Decentral Block Post

Manta Network co-founder Kenny Li says he was targeted by a highly sophisticated phishing attack on Zoom that used live recordings of familiar people in an attempt to have him download malware. 

The meeting seemed real with the impersonated person’s camera on, but the lack of sound and a suspicious prompt to download a script raised red flags, Li said in an April 17 X post.

“I could see their legit faces. Everything looked very real. But I couldn’t hear them. It said my Zoom needs an update. But it asked me to download a script file. I immediately left.”

Li then asked the impersonator to verify themselves over a Telegram call, however, they didn’t comply and proceeded to erase all messages and block him soon after.

Source: Kenny Li

Li believes the North Korean state-backed Lazarus Group was behind the attack.

American film producer, record executive and art collector David Geffen has hit back at crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun in a countersuit disputing ownership claims over a multimillion-dollar sculpture.

The billionaire American media mogul filed a counterclaim against Sun on April 16, calling the Tron founder’s suit a “sham” and adding claims of “unethical and/or illegal business activities.”

Sun sued Geffen in February, claiming that the statue was stolen from him by a former employee who then sold the artwork to Geffen in a deal worth around $65 million in artwork and cash.

Sun purchased the Alberto Giacometti sculpture titled “Le Nez” at a Sotheby’s auction in 2021 for $78 million, working with the assistance of his former art adviser, Xiong Zihan Sydney.

In the 100-page countersuit, Geffen claims that Sun and Xiong “contrived this fraudulent lawsuit” after they couldn’t profitably sell two paintings that Geffen had exchanged for the sculpture, along with $10.5 million in cash.

Yemeni citizens are increasingly using decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to bank themselves amid US sanctions aimed at the Houthi group, which they have deemed a terrorist organization. 

In the past, internet infrastructure challenges and low financial literacy among the war-torn population contributed to relatively limited crypto adoption, according to an April 17 report from blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs.

“However, there are signs of growing interest and usage driven primarily by necessity rather than speculation,” the blockchain intelligence firm said. 

“For those who use cryptocurrencies in Yemen, the ability to bypass the disruption in local financial services offers a modicum of financial resilience, especially as banks can be difficult to access or are simply inoperable due to the ongoing conflict.” 

Yemen has been in a civil war between the government and the Houthi group since September 2014. The US has also frequently sanctioned financial infrastructure in the country to disrupt Houthi activity, with the most recent action on April 17 hitting the International Bank of Yemen.

DeFi platforms account for most of Yemen’s crypto-related web traffic, taking up over 63% of observed activity, while global centralized exchanges account for 18% of crypto-related web traffic, TRM Labs data shows.

Bitcoin’s relatively stable price movements despite macroeconomic uncertainty is likely due to resilient spot Bitcoin ETF holders and Michael Saylor’s firm continuing to buy aggressively, according to a Bloomberg analyst.

“The ETFs and Saylor have been buying up all ‘dumps’ from the tourists, FTX refugees, GBTC discounters, legal unlocks, govt confiscations and Lord knows who else,” Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said in an April 16 X post.

Bitcoin ETF holders hold despite market volatility

Balchunas pointed out that spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs have attracted $131.04 million over the past 30 days and are up $2.4 billion since Jan. 1. Balchunas called this “impressive,” noting it helps explain why Bitcoin has “been relatively stable.”

“Its owners are more stable,” Balchunas said. Balchunas said Bitcoin ETF investors have “much stronger hands than most people think.” He said this “should” increase the stability and lower Bitcoin’s volatility and correlation in the long term. 

As of April 16, Bitcoin ETFs saw a total of $131.04 million in inflows over the past 30 days. Source: Eric Balchunas

Saylor’s firm, Strategy, made its latest Bitcoin purchase on April 14, acquiring 3,459 BTC for $285.5 million at an average price of $82,618 per coin. According to Saylor Tracker, Strategy holds 531,644 Bitcoin at the time of publication.

Crypto research firm Galaxy Research has made a proposal to adjust the voting system that decides the outcome of future Solana inflation following the failure to come to a consensus in a previous vote.

