JP Morgan's forecast suggests a cautious ECB approach, impacting market expectations and signaling gradual monetary tightening ahead.

The post JP Morgan revises ECB rate hike forecast to June and September 2026 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

China's stance reduces regional tension, impacting global oil markets and altering geopolitical dynamics, with potential for further diplomacy.

The post China vows not to arm Iran during US-Iran ceasefire, easing escalation fears appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The Senate's decision may hinder peace efforts, as continued arms sales to Israel could escalate tensions and complicate negotiations.

The post Senate rejects Sanders’ bid to block Israel arms sales, complicating peace talks appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The contract underscores ongoing military readiness, potentially hindering diplomatic resolutions and signaling sustained regional tensions.

The post Lockheed Martin lands $850M Trident II contract amid Iran tensions appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The execution signals the regime's strategy to suppress dissent, maintaining control and reducing odds of near-term destabilization.

The post Iran to execute protest-linked woman as regime maintains control appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Passes $75,000 as Iran War Turns It From ‘Digital Gold’ Into Geopolitical Settlement Bet

Bitcoin price jumped past $75,000 on Wednesday as traders recalibrated what the asset represents in the wake of the Iran conflict and an unusually stretched derivatives market. Price action, positioning data, and a real-world test of bitcoin as a settlement rail now point to a market that values the token as more than a volatile wager on tech risk.

Bitcoin price traded around $74,000 to $75,000 on April 15, extending a rebound that began after a February low near $60,000. The move leaves the asset up roughly 23% from that trough and about 3% on the week, even as broader macro and geopolitical headlines remain tense.

Spot markets now face stiff resistance in the $75,000 to $76,000 band, a zone several analysts flag as the ceiling of a two‑month consolidation range.

Short term, traders frame the outlook around a simple line in the sand. If bitcoin price can hold above support near $71,000 and secure a clean break above $76,000, momentum models start to point toward a run into the high‑$70,000s or even $80,000 over the coming weeks, according to Bitcoin Magazine Pro data.

Failure at that band keeps the range intact and invites another pullback toward $70,000 and the low‑$60,000s where the last leg of the rally started.

Derivatives flash bottoming pattern for bitcoin price

Beneath the spot chart, futures markets tell a story of persistent skepticism. The 30‑day average funding rate on perpetual swaps has remained negative for 46 straight days, matching the stretch of negative funding seen near the late‑2022 bear market bottom, according to research firm K33. 

That means traders who hold long positions in perpetual futures have collected fees from shorts, even as price has drifted higher.

K33 Head of Research Vetle Lunde notes that similar regimes — rising prices, climbing open interest, and negative funding across daily, weekly, and monthly windows — have appeared near consolidation lows that later resolved higher. 

The firm argues that this backdrop now raises the odds of a classic short squeeze if price breaks out, as heavily positioned bears scramble to cover. Only two periods in recent history, March to May 2020 and June to August 2021, have seen longer runs of negative 30‑day funding.

Iran conflict shifts the narrative

The Iran war has become the crucible for a new narrative about what bitcoin is and why investors hold it. Since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began in late February, bitcoin price has gained about 12% while the S&P 500 has slipped and gold has sold off, a pattern that jars with the old view of the token as a high‑beta extension of tech stocks. 

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan argues that markets are now valuing bitcoin as two instruments at once.

The first leg of that thesis remains the familiar “digital gold” pitch, with bitcoin competing for a slice of a store‑of‑value market measured in tens of trillions of dollars. 

The second leg, which Hougan says investors have long treated as remote, is an out‑of‑the‑money call option on bitcoin evolving into a working currency and settlement layer. In that framing, conflict does not simply add volatility to a risk asset; it raises the probability that value routes through neutral rails outside direct control of any single state.

A live bitcoin test in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s decision to demand bitcoin tolls from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz has turned that abstract option into a live, if imperfect, example. The country announced a $1‑per‑barrel fee in bitcoin for crude shipments, a flow that could reach roughly $20 million in daily settlement volume at current prices. That move places BTC and the bitcoin price in the middle of physical trade tied to one of the world’s most strategic chokepoints.

Hougan links this shift back to the weaponization of traditional payment rails, including the removal of Russia from the SWIFT network in 2022, which a French official likened to a financial nuclear strike. In a world where sanctions and correspondent banking are tools of statecraft, a permissionless network that clears value without central control looks different to both allies and non‑aligned states.

All this underpins the current Bitcoin price push toward $75,000, where charts and geopolitics now intersect on the same line. At the time of writing, the bitcoin price is $74,860.

This post Bitcoin Price Passes $75,000 as Iran War Turns It From ‘Digital Gold’ Into Geopolitical Settlement Bet first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Tether moves over $70 million in bitcoin to reserves, on-chain data shows

Tether, issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, moved 951 bitcoin valued at $70.5 million into a reserve wallet linked to its treasury operations, according to on-chain data from blockchain analytics firms including Arkham Intelligence. The transfer originated from a Bitfinex hot wallet and landed in an address labeled as a Bitcoin reserve account tied to the company.

The transaction aligns with a profit allocation policy introduced in 2023 in which Tether assigns 15% of net realized profits toward Bitcoin purchases each quarter. The approach converts revenue from stablecoin issuance into a growing Bitcoin position held on the company balance sheet.

On-chain records show Tether’s Bitcoin holdings have expanded into one of the largest corporate positions in the sector. Reserve addresses attributed to the company hold about 97,141 BTC placing Tether among the top holders of Bitcoin among private entities. Holdings include transfers accumulated over multiple purchase cycles since 2022.

The purchases have been a steady source of demand for Bitcoin supply. Each allocation removes coins from exchange liquidity and moves them into long-term custody. The structure ties acquisition size to business revenue which links stablecoin usage growth with Bitcoin accumulation.

The strategy also affects perceptions of stablecoin reserve composition. Tether states that most backing for USDT consists of U.S. Treasury securities with Bitcoin representing a smaller portion of total reserves. The addition of Bitcoin introduces price exposure to the reserve portfolio while maintaining dollar-linked liabilities.

Tether.wallet revealed  

Yesterday, Tether announced the launch of tether.wallet, a self-custodial digital wallet designed to bring its global financial infrastructure directly to end users, marking a shift from backend liquidity provider to consumer-facing platform. 

The wallet supports key assets including USDT, Bitcoin, and tokenized gold (XAU₮), focusing on what the company describes as essential stores of value for users, particularly in emerging markets.

Built to simplify crypto usage, tether.wallet introduces human-readable addresses and allows transaction fees to be paid in the transferred asset, eliminating the need for separate gas tokens. The app is fully self-custodial, with private keys stored locally on user devices.

CEO Paolo Ardoino framed the launch as a major step toward financial inclusion, targeting billions underserved by traditional banking systems. The product builds on Tether’s existing network, which the company claims reaches over 570 million users globally.

The wallet is powered by Tether’s open-source Wallet Development Kit and supports multiple blockchains including Ethereum, Polygon, and Bitcoin. The move signals Tether’s broader strategy to expand into direct user applications and enable future machine-to-machine and AI-driven payments.

This post Tether moves over $70 million in bitcoin to reserves, on-chain data shows first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Developers Propose Bitcoin Quantum Migration Plan That Would Freeze Legacy Coins

A new proposal circulating among Bitcoin developers is forcing the network to confront a long-standing theoretical risk: the impact of quantum computing on its cryptographic foundations.

Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 361 (BIP-361), introduced by a group of researchers including Jameson Lopp, outlines a structured plan to migrate the network away from legacy signature schemes and toward quantum-resistant alternatives. If adopted, the proposal would impose a phased deadline that could ultimately render unmigrated coins permanently unspendable.

The proposal aims to reduce Bitcoin’s exposure to a future scenario in which sufficiently advanced quantum computers can break the elliptic curve cryptography that underpins its current system.

“Even if Bitcoin is not a primary initial target of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer, widespread knowledge that such a computer exists and is capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography will damage faith in the network,” the BIP authors wrote.

Today, Bitcoin relies on ECDSA and Schnorr signatures to secure transactions. Both remain robust against classical computing but are theoretically vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm, which could allow an attacker to derive private keys from exposed public keys. This risk is not evenly distributed across the network. Older address types, particularly pay-to-public-key outputs and reused addresses, reveal public keys onchain and are considered the most vulnerable.

Estimates cited by the proposal suggest that more than one-third of all bitcoin in circulation falls into this category, including early holdings attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto. In a quantum attack scenario, those funds could be compromised, potentially destabilizing the network and redistributing wealth to technologically advanced actors.

The proposal’s transition phases

BIP-361 introduces a three-phase transition designed to preempt that outcome. Phase A, expected roughly three years after activation, would prohibit new transactions from sending funds to legacy address types. While users could still move funds out of vulnerable addresses, the restriction would push wallets and services toward adopting quantum-resistant formats.

Phase B, beginning about two years later, would escalate the transition by invalidating all legacy signatures at the consensus level. At that point, any bitcoin that has not been migrated would become effectively frozen, unable to be spent under network rules.

A proposed Phase C, still under research, would offer a limited recovery mechanism. This would rely on zero-knowledge proofs tied to seed phrases, allowing users to demonstrate ownership of frozen funds without exposing private keys. The feasibility and timeline of this phase remain uncertain.

The proposal frames the forced migration as a defensive measure rather than a punitive one. By freezing coins that fail to upgrade, the authors argue the network can eliminate a major attack surface before quantum capabilities emerge. 

They also note that permanently inaccessible coins would reduce effective supply, a dynamic long discussed within Bitcoin’s economic model.

No activation timeline has been set, and BIP-361 remains in draft form.

This post Bitcoin Developers Propose Bitcoin Quantum Migration Plan That Would Freeze Legacy Coins first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Virginia Enacts Law Requiring State to Hold ‘Unclaimed’ Crypto in Original Form for One Year

Virginia has enacted a new framework for unclaimed digital assets, requiring the state to hold dormant cryptocurrency in its original form for a set period before any sale.

Governor Abigail Spanberger signed House Bill 798 into law on April 14, marking a shift in how the state handles abandoned crypto accounts. The measure will take effect on July 1, 2026, and updates Virginia’s unclaimed property statute to include digital assets.

Under the law, cryptocurrency held in customer accounts that show no activity for five years will be presumed abandoned and transferred to state custody. Unlike prior practices in many jurisdictions, the assets must be transferred “in-kind,” meaning the state takes possession of the actual tokens rather than converting them into cash upon receipt.

The change addresses a long-standing concern among crypto users and industry firms. In many cases, states have liquidated digital assets soon after taking custody, leaving owners who later reclaim funds with only the cash value at the time of sale. That approach exposed claimants to the risk of missing gains during market increases.

Virginia must hold crypto for one year

Virginia’s new statute aims to reduce that risk. It requires the state to hold digital assets for at least one year before any liquidation. During that period, owners who come forward can reclaim their property in its original form if it remains unsold, or receive either the sale proceeds or the market value at the time of the claim, whichever is greater.

The law defines digital assets as representations of value used as a medium of exchange, unit of account, or store of value, while excluding certain items such as in-game currencies and non-transferable rewards. 

It also outlines what constitutes owner activity, including transactions, account access, or other actions that demonstrate awareness of the account, all of which reset the dormancy period.

Custody rules depend on whether a holder, such as a crypto exchange, controls the private keys tied to the assets. If full control exists, the holder must transfer the assets directly to the state. If control remains partial, the holder must retain the assets until transfer becomes possible. The law also allows the state to direct liquidation in cases where it cannot safely custody certain assets.

Industry reaction has been positive. Paul Grewal, chief legal officer at Coinbase, said the measure ensures that digital assets are handled in a way that preserves their native form during the unclaimed property process.

Virginia joins a growing number of states that have moved to update unclaimed property laws to account for digital assets. States such as California have taken similar steps, though approaches vary on whether assets must be liquidated or held in-kind.

For crypto firms operating in Virginia, the law introduces new compliance requirements tied to reporting, custody, and transfer procedures. 

