Crypto News
Tether posts $1B in Q1 operating profit, $5.6 billion excess in reserves
Tether, the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin by market capitalization, has released its financials for the first quarter of 2025, disclosing nearly $120 billion in exposure to US Treasurys and over $1 billion in operating profit.According to Tether’s Q1 2025 financial report, the company’s assets include $98.5 billion in direct US Treasury bills, along with over $23 billion in additional exposure through repurchase agreements and other cash-equivalent assets. Excerpt from Tether’s Q1 2025 financial report. Source: TetherAccording to the announcement, Tether holds $5.6 billion in excess of reserves for its USDt (USDT) stablecoin, down from $7.1 billion in excess from the last quarter of 2024. The stablecoin has a market capitalization of $149 billion as of May 1.“Circulating supply of USDT grew by approximately $7 billion in Q1, with a 46 million increase in user wallets,” it said. The company's excess capital continues to fund strategic investments, with more than $2 billion allocated in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, peer-to-peer communications, and data infrastructure. The stablecoin market is broadly dominated by tokens pegged to the US dollar, with USDT and Circle’s USDC holding a combined 87% share. According to the US Treasury’s Q1 2025 report, the market cap for dollar-backed stablecoins is poised to reach $2 trillion by 2028. European Union officials have recently raised concerns about the risks of overreliance on dollar-pegged stablecoins. According to the Bank of Italy, disruptions in the stablecoins market or the underlying bonds could have “repercussions for other parts of the global financial system.”Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight
Published Date: 2025-05-01 22:53:53Creator: Cointelegraph by Christopher Tepedino
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Crypto ‘decoupling’ story ends as stocks follow Bitcoin’s rally
Key takeaways:Despite weak US manufacturing data, Federal Reserve liquidity plans and strong corporate earnings keep equities and crypto afloat.The total crypto market capitalization rose 8.5% since March.Cryptocurrency traders have frequently zoomed in on the need for crypto to show a clear “decoupling” from the stock market, and over the past 10 days, the intraday movements of Bitcoin (BTC) and major altcoins have closely tracked those of the S&P 500, even as trade war developments have dominated market sentiment.S&P 500 futures (left) vs. Total crypto cap, USD (right). Source: TradingView/CointelegraphA decoupling would validate digital assets as an independent class and address growing concerns about a potential global economic recession. This ongoing correlation has led market participants to question whether the cryptocurrency market is destined to follow the stock market’s lead indefinitely, and what conditions would be necessary for a genuine decoupling to occur.Stock market shows strength despite trade tensionsThe S&P 500 reached its peak on Feb. 19 and has since struggled to reclaim the 5,800 level, a support that had held for four months. Despite persistent pressure from US trade disputes with Canada and Mexico, as well as the imposition of new tariffs affecting nearly every major economic region, equities have demonstrated notable resilience.Chinese state media recently reported that the United States has quietly initiated trade negotiations. Although China officially maintains a 125% retaliatory tariff on US imports, it has granted waivers for sectors such as ethane, semiconductors, and certain pharmaceuticals. The United States, in turn, has partially exempted automakers from new tariffs. These actions suggest that both sides are gradually making concessions.There is a reasonable possibility that the S&P 500 established a bottom at 4,835 on April 7, with further gains from the current 5,635 level remaining plausible. The stock market has responded positively to robust first-quarter earnings, as companies adapt to tariffs by relocating production outside China or expanding operations within the United States.For instance, Microsoft reported a 13.2% year-over-year increase in revenue, with higher margins and strong demand for artificial intelligence. Meta also delivered earnings and revenue that exceeded market expectations on April 30. These results have alleviated concerns about a potential AI bubble or the risk that the trade war could force companies to reduce investment.The market’s focus shifts to the Federal ReserveRather than concentrating on the recent decline in US PMI manufacturing data-which reached a five-month low in April, market participants are closely monitoring the Federal Reserve’s next policy moves. Following a year of balance sheet reduction, the Fed is now considering asset purchases to help ease selling pressure.An increase in liquidity is typically favorable for risk-oriented assets. Therefore, even if a full decoupling does not occur, cryptocurrencies could still benefit from a more supportive macroeconomic environment.S&P 500 futures (left) vs. Total crypto cap, USD (right). Source: TradingView/CointelegraphDespite the short-term correlation, the cryptocurrency market has outperformed equities in recent months. Since March, the total crypto market capitalization has risen by 8.5%, while the S&P 500 has declined by 5.3%. Over a six-month period, this divergence becomes even more pronounced: the total crypto market cap is up 29%, while the S&P 500 is down 2%. It is therefore inaccurate to suggest that these markets move in perfect synchrony, particularly when viewed over longer timeframes.Related: Bitcoin to $1M by 2029 fueled by ETF and gov’t demand — Bitwise execIt is still premature to declare a definitive bottom for the S&P 500 or to conclude that the trade war has been resolved. An economic recession would likely have negative implications for both markets. However, the current strength in equities indicates reduced risk aversion among investors. For the time being, the elevated correlation between cryptocurrencies and stocks may represent the most favorable scenario.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.