On April 17, Galaxy introduced a Solana proposal called “Multiple Election Stake-Weight Aggregation” (MESA) to reduce the inflation rate of its native token, SOL (SOL). The researchers described the proposal as a “more market-based approach to agreeing on the rate of future SOL emissions.”

Rather than using traditional yes/no voting for inflation rates, MESA allows validators to vote on multiple deflation rates and uses the weighted average as the outcome.

“Instead of cycling through inflation reduction proposals until one passes, what if validators could allocate their votes to one or many changes, with the aggregate of ‘yes’ outcomes becoming the adopted emissions curve?” Galaxy explained.  

The motivation for the concept comes from a previous proposal (SIMD-228), which showed community agreement that SOL inflation should be reduced, but the binary voting system couldn’t find consensus on specific parameters. 

Update (April 18 at 3:28 am UTC): This article has been updated to include a comment from Bitcoin Laws founder Julian Fahrer.

One of Arizona’s crypto reserve bills has been passed by the House and is now one successful vote away from heading to the governor’s desk for official approval.

Arizona's Strategic Digital Assets Reserve Bill (SB 1373) was approved on April 17 by the House Committee of the Whole, which involves 60 House members weighing in on the bill before a third and final reading and a full floor vote.

Source: Bitcoin Laws

SB 1373 seeks to establish a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund made up of digital assets seized through criminal proceedings to be managed by the state’s treasurer. 

Arizona’s treasurer would be permitted to invest up to 10% of the fund’s total monies in any fiscal year in digital assets. The treasurer would also be able to loan the fund’s assets in order to increase returns, provided it doesn’t increase financial risks.

Slovenia’s Finance Ministry is considering a possible 25% tax on crypto trading profits for residents in the country under a new draft law now open for public consultation. 

The bill proposes to tax traders when they sell their cryptocurrency for fiat or pay for goods and services, but crypto-to-crypto and transfers between wallets owned by the same user will be exempt, Slovenia’s Finance Ministry said in an April 17 statement.

Under the proposed legislation, crypto tax will be aligned with existing tax laws. Slovenia taxpayers will be required to keep a record of all their transactions for annual tax returns. The tax base would be calculated on profits by subtracting the purchase price from the sale price. 

In a statement to the Slovenia Times, finance minister Klemen Boštjančič said it’s unreasonable that crypto trading for individuals isn’t currently taxed in the country. 

“The goal of taxation of crypto assets is not to generate tax revenue, but we find it illogical and unreasonable that one of the most speculative financial instruments is not taxed at all,” he said in a statement translated from Slovenian.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) realized market cap reached a new all-time high of $872 billion, but data from Glassnode reflects investors’ lack of enthusiasm at BTC’s current price levels.

In a recent X post, the analytics platform pointed out that despite the realized cap milestone, the monthly growth rate of the metric has dropped to 0.9% month over month, which implied a risk-off sentiment in the market.

Bitcoin realized cap net position. Source: X.com

Realized cap measures the total value of all Bitcoin at the price they last moved, reflecting the actual capital invested, providing insight into Bitcoin’s economic activity. A slowing growth rate highlights a positive but reduced capital inflow, suggesting fewer new investors or less activity from current holders.

Additionally, Glassnode’s realized profit and loss chart recently exhibited a sharp decline of 40%, which signals high profit-taking or loss realization. The data platform explained,

“This suggests saturation in investor activity and often precedes a consolidation phase as the market searches for a new equilibrium.”

While new investors remained sidelined, existing investors are probably adopting a cautious approach due to the short-term holder’s realized price. Data from CryptoQuant suggested that the current short-term realized price is $91,600. With BTC currently consolidating under the threshold, it implies short-term holders are underwater, which can increase selling pressure if they sell to cut their losses.

Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov has signed a constitutional law authorizing the launch of a central bank digital currency pilot project while also giving the “digital som” — the national currency in digital form — legal tender status.

