XRP volume drops but positivity remains

President Donald Trump and his family are generating billions from cryptocurrency, according to a new report from State Democracy Defenders Action. The nonprofit organization, which claims to be “fighting autocracy,” estimates that nearly 40% of Trump’s net worth now comes…

Dogecoin price is down, trend that is generally negated by boost in large transactions

Bitcoin is currently trading around the $96,000 mark after a week of strong bullish price action that saw it reach $97,900 — its highest level since the March sell-off. The price now flirts with the psychological $100,000 barrier, a key milestone that could confirm the start of a new macro uptrend. However, global macroeconomic tensions […]

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Onchain social network Zora has built a reputation as a popular tool for artists, musicians and other creatives to monetize their content onchain, but the recent launch of its eponymous ZORA token has left many users confused and dissatisfied.The token’s price tanked shortly after launch, with users and observers complaining about everything from poor communication from the team to the token’s distribution and utility models. This comes amid an overall decline in interest in the onchain creator economy and a changing perspective on whether blockchain tools like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are still useful for creatives who want to monetize their work on the blockchain.With creators and builders shifting focus and NFTs no longer selling like they used to, does the ZORA token drop symbolize the end of the creator-driven NFT model? Maybe not, but many creatives are changing their perspectives and the role blockchain should play in the creator economy. ZORA token launch and airdrop go awryThe ZORA token launched on April 23, and it quickly became a point of controversy among users. To start, Zora did not officially announce that it had gone live until two hours after it was already trading, leading to confusion on social media.Source: ZachXBTThe token’s price quickly fell by over 50% within those roughly two hours, from $0.037 to $0.017, adding to users’ complaints. It has since fallen even further, sitting around $0.013 at the time of writing.ZORA’s tokenomics also became a point of contention. 45% of the supply is reserved for the team and investors, while 25% is for the treasury — leaving 20% for community incentives and just 10% for the user airdrop. This led some to complain that the project was keeping too much for itself.Others disliked its general lack of utility. Zora repeatedly stated that the token “is for fun only and does not entitle its holders to any governance rights or a claim on any equity ownership in Zora or its products.” But the project seemed to respond to this criticism on May 1 by announcing that ZORA would have some additional functionalities within the network.However, many others came to the defense of the project, saying that sharing on the platform has been financially lucrative. Others were simply thankful they received anything at all.Source: WbnnsSinger Vérité, who has racked up hundreds of millions of streams as an independent artist and was an early adopter of Web3 tech, told Cointelegraph that “on a base level, I’m appreciative of being rewarded for participating in something early.”She said that while she doesn’t know the team very well, “I feel like they are genuinely trying to construct new models for valuing digital artifacts and have built an aesthetic and culture around their brand in juxtaposition to what are usually awful crypto vibes.”Source: VéritéNFTs no longer the top of the creator food chain Zora’s token launch was the latest move in a broader shift away from the traditional NFT model for creators, in this case toward embracing the cultural dominance of memecoins. While posts on Zora used to be minted as NFTs, now each post creates an instantly tradeable memecoin, also known as a “content coin.” Creators are given 1% of the supply and earn 50% of the trading and liquidity provider fees.Source: ZoraWhile the move from NFTs to content coins was itself controversial, it represents a shift to a new class of creators, according to Adam Levy, host of the Mint podcast and founder of Blueprint, which helps creators go viral onchain. He told Cointelegraph that the wild success of memecoin launchpad Pump.fun “brought in a brand new class of creators that now Zora is trying to capitalize on.”I think the Pump.fun or coin-like model is a perfect token model for a new class of creators that are emerging just generally on the internet. I think it’s like the Gen Z brain rot type of creator that spends a lot of their time remixing content or trying to create viral content in terms of like memetic content.NFT sales remain way down compared to their 2021 peak, and many creators have simply left the NFT space due to its perceived shortcomings. Music-related NFTs, which used to be prevalent on platforms like Zora, have taken a particularly hard beating.Several builders of the most popular creator platforms have moved on to work on other projects. For instance, the team behind music NFT platform Sound.xyz has shifted its focus to a new platform called Vault, which still uses blockchain technology but keeps it hidden on the back end.In a February X post, Sound co-founder David Greenstein said a hyperfocus on speculation led to the decline in NFT interest. “Over time, it became less about the artist, the music, and real connection—and more about financial transactions,” he wrote. “When speculation cooled, so did the energy behind supporting artists.”This sentiment was echoed by Vérité, who said, “I don’t think digital artifacts will have lasting value outside of speculation, experience and patronage.”Related: Tokenizing music royalties as NFTs could help the next Taylor SwiftAccording to music artist and builder Latashá, “We weren’t getting focused on culture; we were getting focused on speculation. And once the bear market hit, it really showcased that.” Latashá, who was previously head of community at Zora and is now building several blockchain-based platforms, told Cointelegraph that people also got too caught up in the language of Web3 instead of simply using the technology:The language and the jargon and even the communities that created that really kind of boxed themselves in when they only stay in that place, right? And so, I always knew that the language was going to change and that the crypto was going to become just the tool, as it should be.What’s next for the onchain creator economy?Despite the shift of interest away from NFTs toward things like memecoins, as encapsulated by Zora, many builders and creators still believe blockchain remains incredibly powerful — just that maybe it needs to be used in a different way.“I learned that you can’t force your idealism onto the world and into the market,” said Vérité. “I am less interested in making ‘Web3 tools’ work because they’re on the blockchain and more interested in finding new ways to solve problems that face artists, audiences and the systems that connect them, regardless of form.”“I definitely won’t sell NFTs to fans,” she added.Levy, on the other hand, remains firm in his belief in NFTs, specifically. “I still have endless conviction in what I’m doing,” he said. He pointed out that cryptocurrency overall, let alone NFTs, is still in the very early stages of adoption. “I think we all need to zoom out.”I don’t think it’s just a fad. I don’t think that this is going to disappear. And I don’t think that because I’ve tasted the sugar of what this is as a creator. [...] And I know there’s a better way to create content on the internet and to monetize on the internet.One notable shift has been to hide the blockchain elements and focus solely on user experience. For example, rap duo Run The Jewels has a fan club where members are rewarded with “JWL” points that can be used to unlock exclusive experiences. JWL is actually an onchain token, but that fact is buried in the club’s FAQ page. “We still need to come up with a better way of making crypto wallets accessible to people so that it is easier,” Renata Lowenbraun, CEO of independent music Web3 platform Infanity, told Cointelegraph. “The moment that happens, everything will change.”Lowenbraun compared blockchain to the internet, saying the internet took decades to truly catch on. NFTs, she argued, had a “false start” before the infrastructure had a chance to mature, “but it doesn’t mean it’s not going to stick and it’s not going to be around and it’s not going to have these amazing applications, particularly for creative people and creative ventures.”For Latashá, the future is in the hands of the artists themselves. “I think artists are just going to build their platforms. I think that’s going to be the future,” she said.From 2021 to 2024, we were really dependent on platforms. [...] And then we witnessed platforms kind of move like Web2 platforms, where they had so much ownership over our worlds and how we move that I think we finally all learned like, ‘Oh yeah, if this is really about building something different, it’s going to have to come from us.’Whatever the future of the Web3 creator economy holds, it’s clear that it won’t be without road bumps along the way. But if the builders and artists are to be believed, the road bumps lie on the path toward greater artist independence.Magazine: Get Bitcoin or die tryin’: Why hip hop stars love crypto

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called for simplifying Ethereum’s base protocol, aiming to make the network more efficient, secure and accessible, drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s minimalist design.In a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1,” published on May 3, Buterin laid out a vision to restructure Ethereum’s architecture across consensus, execution and shared components.“This post will describe how Ethereum 5 years from now can become close to as simple as Bitcoin,” Buterin wrote, arguing that simplicity is key to Ethereum’s resilience and long-term scalability.While recent upgrades like proof-of-stake (PoS) and Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARK) integration have made Ethereum more robust, he said that technical complexity has led to bloated development cycles, higher costs and greater risks of bugs:“Historically, Ethereum has often not done this (sometimes because of my own decisions), and this has contributed to much of our excessive development expenditure, all kinds of security risk, and insularity of R&D culture, often in pursuit of benefits that have proven illusory.”Buterin praises Bitcoin for its simplicity. Source: Vitalik ButerinRelated: ‘Vitalik: An Ethereum Story’ is less about crypto and more about being humanEthereum eyes “3-Slot Finality” to simplify consensusOne key area of focus is Ethereum’s consensus layer. Central to this effort is the proposed “3-slot finality” model, which eliminates complex components like epochs, sync committees and validator shuffling.“The reduced number of active validators at a time means that it becomes safer to use simpler implementations of the fork choice rule,” Buterin wrote.Other proposed improvements include allowing for more straightforward fork choice rules and adopting Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK)-based aggregation protocols to decentralize and simplify network coordination.On the execution layer, Buterin proposed a shift from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a simpler, ZK-friendly virtual machine like RISC-V. This move could offer 100x performance improvements for zero-knowledge proofs and significantly simplify the protocol.RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) used in designing computer processors. It follows a minimalist design philosophy, using a small set of simple instructions for high efficiency and easier implementation.To preserve backward compatibility, Buterin suggested running legacy EVM contracts onchain via a RISC-V interpreter while supporting both VMs concurrently during a transitional phase.Source: Vitalik ButerinRelated: Ethereum community members propose new fee structure for the app layerButerin calls for protocol-wide standardsButerin also advocated for protocol-wide standardization. He suggested adopting a single erasure coding method, serialization format (favoring SSZ), and tree structure to reduce redundant complexity and streamline Ethereum’s tooling and infrastructure.“Simplicity is in many ways similar to decentralization,” Buterin wrote. He suggested Ethereum adopt a “max line-of-code” target similar to what Tinygrad does, keeping consensus-critical logic as lean and auditable as possible.Non-critical legacy features would remain but reside outside the core specification.Buterin’s proposal aimed at simplifying Ethereum comes as the network continues to lose market share to competing blockchains.During a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event on May 2, Alex Svanevik, CEO of data service Nansen, said Ethereum’s relative dominance among L1 blockchain networks has declined.“If you’d asked me 3–4 years ago whether Ethereum would dominate crypto, I’d have said yes,” Svanevik said during a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event. “But now, it’s clear that’s not what’s happening.”Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

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Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves, effectively ending efforts to make Arizona the first US state to adopt such a policy.The Digital Assets Strategic Reserve bill, which would have permitted Arizona to invest seized funds into Bitcoin (BTC) and create a reserve managed by state officials, was formally struck down on Friday, according to an update on the Arizona State Legislature’s website.“Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1025. The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments,” Hobbs wrote in a statement aimed at Warren Petersen, the President of the Arizona Senate.“Arizonans’ retirement funds are not the place for the state to try untested investments like virtual currency,” she added.On April 28, the bill passed a final vote in the state House when 31 members of the Arizona House voted in favor of the bill, with 25 opposing. Hobbs had previously stated she would veto any legislation not tied to a bipartisan agreement on disability funding.Source: Governor Katie HobbsRelated: Bitcoin bros at ‘the club’ may stop US gov’t from buying BTC — Arthur HayesAnother Bitcoin awaits final voteA companion bill, SB1373, which would authorize the state treasurer to allocate up to 10% of Arizona’s rainy-day fund into digital assets like Bitcoin, has not yet reached a final vote.Arizona joins several other states where similar efforts have failed. In recent months, similar proposals in Oklahoma, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming have stalled or been withdrawn.In contrast, North Carolina’s House passed the Digital Assets Investment Act on April 30, allowing the state treasurer to invest up to 5% of certain funds in approved cryptocurrencies. The bill has now been moved to the state Senate for consideration.The state-level efforts to create Bitcoin reserves come amid a push from US President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers to do the same in the federal government. Trump signed an executive order in March with a proposal for a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” and a “Digital Asset Stockpile.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, and now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

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In a move that hopes to challenge Big Tech’s grip on artificial intelligence, AI agent protocol Thinkagents.ai has launched a new open-source framework for building onchain agents that operate autonomously across decentralized networks.While traditional systems aim to restrict data ownership and platform abilities for their users, Thinkagents.ai is creating an interoperable ecosystem owned and controlled by its users. For Mike Anderson, core contributor at THINK, the Think Agent Standard is the future of AI.Anderson and his team developed the Think Agent Standard to enable millions of autonomous onchain AI agents to transact and communicate. The protocol now has over 70 companies, like Arbitrum and Yuga Labs, on board to help out. The platform is now live, allowing developers, enterprises and Web3 communities to experiment with the framework.“There was always this idea that it’s so much harder to [build AI] and so much more expensive when you have to build a thousand custom ways of doing it,” Anderson said during an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph. “By standardizing demand — the way people want to receive AI — you can get the whole market to line up because they want customers, and getting customers in AI is really difficult.”Following the release of Meta’s Llama 2 a few years ago, Anderson and his team decided that if the future of decentralized AI ever manifested, they needed to ensure that consumers could easily use graphic processing units (GPUs) without spending billions of dollars.“We watched as this whole ecosystem started to grow, with people saying, ’I’m going to build this part of the stack,’ and others saying they’ll ‘build that part of the stack,” almost as if Amazon Web Services (AWS) showed up with each department, with one saying they’ll do the data and another saying they’ll do the networking,” Anderson said.We found that the problem isn’t having enough builders, it’s aligning them around an actual use case.Mike Anderson, core contributor at THINK. Source: THINKDeveloping the AI standardThe Think Agent Standard was launched by THINK protocol, in partnership with the Independent AI Institute, with the initial use case around Anderson and his team defining an AI agent (a place on a blockchain that has access to a computer and can make decisions), and the AI agents playing the video game Street Fighter 3 against each other. The use case brought nine different companies to work together for an audience of 30,000 viewers last summer.That validated the idea that we could unite all of these infrastructure companies, provide a better product to customers, and do it in a way where users owned their information, data, keys, and encryption.Because if owning and controlling AI agents is to remain in the hands of users, the decentralized AI agent platforms need to be simple, user-intuitive, well-designed and deliver on a user experience that could have changed the way we use and understand social media.Related: How Meta’s antitrust case could dampen AI development“Imagine if we’d had the foresight in 2003 to see social media as a way to organize our lives,” Anderson said. “Instead of having accounts on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, what if we had a standard where your accounts follow you—where all of your data and everything you’d posted in the past is something you’re providing to them. It’s a very different thing if users owned their accounts and data and could have opted into seeing ads where they would benefit from them. That’s what we’re building.”The future of AI agentsJust as the ERC-20 standard enabled the tokenized economy, the Think Agent Standard introduces a modular, permissionless and composable system that allows AI agents to function as sovereign digital entities: Owning wallets, interacting with smart contracts and transacting seamlessly across every blockchain.Each Think agent is powered by Non-Fungible Intelligence™ (NFI), a digital identity layer that establishes ownership, memory, and authentication, with the core genome palette residing on The Root Network and subsequent layers deployed to any connected network natively. The agents are composed of three core elements: The Soul (NFI), which provides a persistent, self-sovereign identity; the Mind, which governs behavior and decision-making; and the Body, which allows interaction across platforms and environments.The first platform built on the Think Agent Standard is SOULS, a personal AI agent that users can own, train and customize. SOULS connects to thousands of open-source applications and evolves over time by integrating the best available intelligence without compromising user privacy or ownership.Related: Crypto projects prepare to battle for privacy in SwitzerlandLeading organizations in gaming, infrastructure and generative AI, including Yuga Labs, Futureverse, Alchemy, Render, Venice.ai and Magic Eden, are actively integrating the standard into real-world applications, further validating its potential across use cases.“AI agents are the new interface to technology,” Anderson said. “What we’ve been able to do successfully is partner with consumer brands — like Bored Ape Yacht Club — to actually have distribution into a consumer’s end point, and we’ve been able to build all the systems so that they can actually access consumers.”We’re helping people transition to the AI age by owning their intelligence instead of renting it from someone else.For Anderson, a personal AI agent is like a personal dashboard that acts as an extension of your real self. If the information contained within your AI agent were to leak, the results could be personally catastrophic. That’s why Think is standardizing the system the agent can interact with, backed by cryptography, no matter what chain the agent is on. If a safe and successful standard exists within the user-owned AI agent industry, big tech will have a harder time controlling it.It’s why users can own their data through their Think agent, eliminating the need for their data to be copied and live on some external third-party server. In this way, Think agents also hope to address the issue around data ownership by putting users in control of who they share their information with.“When a social company goes out of business, all of that data gets sold to the highest bidder,” Anderson said. “23andMe is the most egregious example of this. They didn’t give you your DNA data and then delete it from their servers, their business model was actually to sell your data to others. Now, who knows who the highest bidder is. Is it an insurance company? The Chinese government? Who is it? Your data exhaust is more valuable than your DNA.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange, is weighing an entry into the US market, encouraged by what it sees as a friendlier regulatory climate under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a recent Financial Times report.The Dubai-based exchange, which processed $1.3 trillion in notional volume last year, is “actively reassessing potential opportunities” in the United States, CEO Luuk Strijers told the FT.He cited the “recent shift toward a more favorable regulatory stance on crypto in the US” as a key motivator behind the decision.Deribit’s potential plan to expand into the US comes amid reports that Coinbase is in advanced negotiations to acquire the platform.In a March 21 report, Bloomberg said both companies have notified regulators in Dubai, where Deribit is licensed. If the deal is finalized, the license would need to be transferred to Coinbase.The move comes as competitors like Kraken also pursue growth in the derivatives space, with its recent $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader.Bitcoin perps on Deribit. Source: DeribitReport: Deribit options exchange is evaluating buyout offers: ReportCrypto firms target US expansionDeribit joins a growing list of European and Asian crypto firms exploring US expansion.The shift comes after a period of regulatory hostility during the Biden administration, following the collapse of FTX in late 2022.That era saw an aggressive crackdown from the SEC and DOJ, prompting many firms to withdraw from US operations. However, the narrative appears to be shifting under Trump, who has pledged to “make the US the crypto capital of the world.”Since Trump’s election victory, the SEC has dropped or paused over a dozen enforcement cases against crypto companies.Additionally, the Department of Justice recently announced the dissolution of its cryptocurrency enforcement unit, signaling a softer approach to the sector.Related: Tether CEO to take ‘cautious’ approach to US expansion, eyes larger profitsThis hands-on approach appears to be boosting industry confidence.OKX, for example, has announced plans to establish a US headquarters in San Jose, California, just months after settling a $504 million case with US authorities.On April 28, Nexo, which left the US at the end of 2022 citing a lack of regulatory clarity, revealed that it is reentering the US market.Switzerland’s Wintermute and Dubai’s DWF Labs are among other major crypto players that have shown interest in exploring US expansion.Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