For users, it offers stronger protections against forced liquidation and a clearer path to reclaiming assets that fall into dormancy.

Editorial Disclaimer: We leverage AI as part of our editorial workflow, including to support research, image generation, and quality assurance processes. All content is directed, reviewed, and approved by our editorial team, who are accountable for accuracy and integrity. AI-generated images use only tools trained on properly licensed material. In Bitcoin, as in media: Don’t trust. Verify.

This post Virginia Enacts Law Requiring State to Hold ‘Unclaimed’ Crypto in Original Form for One Year first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Pakistan Ends Bitcoin and Crypto Banking Ban, Opens Financial System to Licensed Firms

Pakistan’s central bank has formally reversed its long-standing ban on banking services for cryptocurrency firms, allowing regulated banks to open accounts for licensed virtual asset service providers (VASPs) under a new legal framework.

The decision, announced in a circular by the State Bank of Pakistan and reported by Reuters, follows the enactment of the Virtual Assets Act 2026 and marks the country’s first structured move to integrate digital asset businesses into its formal financial system.

“This is a foundational step in bringing virtual assets into the formal financial system of Pakistan,” said Bilal bin Saqib, chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, in an official statement.

Under the new rules, banks can provide basic financial services to crypto firms, but must first verify that the entities are licensed by PVARA. Strict safeguards have been put in place to mitigate financial risks and ensure compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing standards.

Banks are required to conduct full due diligence, maintain updated risk profiles for VASP clients, and report suspicious transactions to regulators.

They must also ensure that client funds are held in segregated, non-interest-bearing accounts denominated in Pakistani rupees. The commingling of customer and company funds is strictly prohibited.

Pakistani banks still can’t invest in bitcoin or crypto

However, the central bank has drawn a firm line on direct exposure to digital assets. Banks are explicitly barred from investing in, trading, or holding cryptocurrencies using either their own capital or customer deposits. Their role is limited to facilitating payment rails and custody of fiat funds tied to licensed crypto activity.

The move represents a sharp reversal from Pakistan’s 2018 policy, which effectively cut off crypto firms from the banking system and stifled industry growth. With the new framework in place, authorities are now positioning the country as a regulated hub for digital asset innovation.

Pakistan has already taken steps to attract global crypto players. Officials signed a memorandum of understanding with Binance in December to explore tokenization initiatives potentially involving up to $2 billion in assets, and have granted initial regulatory clearances to both Binance and HTX.

In parallel, the country has explored blockchain-based financial infrastructure through discussions with an affiliate of World Liberty Financial, including the potential use of stablecoins for cross-border payments.

Editorial Disclaimer: We leverage AI as part of our editorial workflow, including to support research, image generation, and quality assurance processes. All content is directed, reviewed, and approved by our editorial team, who are accountable for accuracy and integrity. AI-generated images use only tools trained on properly licensed material. In Bitcoin, as in media: Don’t trust. Verify.

This post Pakistan Ends Bitcoin and Crypto Banking Ban, Opens Financial System to Licensed Firms first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin's debate about quantum computers produced a published draft with real political consequences on Apr. 14.

Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 361 (BIP 361), titled “Post Quantum Migration and Legacy Signature Sunset,” landed in Bitcoin's official proposal repository with a three-phase plan to phase out ECDSA and Schnorr signature spends entirely once a quantum-resistant output type exists on the network.

The proposal builds directly on BIP 360, published in February, which introduced a new address format that strips Taproot's quantum-vulnerable key-path spend, called Pay-to-Merkle-Root (P2MR). The proposal also preserved compatibility with Lightning, BitVM, and multi-signature setups.

Together, the two drafts constitute the most explicit governance posture Bitcoin has adopted regarding quantum migration to date.

What makes this moment sharp is the external calendar hardening around it, as NIST finalized FIPS 203, 204, and 205 in August 2024 and urged organizations to begin migrating immediately.

The UK's NCSC has set migration milestones for 2028, 2031, and 2035, while US federal agencies face a 2035 quantum-transition target.

Governments, banks, and national cyber agencies already have migration deadlines on their calendars, making blockchains late arrivals to that debate.

Bitcoin's coercive logic

What separates BIP 361 from prior Bitcoin post-quantum (PQ) discussions is its deliberate coerciveness.

Phase A, three years past the activation of a quantum-resistant address type, blocks new sends to vulnerable address formats. Phase B, two years later, invalidates ECDSA and Schnorr spends from quantum-vulnerable UTXOs at the consensus layer. Coins that have not migrated get frozen.

A possible Phase C would allow frozen coin holders to prove ownership via zero-knowledge proofs linked to a BIP-39 seed phrase and to recover their funds via a later recovery mechanism.

The proposal's authors, including Jameson Lopp of Casa, frame this as a defense. As of Mar. 1, over 34% of all Bitcoin sat in addresses whose public keys had already been exposed on-chain, making those coins theoretically readable by a quantum machine running Shor's algorithm.

Google researchers estimated in recent work that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could crack a Bitcoin private key in roughly nine minutes, with one analysis citing 2029 as a plausible outer bound for a cryptographically relevant machine.

The counterargument arrived on the mailing list immediately.

Tadge Dryja, a Bitcoin developer and Lightning Network co-author, said that the plan is not viable in its current form because it ties the activation of quantum-resistant outputs to the deactivation of elliptic-curve outputs.

That link, Dryja argued, could destroy coins preemptively and relies on definitions of “quantum-vulnerable UTXO” still contested in practice.

The BIPs repository explicitly states that inclusion certifies only that a proposal met formal editorial criteria, with community endorsement and activation timing being separate determinations.

BIP 360 is already running on Bitcoin's quantum testnet, deployed by BTQ Technologies in early 2026. BIP 361 co-author Ethan Heilman has estimated that a full Bitcoin migration to quantum resilience would take seven years from the day consensus forms.

Tron's calculated entry

Justin Sun published his own declaration on post-quantum resistance.

In a post on X, the Tron founder announced that the network is officially launching a post-quantum upgrade initiative to become the first major public blockchain to deploy NIST-standardized post-quantum cryptographic signatures on mainnet.

Sun wrote that “while Bitcoin debates whether to freeze vulnerable coins and Ethereum forms research committees, Tron is building.” He added that a technical roadmap is “coming soon.”

Tron holds roughly $86.7 billion in stablecoins, about 97.78% of which is USDT, alongside approximately $5.1 billion in total value locked in DeFi.

Post-quantum readiness on a chain of that scale becomes a question of custody and settlement infrastructure. The networks, exchanges, and custodians moving dollar liquidity through Tron have operational keys, admin paths, and bridge mechanisms that a quantum attacker targeting high-value addresses would prioritize first.

Tron's current public posture is narrative compression, consisting of decisive language and competitive positioning of the scheme selection, migration model, wallet compatibility plan, and activation path needed to verify what “first major public blockchain” actually means in practice.

NIST's relevant standards, such as ML-DSA, FN-DSA, and SLH-DSA, carry different trade-offs in signature size, verification speed, and implementation complexity, and choosing among them is a material technical decision.

Ethereum's layered bet

Ethereum takes the structural opposite of Bitcoin's forced deadlines.

The Ethereum Foundation launched pq.ethereum.org in March 2026 as a hub for its post-quantum research, roadmap, and open-source repositories, with more than 10 client teams running weekly post-quantum interoperability devnets.

The roadmap spans three layers. At the execution layer, native account abstraction, as defined by EIP-7701 and EIP-8141, provides a built-in migration path away from ECDSA, allowing users to rotate to quantum-safe authentication via smart accounts without requiring a protocol-wide cutover.

At the consensus layer, BLS signatures would eventually give way to hash-based alternatives under the leanSig scheme, which combines XMSS-style quantum resistance with STARK-based aggregation to offset the size and performance costs of post-quantum primitives.

The Foundation's own assessment places core L1 protocol upgrades around 2029, with full execution layer migration extending beyond that date.

Ethereum's February 2026 protocol priorities post made the intersection explicit, with native account abstraction providing a natural migration path away from ECDSA-based authentication, while developers are working on complementary EIPs to make quantum-resistant signature verification cheaper in the EVM.

Ethereum has an official roadmap and an active engineering track, with Glamsterdam targeted for the first half of 2026, and it is arriving with no standalone quantum proposal introducing a fixed migration date.

Two futures for migration

The bull case runs through cryptographic agility.

If the threat stays far enough out, and NIST's estimate that full integration can take 10 to 20 years from standardization supports that reading, chains can migrate without emergency powers.

Bitcoin's sunset logic narrows to the most clearly exposed outputs or evolves into a softer incentive structure.

Tron eventually publishes a roadmap that names its scheme and migration model, and the market rewards systems that make migration boring: smart accounts, precompiles, key rotation, and wallet updates handled gradually enough that no user wakes up locked out.

Ethereum's own team has said L1 protocol upgrades could be completed around 2029, the cleanest publicly stated timeline among the major chains in this race.

The bear case begins where Ethereum's own portal draws the boundary, and early quantum machines may target a small number of high-value keys.

Bitcoin faces its hardest political test under that scenario because BIP 361 already exposes more than 34% of BTC on-chain, and any selective attack on Satoshi-era or P2PK coins would force the governance question before consensus has formed.

Ethereum's exposure is concentrated in externally owned accounts, bridges, and validator keys, the exact places a well-resourced attacker would try to exploit first.

Tron's concentration as a USDT rail makes custody and admin-key migration the first thing to scrutinize, and a narrative initiative without a published technical roadmap offers no operational protection under those conditions.

Who decides

Bitcoin says certainty requires deadlines, Ethereum says safety requires agility, and Tron says speed is the product. None of those positions is obviously wrong.

A coercive Bitcoin deadline forces migration but risks leaving coins behind whose owners cannot be reached.

Ethereum's layered approach spreads migration pain over years but lacks a single focal point to coordinate wallets, custodians, and exchanges on the same timetable.

Tron's executive speed may prove real, or it may prove to be another well-timed announcement awaiting a second act.

The actual contest over which governance model can move users, infrastructure, and hundreds of billions in assets before a quantum adversary selects the weakest node belongs to whoever has a runbook when the window closes.

The post Bitcoin’s quantum migration plan forces the network to choose between frozen and stolen coins appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The SEC moved the crypto market structure forward on Apr. 13 without waiting for Congress to act.

The agency's Division of Trading and Markets published a staff statement on Covered User Interfaces, such as websites, browser extensions, wallet-linked apps, and mobile applications that help users in self-custodial setups prepare transactions in crypto asset securities.

Staff said it will not object to these providers operating without broker-dealer registration under Exchange Act Section 15, provided they stay inside a strict set of behavioral and disclosure guardrails.

That framing of the conditional, narrow, and deliberately provisional reflects that the SEC is far enough into its own regulatory program to sketch operating conditions for an on-chain securities stack, yet still dependent on Congress for anything that lasts.

What the statement actually does

A Covered User Interface Provider qualifies if it allows users to customize transaction parameters, avoids soliciting specific trades, relies on pre-disclosed and independently verifiable routing logic, and presents execution options based on objective factors such as price or speed, among others.

The statement expressly includes distributed ledger trading systems, such as automated market maker (AMM) liquidity pools and liquidity aggregators, as venues to which these interfaces may connect.

That is the first time the SEC has described, with any operational specificity, how a self-custodial interface layer for crypto asset securities could function while staying outside broker status.

For tokenized securities builders, the operating picture that emerges is a deliberately thin stack consisting of software that helps users express preferences, inspect routes, compare prices and gas costs, and sign via a self-custodial wallet.

The document draws the outer edge at anything that looks like intermediation, such as no recommendations, no discretionary order routing, no execution, no custody of funds or stablecoins, no settlement, no financing arrangements, and no soliciting specific trades.

Where the lane ends

Any interface that negotiates transaction terms, holds user assets, executes or settles transactions, arranges financing, conducts independent valuations, or processes trade documentation falls outside the scope of the statement.