Published Date: 2025-05-01 22:50:32Creator: Cointelegraph by Marcel Pechman
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The crypto trends Animoca Brands is eyeing this year — Token2049
Animoca Brands is looking at trends in real-world tokenized assets, AI projects, and the gaming sector to invest in and develop, according to Omar Elissar, the company's managing director for the Middle East and the head of Global Strategic Partnerships.In an interview with Cointelegraph's Sam Bourgi at Token2049, Elissar said that stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization, the intersection between AI and crypto, alternative use cases such as decentralized science, and Web3 gaming were all niches the company is exploring.Gaming is "part of our DNA," the executive said before reflecting on the current state of the Web3 gaming industry:"It's gone quiet for some time in terms of less PR, but there's been building in the background. Recently, there have been a few games that have come out that have been truly fun to play, which I think has been one of the main negative sentiments about Web3 gaming."Animoca Brands is one of the foremost crypto-native venture capital firms in the space and can serve as a barometer of hot or emerging market trends for crypto investors.Related: VC Roundup: Funding surge targets confidentiality, tokenization and Web3 infrastructureAnimoca Brands inks stablecoin, blockchain dealsIn February 2025, Animoca Brands, Standard Chartered Bank, and Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) signed a deal to develop a Hong Kong dollar stablecoin that will be overcollateralized and pegged to the Hong Kong dollar at a 1:1 ratio.The stablecoin must first be approved by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) before it begins trading. Hong Kong's financial authorities are currently working on establishing comprehensive stablecoin regulations.On March 27, Animoca Brands inked a deal with Soneium, a layer-1 blockchain network developed by Japanese tech company Sony, to develop a digital identification system that features pictures of anime characters that can be assigned to an onchain user to signify identity.Animoca releases financial assets and token reserves for 2024 as part of its overall financial report for the company’s 2024 fiscal year. Source: Animoca BrandsAnimoca reported that it recorded 12% year-over-year growth during the 2024 fiscal year in "bookings" — a figure that accounts for the sum of all revenue plus revenue that has been booked but not yet received by the company.Magazine: Crypto ‘more taboo than OnlyFans,’ says Violetta Zironi, who sold song for 1 BTC
Published Date: 2025-05-01 22:20:00Creator: Cointelegraph by Vince Quill
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Australian election will bring pro-crypto laws either way
Despite reports in February suggesting that 2 million pro-crypto voters could decide the outcome of this week’s Australian Federal Election, crypto has barely rated a mention during the campaign.“I think it’s a missed opportunity,” Independent Reserve founder Adrian Przelozny told Cointelegraph. “Neither side has made crypto a headline issue because they’re wary of polarizing voters or sounding too niche.”But the good news is that after more than a decade of inaction, both the ruling Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the opposition Liberal Party are promising to enact crypto regulations developed in consultation with the industry. In April, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor promised to release draft crypto regulations within the first 100 days after taking office, while the Treasury itself has draft bills on “regulating digital asset platforms” and “payments system modernization” scheduled for release this quarter.Amy-Rose Goodey, CEO of the Digital Economy Council of Australia, said that both parties “are equally invested in getting this draft legislation across the line.” “Irrespective of who gets in, we’re in a better position than we were about a year ago.”Pro-crypto voters have choices in the Senate, too, with the Libertarian Party issuing a 23-page Bitcoin policy in March — calling for the creation of a national Bitcoin (BTC) Reserve and the acceptance of Bitcoin as legal tender. The minor party is fielding five Senate candidates in different states, including former Liberal MP Craig Kelly, but doesn’t currently have anyone in the Senate. The progressive left-wing Greens party has not outlined a position on crypto, while the conservative right-wing One Nation party has campaigned against debanking and CBDCs.The Libertarian Party’s Bitcoin Policy Whitepaper. Source: The