What are the various methods for launching crypto tokens? Launching a new token is a critical step for any blockchain project. Token launches enable projects to offer their native assets to early users, investors or supporters while securing capital or encouraging community growth. From initial coin offerings (ICOs) to fair launches and airdrops, each approach carries different levels of transparency, accessibility and risk. Since projects differ in their goals and target communities, several token launch models have evolved over time. Some focus on decentralization and wide community offering, while others aim for optimized fundraising or targeted allocation. Elements such as market swings, bot interference and regulatory pressures influence how tokens are brought to the market.The sealed-bid token launch is a growing trend in this crypto fundraising landscape. Unlike public presales or airdrops, where participants see pricing or allocation terms in advance, sealed-bid models keep each bid confidential until the process ends. This approach is increasingly favored for enabling better price discovery, limiting front-running and curbing manipulation, especially for in-demand tokens.Did you know? Sealed-bid auctions are a crypto twist on traditional finance. They have been used for government bond sales and initial public offerings (IPOs). Now they are redefining token launches by hiding bidder-related information and transparency. Sealed-bid token launch, explained A sealed-bid token launch is a method of distributing cryptocurrency tokens where participants submit private bids without knowing what others are offering. This approach, derived from traditional sealed-bid auctions, involves participants offering secret bids, and the highest bidder typically wins. Auction systems, such as sealed-bid launches, are increasingly built on blockchain platforms like Ethereum, using privacy-enhancing technologies such as Zama’s fhEVM (fully homomorphic Ethereum Virtual Machine) to ensure confidentiality and fairness. Unlike open auctions, where public visibility can escalate prices through bidding wars, sealed-bid formats prevent strategic bidding based on competitors’ actions. In crypto, a sealed-bid token launch leads to fair and transparent token allocation, minimizing price manipulation and front-running. Systems enforce a single bid per participant by leveraging cryptographic techniques like commitments and smart contract logic to prevent multiple bids and enforce payment obligations. Each participant specifies desired token quantities and prices. After the bidding window closes, bids are revealed and assessed using predefined rules, like clearing prices or allocation tiers. This method often reduces bot interference and promotes equitable access during high-demand launches.A key feature of a sealed-bid token launch is its “one-shot” bidding process. Bidders cannot revise their offers or view others’ bids beforehand, which sets up a level playing field. However, it also brings in strategic uncertainty, as participants must estimate optimal bids without cues about other bids. In April 2024, Conor McGregor fundraised for his memecoin REAL using a sealed-bid launch. The mixed martial arts icon introduced the fundraising through a sealed-bid token auction to prevent bots and snipers from manipulating the sale. The project hoped to promote transparency and integrity in a space often plagued by front-running and rug pulls.While the project didn’t disclose token lock-up details, the sealed-bid format and focus on long-term engagement suggest a strategic attempt to execute a transparent and more community-driven launch. How do sealed-bid token launches work? Sealed-bid token launches follow a structured process that minimizes the chances of manipulation and ensures transparency. Here is how the process usually unfolds:Step 1 (Project announcement): The crypto project typically announces the sealed-bid token sale through its official website, social media channels like X, or platforms like Binance Launchpad. It outlines details such as the number of tokens available, bidding timeline, minimum and maximum bid limits, and the process of token allocation.Step 2 (Private bid submission): Participants submit bids to an auctioneer on the platform by providing secret bids before a deadline. Each bid includes the desired token quantity and the offered price. Participants cannot view other bids, ensuring privacy and reducing strategic manipulation.Step 3 (Bid locking): Once submitted, all bids are locked. This prevents users from changing or withdrawing their bids, reinforcing transparency.Step 4 (Token allocation): Post deadline, the smart contract processes all bids. Tokens are distributed either to the highest bidders or through a pricing model like a clearing price or a tiered allocation. Lower bids may receive a partial allocation or a refund.In McGregor’s fundraising, participants submitted private bids in USDC (USDC) during a limited 28-hour window without knowing what others were offering. Once the auction closed, bids were ranked, and tokens were allocated to the highest bidders until the supply ran out. Such auction systems function on a smart contract that ranks all offers, calculates the cutoff price, and allocates tokens to qualifying bidders. Excess funds are refunded automatically. This onchain process eliminates the need for intermediaries, offering immutability and trustless execution. Advantages of sealed-bid token launches Sealed-bid token launches offer an alternative to other models of token sales. This format has gained popularity in crypto, thanks to its potential to create more balanced token distribution and pricing.Transparency: While individual bids remain hidden during the process, all bids and allocations are revealed after the deadline via smart contracts. This ensures onchain verifiability and trust.Reduces gas wars and front-running: Unlike first-come-first-served launches where users race to submit transactions, sealed bids are submitted over a set period. It reduces congestion and the risk of bots exploiting faster access.Encourages fairer price discovery: Since bids are placed without seeing other offers, participants bid based on perceived token value. This mechanism leads to a more organic price that reflects market demand rather than hype or manipulation.Minimizes whale dominance: Sealed bids make it harder for large players to take tokens by simply outbidding small participants in real-time. Prevents manipulation: By removing live price visibility, sealed-bid launches reduce the chances of orchestrated pump-and-dump behavior. It discourages collusion of bidders or biased decisions on the part of the project.Did you know? Sealed-bid launches may evolve with decentralized identity tools. A world might emerge where only verified wallets can bid — combining privacy, fairness and compliance in one go. Risks and limitations of sealed-bid tokens Although sealed-bid token launches introduce a range of benefits, they also entail various risks and compromises. These issues can affect both project teams and participants:Opacity at the initial stage: Since bids remain confidential until the sale concludes, some users might feel lost, unaware of what other people are bidding.Complexity: Sealed-bid auctions can be complex and less transparent to average investors. This complexity may deter participation, especially from those unfamiliar with such mechanisms.Less suitable for small-cap projects: Small-cap projects generally lack an established community. Moreover, small-cap projects rely on viral marketing and word-of-mouth to gain traction, but the closed environment of sealed-bid auctions can dampen momentum.Blockchain-specific risks: As the whole process is executed onchain by a smart contract, blockchain-specific risks such as malfunctioning code and an attacker breaching the network are always present.Risk of underfunding: If the project doesn’t attract enough competitive bids, which is common with lesser-known tokens, it may fall short of funding goals. McGregor’s REAL could raise only 39% of its target.The REAL memecoin, backed by McGregor and launched through a sealed-bid auction, failed to meet its fundraising target, securing only $392,315 — approximately 39% of its $1.008 million goal. Several external factors played a significant role in this outcome. Several external factors contributed significantly to this outcome. Chief among them was the broader downturn in the cryptocurrency market, which coincided with the token’s launch and led to a generally risk-averse investment environment. This was compounded by growing skepticism toward memecoins, as investors became increasingly wary following a series of high-profile scams and failed projects in the space. The celebrity endorsement, while attention-grabbing, may have also backfired — many investors viewed McGregor’s involvement as superficial and questioned the project’s long-term credibility. Additionally, the token’s design raised red flags, particularly its 12-hour unlock window, which resembled patterns seen in pump-and-dump schemes. A lack of transparent communication and insufficient community engagement further weakened investor confidence. While the sealed-bid auction format is designed to ensure fairness and reduce manipulation, its complexity may have posed a barrier to broader participation, particularly among retail investors unfamiliar with the mechanism. Use cases of sealed-bid tokens in crypto and future potential Sealed-bid token launches offer a unique approach to fair token distribution. These launches are gaining attention as an alternative to traditional public sales or airdrops. Their design ensures privacy and minimizes manipulation during high-demand token sales.Here are some prominent use cases of sealed-bid tokens in crypto that reflect their future potential:DAO fundraising and decentralized launchpads: Sealed bids can enhance transparency in fundraising campaigns by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), thus boosting their credibility. The sealed-bid format reduces front-running and increases trust. Future decentralized launchpads may adopt similar systems to build credibility and avoid hype-driven token launches.KYC and identity integration: As compliance becomes more critical, sealed-bid systems could integrate with Know Your Customer (KYC) or digital identity verification layers. This would allow only verified participants to bid, reducing Sybil attacks and increasing regulatory confidence. Such integration could attract institutional investors and expand access to compliant, fair token sales.Effective for scarce supply tokens: Sealed-bid auctions are most effective when distributing tokens with limited supply. By hiding bid amounts until the auction ends, this method encourages genuine price discovery and prevents bots or whales from dominating the sale.As the crypto space matures, sealed-bid launches may become a standard for transparent and inclusive fundraising.

Onchain social network Zora has built a reputation as a popular tool for artists, musicians and other creatives to monetize their content onchain, but the recent launch of its eponymous ZORA token has left many users confused and dissatisfied.The token’s price tanked shortly after launch, with users and observers complaining about everything from poor communication from the team to the token’s distribution and utility models. This comes amid an overall decline in interest in the onchain creator economy and a changing perspective on whether blockchain tools like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are still useful for creatives who want to monetize their work on the blockchain.With creators and builders shifting focus and NFTs no longer selling like they used to, does the ZORA token drop symbolize the end of the creator-driven NFT model? Maybe not, but many creatives are changing their perspectives and the role blockchain should play in the creator economy. ZORA token launch and airdrop go awryThe ZORA token launched on April 23, and it quickly became a point of controversy among users. To start, Zora did not officially announce that it had gone live until two hours after it was already trading, leading to confusion on social media.Source: ZachXBTThe token’s price quickly fell by over 50% within those roughly two hours, from $0.037 to $0.017, adding to users’ complaints. It has since fallen even further, sitting around $0.013 at the time of writing.ZORA’s tokenomics also became a point of contention. 45% of the supply is reserved for the team and investors, while 25% is for the treasury — leaving 20% for community incentives and just 10% for the user airdrop. This led some to complain that the project was keeping too much for itself.Others disliked its general lack of utility. Zora repeatedly stated that the token “is for fun only and does not entitle its holders to any governance rights or a claim on any equity ownership in Zora or its products.” But the project seemed to respond to this criticism on May 1 by announcing that ZORA would have some additional functionalities within the network.However, many others came to the defense of the project, saying that sharing on the platform has been financially lucrative. Others were simply thankful they received anything at all.Source: WbnnsSinger Vérité, who has racked up hundreds of millions of streams as an independent artist and was an early adopter of Web3 tech, told Cointelegraph that “on a base level, I’m appreciative of being rewarded for participating in something early.”She said that while she doesn’t know the team very well, “I feel like they are genuinely trying to construct new models for valuing digital artifacts and have built an aesthetic and culture around their brand in juxtaposition to what are usually awful crypto vibes.”Source: VéritéNFTs no longer the top of the creator food chain Zora’s token launch was the latest move in a broader shift away from the traditional NFT model for creators, in this case toward embracing the cultural dominance of memecoins. While posts on Zora used to be minted as NFTs, now each post creates an instantly tradeable memecoin, also known as a “content coin.” Creators are given 1% of the supply and earn 50% of the trading and liquidity provider fees.Source: ZoraWhile the move from NFTs to content coins was itself controversial, it represents a shift to a new class of creators, according to Adam Levy, host of the Mint podcast and founder of Blueprint, which helps creators go viral onchain. He told Cointelegraph that the wild success of memecoin launchpad Pump.fun “brought in a brand new class of creators that now Zora is trying to capitalize on.”I think the Pump.fun or coin-like model is a perfect token model for a new class of creators that are emerging just generally on the internet. I think it’s like the Gen Z brain rot type of creator that spends a lot of their time remixing content or trying to create viral content in terms of like memetic content.NFT sales remain way down compared to their 2021 peak, and many creators have simply left the NFT space due to its perceived shortcomings. Music-related NFTs, which used to be prevalent on platforms like Zora, have taken a particularly hard beating.Several builders of the most popular creator platforms have moved on to work on other projects. For instance, the team behind music NFT platform Sound.xyz has shifted its focus to a new platform called Vault, which still uses blockchain technology but keeps it hidden on the back end.In a February X post, Sound co-founder David Greenstein said a hyperfocus on speculation led to the decline in NFT interest. “Over time, it became less about the artist, the music, and real connection—and more about financial transactions,” he wrote. “When speculation cooled, so did the energy behind supporting artists.”This sentiment was echoed by Vérité, who said, “I don’t think digital artifacts will have lasting value outside of speculation, experience and patronage.”Related: Tokenizing music royalties as NFTs could help the next Taylor SwiftAccording to music artist and builder Latashá, “We weren’t getting focused on culture; we were getting focused on speculation. And once the bear market hit, it really showcased that.” Latashá, who was previously head of community at Zora and is now building several blockchain-based platforms, told Cointelegraph that people also got too caught up in the language of Web3 instead of simply using the technology:The language and the jargon and even the communities that created that really kind of boxed themselves in when they only stay in that place, right? And so, I always knew that the language was going to change and that the crypto was going to become just the tool, as it should be.What’s next for the onchain creator economy?Despite the shift of interest away from NFTs toward things like memecoins, as encapsulated by Zora, many builders and creators still believe blockchain remains incredibly powerful — just that maybe it needs to be used in a different way.“I learned that you can’t force your idealism onto the world and into the market,” said Vérité. “I am less interested in making ‘Web3 tools’ work because they’re on the blockchain and more interested in finding new ways to solve problems that face artists, audiences and the systems that connect them, regardless of form.”“I definitely won’t sell NFTs to fans,” she added.Levy, on the other hand, remains firm in his belief in NFTs, specifically. “I still have endless conviction in what I’m doing,” he said. He pointed out that cryptocurrency overall, let alone NFTs, is still in the very early stages of adoption. “I think we all need to zoom out.”I don’t think it’s just a fad. I don’t think that this is going to disappear. And I don’t think that because I’ve tasted the sugar of what this is as a creator. [...] And I know there’s a better way to create content on the internet and to monetize on the internet.One notable shift has been to hide the blockchain elements and focus solely on user experience. For example, rap duo Run The Jewels has a fan club where members are rewarded with “JWL” points that can be used to unlock exclusive experiences. JWL is actually an onchain token, but that fact is buried in the club’s FAQ page. “We still need to come up with a better way of making crypto wallets accessible to people so that it is easier,” Renata Lowenbraun, CEO of independent music Web3 platform Infanity, told Cointelegraph. “The moment that happens, everything will change.”Lowenbraun compared blockchain to the internet, saying the internet took decades to truly catch on. NFTs, she argued, had a “false start” before the infrastructure had a chance to mature, “but it doesn’t mean it’s not going to stick and it’s not going to be around and it’s not going to have these amazing applications, particularly for creative people and creative ventures.”For Latashá, the future is in the hands of the artists themselves. “I think artists are just going to build their platforms. I think that’s going to be the future,” she said.From 2021 to 2024, we were really dependent on platforms. [...] And then we witnessed platforms kind of move like Web2 platforms, where they had so much ownership over our worlds and how we move that I think we finally all learned like, ‘Oh yeah, if this is really about building something different, it’s going to have to come from us.’Whatever the future of the Web3 creator economy holds, it’s clear that it won’t be without road bumps along the way. But if the builders and artists are to be believed, the road bumps lie on the path toward greater artist independence.Magazine: Get Bitcoin or die tryin’: Why hip hop stars love crypto

Pudgy Penguins showed strong upward momentum across timeframes. PENGU climbed 142% in 30 days, reflecting firm demand and buyer dominance. Pudgy Penguins [PENGU] has posted a 142.2% gain on The post Pudgy Penguins surges 142% in a month – Will PENGU’s momentum hold? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Prominent Bitcoiner Jack Mallers explains why his '500x from here' BTC price estimate is pure math

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Bitcoin is trading at $96,101 with a market capitalization of $1.907 trillion. Over the last 24 hours, its trade volume reached $21.413 billion, moving within an intraday range of $95,944 to $97,821. Bitcoin On the daily chart, bitcoin (BTC) maintains a bullish trend following a steady climb from the $74,434 level to a recent high […]

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Do Shiba Inu whales know something?

Coinspeaker $675M Bitcoin ETF Surge Inflows, US Govt. Still a No-Go: Hayes Bitcoin continues to show powerful institutional momentum as spot ETFs recorded a massive $675 million in net inflows on May 2, 2025. This surge, coupled with zero net outflows across all twelve Bitcoin ETFs, marks one of the strongest single-day performances since their launch. Ethereum ETFs also joined the rally with modest net inflows totaling […] $675M Bitcoin ETF Surge Inflows, US Govt. Still a No-Go: Hayes

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Coinspeaker Vitalik Buterin’s Simplifying the L1 Call: Will Ethereum (ETH) Soar Past $8k by Q4? Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is urging a rethink of the network’s increasingly complex architecture. In a recent blog post, he argued that Ethereum should move toward a more minimal base protocol over the next five years similar to Bitcoin’s simplicity-first ethos. Vitalik critiques Ethereum’s sophisticated features that, in hindsight, offer limited practical value. He points […] Vitalik Buterin’s Simplifying the L1 Call: Will Ethereum (ETH) Soar Past $8k by Q4?

Coinspeaker 1,000,000,000 XRP Unlocked From Escrow By Ripple As New Rules Take Effect International cross-border payments firm Ripple Labs, Inc., has released another one billion XRP coins from escrow. This marks a notable shift in how it handles its monthly token movements. Per the update, the recent release did not follow its usual timing and order, raising questions within the digital asset community about the new approach. Ripple […] 1,000,000,000 XRP Unlocked From Escrow By Ripple As New Rules Take Effect

Cardano saw significant volatility in April

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A publicly traded logistics firm has secured millions to hinge its digital asset strategy on the controversial Trump memecoin.

Ethereum has regained its positive momentum since April 26 by breaking above the moving average lines.

What are the various methods for launching crypto tokens? Launching a new token is a critical step for any blockchain project. Token launches enable projects to offer their native assets to early users, investors or supporters while securing capital or encouraging community growth. From initial coin offerings (ICOs) to fair launches and airdrops, each approach carries different levels of transparency, accessibility and risk. Since projects differ in their goals and target communities, several token launch models have evolved over time. Some focus on decentralization and wide community offering, while others aim for optimized fundraising or targeted allocation. Elements such as market swings, bot interference and regulatory pressures influence how tokens are brought to the market.The sealed-bid token launch is a growing trend in this crypto fundraising landscape. Unlike public presales or airdrops, where participants see pricing or allocation terms in advance, sealed-bid models keep each bid confidential until the process ends. This approach is increasingly favored for enabling better price discovery, limiting front-running and curbing manipulation, especially for in-demand tokens.Did you know? Sealed-bid auctions are a crypto twist on traditional finance. They have been used for government bond sales and initial public offerings (IPOs). Now they are redefining token launches by hiding bidder-related information and transparency. Sealed-bid token launch, explained A sealed-bid token launch is a method of distributing cryptocurrency tokens where participants submit private bids without knowing what others are offering. This approach, derived from traditional sealed-bid auctions, involves participants offering secret bids, and the highest bidder typically wins. Auction systems, such as sealed-bid launches, are increasingly built on blockchain platforms like Ethereum, using privacy-enhancing technologies such as Zama’s fhEVM (fully homomorphic Ethereum Virtual Machine) to ensure confidentiality and fairness. Unlike open auctions, where public visibility can escalate prices through bidding wars, sealed-bid formats prevent strategic bidding based on competitors’ actions. In crypto, a sealed-bid token launch leads to fair and transparent token allocation, minimizing price manipulation and front-running. Systems enforce a single bid per participant by leveraging cryptographic techniques like commitments and smart contract logic to prevent multiple bids and enforce payment obligations. Each participant specifies desired token quantities and prices. After the bidding window closes, bids are revealed and assessed using predefined rules, like clearing prices or allocation tiers. This method often reduces bot interference and promotes equitable access during high-demand launches.A key feature of a sealed-bid token launch is its “one-shot” bidding process. Bidders cannot revise their offers or view others’ bids beforehand, which sets up a level playing field. However, it also brings in strategic uncertainty, as participants must estimate optimal bids without cues about other bids. In April 2024, Conor McGregor fundraised for his memecoin REAL using a sealed-bid launch. The mixed martial arts icon introduced the fundraising through a sealed-bid token auction to prevent bots and snipers from manipulating the sale. The project hoped to promote transparency and integrity in a space often plagued by front-running and rug pulls.While the project didn’t disclose token lock-up details, the sealed-bid format and focus on long-term engagement suggest a strategic attempt to execute a transparent and more community-driven launch. How do sealed-bid token launches work? Sealed-bid token launches follow a structured process that minimizes the chances of manipulation and ensures transparency. Here is how the process usually unfolds:Step 1 (Project announcement): The crypto project typically announces the sealed-bid token sale through its official website, social media channels like X, or platforms like Binance Launchpad. It outlines details such as the number of tokens available, bidding timeline, minimum and maximum bid limits, and the process of token allocation.Step 2 (Private bid submission): Participants submit bids to an auctioneer on the platform by providing secret bids before a deadline. Each bid includes the desired token quantity and the offered price. Participants cannot view other bids, ensuring privacy and reducing strategic manipulation.Step 3 (Bid locking): Once submitted, all bids are locked. This prevents users from changing or withdrawing their bids, reinforcing transparency.Step 4 (Token allocation): Post deadline, the smart contract processes all bids. Tokens are distributed either to the highest bidders or through a pricing model like a clearing price or a tiered allocation. Lower bids may receive a partial allocation or a refund.In McGregor’s fundraising, participants submitted private bids in USDC (USDC) during a limited 28-hour window without knowing what others were offering. Once the auction closed, bids were ranked, and tokens were allocated to the highest bidders until the supply ran out. Such auction systems function on a smart contract that ranks all offers, calculates the cutoff price, and allocates tokens to qualifying bidders. Excess funds are refunded automatically. This onchain process eliminates the need for intermediaries, offering immutability and trustless execution. Advantages of sealed-bid token launches Sealed-bid token launches offer an alternative to other models of token sales. This format has gained popularity in crypto, thanks to its potential to create more balanced token distribution and pricing.Transparency: While individual bids remain hidden during the process, all bids and allocations are revealed after the deadline via smart contracts. This ensures onchain verifiability and trust.Reduces gas wars and front-running: Unlike first-come-first-served launches where users race to submit transactions, sealed bids are submitted over a set period. It reduces congestion and the risk of bots exploiting faster access.Encourages fairer price discovery: Since bids are placed without seeing other offers, participants bid based on perceived token value. This mechanism leads to a more organic price that reflects market demand rather than hype or manipulation.Minimizes whale dominance: Sealed bids make it harder for large players to take tokens by simply outbidding small participants in real-time. Prevents manipulation: By removing live price visibility, sealed-bid launches reduce the chances of orchestrated pump-and-dump behavior. It discourages collusion of bidders or biased decisions on the part of the project.Did you know? Sealed-bid launches may evolve with decentralized identity tools. A world might emerge where only verified wallets can bid — combining privacy, fairness and compliance in one go. Risks and limitations of sealed-bid tokens Although sealed-bid token launches introduce a range of benefits, they also entail various risks and compromises. These issues can affect both project teams and participants:Opacity at the initial stage: Since bids remain confidential until the sale concludes, some users might feel lost, unaware of what other people are bidding.Complexity: Sealed-bid auctions can be complex and less transparent to average investors. This complexity may deter participation, especially from those unfamiliar with such mechanisms.Less suitable for small-cap projects: Small-cap projects generally lack an established community. Moreover, small-cap projects rely on viral marketing and word-of-mouth to gain traction, but the closed environment of sealed-bid auctions can dampen momentum.Blockchain-specific risks: As the whole process is executed onchain by a smart contract, blockchain-specific risks such as malfunctioning code and an attacker breaching the network are always present.Risk of underfunding: If the project doesn’t attract enough competitive bids, which is common with lesser-known tokens, it may fall short of funding goals. McGregor’s REAL could raise only 39% of its target.The REAL memecoin, backed by McGregor and launched through a sealed-bid auction, failed to meet its fundraising target, securing only $392,315 — approximately 39% of its $1.008 million goal. Several external factors played a significant role in this outcome. Several external factors contributed significantly to this outcome. Chief among them was the broader downturn in the cryptocurrency market, which coincided with the token’s launch and led to a generally risk-averse investment environment. This was compounded by growing skepticism toward memecoins, as investors became increasingly wary following a series of high-profile scams and failed projects in the space. The celebrity endorsement, while attention-grabbing, may have also backfired — many investors viewed McGregor’s involvement as superficial and questioned the project’s long-term credibility. Additionally, the token’s design raised red flags, particularly its 12-hour unlock window, which resembled patterns seen in pump-and-dump schemes. A lack of transparent communication and insufficient community engagement further weakened investor confidence. While the sealed-bid auction format is designed to ensure fairness and reduce manipulation, its complexity may have posed a barrier to broader participation, particularly among retail investors unfamiliar with the mechanism. Use cases of sealed-bid tokens in crypto and future potential Sealed-bid token launches offer a unique approach to fair token distribution. These launches are gaining attention as an alternative to traditional public sales or airdrops. Their design ensures privacy and minimizes manipulation during high-demand token sales.Here are some prominent use cases of sealed-bid tokens in crypto that reflect their future potential:DAO fundraising and decentralized launchpads: Sealed bids can enhance transparency in fundraising campaigns by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), thus boosting their credibility. The sealed-bid format reduces front-running and increases trust. Future decentralized launchpads may adopt similar systems to build credibility and avoid hype-driven token launches.KYC and identity integration: As compliance becomes more critical, sealed-bid systems could integrate with Know Your Customer (KYC) or digital identity verification layers. This would allow only verified participants to bid, reducing Sybil attacks and increasing regulatory confidence. Such integration could attract institutional investors and expand access to compliant, fair token sales.Effective for scarce supply tokens: Sealed-bid auctions are most effective when distributing tokens with limited supply. By hiding bid amounts until the auction ends, this method encourages genuine price discovery and prevents bots or whales from dominating the sale.As the crypto space matures, sealed-bid launches may become a standard for transparent and inclusive fundraising.

