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Solana devs fix bug that allowed unlimited minting of certain tokens

The Solana Foundation has confirmed that a zero-day vulnerability that allowed an attacker to potentially mint certain tokens and even withdraw those tokens from user accounts has been fixed. 

A May 3 post-mortem from the Solana Foundation said that the security vulnerability, first discovered on April 16, could have allowed an attacker to forge an invalid proof affecting Solana’s privacy-enabling “Token-22 confidential tokens.”

There is no known exploit of the vulnerability, and Solana validators have since adopted the patched version, the foundation said.

Solana zero-day security bug affected Token-22 confidential tokens

The Solana Foundation said the security vulnerability concerned two programs: Token-2022 and ZK ElGamal Proof.

Token-2022 handles the main application logic for token mints and accounts, while ZK ElGamal Proof verifies the correctness of zero-knowledge proofs to show accurate account balances.

Solana devs fix bug that allowed unlimited minting of certain tokens
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Mattel to wind down its Hot Wheels Virtual Garage NFTs

Toymaking giant Mattel is putting the brakes on its Hot Wheels Virtual Garage non-fungible tokens, pending a decision on the collection’s future.

There will be no future releases of any new NFT series or feature drops for the “foreseeable future,” Mattel said in an update on its website. The company said it will decide on the “long-term future” of Mattel digital collectibles.

“Your unwavering support and enthusiasm for the Hot Wheels Virtual Garage has been legendary, and we’re incredibly grateful to have been on this journey with you,” the company said.

“As we evaluate the changing world of virtual collectibles, we’ve determined the time has come to end our Series and Feature Drops in 2025 and onward.”

There are no plans for any new NFT series or feature drops for Mattel's Hot Wheels Virtual Garage. Source: Mattel Creations

In the meantime, users’ hot wheel NFT collections, the Mattel Digital Collectibles Marketplace, the community Discord and other channels will continue to operate as normal through at least 2025, according to Mattel.

Mattel to wind down its Hot Wheels Virtual Garage NFTs
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Bitcoin price cools going into Fed rate hike week, HYPE, AAVE, RNDR, FET still look bullish

Key points:

Bitcoin’s positive sentiment should remain intact if BTC price stays above the 20-day EMA near $92,000.

Several altcoins show bullish chart patterns in the 4-hour and 1-day timeframes.

Bitcoin (BTC) has given back some of the gains over the weekend, and the price has pulled back to the breakout level of $95,000. Buyers will have to successfully hold the $95,000 level to keep the bullish momentum intact.

Bitcoin network economist Timothy Peterson said in a post on X that Bitcoin could surge to a new all-time high and reach a target of $135,000 in the next 100 days if certain conditions are met. Peterson believes a drop in the CBOE Volatility Index below 18 could trigger a “risk-on environment” favoring Bitcoin. The other crucial points needed for the Bitcoin rally are a fall in interest rates and a solid performance in the above-average performing months of June and July. 

Bitcoin price cools going into Fed rate hike week, HYPE, AAVE, RNDR, FET still look bullish
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Kidnapped dad of crypto businessman freed from ransom attempt: Report

The father of an unnamed crypto entrepreneur was freed by police in Paris, France, during a law enforcement raid of the property where the man was held captive for ransom over several days.

According to reporting from Le Monde, the May 3 raid resulted in five arrests. Local outlet Le Parisien also said the kidnappers demanded between 5 million and 7 million euros, or up to $7.9 million, to release the captive man.

Although the details on the identity of the victims remain scant, likely for security reasons, the crypto entrepreneur and his father co-owned a crypto marketing firm based in Malta, French media reports.

This incident features similarities to the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland in France in January 2025. Balland was also held for a crypto ransom until he was freed by law enforcement officers in a rescue operation.

Unfortunately, this latest incident also follows a string of similar ransom attempts around the world targeting crypto users and their loved ones in an attempt to extort funds from individuals perceived to hold a sizable amount of wealth.

Kidnapped dad of crypto businessman freed from ransom attempt: Report
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Maldives to build $9 billion crypto hub to attract investment: Report

The government of Maldives signed an agreement with MBS Global Investments, a Dubai-based family office, to develop a $9 billion crypto and blockchain hub in Malé, the capital of the South Pacific archipelago nation.

