license instead of navigating “fifty different state licenses.”He urged crypto market participants to share feedback on areas where “exemptive relief” could be appropriate.Source: US Securities and Exchange CommissionUyeda also reiterated the benefits of blockchain technology in financial markets during the roundtable discussion.  “Blockchain technology offers the potential to execute and clear securities transactions in ways that may be more efficient and reliable than current processes,” Uyeda said.Uyeda to fill chair position until Atkins is sworn in“Blockchains can be used to manage and mobilize collateral in tokenized form to increase capital efficiency and liquidity,” he added.Uyeda will continue serving as acting SEC chair until US President Donald Trump’s nominee, Paul Atkins, is officially sworn in.On April 10, the US Senate confirmed Atkins as chair of the SEC in a 52-44 vote largely along party lines. Related: SEC, Ripple file joint motion to pause appeals in XRP caseUyeda has served as acting SEC chair since Jan. 20, succeeding former chair and crypto skeptic Gary Gensler. He’s been widely seen within the industry as a pro-crypto advocate.On March 18, Cointelegraph reported that Uyea said the SEC could change or scrap a rule proposed under the Biden administration that would tighten crypto custody standards for investment advisers.“I have asked the SEC staff to work closely with the crypto task force to consider appropriate alternatives, including its withdrawal,” Uyeda said.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research

by Cointelegraph by Nancy Lubale on April 11, 2025 at 11:19 pm

Solana (SOL) price is outperforming the crypto market on April 11, up 7.45% over the last 24 hours to trade at $121.SOL/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewLet’s take a closer look at the factors behind Solana’s rally today.Renewed SOL ETF approval optimismSolana price appears to be benefitting from a broader market bounce across the entire cryptocurrency market and renewed optimism surrounding a potential Solana ETF approval in the US following Paul Atkins’ appointment as SEC chair. Atkins, known for his crypto-friendly stance, has sparked speculation that altcoin ETFs, including Solana, could face a smoother path to approval. The betting odds for a SOL ETF approval in 2025 now stand at 76% on Polymarket. Over the past three months, the probability of approval has swung 11% in favor of the bulls, which was around 65% on Jan. 4.SOL ETF approval odds on Polymarket. Source: PolymarketSeveral major asset managers have submitted applications for a Solana ETF, including VanEck, Grayscale, 21Shares, Bitwise, and Canary Capital.Market participants believe such an offering could attract new capital and enhance liquidity in SOL trading. Margin short liquidations push SOL price higherRising liquidations in Solana’s derivatives market also played a role in today’s rally, according to data from CoinGlass. The crypto futures market witnessed the liquidation of over $226 million worth of leverage positions in the last 24 hours, with $152.4 million being short liquidations.Over $9.3 million in short SOL positions were liquidated against $2.1 million in long liquidations over the same period. Total crypto liquidations. Source: CoinGlassRelated: Fartcoin rallies 104% in a week — Will Solana (SOL) price catch up?Solana’s RSI shows a bullish divergenceOn SOL’s daily chart, there is a bullish divergence with the daily RSI which preceded today’s price increase.SOL/USD daily chart. Source: TradingViewThe bullish divergence could be a hint that the bulls are gaining control, and if the trend holds, SOL price could rally toward the 50-day SMA above $130 in the short term.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 Sundance on April 11, 2025 at 9:55 pm

Things are again not what they seem, but you have to stand back to understand the right questions. People have asked about the recent release of the declassified FBI documents (a partial release) and what they mean.  Having spent years deep in the research, here’s my take. At first blush people may say there’s nothing The post Some Thoughts on the Recent Declassified “Release of the FBI Files About Russiagate” appeared first on The Last Refuge.

by Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell on April 11, 2025 at 9:32 pm