The law gives the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic the exclusive right to issue the digital som, establish the rules for its issuance and circulation, and oversee the platform on which the national currency will operate, Kyrgyzstan’s presidential office said on April 17.

However, a final decision on whether to officially issue the CBDC is not expected until the end of 2026, local outlet Trend News Agency reported in December.

If the central bank decides to adopt the digital som, it would also need to outline cryptographic protection measures to ensure the digital som remains secure and isn’t used for fraudulent transactions.

Testing of the digital som platform is expected to take place sometime this year.

OpenAI was reportedly in talks to buy Anysphere, the company that produces the Cursor AI coding assistant, before entering into talks with rival company WindSurf.

According to CNBC, OpenAI approached Anysphere in 2024 and again in 2025, but talks stalled both times. Failing to arrive at a deal led OpenAI to look elsewhere for potential acquisitions.

Sources familiar with the deal also say OpenAI is prepared to pay $3 billion to purchase WindSurf, which would make it the company's largest corporate acquisition to date.

An example of OpenAI’s ChatGPT producing computer code through simple text prompts. Source: ChatGPT

OpenAI's attempted acquisition of an AI coding assistant company follows the release of DeepSeek R1 in January 2025, which shattered long-held assumptions about artificial intelligence.

DeepSeek was reportedly trained at a fraction of the cost of leading AI models while delivering comparable performance — challenging the belief that scaling requires massive computing power, rattling financial markets, and raising questions about the billions spent by US AI giants.

Cryptocurrency exchange eXch announced it will cease operations on May 1 after reports alleged the firm was used to launder funds from a Bybit hack.

In an April 17 notice, eXch said the majority of people in its management team voted to “cease and retreat” in response to the allegations that North Korea’s Lazarus Group used the exchange to launder roughly $35 million of the funds stolen in a $1.4 billion exploit on Bybit. The exchange said it was the subject of “an active transatlantic operation” aimed at shutting it down and potentially pursuing charges.

“Even though we have been able to operate despite some failed attempts to shut down our infrastructure (attempts that have also been confirmed to be part of this operation), we don’t see any point in operating in a hostile environment where we are the target of SIGINT [Signals Intelligence] simply because some people misinterpret our goals,” said eXch.

Related: North Korean hackers target crypto devs with fake recruitment tests

The exchange initially denied reports from crypto sleuths suggesting that it had laundered digital assets for the Lazarus Group, but admitted to processing an “insignificant portion of funds” from the February hack. Individuals from eXch’s management team emphasized its focus on user privacy in announcing the shutdown, claiming that some exchanges “abus[e] customers with nonsensical policies” in their attempts to fight money laundering.

Prime brokerage Hidden Road, which was recently acquired by Ripple for $1.25 billion, has secured a broker-dealer license from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) — a move that enhances its capacity in the fixed-income markets. 

As a FINRA broker-dealer, Hidden Road can further develop its fixed-income prime brokerage services and extend its capabilities in traditional markets, the company announced on April 17. This includes offering institutional clients regulatory-compliant clearing and financing services across fixed-income securities. 

Membership in FINRA is considered a significant commitment to compliance and investor protection. It also boosts registrants’ credibility in the eyes of investment bankers, according to Telos Capital Advisors, a Dallas-based investment bank.  

Hidden Road operates a prime brokerage and credit network, clearing more than $10 billion in daily transactions on behalf of more than 300 institutional clients. When it was founded in 2018, Hidden Road focused mainly on foreign exchange markets before expanding into digital assets.

These strengths positioned Hidden Road as an attractive acquisition for blockchain payments network Ripple, which ultimately purchased the company on April 8.