XRP breakout is masked by its tight trading trend around $2.2 price mark

Bitcoin’s IBIT spot ETF continues to attract strong institutional inflows, enhancing upward pressure.  The market is primed for a potential short squeeze. Bitcoin [BTC] is on the brink ofThe post Bitcoin set for $3B short squeeze! How it will fuel BTC's $100K rally appeared first on AMBCrypto.

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Qiao Wang of Alliance DAO demonstrates how Solana (SOL) becomes dominant chain for builders

In a recent interview, Shark Tank personality Kevin O’Leary, known as “Mr. Wonderful,” remarked that when substantial capital flows into the crypto sector, it inevitably gravitates toward the flagship digital asset, bitcoin. O’Leary Says Only Bitcoin Will Unlock Institutional Capital Kevin O’Leary offered a candid and strategic take on bitcoin ( BTC) during his latest […]

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Cannes, the glitzy capital of film and French Riviera flair, is about to take on a new role: global crypto tourism hub. The city announced plans to roll out crypto payment infrastructure across 90% of local merchants, thanks to a partnership with Web3 payment firm Lunu Pay. By summer 2025, you might be able to […]

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Toncoin finally edges out second largest meme coin SHIB as market consolidation grows

The price of Avalanche (AVAX) has resumed its uptrend after retracing above its moving average lines.

Legendary cypherpunk Jameson Lopp, founder and CTO of Casa, explained what is wrong with Bitcoin Core node client and how this should be fixed

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• #vechain

Whales accumulated ADA, signaling strong long-term conviction. Short-term activity reflected a bullish outlook, showing the market’s readiness to support a rally. In the past 24 hours, CarThe post Cardano whales scoop up 410 mln ADA - Is a May breakout brewing? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

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XRP eyes a 2021-style comeback post-SEC win, but Yeti Ouro may steal the spotlight as the next big altcoin. #partnercontent

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Codename:Pepe enters the bull market buzz with AI-powered memecoin tech, aiming to rival PEPE’s explosive rise. #partnercontent

Arizona's decision highlights the cautious approach states may take towards integrating volatile digital assets into public investment portfolios. The post Arizona governor rejects bill to add Bitcoin to state reserves appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

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Remittix (RTX) gains investor attention in 2025 as a low-cap game-changer in cross-border payments, outshining SOL and ADA. #partnercontent

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• #Cardano

The BlackRock ETF, IBIT, has seen $675 million in inflows on Friday, with the current data for the other ETFs showing zero inflows or outflows.

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On-chain data shows the Bitcoin Difficulty is set to see a drop in the upcoming adjustment after having gone up the previous four times. Bitcoin Difficulty Will Finally Provide A Break To Miners The “Difficulty” refers to a feature present on the Bitcoin blockchain that defines how hard the miners would find it to mine […]

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Ripple's legal victory sets a precedent for future U.S. crypto policy and regulation. SEC delays XRP, SOL ETF decisions amid Ripple’s post-lawsuit business expansion. Donald Trump's returnThe post SEC drops Ripple case after 4 years: Sign of clearer crypto regulations? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange, is weighing an entry into the US market, encouraged by what it sees as a friendlier regulatory climate under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a recent Financial Times report.The Dubai-based exchange, which processed $1.3 trillion in notional volume last year, is “actively reassessing potential opportunities” in the United States, CEO Luuk Strijers told the FT.He cited the “recent shift toward a more favorable regulatory stance on crypto in the US” as a key motivator behind the decision.Deribit’s potential plan to expand into the US comes amid reports that Coinbase is in advanced negotiations to acquire the platform.In a March 21 report, Bloomberg said both companies have notified regulators in Dubai, where Deribit is licensed. If the deal is finalized, the license would need to be transferred to Coinbase.The move comes as competitors like Kraken also pursue growth in the derivatives space, with its recent $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader.Bitcoin perps on Deribit. Source: DeribitReport: Deribit options exchange is evaluating buyout offers: ReportCrypto firms target US expansionDeribit joins a growing list of European and Asian crypto firms exploring US expansion.The shift comes after a period of regulatory hostility during the Biden administration, following the collapse of FTX in late 2022.That era saw an aggressive crackdown from the SEC and DOJ, prompting many firms to withdraw from US operations. However, the narrative appears to be shifting under Trump, who has pledged to “make the US the crypto capital of the world.”Since Trump’s election victory, the SEC has dropped or paused over a dozen enforcement cases against crypto companies.Additionally, the Department of Justice recently announced the dissolution of its cryptocurrency enforcement unit, signaling a softer approach to the sector.Related: Tether CEO to take ‘cautious’ approach to US expansion, eyes larger profitsThis hands-on approach appears to be boosting industry confidence.OKX, for example, has announced plans to establish a US headquarters in San Jose, California, just months after settling a $504 million case with US authorities.On April 28, Nexo, which left the US at the end of 2022 citing a lack of regulatory clarity, revealed that it is reentering the US market.Switzerland’s Wintermute and Dubai’s DWF Labs are among other major crypto players that have shown interest in exploring US expansion.Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

Update: the CTO of TradingView told Cointelegraph in comments that the reports of a bug were inaccurate, and the Twitter user partially withdrew his earlier claims that the tool was broken. Popular chart analysis service TradingView reportedly contains a bug in the Fibonacci retracement technical analysis tool, according to a tweet by self-proclaimed certified Elliott wave analyst Cryptoteddybear published on June 13. The Elliott wave principle is a type of technical analysis for predicting prices in financial markets by looking at recurring patterns. In a video that he uploaded to YouTube, the analyst explains that the tool does linear calculations when in logarithmic charts, which he notes is a significant issue for Elliot wave traders. The official Twitter account of the company behind the charting service answered his tweet, announcing that the issue is being investigated, to which Cryptoteddybear answered: “Thank you @tradingview for finally taking this issue seriously.” The first reports of the bug, posted over five years ago (in November 2014) on consumer community platform getsatisfaction, have been reportedly ignored by the company. Another report submitted on the same platform, dated June 3, 2017, has seen the official TradingView account answer in the thread: “Hi, you are right, we have a planned task to fix this. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.” However, the problem apparently has not yet been solved. Cryptoteddybear claims that a company representative told him that he asked the technicians to increase the priority given to solving the bug. As Cointelegraph recently reported, TradingView is one of the platforms that added the “CIX100” index — an AI-powered index for the 100 strongest-performing cryptocurrencies and tokens. At the beginning of the current month, cryptocurrency analytics company Coin Metrics announced that it has acquired digital asset index firm Bletchley Indexes and plans to launch crypto smart beta indexes. As of press time, TradingView has not responded to a request for comment.

As the crypto space developed, blockchain use cases expanded from simple digital currencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to more complex areas such as digital identity verification and telecommunications. Ahead of the Token2049 event in Dubai, Cointelegraph spoke with Spacecoin CEO Stuart Gardner, Spacecoin founder Tae Oh, and Humanity Protocol founder Terrence Kwok to explore how they use blockchain to improve certain industries. From addressing challenges like verification in the artificial intelligence era to bringing internet connectivity to developing countries, projects are integrating blockchain to solve problems in different industries.  Digital identity verification to combat the AI threat As artificial intelligence developed, the technology brought improvements that people could benefit from. However, the technology was also adopted by malicious actors who used the tech to perform AI-assisted hack research and deepfake scams.  Kwok told Cointelegraph that just two years ago, the idea of having to prove you’re human seemed “crazy.” However, with today’s advancements in AI, it has become remarkably easy to fake being a real person.“As for content, you can't tell if it's AI-generated or not. Video deepfakes, you cannot tell, right? Even documents. It's super easy now to use AI to create a fake proof of address, a fake proof of balance for your bank statement. I think in the future it's only going to get worse,” he said. The executive also said that in the future, AI may also exist in the physical world through humanoids that might mimic human beings. In 2024, Tesla's humanoid robot project was showcased on social media, highlighting developments in humanoid robotics. Kwok said that the development of robots underscores the need for human identity verification even more. The executive said that this was why they launched the Humanity Protocol, which uses blockchain tech for digital identity verification. “The internet is filled with bots, you know, it's filled with AI agents. They're great, but there's also a need to be able to verify and check whether something or somebody is a person or not,” Kwok told Cointelegraph. Terrence Kwok (left) and Cointelegraph’s Ezra Reguerra at the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club. Source: CointelegraphRelated: Global demand grows for non-dollar stablecoins, says Fireblocks execDecentralized satellite network to combat the connectivity oligopolyApart from digital identity, blockchain technology is also being used to create a decentralized satellite network. Gardner told Cointelegraph that at the moment, the satellite connectivity landscape is an oligopoly, a market structure where the industry is dominated by only a few large players. The executive pointed out that Starlink and Amazon lead the race, while the EU and China are catching up. However, the big problem is that over 150 countries are lagging behind. “They're going to become reliant upon working with one of these oligopolies for their connectivity. And that poses a big issue for these people,” Gardner added. On Nov. 1, Spacecoin unveiled a plan to launch a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) through a fleet of nanosatellites in space. Oh told Cointelegraph that the Spacecoin idea came from the observation that the space industry is getting heavily commoditized. However, the executive said that it was possible for smaller companies or even individuals to launch their own satellites and start building constellations for connectivity. The Spacecoin founder added that since different people or entities own each satellite, it's essentially a "decentralized network." The executive said that they integrated crypto into the project to have a "trustless means of payment and data exchange." Oh said that this was where the blockchain comes in. Gardner (left), Oh (center), and Reguerra at the Crypto Polo event in Dubai. Source: CointelegraphMagazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Movement Labs confirmed the suspension of its co-founder, Rushi Manche, following controversies over a market maker deal that he brokered.Movement announced the suspension of Manche in a May 2 X post, explaining that the “decision was made in light of ongoing events.” The decision follows Coinbase's recent decision to suspend the Movement Network (MOVE) trading, citing the token’s failure to meet its listing standards.Source: MovementThe suspension came after a recently announced third-party review requested by the Movement Network Foundation into an agreement orchestrated by Manche with Rentech — the latter helped broker an agreement with market maker Web3Port. Private intelligence firm Groom Lake is conducting the investigation.This was followed by Web3Port reportedly selling the 66 million MOVE that it gained through the deal — about 5% of the total supply. This led to $38 million in downward price pressure in December 2024.Groom Lake refused to comment on the investigation.Related: Citadel Securities eyes market-making role for crypto exchanges: ReportMarket makers are a controversial player in cryptoAccording to a recent analysis, the right market maker can be a launchpad for a cryptocurrency project, opening the door to major exchanges and providing valuable liquidity to ensure a token is tradeable. On the other hand, when the wrong incentives are set, market makers can kill a project as it is taking its first steps in the market.A summer 2024 report suggests that up to 78% of new token listings since April 2024 have been poorly conducted, with some suggesting that market makers are involved.Related: How to choose a market maker for your Web3 projectLawsuits claim market maker manipulationCreditors of bankrupt cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network have alleged that leading crypto market maker Wintermute was involved in the wash trading of the Celsius token. Wash trading is a form of market manipulation that creates the illusion that a particular asset is trading at a higher volume than it actually is.This is far from the only such case. In late 2024, Fracture Labs, creator of the Web3 game Decimated, filed suit against market maker Jump Crypto for allegedly orchestrating a pump-and-dump scheme using its in-game currency, DIO.Another notable example is a Wall Street Journal report claimed that DWF Labs, one of Binance’s largest trading clients, engaged in market manipulation, wash trading and inflated trading volumes amounting to $300 million through deals with crypto projects. DWF Labs and Binance later denied the accusation in May 2024.Last month, a Massachusetts court fined crypto market maker CLS Global for fraudulent manipulation of trading volumes. In late February, the founder of a so-called crypto hedge fund and market maker called Gotbit was extradited from Portugal to the US, where he faces market manipulation charges and wire fraud conspiracy.Magazine: What do crypto market makers actually do? Liquidity, or manipulation

Key points:Bitcoin long-term holders are about to hit a level of unrealized profit, which has traditionally caused them to sell.That level coincides with the return to a six-figure BTC price.Order book data suggests that bulls may not succeed in keeping the upside going.Bitcoin (BTC) risks a “notable increase” in selling from its older investors if price rises further, warns onchain analytics firm Glassnode.In the latest edition of its regular newsletter, “The Week Onchain,” researchers calculated that long-term holders (LTHs) are sitting on almost 350% unrealized profits.Bitcoin sell-side odds in line for crucial testBitcoin at multimonth highs will tempt an increasing number of hodlers to take profits — including so-called “diamond hands.”Using a variety of metrics to track investor profitability, Glassnode shows that aggregate LTH unrealized profits are now nearing 350% — a key historical level.“Having established that the LTH cohort is expressing a preference to hold onto their supply, we can attempt to quantify the potential price levels required to entice them to part with their coins, and commence the next wave of profit taking,” it explains.LTH refers to entities holding BTC for more than six months. For Glassnode, the key price area to watch for changes in their behavior is the $100,000 zone.“Historically speaking, the Long-Term Holder cohort typically ramps up their spending pressure when the average member is holding a +350% unrealized profit margin,” it explains.“Reconciling this information with the spot price, the average LTH is expected to hit a 350% profit margin at the $99.9k level. As such, we can anticipate an uptick in sell-side pressure as the market approaches this zone, making it an area that will likely require substantial buy-side demand to absorb the distribution, and sustain upwards momentum.”Bitcoin LTH profit levels (screenshot). Source: GlassnodeTrader: BTC price upside potential “looks thin”BTC/USD reached $97,500 this week before cooling off — its highest since Feb. 21, per data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView.Related: Bitcoin eyes gains as macro data makes US recession 2025 ‘base case’While more than $20,000 above its recent lows, Bitcoin is not yet convincing traders that it can return to classic bull market behavior.Popular trader TheKingfisher pointed to order book liquidity as one sign that sellers may take revenge on the recovery.“Massive wall of LONG liquidations stacked up under ~$91k. Shorts above current price ($96.6k)? Barely anything significant,” he wrote in part of an X post on May 1.“Huge imbalance suggests potential downside magnet is strong. High risk for longs near current levels. Upside fuel looks thin for now.”Bitcoin exchange order book liquidity data. Source: TheKingfisher/XGlassnode also acknowledged the need to demonstrate key resistance/support flips, referencing the 111-day simple moving average (SMA) and the aggregate cost basis of Bitcoin speculators, known as short-term holders (STHs).“The price has recently surged above both of these pricing models, and is now attempting to consolidate within this zone. This highlights a noteworthy degree of strength behind this upwards swing,” it commented. “However, these are levels that must be broken and held for further price appreciation, as a rejection of this level would push the price back into bearish territory, and return many investors to a state of meaningful unrealized loss.”BTC/USD chart with 11-day SMA, STH realized price. Source: GlassnodeThis 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.

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Why are refunds important in stablecoin payments? Anyone who has used traditional payment systems will likely be familiar with refunds and chargebacks. If a purchase goes wrong, like receiving damaged items or not receiving the product at all, the payer can file a complaint with the seller to recover their funds. This process of refunds builds trust between payers and sellers, ensuring secure transactions for both sides.However, stablecoin transactions differ significantly. Unlike credit cards or PayPal, stablecoin payments are generally irreversible. Once sent, the payment is final, with no standard way to dispute or reverse it if issues arise, which can make payers wary of using stablecoins for daily purchases.This highlights the importance of refunds in the stablecoin ecosystem. Just as payers rely on protections with traditional payment methods, stablecoin transactions need comparable systems to inspire confidence. Without options to dispute or reverse payments, payers may avoid stablecoins for online shopping or other transactions. A clear, reliable refund system could make stablecoin payments safer and more attractive for payers, whether purchasing digital goods, services or physical items. Circle’s Refund Protocol, explained Circle’s refund protocol is basically a smart contract designed to resolve payment disputes while preventing custodial control over funds. It has transformed the role of arbiter by restricting their ability to redirect funds at will or indefinitely block access.Traditionally, an arbiter could fully control escrowed funds, including misusing or losing them. The Refund Protocol changes this by limiting the arbiter’s powers strictly to dispute resolution. Rather than making the arbiter all-powerful, the protocol entrusts the arbiter with three specific authorities:Set a lockup period during which the payer’s funds are securely held in escrowAuthorize refunds to a pre-specified address provided by the payerAllow early fund withdrawal by the payer if they pay a mutually agreed fee to the arbiter.The arbiter cannot send the funds to any arbitrary address, ensuring they remain non-custodial. The use of a smart contract ensures transparency, locking the process into code rather than trusting human discretion. The smart contract logs the recipient’s address, amount and refund address. By removing full custodial rights and fixing the dispute period, the Refund Protocol protects both payers and recipients while offering a structured, tamper-proof way to handle disagreements. Key features of Circle’s Refund Protocol In digital payments, stablecoins like USDC (USDC) have transformed transactions by providing swift, borderless and stable payment options. But these stablecoins lack the ability to manage disputes or process refunds, which is typically expected from traditional payment systems such as credit cards. The Refund Protocol fills this void.Here are the key features of the Refund Protocol:Non-custodial escrow: With the Refund Protocol, funds are never controlled by a central party. You don’t need to trust any single entity with your funds. Instead, the smart contract itself ensures that funds are only released when the conditions are met. This creates a more secure and trustworthy system for both payers and sellers.Mediation by an arbiter: If a dispute arises, the Refund Protocol employs an arbiter who works as a neutral mediator to settle conflicts without centralization or excessive authority. The arbiter’s role is to facilitate dispute resolution, not to manage the funds. If the payer and the seller cannot resolve the issue, the arbiter can make a final ruling, but they cannot arbitrarily access or control the funds. Lockup periods: To allow both parties time to address issues, the Refund Protocol incorporates lockup periods. During this period, funds stay in escrow, giving both sides an opportunity for negotiation or dispute resolution before funds are transferred to the payer. This ensures the payment isn’t immediately lost to fraud or mistakes.Early withdrawals: If the seller needs access to funds before the lockup period concludes, the Refund Protocol permits early withdrawals. But this is subject to a fee and requires consent from both the payer and the arbiter. Early withdrawals offer flexibility, enabling quicker access to funds if both parties agree on the conditions.Composability and transparency: A standout feature of the Refund Protocol is its composability, designed to integrate effortlessly with other blockchain-based applications. All transactions are logged on the blockchain, allowing the payer to monitor their funds’ status and maintain a clear record if a dispute occurs.Did you know? The Refund Protocol is built to work with USDC and can be integrated into merchant platforms, wallets or payment services. This opens doors to mainstream e-commerce use cases, where stablecoin refunds become as seamless as traditional card chargebacks. How Circle’s Refund Protocol works With Circle’s Refund Protocol, the payer no longer needs to avoid USDC payments, fearing an irreversible payment. It offers a transparent, decentralized and clear method to resolve disputes, ensuring funds’ safety. Here is how the refund protocol works:The payment: When the payer makes a payment, funds aren’t instantly transferred to the seller. The protocol’s smart contract holds the funds in escrow, showing the payment as initiated but pausing the transfer until conditions are fulfilled.The refund: If an issue occurs post-payment, such as non-delivery of service or products, the payer can request a refund from escrow if the supplier agrees. But if the seller doesn’t consent, they can escalate the matter to the arbiter for a resolution.The withdrawal: After the lockup period, if no disputes arise, the seller can withdraw funds without arbiter involvement. The decentralized, non-custodial system would only hold funds when needed.Early withdrawal: If the seller needs funds sooner, they can request early withdrawal. This feature includes a fee the arbiter determines and must be mutually agreed upon with the payer. To prevent arbitrary charges, the recipient must sign off on the terms before the withdrawal can happen.Did you know? The protocol predefines refund addresses at the time of payment. This means that even if disputes arise, arbiters can’t redirect funds elsewhere. It’s a privacy-preserving and fraud-resistant design that limits trust assumptions while still allowing dispute mediation. Benefits of the Refund Protocol Refund Protocol transforms stablecoin transactions by prioritizing security, transparency and user autonomy. It delivers a cost-effective, decentralized framework that enhances trust and usability for everyday payments.Here are some benefits of the Refund Protocol:Non-custodial system: The Refund Protocol ensures funds remain free from centralized control and, subsequently, arbitrary decision-making. This mechanism boosts trust as the payers don’t need to rely on any single entity. The smart contract ensures automated release of funds when conditions are met, fostering a secure, trustworthy environment for both payers and sellers.Transparent dispute resolution: A key advantage of the Refund Protocol is a transparent dispute resolution process. If an issue arises, an arbiter resolves it. As all transactions are onchain, both payers and buyers can monitor dispute progress anytime. Flexibility and control: The payer can designate a refund address in advance, setting payment terms. A seller may withdraw funds early, though with a fee. These features provide greater control over fund handling, which becomes especially useful for uses like e-commerce.Lower costs: By eliminating intermediaries like banks or payment processors, the Refund Protocol cuts transaction fees. This makes stablecoin payments a cost-effective option, particularly for cross-border transfers where traditional methods are slow and expensive.Greater stablecoin adoption: The Refund Protocol has overcome a significant hurdle to stablecoin use — the lack of trust. Its transparent, fair dispute resolution encourages more businesses and consumers to adopt stablecoins.Did you know? Circle’s Refund Protocol helps bridge the trust gap in crypto commerce by mimicking familiar Web2 refund experiences but in a decentralized way. It demonstrates how programmable money can unlock new consumer protection forms without sacrificing blockchain’s permissionless ethos. Challenges concerning the Refund Protocol The Refund Protocol faces hurdles in achieving widespread adoption and seamless functionality. Addressing these challenges is crucial for its scalability and integration into global payment systems.Here are the challenges the Refund Protocol is facing:Adoption by wallet providers: For the Refund Protocol to work smoothly, wallet providers must integrate it with the wallet. If a wallet doesn’t support specifying refund addresses or interacting with the Refund Protocol smart contract, both the payers and the sellers may not be able to use the full range of features. Gas costs and scalability: The Refund Protocol requires multiple interactions with the blockchain — payment deposits, withdrawals and dispute resolutions — each of which can incur gas costs. As the number of transactions grows, the fee may become prohibitive, particularly in high-volume applications. Legal and regulatory considerations: As stablecoins become more widely adopted, there may be legal and regulatory challenges regarding the enforceability of the protocol. The role of the arbiter in dispute resolution may need clarification under various jurisdictions, which could impact the global use of the protocol.Malicious arbiters: While the Refund Protocol minimizes the power of the arbiter, there is still the probability of misuse. A malicious arbiter could approve a refund that isn’t justified, leading to unfair outcomes. To mitigate this risk, auditing mechanisms and reputation systems could help ensure that arbiters act fairly and responsibly.Integration with traditional payment systems: As stablecoins gain popularity, there will likely be challenges in integrating them with traditional fiat-based systems. Most consumers are still accustomed to using credit cards or other payment methods, so ensuring that the Refund Protocol works seamlessly with both stablecoins and fiat currencies is a key challenge for the future.