Compensation tied to specific products, venues, routes, or counterparties also disqualifies a provider.

The SEC's permitted zone covers objective route display and user-directed parameter settings. Anything involving execution, routing discretion, or custody requalifies a provider as a broker.

The statement explicitly pointed out that an intermediary business model requires broker registration, regardless of whether the wallet is self-custodial. Its scope ends at the interface layer, leaving full-service DeFi products entirely outside its coverage.

Protocols that hold assets in smart contracts, execute swaps on behalf of users, or bundle routing with custody are intermediaries in a different regulatory category.

The relief is specific to a product shape, with the broader on-chain trading economy outside the statement's scope.

A three-part SEC campaign

The Apr. 13 statement is the third in a deliberate sequence. On Jan. 30, the SEC published a statement on tokenized securities, framing it as part of a broader effort to clarify how federal securities laws apply to crypto assets.

On Mar. 17, the agency described its interpretive work on crypto asset law as a major step toward clarity, complementing Congress's market structure work.

Commissioner Hester Peirce and Trading and Markets Director Jamie Selway both described the Apr. 13 release as incremental infrastructure for tokenized securities and crypto market structure.

In February, Chairman Paul Atkins and Peirce said staff were working on an exemption for limited trading of certain tokenized securities on novel platforms, including AMMs. Peirce later said the exemption under consideration would be narrow.

The markets these rules address already carry real volume. RWA.xyz currently shows $29.3 billion in distributed real-world assets, over $1 billion in tokenized public equities and ETFs, and $13.4 billion in tokenized US Treasuries.

DTCC has said DTC is preparing a tokenization service for the second half of 2026. The SEC is sketching rules for a market that already has users and transfer activity.

Two futures for product design

The bull case runs through the narrower exemption arriving before the legislative window closes.

If the SEC follows the Apr. 13 neutral interface statement with a bounded AMM pilot that caps, allowlists, and governs on-chain tokenized securities trading along the lines Atkins described, on-chain tokenized securities trading becomes operational inside a bounded regulatory box.

Builders who designed their interfaces around the neutral software standard would have infrastructure in place when the exemption lands. The payoff is an on-chain securities stack that is functional, if constrained, before Congress finalizes a broader statute.

The bear case is product paralysis at the product edge. Because the statement carries no legal force, creates no enforceable rights, and expires in five years absent Commission action, counsel at cautious organizations may treat the Apr. 13 lane as too fragile for anything ambitious. Interfaces stay informational or routing-light.

Serious tokenized securities trading concentrates in incumbent-led, permissioned pilots, such as DTCC's tokenization service, large-bank programs, and similar structures built around registered entities, while the product architectures the statement aimed to enable get deferred indefinitely.

The congressional variable

The document's own disclaimer conveys the fragility as staff views only, without legal force or effect, and short of the Commission's action that would give it durability.

Senate Banking announced a crypto market structure markup in January and postponed it as bipartisan talks continued. As of Apr. 15, no new public markup date appears in committee materials.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress to pass the CLARITY Act on Apr. 9.

All three data points converge on the same conclusion: only a statute can keep a lane open established by the SEC.

Galaxy Research and the Blockchain Association pressed the SEC on Apr. 14 for conditional AMM relief, while SIFMA argued new on-chain trading structures should proceed under durable rulemaking with comparable investor-protection standards.

That three-way split between agency staff, crypto-native industry, and incumbent financial infrastructure is precisely the configuration that makes Congressional resolution necessary and politically difficult.

Chairman Atkins has consistently framed Project Crypto as a complement to legislative work. The Apr. 13 statement is the clearest expression of that posture, being real enough to build around now, and contingent enough to require something more durable.

The post Why the SEC just gave self custody crypto apps 5 years to get traditional broker licenses appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin is pushing up against a patch of resistance right as the bigger economic picture gets trickier. The price is pushing toward $75,000, with some important on-chain sellers stepping in and two big US data releases on deck. These will determine whether Bitcoin can break through $ 78,1 and get knocked back again.

According to an Apr. 15 report by Glassnode, the current setup is at a measurable level of tension. Short-Term Holder Supply in Profit sits at 43.2%, still below the roughly 54.2% level where bear market rallies have historically exhausted, leaving room to climb.

However, the 30-day EMA of the Realized Profit/Loss Ratio has reached 1.16, indicating that investors are selling on strength more than buying dips. BTC touched an intraday high of $75,218, leaving 5.2% of the distance to the ceiling.

Glassnode describes the current move as a relief rally inside an ongoing bear market structure and says any sustained break above $78,100 requires fresh demand capable of absorbing the overhead supply investors have been unloading into the bounce.

That demand catalyst has yet to materialize, which is why the macro calendar arriving in the next two weeks carries more weight than usual.

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Apr 14, 2026 · Liam 'Akiba' Wright

The levels that decide the move

Glassnode organizes the price map around three zones.

The first real test sits between $74,000 and $76,000, where short-liquidation clusters stack and where recent rallies have repeatedly stalled. Bitcoin is already trading inside this first decision zone.

The main ceiling is $78,100, which Glassnode defines as the True Market Mean, the average acquisition cost of actively transacted coins, excluding lost or dormant supply.

Trading below this level places Bitcoin in what the report called the bear market value zone, historically consistent with a market still working through its transition toward recovery.

A reclaim and hold above $78,100 would alter the rally's tone, while another rejection there would keep the bear structure intact.

On the downside, Glassnode places the densest liquidation cluster between $63,000 and $65,000, where long liquidation exposure is highest, and the market has repeatedly absorbed price probes.

A failed break in the $74,000-$76,000 zone would first reopen conversation around the upper $60,000s as a structural reference point, but $63,000-$65,000 is the more directly sourced support zone in the report.

The macro backdrop is no longer easy

March's official data package reinforces the Fed's case for holding.

CPI rose 3.3% year over year, with core CPI at 2.6% and the energy index up 10.9% on the month. PPI rose 0.5% month over month and 4.0% year over year, and payrolls added 178,000 jobs, with unemployment held at 4.3%.

The Fed's March statement made explicit its posture that uncertainty about the economic outlook has stayed elevated and that the implications of geopolitical events in the Middle East for the US economy are unclear.

In April, overall activity expanded at a slight-to-modest pace. Still, the Middle East conflict was a major source of uncertainty, complicating hiring, pricing, and capital investment decisions, with many firms adopting a wait-and-see posture.

Energy and fuel costs climbed sharply across all Districts, and input-cost broadening extended beyond energy.

That combination of sticky core inflation, elevated geopolitical uncertainty, and firms pulling back on investment removes the easy macro tailwind Bitcoin would need to push through the $74,000-$76,000 cluster and hold above $78,100 on conviction.

The macro backdrop raises the bar for a Bitcoin breakout. Firm inflation data, a cautious Fed, and higher energy costs all tighten the conditions required for a conviction-led move higher.

The IMF's April 2026 World Economic Outlook adds the global frame.

Under a limited-conflict assumption, global growth slows to 3.1% in 2026 and 3.2% in 2027, while global inflation ticks higher.

The IMF's Global Financial Stability Report notes that since late February, stock prices have declined while bond yields have climbed, as rising energy costs and expectations of higher interest rates have tightened overall financial conditions.

Bitcoin's path through on-chain resistance runs more smoothly in an easing environment than in one where risk assets are already fighting tighter macro pricing.

What the derivative readings add

Spot cumulative volume delta (CVD) has improved, but Binance-led buying is outpacing Coinbase, pointing to stronger offshore and retail participation than institutional follow-through.

CME open interest and US ETF AUM have begun to rebuild, but both remain below prior highs, consistent with cautious re-engagement.

Options show one-month implied volatility around 42.6%, the 25-delta skew tilted toward puts, and a one-week volatility risk premium near -2 vol points, with realized volatility above implied volatility. These points depict a structure that prices a defensive market in wait mode.

Glassnode also notes that a large pocket of negative gamma sits near the $75,000 strike, with market makers appearing structurally short calls at that level.

As spot approaches, hedging flows could intensify, potentially amplifying upside moves. Yet, that dynamic describes the mechanical feature of short-covering.

Two futures for this setup

Bitcoin is testing resistance just as the two most consequential near-term macro checkpoints arrive.

The Census Bureau's March Advance Monthly Retail report is due Apr. 21. The next FOMC decision lands Apr. 28-29. Retail sales will provide the clearest near-term read on whether consumer demand is holding up or softening amid rising energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty.

The FOMC will either confirm or complicate the Fed's current wait-and-see posture.

A softer retail number or a Fed read that eases yield expectations would give Bitcoin the macro cover to attempt a clean break of the $74,000-$76,000 cluster.

A hotter or more complicated read would feed the distribution activity already visible in the 1.16 realized profit/loss ratio.

The bull case requires the on-chain and macro levers to pull in the same direction. Bitcoin clears the $74,000-$76,000 short-liquidation cluster and builds enough spot demand, with ETFs broadening, CME participation accelerating, and Coinbase activity turning definitively positive to absorb the profit realization already underway.

A macro read from retail sales or the FOMC that eases rate expectations would supply the external catalyst that Glassnode's framework requires.

If those conditions converge, then $78,100 becomes a level the rally actively challenges, and a close above it would redefine the rally's character.

Glassnode says the probability of a spike toward, and potentially above, the True Market Mean stays considerable in the mid-term.

The bear case runs through macro friction arriving before demand does. If retail sales come in firm or the FOMC delivers a more hawkish-than-expected read, risk assets face renewed selling.

Bitcoin fails again in the $74,000-$76,000 zone, the realized profit/loss ratio climbs, and the downside focus returns toward the upper $60,000s as a first reference point and $63,000-$65,000 as the deeper liquidation-backed support zone.

That outcome aligns with Glassnode's framing that the current structure is a bear-market bounce, and until Bitcoin reclaims the Short-Term Holder Cost Basis at $81,600, the medium-to-long-term bias remains tilted toward the downside.

The post Bitcoin is squeezing into the $78k ‘True Market Mean’ with Fed and retail data set to decide next move appeared first on CryptoSlate.

WLFI’s new unlock proposal feels like a move to contain a crisis, but the bigger issue is still about who actually holds the reins and how governance really works.

World Liberty Financial is back on its governance forum with a proposal that covers 62.28 billion locked WLFI tokens. This comes at a time when the real challenge is rebuilding trust, not just managing timelines. The plan would move 17.04 billion early supporter tokens into a two-year cliff, then a two-year linear vesting schedule, with all tokens kept intact and no burn.

For founders, team members, advisors, and partners, the terms get tougher. Their 45.24 billion WLFI would move to a two-year cliff and a three-year linear vest if others approve. On top of that, up to 4.52 billion WLFI (about 10% of that insider allocation) would be burned right away.

At first glance, the package is meant to show stronger alignment. Insiders would take on stricter terms than early supporters, the burn would cut down the overall supply, and the longer cliff would push back any near-term unlock pressure.

These changes let WLFI present a more disciplined front after weeks of heavy scrutiny. But the bigger picture still shapes how this proposal will be read.

Last year, Justin Sun’s address, holding 595 million WLFI, along with more than 270 additional blocklisted wallets, was blocklisted across the WLFI ecosystem.

The proposal follows WLFI's creation of a “Super Nodes” tier, which requires roughly $5 million in locked WLFI for prioritized partnership access and stronger governance standing.

Most recently, WLFI-backed borrowing on a Dolomite-linked market also used WLFI as collateral inside a structure that could leave outside suppliers exposed to bad debt under stress. This led to massive community outrage and Sun issuing demands to the WLFI team.

All of this puts the new proposal in a different light. The real question now goes beyond whether WLFI can just put together a responsible-sounding vesting plan.

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The tougher question is whether WLFI’s governance, access, and collateral rules actually work in a way that holders can trust. Lately, it looks like influence grows with wallet size, control stays in a few hands, and the real power sits close to the project’s core team.

A new unlock plan can help clear up some uncertainty, but the bigger credibility gap remains about how the whole system is set up.