According to a report from the Financial Times, the agreement, which was signed on May 4, was done in the hopes of moving the Maldives away from reliance on tourism and fisheries by attracting foreign direct investment into blockchain and Web3 technologies.

The project outlines plans for the Maldives International Financial Centre, an 830,000-square-meter facility that will reportedly employ up to 16,000 individuals.

Completing the project will take an estimated five years and the capital requirements for the ambitious development are more than the $7 billion in annual gross domestic product (GDP) of the Maldives.

The geographic location of Maldives. Source: Worldometer

The planned crypto hub reflects the growing importance of the crypto industry worldwide. However, the Maldives' ambitions to become a global center for financial technology must contend with well-capitalized, established jurisdictions like Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Maldives to build $9 billion crypto hub to attract investment: Report
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Saylor signals impending Bitcoin purchase following Q1 earnings call

Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor hinted at an impending Bitcoin (BTC) purchase, marking the fourth consecutive week of purchases by the BTC treasury company.

The company's most recent acquisition occurred on April 28 when Strategy purchased 15,355 BTC, valued at over $1.4 billion at the time, bringing the company's total holdings to 553,555 BTC.

According to data from SaylorTracker, Strategy is up approximately 39% on its investment, representing over $15 billion in unrealized gains.

Strategy’s history of Bitcoin acquisition. Source: SaylorTracker

Bitcoin investors continue closely monitoring the company, which has been a major driver of direct institutional exposure to BTC by popularizing the Bitcoin corporate treasury concept and indirectly through institutions holding Strategy's stock in their investment portfolios.

Related: Strategy ends April up 32% in best month since November as Q1 earnings loom

Saylor signals impending Bitcoin purchase following Q1 earnings call
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How to set up stop-loss and take-profit orders

Key takeaways

Bitcoin and crypto traders can rely on automated orders on their trading platform to limit losses and secure gains.

Stop-loss orders in Bitcoin trading started as manual risk management in the early 2010s. Now, they have become advanced, automated tools on today’s exchanges.

In the algorithm era and bot pestering, proper trading tools like stop-loss and take-profit orders will help you protect your trades.

Setting up advanced BTC trading strategies doesn’t guarantee a successful risk management plan. Monitoring the market regularly helps you understand current conditions. This way, you can avoid strategic mistakes.

Stop-loss and take-profit orders in trading were used long before Bitcoin. In traditional financial markets, they were already used as a risk management and profit-securing tool.

How to set up stop-loss and take-profit orders
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Is this the end of Bitcoin DeFi?

Opinion by: Markus Bopp, CEO of TAP Protocol

Not long ago, the idea of Bitcoin as a government-backed reserve asset seemed like a stretch. The US Federal Reserve’s move to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve marks a clear turning point. Once dismissed as a speculative asset or niche investment, Bitcoin is increasingly being treated by some governments and financial institutions as a national store of value.

This evolution puts blockchain development at a crossroads. On one hand, memecoins, once dismissed as internet jokes, have dominated transaction volumes and social buzz on leading platforms. On the other hand, institutions and governments are taking the world’s most popular cryptocurrency — Bitcoin (BTC) — seriously and investing in infrastructure to secure it for the long term.

If Bitcoin is to be treated like gold, it must be secured like gold. Very soon, we will see governments and institutions seek to secure Bitcoin in what will no doubt look like a digital Fort Knox. With more institutional and instrumental influence over the most valuable digital asset in the world, verifiable storage, hardened security protocols and structures built on resilience will become paramount. 

This shift could raise the stakes for developers. As institutional adoption rises, so does the demand for specialized developers capable of delivering institutional-grade security and long-term stability.

Is this the end of Bitcoin DeFi?
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Bitcoin eyes $95K retest as traders brace for Fed rate cut volatility

Key points:

Bitcoin attacks liquidity clustered close to spot price into the weekly close.

Market commentators eye significant BTC price levels below $95,000.

The Fed’s upcoming interest rate decision is the key macro event to watch next week.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell toward $95,000 into the May 4 weekly close as traders braced for more macro-induced downside.