The European Union is set to impose sweeping Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules that will ban privacy-preserving tokens and anonymous cryptocurrency accounts from 2027.Under the new Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), credit institutions, financial institutions and crypto asset service providers (CASPs) will be prohibited from maintaining anonymous accounts or handling privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies, such as Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC).“Article 79 of the AMLR establishes strict prohibitions on anonymous accounts [...]. Credit institutions, financial institutions, and crypto-asset service providers are prohibited from maintaining anonymous accounts,” according to the AML Handbook, published by European Crypto Initiative (EUCI).The AML Handbook. Source: EUCIThe regulation is part of a broader AML framework that includes bank and payment accounts, passbooks and safe-deposit boxes, “crypto-asset accounts allowing anonymisation of transactions,” and “accounts using anonymity-enhancing coins.”Related: Eric Trump: USD1 will be used for $2B MGX investment in Binance“The regulations (the AMLR, AMLD and AMLAR) are final, and what remains is the ‘fine print’ — aka the interpretation of some of the requirements through the so-called implementing and delegated acts,” according to Vyara Savova, senior policy lead at the EUCI.She added that much of the implementation will come through so-called implementing and delegated acts, which are mostly handled by the European Banking Authority:“This means that the EUCI is still actively working on these level two acts by providing feedback to the public consultations, as some of the implementation details are yet to be finalized.”“However, the broader framework is final, so centralized crypto projects (CASPs under MiCA) need to keep it in mind when determining their internal processes and policies,” Savova said.Related: Bitcoin volatility lowest in 563 days, Hayes predicts $1M BTC by 2028EU to increase oversight of crypto service providersUnder the new regulatory framework, CASPs operating in at least six member states will be under direct AML supervision.In the initial stage, AMLA plans to select 40 entities, with at least one entity per member state, according to EUCI’s AML Handbook. The selection process is set to start on July 1, 2027.AMLA will use “materiality thresholds” to ensure that only firms with “substantial operations presence in multiple jurisdictions are considered for direct supervision.”The thresholds include a “minimum of 20,000 customers residing in the host member state,” or a total transaction volume of over 50 million euros ($56 million).Other notable measures include mandatory customer due diligence on transactions above 1,000 euros ($1,100).These updates come as the EU ramps up its regulatory oversight of the crypto industry, building on previous measures such as the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).Magazine: Bitcoin $100K hopes on ice, SBF’s mysterious prison move: Hodler’s Digest, April 20 – 26

Crypto exchange KuCoin said that it may reenter South Korea after its platform was blocked in the country. On March 21, South Korean regulators ordered Google Play to block access to exchanges that were not compliant with the requirements needed to operate in the country. On April 11, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) ordered the Apple Store to block unregistered crypto exchanges. KuCoin was among those affected by the country’s crackdown on unregistered platforms that were previously available. While the platform is now unavailable to South Koreans, it has not fully abandoned the jurisdiction. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, KuCoin’s newly appointed CEO, BC Wong, said that the crypto exchange has plans to reenter the country. Wong (left), KuCoin EU CEO Oliver Stauber (middle) and Cointelegraph reporter Ezra Reguerra (right) at the Token2049 event in Dubai. Source: Market AcrossRegulators drive global players away from local marketsWong told Cointelegraph that before the exchange can reenter South Korea, it plans to secure compliance with major jurisdictions first. He said: “The resource is there. We need to go one by one. Our strategy will always be that major jurisdictions come first, which means the United States, EU, China, India, and maybe after that, Australia.”Wong confirmed to Cointelegraph that KuCoin representatives had started speaking with regulators. The executive said that operating in crypto is very similar to traditional financial markets, where there’s a need for a clear background in each jurisdiction. The KuCoin CEO also said that regulators are stricter compared to three years ago. He said that this could be a move to drive global players away from local crypto markets. “I'm not so sure that if the regulators’ intention is to regulate the global market or just simply, they want to pave the way to get all the global kind of players to be out from their market, and pave the road for their domestic exchange,” Wong added. Related: Kraken tells how it spotted North Korean hacker in job interviewKuCoin’s EU CEO shares regulatory challenges in EuropeOliver Stauber, who joined KuCoin as its European Union CEO, told Cointelegraph that there are also difficulties operating in the EU, even with the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in place. Stauber, who previously worked as the chief legal officer of Bitpanda, told Cointelegraph that while MiCA licenses have a passporting feature, which should allow license holders to provide services across the EU, the executive said that some jurisdictions interpret the laws differently. Stauber said that some jurisdictions may say that licenses were “wrongly assessed,” which gets in the way of operating in some jurisdictions.  “MiCA was said to have a level playing field in crypto all over Europe. However, as long as there are players who are not playing by the books, you know it's getting quite messy and difficult,” Stauber told Cointelegraph. Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

On Wednesday, speaking from the White House, US President Donald Trump suggested that families scale back on gifts this year.Asked about his tariff program, the president remarked, “Somebody said, ‘Oh, the shelves are gonna be open. Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more.’”But the toy stores where those dolls are sold might have something to say about it. Earlier in the week, Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul, Minnesota joined a growing number of American small businesses suing the president over his emergency tariff plan.Throughout April, a groundswell of lawsuits led by 13 states further challenged Trump’s ambitious tariff program. Their success or failure rests on hundreds of years of judicial policy and American constitutional law. The legal basis for the Trump tariffsWhen Trump first announced his ambitious tariff program to the world, you might have wondered, Why is he allowed to do this? Well, he may not be. The president’s power to unilaterally impose tariffs is not rooted in the office’s constitutional Article II power. Instead, it is a delegation of authority by Congress. Article I of the US Constitution creates Congress, and Section 8 delegates the authority to “lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises.” For much of the United States’ history, this is precisely what it did — through a series of colorfully named tariff programs like the Tariff of Abominations of 1828, the Dingley Tariff of 1897 and culminating in the infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930. At the time, Smoot-Hawley was widely perceived as contributing to the devastation of the Great Depression. As a consequence, Congress’s use of tariffs became viewed as corrosively political and dysregulated, spurring change.In the early 1930s, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt pushed for legislation to grant his office the authority to negotiate tariffs. He argued that tariffs had wrecked the economy and that he should have the power to reduce them:World trade has declined with startling rapidity. Measured in terms of the volume of goods in 1933, it has been reduced to approximately 70 percent of its 1929 volume; measured in terms of dollars, it has fallen to 35 percent. The drop in the foreign trade of the United States has been even sharper. Our exports in 1933 were but 52 percent of the 1929 volume, and 32 percent of the 1929 value […] a full and permanent domestic recovery depends in part upon a revived and strengthened international trade and that American exports cannot be permanently increased without a corresponding increase in imports.Thus followed the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act of 1934 (RTAA), which gave the president the power to set tariff rates, provided it came as part of a reciprocal agreement with a counterpart. This allowed the office to negotiate directly with other nations and promoted a period of liberalized trade. The RTAA, however, is not the law that Trump is now relying on. His tariffs are unilateral, not reciprocal, and would require another century of law to conceive. After the RTAA, Congress continued to delegate authority to the president through the midcentury. Notably, this included the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allowed the president to impose unilateral tariffs in response to national security threats; the Trade Act of 1974, which allowed the president to retaliate against unfair trade practices; and, crucially, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, known as IEEPA. Now, the IEEPA doesn’t say anything about tariffs; it is better known as the law that recent presidents have used to levy sanctions against enemy nations like Russia. It grants the president the power to respond to declared emergencies in response to “unusual and extraordinary threat[s]” (the president also has the power to declare emergencies, but that comes from the National Emergencies Act, a different law) by “investigat[ing], regulat[ing], or prohibit[ing] any transactions in foreign exchange.” Related: Trump’s WLFI crypto investments aren’t paying offDespite this novel application, the Trump administration has seized on the law because, unlike all other tariff statutes, it permits the president to act through executive order alone.Throughout his young second term, Trump has used this statute to declare arbitrary tariffs on virtually all of America’s trading partners. First, declaring 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and then various large tariffs on the rest of the world.To do so, Trump declared a “national emergency posed by the large and persistent trade deficit that is driven by the absence of reciprocity in our trade relationships and other harmful policies like currency manipulation and exorbitant value-added taxes (VAT) perpetuated by other countries.”This was the first time a president had attempted to use the law in this way, and many legal scholars believe it is illegal.Like flies to honeyAlmost immediately after Trump’s tariffs were announced, lawsuits began to trickle in. Fearing retribution from the administration, many trade groups and major players reportedly chose to bow out of proceedings. However, California became the first state to sue on April 16, followed a week later on April 23 by a dozen other states.There are basically two legal arguments you can make against Trump’s tariffs: (1) The IEEPA doesn’t authorize the president to implement his tariff program, and (2) it is unconstitutional for the IEEPA to delegate such broad authority to the president. This is exactly what California and the consortium of 12 states did — arguing that (1) the president’s actions are ultra vires — beyond his legal authority — and (2) they would violate separation of powers. There are a few reasons this might be true. For one, as the states identified, any action under the IEEPA must be tailored to “deal with an unusual and extraordinary threat,” and, “[t]he nearly worldwide 10 percent tariff level is wholly unconnected to the stated basis of the emergency declaration: it applies without regard to any country’s trade practices or purported threat to domestic industries.”Second, there is a constitutional limit on Congress’s authority to delegate Article I powers to the president, known as the “nondelegation doctrine.” While in theory this could be robust, it has generally been nerfed by the obsequious Supreme Court’s past. Nonetheless, there remains an “intelligible principle test” that such delegation may only be allowed “if Congress shall lay down by legislative act an intelligible principle to which the person or body authorized to fix such rates is directed to conform.”Related: If Trump fired Powell, what would happen to crypto?In theory, if Congress had actually given the president plenary authority to fix tariffs according to his whims, it should violate this doctrine. But the Supreme Court has not struck down an executive action on these grounds since Panama Refining Co. v. Ryan in 1935.Despite the constitutional uncertainty, the net of the arguments is broadly perceived as strong. This is why one “prominent conservative lawyer” told ABC News that plaintiffs may win in a fight against Trump:There is a strong argument that the tariffs imposed under the IEEPA are not legal or constitutional. Under that particular statute, tariffs are not listed amongst the various actions a president can take in response to the declaration of a national emergency.But there are some factors in the president’s favor. For one, the administration may be able to hear these claims in the US Court of International Trade (CIT), which has exclusive jurisdiction over most tariff disputes.Appeals from this court are heard in the Federal Circuit, which is generally seen as favorable for Trump. The 12-state complaint was actually filed in this court from the outset, but California filed its complaint in the Northern District of California, which sits in the less deferential Ninth Circuit.If Trump succeeds in removing that action to CIT, it will be an early victory for the administration.More importantly, the administration is attempting to invoke the “political question doctrine.” In the first major Supreme Court case, 1803’s Marbury v. Madison, the Court noted that “[q]uestions, in their nature political or which are, by the Constitution and laws, submitted to the Executive, can never be made in this court.” Ever since then, pusillanimous courts have used the doctrine to avoid difficult questions, most notably in cases involving impeachment, foreign policy and partisan gerrymandering.The Trump administration argued exactly this in its April 29 motion for preliminary injunction and summary judgment in the states’ AG case. Trump argues that “courts have consistently held that the President’s emergency declarations under NEA, and the adequacy of his policy choices addressing those emergencies under IEEPA, are unreviewable” and that “[t]herefore, any challenge to the fact of the emergency itself — particularly the claim that the emergency is not ‘unusual’ or ‘extraordinary’ enough, in plaintiffs’ view — is a nonjusticiable political question that this Court lacks jurisdiction to consider.”To date, no rulings hint at which side the courts are likely to prefer. The president’s track record in court has historically been poor, with a win rate of 35% in the Supreme Court during his first term, compared to an average presidential win rate of 65.2%.The outlook for cryptoAs the tariff fight has matured, the outlook for crypto is uncertain. It is a peculiarity of tariffs that they apply only to goods and not services or digital products. This has left cryptocurrency assets — intangible, borderless and often routed through offshore entities — outside the reach of traditional trade barriers.As markets shuddered at Trump’s policies, Bitcoin (BTC) finished April up 14% on the month. If Trump is allowed to pursue an arbitrary trade policy and abide by Peter Navarro’s wish to turn the United States into a new hermit nation, it may prove the final validation to force cryptocurrency as the medium of international trade. Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

The United Kingdom’s financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), plans to stop retail investors from borrowing money to fund their crypto investments.According to a May 2 Financial Times report, the ban on borrowing to fund crypto purchases is one of the upcoming crypto rules by the FCA. David Geale, FCA executive director of payments and digital finance, told the FT that “crypto is an area of potential growth for the UK, but it has to be done right.” He added:“To do that we have to provide an appropriate level of protection.”Geale denied claims that the FCA is hostile to the crypto industry. Instead, he explained that he views the industry as offering high-risk investments with less consumer protection. “We are open for business,“ he said.The interview follows the FCA seeking feedback on regulating the crypto market. In an attached document, the regulator noted that it is “exploring whether it would be appropriate to restrict firms from accepting credit as a means for consumers to buy cryptoassets.”FCA crypto regulation discussion paper. Source: FCAThe FCA did not respond to Cointelegraph’s inquiry by publication.Related: FCA releases discussion paper on crypto market transparency, abuseFCA’s upcoming rulesThe FCA aims to regulate the domestic cryptocurrency market, ruling over trading platforms, intermediaries, crypto lenders and borrowers, as well as decentralized finance (DeFi) systems. The regulator reportedly plans to introduce stricter rules for crypto services aimed at retail investors than those offered exclusively to professional or sophisticated investors.Gale explained that the agency aims to develop a framework “that is safe and is competitive.” He said that the regulator aims to develop a regulatory regime that would attract businesses:“If we can get the regulatory regime right it actually becomes attractive for firms. That is what we are trying to achieve.”Related: UK’s finance watchdog defends ‘too tough’ crypto stanceThe FCA lending banThe regulator explained that its upcoming ban to restrict lending to fund consumers’ crypto purchases is motivated by a concern over “unsustainable debt, particularly if the value of their crypto asset drops and they were relying on its value to repay.” The ban would also include credit card purchases.While 2024 FCA research showed that “the leading method of payment for cryptoassets among cryptoasset users continues to be the individual’s own disposable cash/income (72%),” it also highlights a growing trend in credit purchases. The research cites that only 6% of purchases were made on credit in 2022, but this metric climbed to 14% in 2024.The FCA also purportedly plans to block retail investors from accessing crypto lenders and borrowers. Other concerns about the crypto market cited by the regulator include market manipulation, conflicts of interest, settlement failures, a lack of transparency, illiquidity, and unreliable trading systems.To alleviate those issues, the regulator plans to require equal trade treatment by crypto trading platforms. Other potential rules include the enforcement of a separation between proprietary trading activities from those done for retail investors and demanding transparency on trade pricing and execution.Trading platforms would be banned from paying intermediaries for order flow, and users of staking services would have to be reimbursed for any potential losses caused by third parties. The FCA plans to exempt DeFi systems without centralized operations, as long as they do not feature a “clear controlling person.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Bitcoin’s recovery to its all-time high may be threatened by rising recession fears, which could ease if the United States and China begin tariff negotiations this month, research analysts told Cointelegraph.Appetite for global risk assets such as Bitcoin (BTC) may take another hit, with analysts from Apollo Global Management predicting a recession by the summer.“Apollo predicting Summer Recession: Sharpest decline in earnings outlook since 2020,” cross-asset analyst Samantha LaDuc wrote in an April 26 X post.The progress on the tariff negotiations may be the most significant factor impacting a potential recession and Bitcoin’s price trajectory, according to Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at crypto intelligence platform Nansen.Source: Samantha LaDuc“May is seen as pivotal as Chinese shipments reach the US’s shores, and exemptions on some tariff categories such as auto parts and sub-USD-800 shipments from China/ Hong Kong expire,” Barthere told Cointelegraph, adding that a lack of negotiations in May could lead to an economic recession and “double-digit losses” for Bitcoin.However, this is the least likely scenario, since neither China nor the US “ has an economic interest in the interruption of bilateral trade,” Barthere said, adding:“Given this, the main tariff scenario is for the US reaching deals or at least ‘agreements in principle’ with its main trade partners, probably settling around the 10% reciprocal tariff ‘floor’.”If that scenario plays out and trade tensions ease in May, Bitcoin is likely to revisit its all-time high, Barthere said. The US has “proactively reached out to China through multiple channels,” for signaling its openness for tariff negotiations, Reuters reported on May 1, citing unnamed sources who spoke to state-affiliated Chinese media platform Yuyuan Tantian.Related: Bitcoin treasury firms driving $200T hyperbitcoinization — Adam BackBitcoin may rally despite recessionWhile most analysts hope to see trade negotiations in May alleviate economic concerns, Bitcoin may see more upside even in the face of a potential recession.“Initially, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies may experience volatility, dropping alongside risk assets like stocks due to investor sell-offs,” Anndy Lian, author and intergovernmental blockchain adviser, told Cointelegraph, adding:“Historical data, such as Bitcoin’s recovery post-2020 recession, suggests it could rebound, especially if seen as a hedge against inflation.”“In stagflation (high inflation and slow growth), Bitcoin, often compared to gold, may perform well, attracting investors seeking value preservation. Yet, its increased correlation with the stock market, particularly tech stocks, introduces uncertainty,” said Lian, adding that crypto investors should continue monitoring economic policy shifts to gauge market direction.BTC/USD, 1-week chart, 2020-2021. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewHowever, Bitcoin’s increasing correlation with tech stocks adds uncertainty to that outlook. Following the COVID-19 crash in March 2020, Bitcoin surged more than 1,050%, climbing from $6,000 to an all-time high of $69,000 in November 2021. That rally came after the Federal Reserve launched its $4 trillion asset purchase program in March 2020.Related: Bitcoin to $1M by 2029 fueled by ETF and gov’t demand — Bitwise execOther industry watchers remain concerned by the crypto market’s response to economic stagnation.“If the analysts are correct about the recession (which is certainly not guaranteed), crypto markets will likely decline alongside broader risk-on assets and equities,” according to Marcin Kazmierczak, co-founder and chief operating officer of blockchain oracle firm RedStone.Kazmierczak said April’s “Liberation Day tariffs and trucking slowdown could create economic contagion that historically hits speculative assets hardest.” “While crypto’s growing institutional adoption introduces some uncertainty, it’s not enough to overcome the fundamental risk-on classification that still dominates market behavior,” he added.Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19

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Key takeaways:XRP’s strongest spot premium phase suggests real buying demand, not just speculative futures trading. The number of XRP addresses holding ≥10,000 tokens has steadily climbed, even during recent price pullbacks. A falling wedge pattern points to a possible breakout toward $3 to $3.78, with up to 70% upside if confirmed.XRP (XRP) is experiencing its strongest sustained phase of spot premium in history, a period where the spot market has been consistently trading at stronger levels compared to perpetual futures.XRP’s 350% rally is backed by real demand Since 2020, most major XRP price peaks happened when the perpetual futures market was leading, noted market analyst Dom in his May 2 post on X. XRP’s futures prices being higher than spot signaled excessive speculation and led to sharp price drops.XRP/USD daily price ft. spot vs premium rates. Source: TradingView/DomAs of 2025, a spot premium suggests that demand from actual XRP buyers is driving the rally, pointing to a more stable price rise compared to past runs powered by leveraged bets.Further reinforcing the case for real demand, Glassnode data shows a consistent rise in the number of XRP addresses holding at least 10,000 XRP (the green wave in the chart below) since late November 2024. XRP’s price has rallied by approximately 350% since then.XRP number of addresses with a balance of over 10,000 tokens vs. price. Source: GlassnodeXRP’s whale count has risen even during its 35% price pullback between January and April. It suggests that larger holders—often viewed as more patient or strategic investors—are steadily accumulating positions in anticipation of further gains.Optimism has been fueled by improving odds of spot XRP ETF approval in the US. The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) decision to drop its lawsuit against Ripple has further boosted the market’s upside sentiment.Source: Eric BalchunasRelated: SEC punts decisions on XRP, DOGE ETFsFalling wedge hints at 70% XRP price rally XRP has been consolidating within a falling wedge pattern on the weekly chart — a structure defined by downward-sloping, converging trendlines. In technical analysis, this pattern is generally viewed as a bullish reversal signal.A confirmed breakout requires a clear move above the wedge’s upper resistance near $2.52. XRP/USD weekly price chart. Source: TradingViewIf XRP breaks this level, the pattern’s measured move — calculated from the wedge’s maximum height — suggests a potential rally toward $3.78 by June. This would represent an estimated 70% upside from the current prices.Conversely, if XRP fails to break above the $2.52 resistance, the price could pull back toward the wedge’s lower trendline. The pattern’s apex near $1.81 may act as the final potential breakout point.A breakout from the $1.81 level would still keep the pattern’s structure intact, with a potential upside target around $3 by June or July — roughly 35% above current levels.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.

