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Trump’s World Liberty Financial buys $775K in SEI in altcoin buying spree

The Trump family-backed crypto project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has added 4.89 million SEI tokens valued at $775,000 to its portfolio, according to onchain data.

Data from blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence shows the purchase was made on April 12 by one of WLFI’s trading wallets using USDC transferred from the project’s main wallet. It’s the same trading wallet previously used by WLFI to accumulate other altcoins.

WLFI holds a diversified portfolio, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and a larger number of altcoins, such as Tron (TRX), Ondo Finance (ONDO), Avalanche (AVAX) and now Sei (SEI).

According to blockchain researcher Lookonchain, WLFI has spent a total of $346.8 million accumulating 11 different tokens, but as of April 12, it has yet to see a profit on any of them. The project’s Ethereum investments alone are currently down over $114 million. 

Overall, Lookonchain says WLFI’s portfolio is down $145.8 million.

Trump’s World Liberty Financial buys $775K in SEI in altcoin buying spree
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Commerce Secretary Lutnick walks back tariff relief on electronics

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick walked back the recent reciprocal tariff exemption on select electronics announced in an April 12 bulletin from the United States Customs and Border Protection.

On April 13, Lutnick told ABC News that the reciprocal tariff exemption was temporary until the administration established a sector tariff regime for semiconductor products, which includes phones, graphics processors, and computing chips in a "month or two." Lutnick added:

"President Trump has called out pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and autos. He called them sector tariffs, and those are not available for negotiation. They are just going to be part of making sure we ensure core national security items are made in this country."

"We can't be relying on China for fundamental things we need. Our medicines and our semiconductors need to be built in America," Lutnick continued. The official also said he was confident that the US and China would arrive at a trade deal through negotiations.

The emphasis on national security and onshoring critical industries could signal that the trade tariffs will be a long-term geostrategic policy and not simply a short-term negotiation tactic to make US exports more attractive, as some analysts have suggested.

The Volatility S&P Index (VIX), a measure of the S&P stock index’s volatility, remains elevated amid macroeconomic uncertainty. Source: TradingView

Commerce Secretary Lutnick walks back tariff relief on electronics
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Bitcoin rallies amid macroeconomic concerns — Are HYPE, ONDO, RNDR and KAS next?

Bitcoin (BTC) made a brilliant comeback this week, rising more than 7%, indicating solid buying at lower levels. BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes said in a post on X that the US bond market crisis could be setting the stage for more policy response, and that could result in an “up only mode” for Bitcoin.

Blockchain and intelligence platform Glassnode said in a post on X that Bitcoin had built solid support at $79,000, with roughly 40,000 Bitcoin accumulated there. Bollinger Bands creator John Bollinger also echoed similar views. In a post on X, Bollinger said that Bitcoin was forming a “classic Bollinger Band W bottom,” but it needed confirmation.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360

Market participants will be closely watching the performance of the US dollar index (DXY), which is trading below the 100 level. Any further weakness in the US dollar could be bullish for Bitcoin. 

If Bitcoin manages to hold on to the higher levels, it is likely to boost the sentiment in the cryptocurrency sector. That could trigger a recovery in select altcoins. What are the cryptocurrencies that may benefit from Bitcoin’s strength?   

Bitcoin rallies amid macroeconomic concerns — Are HYPE, ONDO, RNDR and KAS next?
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Mantra token price collapses by over 90% in 24 hours

The price of the Mantra (OM) token, the native cryptocurrency of the Mantra real-world tokenized asset blockchain, has collapsed by over 90% in the last 24 hours.

On April 13, Mantra fell from a price of approximately $6.3 to below $0.50 and shed over 90% of its $6 billion market cap.

Some traders characterized the token collapse as an apparent rug pull. Market investor Gordon wrote: "[The] team needs to address this or OM looks like it could head to zero, biggest rug pull since LUNA/FTX?"

However, the exact reason for the collapse of the OM token's price is not clear at the time of this writing. Cointelegraph reached out to the Mantra team for comment on the OM token collapse but did not receive an answer by the time of publication.

The incident follows several high-profile token collapses and cybersecurity incidents, including the Libra memecoin implosion and the $1.4 billion Bybit hack, responsible for billions of dollars in investor losses during the first few months of 2025.

