Author: Tristan Lodenberg

Braden Karony, former chief executive of SafeMoon, has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for misappropriating approximately $9 million from the platform’s liquidity pool in 2021. The sentencing follows his May 2025 conviction on charges including conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Prosecutors said Karony diverted investor funds to finance personal purchases, including a $2.2 million home in Utah and multiple luxury vehicles such as an Audi R8, Tesla, Ford F-550, and Jeep Gladiator. Asset Forfeiture and Restitution Karony has been ordered to forfeit about $7.5 million. A separate restitution amount for affected investors…

Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said bitcoin remains positioned to significantly outperform traditional equity markets over the coming years, despite recent price volatility. He stated that bitcoin could double or triple the returns of the S&P 500 over a multi-year horizon, emphasizing long-term conviction rather than short-term price movements. Bitcoin is currently trading below $70,000 after pulling back from highs above $126,000 reached in late 2025. The correction has also pressured Strategy’s stock, though shares have rebounded in recent sessions alongside broader market stabilization. Bitcoin Treasury Strategy and Holdings Strategy continues expanding its bitcoin treasury even as market prices remain…

Bitcoin’s reputation as “digital gold” is being challenged as new research shows its price movements increasingly align with risk-on assets rather than traditional safe havens. Recent analysis indicates that Bitcoin’s short-term behavior has diverged from gold and silver, even as precious metals reached record highs. Instead of tracking defensive assets, Bitcoin has developed a strong correlation with equities, particularly software stocks, a trend that has intensified since early 2024. This shift suggests Bitcoin is currently trading more like a high-growth technology asset than a hedge against macroeconomic stress. Software Stocks and Market Sell-Offs Influence Bitcoin The data shows Bitcoin’s recent…

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is currently trading around $524, testing a long-term ascending trendline that has provided strong support since early 2023. Weekly chart patterns indicate repeated equal lows near $365–$400, signaling accumulation and buyer interest at these levels. The immediate resistance zone lies between $650 and $700, where BCH has struggled to break higher in recent months. A decisive breakout above $700 could trigger a rally toward $1,200, while a break below the $500 trendline may test $365–$400, with further downside possible near $300. Fundamental Factors Influencing BCH Bitcoin Cash remains a major Bitcoin fork, designed for faster peer-to-peer transactions.…

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, has made a strategic investment in LayerZero Labs, reinforcing its focus on cross-chain interoperability. While the size of the investment was not disclosed, the move highlights Tether’s growing commitment to infrastructure that enables seamless asset transfers across blockchains. LayerZero Technology Powers USDT0 LayerZero’s interoperability protocol has been used to develop USDT0, an omnichain version of Tether’s stablecoin. Built using LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token standard, USDT0 allows USDT to operate on blockchains where it is not natively issued while maintaining a 1:1 backing with standard USDT. Since its launch in early 2025, USDT0…

Circle Ventures has made an undisclosed investment in decentralized trading platform edgeX, signaling deeper involvement ahead of the project’s planned token launch before the end of March. Alongside the investment, Circle plans to integrate USDC and its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) onto edgeX’s underlying blockchain, known as EDGE Chain. edgeX Growth and Trading Activity Founded in 2024, edgeX operates a decentralized perpetual futures exchange across web and mobile platforms. The project reports more than 295,000 users, roughly $5 billion in daily trading volume, and close to $1 billion in open interest. Adoption has been strongest in Asia, driven by a…

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has filed High Court proceedings against Panama-based cryptocurrency exchange HTX, formerly known as Huobi Global, for repeatedly promoting crypto products to UK consumers in violation of financial advertising rules. The action follows prior warnings from the regulator about HTX’s noncompliance. Illegal Promotions Across Multiple Platforms The FCA stated that HTX continued publishing financial promotions on social media channels including TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as on its website, despite being informed that such activity breaches the Financial Promotions (FinProm) Regime introduced in October 2023. The regulator obtained permission on February…

A federal court in California has sentenced fugitive Daren Li to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a large-scale cryptocurrency investment scam that defrauded U.S. victims of more than $73 million. The sentence was issued in absentia after Li fled supervision by removing his court-ordered electronic monitoring device. Li, a dual national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, also received three years of supervised release following imprisonment. Authorities say the scheme was operated through organized scam centers based in Cambodia and targeted victims across the United States. How the Cryptocurrency Scam Operated Prosecutors detailed how the fraud relied heavily…

Bitcoin is struggling to reclaim the $70,000 mark, while Ethereum has seen modest declines, leaving the largest cryptocurrencies largely flat. In contrast, memecoins and AI-linked tokens are driving gains, reflecting increased speculative interest despite persistent “extreme fear” in market sentiment. The Memecoin Index rose 1.5% over 24 hours, with PIPPIN climbing nearly 46%, outperforming traditional large-cap cryptocurrencies. AI-Linked Tokens Show Strength Tokens associated with artificial intelligence have also performed well. WLD, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, rose more than 3%, while Virtuals’ VIRTUAL token increased 2.4%. These gains coincide with growing interest in “agentic AI” applications, where AI tools…

The latest U.S. retail sales report revealed a sharp loss of momentum in consumer spending, with both headline and core figures missing expectations by a wide margin. Retail Sales month-over-month came in flat at 0.0%, well below the 0.4% forecast and sharply lower than the previous 0.6% increase, pointing to a sudden pause in household demand. Core Retail Sales, which exclude autos and offer a clearer view of underlying consumption trends, painted an equally cautious picture. Core Retail Sales m/m also printed at 0.0%, missing the 0.3% forecast and down from the prior 0.5% reading. This outcome suggests that the…