Draft legislation in the US Senate threatens to hit data centers serving blockchain networks and artificial intelligence models with fees if they exceed federal emissions targets, according to an April 11 Bloomberg report. Led by Senate Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse and John Fetterman, the draft bill purportedly aims to address environmental impacts from rising energy demand and protect households from higher energy bills, Bloomberg said.Dubbed the Clean Cloud Act, the legislation mandates that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set an emissions performance standard for data centers and crypto mining facilities with over 100 KW of installed IT nameplate power. The standard would be based on regional grid emissions intensities, with an 11% annual reduction target. The legislation also includes penalties for emissions exceeding the set standard, starting at $20 per ton of CO2e, with the penalty increasing annually by inflation plus an additional $10.“Surging power demand from cryptominers and data centers is outpacing the growth of carbon-free electricity,” notes a minority blog post on the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works website, adding that data centers’ electricity usage is projected to account for up to 12% of the US total power demand by 2028. According to research from Morgan Stanley, the rapid growth of data centers is projected to generate approximately 2.5 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions globally by the end of the decade. For Matthew Sigel, VanEck’s head of research, the proposed legislation effectively seeks to single out Bitcoin (BTC) miners and similar operations for energy consumption in a “Losing ‘Blame the Server Racks’ Strategy,” he said in an April 11 X post. In addition, the law could clash with the US’s policy under President Donald Trump, who repealed a 2023 executive order by former President Joe Biden setting AI safety standards. Trump has previously declared his intention to make the US the “world capital” of AI and cryptocurrency.New US draft bill would penalize AI, crypto data centers for power consumption. Source: Matthew SigelRelated: Trade tensions to speed institutional crypto adoption — ExecsBitcoin and AI convergeThe draft law, which has yet to pass in the Senate, comes as Bitcoin miners — including Galaxy, CoreScientific, and Terawulf — increasingly pivot toward supplying high-performance computing (HPC) power for AI models, VanEck said.Bitcoin miners have struggled in 2025 as declining cryptocurrency prices weigh on business models already impacted by the Bitcoin network’s most recent halving.Miners are “diversifying into AI data-center hosting as a way to expand revenue and repurpose existing infrastructure for high-performance computing,” Coin Metrics said.Comparison of miners’ AI-related contracts. Source: VanEckAccording to Coin Metrics, miners’ incomes began to stabilize in the first quarter of 2025. However, the recovery could be cut short if ongoing trade wars disrupt miners’ business models, several cryptocurrency executives told Cointelegraph. “Aggressive tariffs and retaliatory trade policies could create obstacles for node operators, validators, and other core participants in blockchain networks,” Nicholas Roberts-Huntley, CEO of Concrete & Glow Finance, said. “In moments of global uncertainty, the infrastructure supporting crypto, not just the assets themselves, can become collateral damage.”Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

by Cointelegraph by Vince Quill on April 11, 2025 at 8:30 pm

The Lomond School in Scotland will accept Bitcoin (BTC) tuition payments beginning in the Autumn semester of 2025, making it the first school in the United Kingdom to do so.Accepting Bitcoin is part of the school's plan to integrate “sound money principles” from the Austrian School of Economics into the curriculum to "prepare students for the uncertain future,” the announcement reads, adding:"Bitcoin is available to anyone willing to learn — making it more democratic and inclusive, particularly for people in developing nations who lack access to traditional banking. Lomond sees Bitcoin as a perfect real-world case study in economics, computing, ethics, and innovation."The school has no plans to accept other cryptocurrencies, and will convert the BTC to fiat currency immediately, according to the announcement. It might establish a BTC treasury in the future, pending input from the Lomond community.Lomond's announcement highlights the growing tide of institutions adopting Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation amid turmoil in the global financial order.Value of the British pound (GBP) 1209-2025. Source: StatistaRelated: Swedish MP proposes Bitcoin reserve to finance ministerBitcoin slowly makes its way through the education systemBitcoin is now part of the curriculum in several schools and universities; some of these institutions have also adopted a BTC treasury strategy to protect reserves against the corrosive effects of inflation on purchasing power.In 2022, the University of Cincinnati added crypto courses to its curriculum to teach students about BTC and emerging Web3 technologies.Mi Primer Bitcoin, a Bitcoin education initiative, partnered with the Ministry of Education in El Salvador in 2023 to integrate Bitcoin education into the school system.Visual of Bitcoin’s hard supply cap expressed through successive halving events. Source: RiverThe University of Wyoming launched the Bitcoin Research Institute in July 2024 to conduct peer-reviewed academic studies about the decentralized digital asset.In February 2025, the University of Austin announced that its endowment fund allocated $5 million to BTC investments. The university's endowment fund has approximately $200 million in assets under management.Chun Lai, the endowment fund's chief investment officer, said the fund wanted BTC exposure to capitalize on the financial upside of digital assets as crypto experiences increased institutional adoption.Magazine: TradFi fans ignored Lyn Alden’s BTC tip — Now she says it’ll hit 7 figures: X Hall of Flame