LibertariansMore than a decade of inaction on cryptoAustralia’s first parliamentary inquiry into digital assets was held back in 2014, but there’s been more than a decade of regulatory inaction since. The industry says this has led to stagnation and a brain drain of talent to jurisdictions like Singapore and the UAE.The former Liberal Government was considering the landmark Digital Services Act, based on the 2021 Senate Committee’s crypto recommendations, when it lost office in 2022. Despite ongoing consultations since, the ALP government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, hasn’t put forward any legislation to parliament.But there has definitely been a vibe shift from the ALP recently, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers telling Cointelegraph that digital assets “represent big opportunities for our economy.””We want to seize these opportunities and encourage innovation at the same time as making sure Australians can use and invest in digital assets safely and securely with appropriate regulation.”His office said exposure draft legislation would be released “in 2025” for consultation, introduced into Parliament “once that feedback has been considered” with the subsequent reforms “phased in over time to minimize disruptions to existing businesses.”The shadow assistant treasurer, Luke Howarth, said the ALP has been slow to act because it didn’t have a blockchain policy when it was elected.“It wasn’t until the FTX collapse that they acknowledged the need for regulation,” he told Cointelegraph. “The Albanese government initially promised it would put in place regulation by 2023 but have failed to draft legislation or give a clear time-frame for action. After three years, all that was offered to industry was a six-page placeholder document.”He’s referring to Treasury’s March statement “on developing an innovative Australian digital asset industry.” It provides for the licensing of Digital Asset Platforms (DAPS), a framework for payment stablecoins and a review of Australia’s Enhanced Regulatory Sandbox.Related: A guide to crypto trading bots: Analyzing strategies and performanceWhile short on detail, those aims are broadly similar to the crypto regulation priorities that Howarth outlines to Cointelegraph — the big difference being that the opposition has committed to a faster time frame. Przelozny praised the 100-day promise as “exactly the kind of urgency we need.”If elected, the Liberal Party’s legislation is expected to take some of its cues from Senator Andrew Bragg’s private members bill in 2023 and some from the more recent work done by the Treasury.Shadow Assistant Treasurer Luke Howarth. Source: Luke HowarthThe government steps up effortsThe Treasury has been quietly drafting legislation this year, which Goodey understands is “almost complete.”“There’s been prioritization within Treasury, and I know that their team has almost doubled — the digital asset team — for writing that draft legislation. So, there has been an investment in that over the past six months.”Przelozny characterizes the ALP’s approach as “cautious and methodical, but it’s been slow,” prioritizing consumer protection and risk management. BTC Markets CEO Caroline Bowler said the election of a pro-crypto Trump administration and the UK’s draft regulations (released this week) likely forced both sides of politics to finally get serious. ”Australia has ground to make up, and I would anticipate this also being a factor in the savvy move by both parties,” she said. Sydney is the 10th most crypto-friendly city according to a recent poll.Stand With Crypto campaign and ASICThe Stand With Crypto campaign is active in Australia but has been fairly low-key during the campaign, with a focus on debanking.Coinbase managing director for APAC John O’Loghlen called on whoever wins the election to launch a “Crypto-Asset Taskforce (CATF) within the first 100 days.” This would include industry and consumer representatives to finally get crypto regulations over the line.“If Australia doesn’t move now, we risk falling even further behind,” he told Cointelegraph. “The next government must move beyond consultation and into legislation.”The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is the local equivalent of the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). It released its own crypto regulatory proposals in December. Related: Trump’s first 100 days ‘worst in history’ despite crypto promisesJoy Lam, Binance’s head of global regulatory and APAC legal, told Cointelegraph she doesn’t expect ASIC to suddenly change direction if a new government comes in, as the SEC did.