Bitcoin eyes $95K retest as traders brace for Fed rate cut volatility
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‘Everything is lining up’ — Tokenization is having its breakout moment

Tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) is evolving from an abstract concept to a practical financial tool as institutional players increasingly test and deploy blockchain-based infrastructure at scale.

This past week alone saw a flurry of announcements from both traditional financial institutions and blockchain-native firms advancing their RWA initiatives.

On April 30, BlackRock filed to create a digital ledger technology shares class for its $150 billion Treasury Trust fund. It will leverage blockchain technology to maintain a mirror record of share ownership for investors.

The DLT shares will track BlackRock’s BLF Treasury Trust Fund (TTTXX), which may only be purchased from BlackRock Advisors and The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY).

On the same day, Libre announced plans to tokenize $500 million in Telegram debt through its new Telegram Bond Fund (TBF). The fund will be available to accredited investors and usable as collateral for onchain borrowing.

‘Everything is lining up’ — Tokenization is having its breakout moment
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Binance to launch crypto payments in Kyrgyzstan with new partnership

Binance has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kyrgyzstan’s National Agency for Investments to introduce crypto payment infrastructure and blockchain education in the country.

The MoU was formalized during the inaugural meeting of the Council for the Development of Digital Assets, attended by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, the exchange said in a May 4 press release.

As part of the agreement, Binance will introduce Binance Pay to Kyrgyzstan, enabling crypto-based transactions for visitors and residents.

The partnership also focuses on educational collaboration. Binance Academy will work with Kyrgyz government agencies and financial institutions to develop blockchain-focused learning programs.

“Binance is excited to partner with the National Agency for Investments of the Kyrgyz Republic to drive forward the development of crypto-assets in the region,” Kyrylo Khomiakov, Binance’s regional head for Central and Eastern Europe, said.

Binance to launch crypto payments in Kyrgyzstan with new partnership
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Pro-crypto Democrats pull support for stablecoin bill in last minute

A group of US Senate Democrats known for supporting the crypto industry have said they would oppose a Republican-led stablecoin bill if it moves forward in its current form.

The move threatens to stall legislation that could establish the first US regulatory framework for stablecoins, according to a May 3 report from Politico.

Per the report, nine Senate Democrats said in a joint statement that the bill “still has numerous issues that must be addressed.” They warned they would not support a procedural vote to advance the legislation unless changes are made.

Among the signatories were Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Warner, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Andy Kim — all of whom had previously backed the bill when it passed through the Senate Banking Committee in March.

The bill, introduced by Senator Bill Hagerty, is formally known as the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.

Pro-crypto Democrats pull support for stablecoin bill in last minute
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Bitcoiners blast Arizona governor’s ‘ignorance’ after Bitcoin bill veto

Bitcoiners and United States government officials have criticized Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ decision to veto a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves.

“This will age poorly,” Casa co-founder and cypherpunk Jameson Lopp said in a May 3 X post. Bitcoin (BTC) entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano said, “Imagine the ignorance of a politician to believe they can make investment decisions.”

Call for government officials who understand Bitcoin is “the future”

“If she can’t outperform Bitcoin, she must buy it,” Pompliano said. Crypto lawyer Andrew Gordon said, “We need more elected officials who understand that Bitcoin and crypto are the future.”

Source: Julian Fahrer

Wendy Rogers, who co-sponsored the bill with State Representative Jeff Weninger, also voiced her disappointment.

“Politicians don’t understand that Bitcoin doesn’t need Arizona. Arizona needs Bitcoin,” Rogers said.

Bitcoiners blast Arizona governor’s ‘ignorance’ after Bitcoin bill veto
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OKX fires back at Tron's Justin Sun over mysterious 'freeze notice'

OKX founder and CEO Star Xu has publicly defended the crypto exchange after Tron founder Justin Sun accused it of failing to act on a law enforcement request to freeze stolen funds following a recent hack of Tron’s official X account.

“OKX also has consumers protection policy according to law, we can’t freeze a customer’s funds according to your personal X post or an oral communication. I think you should understand it as the CEO of HTX,” Xu said in an X post.

OKX says there is no communication in the spam box, either

Xu said that the crypto exchange had not received any related correspondence through OKX’s official channels. “Our LE cooperation team just checked the email, including the spam box; we haven’t received any request related with this case,” Xu said.