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 11, 2025 at 8:00 pm

Ripple made headlines this week when it became the first crypto-native company to acquire a multi-asset prime broker, potentially setting the stage for wider adoption of its XRP Ledger technology. The acquisition of Hidden Road didn’t come cheap, either, as Ripple doled out $1.25 billion for the brokerage. It was a price Ripple CEO Brad Garlinhouse was happy to pay as the company set its sights on global expansion. Elsewhere, crypto exchange Binance listened to its community and moved to delist 14 tokens that no longer met its quality thresholds. Meanwhile, Binance’s former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, was appointed adviser for Pakistan’s newly formed crypto counsel. All this happened against a backdrop of negative headlines and plunging crypto prices stemming from the US-led trade war, which culminated in President Donald Trump’s executive order establishing a 104% tariff on Chinese imports. Despite the chaos, a panel of industry experts told Cointelegraph that the crypto bull market is far from over. In fact, it hasn’t even started yet. Hidden Road: Ripple’s “defining moment”Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road is the payment company’s “defining moment,” according to Ripple’s chief financial officer, David Schwartz.In a social media post, Schwartz said the acquisition gives Ripple a major boost in promoting its XRP Ledger since Hidden Road already has more than 300 institutional customers and processes more than 50 million transactions per day.Source: David Schwartz“Now, imagine even a portion of that activity on the XRP Ledger — and that’s exactly what Hidden Road plans on doing — not to mention future use of collateral and real-world assets tokenized on the XRPL,” said Schwartz. Ripple has already dabbled in real-world assets (RWAs) by launching a tokenized money market fund in partnership with crypto exchange Archax. That could be the tip of the iceberg for the company’s RWA ambitions. Binance’s purge continuesCryptocurrency exchange Binance will purge 14 tokens from its platform on April 16 following its first “vote to delist” results, where community members nominated projects with troubling metrics.The 14 tokens selected for delisting include Badger (BADGER), Balancer (BAL), Beta Finance, Status (SNT), Cream Finance (CREAM) and Nuls (NULS).These tokens were removed after Binance conducted a “comprehensive evaluation of multiple factors,” including project development activity, trading volumes and responsiveness to the exchange’s due diligence requests.Pakistan taps CZ to broaden crypto ambitionsPakistan landed one of crypto’s biggest influencers as it attempts to promote industry adoption and lure blockchain companies to its shores. On April 7, the newly created Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) appointed former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao as its crypto adviser. Pakistan’s finance ministry said Zhao will advise the PCC on crypto regulations, infrastructure development and adoption.CZ is appointed as an adviser by Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance. Source: Business RecorderAfter being lukewarm on crypto, Pakistan is fully embracing the industry in recognition of its transformative impact. The country has become a hotbed of crypto activity thanks to rising retail adoption and remittance activity. “Pakistan is done sitting on the sidelines,” said Bilal bin Saqib, the CEO of the PCC. “We want to attract international investment because Pakistan is a low-cost high-growth market with [...] a Web3 native workforce ready to build.”Crypto bull market hasn’t loaded yetWith investors wondering whether Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoins have already peaked, an industry panel told Cointelegraph’s Gareth Jenkinson that the best is yet to come. Cointelegraph Managing Editor Gareth Jenkinson, left, hosts a panel on crypto market conditions in Paris, France. Source: CointelegraphSpeaking at a LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph panel in Paris, France, MN Capital founder Michael van de Poppe said he believes the bull market “is actually getting started from this point.”Drawing parallels between the recent market crash and the COVID-19 meltdown of March 2020, van de Poppe said the US Federal Reserve will eventually step in to backstop investors.Fellow panelist and Messari CEO Eric Turner agreed, saying, “We never had a bull market,” but rather “two sides of the market” driven by Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and the memecoin frenzy.Crypto Biz is your weekly pulse on the business behind blockchain and crypto, delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday.

by Cointelegraph by Sam Bourgi on April 11, 2025 at 7:48 pm

The US Federal Reserve is prepared to use its vast arsenal of monetary policy tools to prevent financial and economic conditions from deteriorating rapidly but will do so only if liquidity dries up or markets become disorderly, a top central banker said.In an interview with the Financial Times, Boston Fed President Susan Collins said the central bank “would absolutely be prepared” to backstop markets if needed.Source: Walter BloombergWhile it is generally understood that the Fed is always prepared to act quickly to stave off market chaos, Collins’ remarks come on the heels of asset selloffs across stocks and bonds, which have raised concerns about the health of the US financial system.Overall, however, the Fed is “not seeing liquidity concerns,” said Collins. If that were to change, policymakers would have “tools to address concerns about markets functioning or liquidity,” she said.The Fed’s Collins pictured in a December interview with Bloomberg. Source: Bloomberg TelevisionFor investors, Collins’ comments may carry extra weight because she’s a voting member of this year’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) — the 12-person panel responsible for setting interest rates.While Collins and her fellow FOMC members voted to keep interest rates steady at their March meeting, the biggest takeaway was the central bank’s easing off on quantitative tightening by reducing the redemption cap on Treasurys by 80%. Related: S&P 500 briefly sees ‘Bitcoin-level’ volatility amid Trump tariff warThe Fed moves marketsFederal Reserve policy exerts a gravitational pull on global markets through US dollar monetary liquidity, or the ease with which dollars can be used for investments and transactions. Liquidity has a major impact on digital asset prices, including Bitcoin (BTC). This was further corroborated by a 2024 academic paper by Kingston University of London professors Jinsha Zhao and J Miao, which concluded that dollar monetary liquidity “has [a] significant impact on Bitcoin price.”The relationship strengthened after the COVID-19 pandemic, with liquidity conditions accounting for more than 65% of Bitcoin’s price movements. “After the pandemic, [monetary liquidity] is the most important determinant of Bitcoin price, outperforming even fundamental measures of Bitcoin network,” the researchers said. Macro analyst Lyn Alden reached a similar conclusion when she called Bitcoin “a global liquidity barometer” in a September article. Alden drew attention to the relationship between Bitcoin’s price and global M2, or the broad measure of money supply across major global economies. Bitcoin trades in the same direction as global liquidity more than 83% of the time. Source: Lyn AldenAs Cointelegraph reported in early March, an increase in global liquidity and a rebounding business cycle have historically had strong predictive powers for Bitcoin’s price. Liquidity and business cycle trends suggest that BTC’s price could be poised for a recovery in the second quarter. Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again