“ASIC doesn’t make the law,” she said. “I don’t expect a complete kind of 180 because ASIC, it is independent, and it does have its own mandate, but it obviously operates within the legislative framework that the government is going to be setting.”April 20 poll. Source: YouGovWho should single-issue crypto voters back?In February, a poll by YouGov and Swyftx found that 59% of crypto users would vote for a pro-crypto candidate in the federal election above all other issues. That equates to around 2 million Australians and would be enough to determine the outcome of the election one way.But the similarities between the major parties on crypto regulation are much greater than the differences. Goodey said both sides of politics have genuinely engaged with the industry about its concerns and priorities.“You can see in some of the language with their media releases that they both released in March, April this year, that they are in agreement on what the industry issues are,” she said. Owing to Senator Bragg’s campaigning on crypto, the industry sees the Liberal Party as more enthusiastic about digital assets, but after three years in government, the ALP looks to have arrived at roughly the same place. Recent YouGov and Resolve polls suggest the government is likely to be reelected.While internal Liberal polling suggests an ALP minority government is a genuine possibility, the major parties would have enough votes between them to pass bipartisan crypto legislation. Whatever happens, 2025 looks like the year Australia will finally provide the crypto industry with the certainty it needs.“For industry, the timing is really quite critical now because obviously it’s something that has been discussed and kicked around for quite a few years,” Lam said. “I would say that we are cautiously optimistic.”Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet
Published Date: 2025-05-01 22:19:22Creator: Cointelegraph by Andrew Fenton
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Mango Markets exploiter sentenced to over 4 years on child abuse material charges
Avraham Eisenberg was sentenced to more than four years in prison on child sexual abuse material charges, unrelated to his role in the 2022 exploit that drained the decentralized exchange Mango Markets of roughly $100 million.According to reporting from Inner City Press, a judge sentenced Eisenberg to 52 months in prison at a May 1 hearing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The case was filed in April 2024 after Eisenberg’s 2023 indictment on fraud for the Mango Markets exploit.Eisenberg was initially scheduled to be sentenced in July 2024 following his guilty plea on the child porn charge. In May 2024, the judge suggested the sentencing for both cases would occur simultaneously in a consolidated proceeding. However, as of May 1, the fraud sentencing remains pending. The prosecution in the Mango Markets case reflects the growing probability of apprehension for hackers and cybersecurity exploiters plaguing the crypto industry with malicious attacks on platforms and users.Related: SafeMoon boss cites DOJ’s nixed crypto unit in latest bid to toss suitThe case of Avraham EisenbergMango Markets, a former decentralized crypto exchange, was exploited in October 2022 through a price oracle manipulation, losing $100 million in user funds as a result.The exchange’s native token, Mango (MNGO), also plummeted immediately following the hack, shedding 52% of its value within 24 hours and leading the Mango Markets team to suspend deposits.Eisenberg defended the exploit, arguing that the $100 million heist was done through “legal open-market actions” and claimed that he negotiated a settlement for the return of user funds after the exchange’s insurance fund failed to cover the shortfall.In December 2022, US federal law enforcement authorities arrested Eisenberg in Puerto Rico. FBI officials charged the hacker with one count of commodities fraud and one count of commodities manipulation.A jury found Eisenberg guilty of wire fraud, commodities fraud, and commodities manipulation in April 2024. The defense argued that the exploit was not a cybercrime and represented a “successful and legal trading strategy.”Following the conviction, the Mango Markets exploiter’s attorneys filed a motion for acquittal in September 2024, which was heavily opposed by US prosecutors, who argued that Eisenberg was correctly convicted through careful evaluation of a “mountain of evidence.”Magazine: Influencers shilling memecoin scams face severe legal consequences
Published Date: 2025-05-01 21:49:47Creator: Cointelegraph by Turner Wright and Vince Quill
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Strategy touts 14% YTD Bitcoin yield in Q1 earnings print, misses estimates