Source: Star Xu

In what is now an unavailable X post, but was screenshotted by Xu, Sun had earlier claimed that OKX has not responded to a “freeze notice” sent to its official email address from a “relevant law enforcement agency.” Sun said that he had no other way to contact OKX’s compliance department.

“These stolen funds do not belong to me; I’m acting to protect the community,” Sun said. On May 3, Tron DAO told its 1.7 million X followers that its account had been compromised. Tron explained that during the breach, an unauthorized party posted a malicious crypto token contract address, sent direct messages, and followed unfamiliar accounts.

OKX fires back at Tron's Justin Sun over mysterious 'freeze notice'
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Warren Buffett to step down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO by year's end

Warren Buffett, the CEO of publicly traded investment company Berkshire Hathaway, announced at the company's annual shareholder meeting that he will step down by the end of 2025, and his chosen successor will take over as CEO, pending approval from Berkshire's board of directors.

According to CNBC, Buffett reiterated that Greg Abel, the company's vice chairman of non-insurance operations, who was previously named by Buffett as his successor, will take over. The Berkshire founder announced:

"The time has arrived when Greg should become the Chief executive officer of the company at year-end, and I want to spring that on the directors effectively and give that as my recommendation."

Buffett added that he would stay at the company in an advisory role "but the final word would be what Greg decided," the CEO said. Buffett's decision to step down as CEO comes at a time when Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on cash reserves of roughly $348 billion.

Buffett speaking at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder conference. Source: CNBC

The legendary stock investor has repeatedly called the growing US national debt unsustainable and issued warnings on the increasingly unstable macroeconomic environment that has taken a toll on the stock market.

Related: Galaxy Digital plans Nasdaq listing as crypto stocks post strong rebound

Warren Buffett to step down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO by year's end
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Bitcoin miners should pay costs in depreciating currency — Ledn exec

Bitcoin (BTC) mining firms should hold their mined Bitcoin and use it as collateral for fiat-denominated loans to pay operating expenses instead of selling BTC and losing the upside of an asset that miners expect to surge in price, according to John Glover, chief investment officer at Bitcoin lending firm Ledn.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Glover said that holding onto the BTC carries several benefits including, price appreciation, tax deferment, and the potential to make extra revenue by lending out BTC held in corporate treasuries. The executive added:

"If you are mining, you are generating all this Bitcoin. You understand the thesis behind Bitcoin and why it is likely going to continue to appreciate in the future. You do not want to sell any of your Bitcoin."

This debt-based approach is similar to companies like Strategy, which issue corporate debt and equity to finance Bitcoin acquisition and profit from the diverging fundamentals of BTC and the fiat currencies the corporate capital raises are denominated in.

BTC mining hashprice, a metric used to gauge miner profitability, has collapsed as ever-increasing computing resources are deployed to secure the network. Source: Hashrate Index

Bitcoin-backed loans could be a valuable lifeline for miners struggling in the highly competitive industry, which is facing increased pressure due to the ongoing trade tensions brought on by the Trump administration's protectionist trade policies and macroeconomic uncertainty.

Related: Riot Platforms secures $100M ‘Bitcoin-backed’ loan from Coinbase

Bitcoin miners should pay costs in depreciating currency — Ledn exec
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Ethereum nears key Bitcoin price level that last time sparked 450% gains

Ethereum’s Ether (ETH) token is approaching a critical price zone against Bitcoin (BTC), which historically marked the beginning of a massive rebound.

ETH price fractal from 2019 hints at bottom

The ETH/BTC pair, currently trading near 0.019 BTC, is edging closer to 0.016 BTC — the exact level it reached in September 2019 before rallying nearly 450% over the following year.

ETH/BTC weekly performance chart. Source: TradingView

The current ETH/BTC setup resembles 2019, with both periods marked by oversold relative strength index (RSI), long stretches below key moving averages, and multiyear declines.

In 2019, ETH/BTC fell over 90% in the prior two years, driven by the ICO collapse.

As of 2025, the pair is down over 80% from its 2021 peak, weighed by skepticism over Ethereum’s switch to proof-of-stake (PoS), rising competition, and Bitcoin’s growing dominance as an institutional asset.

