Bitcoin is gearing up to outshine gold as Fidelity’s latest analysis highlights a pivotal shift in performance momentum, signaling a new era for digital store-of-value dominance. Fidelity Signals Bitcoin May Soon Take the Baton From Gold Fidelity Investments’ director of global macro, Jurrien Timmer, offered a comprehensive take on the dynamic between bitcoin and gold […]

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The XRP price is showing signs of a strong comeback, according to a new technical analysis by TradingView crypto analyst ‘The Signalyst.’ The cryptocurrency is trading within a rising channel and quickly approaching a key support zone—a setup that indicates that bulls may be preparing for a higher leg up.  XRP Price Gets Back In […]

Bitcoin tested $96.5K, a key resistance level that may trigger further upside if broken. Open Interest surged, reflecting renewed market participation without signs of excessive leverage builduThe post Bitcoin's recovery on track! THIS signals BTC's potential for $100K breakout appeared first on AMBCrypto.

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Crypto is set to devour traditional finance as Coinbase sharpens its focus on decentralized systems, driving a seismic shift in how global financial services are built. Armstrong Says Crypto Will Eat Finance—Coinbase’s Strategy Just Got Clearer Brian Armstrong, chief executive officer of crypto exchange Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN), reinforced the company’s long-term vision for the industry […]

Meme coins are again dominating crypto conversations, and 2025 is shaping up to be another gold rush for early investors. From viral humor to rebellious satire, these coins capture attention across Telegram, X, and TikTok. Troller Cat ($TCAT) leads the pack, whose highly anticipated presale launches May 2, 2025, at 6 PM UTC, with whispers [...] The post Best Meme Coins to Invest in May 2025: Mubarak, Fartboy, and the Cat with a Massive Upside Potential appeared first on Blockonomi.

Bitcoin is barreling toward $100K in the coming weeks as explosive momentum, soaring liquidity, and a decisive breakout converge to supercharge the bullish Q2 setup. Bitcoin Eyes $100K in Weeks—Strategist Maps Bullish BTC Setup Through Q2 Matt Mena, crypto research strategist at asset management firm 21Shares, commented Friday on the surprising strength of April’s U.S. […]

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Institutional ETH inflows stall again, echoing conditions preceding past sharp price declines. Strong retail buying, especially from U.S. traders, could trigger a rally despite bearish institutThe post Ethereum at a crossroads: Stalling ETF demand vs. retail investors push appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Arizona’s chance to pioneer crypto-driven public finance was abruptly halted as the governor axed a game-changing bill that would’ve let state retirement funds buy bitcoin. Arizona Governor Kills Bitcoin Bill for Public Crypto Investment Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed Senate Bill 1025 on May 2, blocking a legislative proposal that would have allowed public funds—including […]

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Market prices of Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded as high as $96,000 to mark a bullish end to April and the potential start to a price uptrend. However, despite breaking key resistances, BTC is yet to return to the present market peak price, which would ultimately confirm the resumption of the bull market.  Interestingly, crypto analyst Rekt […]

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Lately, Bitcoin developers have found themselves entrenched in a fervent dispute over a proposal to eliminate the long-standing 80-byte constraint imposed on the OP_RETURN function. As this technical standoff intensifies, the alternative Bitcoin client known as Bitcoin Knots witnessed a notable climb in node adoption. OP_RETURN Controversy Drives Surge in Bitcoin Knots Adoption The proposal, […]

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Buffett's leadership transition and openness to currency diversification signal a strategic shift, impacting global investment dynamics. The post Saylor says Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is Bitcoin of 20th century appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

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AERGO crypto broke out of a falling wedge pattern that had confined the price in the last week. Price attempted to break above $0.211, which could result in a move towards $0.25, $0.336, and evThe post AERGO'S 30% surge stuns the market – But will profit takers spoil the party? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Tokenized gold carries several benefits over other forms of paper gold, including gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to Melissa Song and Dustin Becker, representatives of Gold DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization that facilitates investor access to tokenized gold.In an interview with Cointelegraph, the DAO representatives outlined three major benefits unique to tokenized gold, including 1:1 redeemability for a specific quantity of physical, serialized gold, usage as collateral in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, and transactional efficiency through on-demand liquidity."When you buy an ETF, you are betting on the gold price going up, but you do not own any specific gold bar," Song told Cointelegraph.The pair added that the price of gold surged in 2025 due to the current macroeconomic uncertainty, the high level of US government debt, and geopolitical tensions that are reshaping the global monetary order.Gold’s price hits all-time highs against the US dollar. Source: TradingViewRelated: Geopolitical tensions fuel central bank shift toward gold, crypto — BlackRock execMacroeconomic uncertainty spikes gold prices, leaves USD in doubtGold hit an all-time high of $3,500 per ounce in April 2025 amid the trade tariffs announced by United States President Donald Trump that caused turmoil in risk-on asset markets like stocks and crypto.Traders shifted to gold, cash, and other safe-haven assets to weather the extreme volatility caused by the protectionist trade policies and the counter-response from other countries.This rush to gold also caused gold-backed cryptocurrencies such as Paxos Gold (PAXG) and Tether Gold (XAUT) to spike in price during April 2024.The Volatility S&P Index (VIX) tracks the volatility of the US stock market and surged following Trump’s tariff announcement. Source: TradingViewBitcoin advocate Max Keiser argued that gold-backed tokens will outcompete fiat stablecoins due to the lack of geopolitical risk and inflationary resistance inherent in gold."A stablecoin backed by Gold would out-compete a USD-backed stablecoin in world markets: Russia, China, and Iran should take note," Keiser wrote in a March 22 X post."The United States dollar has no volatility, but you are guaranteed to lose purchasing power," the BTC advocate continued.Gold's current rally could spill over into Bitcoin if investors shift from viewing Bitcoin as a risk asset to more of a store of value in turbulent economic times that is counter-cyclical to the stock market and other speculative investments.Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fightThis 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.