As Ether’s price has struggled in the first quarter of 2025, a US-based investment adviser firm, Two Prime, has dropped support for ETH and adopted a Bitcoin-only strategy.After lending $1.5 billion in loans both in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) over the past 15 months, Two Prime decided to ditch ETH to focus solely on BTC asset management and lending, the firm announced on May 1.“ETH’s statistical trading behavior, value proposition, and community culture have failed beyond a point that is worth engaging,” Two Primes stated.The firm’s shift to a Bitcoin-only approach comes as ETH has lost 45% of its value year-to-date, with some optimists speculating that ETH is potentially close to the bottom and reversing its negative trend soon.“Ether no longer trades predictably”“As an algorithmic trading firm, we value data more than narratives,” Two Primes said, adding that the “data suggests ETH has fundamentally changed.”In addition to de-correlating from Bitcoin, Ether has become no longer predictable, Two Primes argued, adding:“It trades now like a memecoin rather than a predictable asset. Even during the turbulence of Q1 2025, Bitcoin remained within its fundamental behavior, whereas ETH saw several multi-standard deviation moves.”Two Primes then went on to say that such conditions “create a headache” for both algorithmic trading and ETH-back lending as the asset no longer behaves predictably, “even by the high volatility expectations of digital asset markets.”Founded in 2019 by Alexander Blum and Marc Fleury, Two Prime is an investment advisory firm registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm has been offering trading and lending services for both BTC and ETH for the past six years.Community fires back: ETH bottom signalTwo Prime’s critical remarks about Ether were quick to trigger responses from the community, with many seeing the message as another bottom signal for the cryptocurrency.“What a retarded essay statement,” one market observer wrote on X, citing the high volatility of the S&P 500, which dropped 4.7% YTD.Source: SEMB“Never even heard of them. Seems irrelevant,” another commentator said, expressing doubt on whether the community should rely on Two Prime’s shifting approach to Ether.“If this isn’t a bottom signal for ETH idk [I don’t know] what is,” another poster speculated, joining the many expecting ETH price to bounce following a downtrend cycle.Who else ditched ETH in the past months?Two Primes also mentioned the weak performance of Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs), highlighting that BTC ETF buying has outpaced ETH by almost 24 times. “The failure of ETH’s ETF creates a reflexive loop whereby institutions like BlackRock dedicate fewer resources to their promotion and sale. BTC has found the mainstream while ETH has floundered,” the firm stated.Related: Vitalik Buterin outlines vision as Ethereum ecosystem addresses hit new highDespite Ether ETFs seeing low performance, Ether is still the biggest altcoin for crypto ETFs in terms of assets under management (AUM), far outpacing others like Solana (SOL) and XRP (XRP).According to the latest update from CoinShares, Ether-based exchange-traded products had $9.2 billion in AUM by the end of last week, while Solana and XRP followed with $1.4 billion and $1 billion, respectively.Crypto ETP flows by asset (in millions of US dollars). Source: CoinSharesFollowing approval from the US SEC in May 2024, spot Ether ETFs saw a slow start in 2024, with performance losing ground compared to the massive spot Bitcoin ETF debut.Amid low investor demand, some issuers like VanEck ceased trading futures Ether ETFs, while WisdomTree withdrew its Ethereum Trust ETF proposal in September 2024. In March 2025, ARK liquidated its futures ETFs for both Ether and Bitcoin.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

Opinion by: Chris Jenkins, adviser to Pocket NetworkTim Berners-Lee’s vision of the World Wide Web is dead. Instead of an open and accessible global information system, the web is controlled by centralized global data conglomerates, which don’t just restrict free speech but also monetize your data as a price of entry. Web2 firms have built walled gardens with massive information asymmetry between companies and users.Blockchain-based decentralized tech challenges the status quo, offering an alternative to Web2’s closed-source infrastructure. It enables developers and engineers to build a censorship-resistant and accessible open-data web to champion the cause of free speech. Open-source technology creates a paradigmatic shift in a fair and inclusive internet where centralized web companies won’t dictate the terms.A vision deferredIn 1989, Berners-Lee’s invention created a virtual space for collaboration, sharing and learning from one another. The web’s first iteration was based on openness, where anyone could contribute, access information, work together, and enjoy the same opportunities.The internet is no longer free in 2025. Capital’s brute force has emboldened centralized companies to exercise authoritarian control over data and information flows.Unfortunately, these companies have acquired their power and resources from unaware users who unknowingly contributed to their capital accumulation strategies. Web2 companies surreptitiously collect data from users without fair compensation and use that as a weapon to control user behavior.Corporations harness user data to train opaque algorithms and deploy information “discoverability” to shape users’ beliefs and emotions. This practice is visible mainly on centralized social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X, with multiple scandals and pending litigations eroding user trust.For example, in June 2024, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, received 11 complaints from European Union members. The complaints concerned using personal data like posts and images to train Meta’s AI models without consent, violating EU privacy laws.Recent: The case against Pavel Durov and why it’s important for cryptoThe Cambridge Analytica scandal demonstrated how companies mine data to shape political perspectives and election outcomes. These companies also construct pre-determined narratives and shape market behavior by promoting or subverting curated reports, sometimes shaping public perspectives on health and economic data.Under its Digital Markets Act, the European Commission has initiated a noncompliance investigation into Apple, Meta, Amazon and Alphabet’s practices. Meta has also incurred a $1.3 billion fine for failing to comply with privacy regulations.In this environment, “free speech” remains a far-fetched dream because the entire tech stack is hostile to accessibility and openness. To realize Berners-Lee’s vision, apps must use a decentralized tech stack and be built from the ground up on an open architecture.Make the internet free (again)An app’s tech stack consists of its front and back ends, data storage and Content Delivery Network (CDN). Web2 platforms depend on a centralized tech stack that puts free speech at risk, while most blockchain-powered apps leverage a censorship-resistant decentralized tech stack with high uptime.Some decentralized applications (DApps) build their front end on a decentralized interface. Most of their back end, however, is still stuck on centralized data infrastructure.For example, despite their censorship vulnerabilities and single failure points, decentralized applications (DApps) often use centralized cloud providers and data hosting platforms. These types of attack vectors make projects like Tornado Cash subject to the changing moods of state actors.Shifting to open-source protocols for distributed data storage like InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) and Filecoin upholds the free speech philosophy on DApps. These protocols offer a censorship-resistant, tamper-proof storage facility that remains accessible without arbitrary outages.DApps also use centralized remote procedure call (RPC) providers to supply data from the back-end to the front-end interface, especially across multiple networks. But any outage or attack, like the one on X, can lead to downtime, inaccuracies, data gaps and disconnected information flows. If it doesn’t seem like much, remember downtime or inaccuracies in decentralized finance can cost billions.Decentralized protocols avoid these situations by transforming data accessibility and transfer channels with independent node operators. Data queries are distributed across the network, eliminating any single point of failure and providing uninterrupted data availability. More importantly, it safeguards free speech rights because no single node can block or obstruct data flow, and the network remains accessible even if several nodes go offline.CDNs, yet another crucial component for serving user requests, can become inaccessible due to market pressure or political influence. Opaque decisions from closed-door meetings dictate data flows on CDNs without any certainty in information flows.Start with the basicsDecentralized protocols remove the need for centralized decision-making by enabling apps to directly access data without intermediaries. These permissionless protocols connect open-source data and service providers with users and applications, removing human interaction and associated manufactured problems.Blockchain-powered platforms lay the foundation for a decentralized tech stack that promotes free speech and isn’t controlled by centralized Web2 companies. These permissionless protocols build an open-source world and return the internet to Berners-Lee’s vision of a global and accessible network.Opinion by: Chris Jenkins, adviser to Pocket Network.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.

Key points:The US labor market is “still holding up” as nonfarm payrolls data comes in higher than expected.Bitcoin and stocks head higher as US President Donald Trump repeats calls for the Fed to lower interest rates.BTC price action may spark a “liquidity grab” above $97,000, a trader warns.Bitcoin (BTC) hit new multimonth highs after the May 2 Wall Street open as US nonfarm payrolls data beat expectations.BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin meanders after nonfarm payrolls beatData from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD building on $97,000 as markets digested the latest in a bumper week of macro data.Nonfarm payrolls indicated 177,000 jobs added in April, considerably more than the roughly 140,000 forecast.“The labor market is still holding up,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter wrote in part of a reaction on X.The strong result is ostensibly less bullish for crypto and risk assets as it implies that the labor market is more resilient to tight financial conditions, including raised interest rates, than expected.This, in turn, gives the US Federal Reserve more leeway to keep those conditions in play for longer, depriving markets of the liquidity influx associated with lower rates.Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index were both up more than 1.3% on the day at the time of writing.In his latest post on Truth Social, meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reiterated calls on the Fed to cut rates — an approach adopted throughout his ongoing implementation of trade tariffs.“Consumers have been waiting for years to see pricing come down. NO INFLATION, THE FED SHOULD LOWER ITS RATE!!!” part of the post stated, referencing various inflation markers.Source: Truth SocialAs Cointelegraph reported, the Fed’s next decision on rates will come on May 7, with markets overwhelmingly seeing no change to the current regime. The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool puts the odds of a cut next week at just 2%.Fed target rate probabilities for May FOMC meeting. Source: CME GroupWarning over BTC price “liquidity grab”In Bitcoin circles, market participants eyed sellers’ response to continued pushes higher through the week.Related: Bitcoin hodler unrealized profits near 350% as $100K risks sell-off“Going to be an interesting day ahead,” popular trader Skew told X followers alongside a chart of exchange order book liquidity.“Sellers have been defending $97.2K & shorts continue to scale into price. Passive spot flow will probably again decide the trend.”BTC/USDT charts with order book liquidity data. Source: Skew/XFellow trader Daan Crypto Trades warned that current local highs may end up a ploy to take liquidity before a reversal.“$BTC Broke out of the $93K to $96K range after price action got compressed for about a week,” part of an X post read prior to the macro data releases. “So far it's a similar setup as the week before, but I wouldn't want to see it trade back into that $93K-$96K range or this would just be a liquidity grab.”BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/XAnother popular trader known as TheKingfisher referenced bid liquidity as a reason for a short-term dip to $95,000.Trader and analyst Rekt Capital, meanwhile, gave an end-of-week BTC price target requirement of $99,000.“If Bitcoin continues to hold above $93,500 (as it has been thus far), then price will be positioned for a move across the range,” he explained alongside the weekly BTC/USD chart the day prior.“However, it's key that $BTC breaks the black Lower High resistance within this Range which is positioned at ~$99k this week.”BTC/USD 1-week chart. Source: Rekt Capital/XThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

• #bitcoin

The US Central Intelligence Agency is increasingly incorporating Bitcoin (BTC) as a tool in its operations, and working with the cryptocurrency is a matter of national security, Michael Ellis, the agency’s deputy director, told podcast host Anthony Pompliano.In an appearance on the market analyst and investor’s show, Ellis told Pompliano that the intelligence agency works with law enforcement to track BTC, and it is a point of data collection in counter-intelligence operations. Ellis added:"Bitcoin is here to stay — cryptocurrency is here to stay. As you know, more and more institutions are adopting it, and I think that is a great trend. One that this administration has obviously been leaning forward into.""It's another area of competition where we need to ensure the United States is well-positioned against China and other adversaries," Ellis said.Podcast host and investor Anthony Pompliano (left) and Deputy CIA director Michael Ellis (right). Source: Anthony PomplianoAlthough Ellis's comments point to Bitcoin maturing as an asset, they also reflect the increased involvement of governments and institutions in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This increased involvement runs contrary to the libertarian and cypherpunk ethos originally inherent in crypto.Related: Geopolitical tensions fuel central bank shift toward gold, crypto — BlackRock execBitcoin: from cypherpunk experiment to state reserve assetUS President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve on March 7, to mixed reactions from the Bitcoin community.Bitcoin Magazine CEO David Bailey celebrated the move, while Venice AI founder and BTC advocate Erik Vorhees warned against the government owning any Bitcoin but added that if the US government is to adopt any crypto reserve, it should be Bitcoin-only.Concerns that cryptocurrencies have lost their cypherpunk roots predate the current market cycle and any strategic reserve legislation or comprehensive regulatory frameworks for digital assets.In March 2020, Therese Chambers, the former director of retail and regulatory investigations at the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), argued that cryptocurrencies had become increasingly financialized and institutionalized.Chambers added that digital assets were behaving far more like traditional financial instruments than the privacy-preserving tools they were initially billed as.Magazine: Big Questions: Did the NSA create Bitcoin?

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In the annals of financial history, few institutions have faced the tempests of competition with the steadfast resolve of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). Born in 2013 as a private placement, GBTC pioneered regulated Bitcoin investment, granting investors access to Bitcoin’s (BTC) meteoric rise without the perils of digital wallets or unregulated exchanges.On Jan. 11, 2024, it transitioned into a spot Bitcoin ETF following a landmark victory against the SEC. This marked a pivotal moment with the SEC’s view that ETFs can offer lower expense ratios and enhanced tax efficiency compared to traditional funds. Even still, GBTC’s financial resilience shines, generating $268.5 million in annual revenue, surpassing the $211.8 million of all other US spot Bitcoin ETFs combined, despite losing over half its holdings with $18 billion in outflows since early 2024. This is no fleeting triumph of inertia. The numbers tell a tale of paradox. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), with $56 billion in assets under management (AUM) and a 0.25% fee, generated $137 million in 2024 while achieving $35.8 billion in inflows and $1 billion in daily trading volume within weeks of launch. Meanwhile, GBTC’s 1.5% expense ratio, up to seven times higher than competitors, fuels its revenue lead, even though it bled $17.4 billion in outflows, with a record single-day loss of $618 million on March 19, 2024, driven by investors chasing lower fees or capitalizing on the trust’s historical discount to net asset value (NAV), which plummeted from 50% to near zero by July 2024.This clash of revenue dominance and capital flight demands scrutiny, unveiling the intricate dance of investor psychology, market dynamics and Grayscale’s calculated resilience.Yet, GBTC’s $18 billion in AUM and its ability to generate $268.5 million despite significant outflows points to a deeper narrative: tax friction and institutionalized inertia. The inability of companies, family offices and other institutions to quickly pivot due to tax barriers and company directives bubbles to the surface. The $100-billion total spot Bitcoin ETF market points to the stakes of this contest, with Grayscale’s revenue dominance poised to evolve as competition intensifies.Related: The sentiment engine of Bitcoin ETFs is rewiring market structureWhat sustains GBTC’s revenue crown in this crucible of competition? Is it the arithmetic of high fees applied to a still-formidable AUM, the loyalty of battle-scarred investors, or the unseen weight of tax frictions binding them to their positions?As we probe this question, we uncover the mechanics of GBTC’s dominance and the broader currents shaping the future of crypto investment. The answer lies in a potent blend of history, strategy and the unyielding faith of investors in a titan that, against all odds, refuses to yield.GBTC Rev vs. all other ETFs. Source: CoinGlassGrayscale’s high-fee revenue engineAt the core of GBTC’s revenue dominance lies its 1.5% expense ratio, a towering figure beside competitors like IBIT and FBTC (both 0.25%), Bitwise (0.24%) and Franklin Templeton (0.19%).Applied to $17.9 billion in AUM, this fee yields $268.5 million annually, eclipsing the $211.8-million combined revenue of all other US spot Bitcoin ETFs, which manage $89 billion collectively.ETF Store president Nate Geraci remarked on X, “GBTC still making more [money] than all of the other ETFs combined… And it’s not even close.” This arithmetic edge endures despite $21 billion in outflows since January 2024, including a daily average loss of $89.9 million, underscoring the sheer power of high fees on a substantial asset base.Source: Nate GeraciThe fee structure is both GBTC’s bastion and its Achilles’ heel. Before its ETF conversion, GBTC charged 2%, a rate justified by its monopoly as the sole US vehicle for Bitcoin exposure within traditional portfolios. Post-conversion, the 1.5% fee draws ire, with Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research for Morningstar, predicting sustained outflows as investors flock to cheaper alternatives. Grayscale’s counterstroke was the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC), launched in March 2025 with a 0.15% fee (the lowest among US spot Bitcoin ETPs). Seeded with 10% of GBTC’s Bitcoin holdings ($1.7 billion AUM), the Mini Trust has drawn $168.9 million in inflows, targeting cost-conscious investors. However, the Mini Trust’s lower revenue per dollar of AUM ($2.55 million annually) pales beside GBTC’s $268.5 million, reinforcing the latter’s dominance.Grayscale’s dual strategy (high-fee GBTC for revenue, low-fee Mini Trust for retention) reveals a nuanced defense, but the fortress of GBTC’s fees remains unbreached, its revenue crown secure for now.Legacy and loyaltyBeyond the arithmetic of fees, GBTC’s revenue supremacy rests on its storied legacy, the fierce loyalty it inspires and the formidable tax frictions that tether investors to its fold. Since 2013, Grayscale has been the standard-bearer of regulated Bitcoin investment, overcoming regulatory tempests to become the first publicly traded Bitcoin fund in 2015 and the largest spot Bitcoin ETF by AUM ($26 billion) upon its NYSE Arca listing in 2024.Its August 2023 legal victory against the US SEC, which compelled the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs, solidified its stature as a pioneer. This legacy resonates with institutional and accredited investors, many of whom entered GBTC during its private placement phase or at steep NAV discounts, forging a bond that endures.Tax considerations form a silent but mighty anchor. Many early GBTC investors purchased shares at low prices, with Bitcoin trading at $800 in 2013 compared to the mid-$90,000 range by May 2025. This roughly 120-fold increase has generated substantial unrealized capital gains, making sales costly.Related: Bitcoin price recovers, Ethereum RWA value up 20%: April in chartsAn investor who purchased 100 shares of GBTC at $10 in 2015 and now sees them valued at $400 each would be sitting on a $39,000 capital gain. Selling those shares to move into a lower-fee ETF like IBIT or FBTC could trigger a tax bill of $7,800 at the 20% long-term capital gains rate typically applied to high-net-worth individuals or $5,850 at the 15% rate for others. This kind of taxable event often discourages redemptions, particularly for long-term holders in taxable accounts.On the other hand, for those holding GBTC in tax-advantaged vehicles such as IRAs or 401(k)s, gains can be deferred and, in the case of Roth IRAs, avoided entirely, making GBTC comparatively more attractive for legacy investors reluctant to switch.Psychological factors amplify these barriers. Loss aversion (the reluctance to realize taxable gains) and loyalty to Grayscale’s brand deter investors from abandoning a vehicle that weathered Bitcoin’s volatility. The closure of the NAV discount (from 50% to near zero in July 2024) spurred outflows as arbitrageurs cashed out. Still, core holders remain, bolstered by trust in Grayscale’s custodianship via Coinbase Custody, which secures $18.08 billion in AUM in May 2024. Its investor base, spanning crypto-native institutions, hedge funds and retail clients via platforms like Fidelity and Schwab, values its simplicity (no crypto wallets required) and regulatory pedigree.While IBIT and FBTC draw new capital with lower fees and liquidity, GBTC retains a niche among those who see it as a battle-tested titan. Former Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein’s claim that outflows are reaching “equilibrium” suggests a stabilizing core, with tax frictions and legacy fortifying retention. In a market driven by innovation, GBTC’s history, bolstered by tax barriers and investor faith, is its shield, guarding its revenue crown against the relentless advance of newer rivals.A historical timeline graphic showing GBTC milestones (2013 launch, 2015 public trading, 2023 SEC victory, 2024 ETF conversion), with Bitcoin price spikes ($800 to $103,000) and AUM growth overlaid. Source: Dr. Michael Tabone Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