Ethereum nears key Bitcoin price level that last time sparked 450% gains
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Why tokenized gold beats other paper alternatives — Gold DAO

Tokenized gold carries several benefits over other forms of paper gold, including gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to Melissa Song and Dustin Becker, representatives of Gold DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization that facilitates investor access to tokenized gold.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, the DAO representatives outlined three major benefits unique to tokenized gold, including 1:1 redeemability for a specific quantity of physical, serialized gold, usage as collateral in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, and transactional efficiency through on-demand liquidity.

"When you buy an ETF, you are betting on the gold price going up, but you do not own any specific gold bar," Song told Cointelegraph.

The pair added that the price of gold surged in 2025 due to the current macroeconomic uncertainty, the high level of US government debt, and geopolitical tensions that are reshaping the global monetary order.

Gold’s price hits all-time highs against the US dollar. Source: TradingView

Related: Geopolitical tensions fuel central bank shift toward gold, crypto — BlackRock exec

Why tokenized gold beats other paper alternatives — Gold DAO
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Bitcoin mining — Institutions boost investments amid favorable US climate

Opinion by: Fakhul Miah, managing director of GoMining Institutional

The Bitcoin (BTC) mining industry has never been more attractive to institutional investors. Fintech giants are investing in Bitcoin mining rather than just accumulating the asset, all thanks to the favorable regulatory environment in the US and the profitability margin of BTC. 

Then, numerous companies are diversifying by allocating computing power to AI, further strengthening their economics and, thus, investment attractiveness. For now, it looks like the future of the foundational layer for the Bitcoin network could mark the new gusher age.

Is Bitcoin mining profitable?

Bitcoin mining is still profitable. CoinShares, a digital asset investment firm, shared that the average cost to mine 1 BTC for US-listed miners reached $55,950 in Q3 2024. Two other popular models — one from MacroMicro and another dubbed the Glassnode Difficulty Regression Model — give different estimates. 

On the very same day of Feb. 20, MacroMicro.me data shows that the average cost to produce 1 BTC hovers above $92,000; Glassnode’s Difficulty Regression Model estimates the cost to mine a single BTC at approximately $34,400, all while the cryptocurrency’s price hit $98,300 on that day.

Bitcoin mining — Institutions boost investments amid favorable US climate
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After Zora airdrop goes awry, what’s next for Web3 creator economy?

Onchain social network Zora has built a reputation as a popular tool for artists, musicians and other creatives to monetize their content onchain, but the recent launch of its eponymous ZORA token has left many users confused and dissatisfied.

The token’s price tanked shortly after launch, with users and observers complaining about everything from poor communication from the team to the token’s distribution and utility models. 

This comes amid an overall decline in interest in the onchain creator economy and a changing perspective on whether blockchain tools like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are still useful for creatives who want to monetize their work on the blockchain.

With creators and builders shifting focus and NFTs no longer selling like they used to, does the ZORA token drop symbolize the end of the creator-driven NFT model? Maybe not, but many creatives are changing their perspectives and the role blockchain should play in the creator economy. 


After Zora airdrop goes awry, what’s next for Web3 creator economy?
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What is a sealed-bid token launch?

What are the various methods for launching crypto tokens?

Launching a new token is a critical step for any blockchain project. Token launches enable projects to offer their native assets to early users, investors or supporters while securing capital or encouraging community growth. 

From initial coin offerings (ICOs) to fair launches and airdrops, each approach carries different levels of transparency, accessibility and risk. Since projects differ in their goals and target communities, several token launch models have evolved over time. 

Some focus on decentralization and wide community offering, while others aim for optimized fundraising or targeted allocation. Elements such as market swings, bot interference and regulatory pressures influence how tokens are brought to the market.

The sealed-bid token launch is a growing trend in this crypto fundraising landscape. Unlike public presales or airdrops, where participants see pricing or allocation terms in advance, sealed-bid models keep each bid confidential until the process ends. This approach is increasingly favored for enabling better price discovery, limiting front-running and curbing manipulation, especially for in-demand tokens.

What is a sealed-bid token launch?
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Deribit eyes US expansion under crypto-friendly Trump admin: FT

Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange, is weighing an entry into the US market, encouraged by what it sees as a friendlier regulatory climate under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a recent Financial Times report.