Ethereum’s Ether (ETH) token is approaching a critical price zone against Bitcoin (BTC), which historically marked the beginning of a massive rebound.ETH price fractal from 2019 hints at bottom The ETH/BTC pair, currently trading near 0.019 BTC, is edging closer to 0.016 BTC — the exact level it reached in September 2019 before rallying nearly 450% over the following year.ETH/BTC weekly performance chart. Source: TradingViewThe current ETH/BTC setup resembles 2019, with both periods marked by oversold relative strength index (RSI), long stretches below key moving averages, and multiyear declines.In 2019, ETH/BTC fell over 90% in the prior two years, driven by the ICO collapse. As of 2025, the pair is down over 80% from its 2021 peak, weighed by skepticism over Ethereum’s switch to proof-of-stake (PoS), rising competition, and Bitcoin’s growing dominance as an institutional asset.In response to the growing concerns, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed new architecture and protocol-wide standards to make Ethereum simpler, faster, and as maintainable as Bitcoin within five years. Related: Ethereum to simplify crosschain transactions with new token standardsOne analyst called Buterin’s proposal “the most bullish thing for ETH.”The bullish hopes come as ETH/BTC attempts to break free from its multi-year “bearish parabola.” This resistance curve has been instrumental in limiting the pair’s upside attempts since December 2021 but showed signs of exhaustion as of May 3.Edit the caption here or remove the text“We might see an end of this bearish parabola,” wrote chartist Jimie.He noted that if the curved resistance holds, ETH/BTC could drop toward 0.016 BTC — the same level where it bottomed in September 2019 before rallying by roughly 450%.Flush ETH and buy Bitcoin, says Adam BackSkeptics like Bitcoin’s proof-of-work pioneer, Adam Back, argue that Buterin is overlooking deeper design flaws while proposing to simplify Ethereum in the coming years. Back criticizes Ethereum’s account-based system, saying it adds unnecessary complexity compared to Bitcoin’s simpler UTXO (unspent transaction output) model. He argues this growing complexity increases technical risks and makes Ethereum harder to scale and secure.Source: X/Adam BackHe also warns that Ethereum’s shift to PoS has concentrated power among insiders by redirecting miner rewards to large tokenholders.“At this point, just flush ETH before it hits zero and buy Bitcoin,” he wrote, suggesting no upgrade can fix what he views as Ethereum’s flawed foundation.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

Bitcoin (BTC) mining firms should hold their mined Bitcoin and use it as collateral for fiat-denominated loans to pay operating expenses instead of selling BTC and losing the upside of an asset that miners expect to surge in price, according to John Glover, chief investment officer at Bitcoin lending firm Ledn.In an interview with Cointelegraph, Glover said that holding onto the BTC carries several benefits including, price appreciation, tax deferment, and the potential to make extra revenue by lending out BTC held in corporate treasuries. The executive added:"If you are mining, you are generating all this Bitcoin. You understand the thesis behind Bitcoin and why it is likely going to continue to appreciate in the future. You do not want to sell any of your Bitcoin."This debt-based approach is similar to companies like Strategy, which issue corporate debt and equity to finance Bitcoin acquisition and profit from the diverging fundamentals of BTC and the fiat currencies the corporate capital raises are denominated in.BTC mining hashprice, a metric used to gauge miner profitability, has collapsed as ever-increasing computing resources are deployed to secure the network. Source: Hashrate IndexBitcoin-backed loans could be a valuable lifeline for miners struggling in the highly competitive industry, which is facing increased pressure due to the ongoing trade tensions brought on by the Trump administration's protectionist trade policies and macroeconomic uncertainty.Related: Riot Platforms secures $100M ‘Bitcoin-backed’ loan from CoinbaseTrade war places even more pressure on beleaguered mining industryThe Bitcoin mining industry is characterized by high competition and capital costs that increase over time as more powerful computing resources are used to mine blocks and secure the network.US President Trump's sweeping trade tariffs have cast a cloud over the already competitive sector, raising fears that import duties will raise the cost of mining equipment, like application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), to unsustainable levels.Mining firms collectively sold over 40% of their mined supply produced in March 2025 amid the heightened macroeconomic uncertainty and fears that the ongoing trade tensions will cause price increases across the board.According to TheMinerMag, this 40% sell-off marked the reversal of a trend that began post-halving, in April 2024, and represented the highest monthly BTC liquidation among miners since October 2024.Magazine: Korea to lift corporate crypto ban, beware crypto mining HDs: Asia Express