The latest US initial jobless claims data came at 215,000, below the estimated expectation of 225,000, on April 17. The dip in jobless claims indicated that the US labor market remained stable, with fewer people being affected by the uncertainty of US tariffs. Initial jobless claims are a leading economic indicator that measures the health of the US economy and it often impacts investor sentiment around risk assets like Bitcoin (BTC). US jobless claims data. Source: Investing.com

Resiliency in the labor market comes on the back of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s recent comment about the impact of tariffs. In a press conference at the economics club of Chicago on April 16, Powell said,

“The level of the tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated. The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”

The Fed Reserve Chair also stated that the Fed has no plans to intervene with market bailouts or implement rate cuts in the near future. This stance aligns with his earlier comments from April 4, 2025, when he noted it was "too soon" to consider rate reductions, reflecting the Fed's cautious approach amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

However, the European Central Bank cut interest rates to 2.25% from 2.50% in order to combat economic pressure from US trade tariffs. According to data, the ECB has taken borrowing costs to its lowest level since late 2022, with the current rate cut marking its seventh reduction in a span of a year.

Related: Bitcoin gold copycat move may top $150K as BTC stays 'impressive'

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, announced a $55 million investment in LayerZero, a Web3 company that runs a crosschain messaging protocol. The investment was disclosed in an April 17 X post by Ali Yahya, a general partner in the firm.

A16z has made previous investments in LayerZero, including an initial investment in March 2022 and a subsequent investment during LayerZero’s Series B funding round in April 2023. The companies have not disclosed the funding round's valuation.

Source: Ali Yahja | alive.eth

The Canada-based LayerZero was valued at $3 billion during its Series B funding round, which saw participation from 33 investors. In addition to a16z, Circle Ventures, OKX Ventures, OpenSea Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and many others participated at the time. 

In January 2025, LayerZero reached a settlement with the FTX Estate over a long-running dispute stemming from allegations that it exploited the exchange’s liquidity crisis by “negotiating a fire-sale transaction,” according to the Estate. In June 2024, LayerZero launched its own token, LayerZero (ZRO).

Related: ‘Big Sybil hunt’ and durable users helped LayerZero airdrop succeed, says CEO

Ethena Labs, the developer of the USDe synthetic dollar (USDe), and financial technology company Securitize, released a preliminary roadmap for their upcoming Converge network, a high-throughput blockchain focused on real-world assets and decentralized finance (DeFi).

According to the announcement, a testnet will be live in the coming weeks, with a mainnet launch later in 2025.

Converge will feature a 100 milliseconds (ms) native block time, with plans to reduce block times to 50ms by Q4 2025. The developers also plan to achieve at least one gigagas of potential throughput during 2025. Gigagas is a measure of billions of gas units processed by a blockchain network in one second.

Ethena and Securitize are launching the network to support permissioned real-world tokenized applications and permissionless DeFi applications as the line between traditional and decentralized finance continues to blur.

Converge 1-year performance targets. Source: Converge

Related: Ethena Labs exits German market following agreement with BaFin

Key points: 

Monetary stimulus in China and Europe increases investors’ focus on Bitcoin price.

The US Federal Reserve is under political pressure to cut rates, as the DXY weakens.

Bitcoin’s decoupling from traditional markets continues to gain attention. 

Bitcoin (BTC) traders are somewhat puzzled by BTC price jumping to $85,000, especially since the S&P 500 index has dropped 5.7% in April, and this move came after the cryptocurrency managed a 14% rebound off its trade-war induced crash to $74,400. Investors are cautiously optimistic, but multiple events and data points to further gains above $90,000.

US President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, accusing him of being too slow to cut interest rates and escalating a long-running conflict that risks undermining the central bank’s political independence.

With the European Central Bank (ECB) cutting interest rates again on April 17, “Too Late” Powell has failed to act appropriately in the United States, even with inflation falling, Trump said on Truth Social on April 17. 

“Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” Trump said.

Source: realDonaldTrump

Florida Senator Rick Scott agreed with the president, saying, “it’s time for new leadership at the Federal Reserve.”

Trump’s public criticism of the Fed breaks a decades-long convention in American politics that sought to safeguard the central bank from political scrutiny, which includes any executive decision to replace the chair. 

The Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a body authorized by the US state to issue a stablecoin, has suggested that it may clarify its language to better comply with potential guidelines from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In an April 17 meeting in the extension of the Wyoming Capitol building, Commissioner Joel Revill suggested the body could reduce the risk of the state’s proposed WYST stablecoin qualifying as a security under SEC rules. The discussion among the commissioners and Executive Director Anthony Apollo followed the SEC issuing guidelines that certain “covered stablecoins” were considered” non-securities” and largely not subject to reporting requirements. 

Wyoming Stable Token Commission Executive Director Anthony Apollo with Senator Cynthia Lummis. Source: LinkedIn

“We’re looking to kind of create our own vernacular around some of this, to clarify, and then use that as a jumping off point of discussion for the commission,” said Apollo, adding there were internal discussions regarding the SEC guidance but the commission was scheduled to address the matter in a May memo. 

Related: Wyoming treasury should run on blockchain — Stable Token Commission boss

The commission, established after Wyoming passed a law to issue a state-issued stablecoin pegged to the US dollar and redeemable for fiat currency, has been exploring issues surrounding WYST. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said in August that the government initially planned a launch in the first quarter of 2025 for the stablecoin, later amending the timeline to potentially launch in July.

The price of gold surged to a new all-time high of $3,357 per ounce on April 17, igniting speculation on whether Bitcoin (BTC) would follow. Bitcoin-gold comparison. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

In 2017, Bitcoin rallied to $19,120 after gold witnessed a 30% hike a few months earlier. Similarly, gold reached a new high near $2,075 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which preceded Bitcoin’s surge to $69,000 in 2021.

Bitcoin has historically surpassed its previous all-time highs whenever gold rallies, reflecting a dynamic relationship between the two assets during periods of economic uncertainty and when investors look for a US dollar alternative.

Further highlighting the interconnections between the assets, Joe Consorti, head of growth at Theya, pointed out that BTC follows gold’s directional bias with a lag of 100-150 days at a time. Consorti said,

“When the printer roars to life, gold sniffs it out first, then Bitcoin follows harder.”Bitcoin vs gold price movement correlation. Source: X.com

Considering Consorti’s view, Bitcoin is expected to potentially attain new all-time highs between Q3 and Q4 of 2025. Anonymous Bitcoin proponent apsk32 expected a similar outcome or bullish period between July and November.

Huaxia Fund is set to launch staking services on its Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF), making it the second in Hong Kong. OSL Digital Services (OSL) will provide custody and staking infrastructure for the fund.

The staking feature will be live on May 15, moving the ETF from a strictly passive investment vehicle to an “active participant” in the Ethereum ecosystem, according to the announcement from OSL. Huaxia Fund, a subsidiary of China Asset Management (ChinaAMC), first launched its Ether ETF in April 2024. 

The introduction of a staking provision comes after Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) changed its rules on April 7 to allow for entities like centralized exchanges to offer crypto staking in a bid to position the city as a leader in Web3. 

When announcing the rule change, the SFC said it “recognizes the potential benefits of staking in enhancing the security of blockchain networks and allowing investors to earn yields.”

Related: Hong Kong Bitcoin, Ether ETFs attract over $200M on day 1

Barry Silbert, the CEO of Digital Currency Group, said he would have secured higher investment gains by just holding the Bitcoin that he invested in early-stage crypto projects around 2012.

During an April 17 appearance on Raoul Pal's Journey Man podcast, Silbert said he discovered Bitcoin (BTC) in 2011, purchasing BTC at $7-$8 per coin. Once the price of BTC surged, Silbert started looking for early-stage crypto companies to invest in. The executive told Raoul Pal:

"I was using Bitcoin to make a bunch of those investments, and you would think, if you invested in Coinbase you would have done really well. Had I just held the Bitcoin, I actually would have done better than making those investments."

Silbert's comments come at a time when Bitcoin maximalists, including Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor, forecast a seven-figure Bitcoin price in the coming decade, and BTC receives greater attention from governments worldwide.