• #bitcoin

Key points:Bitcoin trends toward $100,000. Will bears sell at this level?Altcoins are trading above their respective support levels, suggesting that an altcoin rally is brewing.Bitcoin’s (BTC) tight consolidation resolved in favor of the bulls with a break above the $95,000 barrier on May 1. The bulls are trying to push the price to the psychologically crucial level at $100,000, which may again witness a tough battle between the bulls and the bears. Veteran trader Peter Brandt sounded positive when he said in a post on X that Bitcoin could rally to the $125,000 to $150,000 range by August or September 2025 if it manages to regain its broken parabolic slope. However, Brandt cautioned that the rally could be followed by a sharp correction of more than 50%.Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360As Bitcoin nears the 100,000 mark, onchain analytics firm Glassnode cautions that the long-term holders (LTHs) may be tempted to book profits. The firm said in its newsletter that the LTHs tend to book profits when their profit margin reaches 350%, and that level will be hit at $99,900. A significant amount of buy-side pressure is needed to overcome the selling to continue the up move.Could Bitcoin break above $100,000, pulling select altcoins higher? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.Bitcoin price predictionBitcoin’s break above $95,000 signals an advantage to buyers, but the bears are unlikely to give up easily.BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewSellers will try to pull the price back below $95,000, trapping the aggressive bulls. If they can pull it off, the BTC/USDT pair could test the 20-day exponential moving average ($91,391). This is a necessary support to watch out for as a solid bounce off the 20-day EMA suggests the bullish sentiment remains intact. That increases the likelihood of a break above $100,000. The pair may then reach $107,000.This optimistic view will be invalidated in the short term if the price turns down and breaks below the 20-day EMA. The pair may then tumble to the 50-day simple moving average ($86,236).Ether price predictionBuyers successfully defended Ether’s (ETH) drop to the 20-day EMA ($1,757) on April 30, signaling demand at lower levels.ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe gradually upsloping 20-day EMA and the RSI in the positive territory indicate a slight edge to the bulls. If the price maintains above $1,857, the ETH/USDT pair could climb to the breakdown level of $2,111. There is minor resistance at $1,957, but that is likely to be crossed.This positive view will be invalidated in the near term if the price turns down and plunges below the moving averages. That could pull the pair down to $1,537, which is expected to attract buyers.XRP price predictionThe bulls have managed to keep XRP (XRP) above the moving averages, but the bounce lacks strength.XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe flattening 20-day EMA ($2.17) and the RSI just above the midpoint do not give a clear advantage either to the bulls or the bears. Buyers will seize control on a break and close above the resistance line. That clears the path for a rally to $3.On the contrary, a break and close below the moving averages could sink the XRP/USDT pair to the solid support at $2. This is a critical level to keep an eye on because a break below $2 could pull the pair to $1.61.BNB price predictionBNB (BNB) is witnessing a seesaw battle between the bulls and the bears at the moving averages.BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewIf the price maintains below the moving averages, the BNB/USDT pair could slump to $576 and later to $566. Buyers are expected to vigorously defend the $566 level because a break below it may sink the pair to $520.The bulls will have to push the price above $620 to signal strength. The pair could then rise to $644, which is likely to act as a strong resistance. If buyers bulldoze their way through, the pair could surge to $680.Solana price predictionSolana (SOL) continues to face selling at the $153 level, but a positive sign is that the bulls have not ceded much ground to the bears.SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe upsloping 20-day EMA ($142) and the RSI in the positive zone suggest that the path of least resistance is to the upside. If buyers push and maintain the price above $153, the SOL/USDT pair could rally to $180.Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down sharply and breaks below the 20-day EMA, it suggests profit booking by the short-term bulls. The pair could then slump to the 50-day SMA ($132).Dogecoin price predictionDogecoin (DOGE) rebounded off the moving averages on May 1, indicating that the bulls are trying to keep the price inside the upper half of the range.DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe bulls will attempt to push the price to the top of the range at $0.21, which is a critical near-term resistance level to watch out for. If buyers pierce the $0.21 level, the DOGE/USDT pair will complete a double-bottom pattern. That could start a move to $0.25 and then to the pattern target of $0.28.Contrarily, a break and close below the moving averages opens the doors for a fall to the support of the range at $0.14. Buyers are expected to defend the $0.14 level with all their might because a break below it may sink the pair to $0.10.Cardano price predictionBuyers bought the dip to the moving averages in Cardano (ADA), but the failure to build upon the rebound suggests a lack of demand at higher levels.ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBuyers will have to drive the price above the $0.75 resistance to gain the upper hand. If they do that, the ADA/USDT pair could rally to $0.83. Sellers will try to halt the up move at $0.83, but if the bulls prevail, the pair could reach $1.On the downside, a break and close below the moving averages tilts the short-term advantage in favor of the bears. The pair could slide to $0.58, where the buyers are expected to step in. Related: Moon soon? XRP's strongest spot premium aligns with 70% rally setupSui price predictionBuyers pushed Sui (SUI) toward the $3.90 overhead resistance on May 1, but the long wick on the candlestick shows that bears are aggressively defending the level.SUI/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe first support on the downside is $3.27, and then the 20-day EMA ($3.01). If the price rebounds off the 20-day EMA with strength, the bulls will again try to drive the SUI/USDT pair above $3.90. If they manage to do that, the pair could rally to $4.25 and subsequently to $5.Instead, if the price breaks below the 20-day EMA, it suggests that the bulls have given up. The pair may slump to the solid support at $2.86. If the price rebounds off the $2.86 support, the pair may form a range.Chainlink price predictionChainlink (LINK) turned up from the moving averages on May 1, indicating that the sentiment remains positive.LINK/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBuyers will try to push the price above the $16 overhead resistance and challenge the resistance line of the descending channel pattern. Sellers are expected to fiercely defend the resistance line because a break and close above it signals a potential trend change.If the price turns down from the overhead resistance and breaks below the moving averages, it suggests selling on rallies. The LINK/USDT pair may drop to $11.68, extending its stay inside the channel for some more time.Avalanche price predictionAvalanche (AVAX) bounced off the 20-day EMA ($20.89) on May 1, indicating that the bulls are buying on dips.  AVAX/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBuyers will try to propel the price above the $23.50 overhead resistance. If they manage to do that, the AVAX/USDT pair will complete a double-bottom pattern. That may start an up move to $28.78 and later to the pattern target of $31.73.The moving averages are the crucial support to watch out for. If the price turns down from the current level or the overhead resistance and breaks below the 50-day SMA ($19.79), it suggests that the range-bound action may continue for a few more days.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.

• #bitcoin

The cryptocurrency market continued its recovery in the past week as the total crypto market capitalization breached the $3 trillion mark for the first time since the beginning of March.Bitcoin (BTC) rose to an over two-month high of $97,300 last seen at the end of February, before the “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement in the US, bolstering analyst predictions for a rally driven by “structural” institutional and exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows into the world’s first cryptocurrency.Risk appetite continued rising among crypto investors, as Chinese state-linked news outlets indicated that the Trump administration has quietly contacted Beijing to discuss tariff reductions.Total crypto market cap, 1-year chart. Source: CoinMarketCapIn the wider crypto space, Ethereum developers proposed a new token standard to improve the interoperability of the world’s second-largest blockchain network.Bitcoin to $1 million by 2029 fueled by ETF and gov’t demand — Bitwise execBitcoin’s expanding institutional adoption may provide the “structural” inflows necessary to surpass gold’s market capitalization and push its price beyond $1 million by 2029, according to Bitwise’s head of European research, André Dragosch.“Our in-house prediction is $1 million by 2029. So that Bitcoin will match gold's market cap and total addressable market by 2029,” he told Cointelegraph during the Chain Reaction daily X spaces show on April 30.Gold is currently the world’s largest asset, valued at over $21.7 trillion. In comparison, Bitcoin’s market capitalization sits at $1.9 trillion, making it the seventh-largest asset globally, according to CompaniesMarketCap data.Top 10 global assets by market capitalization. Source: CompaniesMarketCapFor the 2025 market cycle, Bitcoin may surpass $200,000 in the “base case” and $500,000 with more governmental adoption, Dragosch said.Continue readingEric Trump: USD1 will be used for $2 billion MGX investment in BinanceAbu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX will use a stablecoin linked to US President Donald Trump’s family to settle a $2 billion investment in Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.The World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) US dollar-pegged stablecoin was launched by the Trump-associated crypto platform World Liberty Financial (WLFI) in March 2025.MGX will use the USD1 stablecoin for its $2 billion investment in the Binance exchange, according to an announcement by Eric Trump during a panel discussion at Token2049 in Dubai. Trump, the son of the president, serves as executive vice president of the Trump Organization.Source: CointelegraphMGX announced its investment in Binance on March 12, marking the first institutional investment in the exchange and one of the biggest funding deals in the entire Web3 industry.At the time, Binance declined Cointelegraph’s request to disclose what stablecoin was used in the transaction.  This marks the Abu Dhabi-based investment firm’s first venture into the cryptocurrency space.Continue readingEthereum to simplify crosschain transactions with new token standardsEthereum developers are working to improve blockchain interoperability with two new token standards: ERC-7930 and ERC-7828.“There’s no standard way for wallets, apps, or protocols to interpret or display this information,” decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem development organization Wonderland wrote in a May 1 X post. Wallets, decentralized applications (DApps), block explorers and smart contracts follow different rules.“The result? A messy, inconsistent experience that breaks crosschain UX,“ Wonderland stated.Wonderland is a group of developers, researchers and data scientists focused on improving the Ethereum DeFi ecosystem. The organization partnered with multiple DeFi protocols, including Optimism, Aztec, Connext and Yearn.Wonderland’s ERC-7828 and ERC-7930 explanation post. Source: WonderlandIn the post, the organization shared what was discussed at a recent Ethereum Foundation interoperability working group call. Teddy from Wonderland explained that the current goal is to finalize both token standards within the next two weeks. He added:“We badly need feedback on the ETH-Magicians forum.”Continue readingCrypto hackers hit DeFi for $92 million in April as attacks double from MarchCryptocurrency hackers stole more than $90 million in April, dealing another blow to the industry’s mainstream reputation despite ongoing efforts to improve cybersecurity.Hackers made off with $92 million of digital assets across 15 incidents in April, according to an April 30 research report by blockchain cybersecurity firm Immunefi.The total marks a 124% month-over-month increase from March, when hackers stole $41 million.Crypto stole in April 2025. Source: ImmunefiThe month’s largest hack on open-source platform UPCX accounted for most of the damage in April, with over $70 million in losses, while KiloEx lost $7.5 million as April’s second-largest hack.The KiloEx exploiter returned the stolen funds just days after the attack occurred.All of April’s reported attacks targeted decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. Centralized exchanges reported no incidents during the month, the report noted.Top 10 losses in April. Source: ImmunefiImmunefi, which says it helps protect $190 billion in user funds, has paid more than $116 million in bounties to white hat hackers.Continue readingCrypto group asks Trump to end prosecution of crypto devs, Roman StormThe crypto lobby group, the DeFi Education Fund, has petitioned the Trump administration to end what it claimed was the “lawless prosecution” of open-source software developers, including Roman Storm, a creator of the crypto mixing service Tornado Cash.In an April 28 letter to White House crypto czar David Sacks, the group urged President Donald Trump “to take immediate action to discontinue the Biden-era Department of Justice's lawless campaign to criminalize open-source software development.” The letter specifically mentioned the prosecution of Storm, who was charged in August 2023 with helping launder over $1 billion in crypto through Tornado Cash. His trial is still set for July, and his fellow charged co-founder, Roman Semenov, is at large and believed to be in Russia.The DeFi Education Fund said that in Storm’s case, the Department of Justice is attempting to hold software developers criminally liable for how others use their code, which is “not only absurd in principle, but it sets a precedent that potentially chills all crypto development in the United States.”The group also called for the recognition that the prosecution contradicts the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) guidance from Trump’s first term, which established that developers of self-custodial, peer-to-peer protocols are not money transmitters. Source: DeFi Education Fund“This kind of legal environment does not just chill innovation — it freezes it,” they argued. The letter added that it also “empowers politically-motivated enforcement and puts every open-source developer at risk, regardless of industry.”In January, a federal court in Texas ruled that the Treasury overstepped its authority by sanctioning Tornado Cash. Continue readingDeFi market overviewAccording to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the green.The Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) token rose over 103% as the week’s biggest gainer, followed by the Solayer (LAYER) token, up over 29% during the past week.Total value locked in DeFi. Source: DefiLlamaThanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.

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XYO Network has onboarded more than 10 million nodes to its decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN), co-founder Markus Levin told Cointelegraph in an interview.The nodes mostly comprise human users who provide data in exchange for rewards via the network’s mobile application, COIN. “The vast majority of our 10 million nodes are mobile users, but some are IoT devices like smart speakers,” Levin told Cointelegraph. Approximately 80% of XYO’s users are non-crypto natives who are participating in Web3 for the first time, he added.They include truckers, rideshare drivers, delivery people, and nurses among others, Levin said, adding that “95% convert after onboarding through the COIN app.”XYO launched a layer-1 blockchain network in January. Source: XYO Related: DePIN XYO launches on SolanaDePIN TokenomicsIn exchange for data, XYO awards its users points that are redeemable for its native XYO token, as well as “BTC, ETH or even gift cards,” he said. In October 2024, XYO bridged its native token to Solana (SOL) in a bid to reach more users. The XYO token has a market capitalization of roughly $180 million as of May 2, according to data from CoinMarketCap.XYO earns revenue by collecting and validating data in sectors ranging from real-world assets (RWAs) to gaming. It then uses a portion of that income to buy back XYO. In January, XYO launched its layer-1 blockchain, which collates real-world data from across XYO’s nodes onto a public ledger. The network’s validators stake XYO and earn rewards denominated in XL1, the network’s newly-launched gas token. XYO has a market capitalization of around $180 million. Source: CoinMarketCapDePINs are blockchain protocols aimed at decentralizing real-world infrastructure and systems, including communications networks, data warehouses, energy markets, and more.They are among Web3’s “next big use case[s],” with the potential to onboard “a significant number of new users to the crypto space,” according to a September 2024 report by MV Global, a Web3 investing firm.According to MV Global, the DePIN ecosystem comprises upward of 1,000 projects and represents roughly $50 billion in total market capitalization.Magazine: 10 crypto theories that missed as badly as ‘Peter Todd is Satoshi’

Ben McKenzie, an actor known for his roles on television shows including Gotham and The OC, will make his directorial debut in a scathing documentary about cryptocurrency.According to an April 29 Deadline report, McKenzie wrote, directed, and produced the documentary Everyone Is Lying To You For Money, set to premiere at SXSW London in June. The film features footage from 2022 of former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried and former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky before their respective companies folded. “Why is the false story of crypto still spreading?” said McKenzie, according to Deadline. “That’s the question I set out to answer with this film.”Sam Bankman-Fried (left) with Ben McKenzie (right). Source: InstagramWorking with The New Republic staff writer Jacob Silverman, McKenzie pivoted from a role in Hollywood to speaking out against many of the issues surrounding cryptocurrency in 2021. After the collapse of FTX in November 2022, the actor testified at a US Senate hearing investigating the downfall of the crypto exchange. In addition to interviews with SBF and Mashinsky, the documentary will reportedly explore El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s connections to crypto. Bukele rose to prominence in the industry after proposing that El Salvador recognize Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender in 2021.Related: Peter Todd forced into hiding after HBO doc claims he invented BitcoinIt’s unclear what, if anything, could be revealed in the Bankman-Fried and Mashinsky interviews. Cointelegraph reached out to McKenzie for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.Bankman-Fried in prison, Mashinsky could soon follow The former FTX CEO has been the subject of other documentaries, interviews, and a Michael Lewis book. Bankman-Fried was found guilty on seven felony charges related to his role in the collapse of FTX and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024.Mashinsky, who pleaded guilty to two felony charges as part of a deal with US prosecutors in December 2024, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8. Authorities requested that a judge impose a 20-year sentence on the former CEO of Celsius.Magazine: The $2,500 doco about FTX collapse on Amazon Prime… with help from mom

Merchants in Cannes, France, the site of the international Cannes Film Festival, are set to begin accepting crypto payments by summer this year in an effort to attract clientele with high disposable income by modernizing the city's commercial payment ecosystem.According to Artem Shaginyan, founder and head of strategy of Web3 payment company Lunu Pay, the Cannes municipal government is aiming for a 90% adoption rate among local merchants. The executive also told Cointelegraph:"This is a big signal. When a city like Cannes, known globally for culture and commerce, starts integrating crypto at scale, it shows that Web3 payments aren’t just a niche thing anymore. It’s about proving that crypto can work in everyday settings, not just online or in theory."In February, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard announced a crypto payment integration training session for business owners and professionals to promote the widespread acceptance of crypto payments in the city.The Rue d’Antibes, Canne’s shopping and commercial district. Source: City of CannesCanne's shift toward embracing cryptocurrencies reflects the broader trend of crypto adoption by city, state, and federal governments as these institutions seek to remain competitive on the global stage.Related: Panama's capital to accept crypto for taxes, municipal feesAhead of the curve? Other jurisdictions modernize with cryptoIn December 2023, the Swiss city of Lugano started accepting Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoin payments for taxes and municipal fees as part of the city's broader initiative to become a global crypto hub.Governor Jared Polis of the US state of Colorado directed the state's Department of Revenue to begin accepting crypto tax payments in September 2022.The Canadian city of Vancouver passed a motion in December 2024 to make the jurisdiction a “Bitcoin-friendly city” by exploring integrating BTC into the city's financial system and potentially adopting a Bitcoin treasury strategy.More recently, in April 2025, the capital city of Panama announced that taxes and municipal fees could now be paid in crypto, including Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Circle's US-dollar stablecoin (USDC), and Tether's USDt (USDT) token.Panama City mayor Mayer Mizrachi suggested the move would modernize the city and bring increased investment as well as global recognition.Magazine: Crypto City Guide to Seattle: Site of CZ’s downfall and pot crypto vendors

Ethereum’s relative dominance among layer-1 (L1) blockchain networks has declined, resulting in an “open race” to become the leading Web3 platform, according to Alex Svanevik, CEO of data service Nansen.“If you’d asked me 3–4 years ago whether Ethereum would dominate crypto, I’d have said yes,” Svanevik said during a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event. “But now, it’s clear that’s not what’s happening.”Ethereum is still the most popular L1 network. According to data from DefiLlama, its roughly $52 billion in total value locked (TVL) represents 51% of cryptocurrency residing on blockchain networks.However, Ethereum’s dominance has diminished sharply since 2021, when the L1 controlled as much as 96% of aggregate TVL, the data shows. Panelists at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event in Dubai. Source: Cointelegraph“It’s an open race between multiple L1s for becoming the go-to platform for trading and broader blockchain use,” Svanevik said.“We’re seeing smaller chains grow extremely fast, and a group of five or six chains emerging as leaders. It’s an exciting time,” he said.Cointelegraph’s LONGITUDE is an event series that brings together leaders and innovators from the blockchain and Web3 space for exclusive discussions.TVL distribution among blockchain networks. Source: DeFiLlamaRise of SolanaSolana (SOL), an alternative layer-1 known for faster transactions and lower fees than Ethereum, is in pole position to become Web3’s next leading chain, according to the Nansen CEO. “Solana has overtaken Ethereum on most onchain metrics — active addresses, transaction volume, even gas fees,” Svanevik said. “Ethereum still leads in TVL, and stablecoin issuance is still strong, but Solana’s growth is undeniable.”Meanwhile, dozens of smaller L1s are also vying for market share — and not all of them are gaining sustainable traction, Vardan Khachatryan, chief legal officer of trading platform Fastex, told Cointelegraph during the panel. "Unfortunately, what we see in reality is that chains become popular when they are the hype of that particular bull run, new coins, airdrops, etc., rather than sustained adoption,” Khachatryan said.Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

Key Takeaways:Analyst predicts that a low VIX, specifically below 18, signals a risk-on market, which could potentially boost the Bitcoin price to $135,000 within the next 100 days.The stablecoin market cap hits $220 billion, driving crypto liquidity and Bitcoin’s bullish price action.A negative Bitcoin funding rate hints at a possible short-squeeze to $100,000.Bitcoin network economist Timothy Peterson raised Bitcoin’s (BTC) chances of hitting a new high in 100 days, and he maintains an optimistic outlook in 2025. In an analysis shared on X that ties BTC’s price action to the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) —an indicator that measures 30-day market volatility expectations — the analyst pointed out that the VIX index has dropped from 55 to 25 over the past 50 trading days. A VIX score below 18 implied a “risk-on” environment, favoring assets like Bitcoin. Peterson’s model, which had a 95% tracking accuracy, predicted a $135,000 target within the next 100 days if the VIX remains low. This aligns with Bitcoin’s sensitivity to market sentiment, as a low VIX reduces uncertainty, encouraging investment in riskier assets.Speaking on Bitcoin’s volatility, Fidelity’s director of global macro, Jurrien Timmer, compared Bitcoin’s nature to “Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.” Timmer believed Bitcoin’s ability to act as both a store of value (Dr. Jekyll) and a speculative asset (Mr. Hyde) differentiates it from gold, which remains a consistent “hard money” asset. Timmer emphasized the dynamics between Bitcoin and the global money supply and said, “Note that when M2 has grown and the stock market is rallying, Bitcoin has been off to the races because it has both attributes working for it. But when M2 has grown and equities are correcting, not so much.”Bitcoin price against global money supply. Source: X.comThis underscores Bitcoin’s sensitivity to macroeconomic conditions, making its performance less predictable than gold’s.Related: Crypto ‘decoupling’ story ends as stocks follow Bitcoin’s rallyStablecoin market cap hits record $220 billionData from CryptoQuant highlighted that the stablecoin market capitalization hit a record $220 billion, signaling a liquidity surge in the crypto market. This marks Bitcoin’s exit from a bearish phase as capital flows return, and with stablecoins representing crypto liquidity, new BTC highs could be a likely outcome in the coming weeks. While BTC continues its uptrend, lower-time frame (LTF) charts reveal a shift in market dynamics. The funding rate for BTC futures has turned negative again, indicating a rise in short positions as traders bet against the rally.Bitcoin 4-hour chart and funding rate. Source: Velo.chartThe 4-hour chart's funding rate has reached its most negative level in 2025, indicating that short-side liquidity significantly exceeds long-side liquidity. This creates a condition for a potential short squeeze.This imbalance could propel BTC toward the $100,000 level. Cointelegraph pointed out that over $3 billion is at risk for a short-side liquidation, which may amplify upward momentum, catching bearish traders off guard. Bitcoin short liquidations data. Source: X.comRelated: Bitcoin hodler unrealized profits near 350% as $100K risks sell-offThis 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.