That difference is important because WLFI has gone from a tokenomics debate to a much bigger fight over power. Now the conflict touches everything from governance design to market structure, investor rights, and who gets access.

A project that wants to look legitimate to institutions, build stablecoin infrastructure, and work with trust banks, while also being close to political power, cannot afford to be opaque or act on a whim. Every new governance move, including this one, is judged in that light.

So this proposal deserves a closer look as a way to contain fallout in a system that’s already under strain, not just as a standalone fix.

The proposal creates a more orderly unlock path for opt-in holders, while leaving the deeper governance shadow largely untouched

WLFI’s own rationale focuses on participation. The proposal states that six prior governance votes drew between 2.7 billion and 11.1 billion WLFI, while 62.28 billion locked WLFI falls within the scope of the current package.

WLFI says that at its peak, only about 23% of the locked supply actually voted. That means there’s still a huge chunk of voting power on the sidelines.

WLFI is pitching the new vesting plan as the solution to that uncertainty.

But the mechanics only fix part of the issue. Anyone who opts in gets a clear vesting schedule.

If you don’t opt in, your tokens stay locked under the old terms, but you can still use them to vote. So WLFI gets a clearer unlock plan for those who join, but there’s still a big pool of voting power outside the new system.

We get more clarity on supply for some holders, but governance stays murky for others. The proposal solves one problem, but the broader political structure remains only partly clear.

The practical consequence is significant. A system can have a more predictable future circulating profile and still carry a concentrated governance core.

This is especially important for WLFI, since the recent fights have been about who gets access, who takes the hit when things go wrong, and who actually calls the shots. The Super Nodes setup made it clear that bigger capital meant more access and more say.

The Dolomite-linked lending setup brought up another problem. Insiders could stay close to the action, while outside suppliers took on more risk. The split with Justin Sun made all of this public, with claims that investors were basically stuck as captive capital in a system run by insiders.

That’s why the new proposal feels smaller than the marketing makes it out to be. Burning a large chunk of tokens and putting insiders on a five-year vesting path sends a stronger message than a fast unlock.

Those are real changes. But the bigger governance setup still looks concentrated and selective when it matters most.

In this environment, a new vesting plan acts like a pressure valve. It takes some heat off the market, but the big questions about power and process are still hanging in the air.

The real problem is still about control. WLFI keeps asking holders to trust a governance system that is built around selective leverage.

The best argument for the proposal is pretty clear. WLFI seems to realize just how much trust has been lost and is trying to show it is willing to pay a real price.

Burning up to 4.52 billion insider-linked WLFI is a big move. Making insiders wait even longer than early supporters also shows a stronger public commitment than letting founders and partners unlock first.

Those steps are worth recognizing. The worry is that they are part of a bigger pattern that keeps power concentrated instead of making real, lasting changes.

It starts with how access is divided up. WLFI’s Super Nodes tier made it clear that the more WLFI you lock up, the more access and influence you get.

In most projects, a premium access layer would already raise eyebrows. For WLFI, it is an even bigger deal because the project mixes token-governance talk, big-finance ambitions, and ties to a Trump-connected venture.

It is harder to brush off these access hierarchies as mere ecosystem incentives when the project is so close to political power and to potential regulatory fallout.

The lending controversy only made that impression stronger. The WLFI Markets setup means that if things go wrong, outside suppliers could be left holding the bag if collateral quality drops.

This goes beyond just technical settings. It raises the idea that insiders and their allies capture most of the upside, while regular users bear more of the risk.

Sun’s criticism of a $75 million WLFI-linked DeFi loan made that perception even sharper, especially once the fight over investor treatment and governance power went public.

The blocklist issue drove the control question even closer to the surface. Public reporting establishes that WLFI restricted Sun’s address and that hundreds of additional wallets were also blacklisted across the ecosystem.

The most serious claim is that WLFI kept hidden intervention powers, but that still needs more proof before it becomes fact. Still, what we already know changes how people see the project.

Wallet restriction authority changes the practical meaning of holder rights. It changes the value of governance participation.

It also changes how much people can trust any vesting promise, because if the system has broad intervention powers, trust in the team matters just as much as what is written in the contract.

That is the lens through which this proposal should be assessed. The package offers a more orderly unlock map, a visible burn, and a fresh alignment narrative at a moment when WLFI needs one badly.

But the proposal still leaves some big questions unanswered. The market does not have a full picture of how wallet restrictions work, who decides who gets in, or who sets the rules that put WLFI at the center of the borrowing controversy.

Until those details are spelled out clearly, this proposal looks more like a way to contain a crisis than a real structural reset.

The next tests are concrete, because stagecraft and reform will diverge on-chain and in governance behavior

Now, the proposal’s credibility depends on what actually gets done, what is disclosed, and what is left after the alignment talk fades. The first test is simple: the insider burn needs to happen on-chain, in a way that everyone can see and verify.

The second test is about participation and control. How the non-opt-in voting power acts will show if the governance problem is really getting smaller or just changing shape. The third test is about disclosure, since WLFI needs to spell out exactly how blacklist powers, acceptance rules, and admin discretion work for unlocks.

The fourth test is about accountability. WLFI still needs to explain who signed off on the risk settings that let WLFI collateral play such a big role in the Dolomite-linked setup.

Those are the areas where reform and stagecraft separate. A genuine reset would produce verifiable burns, clearer governance, narrower discretionary control, and a transparent record of how previous risk decisions were made.

A containment strategy would focus on sending signals, keeping admin levers vague, and hoping that time and a smaller unlock risk calm things down. Right now, WLFI’s new proposal looks more like that second approach.

This package might take some pressure off insider supply and short-term unlock worries. But the bigger risk is still there, sitting in the concentrated setup of governance, access, and control that WLFI has not yet addressed.

The post Trump family’s WLFI starts damage control but its new plan leaves holders who refuse the new terms locked indefinitely appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Goldman Sachs, the $3.5 trillion banking giant, has filed to launch an actively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF) that uses covered calls to generate income from Bitcoin.

The April 14 filing for the Goldman Sachs Bitcoin Premium Income ETF marks a strategic pivot for the investment bank, which previously had a hostile relationship with the flagship digital asset.

Moreover, what makes the new product more distinct is that Goldman is not launching a conventional spot Bitcoin product to compete in the increasingly saturated $100 billion BTC ETF market.

Instead, the banking giant is looking to engineer a moderated, yield-bearing version of Bitcoin tailored specifically for income-oriented portfolios. In this case, the firm intentionally forgoes a portion of the upside in top crypto in exchange for yield.

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Goldman Sachs Bitcoin ETF picks a different lane

The proposed fund operates on a fundamentally different chassis than the spot ETFs that have dominated the market’s attention over the past two years.

According to the preliminary prospectus, the fund will not buy or hold Bitcoin directly. Instead, it will gain exposure by investing in spot Bitcoin ETPs, options on those ETPs, and options on indices that track them.

To generate its yield, the fund will systematically sell call options against that underlying exposure.

By operating as an actively managed, non-diversified fund, Goldman is positioning the ETF as a specialized wealth-management tool rather than a passive commodity tracker.

The filing details a complex operational structure to navigate regulatory constraints, including the use of a wholly owned Cayman Islands subsidiary to manage the spot-Bitcoin ETPs and related instruments, thereby allowing the primary fund to remain within US-registered fund tax and derivatives guidelines.

Goldman has tapped its own asset management arm, GSAM, to advise the fund, with Raj Garigipati, Oliver Bunn, and Sergio Calvo de Leon named as day-to-day portfolio managers. BNY Mellon will serve as custodian and transfer agent.

Utilizing the Rule 485(a)(2) filing path, the prospectus is marked for effectiveness 75 days after filing, pointing to a potential launch around June 28, 2026, assuming no regulatory delays.

The structural choices outlined in the filing make it clear that Goldman is not arriving late with a copycat product.

Rather, the banking giant is attempting to enter the crypto ETF arena through deliberate differentiation, leveraging its history in structured finance rather than competing in a race for pure beta.

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The Bitcoin income ETF product comes with a ceiling

While the prospect of yielding income from a historically volatile asset is a strong sales narrative, the product’s design ensures it is not a free lunch.

The fund monetizes Bitcoin’s volatility, but the mechanics of the covered-call overwrite strategy strictly limit potential gains while leaving investors exposed to underlying price drops.

Under normal market conditions, Goldman expects the fund’s overwrite level to range between 40% and 100% of its Bitcoin exposure.

When the fund sells a call option, it collects a premium from the buyer, who gains the right to purchase the asset at a specific strike price.

If Bitcoin rallies sharply beyond that strike price, the fund’s upside is capped; it is obligated to sell at the lower price, meaning the fund will inevitably lag behind direct spot investments during aggressive bull runs.

Conversely, if the cryptocurrency’s price collapses, the collected premium offers only a fractional buffer against the losses.

The filing is explicit about these trade-offs and also outlines the complex tax implications for prospective buyers.

The fund intends to declare and pay distributions from net investment income and option premiums on a monthly basis.

However, Goldman warns that the options strategy is expected to generate higher short-term capital gains and ordinary income than a simpler passive fund.

Furthermore, a significant portion of the monthly distributions may be classified as a return of capital for tax purposes, complicating the after-tax yield for investors holding the asset in taxable accounts.

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The Bitcoin ETF market moves from access to packaging

Goldman’s move reflects a broader maturation taking place across the $12.5 trillion asset management industry.

The first phase of the Bitcoin ETF era was defined by access, which established the legal and structural plumbing to enable traditional brokerage accounts to purchase spot Bitcoin.

The market has now definitively entered its second phase, which is defined by packaging.

Institutions are aggressively redesigning the same underlying Bitcoin exposure to satisfy different buyer preferences.

Notably, BlackRock, the largest asset management firm in the world, is currently refining the structure of its 1933 Act-covered call product, the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (BITA), which will seek to capitalize on the massive liquidity of its $60 billion spot fund, IBIT.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley chose to compete in the pure access lane, recently launching its MSBT spot fund with a highly competitive 0.14% fee that undercut the wider market and absorbed $83.6 million in its first week.

Moreover, Goldman is stepping into a yield-generating sub-sector that already features established players such as Grayscale.

Funds such as the NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF (BTCI) and the Roundhill Bitcoin Covered Call Strategy ETF (YBTC) boast annualized distribution rates well above 40%.

Against this backdrop, Goldman is betting that its institutional weight, combined with its recent $2 billion acquisition of Innovator Capital Management, a firm known for options-based and defined-outcome products, will allow it to scale a strategy that smaller issuers have already proven viable.

Why Wall Street thinks this will sell

The commercial logic driving the Goldman Sachs Bitcoin Premium Income ETF is rooted entirely in traditional client psychology.

The bank recognizes a substantial demographic of financial advisers and traditional investors who desire a measured allocation to digital assets but cannot tolerate the behavioral and portfolio shock of raw spot volatility.

By wrapping Bitcoin in a covered-call strategy, Goldman is converting an unpredictable digital commodity into a familiar, income-bearing financial product.

Bloomberg Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas captured the target audience for this risk-adjusted profile, describing the fund's low-risk, low-reward mechanics as “Boomer candy.”

This is because it slots neatly into the conventional portfolio conversations that advisers have been having with conservative, yield-seeking clients for decades.

Meanwhile, this strategy starkly contrasts with Goldman’s historical stance on digital assets. In 2020, the bank’s wealth management division famously declared that cryptocurrencies were not a legitimate asset class, citing their highly speculative nature and reliance on the greater-fool theory.

As of the end of 2025, the bank held more than $1 billion in BTC on behalf of its clients, according to SEC filings.

Beyond that, it is willing to attach its name to a Bitcoin-linked fund through a highly engineered structure that dampens the raw asset’s profile and aligns it with traditional finance models.

As Nate Geraci, President of Nova Dius Wealth, observed following the filing:

“Think about the names now involved [with] bitcoin ETFs… It’s a who’s who of asset management.”