Bitcoin price history 2011-2025. Source: CoinMarketCap

Related: Bitcoin gold copycat move may top $150K as BTC stays 'impressive'

Bitcoin could hit $1 million if US begins buying BTC

Zach Shapiro, the head of the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) think tank, recently predicted BTC would hit $1 million per coin if the United States government were to purchase 1 million BTC.

Over the past year, most altcoins have struggled to keep up with Bitcoin, but one project is breaking away from the pack: XRP.

While other tokens have stagnated or slid, XRP (XRP) has surged more than 300% in just six months against Bitcoin (BTC) to quickly become one of the best-performing assets in the crypto space. But what’s really behind this rally — and more importantly, can it last?

Some say it’s the fundamentals finally shining through. Others argue it’s just hype and speculation driven by a passionate community. Then there’s the legal, political, and institutional side of things — factors that could have a far greater impact on XRP’s trajectory than many realize.

In Cointelegraph's latest video, we dive deep into the forces driving XRP’s recent performance, the growing institutional interest, and the potential game-changing developments on the horizon. From exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and stablecoins to regulation and Ripple Labs’ evolving strategy, this video breaks it all down.

Whether you’re an XRP holder, a skeptic, or just trying to make sense of the altcoin market in 2025, this is a video you don’t want to miss.

Bitcoin mining company Bit Digital has acquired an industrial building in Madison, North Carolina, upping the ante in a business diversification strategy that includes strategic pivots into AI and high-performance computing. 

Bit Digital agreed to buy the property for $53.2 million through Enovum Data Centers Corp., the company’s wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, regulatory filings show. The investment includes a $2.25 million initial deposit, with $1.2 million being non-refundable. The transaction is expected to close on May 15.

Bit Digital disclosed the acquisition in a Form 8-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Source: SEC

Bit Digital’s regulatory filing was submitted around the same time that it announced a new Tier 3 data center site in Quebec, Canada, which will support the company’s 5 megawatt colocation agreement with AI infrastructure provider Cerebras Systems. 

The Quebec facility is being retrofitted with roughly $40 million in upgrades to meet Tier 3 standards — strict requirements that ensure high reliability for critical systems and continuous operation.

Bit Digital CEO Sam Tabar said at the time that the Quebec operation “represents continued momentum in our strategy to deliver purpose-built AI infrastructure at scale.”

Opinion by: Alexander Guseff, founder and CEO of Tectum

Crypto companies have spent years pushing digital wallets and exchange apps, convinced they’ll bring financial inclusion to the world. Here’s the reality: 1.4 billion people remain unbanked, and crypto adoption has barely exceeded 8%. For all the talk about decentralization and accessibility, the industry continues to overlook the billions of people who rely on cash for their daily lives.

In developing economies of Africa, South Asia and Latin America, cash is not just dominant — it’s essential. Banking services are sparse, smartphone penetration is low, and digital literacy remains a hurdle. Expecting these populations to onboard through a process designed for tech-savvy users with internet access is unrealistic.

Yet whenever offline crypto solutions have been tested, adoption has jumped. The message is clear: People are willing to use crypto but need a way to access it that fits their reality.

The global reality of cash dependence

Despite assumptions that digital finance will eventually replace cash, that’s not what the numbers show. Take Romania. Notably, 76% of transactions there are still cash-based, yet crypto adoption has hit 14%. In Morocco, cash remains king despite digital payment growth, yet 16% of the population has found a way to use crypto — even though it’s officially banned.

Cryptocurrency and equities markets entered a “new phase of the trade war, amid ongoing tariff escalations between the United States and China.

Global trade war concerns intensified on April 15 after the White House published a fact sheet announcing that Chinese imports would be hit with tariffs of up to 245%.

The penalties include a “125% reciprocal tariff, a 20% tariff to address the fentanyl crisis, and Section 301 tariffs on specific goods, between 7.5% and 100%,” according to the White House.

Fact sheet on tariffs, investigation into security risks posed by US reliance on imports. Source: White House

Crypto, tech stocks and other “expensive assets” have entered a “new phase” of the global trade war in response to the latest escalation, according to Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at crypto intelligence platform Nansen.