Mantra token price collapses by over 90% in 24 hours
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Saylor signals Strategy is buying the dip amid macroeconomic turmoil

Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor has signaled that the company plans to acquire more Bitcoin (BTC) following a nearly two-week pause in purchases.

The company's most recent acquisition of 22,048 Bitcoin on March 31 brought its total holdings to 528,185 BTC.

According to SaylorTracker, Strategy's BTC investment is up by approximately 24%, representing over $8.6 billion in unrealized gains.

Strategy continues to accumulate BTC amid the recent market downturn that took Bitcoin's price below the $80,000 level, and the company continues to be closely monitored by BTC investors as a barometer for institutional interest in BTC.

Strategy’s Bitcoin purchase history. Source: SaylorTracker

Saylor signals Strategy is buying the dip amid macroeconomic turmoil
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Web3 needs to be more human, and emotional AI is the answer

Opinion by: Max Giammario, founder and CEO of Kindred

The interfaces and user experience in Web3 tools are terrible, even more so when compared to their Web2 counterparts. This lackluster experience for Web3 is losing the attention of as many users as desired, and with how fast the ecosystem moves, these shortcomings are rarely paid attention to.

AI agents can be an excellent tool to overcome these weaknesses. Their potential to improve development and user experience is remarkable, although it has yet to reach its real potential. Once combined with emotional AI, which will enable us to understand contexts beyond their programming, we will see a quantum leap from Web3 tools to ordinary users.

Web3’s learning curve is very steep

Consider your first interactions with a Web3 wallet — a scary, difficult experience. Many people fear that, at any moment, they could make a mistake, which could mean losing money. This situation can be less uncomfortable if we add agents with emotional AI that can guide new users and provide personalized support, keeping people at ease during their learning process.

If the first interaction with Web3 is seamless in this way, adoption could grow. A better user experience would be a win-win for the entire industry, which suffers from having few users. Reaching a level of adoption of a Web2 tool would be a win for the ecosystem.

Web3 needs to be more human, and emotional AI is the answer
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Bitcoin price tags $86K as Trump tariff relief boosts breakout odds

Bitcoin (BTC) hit an eleven-day high on April 13 as the crypto market relief rally closely tracked US financial policy changes.

BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bitcoin traders say brace for more volatility

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD reaching $86,000 for the first time since April 2.

The pair had reacted well to news that US President Donald Trump had decided to exclude certain key products from his ongoing trade tariffs against China.

Traditional markets are closed on weekends —creating lower-liquidity trading in crypto markets and raising the chance for price volatility— with Bitcoin subsequently dropping under $84,000.

Bitcoin price tags $86K as Trump tariff relief boosts breakout odds
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‘Bitcoin Standard’ author to develop Austrian economics curriculum for UK school

Lomond School, a private institution in Scotland, will begin accepting Bitcoin for tuition payments and is collaborating with Bitcoin author Saifedean Ammous to introduce a new curriculum focused on Bitcoin and Austrian economics.

Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, is developing an educational curriculum combining the principles of Bitcoin (BTC) and Austrian economics.

“I'm going to be working with Lomond School to develop a curriculum for bitcoin and Austrian economics,” Ammous wrote in an April 12 X post, sharing his excitement for “making the material widely available worldwide.”

Source: Saifedean Ammous

Lomond School Principal Claire Chisholm confirmed the collaboration on April 12, writing that she was “thrilled to be working with Dr. Ammous” and appreciative of the “positivity of the Bitcoin community.”

‘Bitcoin Standard’ author to develop Austrian economics curriculum for UK school
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NFT trader faces prison for $13M tax fraud on CryptoPunk profits

A non-fungible token (NFT) trader could face up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to underreporting nearly $13 million in profits from trading CryptoPunks, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Waylon Wilcox, 45, admitted to filing false income tax returns for the 2021 and 2022 tax years. The former CryptoPunk investor pleaded guilty on April 9 to two counts of filing false individual income tax returns, federal prosecutors said in an April 11 press release.

Back in April 2022, Wilcox filed a false individual income tax return for the tax year 2021, which underreported his income tax by roughly $8.5 million and reduced his tax due by approximately $2.1 million.

In October 2023, Wilcox filed another false individual tax income return for the fiscal year of 2022, underreporting his income tax by an estimated $4.6 million and reducing his tax due by nearly $1.1 million.