The Goldman Sachs filing ultimately suggests that the next frontier in the digital asset market will not be fought over who can provide the cheapest access to Bitcoin.

It will be a battle over who can most effectively redesign that access, packaging the asset’s inherent volatility into the broadest, most marketable forms for the traditional financial system.

The post New Goldman Sachs Bitcoin fund is built for advisers seeking yield, not traders chasing the next rally appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Professor Jiang (Xueqin Jiang), a Chinese-Canadian educator turned viral geopolitical commentator, has publicly claimed that Bitcoin is a CIA operation.

Already famous for his "Predictive History" and bold forecasts regarding the decline of Western hegemony, Jiang’s recent stance on Bitcoin adds a layer of skepticism to the digital asset's decentralized narrative. While most see $BTC$ as a hedge against fiat, Jiang argues it may be a sophisticated tool of the very empire he predicts will soon collapse.

Who is Professor Jiang?

Professor Jiang Xueqin rose to international prominence via his YouTube channel, Predictive History. A Yale graduate and former educator at elite Chinese institutions like the Affiliated High School of Peking University, Jiang has transitioned into a "geopolitical prophet" for the digital age.

He gained massive traction in 2024 and 2025 for his remarkably accurate predictions concerning Middle Eastern conflicts. Most notably, his assertions that the United States would find itself embroiled in a losing battle against Iran have made him a polarizing yet watched figure. Jiang utilizes a mix of game theory, historical cycles, and eschatology to argue that the current global order is reaching a terminal point.

Why Does He Call Bitcoin a CIA Operation?

In a recent series of lectures and social media posts, Jiang pivoted his focus toward financial sovereignty. His core argument suggests that Bitcoin’s anonymity and global reach serve the interests of U.S. intelligence agencies—specifically the CIA.

"Bitcoin is not the exit from the system; it is the trapdoor within it," Jiang suggested in a recent commentary.

The Argument for "Intelligence Control"

Jiang’s theory rests on several controversial pillars:

• Technological Origins: He points to the SHA-256 algorithm (designed by the NSA) as a "fingerprint" of state involvement.
• Controlled Opposition: He suggests that by allowing a "rebel currency" to flourish, the U.S. can monitor capital flight from rival nations like China and Russia.
• Liquidity for Black Ops: Jiang posits that the crypto market provides a dark-pool environment for funding operations without congressional oversight.

While these claims lack empirical evidence and are often dismissed by the $Bitcoin community as "tinfoil hat" rhetoric, Jiang’s track record with geopolitical forecasts has given his followers pause.

The Connection to the US-Iran Conflict

Jiang’s distrust of Bitcoin is deeply tied to his view of the U.S.-Iran war. He predicts that as the U.S. dollar faces a crisis of confidence due to overextension in the Middle East, the "CIA-backed" Bitcoin will be pushed as a temporary lifeboat to maintain American influence over global capital flows when the greenback fails.

According to Jiang, the U.S. "empire" is committing strategic suicide through its involvement in Iran. He argues that the loss of this conflict will signal the end of the "Pax Americana," and that assets like Bitcoin are part of a broader "Secret History" of the world intended to manage the transition to a new, perhaps more controlled, digital financial era.

Fact or Geopolitical Fiction?

Professor Jiang represents a growing trend of "anti-system" intellectuals who view every facet of modern life through the lens of power struggles. While his claims about Bitcoin being a CIA project align with long-standing urban legends (like the "Satoshi is a group of NSA agents" theory), they remain speculative.

The cryptocurrency market is entering a phase of high-tension consolidation this April 16, 2026. While Bitcoin remains the primary barometer for risk appetite, institutional infrastructure is evolving rapidly. Today's headlines are dominated by two major themes: Bitcoin's battle with psychological resistance and a massive shift in how institutional Ethereum products generate yield.

What is the Crypto Market Status Today?

As of April 16, 2026, the crypto market is showing a bullish bias despite tight price ranges.

• Bitcoin ($BTC) is trading near $74,438, maintaining its position above key moving averages.
• Ethereum ($ETH) is seeing renewed interest following news that BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) has formalized a staking agreement with Coinbase Prime.
• Regulatory Front: The SEC has issued a significant "no-action" statement regarding decentralized user interfaces, providing a breather for DeFi developers.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The $75,000 Coil

Bitcoin has spent the last 48 hours grinding within a narrow corridor between $73,400 and $75,300. Technical analysts point to a "compression" phase, where low volatility often precedes a massive directional breakout.

The Money Flow Index (MFI) is currently at 79.00, its highest level in this recovery cycle. Historically, when the MFI approaches the 80.00 "overbought" threshold while price remains just below resistance, it suggests heavy institutional accumulation rather than retail exhaustion. If BTC clears the $76,000 mark, the path to the $150,000 target projected by Standard Chartered earlier this year remains structurally intact.

Ethereum News: Institutional Staking Goes Mainstream

A major catalyst for Ethereum today is the announcement from the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB). The fund has entered a definitive agreement with Coinbase Prime to enable staking for the ETH held within the trust.

Why This Matters for ETH Investors:

• Yield Generation: For the first time, institutional ETF holders will benefit from the Ethereum network's staking rewards directly through a regulated product.
• Validator Security: By using Coinbase Prime’s infrastructure, the trust ensures professional-grade validator management, reducing "slashing" risks.
• Market Liquidity: Increased institutional staking could lock up a significant portion of the ETH supply, potentially creating a "supply shock" if demand surges.

Regulatory Update: SEC Clarifies DeFi Interface Rules

In a move that caught many by surprise, the U.S. SEC Division of Trading and Markets issued a statement regarding "Covered User Interface Providers." The commission noted it would not object to software providers offering interfaces for crypto asset securities without registering as broker-dealers, provided they do not exercise discretion over transactions. This provides much-needed legal clarity for decentralized exchanges and DeFi protocols.

Summary of Today's Crypto Market Data

We've reviewed enough CFD brokers to know that most of them blur together after a while. TradeEU Global does a handful of things well, keeps the experience simple, and doesn't try to pretend it's something it's not. That actually counts for more than you'd think in this space.

Here's our full TradeEU Global review for 2026 after spending time on the platform.

First Impressions: Getting Started

Before we get into features and fees, let's talk about what actually happens when you sign up — because that's where a lot of brokers already start losing people.

TradeEU Global's registration is quick. You fill in your details, upload an ID and a proof of address document, and you're through. Once verified, you land in a personal dashboard that lays everything out without burying things in submenus: account balance, open positions, deposit options, transaction history. It felt organized in a way that suggests someone actually thought about the user flow here, rather than just slapping a back-office panel together.

The minimum deposit is $250 across all account types. Not the lowest in the industry, but not unreasonable either.

The Platform: TradingView Under the Hood

This is probably the single best thing about TradeEU Global in 2026.

Instead of building a half-baked proprietary charting tool (which too many brokers do), they've integrated TradingView directly into the WebTrader. That means proper charting — multiple timeframes, drawing tools, over 100 indicators, and the kind of layout flexibility that TradingView users already know and expect.

The WebTrader runs entirely in-browser. No downloads, no Java plugins from 2012, no "please install our desktop client" prompts. It loaded fast, charts rendered smoothly, and placing orders felt responsive even with several pairs open at once. We also tested the mobile app on iOS and had no issues — trades placed on desktop showed up instantly on the phone, and vice versa.

It's not going to replace a full institutional-grade terminal, but let's be real: if you're reading a broker review, you probably don't need one. For analyzing setups, placing trades, and managing risk, the TradeEU Global platform handles it.

What can you trade with TradeEU Global?

TradeEU Global lists 350+ instruments, and to their credit, the selection is practical:

• Forex: major, minor, and exotic pairs 
• Stocks: the big names (Apple, Tesla, Google, Microsoft, Amazon) plus a broader equity lineup 
• Indices: global benchmarks across US, European, and Asian markets 
• Metals: gold, silver Commodities — oil, gas, agricultural 
• Crypto: BTC, ETH, and others ETFs

The ETF access is worth calling out specifically. If you want diversified market exposure without opening a separate brokerage account, having ETF CFDs alongside traditional instruments gives you more flexibility in how you construct a portfolio.

Another feature we noticed: TradeEU Global supports automated strategies. If you've been trading manually and want to experiment with deploying algo-driven setups, you don't need to leave the platform to do it.

Account Tiers on TradeEU Global

TradeEU Global runs the familiar tiered model. Here's how it breaks down:

• Silver: the starter account. Standard spreads, full instrument access, leverage up to 1:200, 0.01 minimum lot. Good enough for getting your feet wet and learning the platform.
• Gold: tighter spreads, faster execution, same leverage. Built for traders who've moved past the beginner stage and want better cost efficiency on more frequent trades.
• Platinum: the best conditions TradeEU Global offers. Lowest spreads, premium support, same 1:200 leverage. If you're trading at volume, this is where the cost savings actually start to compound.
• Islamic: swap-free, no overnight rollover charges. Same instrument access as the standard accounts, designed for traders who need Sharia-compliant conditions.

Is TradeEU Global Regulated?

TradeEU Global operates under Tradesense Holding Ltd, registered in Mauritius (registration number 183967) with an additional office in Cyprus. They're regulated by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius.

That said, TradeEU Global does publicly list its license details, legal entity name, and registered addresses across its site and legal documentation. That level of disclosure is more than some offshore brokers bother with.

Payment Methods and Withdrawals

Funding options on TradeEU Global are as follows:

• Visa / Mastercard 
• Apple Pay / Google Pay 
• PayPal 
• Skrill 
• Neteller 
• AstroPay 
• Kuady

No deposit fees from TradeEU Global's side (though your bank or payment provider may charge their own). Card deposits are processed instantly; bank wires take longer depending on your region. Withdrawals go through the same method you used to deposit and are processed within three business days.

The variety of options is good. Adding Apple Pay and Google Pay alongside traditional e-wallets means most traders should find at least one method that works for them without friction.

Support in Seven Languages

Customer support is available 24/5 through live chat, email, and phone — and they operate in English, Arabic, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. The website auto-selects your language based on your location, which is a small touch but tells you they're actually thinking about their global user base rather than just slapping an English-only FAQ page together and calling it a day.

TradeEU Global Review 2026: Should You Try It?

TradeEU Global has been operating for more than 3 years, which gives it a real-world track record, not ancient, but not brand-new either. The TradingView integration makes the trading experience feel modern, the 350+ instrument range covers most strategies, and the multilingual support is legitimately useful if English isn't your first language.

Our take: open a demo account first. Spend a few days with the platform. Test the execution. If the conditions work for you, start small. And as with any broker — read the terms, understand the leverage risk, and don't deposit anything you'd panic about losing.

Crypto Markets Surge as Fed Drama Intensifies

Crypto markets are pushing higher again, but this time the driver is not purely technical or crypto-native. Instead, a wave of political and macroeconomic developments is reshaping investor expectations — and injecting fresh liquidity hopes into the system.

Recent statements from Donald Trump suggest potential drastic changes at the Federal Reserve, including the possibility of removing Jerome Powell if he refuses to step down. At the same time, Trump hinted that interest rates would drop under a new Fed leadership.

Markets reacted instantly.

Why Markets Are Rallying Right Now

The logic driving both stocks and crypto is simple:

• Lower interest rates = more liquidity
• More liquidity = higher asset prices

This explains why the S&P 500 has surged to new all-time highs, while risk assets — including Bitcoin and altcoins — continue climbing.

At the same time, Tesla saw its stock jump sharply, adding over $100 billion in market value in a single session. Small-cap stocks are also approaching breakout levels, reinforcing a broad risk-on environment.

👉 In short: markets are pricing in cheap money returning soon.

The Hidden Risk No One Is Pricing In

While the rally looks strong on the surface, it is being built on an unusually fragile foundation.

The growing tension between political leadership and the Federal Reserve introduces a serious risk: the potential loss of central bank independence.