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Warren Buffett, the CEO of publicly traded investment company Berkshire Hathaway, announced at the company's annual shareholder meeting that he will step down by the end of 2025, and his chosen successor will take over as CEO, pending approval from Berkshire's board of directors.According to CNBC, Buffett reiterated that Greg Abel, the company's vice chairman of non-insurance operations, who was previously named by Buffett as his successor, will take over. The Berkshire founder announced:"The time has arrived when Greg should become the Chief executive officer of the company at year-end, and I want to spring that on the directors effectively and give that as my recommendation."Buffett added that he would stay at the company in an advisory role "but the final word would be what Greg decided," the CEO said. Buffett's decision to step down as CEO comes at a time when Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on cash reserves of roughly $348 billion.Buffett speaking at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder conference. Source: CNBCThe legendary stock investor has repeatedly called the growing US national debt unsustainable and issued warnings on the increasingly unstable macroeconomic environment that has taken a toll on the stock market.Related: Galaxy Digital plans Nasdaq listing as crypto stocks post strong reboundBerkshire Hathaway outperforms S&P but is outclassed by BitcoinDespite being renowned for consistently returning roughly double the average performance of the S&P 500 to investors throughout his career, Buffet has failed to outperform Bitcoin (BTC) and gold.Although Berkshire Hathaway's class A common stock carries a price tag of over $809,000, and a market cap of over $1 trillion at the time of this writing, shares of the company have massively underperformed against Bitcoin in percentage terms since 2015.Bitcoin has returned gains of over 781% to investors since 2020, while Berkshire Hathaway only returned approximately 150% over the same period.Bitcoin’s price performance appears in magenta and has outperformed Berkshire Hathaway’s stock in percentage gains. Source: TradingViewBuffett has long been critical of BTC, arguing that the decentralized, supply-capped, digital currency has no value and likened it to a scam on several occasions.The Berkshire founder and his business partner Charlie Munger have repeatedly said that Bitcoin does not even qualify as an investment and should be avoided by traders.Magazine: Bitcoin in Senegal: Why is this African country using BTC?

An early and iconic holder of Ethereum has reemerged, continuing a strategy of gradual profit taking that has stretched over years. For the past 33 hours, a whale wallet that first emerged during the 2015 Ethereum Initial Coin Offering (ICO) has been making the rounds in crypto media by dumping 6,000 ETH onto the open market. This latest move, which involved sending a bunch of ETH to major exchanges, has fueled both speculation and—let’s be honest—some mild panic across the crypto space. The account we are looking at, identified as 0xaDdf8637D7B249d78f78e7966e90C414F4aA3CD1, is no ordinary wallet. It first received 76,000 ETH The post Ethereum’s Original Whale Resurfaces: Another 6,000 ETH Sold as Market Watches Closely appeared first on The Merkle News.

In the fast-changing world of decentralized finance (DeFi), user activity is one of the strongest indicators of growing utility and adoption. Recent data suggest that SonicLabs is quickly becoming a noteworthy player in this space. Active addresses on the SonicLabs network have doubled in the last two weeks, signaling a huge uptick in user engagement and overall ecosystem growth. This growth is part of a larger, broader trend in blockchain, where different networks are seeing increases in user activity. Rates of activity differ, but the overall trend is a very strong interest from users in DeFi ecosystems that are emerging The post SonicLabs Emerges as a Rising Star as Active Users Double in Two Weeks appeared first on The Merkle News.

In the macroeconomic milieu of uncertainty that the cryptocurrency market finds itself in, even the best-laid plans of traders and long-term investors can go awry. Token unlock schedules that were previously in the shadows have been brought into the light; we are now all too aware of the impending unlocks of the very tokens with which we trade and invest. The issue is not really whether the unlocks will happen (they almost certainly will) or even when (most seem set to unlock sometime between now and the end of 2025). The real talk has been about the likely negative impacts The post Token Unlocks Loom Over Top Cryptos: What Investors Need to Know for the Next 6 Months appeared first on The Merkle News.

Cardano (ADA) appears to be regaining bullish momentum after experiencing a sharp correction from recent highs. According to a recent analysis by a TradingView analyst, ADA may be getting ready for another major rally, with potential price targets pointing toward the $1 mark and beyond.  Analyst Sees Cardano Breaking Past The $1 Target On May […]

• #Cardano

A major development for the blockchain and decentralized IoT ecosystem is that the recently listed $AIOT token—backed by the OKZOO project—has seen an explosive price surge of nearly 120% after Binance announced the launch of $AIOT futures contracts on April 25. This dramatic price movement has been drawing attention not just from retail investors but also from the institutional side of the space. Significant figures and just plain smart money seem to be acting on the belief that the $AIOT token will maintain upward momentum. A reported investor spent 1001 BNB—roughly worth $558,000 at the time—to acquire a large position The post OKZOO’s $AIOT Surges 120% Following Binance Contract Launch: Smart Money Sees Massive Gains appeared first on The Merkle News.

The cryptocurrency market has long been known for its volatility. But new data paints a stark picture of just how precarious the industry has become. Since 2021, more than half of all cryptocurrencies listed on GeckoTerminal have failed, with a staggering 3.7 million tokens now considered defunct. These tokens are no longer trading and have effectively been abandoned by both developers and users alike. Recent figures indicate that about 52.7% of nearly 7 million tokens listed since 2021 have failed. Even more alarming is the fact that a huge number of these failures took place in just a couple of The post Crypto Crash: Over Half of All Tokens Listed Since 2021 Have Failed Amid Market Turbulence appeared first on The Merkle News.

The cryptocurrency sector that is driven by artificial intelligence is showing signs of returning to health, with tokens such as $AI16Z and VIRTUAL recovering nicely along with the rest of the market. In the last week, $AI16Z has surged 78%, including a 22% spike in the last 24 hours. This sudden rise has brought the niche within the crypto market that focuses on AI tokens back to life after a near-death experience since early 2023. Nevertheless, not every player in the space has been able to surf this profit-tidal wave. One prominent investor, or “whale,” recently took a big loss The post VIRTUAL and AI16Z Lead the AI Token Rally, but Whale Takes $1.92M Loss Amid Volatile Turnaround appeared first on The Merkle News.

