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Stablecoins rose to popularity as a result of limitations in the US financial system — particularly restricted banking hours and the lack of a non-USD trading pair, according to Jerald David, president of Arca Labs.

“So we start thinking about the reason why, we start talking about the nine-to-five banking hours,” David said during a panel at TokenizeThis 2025 event on April 16.

The panel discussion centered on yieldcoins or, essentially, the rising of cryptocurrencies that can generate yield through holding, staking or lending, like stablecoins.

“Well, nine-to-five banking hours don’t work, right? There are implementations right now of payment systems that are going to come to market very soon, that are a good combination of both yield-bearing instruments as well as stabletokens,” David said.

According to David, the need for stablecoins stems from the fact that the traditional US banking infrastructure doesn’t support round-the-clock transactions. “And this industry, as we all know, is a 24-hour industry.”

Panama’s capital city will accept cryptocurrency payments for taxes and municipal fees, including bus tickets and permits, Panama City mayor Mayer Mizrachi announced on April 15, joining a growing list of jurisdictions globally that have voted to accept such payments.

Panama City will begin accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Circle's USDC (USDC), and Tether's USDt (USDT) stablecoin for payment once the crypto-to-fiat payment rails are established, Mizrachi posted on the X platform.

Mizrachi said previous administrations attempted to push through similar legislation but failed to overcome stipulations requiring the local government to accept funds denominated in US dollars.

In a translated statement, the Panama City mayor said that the local government partnered with a bank that will immediately convert any digital assets received into US dollars, allowing the municipality to accept crypto without introducing new legislation.

Panama City joins a growing list of global jurisdictions on the municipal and state level accepting cryptocurrency payments for taxes, exploring Bitcoin strategic reserves to protect public treasuries from inflation and passing pro-crypto policies to attract investment.

Solana’s native token SOL (SOL) failed to maintain its bullish momentum after reaching the $134 level on April 14, but an assortment of data points suggest that the altcoin’s rally is not over. SOL price is currently 57% down from its all-time high, partially due to a sharp decline in its DApps activity, but some analysts cite the growth in deposits on the Solana network as a catalyst for sustained price upside in the short term.Blockchains ranked by total value locked, USD. Source: DefiLlama

Solana has established itself as the second-largest blockchain by total value locked (TVL), with $6.9 billion. After gaining 12% over the seven days ending April 16, Solana has pulled ahead of competitors such as Tron, Base, and Berachain. Positive signs include a 30% increase in deposits on Sanctum, a liquid staking application, and 20% growth on Jito and Jupiter.

Solana's DEX volume surpasses Ethereum layer-2s

One could argue that Solana’s TVL roughly matches the Ethereum layer-2 ecosystem in deposits. However, this comparison overlooks Solana’s strong position in decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes. For example, in the seven days ending April 16, trading activity on Solana DApps totaled $15.8 billion, exceeding the combined volume of Ethereum scaling solutions by more than 50% during the same period.

Blockchains ranked by 7-day DEX volumes, USD. Source: DefiLlama

Solana reclaimed the top spot in DEX activity, surpassing Ethereum after a 16% gain over seven days. This was supported by a 44% increase in volume on Pump-fun and a 28% rise on Raydium. In contrast, volumes declined on the three largest Ethereum DApps—Uniswap, Fluid, and Curve Finance. A similar trend occurred on BNB Chain, where PancakeSwap, Four-Meme, and DODO saw reduced volumes compared to the previous week.

It would be unfair to measure Solana’s growth only by DEX performance, as other DApps handle much smaller volumes. For example, Ondo Finance tokenized a total of $250 million worth of assets on the Solana network. Meanwhile, Exponent, a yield farm protocol, doubled its TVL over the past 30 days. Similarly, the yield aggregator platform Synatra experienced a 43% jump in TVL during the past week.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced industry insiders from Kraken, Exodus, Anchorage Digital, and others would be participating in its crypto task force’s roundtable discussion on custody.

In an April 16 notice, the SEC said commissioners Hester Peirce and Caroline Crenshaw, acting chair Mark Uyeda and crypto task force Chief of Staff Richard Gabbert will sit down with Mark Greenberg, crypto exchange Kraken’s vice president of consumer business and product, Anchorage Digital Bank’s Chief Risk Officer Rachel Anderika and Exodus Chief Legal Officer Veronica McGregor. Other representatives will include those from WisdomTree, Fidelity Digital Asset Services, and Fireblocks.

“It is important for the SEC to grapple with custody issues, which are some of the most challenging as we seek to integrate crypto assets into our regulatory structure,” said Peirce, who heads the SEC task force.