“We are now in a new phase of the trade war, with the focus on high-added-value sectors, Tech (and Pharma), and the zeroing in on US-China,” the analyst told Cointelegraph, adding:

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, is facing antitrust proceedings that could limit its ability to develop AI amid a field of competitors.

First filed in 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that Meta’s strategy of absorbing firms — rather than competing with them — violates antitrust laws. If the court rules against Meta, it could be forced to spin out its various messenger services and social media sites into independent companies.

The loss of its stable of social media companies could harm Facebook’s competitiveness not only in the social media industry but also in its ability to train and develop its proprietary Llama AI models with data from those sites.

The trial could take anywhere from a couple of months to a year, but the outcome will have lasting consequences on Meta’s standing in the AI race.

Meta’s antitrust case and its effect on AI

The FTC first opened its complaint against Meta in 2020 when the firm was still operating as Facebook. The agency’s amended complaint a year later alleges that Meta (then Facebook) used an illegal “buy-or-bury” scheme on more creative competitors after its “failed attempts to develop innovative mobile features for its network.” This resulted in a monopoly of the “friends and family” social media market.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price failed another attempt at breaking above resistance at $86,000 on April 16 as  Fed Chair Jerome Powell dashed hopes of early rate cuts, citing the impact of Trump’s tariffs.

Since April 9, BTC price has formed daily candle highs between $75,000 and $86,400, but has been unable to produce a close above $86,000.

BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Many analysts and traders ask, “Where is Bitcoin price headed next?” as the asset remains stuck in a tight range on the lower time frame (LTF) of the 4-hour chart.

88% chance interest rates unchanged

Polymarket bettors say there is an 88% chance that the current interest rates will remain between 4.25% and 4.50%, leaving just a 10% probability of a 0.25% rate cut.

Interest rate expectations. Source: Polymarket

However, a common market belief is that any bearish price action from unchanged interest rates is already priced in.

Eliza Labs, the developer behind the AI agent framework ai16z, announced the launch of auto.fun, a new no-code platform allowing users to launch AI agents on Web3 applications.

Auto.fun allows for the creation, deployment and monetization of AI agents by non-developers without programming knowledge, according to an April 17 announcement.

The platform supports the creation of AI agents that interact with social media, decentralized finance (DeFi) apps and other Web3 services.

“The vision for auto.fun is to democratize access to both AI and Web3 technologies by creating agents that can execute tasks autonomously on behalf of users,” said Shaw Walters, founder of Eliza Labs and the open-source elizaOS.

The animated ASCII art shown to auto.fun visitors ahead of launch. Source: auto.fun

Walters said the agents could automate yield farming strategies, manage social media accounts or trade on behalf of users. The platform is focused on X support, with DeFi, gaming and other application support promised in the future.

Mantra’s OM token collapsed by more than 90% overnight, and the crypto world can’t agree on why. On April 13, OM’s price plummeted from over $6 to below $0.50, wiping out more than $5 billion in market cap and triggering widespread panic across the crypto industry.

The sudden crash drew comparisons to Terra’s LUNA implosion as traders scrambled for answers. Unverified rumors of insider dumping, forced liquidations, mislabeled wallets and exchange manipulation quickly spread — but Mantra insists it was caught in the middle.

Mantra had built a strong position in the real-world asset tokenization narrative heading into April 13, backed by a $1-billion deal to tokenize Dubai-based Damac Group’s real estate and data centers. It secured a Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) license in Dubai and launched a $108-million ecosystem fund with support from heavyweights such as Laser Digital, Shorooq, Amber Group and Brevan Howard Digital. In February 2025, the OM token hit an all-time high of nearly $9.

But on April 13, that momentum was violently interrupted. The hours that followed painted a messy picture of token transfers, insider speculation and shifting blame. Here’s a detailed look at how the OM collapse played out.

24 hours of the Mantra OM fiasco

April 13 (16:00–18:00 UTC)

Mantra’s OM token was trading sideways throughout the day. It dropped from $6.14 to $5.52 during this two-hour window.