Warren Buffett, the CEO of publicly traded investment company Berkshire Hathaway, announced at the company's annual shareholder meeting that he will step down by the end of 2025, and his chosen successor will take over as CEO, pending approval from Berkshire's board of directors.According to CNBC, Buffett reiterated that Greg Abel, the company's vice chairman of non-insurance operations, who was previously named by Buffett as his successor, will take over. The Berkshire founder announced:"The time has arrived when Greg should become the Chief executive officer of the company at year-end, and I want to spring that on the directors effectively and give that as my recommendation."Buffett added that he would stay at the company in an advisory role "but the final word would be what Greg decided," the CEO said. Buffett's decision to step down as CEO comes at a time when Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on cash reserves of roughly $348 billion.Buffett speaking at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder conference. Source: CNBCThe legendary stock investor has repeatedly called the growing US national debt unsustainable and issued warnings on the increasingly unstable macroeconomic environment that has taken a toll on the stock market.Related: Galaxy Digital plans Nasdaq listing as crypto stocks post strong reboundBerkshire Hathaway outperforms S&P but is outclassed by BitcoinDespite being renowned for consistently returning roughly double the average performance of the S&P 500 to investors throughout his career, Buffet has failed to outperform Bitcoin (BTC) and gold.Although Berkshire Hathaway's class A common stock carries a price tag of over $809,000, and a market cap of over $1 trillion at the time of this writing, shares of the company have massively underperformed against Bitcoin in percentage terms since 2015.Bitcoin has returned gains of over 781% to investors since 2020, while Berkshire Hathaway only returned approximately 150% over the same period.Bitcoin’s price performance appears in magenta and has outperformed Berkshire Hathaway’s stock in percentage gains. Source: TradingViewBuffett has long been critical of BTC, arguing that the decentralized, supply-capped, digital currency has no value and likened it to a scam on several occasions.The Berkshire founder and his business partner Charlie Munger have repeatedly said that Bitcoin does not even qualify as an investment and should be avoided by traders.Magazine: Bitcoin in Senegal: Why is this African country using BTC?

Apple has updated its U.S. App Store guidelines to allow apps to link to external payment systems, a shift welcomed by the crypto community for enabling NFTs, wallets, and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms to bypass Apple’s fees. Apple’s App Store Rule Change Opens Door for Crypto Transactions via External Links The changes, effective May 2, […]

Bitcoin price resumed its upward trend this week as it crossed the important resistance at $97,000 and reached its highest level since February.  Bitcoin (BTC) was trading around $96,500 at last check Saturday. That’s up 30% from the lowest in…

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Whale who held firm XRP and several other top cryptocurrencies, including BTC and ETH, has made total profit of $9 million

Cardano price continued to consolidate this week, but the ongoing whale accumulation and its technical pattern points to a rebound. Cardano (ADA), the popular layer-1 network, was trading at $0.70 on Saturday, a level it has remained at in the…

• #Cardano

The price of Bitcoin was somewhat slow in the last days of April before bursting to life again to begin the new month of May. The premier cryptocurrency has since made a return near $98,000, flirting with the highly coveted $100,000 level to kick off the weekend. Since losing the $100,000 price mark in early […]

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Hyperliquid faces increasing bearish pressure, with long liquidations outweighing shorts. Social sentiment dips, reflecting reduced retail interest in HYPE’s potential. A whale recently deThe post Hyperliquid: Whales, retail exit - Can HYPE find support below $20? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Bitcoin (BTC) mining firms should hold their mined Bitcoin and use it as collateral for fiat-denominated loans to pay operating expenses instead of selling BTC and losing the upside of an asset that miners expect to surge in price, according to John Glover, chief investment officer at Bitcoin lending firm Ledn.In an interview with Cointelegraph, Glover said that holding onto the BTC carries several benefits including, price appreciation, tax deferment, and the potential to make extra revenue by lending out BTC held in corporate treasuries. The executive added:"If you are mining, you are generating all this Bitcoin. You understand the thesis behind Bitcoin and why it is likely going to continue to appreciate in the future. You do not want to sell any of your Bitcoin."This debt-based approach is similar to companies like Strategy, which issue corporate debt and equity to finance Bitcoin acquisition and profit from the diverging fundamentals of BTC and the fiat currencies the corporate capital raises are denominated in.BTC mining hashprice, a metric used to gauge miner profitability, has collapsed as ever-increasing computing resources are deployed to secure the network. Source: Hashrate IndexBitcoin-backed loans could be a valuable lifeline for miners struggling in the highly competitive industry, which is facing increased pressure due to the ongoing trade tensions brought on by the Trump administration's protectionist trade policies and macroeconomic uncertainty.Related: Riot Platforms secures $100M ‘Bitcoin-backed’ loan from CoinbaseTrade war places even more pressure on beleaguered mining industryThe Bitcoin mining industry is characterized by high competition and capital costs that increase over time as more powerful computing resources are used to mine blocks and secure the network.US President Trump's sweeping trade tariffs have cast a cloud over the already competitive sector, raising fears that import duties will raise the cost of mining equipment, like application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), to unsustainable levels.Mining firms collectively sold over 40% of their mined supply produced in March 2025 amid the heightened macroeconomic uncertainty and fears that the ongoing trade tensions will cause price increases across the board.According to TheMinerMag, this 40% sell-off marked the reversal of a trend that began post-halving, in April 2024, and represented the highest monthly BTC liquidation among miners since October 2024.Magazine: Korea to lift corporate crypto ban, beware crypto mining HDs: Asia Express

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XRP and ETH have formed divergent chart patterns, raising the hopes that the former will become the second-biggest cryptocurrency this year.