Wilcox pleads guilty to false tax filing, press release. Source: Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

NFT trader faces prison for $13M tax fraud on CryptoPunk profits
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How to build an AI crypto trading bot with custom GPTs

AI is transforming how people interact with financial markets, and cryptocurrency trading is no exception. With tools like OpenAI’s Custom GPTs, it is now possible for beginners and enthusiasts to create intelligent trading bots capable of analyzing data, generating signals and even executing trades.

This guide analyzes the fundamentals of building a beginner-friendly AI crypto trading bot using Custom GPTs. It covers setup, strategy design, coding, testing and important considerations for safety and success.

What is a custom GPT?

A custom GPT (generative pretrained transformer) is a personalized version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It can be trained to follow specific instructions, work with uploaded documents and assist with niche tasks, including crypto trading bot development.

These models can help automate tedious processes, generate and troubleshoot code, analyze technical indicators and even interpret crypto news or market sentiment, making them ideal companions for building algorithmic trading bots.

What you’ll need to get started

Before creating a trading bot, the following components are necessary:

How to build an AI crypto trading bot with custom GPTs
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Bitcoiners were first to realize US economic data ‘was wrong’ — Pompliano

Bitcoin (BTC) holders were the first to point out flaws in the United States economic data and position themselves for the potential upside, says crypto entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano.

“Bitcoiners were the first large-scale group to recognize the economic data was wrong, and they figured out a way to financially capture upside if they were right,” Pompliano said in an April 12 X post.

Pompliano foresees more will realize data is “inaccurate”

“The unspoken secret as to why so many finance folks are wrong in their analysis of the tariffs is because the finance folks believe the government data,” he added.

Amid the widespread uncertainty and ongoing fear over US President Donald Trump’s imposed tariffs, Pompliano questioned the accuracy of US inflation figures, job numbers, and GDP statistics. He added that “eventually everyone else will realize the data is inaccurate.”

It comes after Pompliano pointed out in a March 20 LinkedIn post, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s appearance on the All-In podcast, where Bessent was asked directly if he trusted the data — and replied, “no.”

Bitcoiners were first to realize US economic data ‘was wrong’ — Pompliano
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Crypto gaming and gambling ads ‘most expensive’ for onboarding users

Crypto gaming and gambling campaigns are the most expensive way to acquire users with existing crypto wallets, ranking highest in cost among all sectors of the crypto industry, recent data shows.

“Gaming and gambling campaigns are the most expensive, with a median CPW of $8.74 and a lower quartile of $3.40,” Web3 marketing firm Addressable co-founder Asaf Nadler said in a recent report posted on X. CPW, or cost per wallet, is deemed a higher “quality” metric because it tracks the cost of website visitors with a crypto wallet already installed in their browser.

“Higher churn” rate may be to blame

Nadler previously told Cointelegraph that their analysis data showed that users with a wallet are more likely to convert to crypto products.

CPW across different regions during the bull markets in Q1 an Q4 of 2024. Source: Asaf Nadler

Nadler said the high cost-to-return ratio of crypto gaming and gambling might be due to “higher churn, speculative behavior, and intense competition.” He added:

Crypto gaming and gambling ads ‘most expensive’ for onboarding users
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Senator Tim Scott is confident market structure bill passed by August

Senator Tim Scott, the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, recently said that he expects a crypto market bill to be passed into law by August 2025.

The chairman also noted the Senate Banking Committee's advancement of the GENIUS Act, a comprehensive stablecoin regulatory bill, in March 2025, as evidence that the committee prioritizes crypto policy. In a statement to Fox News, Scott said:

"We must innovate before we regulate — allowing innovation in the digital asset space to happen here at home is critical to American economic dominance across the globe."

Scott's timeline for a crypto market structure bill lines up with expectations from Kristin Smith, CEO of the crypto industry advocacy group Blockchain Association, of market structure and stablecoin legislation being passed into law by August.

The Trump administration has emphasized that comprehensive crypto regulations are central to its plans for protecting the value of the US dollar and establishing the country as a global leader in digital assets by attracting investment into US-based crypto firms.

Senator Tim Scott highlights the Senate Banking Committee’s goals and accomplishments in 2025. Source: Fox News

Senator Tim Scott is confident market structure bill passed by August
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US Social Security moves public comms to X amid DOGE-led job cuts — Report

The US Social Security Administration (SSA) will move all public communications to the X social media platform amid sweeping workforce cuts recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by X owner Elon Musk.

