Author: Tristan Lodenberg

A new proposal by Avihu Levy, chief product officer at StarkWare, outlines a method designed to make Bitcoin transactions resistant to quantum computing threats without requiring a soft fork or protocol upgrade. The concept, called Quantum Safe Bitcoin (QSB), aims to protect funds even against powerful quantum machines capable of running Shor’s algorithm, which is widely considered a major risk to traditional cryptographic systems. Instead of relying solely on elliptic curve signatures, the system introduces a hash-based puzzle that requires senders to find inputs producing outputs that resemble valid signatures. This brute-force process is designed to remain secure even if…

Shares of stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group declined sharply on Thursday after an analyst downgrade and growing legal scrutiny linked to a recent crypto exploit. The company’s stock closed near session lows on Nasdaq, falling 9.9% to $85.10. The latest drop adds to a broader downward trend, with Circle shares falling nearly 24% over the past month and approximately 43% over the last six months. Analysts at Compass Point downgraded the stock from “neutral” to “sell” and set a $77 price target, suggesting roughly 9% additional downside from current levels. Regulatory uncertainty has also weighed on investor sentiment, as progress…

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced plans to extend its cybersecurity threat information-sharing program to crypto firms, allowing them to receive the same security alerts previously reserved for traditional financial institutions. The initiative will be managed by the Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection, which will provide timely and actionable cybersecurity intelligence to eligible crypto organizations. While eligibility requirements have not yet been fully defined, the Treasury encouraged interested firms to contact the office directly to enroll in the free service. The decision follows recommendations from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, which previously highlighted…

Binance Wallet has introduced prediction market functionality within its mobile application, marking a major expansion into the rapidly growing $20 billion prediction market industry. The feature enables users to participate in probability-based markets through integration with third-party platform Predict.fun. The company confirmed that all trading and settlement fees will be covered, allowing users to execute “gasless” transactions on the BNB Smart Chain. By sponsoring network costs, Binance aims to simplify participation and attract a wider user base interested in forecasting event outcomes across sectors such as politics, economics and sports. Growing Demand Drives Competition Among Prediction Platforms Prediction market platforms…

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have asked a federal court to block Arizona from enforcing state gambling laws against prediction market platform Kalshi. Federal regulators argue that the company’s event contracts qualify as financial swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act and therefore fall under the CFTC’s exclusive jurisdiction. The filing claims Arizona’s enforcement effort unlawfully interferes with federally regulated markets. If the request is approved, Arizona would be prevented from applying state gambling rules to prediction markets operating as federally regulated event-contract platforms. Arizona Charges and Federal-State Legal Clash Intensify Arizona Attorney…

Crypto exchanges are steadily capturing market share from traditional finance venues by offering tokenized commodity products, particularly in precious metals. Recent market data shows silver perpetual contracts reaching nearly 40% of the trading volume of the Comex Silver (SI) contract at peak levels, one of the largest global silver futures benchmarks. During March and April, tokenized silver volumes accounted for 14.90% and 14.98% of Comex trading activity, a sharp increase from 1.37% recorded in January. This growth reflects rising demand for 24/7 access to commodities trading, a feature not available in traditional markets with fixed trading hours. Liquidity and Pricing…

Bitcoin climbed sharply above $72k, reversing earlier losses after renewed optimism surrounding a possible Middle East ceasefire. The rally followed reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled willingness to begin negotiations with Lebanon focused on disarming Hezbollah. Market sentiment improved further after reports indicated that US leadership had urged restraint in military actions, supporting previously announced ceasefire efforts. As geopolitical tensions eased, bitcoin gained nearly 3% intraday, reaching approximately $72,300, marking a 2% increase over 24 hours. Oil markets reacted simultaneously, with WTI crude retreating from an earlier peak near $103 per barrel to around $98.60, helping reduce inflation-related…

XRP slipped roughly 4% on April 9, 2026, falling from around $1.37 to $1.33 as persistent selling pressure outweighed modest institutional inflows. Market data shows traders used short-term rallies to exit positions rather than build new ones, reinforcing signs of continued weakness in the asset’s short-term structure. Ripple-linked investment products recorded $3.32 million in ETF inflows, marking a shift from outflows seen in March. However, the inflows were not strong enough to stabilize prices. At the same time, exchange liquidity has thinned noticeably, increasing the likelihood of sharper price swings if key technical levels are broken. Technical Signals Point to…

Iran Nuclear Chief Dismisses US and Israeli Demands Iran has firmly rejected demands from the United States and Israel to limit its uranium enrichment programme, reaffirming that its nuclear activities will continue without restrictions. Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s nuclear energy agency, stated that calls to curb enrichment efforts are unrealistic and will not be accepted. Eslami said the demands from Iran’s adversaries to restrict enrichment are merely expectations that “will not come true,” emphasizing that past pressure and military actions had failed to halt the programme. His remarks come as renewed negotiations between Iran and the United States are…

Bitmine Immersion Technologies officially began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Thursday after transitioning from the NYSE American, where its shares stopped trading at Wednesday’s close. The move marks a major milestone for the company as it joins one of the world’s most established stock exchanges. At the same time, Bitmine’s board unanimously approved expanding its 2025 share repurchase authorization from $1 billion to $4 billion. The buyback program, first approved on July 25, 2025, allows open market purchases under Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 through an agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald. The expanded…