120-character news lead: As Bitcoin nears ATH, Pepeto gains momentum with utility, lore, and buzz as the next memecoin breakout. #partnercontent

Roughly 40 days ago, Bitcoin.com News disclosed that the Royal Government of Bhutan, via Druk Holding and Investments (DHI), had moved 600 BTC, and at the time, held a balance of 10,070 BTC. Since that report, Bhutanese officials have evidently parted ways with 2,584 BTC—shedding approximately $248 million in digital assets. Bhutan’s Bitcoin Hoard Shrinks […]

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The price of Shiba Inu (SHIB) has retreated and regained support above the moving average lines, continuing its uptrend.

The NFT market is showing strong recovery with sales volume jumping by 22.43% to $107.1 million. According to data from CryptoSlam, the NFT buyer count has increased by 33.82% to 523,950, while NFT sellers have grown by 20.75% to 269,713.…

Arizona's Bitcoin reserve bill was vetoed despite passing a narrow House vote. North Carolina advances crypto investment legislation amid stalled efforts in other U.S. states. As interest inThe post What caused Arizona’s Bitcoin bill to collapse just as momentum was building? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

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  You have the opportunity to join the upcoming seismic shift in the crypto world with gaming and Web3 at a time when mainstream success still lies ahead. The current blockchain market has surpassed its focus on following hype. The best investors of today seek crypto projects that offer genuine utility alongside strong essential qualities alongside developed long-term strategies. Let’s look into 5 such crypto projects! 5 Best Cryptos to Buy Now: DexBoss (DEBO) Aureal One (DLUME) Bitcoin (BTC) Celestia (TIA) Sei (SEI) 1. DexBoss (DEBO): Pro-Level Precision in DeFi Simplification The decentralized finance operation DexBoss represents an upcoming innovation The post Best Cryptos to Buy Now: DexBoss and Its Buyback Mechanism- The Secret to Boosting Token Value!! appeared first on The Merkle News.

The week of April 27 to May 3 saw major crypto funding activity, with total investments reaching $104.7 million across 15 projects. Camp Network and Miden both raised $25 million each. Infrastructure projects dominated this week’s funding rounds. The data…

Bitcoin is trading just below the $100,000 mark after reaching a local high of $97,938, signaling growing bullish momentum. After weeks of consolidation, last week’s surge has flipped sentiment across the market, with bulls now firmly in control. Analysts are increasingly optimistic, pointing to the tightening supply dynamics as a potential catalyst for further upside. […]

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In a candid 60-second video, Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty explained that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to drop Ripple’s case underscores a change in the regulator’s approach to cryptocurrency enforcement. “The SEC has not only dropped…

• #waves

Bitcoin Long-term holders approached a 350% profit, hinting at possible distribution pressure. Bullish momentum persisted as BTC climbed within an ascending channel toward the $100K mark. BiThe post Bitcoin’s 'profit wall' is back — Can bulls punch through before the weekend? appeared first on AMBCrypto.

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Ethereum’s Ether (ETH) token is approaching a critical price zone against Bitcoin (BTC), which historically marked the beginning of a massive rebound.ETH price fractal from 2019 hints at bottom The ETH/BTC pair, currently trading near 0.019 BTC, is edging closer to 0.016 BTC — the exact level it reached in September 2019 before rallying nearly 450% over the following year.ETH/BTC weekly performance chart. Source: TradingViewThe current ETH/BTC setup resembles 2019, with both periods marked by oversold relative strength index (RSI), long stretches below key moving averages, and multiyear declines.In 2019, ETH/BTC fell over 90% in the prior two years, driven by the ICO collapse. As of 2025, the pair is down over 80% from its 2021 peak, weighed by skepticism over Ethereum’s switch to proof-of-stake (PoS), rising competition, and Bitcoin’s growing dominance as an institutional asset.In response to the growing concerns, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed new architecture and protocol-wide standards to make Ethereum simpler, faster, and as maintainable as Bitcoin within five years. Related: Ethereum to simplify crosschain transactions with new token standardsOne analyst called Buterin’s proposal “the most bullish thing for ETH.”The bullish hopes come as ETH/BTC attempts to break free from its multi-year “bearish parabola.” This resistance curve has been instrumental in limiting the pair’s upside attempts since December 2021 but showed signs of exhaustion as of May 3.Edit the caption here or remove the text“We might see an end of this bearish parabola,” wrote chartist Jimie.He noted that if the curved resistance holds, ETH/BTC could drop toward 0.016 BTC — the same level where it bottomed in September 2019 before rallying by roughly 450%.Flush ETH and buy Bitcoin, says Adam BackSkeptics like Bitcoin’s proof-of-work pioneer, Adam Back, argue that Buterin is overlooking deeper design flaws while proposing to simplify Ethereum in the coming years. Back criticizes Ethereum’s account-based system, saying it adds unnecessary complexity compared to Bitcoin’s simpler UTXO (unspent transaction output) model. He argues this growing complexity increases technical risks and makes Ethereum harder to scale and secure.Source: X/Adam BackHe also warns that Ethereum’s shift to PoS has concentrated power among insiders by redirecting miner rewards to large tokenholders.“At this point, just flush ETH before it hits zero and buy Bitcoin,” he wrote, suggesting no upgrade can fix what he views as Ethereum’s flawed foundation.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

U.S. spot bitcoin and ether exchange‑traded funds amassed nearly $700  million during Friday’s trading session, closing the week on a vigorous note. Blackrock’s Bitcoin ETF Devours $675M in a Day While Rivals Stand Still Crypto ETFs finished in positive territory, with spot bitcoin products drawing $674.91  million and ethereum‑linked counterparts bringing in $20.10  million, according […]