According to anonymous sources who spoke with WIRED, the government agency will no longer issue its customary letters and press releases to communicate changes to the public, instead relying on X as its primary form of public-facing communication.

The shift comes as the SSA downsizes its workforce from 57,000 employees to roughly 50,000 to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. The agency issued this statement in February 2025:

“SSA has operated with a regional structure consisting of 10 offices, which is no longer sustainable. The agency will reduce the regional structure in all agency components down to four regions. The organizational structure at Headquarters also is outdated and inefficient.”

Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, has accused the Social Security system of distributing billions of dollars in wrongful payments, a claim echoed by the White House. Musk's comments sparked intense debate about the future of the retirement program and sustainable government spending.

Source: Elon Musk

US Social Security moves public comms to X amid DOGE-led job cuts — Report
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Trump exempts select tech products from tariffs, crypto to benefit?

United States President Donald Trump has exempted an array of tech products including, smartphones, chips, computers, and select electronics from reciprocal tariffs, giving the tech industry a much-needed respite from trade pressures.

According to the US Customs and Border Protection, storage cards, modems, diodes, semiconductors, and other electronics were also excluded from the ‘reciprocal’ trade tariffs.

"Large-cap technology companies will ultimately come out ahead when this is all said and done," The Kobeissi letter wrote in an April 12 X post.

US Customs and Border Protection announces tariff exemptions on select tech products. Source: US Customs and Border Protection

The tariff relief will take the pressure off of tech stocks, which were one of the biggest casualties of the trade war. Crypto markets are correlated with tech stocks and could also rally as risk appetite increases on positive trade war headlines.

Trump exempts select tech products from tariffs, crypto to benefit?
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Asia holds crypto liquidity, but US Treasurys will unlock institutional funds

Opinion by: Jack Lu, CEO of BounceBit

For years, crypto has promised a more open and efficient financial system. A fundamental inefficiency remains: the disconnect between US capital markets and Asia’s liquidity hubs.

The United States dominates capital formation, and its recent embrace of tokenized treasuries and real-world assets signals a significant step toward blockchain-based finance. Meanwhile, Asia has historically been a global crypto trading and liquidity hub despite evolving regulatory shifts. These two economies operate, however, in silos, limiting how capital can move seamlessly into digital assets.

This isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a structural weakness preventing crypto from becoming a true institutional asset class. Solving it will cause a new era of structured liquidity, making digital assets more efficient and attractive to institutional investors.

The capital bottleneck holding crypto back

Inefficiency between US capital markets and Asian crypto hubs stems from regulatory fragmentation and a lack of institutional-grade financial instruments.

Asia holds crypto liquidity, but US Treasurys will unlock institutional funds
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CZ claps back against ‘baseless’ US plea deal allegations

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, former CEO of Binance, has denied claims that he agreed to provide evidence against Tron founder Justin Sun as part of a plea deal with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

In an April 11 report, The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources alleging that CZ had agreed to testify against Sun under the terms of his settlement with US prosecutors.

“As part of Zhao’s plea deal, he agreed to give evidence on Sun to prosecutors,” an “arrangement” that “hasn’t previously been reported,” the WSJ report stated, citing sources familiar with the matter.

“WSJ is really TRYING here. They seem to have forgotten who went to prison and who didn't,” Zhao wrote in an April 12 X post. “People who become gov witnesses don’t go to prison. They are protected. I heard someone paid WSJ employees to smear me.”

Source: Changpeng Zhao

CZ claps back against ‘baseless’ US plea deal allegations
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NFT trader sells CryptoPunk after a year for nearly $10M loss

An investor has sold a CryptoPunk non-fungible token (NFT) at a nearly $10 million realized loss, reflecting the continued decline in the once-booming blue-chip NFT market.

A whale, or large cryptocurrency investor, sold a CryptoPunk NFT for 4,000 Ether (ETH) worth more than $6 million at the time of writing.

The investor originally purchased the NFT for 4,500 ETH, or roughly $15.7 million, a year ago, according to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain.

