Author: Tristan Lodenberg

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued new threats against Iran, warning that bridges and electric power plants will be the next targets in the ongoing conflict. On truthsocial , Trump stated, “The U.S. military hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants.” He emphasized urgency, claiming Iran’s leadership “knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!” War Timeline and Regional Impact Trump’s comments come as a 10-day pause on attacks against energy infrastructure concludes on April 6, coinciding with market reopenings. While Trump stated Washington is nearing its goals in…

X, owned by Elon Musk, is preparing to introduce a new security feature that will automatically lock accounts that mention crypto for the first time. The move is designed to reduce the growing wave of phishing attacks that rely on hijacked accounts to promote scam tokens and fraudulent offers. According to Nikita Bier, users whose accounts post about crypto for the first time will be required to complete additional verification before they can post again. The feature targets attackers who gain access to accounts and immediately use them to spread malicious links or fake promotions. Bier stated that the change…

Iran launched drone strikes on Mina al Ahmadi oil refinery on Friday, igniting multiple fires at the facility. Kuwait Petroleum Corp. confirmed that firefighters were working to control the blazes, and no injuries were reported. The refinery has been repeatedly targeted during the ongoing war. Sirens were reported in Bahrain, while Saudi Arabia said it destroyed several Iranian drones. Defenses were activated in the United Arab Emirates, and Israel reported incoming missiles. Airstrikes and Global Energy Impact Meanwhile, United States and Israel conducted airstrikes around Tehran and Isfahan. Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure and its control over the Strait…

Bitcoin continues trading within a tight $60,000 to $73,000 range, showing resilience despite challenging global conditions. Rising Brent crude oil prices to levels last seen in 2008, ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, and volatility in traditional markets including a 3.95% year-to-date decline in the S&P 500 have created a difficult backdrop. Buyers have repeatedly stepped in near the $60,000 level, keeping it intact as a key support zone. However, technical indicators show a bearish continuation structure forming on the daily chart. One bearish pattern was confirmed on Jan. 20, when Bitcoin corrected toward $60,014, and a…

Stablecoins remained one of the strongest segments of the crypto market in the first quarter, with total supply rising by about $8 billion to reach a record $315 billion, according to data from.CEX.io Although this represented the slowest expansion since the fourth quarter of 2023, the increase came during a period when the broader digital asset market weakened. Investor behavior showed a defensive shift toward stable assets. Stablecoins accounted for approximately 75% of total crypto trading volume in Q1, the highest level recorded so far. At the same time, overall stablecoin transaction volume exceeded $28 trillion, reinforcing their role as…

Bitcoin traded near $66,700 heading into the Good Friday long weekend, with markets preparing for reduced liquidity as institutional trading channels temporarily shut down. Futures trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange will pause, and exchange-traded fund creation and redemption activity will also halt, removing a major source of buying support. The timing is critical as Bitcoin’s $65,000 support level appears increasingly fragile. Despite strong institutional accumulation in recent weeks, overall demand has turned negative, raising concerns about short-term price stability. Large Holder Selling Offsets Institutional Buying Recent market data showed ETF purchases reached about 50,000 BTC in the past 30…

Major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services have joined as founding members of the newly created x402 Foundation, aimed at governing and standardizing the x402 protocol for agentic AI payments across crypto and fiat systems. The Linux Foundation officially launched the x402 Foundation on Thursday with support from Coinbase, which originally developed the x402 protocol. Other founding participants include American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Cloudflare, Shopify, Stripe, Circle, Polygon Labs, Solana Foundation, Thirdweb, and KakaoPay. Coinbase stated that placing the x402 protocol under the Linux Foundation gives it a neutral, nonprofit structure. This approach is expected to encourage…

Circle has announced plans to launch a new wrapped Bitcoin asset called cirBTC, marking its expansion into the Bitcoin ecosystem and positioning the company against established providers such as Coinbase and BitGo. The new token, cirBTC, is expected to launch on Ethereum, backed 1:1 by Bitcoin, and designed primarily for institutional participants such as over the counter trading desks, market makers, and lending protocols. The company stated that the asset aims to deliver a highly secure and neutral wrapped Bitcoin product suited for institutional-grade usage. Wrapped Bitcoin tokens allow Bitcoin holders to use their assets on other blockchain networks, enabling…

Riot Platforms sold 3,778 Bitcoin during the first quarter as mining profitability faced pressure from rising operating costs and market volatility. The company reported that the Bitcoin was sold at an average price of $76,626, generating about $289.5 million in total proceeds. During the same period, Riot produced 1,473 Bitcoin and held 15,680 Bitcoin on its balance sheet at the end of Q1. Blockchain intelligence platform Arkham also flagged a 500 Bitcoin outflow from a wallet linked to Riot on Thursday, indicating continued movement of funds. Bitcoin traded near $66,867 on Friday, below the average level at which Riot sold…

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Department of Justice have filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois and several state officials after Illinois issued cease-and-desist letters aimed at shutting down sports related prediction market products. Illinois authorities argued that certain prediction market providers were offering products similar to sports gambling and should therefore be regulated under state gambling laws. However, the CFTC countered that these offerings are not traditional wagers but financial instruments classified as swaps. In its filing, the CFTC stated that the Commodity Exchange Act grants the agency “exclusive jurisdiction” over swaps markets. The…