Update (May 1, 11:35 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add Strategy’s revenue, net loss and analyst estimates.Michael Saylor's Bitcoin-buying firm Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has reported earning a year-to-date yield of 13.7% on its Bitcoin holdings as it missed Wall Street's first-quarter estimates.The company said in its May 1 earnings statement that its year-to-date Bitcoin (BTC) yield equates to a gain of more than 61,000 BTC, worth approximately $5.8 billion. Bitcoin yield and gain are unofficial accounting metrics Strategy uses to benchmark the success of its BTC buys. Strategy’s chief financial officer, Andrew Kang, said it would increase its Bitcoin yield target for this year to 25% and its Bitcoin gain target to $15 billion.It comes as Strategy missed top and bottom line analyst estimates. The firm reported revenues of $111.1 million, down 3.6% from the year-ago quarter and missing analyst estimates by around 5%.Strategy also posted a net loss of $4.2 billion, around $16.49 per diluted share, against analyst estimates of an 11 cents per share loss and a rise from a $53.1 million in the first quarter of 2024.Strategy’s earnings call highlights. Source: StrategyThe company’s Q1 operating expenses jumped by nearly 2,000% year-on-year to $6 billion, largely due to a $5.9 billion unrealized loss on its Bitcoin holdings.The company announced it would offer an additional $21 billion worth of stock to finance future Bitcoin buys.Related: Bitcoin, showing 'signs of resilience', beats stocks, gold as equities fold — BinanceBitcoin buying spreeShares in Strategy (MSTR) closed May 1 trading up 0.39% to $381.60, falling slightly after hours to $378.50, according to Google Finance.Strategy closed May 1 trading slightly up before a small fall after the bell. Source: Google FinanceMSTR is up over 31.5% so far this year, but is still trading below its November high of more than $470 per share.Since starting its Bitcoin buying spree in 2020, Strategy has accumulated a total of more than 550,000 BTC, costing the company nearly $38 billion, according to its earnings report.The purchases equate to an average price of approximately $68,500 per Bitcoin. As of May 1, Strategy’s treasury is worth more than $53 billion.Industry executives say institutional Bitcoin buying — including from corporate buyers such as Strategy — could eventually price retail investors out of the market.Strategy has the largest Bitcoin holdings of a public company. In total, public fims hold upward of $73 billion worth of Bitcoin in aggregate, while Bitcoin funds and other institutional funds hold another roughly $128 billion, according to data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET.Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express
Published Date: 2025-05-01 21:30:54Creator: Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell
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US lawmaker proposes crypto ATMs in federal buildings
A Texas member of the US House of Representatives has proposed that government officials consider installing cryptocurrency ATMs in federal buildings across the country.In a May 1 letter to Stephen Ehikian, the acting administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) — the entity responsible for managing the US government’s properties — Rep. Lance Gooden claimed that introducing crypto ATMs to federal buildings would serve as an “educational resource” and reflect advances in financial technology. He requested that the GSA begin exploring the necessary guidelines and regulations needed to install such ATMs in government-controlled properties across the US, citing alignment with President Donald Trump’s goals.May 1 letter pitching crypto ATMs to GSA. Source: Rep. Lance GoodenAccording to financial disclosure reports filed with the US House of Representatives, Gooden had held no investments in cryptocurrency or ATM companies since taking office in 2019. He had not yet filed any financial disclosures with the government for 2025 investments.The GSA website stated it may provide space to ATMs from federal credit unions, but it was unclear whether the acting administrator had the authority to expand the regulations to include digital asset ATMs tied to private companies like Bitcoin Depot or CoinFlip. Cointelegraph reached out to Gooden’s office for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.Related: Eric Trump: USD1 will be used for $2B MGX investment in BinanceGooden, a Republican and Trump supporter, made the proposal as lawmakers in the US Senate consider legislation to crack down on fraud through crypto