“Did he only lose 500 $ETH($774K)? No—he actually lost $9.73M!” Lookonchain wrote in an X post. “When he bought it, $ETH was trading at $3,509. By the time he sold, $ETH had dropped 57%,” the platform added.

CryptoPunk buy and sell. Source: Arkham Intelligence / Lookonchain

NFT trader sells CryptoPunk after a year for nearly $10M loss
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Bitcoin still on track for $1.8M in 2035, says analyst

Bitcoin remains on track to surpass $1.8 million by 2035 despite recent price corrections and waning investor appetite caused by ongoing global trade tensions, according to Joe Burnett, director of market research at Unchained.

Speaking during Cointelegraph’s Chainreaction live show on X, Burnett said that Bitcoin is still in a long-term bullish cycle and could potentially rival or surpass gold’s $21 trillion market capitalization within the next decade.

Despite tariff uncertainty limiting risk appetite among investors, research analysts remain optimistic about Bitcoin’s (BTC) long-term prospects for the next decade.

“When I think about where Bitcoin will be in 10 years, there are two models I admire,” Burnett said. “One is the parallel model, which suggests that Bitcoin will be about $1.8 million in 2035.” “The other is Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin 24 model, which suggests Bitcoin will be $2.1 million by 2035.”

Burnett emphasized that both are “good base cases,” adding that Bitcoin’s trajectory could exceed these predictions depending on broader macroeconomic factors.

Bitcoin still on track for $1.8M in 2035, says analyst
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SEC and Binance push for another pause in lawsuit after ‘productive’ talks

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and crypto exchange Binance have asked a US federal judge for an additional two-month pause in their nearly two-year legal battle.

“Since the Court stayed this case, the Parties have been in productive discussions, including discussions concerning how the efforts of the crypto task force may impact the SEC’s claims,” both parties said in an April 11 joint status report with the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

SEC requests Binance to agree to the extension

According to the filing, the SEC requested and Binance agreed to another 60-day extension as the regulator continues to seek permission to “approve any resolution or changes to the scope of this litigation.”

“The Defendants agreed that continuing the stay is appropriate and in the interest of judicial economy,” the filing said.

The request comes not long after the SEC dropped a string of crypto-related lawsuits against crypto exchanges Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini, as well as Robinhood and Consenys.

SEC and Binance push for another pause in lawsuit after ‘productive’ talks
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Justin Sun 'not aware' of circulating reports about CZ plea deal

Tron founder Justin Sun says he’s unaware of the recent rumors surrounding former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, following reports alleging that Zhao provided evidence against him as part of his plea deal with the US Department of Justice (DoJ).

“I’m not aware of the circulating rumors. CZ is both my mentor and a close friend,” Sun said in an April 11 X post.

Sun brushes off CZ rumors

“He has played a crucial role in supporting me during my entrepreneurial journey,” Sun added.

Sun’s X post came just hours after speculation grew over an April 11 Wall Street Journal report, which alleged that Zhao agreed to provide evidence on Sun as part of his plea deal, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Source: db

Justin Sun 'not aware' of circulating reports about CZ plea deal
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US crypto industry needs band-aid now, 'long-term solution' later — Uyeda

A fast-tracked temporary crypto regulatory framework could bolster innovation within the US crypto industry while permanent regulations are still in the works, says acting US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Mark Uyeda.

“A time-limited, conditional exemptive relief framework for registrants and non-registrants could allow for greater innovation with blockchain technology within the United States in the near term,” Uyeda said at the SEC’s April 11 Crypto Task Force roundtable titled “Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading.”

Relief measures may address immediate challenges

Uyeda said this might be the short-term answer as the SEC works toward a “long-term solution,” at the roundtable with SEC members and crypto industry executives, including Uniswap Labs’ Katherine Minarik, Cumberland DRW’s Chelsea Pizzola, and Coinbase’s Gregory Tusar.

He flagged state-by-state regulation of crypto trading as a concern, warning it could lead to a “patchwork of state licensing regimes.”

Uyeda said that a favorable federal regulatory framework would ease the burden for market participants wishing to offer tokenized securities and non-security crypto assets, allowing them to operate under a single SEC license instead of navigating “fifty different state licenses.”

US crypto industry needs band-aid now, 'long-term solution' later — Uyeda
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US Senate bill threatens crypto, AI data centers with fees — Report

Draft legislation in the US Senate threatens to hit data centers serving blockchain networks and artificial intelligence models with fees if they exceed federal emissions targets, according to an April 11 Bloomberg report. 