• #bitcoin

Today in crypto, Apple has eased crypto application rules following a court order, the CIA is treating Bitcoin a national security issue, the EU is set to ban anonymous wallets and privacy coins.Apple softens crypto app rules, 'hugely bullish' for crypto industryCrypto app developers are now free to direct users to payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem without restrictions or hefty fees, after a United States district judge ruled that Apple violated an injunction in its antitrust legal battle against Epic Games.“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction, which was issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in an April 30 court filing.“Effective immediately, Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases,” Rogers added.Rogers reiterated, “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence.”Bitcoin is a matter of national security — Deputy CIA directorThe US Central Intelligence Agency is increasingly incorporating Bitcoin (BTC) as a tool in its operations, and working with the cryptocurrency is a matter of national security, Michael Ellis, the agency’s deputy director, told podcast host Anthony Pompliano.In an appearance on the market analyst and investor’s show, Ellis told Pompliano that the intelligence agency works with law enforcement to track BTC, and it is a point of data collection in counter-intelligence operations. Ellis added:"Bitcoin is here to stay — cryptocurrency is here to stay. As you know, more and more institutions are adopting it, and I think that is a great trend. One that this administration has obviously been leaning forward into.""It's another area of competition where we need to ensure the United States is well-positioned against China and other adversaries," Ellis said.Although Ellis's comments point to Bitcoin maturing as an asset, they also reflect the increased involvement of governments and institutions in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This increased involvement runs contrary to the libertarian and cypherpunk ethos originally inherent in crypto.European Union to ban anonymous crypto and privacy tokens by 2027The European Union is set to impose sweeping AML rules that will ban privacy-preserving tokens and anonymous cryptocurrency accounts from 2027.Under the new Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), credit institutions, financial institutions and crypto asset service providers (CASPs) will be prohibited from maintaining anonymous accounts or handling privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies, such as Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC).“Article 79 of the AMLR establishes strict prohibitions on anonymous accounts [...]. Credit institutions, financial institutions, and crypto-asset service providers are prohibited from maintaining anonymous accounts,” according to the AML Handbook, published by European Crypto Initiative (EUCI).The AML Handbook. Source: EUCIThe regulation is part of a broader AML framework that includes bank and payment accounts, passbooks and safe-deposit boxes, “crypto-asset accounts allowing anonymisation of transactions,” and “accounts using anonymity-enhancing coins.”

Senator Cynthia Lummis and at least one other Republican in Congress are reportedly critical of US President Donald Trump for offering the top holders of his memecoin a dinner and White House tour. According to a May 2 CNBC report, Lummis said the idea that the US president was offering exclusive access to himself and the White House for people willing to pay for it “gives [her] pause.” She wasn’t the only member of the Republican Party to be critical of Trump’s memecoin perks, announced on April 23, roughly three months after the then-president-elect launched the TRUMP token.  “I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to charge people to come into the Capitol and take a tour,” said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, according to NBC News.Despite Lummis’ reported “pause” over the president’s actions, on May 2, she posted a video to X of herself speaking on the Senate floor, saying she was “particularly pleased” by Trump’s support of legislation to establish a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve in the United States. The Boosting Innovation, Technology, and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide, or BITCOIN, Act would seemingly codify Trump’s executive order to create a national crypto reserve.Related: House Democrats want ethics probe on Trump over crypto projectsThe launch of the TRUMP coin on Jan. 17 was met with outrage from many lawmakers and figures in the crypto industry, who pointed to potential conflicts of interest and implications of allowing foreign actors to channel funds directly to Trump. The criticism continued after Trump announced that a group of the top memecoin holders would have the opportunity to apply for a White House tour and dinner. “Trump once claimed he is so rich he cannot be bought,” said Craig Holman, a government ethics expert with the consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen. “But his obsession with money means he apparently can be bought for a meme.”Calls for impeachment over ties to cryptoGeorgia Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, called for Trump’s impeachment during an April 25 town hall, claiming the memecoin dinner represented “selling access for what are effectively payments directly to him.” During his first term, Trump was impeached twice in the House of Representatives but acquitted after the Senate votes fell short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction.At the time of publication, it was unclear who, if any, of the memecoin holders would attend the May 22 dinner with Trump. Usernames from the TRUMP leaderboard have led to speculation that staunch supporters like Tron founder Justin Sun and Tesla CEO Elon Musk could be among the attendees. As of May 2, neither the individuals nor the companies have made any formal announcements.Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

Key takeaways:BTC hit $97,900 due to soaring institutional investor demand, but futures pricing shows traders aren't confident in a sustained rally.Macroeconomic risks and global trade tensions cap bullish sentiment despite $3.6 billion in spot BTC ETF inflows.BTC options lean bullish, suggesting big players expect upside, but their caution keeps leverage use low.Bitcoin (BTC) broke out of a tight trading range between $93,000 and $95,600 on May 1, following six days of limited movement. Despite reaching its highest price in ten weeks at $97,930, sentiment remains neutral according to BTC derivatives indicators. This price action has occurred alongside significant net inflows into US spot exchange-traded Bitcoin funds (ETFs).Some of the disappointment among traders can be attributed to the ongoing global tariff dispute, which is beginning to affect macroeconomic data. Bitcoin traders are concerned that, despite growing interest from institutional investors, fears of an economic recession could limit price performance. This concern reduces the likelihood of BTC reaching $110,000 or higher in 2025.Bitcoin 2-month futures annualized premium. Source: Laevitas.chThe annualized premium for Bitcoin’s two-month futures has remained between 6% and 7% over the past week, staying within the neutral range of 5% to 10%. Compared to January, when Bitcoin was trading near $95,000 and the futures premium was above 10%, traders’ sentiment has weakened. This data suggests there is less optimism, or at least less conviction, in further price gains toward $100,000 and above.Gold’s performance outshone Bitcoin’s modest gainsSome market participants point to gold’s 20% rally, from $2,680 to $3,220, as a source of concern. Although Bitcoin recently surpassed silver’s $1.8 trillion market capitalization to become the seventh largest global tradable asset, gold’s surge to a massive $21.7 trillion valuation has overshadowed this achievement. Investors worry that Bitcoin’s strong correlation with the stock market has diminished the appeal of its “digital gold” narrative.Bitcoin spot US-listed ETFs daily net flows, USD. Source: CoinGlassThere is also a possibility that the $3.6 billion in net inflows to US spot ETFs over the past two weeks are being driven by delta-neutral strategies. In this scenario, the flows reflect Bitcoin holders moving to listed products or using derivatives for hedging. If so, the direct impact on price would be limited, which is consistent with Bitcoin’s modest 5% gain during this period.To determine whether professional traders are comfortable with Bitcoin around $97,500, it is helpful to examine the BTC options market.Bitcoin 1-month options 25% delta skew (put-call) at Deribit. Source: Laevitas.chThe BTC options 25% delta skew metric is currently near its lowest level since Feb. 15, indicating that whales and market makers are assigning higher odds to further upside from here. This marks a sharp reversal from three weeks ago, when put (sell) options traded at a premium.Related: Bitcoin unsure as recession looms, US-China tariff talks kick offBitcoin derivatives’ resilience favors further BTC price gainsOverall, Bitcoin derivatives indicate moderate optimism. Traders generally expect further price gains, but bulls are refraining from using leverage. Some might argue that this creates the ideal conditions for a surprise rally, especially since the retest of $74,500 on April 9 did not significantly affect BTC derivatives.The most important factor influencing Bitcoin’s performance remains the commercial relationship between the US and China. As long as the trade war continues, Bitcoin is likely to continue tracking the S&P 500 movements. While this environment may prevent Bitcoin from reaching a new all-time high in the near term, BTC derivatives are currently leaning slightly in favor of the bulls.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.

• #bitcoin

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says the United States is unlikely to add more Bitcoin to its reserves beyond what it has already seized due to the country’s high debt levels and the stereotype behind “Bitcoin bros.”“I’m not really into the whole Strategic Reserve situation,” Hayes said in a May 1 interview.Hayes doubts print money plans for Bitcoin“The United States is a deficit country; the only way they can do a Strategic Reserve is not sell the Bitcoin they took from people, fine, that’s 200,000 Bitcoin,” he said.Arthur Hayes spoke to Kyle Chasse on his crypto interview series. Source: Kyle ChasseHayes said it’s hard to imagine any “properly elected” politician openly announcing that the government plans to print money to buy Bitcoin (BTC).“Especially when the popular narrative is a bunch of Bitcoin bros going to the club.”“Is that really what you want people to think about your policy?” he asked.On March 6, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a Bitcoin strategic reserve and digital asset stockpile in the US. The US holds 198,012 Bitcoin worth over $18 billion, as per recent data. The reserve is primarily formed of Bitcoin seized in criminal and civil cases, including significant amounts from the Silk Road and Bitfinex hack cases.However, many crypto industry leaders believe that if the US government starts buying Bitcoin, it could set off an aggressive domino effect.Sergej Kunz, co-founder of exchange aggregator 1inch, said during Cointelegraph’s LONGITUDE event in Dubai that if the US were to start buying Bitcoin for a strategic reserve, even smaller countries may soon struggle to acquire the cryptocurrency.He added. “I’m pretty sure we’ll soon see countries battling over who owns more Bitcoin. The US will start.”Hayes sees Bitcoin to altcoin rotation playbook staying the sameHayes remains confident that the Bitcoin cycle leading into altcoin season will follow the same pattern as it did in 2021, despite differing views from other analysts.“I personally think Bitcoin dominance is going back to where it was before the 2021 altcoin season, which is about 70%,” Hayes said.Hayes isn’t convinced the pattern will change. “Then people just start rotating,” he said. “It’s back at all-time highs; bull markets are back, and altcoins should outperform. Should is a keyword there,” Hayes said. “Depends on what you buy,” he added.Related: Bitcoin price about to ‘blast’ higher as Fed rate cut odds jump to 60%Bitcoin dominance — the ratio of Bitcoin’s market capitalization to the entire crypto market — is 64.78% at the time of publication, according to TradingView data. Bitcoin dominance was 57.59% on Jan. 1. Source: TradingViewThis represents an 11.68% increase since Jan. 1, when Bitcoin dominance was hovering just below 60%, a level where some analysts said would be its peak before altcoin season began. Several analysts doubted that Bitcoin dominance would ever return to 70%.One of those skeptics was Into The Cryptoverse founder Benjamin Cowen, who explained in August that he doesn’t “think it is going back up to 70%,” and his target for Bitcoin dominance is 60%.Meanwhile, in December CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju said “altseason is no longer defined by asset rotation from Bitcoin.” He said the traditional signal marking the beginning of an altcoin season when capital rotates from Bitcoin to altcoins is outdated. Instead, altcoin trading volume has become more prevalent against stablecoin and fiat currency pairs. Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, and now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

• #bitcoin

Crypto app developers are now free to direct users to payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem without restrictions or hefty fees, after a United States district judge ruled that Apple violated an injunction in its antitrust legal battle against Epic Games.“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction, which was issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in an April 30 court filing.Apple must make changes “effective immediately”“Effective immediately, Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases,” Rogers added.Rogers reiterated, “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence.”Source: Hector LopezThe ruling stated that Apple must not impose “any commission or any fee on purchases that consumers make outside an app.” It added, “no reason exists to audit, monitor, track or require developers to report purchases or any other activity that consumers make outside an app.”It was ruled that Apple can't control how developers design or place links that lead users to buy items outside the app. Apple also cannot exclude “certain categories of apps and developers from obtaining link access.”Following the court ruling, several crypto industry participants noticed that Apple guidelines were updated, with some claiming that the tone of the guidelines suggests they weren’t too pleased with the ruling.Appfigures co-founder and CEO Ariel Michaeli said that people may find Apple’s “passive aggressive language confusing.” Related: FTX sues NFT Stars and Kurosemi in push to recover tokensMichaeli summarized Apple’s update as Apps can now link to an external non-fungible token (NFT) collection, can link outside of the App Store without needing an entitlement, and can link to an external payment system without requiring an entitlement.Crypto commentator “Xero” told their 50,000 X followers on May 2, “This is hugely bullish for mobile crypto games and apps.” Meanwhile, Alex Masmej said, “This is absolutely huge for crypto.”The same day, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said Epic would be relaunching Fortnite to the US Apple App Store.“Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic,” Sweeney said.In August 2023, Justice Elena Kagan declined to let a federal appeals court decision take immediate effect as Epic had asked — with no explanation for the decision.Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called for simplifying Ethereum’s base protocol, aiming to make the network more efficient, secure and accessible, drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s minimalist design.In a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1,” published on May 3, Buterin laid out a vision to restructure Ethereum’s architecture across consensus, execution and shared components.“This post will describe how Ethereum 5 years from now can become close to as simple as Bitcoin,” Buterin wrote, arguing that simplicity is key to Ethereum’s resilience and long-term scalability.While recent upgrades like proof-of-stake (PoS) and Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARK) integration have made Ethereum more robust, he said that technical complexity has led to bloated development cycles, higher costs and greater risks of bugs:“Historically, Ethereum has often not done this (sometimes because of my own decisions), and this has contributed to much of our excessive development expenditure, all kinds of security risk, and insularity of R&D culture, often in pursuit of benefits that have proven illusory.”Buterin praises Bitcoin for its simplicity. Source: Vitalik ButerinRelated: ‘Vitalik: An Ethereum Story’ is less about crypto and more about being humanEthereum eyes “3-Slot Finality” to simplify consensusOne key area of focus is Ethereum’s consensus layer. Central to this effort is the proposed “3-slot finality” model, which eliminates complex components like epochs, sync committees and validator shuffling.“The reduced number of active validators at a time means that it becomes safer to use simpler implementations of the fork choice rule,” Buterin wrote.Other proposed improvements include allowing for more straightforward fork choice rules and adopting Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK)-based aggregation protocols to decentralize and simplify network coordination.On the execution layer, Buterin proposed a shift from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a simpler, ZK-friendly virtual machine like RISC-V. This move could offer 100x performance improvements for zero-knowledge proofs and significantly simplify the protocol.RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) used in designing computer processors. It follows a minimalist design philosophy, using a small set of simple instructions for high efficiency and easier implementation.To preserve backward compatibility, Buterin suggested running legacy EVM contracts onchain via a RISC-V interpreter while supporting both VMs concurrently during a transitional phase.Source: Vitalik ButerinRelated: Ethereum community members propose new fee structure for the app layerButerin calls for protocol-wide standardsButerin also advocated for protocol-wide standardization. He suggested adopting a single erasure coding method, serialization format (favoring SSZ), and tree structure to reduce redundant complexity and streamline Ethereum’s tooling and infrastructure.“Simplicity is in many ways similar to decentralization,” Buterin wrote. He suggested Ethereum adopt a “max line-of-code” target similar to what Tinygrad does, keeping consensus-critical logic as lean and auditable as possible.Non-critical legacy features would remain but reside outside the core specification.Buterin’s proposal aimed at simplifying Ethereum comes as the network continues to lose market share to competing blockchains.During a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event on May 2, Alex Svanevik, CEO of data service Nansen, said Ethereum’s relative dominance among L1 blockchain networks has declined.“If you’d asked me 3–4 years ago whether Ethereum would dominate crypto, I’d have said yes,” Svanevik said during a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event. “But now, it’s clear that’s not what’s happening.”Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

• #bitcoin

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves, effectively ending efforts to make Arizona the first US state to adopt such a policy.The Digital Assets Strategic Reserve bill, which would have permitted Arizona to invest seized funds into Bitcoin (BTC) and create a reserve managed by state officials, was formally struck down on Friday, according to an update on the Arizona State Legislature’s website.“Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1025. The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments,” Hobbs wrote in a statement aimed at Warren Petersen, the President of the Arizona Senate.“Arizonans’ retirement funds are not the place for the state to try untested investments like virtual currency,” she added.On April 28, the bill passed a final vote in the state House when 31 members of the Arizona House voted in favor of the bill, with 25 opposing. Hobbs had previously stated she would veto any legislation not tied to a bipartisan agreement on disability funding.Source: Governor Katie HobbsRelated: Bitcoin bros at ‘the club’ may stop US gov’t from buying BTC — Arthur HayesAnother Bitcoin awaits final voteA companion bill, SB1373, which would authorize the state treasurer to allocate up to 10% of Arizona’s rainy-day fund into digital assets like Bitcoin, has not yet reached a final vote.Arizona joins several other states where similar efforts have failed. In recent months, similar proposals in Oklahoma, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming have stalled or been withdrawn.In contrast, North Carolina’s House passed the Digital Assets Investment Act on April 30, allowing the state treasurer to invest up to 5% of certain funds in approved cryptocurrencies. The bill has now been moved to the state Senate for consideration.The state-level efforts to create Bitcoin reserves come amid a push from US President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers to do the same in the federal government. Trump signed an executive order in March with a proposal for a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” and a “Digital Asset Stockpile.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, and now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

• #bitcoin
• #vechain

In a move that hopes to challenge Big Tech’s grip on artificial intelligence, AI agent protocol Thinkagents.ai has launched a new open-source framework for building onchain agents that operate autonomously across decentralized networks.While traditional systems aim to restrict data ownership and platform abilities for their users, Thinkagents.ai is creating an interoperable ecosystem owned and controlled by its users. For Mike Anderson, core contributor at THINK, the Think Agent Standard is the future of AI.Anderson and his team developed the Think Agent Standard to enable millions of autonomous onchain AI agents to transact and communicate. The protocol now has over 70 companies, like Arbitrum and Yuga Labs, on board to help out. The platform is now live, allowing developers, enterprises and Web3 communities to experiment with the framework.“There was always this idea that it’s so much harder to [build AI] and so much more expensive when you have to build a thousand custom ways of doing it,” Anderson said during an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph. “By standardizing demand — the way people want to receive AI — you can get the whole market to line up because they want customers, and getting customers in AI is really difficult.”Following the release of Meta’s Llama 2 a few years ago, Anderson and his team decided that if the future of decentralized AI ever manifested, they needed to ensure that consumers could easily use graphic processing units (GPUs) without spending billions of dollars.“We watched as this whole ecosystem started to grow, with people saying, ’I’m going to build this part of the stack,’ and others saying they’ll ‘build that part of the stack,” almost as if Amazon Web Services (AWS) showed up with each department, with one saying they’ll do the data and another saying they’ll do the networking,” Anderson said.We found that the problem isn’t having enough builders, it’s aligning them around an actual use case.Mike Anderson, core contributor at THINK. Source: THINKDeveloping the AI standardThe Think Agent Standard was launched by THINK protocol, in partnership with the Independent AI Institute, with the initial use case around Anderson and his team defining an AI agent (a place on a blockchain that has access to a computer and can make decisions), and the AI agents playing the video game Street Fighter 3 against each other. The use case brought nine different companies to work together for an audience of 30,000 viewers last summer.That validated the idea that we could unite all of these infrastructure companies, provide a better product to customers, and do it in a way where users owned their information, data, keys, and encryption.Because if owning and controlling AI agents is to remain in the hands of users, the decentralized AI agent platforms need to be simple, user-intuitive, well-designed and deliver on a user experience that could have changed the way we use and understand social media.Related: How Meta’s antitrust case could dampen AI development“Imagine if we’d had the foresight in 2003 to see social media as a way to organize our lives,” Anderson said. “Instead of having accounts on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, what if we had a standard where your accounts follow you—where all of your data and everything you’d posted in the past is something you’re providing to them. It’s a very different thing if users owned their accounts and data and could have opted into seeing ads where they would benefit from them. That’s what we’re building.”The future of AI agentsJust as the ERC-20 standard enabled the tokenized economy, the Think Agent Standard introduces a modular, permissionless and composable system that allows AI agents to function as sovereign digital entities: Owning wallets, interacting with smart contracts and transacting seamlessly across every blockchain.Each Think agent is powered by Non-Fungible Intelligence™ (NFI), a digital identity layer that establishes ownership, memory, and authentication, with the core genome palette residing on The Root Network and subsequent layers deployed to any connected network natively. The agents are composed of three core elements: The Soul (NFI), which provides a persistent, self-sovereign identity; the Mind, which governs behavior and decision-making; and the Body, which allows interaction across platforms and environments.The first platform built on the Think Agent Standard is SOULS, a personal AI agent that users can own, train and customize. SOULS connects to thousands of open-source applications and evolves over time by integrating the best available intelligence without compromising user privacy or ownership.Related: Crypto projects prepare to battle for privacy in SwitzerlandLeading organizations in gaming, infrastructure and generative AI, including Yuga Labs, Futureverse, Alchemy, Render, Venice.ai and Magic Eden, are actively integrating the standard into real-world applications, further validating its potential across use cases.“AI agents are the new interface to technology,” Anderson said. “What we’ve been able to do successfully is partner with consumer brands — like Bored Ape Yacht Club — to actually have distribution into a consumer’s end point, and we’ve been able to build all the systems so that they can actually access consumers.”We’re helping people transition to the AI age by owning their intelligence instead of renting it from someone else.For Anderson, a personal AI agent is like a personal dashboard that acts as an extension of your real self. If the information contained within your AI agent were to leak, the results could be personally catastrophic. That’s why Think is standardizing the system the agent can interact with, backed by cryptography, no matter what chain the agent is on. If a safe and successful standard exists within the user-owned AI agent industry, big tech will have a harder time controlling it.It’s why users can own their data through their Think agent, eliminating the need for their data to be copied and live on some external third-party server. In this way, Think agents also hope to address the issue around data ownership by putting users in control of who they share their information with.“When a social company goes out of business, all of that data gets sold to the highest bidder,” Anderson said. “23andMe is the most egregious example of this. They didn’t give you your DNA data and then delete it from their servers, their business model was actually to sell your data to others. Now, who knows who the highest bidder is. Is it an insurance company? The Chinese government? Who is it? Your data exhaust is more valuable than your DNA.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Coinbase stated reasons for delisting action