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Solana and Litecoin show bullish signs, but new token Remittix (RTX) could outperform both in the payments space. #partnercontent

• #litecoin

Tokenized gold carries several benefits over other forms of paper gold, including gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to Melissa Song and Dustin Becker, representatives of Gold DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization that facilitates investor access to tokenized gold.In an interview with Cointelegraph, the DAO representatives outlined three major benefits unique to tokenized gold, including 1:1 redeemability for a specific quantity of physical, serialized gold, usage as collateral in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, and transactional efficiency through on-demand liquidity."When you buy an ETF, you are betting on the gold price going up, but you do not own any specific gold bar," Song told Cointelegraph.The pair added that the price of gold surged in 2025 due to the current macroeconomic uncertainty, the high level of US government debt, and geopolitical tensions that are reshaping the global monetary order.Gold’s price hits all-time highs against the US dollar. Source: TradingViewRelated: Geopolitical tensions fuel central bank shift toward gold, crypto — BlackRock execMacroeconomic uncertainty spikes gold prices, leaves USD in doubtGold hit an all-time high of $3,500 per ounce in April 2025 amid the trade tariffs announced by United States President Donald Trump that caused turmoil in risk-on asset markets like stocks and crypto.Traders shifted to gold, cash, and other safe-haven assets to weather the extreme volatility caused by the protectionist trade policies and the counter-response from other countries.This rush to gold also caused gold-backed cryptocurrencies such as Paxos Gold (PAXG) and Tether Gold (XAUT) to spike in price during April 2024.The Volatility S&P Index (VIX) tracks the volatility of the US stock market and surged following Trump’s tariff announcement. Source: TradingViewBitcoin advocate Max Keiser argued that gold-backed tokens will outcompete fiat stablecoins due to the lack of geopolitical risk and inflationary resistance inherent in gold."A stablecoin backed by Gold would out-compete a USD-backed stablecoin in world markets: Russia, China, and Iran should take note," Keiser wrote in a March 22 X post."The United States dollar has no volatility, but you are guaranteed to lose purchasing power," the BTC advocate continued.Gold's current rally could spill over into Bitcoin if investors shift from viewing Bitcoin as a risk asset to more of a store of value in turbulent economic times that is counter-cyclical to the stock market and other speculative investments.Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fightThis 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.

Sui price is slowly forming a bullish flag and a golden cross, pointing to a strong breakout as its funding rate turns positive and decentralized finance assets jump. Sui (SUI) token was trading at $3.40 on Saturday, up by 94%…

Following its recent display of positive momentum, the price of Bitcoin returning to six-figure valuation has been the most popular narrative in the cryptocurrency market. However, the latest on-chain data suggests a relevant class of investors might pose a threat to the premier cryptocurrency’s dream of reclaiming $100,000. A Successful $100K Break Could Open Path […]

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XRP’s fundamentals are firing on all cylinders, yet price action remains subdued.  On-chain data strengthens the undervaluation case.  Ripple [XRP] has been the talk of the town lately, The post XRP: All gas, no crowd - Why there's no demand for the altcoin appeared first on AMBCrypto.

• #litecoin

Coinspeaker Scam Alert: TRON DAO X Account Hacked In Epic Social Engineering Attack For a moment, TRON DAO’s X page was under siege by a hacker who leveraged unauthorized access to publish a post with a contract address. Consequently, TRON founder Justin Sun urged cryptocurrency exchange OKX to freeze funds believed to be linked to the exploit. Hacker Gets Busy Within TRON DAO Ecosystem In the early hours […] Scam Alert: TRON DAO X Account Hacked In Epic Social Engineering Attack

Recently, monero ( XMR) captured attention when reports surfaced of hackers converting 3,520 stolen BTC into XMR. Interestingly, the privacy-oriented cryptocurrency has notably outperformed both BTC and ETH so far this year. Over the Last 12 Months, Monero Outperformed Bitcoin and Ether Throughout 2025, monero (XMR) has delivered impressive market returns, steadily increasing in value […]

Bitcoin is back above $97,000 and traders turned optimistic this week, paving the way for capital rotation to GameFi, DeFi and Layer 2 tokens. ImmutableX’s IMX token stands out among the rest with double-digit gains on Friday. The native utility token of the gaming platform rallied 10% before erasing gains at the end of the week, and printed over 5% weekly gains.