Led by Senate Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse and John Fetterman, the draft bill purportedly aims to address environmental impacts from rising energy demand and protect households from higher energy bills, Bloomberg said.

Dubbed the Clean Cloud Act, the legislation mandates that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set an emissions performance standard for data centers and crypto mining facilities with over 100 KW of installed IT nameplate power.

The standard would be based on regional grid emissions intensities, with an 11% annual reduction target. The legislation also includes penalties for emissions exceeding the set standard, starting at $20 per ton of CO2e, with the penalty increasing annually by inflation plus an additional $10.

“Surging power demand from cryptominers and data centers is outpacing the growth of carbon-free electricity,” notes a minority blog post on the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works website, adding that data centers’ electricity usage is projected to account for up to 12% of the US total power demand by 2028.

US Senate bill threatens crypto, AI data centers with fees — Report
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Scotland's Lomond School accepts Bitcoin for tuition payments, a first in the UK

The Lomond School in Scotland will accept Bitcoin (BTC) tuition payments beginning in the Autumn semester of 2025, making it the first school in the United Kingdom to do so.

Accepting Bitcoin is part of the school's plan to integrate “sound money principles” from the Austrian School of Economics into the curriculum to "prepare students for the uncertain future,” the announcement reads, adding:

"Bitcoin is available to anyone willing to learn — making it more democratic and inclusive, particularly for people in developing nations who lack access to traditional banking. Lomond sees Bitcoin as a perfect real-world case study in economics, computing, ethics, and innovation."

The school has no plans to accept other cryptocurrencies, and will convert the BTC to fiat currency immediately, according to the announcement. It might establish a BTC treasury in the future, pending input from the Lomond community.

Lomond's announcement highlights the growing tide of institutions adopting Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation amid turmoil in the global financial order.

Value of the British pound (GBP) 1209-2025. Source: Statista

Scotland's Lomond School accepts Bitcoin for tuition payments, a first in the UK
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Crypto Biz: Ripple’s ‘defining moment,’ Binance’s ongoing purge

Ripple made headlines this week when it became the first crypto-native company to acquire a multi-asset prime broker, potentially setting the stage for wider adoption of its XRP Ledger technology. 

The acquisition of Hidden Road didn’t come cheap, either, as Ripple doled out $1.25 billion for the brokerage. It was a price Ripple CEO Brad Garlinhouse was happy to pay as the company set its sights on global expansion. 

Elsewhere, crypto exchange Binance listened to its community and moved to delist 14 tokens that no longer met its quality thresholds. Meanwhile, Binance’s former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, was appointed adviser for Pakistan’s newly formed crypto counsel. 

All this happened against a backdrop of negative headlines and plunging crypto prices stemming from the US-led trade war, which culminated in President Donald Trump’s executive order establishing a 104% tariff on Chinese imports. 

Despite the chaos, a panel of industry experts told Cointelegraph that the crypto bull market is far from over. In fact, it hasn’t even started yet. 

Crypto Biz: Ripple’s ‘defining moment,’ Binance’s ongoing purge
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US Fed 'absolutely' ready to step in if liquidity dries up — Voting member

The US Federal Reserve is prepared to use its vast arsenal of monetary policy tools to prevent financial and economic conditions from deteriorating rapidly but will do so only if liquidity dries up or markets become disorderly, a top central banker said.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Boston Fed President Susan Collins said the central bank “would absolutely be prepared” to backstop markets if needed.

Source: Walter Bloomberg

While it is generally understood that the Fed is always prepared to act quickly to stave off market chaos, Collins’ remarks come on the heels of asset selloffs across stocks and bonds, which have raised concerns about the health of the US financial system.

Overall, however, the Fed is “not seeing liquidity concerns,” said Collins. If that were to change, policymakers would have “tools to address concerns about markets functioning or liquidity,” she said.

US Fed 'absolutely' ready to step in if liquidity dries up — Voting member
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Bitcoin price preparing for 'up only mode' as US bonds suffer worst selloff since 2019

Bitcoin (BTC) is entering what former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes calls “up only mode,” as a deepening crisis in the US bond market potentially drives investors away from traditional haven assets and toward alternative stores of value.