If monetary policy becomes politically driven, several consequences could follow:

• Inflation expectations could become unstable
• Investor confidence in the Fed could weaken
• Long-term market volatility could increase

👉 This is not typical “bullish liquidity” — it’s forced liquidity driven by political pressure.

That distinction matters.

Why Crypto Benefits First

Despite the risks, crypto markets tend to react quickly — and positively — to any sign of increased liquidity.

Bitcoin and altcoins thrive in environments where:

• Interest rates are expected to fall
• Capital becomes cheaper to deploy
• Investors seek higher returns in risk assets

Additionally, institutional narratives continue to strengthen. Morgan Stanley recently highlighted tokenization as a key future growth area, signaling that traditional finance is still moving toward blockchain integration.

👉 This creates a powerful short-term tailwind for crypto.

Warning Signs Beneath the Surface

However, several developments suggest that this rally may not be stable:

• The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating suspicious oil trades linked to recent geopolitical announcements
• Ongoing tensions involving Iran and global energy routes continue to impact macro sentiment
• Markets are increasingly reacting to political headlines rather than fundamentals

At the same time, risk assets are rising even as uncertainty increases — a divergence that historically does not last long.

Why This Rally Could Turn Fast

The biggest risk is not that markets are rising — it’s why they are rising.

If any of the following occur, the current momentum could reverse quickly:

• Escalation in the conflict between political leadership and the Fed
• Delays or disappointment in actual rate cuts
• Renewed inflation pressures due to energy shocks
• A loss of confidence in monetary policy stability

👉 In that scenario, liquidity expectations could unwind just as fast as they formed.

Final Outlook: Short-Term Bullish, Long-Term Uncertain

Crypto markets are benefiting from a powerful narrative shift: the expectation of easier monetary policy. In the short term, this supports higher prices and continued momentum.

But this is not a typical bull run driver.

This rally is being fueled by political pressure, macro uncertainty, and fragile expectations — all of which can change rapidly.

For now, crypto is rising.

But the foundation beneath this move may be far less stable than it appears.

Bitcoin (BTC) has recently shown the volatility that defines the crypto market, surging toward a high of $76,088 before retreating into a correction phase. As of April 15, 2026, the Bitcoin price is hovering around the $74,000 mark. For many new investors, a "red candle" can be intimidating, but for seasoned traders, this movement often signals a vital phase known as price consolidation.

Why is Bitcoin Falling Today?

The current decline in the $Bitcoin price is primarily a downside correction following an overextended rally. After reclaiming psychological levels above $70,000 fueled by easing geopolitical tensions and ETF inflows, the market reached a local top. Traders are now taking profits, leading the price to seek out established support levels to validate the next leg up.

What is Consolidation in Crypto Trading?

In technical analysis, consolidation describes a period where an asset’s price oscillates within a well-defined range after a significant move. Think of it as the market "taking a breath."

During this phase:

• Volatility decreases: The massive swings seen during the breakout settle into smaller fluctuations.
• Indecision rules: Neither bulls nor bears have complete control, causing the price to move sideways.
• Volume dries up: Trading volume often tapers off as market participants wait for a breakout or breakdown signal.

For Bitcoin, the current consolidation is happening between the $73,300 support and the $75,200 resistance zones. Staying above these support levels is crucial for maintaining the medium-term bullish structure.

How to Trade the Range: Support and Resistance

Understanding Support and Resistance (S&R) is the bread and butter of a successful Bitcoin trading strategy.

1. Buying at Support

• The Support level is the price floor where buying interest is strong enough to overcome selling pressure. Currently, Bitcoin has major support at $73,950 and a deeper structural floor at $71,200.
• The Strategy: Traders look for "bounce" signals at these levels. If $BTC hits $73,300 and begins to move upward with increasing volume, it presents a high-probability "Long" entry.

2. Selling at Resistance

• The Resistance level is the price ceiling where selling pressure typically halts an upward trend. For BTC, the immediate hurdle is $75,200, followed by the recent high of $76,000.
• The Strategy: Traders often set "Take Profit" orders just below these levels or open "Short" positions if the price shows signs of rejection (long upper wicks on candles) at the ceiling.

Step-by-Step: A Simple Bitcoin Trading Strategy

If you want to benefit from the current Bitcoin price correction, follow this systematic approach:

• Identify the Trend: Use daily charts to see if the overall trend is bullish. Despite the dip, BTC remains above its 100-hourly Simple Moving Average (SMA), suggesting the uptrend is intact.
• Wait for the Correction: Never "FOMO" buy at the top. Wait for the price to correct back to a known support level, such as the Fibonacci 23.6% or 50% retracement levels.
• Confirm with Indicators: Check the RSI (Relative Strength Index). If the RSI is near 30, Bitcoin is oversold; if it's above 70, it’s overbought. Currently, the RSI is neutral (around 50-55), giving the price room to move in either direction.
• Set Stop-Losses: Always protect your capital. If you buy at $74,000, place a stop-loss slightly below the next major support (e.g., at $72,500).

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Bitcoin Key Levels to Watch

BIP-361 would freeze the Bitcoin most at risk of seizure from quantum exploits. But will the community go for it?

The regulator is seeking feedback on its interpretation of regulated cryptoasset activities under rules set to take effect in October 2027.

On-chain data show increased selling pressure, with Bitcoin exchange inflows and large-holder deposits spiking to multi-month highs.

The Blockstream CEO’s approach contrasts with BIP-361, a proposal that would implement mandatory freezes of quantum-vulnerable Bitcoin.

The new Google Gemini Robotics AI model gives robots improved spatial reasoning and task planning abilities for industrial applications.

BlackRock has purchased over half a million dollars worth of Bitcoin as institutional demand returns and the BlackRock IBIT begins to thrive again.

Solana tweeted "XRP" in a new post, catching the attention of the crypto community.

Shiba Inu is rapidly descending on the market, with a solid removal of capital from exchanges.

Cardano's Charles Hoskinson slams BIP-361, warning that freezing 1.7 million BTC, including Satoshi's Bitcoin, to stop a 2033 North Korean quantum attack violates the core principles of sound money.

Prominent Ethereum-based NFT platform Foundation has suddenly halted operations after digital art gallery Blackdove unexpectedly reversed its recent acquisition.

Key Points

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has requested dismissal of punitive damages in his sister Annie’s civil lawsuit
• His legal team contends Missouri statutes restrict compensation to direct injury-related damages
• Altman’s lawyers assert punitive damages cannot be applied to alleged conduct during his minority
• A $1 defamation counterclaim has been filed by Altman regarding his sister’s public statements
• A separate legal proceeding involving Elon Musk and OpenAI is set for April 27

The chief executive of OpenAI, Sam Altman, has submitted a formal request to a federal court in St. Louis seeking removal of punitive damages from a civil action brought by his sister, Annie Altman. Altman categorically denies every allegation presented in the case.

Annie Altman initiated legal proceedings in January 2025, alleging multiple instances of sexual abuse spanning from 1997 through 2006 at their childhood residence in Clayton, Missouri. According to her account, the alleged abuse started when she was three years of age and her brother was 12 years old.

Her legal complaint indicates that the alleged misconduct extended into years when Sam Altman had become a legal adult. The OpenAI CEO is currently 40 years of age.

In legal documents filed late Wednesday evening in St. Louis federal court, Altman’s attorneys contended that Missouri’s statutory framework governing child sexual abuse cases prohibits punitive damages. The filing argues that state law restricts damages to those directly connected to documented injury or medical conditions.

Altman‘s defense further maintains that punitive damages cannot be imposed for actions allegedly undertaken during his youth. His legal team has reiterated their motion for complete dismissal of the lawsuit.

Counsel representing Annie Altman has not provided statements in response to media inquiries made outside standard business hours.

Defamation Counterclaim

Altman has initiated a counterclaim for defamation against his sister based on public declarations she made through social media platforms. Among these was a video post that referenced “an almost tech billionaire” whom she alleged had victimized her.

His counterclaim seeks nominal damages of only $1. Altman has indicated his intention is not to impose financial burden on his sister, but rather to obtain a judicial determination that her public statements are false.

The Altman family has previously disclosed that Annie Altman has experienced mental health challenges and had received monetary assistance from family members. Sam Altman’s court filings suggest the abuse allegations emerged after the family declined what he characterized as escalating financial requests.

Legal representatives for Annie Altman have not issued public statements addressing these assertions.

Additional Legal Challenges

Altman is simultaneously contending with a prominent lawsuit initiated by Elon Musk. Musk’s legal action, with claimed damages exceeding $134 billion, alleges that OpenAI has abandoned its founding principles to develop artificial intelligence for humanitarian purposes. The lawsuit further claims Musk was fraudulently induced to contribute financially to the organization.

Microsoft has been included as a co-defendant in Musk’s lawsuit.

The trial date for the Musk litigation has been established for April 27, 2026.

Altman achieved widespread prominence in the technology sector following OpenAI’s introduction of ChatGPT in 2022. Wednesday evening’s court submission in his sister’s case represents his most recent legal action as both lawsuits progress through the judicial system.

The post Sam Altman Moves to Dismiss Punitive Damages in Sister’s Abuse Case appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Bank of New York Mellon delivers $5.4B in quarterly revenue with earnings per share climbing 42%

• Operating margins expand to 37% as BK stock gains on robust financial performance

• Net interest revenue and fee-based income propel BNY Mellon’s impressive quarterly results

• Shareholders receive $1.4B through dividends and buybacks as company rewards investors

• Client assets and deposit balances climb as BNY Mellon demonstrates operational strength

Shares of Bank of New York Mellon (BK) moved higher following the release of exceptional first quarter 2026 financial results, driven by impressive revenue performance and expanding profitability metrics. The shares finished trading at $131.96, posting a 1.11% increase, with additional strength observed during pre-market sessions. The quarterly report showcased widespread business momentum, margin enhancement, and consistent shareholder value creation throughout its primary operating divisions.

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, BK

Impressive Revenue Performance and Accelerating Profit Growth

BNY Mellon delivered total revenue reaching $5.4 billion for the quarter, representing a 13% year-over-year advancement fueled by elevated client engagement. Fee-based revenues climbed 11%, benefiting from strengthening markets, robust foreign exchange activity, and new client acquisition momentum. Net interest revenue simultaneously jumped 18%, attributed to reinvestment strategies capturing higher yields alongside balance sheet expansion.

Earnings per share on a diluted basis achieved $2.24, demonstrating an impressive 42% surge versus the comparable year-ago quarter. Net income allocated to common equity holders advanced 36% to $1.56 billion, underscoring exceptional operational execution. The company achieved remarkable operating leverage expansion exceeding 800 basis points as expense growth remained significantly below revenue acceleration.

Total noninterest expenses increased 5% primarily due to strategic investments, compensation adjustments, and currency-related factors. Enhanced operational efficiency and reduced severance obligations helped moderate overall cost progression. The pre-tax operating margin expanded substantially to 37%, demonstrating strengthened profitability and rigorous expense discipline.

Enhanced Returns, Robust Balance Sheet and Shareholder Distributions

BNY Mellon sustained impressive profitability indicators, underpinned by accelerating revenue streams and disciplined expense management. Return on equity climbed to 16.1%, while return on tangible common equity strengthened to 29.3%. These performance measures illustrated effective capital utilization and superior earnings quality.

Client assets under custody and administration expanded 12% to reach $59.4 trillion, propelled by net new business wins and favorable market appreciation. Assets under management increased 6% to $2.1 trillion, benefiting from positive market dynamics. Despite this growth, net client outflows created some offsetting pressure on managed asset totals.

The financial institution maintained solid liquidity positioning and capital adequacy, evidenced by a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 11.0% and Tier 1 leverage ratio of 6.0%. The liquidity coverage ratio held steady at 111%, complemented by a net stable funding ratio of 131%. These regulatory metrics demonstrated ample cushions to navigate potential market disruptions.

During the quarter, BNY Mellon distributed $1.4 billion to common shareholders via dividend payments and stock repurchase programs. Specifically, the institution paid $376 million in quarterly dividends and executed $983 million in share buybacks. As a result, the total payout ratio reached 87%, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering shareholder value.