ATMs. In February, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin introduced the Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act, aimed at placing “common sense guardrails” against fraud affecting many senior citizens.Who would ultimately make the decision?It’s unclear whether Ehikian, a Trump appointee, would have the authority to unilaterally — or even with the president’s approval — install the crypto ATMs without an act of Congress to authorize funding. Cointelegraph reached out to the GSA for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.Trump has significant exposure to cryptocurrencies and digital asset firms through his personal holdings, presidential campaign funds, family-backed businesses, and the TRUMP memecoin. In April, the president announced a dinner in DC for top holders of his memecoin. Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions
Published Date: 2025-05-01 21:12:29Creator: Cointelegraph by Turner Wright
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Institutional Bitcoin buying may soon price out retail — LONGITUDE panel
Retail investors are running out of time to accumulate Bitcoin as institutional adoption accelerates, according to Sergej Kunz, co-founder of exchange aggregator 1inch. Bitcoin (BTC) is evolving into an alternative reserve currency, propelling institutional demand and potentially pricing out retail investors, Kunz said during Cointelegraph's LONGITUDE event in Dubai. "Every retail user should be thinking about getting at least one Bitcoin — very soon they won’t be able to afford it,” Kunz said. If the United States starts buying Bitcoin for a strategic reserve, even smaller countries may soon struggle to acquire the cryptocurrency, he added. "I’m pretty sure we’ll soon see countries battling over who owns more Bitcoin. The US will start.”Bitcoin demand has accelerated since US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on US imports in April, setting off a global trade war. “The only thing that still acts as a true hedge — across borders, against inflation — is Bitcoin,” Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu said during the panel. Yat Siu and Sergej Kunz at Cointelegraph's LONGITUDE. Source: CointelegraphRelated: US President Donald Trump issues 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffsGlobal reserve asset?During the week of April 21-25, Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) attracted more than $3 billion in inflows as institutions sought safety in “digital gold” amid mounting macroeconomic uncertainty. Analysts say demand from financial institutions could push Bitcoin’s price as high as $200,000 per coin this year. By 2029, institutional Bitcoin adoption could propel the cryptocurrency’s price past $1 million, Bitwise’s head of European research, André Dragosch, said.Asset managers still prefer gold for hedging against macro risk. Source: Binance ResearchFor Bitcoin, “[t]he silver lining is that economic uncertainty has historically accelerated institutional interest in digital assets as a diversification strategy,” David Siemer, co-founder and CEO of Wave Digital Assets, told Cointelegraph.As of May 1, Bitcoin ETFs and other institutional funds hold upward of $128 billion worth of BTC, according to data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET. Corporate treasuries hold another roughly $73 billion, the data shows. Sovereign states — including the US, China, and the United Kingdom — collectively hold more than $130 billion worth of BTC. However, much of those holdings are from crypto assets seized by law enforcement, not outright Bitcoin buys. Magazine: TV hit Peaky Blinders to launch crypto game, FIFA Rivals on Polkadot: Web3 Gamer
Published Date: 2025-05-01 20:36:20Creator: Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell
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Bitcoin trader says BTC’s cycle top in $125K to $150K range if certain conditions are met
Key takeaways:Bitcoin could reach $150,000 by August or September of this year if BTC breaks above the parabolic slope pattern. Bitcoin (BTC) price jumped to new quarterly highs at $96,700 on May 1, a day after the US GDP contracted -0.3% for the first time since Q2 2022. Amid heightened economic concerns, the probability of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut rose to 62.8% for the June 18 Federal Reserve meeting. Over the past 24 hours, short position liquidations exceeded $137 million, with Alphractal founder Joao Wedson observing that BTC's price momentum continues to favor bullish trends.Bitcoin aggregated liquidation heatmap. Source: X.comPeter Brandt predicts a $150K Bitcoin