The Dubai-based exchange, which processed $1.3 trillion in notional volume last year, is “actively reassessing potential opportunities” in the United States, CEO Luuk Strijers told the FT.

He cited the “recent shift toward a more favorable regulatory stance on crypto in the US” as a key motivator behind the decision.

Deribit’s potential plan to expand into the US comes amid reports that Coinbase is in advanced negotiations to acquire the platform.

In a March 21 report, Bloomberg said both companies have notified regulators in Dubai, where Deribit is licensed. If the deal is finalized, the license would need to be transferred to Coinbase.

Deribit eyes US expansion under crypto-friendly Trump admin: FT
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Over 70 crypto firms join forces to tackle big tech’s AI monopoly

In a move that hopes to challenge Big Tech’s grip on artificial intelligence, AI agent protocol Thinkagents.ai has launched a new open-source framework for building onchain agents that operate autonomously across decentralized networks.

While traditional systems aim to restrict data ownership and platform abilities for their users, Thinkagents.ai is creating an interoperable ecosystem owned and controlled by its users. For Mike Anderson, core contributor at THINK, the Think Agent Standard is the future of AI.

Anderson and his team developed the Think Agent Standard to enable millions of autonomous onchain AI agents to transact and communicate. The protocol now has over 70 companies, like Arbitrum and Yuga Labs, on board to help out. 

The platform is now live, allowing developers, enterprises and Web3 communities to experiment with the framework.

“There was always this idea that it’s so much harder to [build AI] and so much more expensive when you have to build a thousand custom ways of doing it,” Anderson said during an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph. “By standardizing demand — the way people want to receive AI — you can get the whole market to line up because they want customers, and getting customers in AI is really difficult.”

Over 70 crypto firms join forces to tackle big tech’s AI monopoly
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Arizona governor vetoes bill to make Bitcoin part of state reserves

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves, effectively ending efforts to make Arizona the first US state to adopt such a policy.

The Digital Assets Strategic Reserve bill, which would have permitted Arizona to invest seized funds into Bitcoin (BTC) and create a reserve managed by state officials, was formally struck down on Friday, according to an update on the Arizona State Legislature’s website.

“Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1025. The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments,” Hobbs wrote in a statement aimed at Warren Petersen, the President of the Arizona Senate.

“Arizonans’ retirement funds are not the place for the state to try untested investments like virtual currency,” she added.

On April 28, the bill passed a final vote in the state House when 31 members of the Arizona House voted in favor of the bill, with 25 opposing. 

Arizona governor vetoes bill to make Bitcoin part of state reserves
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Vitalik wants to make Ethereum ‘as simple as Bitcoin’ in 5 years

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called for simplifying Ethereum’s base protocol, aiming to make the network more efficient, secure and accessible, drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s minimalist design.

In a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1,” published on May 3, Buterin laid out a vision to restructure Ethereum’s architecture across consensus, execution and shared components.

“This post will describe how Ethereum 5 years from now can become close to as simple as Bitcoin,” Buterin wrote, arguing that simplicity is key to Ethereum’s resilience and long-term scalability.

While recent upgrades like proof-of-stake (PoS) and Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARK) integration have made Ethereum more robust, he said that technical complexity has led to bloated development cycles, higher costs and greater risks of bugs:

“Historically, Ethereum has often not done this (sometimes because of my own decisions), and this has contributed to much of our excessive development expenditure, all kinds of security risk, and insularity of R&D culture, often in pursuit of benefits that have proven illusory.”Buterin praises Bitcoin for its simplicity. Source: Vitalik Buterin

Related: ‘Vitalik: An Ethereum Story’ is less about crypto and more about being human

Vitalik wants to make Ethereum ‘as simple as Bitcoin’ in 5 years
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Apple softens crypto-related app rules, 'hugely bullish' for crypto industry

Crypto app developers are now free to direct users to payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem without restrictions or hefty fees, after a United States district judge ruled that Apple violated an injunction in its antitrust legal battle against Epic Games.

“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction, which was issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in an April 30 court filing.

Apple must make changes “effective immediately”

“Effective immediately, Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases,” Rogers added.

Rogers reiterated, “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence.”