Core Business Momentum and Competitive Positioning

BNY Mellon’s quarterly achievements reflected outstanding implementation across both Securities Services and Market and Wealth Services operating segments. Heightened client activity levels and increased transaction volumes underpinned fee revenue acceleration throughout the period. Beneficial foreign exchange rate movements provided additional support to top-line expansion.

The financial institution experienced favorable developments in its commercial real estate portfolio positioning, generating a credit loss provision benefit of $7 million. Investment portfolio gains contributed positively to overall revenue generation despite modest securities valuation adjustments. These combined elements fortified bottom-line performance during the reporting period.

Deposit accumulation maintained strong momentum, with average deposit balances totaling $318 billion, marking a 13% year-over-year increase. Sequential quarterly expansion also persisted, supported by ongoing client deposit inflows and stable funding market conditions. This positive trajectory reinforced the organization’s liquidity foundation and operational stability.

Bank of New York Mellon exhibited sustained business expansion, enhanced operational efficiency, and disciplined capital management throughout the quarter. The financial performance supported continued positive stock price momentum, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s diversified franchise and strategic execution capabilities.

The post Bank of New York Mellon (BK) Stock Surges on $5.4B Quarterly Revenue and Stellar Earnings Growth appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• UBS elevated BP from a “neutral” stance to “buy,” increasing its 12-month target price by 8% to 700 pence per share
• Meg O’Neill assumed the chief executive position on April 1, succeeding Murray Auchincloss who departed in December 2025
• UBS analysts identify $3–$6 billion in additional cost reduction opportunities above BP’s internal $1.5 billion goal
• The oil major maintains the sector’s highest leverage at 47% net debt to capital
• Shares have climbed 33% this year, despite trailing industry competitors by 52% since 2018

On April 15, UBS initiated a “buy” rating on BP, pointing to fresh executive leadership, significant expense reduction opportunities, and a roadmap toward deleveraging. The investment bank increased its 12-month valuation from 650p to 700p per share, representing an 8% adjustment.

BP p.l.c., BP

The rating change coincides with Meg O’Neill’s takeover as chief executive on April 1. She succeeded Murray Auchincloss, who concluded his tenure in December 2025. UBS anticipates O’Neill will present a comprehensive strategic roadmap during the latter half of 2026.

BP shares have surged 33% year-to-date, partially fueled by constrained global oil supply after US-Israeli military operations against Iran on February 27. Nevertheless, the stock has lagged sector counterparts by 52 percentage points since 2018.

The energy giant shoulders the industry’s most substantial debt burden. Its net debt to capital stands at 47%, significantly exceeding the sector’s 28% average. Total operating expenses have expanded approximately $10 billion since 2019, climbing to $43.1 billion in 2025.

UBS analyst Joshua Stone identifies considerable reduction potential. His assessment suggests BP could unlock $3 billion to $6 billion in expense efficiencies beyond the company’s stated goal of $1.5 billion in non-portfolio savings by late 2027.

BP halted its share repurchase initiative in February 2026. The firm has executed or announced $11 billion of its $20 billion asset divestiture program, including offloading 65% of its Castrol holdings for a $10 billion enterprise valuation, finalized in December 2025.

Deleveraging Projections

In UBS’s central forecast — assuming Brent crude at $80 per barrel from 2026 through 2028 — BP’s leverage ratio is expected to decline to 27% by 2028. Under an optimistic scenario with $133 per barrel in 2026, that benchmark could be achieved 18 months sooner.

UBS has established a bull-case target of 900p and a bear-case floor of 430p. The firm assesses BP’s enterprise worth at $203.1 billion, equivalent to 979p per share, then subtracts $37.5 billion in obligations and debt to derive a net asset valuation of 677p.

Regarding earnings expectations, UBS forecasts adjusted net income advancing to $12.96 billion in 2026 from $7.49 billion in 2025. This translates to earnings per share of $0.84, surpassing the Street consensus of $0.69.

Free cash generation is anticipated at $13.44 billion in 2026. The dividend per share is estimated at $0.34 for 2026, suggesting a 4.5% yield.

Expanded Exploration Portfolio

BP has revealed 14 exploration successes since early 2025, distributed across Trinidad, Egypt, the US Gulf, Libya, Namibia, Angola, and Brazil.

The most significant is the Bumerangue field in Brazil, disclosed on August 4, 2025. BP characterized it as its most substantial discovery in a quarter-century, with approximately 8 billion barrels of liquids in place. UBS attributed a risk-adjusted net present value of $2 billion to this prospect in its valuation breakdown.

BP is targeting production volumes of 2.3 to 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent daily by 2030, up from the present rate of 2.3 million barrels per day.

Per GuruFocus data, BP’s current trading price of $46.12 represents a 29.3% premium relative to its GF Value of $35.68. The forward price-to-earnings ratio sits at 10.92, beneath BP’s five-year median of 12.72.

The post BP (BP) Stock Receives Buy Rating from UBS Following Leadership Transition and Efficiency Strategy appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Precious metal prices climbed with spot gold advancing 0.4% to reach $4,808.42 per ounce, maintaining proximity to its one-month peak
• The declining U.S. dollar is enhancing gold’s appeal among international purchasers
• Washington and Tehran have reached a preliminary agreement to conduct another round of diplomatic discussions
• The temporary ceasefire currently in effect between the United States and Iran faces an April 21 expiration date
• Crude oil prices have found stability beneath the $100 per barrel threshold, though significantly elevated compared to pre-conflict levels

Precious metal markets experienced upward momentum Thursday, buoyed by a declining U.S. dollar and measured optimism surrounding active diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran.

Spot gold appreciated 0.4% to reach $4,808.42 per ounce. Gold futures contracts advanced 0.1% to $4,828.71 per ounce during early Thursday trading hours in Eastern Time.

Additional precious metals demonstrated similar positive movement. Spot silver increased 0.6% to $79.41 per ounce, while spot platinum registered a 1.2% climb to $2,138.32 per ounce.

The upward trajectory emerged as gold maintained its position near the one-month peak established during Wednesday’s session. Optimism regarding sustained de-escalation in the Iranian conflict has contributed to diminishing inflation concerns and strengthened overall market risk appetite.

Diplomatic Developments Between U.S. and Iran

Washington and Tehran have reached a preliminary understanding to convene additional negotiations, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal. An initial diplomatic session occurred last weekend in Pakistan but failed to yield an immediate agreement.

Sources with knowledge of the situation informed the Journal that neither party has established a specific timeframe or venue for the subsequent meeting. The existing ceasefire arrangement between both nations is scheduled to lapse on April 21.

President Donald Trump indicated Thursday that discussions between Israel and Lebanon are anticipated to commence. Israeli officials confirmed the planned talks, although the Associated Press reported that Lebanese authorities stated they had not received notification.

Regional tensions remain present despite diplomatic progress. Iran’s senior military leadership cautioned the United States to discontinue its naval blockade of Iranian port facilities. U.S. Central Command reported that no Iranian-affiliated vessels or petroleum tankers have successfully breached the blockade.

Energy Markets and Monetary Policy Outlook

Oil prices have stabilized beneath the $100 per barrel mark, yet remain considerably elevated compared to pre-conflict pricing. Crude petroleum surged to approximately $120 per barrel when hostilities erupted in late February, triggering widespread inflation anxieties globally.

These inflation concerns generated increased speculation that central banking institutions, including the Federal Reserve, might implement interest rate increases. Elevated interest rates typically diminish gold’s attractiveness, as the precious metal generates no income yield.

However, as diplomatic discussions have advanced, expectations for rate increases have moderated. Spot gold has accumulated 0.9% gains throughout the past week.

The U.S. dollar has also declined after serving primarily as a safe-haven asset throughout much of March. Market participants had perceived the United States as sheltered from petroleum supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, considering its position as a significant energy exporter.

A weakening dollar generally reduces gold’s cost for purchasers utilizing alternative currencies, potentially bolstering demand. The subsequent round of U.S.-Iran negotiations remains unscheduled, with the April 21 ceasefire deadline rapidly approaching.

The post Gold Climbs Toward Monthly Peak as Dollar Retreats and Diplomatic Progress Emerges appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Oklo shares climbed 8.2% to approximately $63.38, reaching an intraday peak of $66.62 with elevated trading volume
• National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power (NSTM-3) was signed by the U.S., improving market sentiment
• Partnership with Blykalla received expansion to speed up fast-reactor technology deployment
• Market attention returned to Oklo’s Ohio energy campus project supporting Meta’s AI infrastructure needs
• Company insiders divested approximately 818,766 shares valued at roughly $50M over three months, raising questions

Shares of Oklo experienced an 8.2% surge on Wednesday, reaching an intraday peak of $66.62 before closing near $63.38. Trading volume reached 21.6 million shares, representing approximately 109% above typical daily activity. The stock closed at $58.58 the previous session.

Oklo Inc., OKLO

The upward momentum stemmed from multiple favorable developments converging simultaneously.

The most significant policy-related catalyst involved the signing of the National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power, designated as NSTM-3. This collaborative NASA-Pentagon initiative broadens potential government and private sector demand for nuclear energy solutions, positioning Oklo as a key potential beneficiary.

Regarding commercial developments, Oklo and Sweden-based Blykalla announced an expansion of their existing partnership aimed at accelerating fast-reactor technology commercialization. This agreement reinforces Oklo’s pathway toward deployable systems and future revenue generation.

Market participants also renewed their focus on Oklo’s Ohio energy campus initiative, which connects to a 1.2 GW supply agreement with Meta for powering artificial intelligence data centers. This narrative connecting nuclear power generation with AI infrastructure requirements has consistently driven investor enthusiasm in the stock.

Leadership Restructuring Brings Industry Expertise

Oklo announced the appointment of four new board members with extensive experience in nuclear energy, power generation, and infrastructure development. The company designated a Lead Independent Director and transitioned its Chief Technology Officer into an advisory capacity.

Market analysts characterized these modifications as governance enhancements in preparation for commercial expansion. However, near-term focus on execution capabilities and valuation metrics persists.

Options market participants demonstrated heightened interest. Approximately 77,902 call contracts traded hands, representing roughly 22% above normal call volume. Such derivatives activity can create additional upward pressure on stock prices in the short run.

Executive Stock Sales Draw Attention

Not all signals point positively. Insider selling activity has been substantial. Chief Executive Officer Jacob DeWitte divested 140,000 shares at $75.18 during February, decreasing his ownership position by nearly 16%. Chief Financial Officer Richard Bealmear sold 72,090 shares at $60.00 in March.

Cumulatively, company insiders have disposed of approximately 818,766 shares valued at roughly $50.8 million throughout the past three months.

Company leadership indicates these transactions were scheduled in advance, but the timing has attracted scrutiny from investors monitoring the stock carefully.

Regarding financial performance, Oklo disclosed a loss of $0.27 per share for its latest quarter, falling short of the consensus estimate of -$0.17. Wall Street analysts forecast full-year EPS of -$0.82 for the current fiscal period.

The 50-day moving average stands at $59.38. The 200-day moving average sits at $88.08, significantly above current trading levels.

Analyst opinions vary. Cantor Fitzgerald maintains an overweight rating with a $122 price target. Goldman Sachs holds a neutral rating with a $65 target, reduced from $91. B. Riley decreased its target from $129 to $92 while maintaining a buy rating. The consensus recommendation stands at “Moderate Buy” with an $84.30 average target.

Institutional investors control 85% of outstanding shares, with Vanguard maintaining the largest position at 11.6 million shares.

Despite Wednesday’s rally, the stock remains down 11.72% for the year-to-date period.

The post Oklo (OKLO) Stock Climbs 8% Following Space Nuclear Program and Partnership Expansion appeared first on Blockonomi.

Bitcoin is trading around $74.7k, holding near its highest levels since the February breakdown, as the recovery momentum built over the past two weeks continues to develop.