Tekin Salimi, founder of Dao5, reported that the VC company’s second fund was concentrated in 15 limited partners, including family offices and notable individuals. He assessed that the previous fund’s success influenced the level of participation in this one. Crypto Firm Dao5 Swims Against the Current: Closes $222M Fund Even with the reported problems that […]

Top meme cryptocurrencies Shiba Inu (SHIB), Bonk (BONK), Pepe (PEPE) losing value today as market is apathetic again

In a move that hopes to challenge Big Tech’s grip on artificial intelligence, AI agent protocol Thinkagents.ai has launched a new open-source framework for building onchain agents that operate autonomously across decentralized networks.While traditional systems aim to restrict data ownership and platform abilities for their users, Thinkagents.ai is creating an interoperable ecosystem owned and controlled by its users. For Mike Anderson, core contributor at THINK, the Think Agent Standard is the future of AI.Anderson and his team developed the Think Agent Standard to enable millions of autonomous onchain AI agents to transact and communicate. The protocol now has over 70 companies, like Arbitrum and Yuga Labs, on board to help out. The platform is now live, allowing developers, enterprises and Web3 communities to experiment with the framework.“There was always this idea that it’s so much harder to [build AI] and so much more expensive when you have to build a thousand custom ways of doing it,” Anderson said during an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph. “By standardizing demand — the way people want to receive AI — you can get the whole market to line up because they want customers, and getting customers in AI is really difficult.”Following the release of Meta’s Llama 2 a few years ago, Anderson and his team decided that if the future of decentralized AI ever manifested, they needed to ensure that consumers could easily use graphic processing units (GPUs) without spending billions of dollars.“We watched as this whole ecosystem started to grow, with people saying, ’I’m going to build this part of the stack,’ and others saying they’ll ‘build that part of the stack,” almost as if Amazon Web Services (AWS) showed up with each department, with one saying they’ll do the data and another saying they’ll do the networking,” Anderson said.We found that the problem isn’t having enough builders, it’s aligning them around an actual use case.Mike Anderson, core contributor at THINK. Source: THINKDeveloping the AI standardThe Think Agent Standard was launched by THINK protocol, in partnership with the Independent AI Institute, with the initial use case around Anderson and his team defining an AI agent (a place on a blockchain that has access to a computer and can make decisions), and the AI agents playing the video game Street Fighter 3 against each other. The use case brought nine different companies to work together for an audience of 30,000 viewers last summer.That validated the idea that we could unite all of these infrastructure companies, provide a better product to customers, and do it in a way where users owned their information, data, keys, and encryption.Because if owning and controlling AI agents is to remain in the hands of users, the decentralized AI agent platforms need to be simple, user-intuitive, well-designed and deliver on a user experience that could have changed the way we use and understand social media.Related: How Meta’s antitrust case could dampen AI development“Imagine if we’d had the foresight in 2003 to see social media as a way to organize our lives,” Anderson said. “Instead of having accounts on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, what if we had a standard where your accounts follow you—where all of your data and everything you’d posted in the past is something you’re providing to them. It’s a very different thing if users owned their accounts and data and could have opted into seeing ads where they would benefit from them. That’s what we’re building.”The future of AI agentsJust as the ERC-20 standard enabled the tokenized economy, the Think Agent Standard introduces a modular, permissionless and composable system that allows AI agents to function as sovereign digital entities: Owning wallets, interacting with smart contracts and transacting seamlessly across every blockchain.Each Think agent is powered by Non-Fungible Intelligence™ (NFI), a digital identity layer that establishes ownership, memory, and authentication, with the core genome palette residing on The Root Network and subsequent layers deployed to any connected network natively. The agents are composed of three core elements: The Soul (NFI), which provides a persistent, self-sovereign identity; the Mind, which governs behavior and decision-making; and the Body, which allows interaction across platforms and environments.The first platform built on the Think Agent Standard is SOULS, a personal AI agent that users can own, train and customize. SOULS connects to thousands of open-source applications and evolves over time by integrating the best available intelligence without compromising user privacy or ownership.Related: Crypto projects prepare to battle for privacy in SwitzerlandLeading organizations in gaming, infrastructure and generative AI, including Yuga Labs, Futureverse, Alchemy, Render, Venice.ai and Magic Eden, are actively integrating the standard into real-world applications, further validating its potential across use cases.“AI agents are the new interface to technology,” Anderson said. “What we’ve been able to do successfully is partner with consumer brands — like Bored Ape Yacht Club — to actually have distribution into a consumer’s end point, and we’ve been able to build all the systems so that they can actually access consumers.”We’re helping people transition to the AI age by owning their intelligence instead of renting it from someone else.For Anderson, a personal AI agent is like a personal dashboard that acts as an extension of your real self. If the information contained within your AI agent were to leak, the results could be personally catastrophic. That’s why Think is standardizing the system the agent can interact with, backed by cryptography, no matter what chain the agent is on. If a safe and successful standard exists within the user-owned AI agent industry, big tech will have a harder time controlling it.It’s why users can own their data through their Think agent, eliminating the need for their data to be copied and live on some external third-party server. In this way, Think agents also hope to address the issue around data ownership by putting users in control of who they share their information with.“When a social company goes out of business, all of that data gets sold to the highest bidder,” Anderson said. “23andMe is the most egregious example of this. They didn’t give you your DNA data and then delete it from their servers, their business model was actually to sell your data to others. Now, who knows who the highest bidder is. Is it an insurance company? The Chinese government? Who is it? Your data exhaust is more valuable than your DNA.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

By prioritizing Bitcoin’s foundational role and ensuring mining flourishes, the US will secure its place at the forefront of the global crypto economy

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Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves, effectively ending efforts to make Arizona the first US state to adopt such a policy.The Digital Assets Strategic Reserve bill, which would have permitted Arizona to invest seized funds into Bitcoin (BTC) and create a reserve managed by state officials, was formally struck down on Friday, according to an update on the Arizona State Legislature’s website.“Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1025. The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments,” Hobbs wrote in a statement aimed at Warren Petersen, the President of the Arizona Senate.“Arizonans’ retirement funds are not the place for the state to try untested investments like virtual currency,” she added.On April 28, the bill passed a final vote in the state House when 31 members of the Arizona House voted in favor of the bill, with 25 opposing. Hobbs had previously stated she would veto any legislation not tied to a bipartisan agreement on disability funding.Source: Governor Katie HobbsRelated: Bitcoin bros at ‘the club’ may stop US gov’t from buying BTC — Arthur HayesAnother Bitcoin awaits final voteA companion bill, SB1373, which would authorize the state treasurer to allocate up to 10% of Arizona’s rainy-day fund into digital assets like Bitcoin, has not yet reached a final vote.Arizona joins several other states where similar efforts have failed. In recent months, similar proposals in Oklahoma, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming have stalled or been withdrawn.In contrast, North Carolina’s House passed the Digital Assets Investment Act on April 30, allowing the state treasurer to invest up to 5% of certain funds in approved cryptocurrencies. The bill has now been moved to the state Senate for consideration.The state-level efforts to create Bitcoin reserves come amid a push from US President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers to do the same in the federal government. Trump signed an executive order in March with a proposal for a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” and a “Digital Asset Stockpile.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, and now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

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Ethereum co-founder Buterin suggests making major changes to ETH so it can absorb the benefits of the Bitcoin network

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"The irony that a bunch of bitcoiners are opening the market is not lost on me," said Will Reeves, the CEO of Fold app.

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Solana is flexing serious muscle this month, surging 15% and stealing the spotlight as a standout performer. SOL’s march toward $200 is looking less like speculation and more like structural The post Solana at $150: A short-term risk, but why you should consider HODLing SOL appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called for simplifying Ethereum’s base protocol, aiming to make the network more efficient, secure and accessible, drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s minimalist design.In a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1,” published on May 3, Buterin laid out a vision to restructure Ethereum’s architecture across consensus, execution and shared components.“This post will describe how Ethereum 5 years from now can become close to as simple as Bitcoin,” Buterin wrote, arguing that simplicity is key to Ethereum’s resilience and long-term scalability.While recent upgrades like proof-of-stake (PoS) and Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARK) integration have made Ethereum more robust, he said that technical complexity has led to bloated development cycles, higher costs and greater risks of bugs:“Historically, Ethereum has often not done this (sometimes because of my own decisions), and this has contributed to much of our excessive development expenditure, all kinds of security risk, and insularity of R&D culture, often in pursuit of benefits that have proven illusory.”Buterin praises Bitcoin for its simplicity. Source: Vitalik ButerinRelated: ‘Vitalik: An Ethereum Story’ is less about crypto and more about being humanEthereum eyes “3-Slot Finality” to simplify consensusOne key area of focus is Ethereum’s consensus layer. Central to this effort is the proposed “3-slot finality” model, which eliminates complex components like epochs, sync committees and validator shuffling.“The reduced number of active validators at a time means that it becomes safer to use simpler implementations of the fork choice rule,” Buterin wrote.Other proposed improvements include allowing for more straightforward fork choice rules and adopting Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK)-based aggregation protocols to decentralize and simplify network coordination.On the execution layer, Buterin proposed a shift from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a simpler, ZK-friendly virtual machine like RISC-V. This move could offer 100x performance improvements for zero-knowledge proofs and significantly simplify the protocol.RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) used in designing computer processors. It follows a minimalist design philosophy, using a small set of simple instructions for high efficiency and easier implementation.To preserve backward compatibility, Buterin suggested running legacy EVM contracts onchain via a RISC-V interpreter while supporting both VMs concurrently during a transitional phase.Source: Vitalik ButerinRelated: Ethereum community members propose new fee structure for the app layerButerin calls for protocol-wide standardsButerin also advocated for protocol-wide standardization. He suggested adopting a single erasure coding method, serialization format (favoring SSZ), and tree structure to reduce redundant complexity and streamline Ethereum’s tooling and infrastructure.“Simplicity is in many ways similar to decentralization,” Buterin wrote. He suggested Ethereum adopt a “max line-of-code” target similar to what Tinygrad does, keeping consensus-critical logic as lean and auditable as possible.Non-critical legacy features would remain but reside outside the core specification.Buterin’s proposal aimed at simplifying Ethereum comes as the network continues to lose market share to competing blockchains.During a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event on May 2, Alex Svanevik, CEO of data service Nansen, said Ethereum’s relative dominance among L1 blockchain networks has declined.“If you’d asked me 3–4 years ago whether Ethereum would dominate crypto, I’d have said yes,” Svanevik said during a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event. “But now, it’s clear that’s not what’s happening.”Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

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The 47-year-old lawmaker submitted his proposal to a government agency that manages a real estate portfolio of 8,397 federal properties. Federal Buildings Could Get Crypto ATMs Under New Proposal Congressman Lance Gooden who represents Texas’ 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives submitted a letter on Thursday to the General Services Administration (GSA), an […]

Ethereum spot ETFs saw $104M inflows, pushing total assets to $6.14 billion. Bitcoin ETFs led by BlackRock’s IBIT gained $422.5M, showing stronger institutional interest. Ethereum [ETH] ETThe post Ethereum ETF demand booms, adding $6.5 million in fresh capital - What now? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

According to a recent CryptoQuant Quicktake post by contributor Avocado_onchain, Bitcoin (BTC) may be primed for an extended rally. The top cryptocurrency’s open interest in the futures market is approaching historically high levels – a trend seen during previous bull markets. Bitcoin Open Interest Continues To Climb As BTC edges closer to the $100,000 mark, […]

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Ripple giant releases another billion XRP from escrow after the major shift in its own rules

Spark, a bitcoin L2 platform fully compatible with the Lightning Network, has launched on mainnet. Promoted as “the fastest, cheapest, most UX-friendly way to build financial apps and launch assets on bitcoin,” the network enables a series of use cases destined for monetary applications, such as issuing stablecoins on top of bitcoin or building hybrid […]

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Renowned Bitcoin proponent Saylor reveals something better-performing than BTC in the market this year

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The recent downturn in digital currencies has set the stage for a potential surge. Certain tokens are beginning to show promising signs of a comeback. These assets could be at the forefront of the nexThe post Crypto comeback: SOL, ADA and XYZ Show the highest rebound potential following the market dip appeared first on AMBCrypto.

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says the United States is unlikely to add more Bitcoin to its reserves beyond what it has already seized due to the country’s high debt levels and the stereotype behind “Bitcoin bros.”“I’m not really into the whole Strategic Reserve situation,” Hayes said in a May 1 interview.Hayes doubts print money plans for Bitcoin“The United States is a deficit country; the only way they can do a Strategic Reserve is not sell the Bitcoin they took from people, fine, that’s 200,000 Bitcoin,” he said.Arthur Hayes spoke to Kyle Chasse on his crypto interview series. Source: Kyle ChasseHowever, Hayes said it’s hard to imagine any “properly elected” politician openly announcing that the government plans to print money to buy Bitcoin (BTC).“Especially when the popular narrative is a bunch of Bitcoin bros going to the club.”“Is that really what you want people to think about your policy?” he asked.On March 6, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a Bitcoin strategic reserve and digital asset stockpile in the US. The US holds 198,012 Bitcoin worth over $18 billion, as per recent data. The reserve is primarily formed of Bitcoin seized in criminal and civil cases, including significant amounts from the Silk Road and Bitfinex hack cases.However, many crypto industry leaders believe that if the US government starts buying Bitcoin, it could set off an aggressive domino effect.Sergej Kunz, co-founder of exchange aggregator 1inch, said during Cointelegraph’s LONGITUDE event in Dubai that if the US were to start buying Bitcoin for a strategic reserve, even smaller countries may soon struggle to acquire the cryptocurrency.He added. “I’m pretty sure we’ll soon see countries battling over who owns more Bitcoin. The US will start.”Hayes sees Bitcoin to altcoin rotation playbook staying the sameHayes remains confident that the Bitcoin cycle leading into altcoin season will follow the same pattern as it did in 2021, despite differing views from other analysts.“I personally think Bitcoin dominance is going back to where it was before the 2021 altcoin season, which is about 70%,” Hayes said.Hayes isn’t convinced the pattern will change. “Then people just start rotating,” he said. “It’s back at all-time highs; bull markets are back, and altcoins should outperform. Should is a keyword there,” Hayes said. “Depends on what you buy,” he added.Related: Bitcoin price about to ‘blast’ higher as Fed rate cut odds jump to 60%Bitcoin dominance — the ratio of Bitcoin’s market capitalization to the entire crypto market — is 64.78% at the time of publication, according to TradingView data. Bitcoin dominance was 57.59% on Jan. 1. Source: TradingViewThis represents an 11.68% increase since Jan. 1, when Bitcoin dominance was hovering just below 60%, a level where some analysts said would be its peak before altcoin season began. Several analysts doubted that Bitcoin dominance would ever return to 70%.One of those skeptics was Into The Cryptoverse founder Benjamin Cowen, who explained in August that he doesn’t “think it is going back up to 70%,” and his target for Bitcoin dominance is 60%.Meanwhile, in December CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju said “altseason is no longer defined by asset rotation from Bitcoin.” He said the traditional signal marking the beginning of an altcoin season when capital rotates from Bitcoin to altcoins is outdated. Instead, altcoin trading volume has become more prevalent against stablecoin and fiat currency pairs. Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, and now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

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Crypto app developers are now free to direct users to payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem without restrictions or hefty fees, after a United States district judge ruled that Apple violated an injunction in its antitrust legal battle against Epic Games.“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction, which was issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in an April 30 court filing.Apple must make changes “effective immediately”“Effective immediately, Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases,” Rogers added.Rogers reiterated, “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence.”Source: Hector LopezThe ruling stated that Apple must not impose “any commission or any fee on purchases that consumers make outside an app.” It added, “no reason exists to audit, monitor, track or require developers to report purchases or any other activity that consumers make outside an app.”It was ruled that Apple can't control how developers design or place links that lead users to buy items outside the app. Apple also cannot exclude “certain categories of apps and developers from obtaining link access.”Following the court ruling, several crypto industry participants noticed that Apple guidelines were updated, with some claiming that the tone of the guidelines suggests they weren’t too pleased with the ruling.Appfigures co-founder and CEO Ariel Michaeli said that people may find Apple’s “passive aggressive language confusing.” Related: FTX sues NFT Stars and Kurosemi in push to recover tokensMichaeli summarized Apple’s update as Apps can now link to an external non-fungible token (NFT) collection, can link outside of the App Store without needing an entitlement, and can link to an external payment system without requiring an entitlement.Crypto commentator “Xero” told their 50,000 X followers on May 2, “This is hugely bullish for mobile crypto games and apps.” Meanwhile, Alex Masmej said, “This is absolutely huge for crypto.”The same day, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said Epic would be relaunching Fortnite to the US Apple App Store.“Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic,” Sweeney said.In August 2023, Justice Elena Kagan declined to let a federal appeals court decision take immediate effect as Epic had asked — with no explanation for the decision.Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

The US Treasury Department is taking steps to sever financial ties with Cambodia-based Huione Group over its alleged involvement in laundering billions in illicit crypto-linked funds. In a move targeting potential national security risks, the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has proposed a rule that would prohibit Huione from accessing the US financial system, […]

Crypto app developers are now free to direct users to payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem without restrictions or hefty fees, after a United States district judge ruled that Apple violated an injunction in its antitrust legal battle against Epic Games.“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction, which was issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in an April 30 court filing.Apple must make changes “effective immediately”“Effective immediately, Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases,” Rogers added.Rogers reiterated, “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence.”Source: Hector LopezThe ruling stated that Apple must not impose “any commission or any fee on purchases that consumers make outside an app.” It added, “no reason exists to audit, monitor, track or require developers to report purchases or any other activity that consumers make outside an app.”It was ruled that Apple can't control how developers design or place links that lead users to buy items outside the app. Apple also cannot exclude “certain categories of apps and developers from obtaining link access.”Following the court ruling, several crypto industry participants noticed that Apple guidelines were updated, with some claiming that the tone of the guidelines suggests they weren’t too pleased with the ruling.Appfigures co-founder and CEO Ariel Michaeli said that people may find Apple’s “passive aggressive language confusing.” Related: FTX sues NFT Stars and Kurosemi in push to recover tokensMichaeli summarized Apple’s update as Apps can now link to an external non-fungible token (NFT) collection, can link outside of the App Store without needing an entitlement, and can link to an external payment system without requiring an entitlement.Crypto commentator “Xero” told their 50,000 X followers on May 2, “This is hugely bullish for mobile crypto games and apps.” Meanwhile, Alex Masmej said, “This is absolutely huge for crypto.”The same day, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said Epic would be relaunching Fortnite to the US Apple App Store.“Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic,” Sweeney said.In August 2023, Justice Elena Kagan declined to let a federal appeals court decision take immediate effect as Epic had asked — with no explanation for the decision.Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is excited to have participated in this year’s Web Summit in Rio. From April 27 to 30, the world’s largest technologyThe post Bybit showcased innovative payments and crypto solutions at Web Summit Rio 2025 appeared first on AMBCrypto.

BTC formed an interesting accumulation pattern seen before 2024 rallies.  Long-term holders scooped 150K BTC in April, while U.S. dollar liquidity recovered.  Bitcoin [BTC] has flirted witThe post Bitcoin flashes 2024-like accumulation pattern - Analysts say $100K breakout could be next appeared first on AMBCrypto.

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Andreessen Horowitz’s A16z crypto reports stablecoin volumes soaring to $1.82 trillion, igniting a payments revolution and accelerating adoption of instant, low-cost global finance infrastructure. $1.82 Trillion Stablecoin Explosion Sets off Payment Revolution in Global Finance Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division, A16z crypto, highlighted a sharp rise in stablecoin activity in an April 25 editorial, reporting that […]

Crypto analyst Crypto Bullet has revealed a bullish pattern for the Dogecoin price, which could send the meme coin above $3.2. The analyst also provided a timeline for when the foremost meme coin could reach this price target.  Dogecoin Price Eyes Rally Above $3.2 As Textbook Accumulation Cylinder Forms In an X post, Crypto Bullet […]

Bitcoin as an institutional asset for Nvidia makes complete sense for two key reasons Its brand positioning as a forward-thinking asset is set to enhance if this happens Crypto Twitter is abThe post Is Nvidia the next MicroStrategy? Why Bitcoin could be its next big bet! appeared first on AMBCrypto.

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The World Venture Forum returns to Kitzbühel from June 29 to July 5, 2025, bringing together the most forward-thinking minds in entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation. Set against the breaThe post World Venture Forum 2025: Where Global Minds Meet in the Heart of the Alps appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Crypto exchange Kraken’s latest security disclosure reads less like a corporate blog post than a field report from the front lines of modern cyber-warfare. Published on 1 May 2025 under the blunt title “How we identified a North Korean hacker who tried to get a job at Kraken,” the account describes in granular detail how […]

IMX sees 17% gain, with breakout indicating potential 68% rally. Liquidity inflows and NFT sector growth fuel IMX’s bullish momentum. In the past 24 hours, Immutable [IMX] has dominated thThe post Immutable [IMX] targets $1 as NFT sector surges: Key drivers behind the rally appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Ripple’s $5 billion acquisition bid was reportedly snubbed as one expert says Circle is eyeing a $10 billion IPO amid bullish momentum and favorable crypto regulation. Ripple’s Acquisition Bid Rejected? Expert Suggests Circle Has $10B IPO in Its Sights Attorney John E. Deaton, a well-known advocate for XRP holders, explained that Circle’s market value could […]