Source: Hector Lopez

The ruling stated that Apple must not impose “any commission or any fee on purchases that consumers make outside an app.” It added, “no reason exists to audit, monitor, track or require developers to report purchases or any other activity that consumers make outside an app.”

Apple softens crypto-related app rules, 'hugely bullish' for crypto industry
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Bitcoin bros at 'the club' may stop US gov’t from buying BTC — Arthur Hayes

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says the United States is unlikely to add more Bitcoin to its reserves beyond what it has already seized due to the country’s high debt levels and the stereotype behind “Bitcoin bros.”

“I’m not really into the whole Strategic Reserve situation,” Hayes said in a May 1 interview.

Hayes doubts print money plans for Bitcoin

“The United States is a deficit country; the only way they can do a Strategic Reserve is not sell the Bitcoin they took from people, fine, that’s 200,000 Bitcoin,” he said.

Arthur Hayes spoke to Kyle Chasse on his crypto interview series. Source: Kyle Chasse

However, Hayes said it’s hard to imagine any “properly elected” politician openly announcing that the government plans to print money to buy Bitcoin (BTC).

“Especially when the popular narrative is a bunch of Bitcoin bros going to the club.”

“Is that really what you want people to think about your policy?” he asked.

Bitcoin bros at 'the club' may stop US gov’t from buying BTC — Arthur Hayes
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Stars align for Bitcoin rally to $100K, but futures traders exercise caution — Here’s why

Key takeaways:

BTC hit $97,900 due to soaring institutional investor demand, but futures pricing shows traders aren't confident in a sustained rally.

Macroeconomic risks and global trade tensions cap bullish sentiment despite $3.6 billion in spot BTC ETF inflows.

BTC options lean bullish, suggesting big players expect upside, but their caution keeps leverage use low.

Bitcoin (BTC) broke out of a tight trading range between $93,000 and $95,600 on May 1, following six days of limited movement. Despite reaching its highest price in ten weeks at $97,930, sentiment remains neutral according to BTC derivatives indicators. This price action has occurred alongside significant net inflows into US spot exchange-traded Bitcoin funds (ETFs).

Stars align for Bitcoin rally to $100K, but futures traders exercise caution — Here’s why
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Pro-crypto senator pushes back on Trump's memecoin dinner — Report

Senator Cynthia Lummis and at least one other Republican in Congress are reportedly critical of US President Donald Trump for offering the top holders of his memecoin a dinner and White House tour.

According to a May 2 CNBC report, Lummis said the idea that the US president was offering exclusive access to himself and the White House for people willing to pay for it “gives [her] pause.” She wasn’t the only member of the Republican Party to be critical of Trump’s memecoin perks, announced on April 23, roughly three months after the then-president-elect launched the TRUMP token.  

“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to charge people to come into the Capitol and take a tour,” said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, according to NBC News.

Despite Lummis’ reported “pause” over the president’s actions, on May 2, she posted a video to X of herself speaking on the Senate floor, saying she was “particularly pleased” by Trump’s support of legislation to establish a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve in the United States. The Boosting Innovation, Technology, and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide, or BITCOIN, Act would seemingly codify Trump’s executive order to create a national crypto reserve.

Related: House Democrats want ethics probe on Trump over crypto projects

Pro-crypto senator pushes back on Trump's memecoin dinner — Report
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Bitcoin data, macroeconomic charts point to new BTC all-time high ‘in 100 days’ — Analysts

Key Takeaways:

Analyst predicts a low VIX (

The stablecoin market cap hits $220 billion, driving crypto liquidity and Bitcoin’s bullish price action.

A negative Bitcoin funding rate hints at a possible short-squeeze to $100,000.

Bitcoin network economist Timothy Peterson raised Bitcoin’s (BTC) chances of hitting a new high in 100 days, and he maintains an optimistic outlook in 2025. 

In an analysis shared on X that ties BTC’s price action to the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) —an indicator that measures 30-day market volatility expectations — the analyst pointed out that the VIX index has dropped from 55 to 25 over the past 50 trading days. A VIX score below 18 implied a “risk-on” environment, favoring assets like Bitcoin. 

Bitcoin data, macroeconomic charts point to new BTC all-time high ‘in 100 days’ — Analysts
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