The move is encouraging, but BTC now stands at one of the most technically important junctures of the entire correction, near the confluence of the descending channel’s upper boundary and the 100-day moving average, two levels that have defined the bearish structure for months.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

For the first time in this correction cycle, BTC appears to be pressing a genuine breakout attempt above the descending channel, with the price now breaking above the upper boundary near $74k–$75k alongside the declining 100-day MA nearby. The RSI has also climbed into the high-60s, which is the strongest daily momentum reading since before the February crash, and is lending some credibility to the attempt, while also not showing overbought signals.

Whether this becomes a confirmed breakout or another failed one depends on how the price behaves over the next few daily closes. A sustained close above the channel and the $75k–$80k resistance band would be a structural shift of real significance, and would open a path toward $88k–$90k, where the 200-day MA awaits. On the downside, $60k–$62k is the key support that buyers should defend at all costs if the breakout fails.

BTC/USDT 4-Hour Chart

On the 4-hour chart, BTC continues to trade inside the mildly ascending channel that has been in place since the February lows. The price has now risen above the midline and is attempting to break above the $74-$76k resistance zone. The 4-hour RSI is also hovering near 60s, which leaves room for a further push without the immediate threat of an RSI-driven rejection like those seen in prior attempts.

A clean breakout above $76k with the RSI holding above 60 would be a compelling short-term bullish signal and could accelerate a run toward the $80k–$82k zone. If the asset stalls and pulls back from here, the recent low near $71k is the first support to watch, followed by the lower boundary of the channel at $67k.

On-Chain Analysis

Bitcoin’s exchange reserves have fallen to approximately 2.68M BTC. It is at its lowest level in the entire dataset, stretching back to mid-2023, and a dramatic decline from the 3.2M BTC peak seen in early 2024. The drawdown has been steep and consistent, accelerating through the second half of 2025 and continuing even as the price corrected sharply from the $125k peak.

The significance of this reading is hard to overstate. With less Bitcoin sitting on exchanges than at any point in recent history, the immediately available sell-side supply is structurally thinner than it has been throughout the past 3 years, including the periods when BTC was trading at much lower prices. In a scenario where demand returns with conviction, the lack of exchange-side supply could amplify upward price moves significantly.

The setup mirrors conditions seen ahead of previous recoveries, where a tightening supply base combined with improving sentiment created the conditions for outsized moves. The key missing ingredient, as always, is the sustained demand. But the foundation being built on-chain is among the most constructive in years.

The post Bitcoin Price Analysis: Here’s Why the Next Few Days Will Be Crucial for BTC appeared first on CryptoPotato.

[PRESS RELEASE – Dubai, UAE, April 16th, 2026]

1win continues to evolve its VIP ecosystem, bringing global rapper Tyga into its high-tier community while reinforcing its positioning as a crypto-first entertainment platform.

The update follows several days of speculation across social media, after the artist was spotted boarding a branded 1win private jet and later shared content featuring the brand. Confirmation was subsequently published via the 1win Owner’s official channels on X and Telegram.

According to sources close to the activation, Tyga was welcomed by 1win with a full-scale premium setup. This included a private jet flight and a genuinely VIP gift – a heritage model of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 14700BA watch. The experience reflected 1win’s signature approach to its top-tier clients: personalized, highly exclusive, and luxury activations.

Tyga’s inclusion highlights how 1win is blending product, service, and culture, integrating high-profile figures directly into its ecosystem rather than relying on traditional endorsement models.

This philosophy is already reflected in 1win’s broader strategy of redefining VIP engagement. The company has previously made headlines for organizing private jet evacuations for its top users during global travel disruption in the Middle East. The brand also regularly cherishes 1win VIP users with extraordinary gifts and experiences, such as luxury cars and private tours to sports and art events.

While further details are undisclosed, the move signals continued expansion of 1win’s crypto-driven VIP strategy and growing influence across the iGaming and Web3 space.

1win operates as a crypto-first platform designed for a fast, seamless user experience. It offers a wide range of digital assets and quick transactions, including BTC, ETH, TRX, TON, and SOL, and grants unique incentives for crypto users, such as bonuses of up to 600% on deposits.

About 1win

Founded in 2016, 1win is a crypto platform in the global gaming industry. Operating across Asia, Latin America, and Africa, 1win offers a wide range of services adapted to regional audiences. In 2024, 1win partnered with actor Johnny Sins as its brand ambassador. In 2025, MMA legend Jon Jones joined 1win as its global ambassador. Rising UFC star and Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medalist Gable Steveson stepped into the 1win global ambassador team earlier this year.

The post Tyga Enters 1win VIP Program, as Platform Blends Crypto and Entertainment appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Tron founder Justin Sun has publicly slammed a governance proposal put forward by the Donald Trump-linked project World Liberty Financial, calling it “one of the most absurd governance scams” he has ever seen.

In a post on X, Sun stated that the proposal, described by WLFI as a “governance alignment signal” and long-term commitment mechanism, effectively penalizes dissenting voters by locking their tokens indefinitely if they vote against it.

According to him, this structure transforms the voting process into what he characterized as coercion, as participants who oppose the proposal face punitive consequences without any defined unlock mechanism.

Justin Sun Blasts WLFI

Sun claimed that the voting process is compromised by the exclusion of certain stakeholders, including himself. He noted that despite holding approximately 4% of the voting power, his tokens have been frozen, thereby preventing participation. He added that multiple holders with significant voting rights are similarly unable to vote, while the project team retains the authority to freeze tokens, which he said pre-determines the outcome of the vote by restricting participation to those permitted by the team.

“This is not a governance vote. This is a performance where the police have already barricaded the doors of parliament and only let their own people inside to raise their hands. The voter pool has been purged. Only yes votes remain.”

Concerns were also raised over the control structure of WLFI’s smart contracts, with the Tron founder stating that authority resides with a 3-of-5 anonymous multisignature group and a single anonymous guardian account capable of blacklisting addresses. He stressed that these unidentified actors can override governance outcomes and execute changes directly at the contract level.

This concentration of control contradicts the principles of decentralized governance, Sun argued, while asserting that decision-making power is effectively centralized among anonymous entities whose identities remain undisclosed. Such a system is “a dictatorship wearing the mask of a DAO,” Sun added.

The governance proposal from World Liberty Financial outlines changes affecting a total of over 62 billion WLFI tokens. It proposes that 45.23 billion tokens held by advisors, institutions, partners, founders, and team members be subject to a two-year cliff followed by a three-year linear vesting schedule upon opting in, along with a 10% token burn, which would potentially result in the permanent destruction of up to 4.52 billion tokens.

For early supporters, 17.04 billion locked tokens would move to a two-year cliff and a two-year linear vest without any burn, while holders who do not accept the new terms would remain locked indefinitely under existing conditions. WLFI stated that the proposal aims to boost long-term governance participation and reduce circulating supply through token burns and extended lockups.

Red Flags

The comments came days after his earlier accusations against World Liberty Financial over hidden control mechanisms within its system. Earlier this week, Sun flagged issues around an anonymous wallet and a small group of signers that he claims have the power to freeze user funds.

His claims are based on on-chain analysis supported by blockchain researcher banteg, who pointed out that WLFI’s token contracts were updated over time to include a blacklist function and other features. These updates, added after Sun had already invested, reportedly allow certain addresses to restrict or reallocate tokens. One upgrade also introduced a mechanism described as “batch reallocation,” which WLFI said was meant to recover funds lost to scams.

Sun, who invested $75 million in WLFI and is its largest backer, said he was not informed about these controls. He also claimed that a single external account has the authority to freeze any holder’s assets.

The post Justin Sun Flags ‘Coercion Tactics’ in WLFI Proposal Impacting Billions in Tokens appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The S&P 500 closed at a new all-time high of 7,022 on Wednesday, April 15, fully recovering from losses related to the conflict pitting the US and Israel against Iran in a matter of weeks.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) has barely moved, and on-chain analyst Darkfost says the gap between the two assets has now stretched into its longest period of weak correlation since 2020.

Stocks Recover as BTC Sits 40% Below Its Peak

In a post on Wednesday, Darkfost laid out the contrast in detail. The S&P 500’s latest push to a record came against a backdrop of de-escalating US-Iran tensions, with markets having already begun pricing in a resolution after a weekend of diplomatic activity.

That move was reinforced by March Core PPI data coming in at 0.1%, well below February’s 0.3% reading and analyst expectations, pointing to a US economy largely insulated from energy-driven inflation feeding into production costs.

According to Darkfost, BTC has seen little of that lift, with the asset currently trading around $75,000, roughly 40% below its all-time high of over $126,000, set in October 2025, a gap that has persisted for several months.

“This period of weak correlation or even decoupling from the S&P 500 is the longest observed since 2020,” he wrote, noting that while Bitcoin usually tends to follow major indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, it “still operates under its own internal dynamics at times, which can lead to this type of divergence.”

The S&P 500 rose 10 out of the past 11 trading sessions, gaining more than 10% across that period, and the speed of the recovery was historically unusual. Market data account Quantifiable Edges noted that the index went from a 100-day low to a 200-day closing high in just 11 days, something the S&P 500 has never done before, with the previous closest being 12 days in October 2014.

However, Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, speaking on CNBC’s Closing Bell on Wednesday, said he expects crypto to be among the leaders in the next leg of the rally alongside Mag7 and software stocks, arguing that many investors are still sidelined despite the new record, which sets up potential upside rather than capping it.

Bitcoin at a Technical Decision Point

BTC’s price picture adds another layer to Darkfost’s divergence observation, with analyst Ali Martinez saying earlier today that the asset is, for the third time in 6 months, testing the 100-day simple moving average as resistance, and according to him, the first test ended with a 30% rejection, going from about $116,000 to $80,000. That was in October last year.

The second one, in January, saw a drop of 39%, with Bitcoin moving from about $97,000 to about $60,000. A third rejection, he says, would be a “major structural failure” that could produce a triple-top effect and send BTC back toward the yearly low near $60,000.

But it’s not all bad news, as the analyst thinks a break above the 100-day SMA would open the path toward $80,000 to $84,000.

The post Bitcoin Lags 40% Below ATH as S&P 500 Sets New Record appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin’s price rallied above $75,000 earlier today before the bears stepped up and pushed it south by around a grand.

Most larger-cap alts have produced more impressive gains, including XRP, which has emerged as the top performer from this cohort of assets.

BTC Slips From Over $75K

The primary cryptocurrency reached a local peak of almost $74,000 on Saturday morning following a relatively positive week on the US/Iran war front, as the ceasefire announcement brought some fresh gains. However, the peace talks’ failure during the weekend resulted in an immediate correction that drove it to under $70,500.

Nevertheless, it managed to maintain the $70,000 support and skyrocketed once again as the business week began following reports that the two sides will continue trying to reach a permanent deal. BTC tapped $74,800 on Tuesday morning and rocketed to a monthly peak of $76,000 later that day.

It was stopped there and dipped below $74,000 on Wednesday, but the bulls initiated another leg up in the past 12 hours, driving the cryptocurrency to $75,500. Another rejection followed, and the asset now sits a grand lower.

Its market capitalization has slipped to just under $1.5 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the altcoins remains well above 57%.

Alts See Green

As mentioned above, XRP has posted the most substantial increase from the larger-cap alts, climbing by 4% to $1.40. SOL and DOGE follow suit from the top 10 alts, while HYPE and ADA have charted more impressive gains from the top 20 alts. BCH, LINK, XLM, LTC, and AVAX are also well in the green.

Ethereum remains above $2,300 after a minor increase, while BNB is north of $620. PEPE, DOT, NEAR, ICP, and AAVE have surged by over 5% each. SIREN has returned to the top 100 alts after a massive 16% pump.

The total crypto market cap has added over $40 billion since yesterday’s low and now sits above $2.610 trillion on CG.

The post Ripple’s XRP Steals the Larger-Cap Alt Show, Bitcoin (BTC) Stopped at $75K: Market Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.