A whale acquired 2.48M VIRTUAL using $4.28M in ETH and AERO, averaging a price of $1.72. VIRTUAL may continue to outperform AERO, despite the whale backing both altcoins. As most altcoins maThe post Why AERO failed to match VIRTUAL’s surge despite whale backing both tokens appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Opinion by: Fakhul Miah, managing director of GoMining InstitutionalThe Bitcoin (BTC) mining industry has never been more attractive to institutional investors. Fintech giants are investing in Bitcoin mining rather than just accumulating the asset, all thanks to the favorable regulatory environment in the US and the profitability margin of BTC. Then, numerous companies are diversifying by allocating computing power to AI, further strengthening their economics and, thus, investment attractiveness. For now, it looks like the future of the foundational layer for the Bitcoin network could mark the new gusher age.Is Bitcoin mining profitable?Bitcoin mining is still profitable. CoinShares, a digital asset investment firm, shared that the average cost to mine 1 BTC for US-listed miners reached $55,950 in Q3 2024. Two other popular models — one from MacroMicro and another dubbed the Glassnode Difficulty Regression Model — give different estimates. On the very same day of Feb. 20, MacroMicro.me data shows that the average cost to produce 1 BTC hovers above $92,000; Glassnode’s Difficulty Regression Model estimates the cost to mine a single BTC at approximately $34,400, all while the cryptocurrency’s price hit $98,300 on that day.On a global scale, mining costs differ based on the region. For example, the electricity cost to produce 1 BTC in Ireland is roughly $321,000, but it costs just over $1,300 to mine 1 BTC in Iran. Electricity is only part of the equation — hardware, labor and maintenance costs also play a crucial role.Recent data from CoinShares and MacroMicro.me paints a challenging yet nuanced picture for Bitcoin miners in the United States. While some institutional miners remain profitable, the broader landscape reveals increasing operational pressures that could reshape the mining industry.What happens if the challenges aren’t addressed? Mining institutions with high profitability rates could start to expand their operations and possibly acquire struggling miners at bargain prices, potentially putting retail and smaller miners at risk.Sustainable economics for investment attractivenessIn addition to receiving the block rewards, miners also benefit from the Bitcoin network’s transaction fees, which depend on network usage. Data shows that the daily Bitcoin transaction fees have been hovering between $360,000 and $1.3 million over the past month — reaching an average of $595,000 daily. This additional revenue stream bolsters Bitcoin mining’s economic appeal and strengthens the resilience of the mining business model by diversifying income sources.Recent: Bitcoin miner Bitfarms secures up to $300M loan from MacquarieIt’s not only mining that mining hardware is used for. High computational power, captive power supplies and ready-made infrastructure make miners uniquely equipped to support AI and high-performance computing. In simple terms, mining firms can now rent out their hardware to process AI tasks instead of only focusing on mining Bitcoin.The combination of transaction fee revenue growth and AI computing diversification creates a more resilient and profitable industry model (the existing one has never been quite appealing to institutional investments in the US). Institutional investments on the riseThe appealing revenues in the Bitcoin mining industries brought huge attention from institutional investors. This process is easy to spot: Bitcoin mining pools in the US accounted for over 40% of the global Bitcoin network’s hashrate in 2024. According to research by EY-Parthenon and Coinbase, 83% of the 352 global institutions plan to increase their crypto allocations this year, while 51% of the asset managers are considering investments in digital asset companies, including mining companies. That’s why I’m not surprised to witness huge investments in Riot Platforms, CoreWeave and other mining industry players. The favorable market sentiment has paved the way for more initial public offerings (IPOs) and specialized funds targeting mining companies. In addition to securing the $650-million investment, CoreWeave aims to go public with a $4-billion IPO to help the Nvidia-backed company reach a $35-billion valuation.Bgin Blockchain, a Singapore-based crypto miner manufacturer, recently filed to go public in the US. Renaissance Capital, an investment advisory firm, expects Bgin Blockchain to raise $50 million for its IPO.This surge in institutional momentum is set to benefit the Bitcoin mining industry by driving up demand and tightening available supply on the market. As more large players accumulate and hold Bitcoin, market scarcity could increase, supporting higher prices and, in turn, boosting miner profitability.The future optimism is more than tangibleThe strong support from institutional investors comes as the optimism around crypto-friendly policies has significantly increased after Donald Trump won the US presidential elections in November 2024.Establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in early March, seen as a massive policy shift, triggered positivity in the crypto and mining sectors. This sector gained importance. Last year, Bitcoin mining operations significantly contributed to the US economy, generating roughly $4.1 billion in gross domestic product and creating over 31,000 jobs nationwide. The industry is also revitalizing rural areas by generating tax revenue and repurposing remote locations for mining operations. It sounds like the gusher days of the oil industry a century ago, doesn’t it?The latest investments, leadership appointments and IPOs show that Bitcoin mining firms have a significant tailwind. Meanwhile, they are no longer just about BTC — they are becoming data infrastructure providers for the AI sector, turning into hybrid data processing giants.Taking advantage of this shift, the US could potentially become the leader in the digital asset and Bitcoin mining space due to the pro-crypto stance of the Trump administration and fulfill its stated goal of being the “crypto capital of the world.”As institutions double down on Bitcoin mining and AI convergence, the question isn’t if this industry will evolve but who will lead the charge. The modern digital gold rush is underway, and the smartest capital is already claiming it.Opinion by: Fakhul Miah, managing director of GoMining Institutional.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

This content is provided by a sponsor. AI-as-a-service, but permissionless. —Anyone can serve. —Anyone can query. OPEN SOURCE, TRUSTLESS, PERMISSIONLESS, DECENTRALIZED AI. In a world drowning in closed APIs, censorship layers, and gate kept model access, Lightchain AI is ripping the muzzle off artificial intelligence. The upcoming launch of the AI Virtual Machine (AIVM) and […]

Shiba Inu ecosystem seeing increased activity

The team behind the Melania meme coin has made another token selloff and dumped 9.99 million $MELANIA tokens worth approximately $4.65 million over the past eight days. According to on-chain analyst Ember CN, these sales were conducted through “unilateral liquidity…

A small US logistics firm hit headlines after announcing plans to hold the TRUMP memecoin as part of its treasury. Freight Technologies Inc.’s share price surged over 100% on Friday after reports of the announcement. Related Reading: Trump-Linked Stablecoin USD1 Fuels $2 Billion Binance–Abu Dhabi Power Move According to a Bloomberg report, the lesser-known company […]

Peter Schiff reignites criticism, claiming Bitcoin lacks inflation-hedge credibility and stability. Kevin O’Leary and Senator Lummis defended Bitcoin’s growing market and policy relevance. The post Peter Schiff's new Bitcoin criticism: 'If you want to protect your purchasing power...' appeared first on AMBCrypto.