top by Q3In a recent post on X, veteran trader Peter Brandt forecasted a Bitcoin price rally, potentially reaching $125,000 to $150,000 by August or September 2025. The trader predicted a parabolic arc pattern in Bitcoin’s price chart—a technical formation often signaling rapid rises followed by sharp corrections, as seen in the 2017 Bitcoin surge. Bitcoin 1-week analysis by Peter Brandt. Source: X.comBrandt noted that Bitcoin must reclaim its broken parabolic slope to achieve the above target. However, he cautioned that a 50%+ correction could follow the peak, reflecting the pattern’s characteristic volatility. From an onchain perspective, Bitcoin researcher Axel Adler Jr. pointed out that Bitcoin is on the cusp of a “start” rally zone. The analyst underlined three scenarios, with the optimistic (bull) case outlining a price target above $150,000. Adler Jr. added, “If the Ratio breaks through 1.0 and holds above it, the NUPL/MVRV metrics will show a new impulse, and the price could reach $150-175K, repeating the cycle logic of 2017 and 2021.”Bitcoin Composite Index. Source: CryptoQuantIn a baseline scenario, BTC's price may consolidate within a $90,000 to $110,000 range if new capital inflows remain limited and existing investors do not increase their positions.Lastly, a bearish case could unfold if further profit-taking from short-term holders takes place, leading to a correction down to $85,000-$70,000. Over the past two weeks, Bitcoin has displayed a consistent breakout pattern, surging 13% before entering sideways consolidation, then breaking out again to reach $93,000–$96,000. BTC is currently breaking out of its existing resistance range. Still, as shown in the chart below, a significant volume cluster between $96,000 and $99,000 suggests a phase of consolidation before Bitcoin can test the $100,000 mark. Bitcoin 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewRelated: Bitcoin price about to ‘blast’ higher as Fed rate cut odds jump to 60%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.
Published Date: 2025-05-01 19:54:53Creator: Cointelegraph by Biraajmaan Tamuly
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Crypto to accelerate AI adoption — LONGITUDE panel
Cryptocurrency can accelerate artificial intelligence adoption by helping AI startups onboard users, according to Polygon's co-founder Sandeep Nailwal. “You can use crypto incentives and disincentives to onboard users to onboard the ecosystem players,” Nailwal said during a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event. He added that projects with effective onchain incentive structures might even “build a better AI because you have this incentive engine that brings in developers,” Nailwal said on May 1. Cointelegraph’s LONGITUDE is an event series that brings together leaders and innovators from the blockchain and Web3 space for exclusive discussions. Joining the panel, Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of the Near Protocol, expanded on crypto's long-term synergy with AI, forecasting that crypto-native AI agents could replace traditional web application front-ends as the primary user interfaces for Web3."We don’t need applications or websites anymore. Your AI becomes the interface to computing and the internet,” Polosukhin said.Sandeep Nailwal and Illia Polosukhin speaking at Cointelegraph's LONGITUDE in Dubai. Source: CointelegraphRelated: AI memecoins will become utility tokensHowever, Nailwal cautioned that the rise of AI-related tokens onchain has also attracted a wave of opportunistic scams. “We know that 99% of those projects are literally token scams, but very few projects are actually trying to have some meaningful AI project,” he said. The era of Web3 AI agentsAI agents are expected to take on a more prominent role within decentralized communities, J.D. Seraphine, co-founder of Web3 developer Raiinmaker, recently told Cointelegraph. According to a report by VanEck, over 1 million AI agents could enter the market in 2025, with many of them tied to decentralized finance applications. Such agents are already reshaping the digital economy, building decentralized applications, launching tokens, and interacting with humans autonomously. AI token cumulative market cap. Source: CoinGecko“AI is an extremely centralizing force. A few companies could become the warlords of the world,” Nailwal said. “That’s why crypto-native, peer-to-peer AI solutions are so important—they enable privacy-preserving innovation,” Polosukhin said.Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19
Published Date: 2025-05-01 19:46:40Creator: Cointelegraph by Alex O’Donnell
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