Loss of confidence in US policy boosts Bitcoin’s upside prospects

On April 11, the benchmark US 10-year Treasury yield surged above 4.59%—its highest level in two months.

US 10-year Treasury note yields daily performance chart. Source: TradingView

The $29 trillion US Treasury market has dropped more than 2% this week — its steepest decline since September 2019, when a liquidity crunch in the repo market forced the Federal Reserve to intervene.

US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff announcements and reversals have fueled the chaos. After threatening sweeping levies on global trading partners, Trump walked back many of the measures within days for certain countries, except China.

Bitcoin price preparing for 'up only mode' as US bonds suffer worst selloff since 2019
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This year's top ETF strategy? Shorting Ether — Bloomberg Intelligence

Betting against Ether has been the best performing exchange traded fund (ETF) strategy so far in 2025, according to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas.

Two ETFs designed to take two-times leveraged short positions in Ether claimed (ETH) first and second place in a Bloomberg Intelligence ranking of the year’s top-performing funds, Balchunas said in a post on the X platform.  

In the year-to-date, ProShares UltraShort Ether ETF (ETHD) and T Rex 2X Inverse Ether Daily Target ETF (ETQ) are up approximately 247% and 219%, respectively, Bloomberg Intelligence data showed. 

The implications for Ether are “brutal,” Balchunas said. Ether itself is down approximately 54% year-to-date on April 11, according to Cointelegraph’s market data.

Both ETFs use financial derivatives to inversely track Ether’s performance with twice as much volatility as the underlying cryptocurrency. Leveraged ETFs do not always perfectly track their underlying assets. 

This year's top ETF strategy? Shorting Ether — Bloomberg Intelligence
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Fed’s Kashkari hints at liquidity support — Is $100K Bitcoin back on the table?

Neel Kashkari, President of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, addressed the issue of rising Treasury yields on April 11, suggesting that they might indicate a shift in investor sentiment away from United States government debt. Kashkari highlighted that the Federal Reserve has tools to provide more liquidity if necessary.

While underscoring the importance of maintaining a strong commitment to reducing inflation, Kashkari’s remarks signal a possible turning point for Bitcoin (BTC) investors amid growing economic uncertainty. 

US Treasury 10-year yields. Source: TradingView / Cointelegraph

The current 10-year US government bond yield of 4.5% is not unusual. Even if it approaches 5%, a level last seen in October 2023, this does not necessarily mean investors have lost confidence in the Treasury's ability to meet its debt obligations. For example, gold prices only surpassed $2,000 in late November 2023, after yields had already decreased to 4.5%.

Will the Fed inject liquidity, and is this positive for Bitcoin?

Rising Treasury yields often signal concerns about inflation or economic uncertainty. This is crucial for Bitcoin traders because higher yields tend to make fixed-income investments more appealing. However, if these rising yields are perceived as a sign of deeper systemic issues—such as waning confidence in government fiscal policies—investors may turn to alternative hedges like Bitcoin.

Fed’s Kashkari hints at liquidity support — Is $100K Bitcoin back on the table?
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Bitcoin’s 10% weekly gain amid worrying US economic data shows crypto trader sentiment shift

A key Bitcoin (BTC) metric signaled a potential shift in its positioning after BTC’s long-term holder realized cap (LTH Realized Cap) surpassed $18 billion for the first time since September 2024. Data from CryptoQuant indicated that this cohort has exhibited aggressive accumulation, which previously marked the BTC bottom in Q3 2024. 

The LTH realized cap measures the BTC cost basis of investors, holding their allocation for 155 days or more. A sharp increase hints that these long-term holders are in an accumulation phase, parallel with bullish behavior. 

Bitcoin LTH net position realized cap. Source: CryptoQuant

As illustrated in the chart, a spike in this metric has preceded bullish rallies in the past. Most recently, the LTH realized cap reached $18 billion on Sept. 8, 2024, after which Bitcoin registered 100% returns over the next few months. 

Another key confluence that matches the current bottom setup with September 2024 is the significant drop in open interest. BTC’s OI reached an all-time high of $39 billion in July but dropped by 25% by September. Similarly, Bitcoin’s open interest dropped 28% between Dec. 18 and April 8,

Bitcoin’s 10% weekly gain amid worrying US economic data shows crypto trader sentiment shift
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