• #bitcoin

Opinion by: Fakhul Miah, managing director of GoMining InstitutionalThe Bitcoin (BTC) mining industry has never been more attractive to institutional investors. Fintech giants are investing in Bitcoin mining rather than just accumulating the asset, all thanks to the favorable regulatory environment in the US and the profitability margin of BTC. Then, numerous companies are diversifying by allocating computing power to AI, further strengthening their economics and, thus, investment attractiveness. For now, it looks like the future of the foundational layer for the Bitcoin network could mark the new gusher age.Is Bitcoin mining profitable?Bitcoin mining is still profitable. CoinShares, a digital asset investment firm, shared that the average cost to mine 1 BTC for US-listed miners reached $55,950 in Q3 2024. Two other popular models — one from MacroMicro and another dubbed the Glassnode Difficulty Regression Model — give different estimates. On the very same day of Feb. 20, MacroMicro.me data shows that the average cost to produce 1 BTC hovers above $92,000; Glassnode’s Difficulty Regression Model estimates the cost to mine a single BTC at approximately $34,400, all while the cryptocurrency’s price hit $98,300 on that day.On a global scale, mining costs differ based on the region. For example, the electricity cost to produce 1 BTC in Ireland is roughly $321,000, but it costs just over $1,300 to mine 1 BTC in Iran. Electricity is only part of the equation — hardware, labor and maintenance costs also play a crucial role.Recent data from CoinShares and MacroMicro.me paints a challenging yet nuanced picture for Bitcoin miners in the United States. While some institutional miners remain profitable, the broader landscape reveals increasing operational pressures that could reshape the mining industry.What happens if the challenges aren’t addressed? Mining institutions with high profitability rates could start to expand their operations and possibly acquire struggling miners at bargain prices, potentially putting retail and smaller miners at risk.Sustainable economics for investment attractivenessIn addition to receiving the block rewards, miners also benefit from the Bitcoin network’s transaction fees, which depend on network usage. Data shows that the daily Bitcoin transaction fees have been hovering between $360,000 and $1.3 million over the past month — reaching an average of $595,000 daily. This additional revenue stream bolsters Bitcoin mining’s economic appeal and strengthens the resilience of the mining business model by diversifying income sources.Recent: Bitcoin miner Bitfarms secures up to $300M loan from MacquarieIt’s not only mining that mining hardware is used for. High computational power, captive power supplies and ready-made infrastructure make miners uniquely equipped to support AI and high-performance computing. In simple terms, mining firms can now rent out their hardware to process AI tasks instead of only focusing on mining Bitcoin.The combination of transaction fee revenue growth and AI computing diversification creates a more resilient and profitable industry model (the existing one has never been quite appealing to institutional investments in the US). Institutional investments on the riseThe appealing revenues in the Bitcoin mining industries brought huge attention from institutional investors. This process is easy to spot: Bitcoin mining pools in the US accounted for over 40% of the global Bitcoin network’s hashrate in 2024. According to research by EY-Parthenon and Coinbase, 83% of the 352 global institutions plan to increase their crypto allocations this year, while 51% of the asset managers are considering investments in digital asset companies, including mining companies. That’s why I’m not surprised to witness huge investments in Riot Platforms, CoreWeave and other mining industry players. The favorable market sentiment has paved the way for more initial public offerings (IPOs) and specialized funds targeting mining companies. In addition to securing the $650-million investment, CoreWeave aims to go public with a $4-billion IPO to help the Nvidia-backed company reach a $35-billion valuation.Bgin Blockchain, a Singapore-based crypto miner manufacturer, recently filed to go public in the US. Renaissance Capital, an investment advisory firm, expects Bgin Blockchain to raise $50 million for its IPO.This surge in institutional momentum is set to benefit the Bitcoin mining industry by driving up demand and tightening available supply on the market. As more large players accumulate and hold Bitcoin, market scarcity could increase, supporting higher prices and, in turn, boosting miner profitability.The future optimism is more than tangibleThe strong support from institutional investors comes as the optimism around crypto-friendly policies has significantly increased after Donald Trump won the US presidential elections in November 2024.Establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in early March, seen as a massive policy shift, triggered positivity in the crypto and mining sectors. This sector gained importance. Last year, Bitcoin mining operations significantly contributed to the US economy, generating roughly $4.1 billion in gross domestic product and creating over 31,000 jobs nationwide. The industry is also revitalizing rural areas by generating tax revenue and repurposing remote locations for mining operations. It sounds like the gusher days of the oil industry a century ago, doesn’t it?The latest investments, leadership appointments and IPOs show that Bitcoin mining firms have a significant tailwind. Meanwhile, they are no longer just about BTC — they are becoming data infrastructure providers for the AI sector, turning into hybrid data processing giants.Taking advantage of this shift, the US could potentially become the leader in the digital asset and Bitcoin mining space due to the pro-crypto stance of the Trump administration and fulfill its stated goal of being the “crypto capital of the world.”As institutions double down on Bitcoin mining and AI convergence, the question isn’t if this industry will evolve but who will lead the charge. The modern digital gold rush is underway, and the smartest capital is already claiming it.Opinion by: Fakhul Miah, managing director of GoMining Institutional.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

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 […]

• #bitcoin

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

• #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

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

• #bitcoin

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 […]

• #bitcoin

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

• #bitcoin

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

• #Cardano

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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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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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.