Notably, Uyeda was listed as acting chair of the commission at the April 25 event, despite the US Senate confirming that Paul Atkins would head the regulatory body on April 9. It’s unclear when Atkins will be sworn in as SEC chair, but at the time of publication, the regulator had not listed him as a current commissioner.

Related: US gov’t actions give clue about upcoming crypto regulation

Bitcoin (BTC) remains under pressure as macroeconomic uncertainty continues to weigh on its price action. After making a strong bounce from the local bottom near $75,000 on April 7 and 9, analysts are beginning to question whether BTC could be gearing up for a reversal of the downward trend that’s persisted since the start of the year.BTC/USD 1-day, RSI 1-week. Source: Marie Poteriaieva, TradingView

For some, like the veteran trader Peter Brandt, this trendline is nothing but hopium. As he noted in his X post,

“Of all chart construction, trendlines are the LEAST significant. A trendline violation does NOT signify a transition of the BTC trend. Sorry.”

Others, however, see more reason for cautious optimism. Analyst Kevin Svenson highlighted a possible weekly RSI breakout, pointing out that “Once confirmed, weekly RSI breakout signals have proven to be among the most reliable macro breakout indicators.” 

Ultimately, price is driven by supply and demand—and while both sides of the equation are beginning to show subtle signs of recovery, they are yet to reach the levels needed for a proper breakout. Furthermore, the bulls must cut through a dense sell wall near $86,000 to confirm the reversal. 

Bitcoin demand — Are there early signs of recovery?

According to CryptoQuant, Bitcoin’s apparent demand — measured by the 30-day net difference between exchange inflows and outflows — is showing early signs of recovery after a sustained dip into negative territory.

Publicly listed Bitcoin miners sold over 40% of the collective coins mined in March, representing the largest monthly BTC liquidation for mining firms since October 2024 and reversing the post-halving trend of accumulating Bitcoin (BTC) for a corporate treasury strategy, according to TheMinerMag, which screened data from 15 publicly traded mining companies.

The increased liquidations come amid widespread macroeconomic uncertainty in financial markets and the business sector, likely signaling that companies are selling their BTC to reduce shortfalls caused by the current economic climate.

Mining firms offloading BTC to cover operational expenses contributes to selling pressure on the cryptocurrency, which can result in a price volatility. According to CoinGlass, Bitcoin posted a 2.3% loss in March, following a 17.39% correction the previous month.

Related: CleanSpark to start selling Bitcoin in 'self-funding' pivot

Miners struggle amid macroeconomic turmoil

High costs, operational hurdles, and fierce competitiveness within the Bitcoin mining industry are amplified by the effects of a trade war on businesses, financial markets, and global supply chains.

As digital assets gain mainstream adoption, establishing a legal framework for stablecoins is a “good idea,” said US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

In an April 16 panel at the Economic Club of Chicago, Powell commented on the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry, which has delivered a consumer use case that “could have wide appeal” following a difficult “wave of failures and frauds,” he said.

Powell delivers remarks at the Economic Club of Chicago. Source: Bloomberg Television

During crypto’s difficult years, which culminated in 2022 and 2023 with several high-profile business failures, the Fed “worked with Congress to try to get a [...] legal framework for stablecoins, which would have been a nice place to start,” said Powell. “We were not successful.”

“I think that the climate is changing and you’re moving into more mainstreaming of that whole sector, so Congress is again looking [...] at a legal framework for stablecoins,” he said. 

Former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried has moved from a transit facility to a California prison that once housed infamous gangster Al Capone.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, officials moved Bankman-Fried from the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City briefly to the Federal Correctional Institution in Victorville before transferring him to a facility in Terminal Island in Los Angeles, California. The federal institution was once home to criminals like former Theranos chief operating officer Ramesh Balwani and Capone, who was convicted of tax evasion in 1931.

During his 2023 trial and following his conviction on seven felony counts in 2024, Bankman-Fried was housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York. However, officials moved the former FTX CEO after he was the subject of an interview by right-wing political commentator Tucker Carlson — an activity reportedly unsanctioned by authorities.

Related: Sam Bankman-Fried posts for the first time in 2 years, FTX Token pumps

It’s unclear whether Bankman-Fried will remain at the California facility until his tentative release date in 2044. A New York judge initially allowed SBF to remain in the state to assist during the appeal of his conviction and sentence — a process that could be hampered by the former FTX CEO’s current location.

US-based crypto trading platforms regaining influence over Bitcoin’s (BTC) token transfer volumes could possibly kick-start a rally in the second half of 2025.

Bitcoin researcher Axel Adler Jr pointed out that the "US vs. off-shore ratio," which measures token transfer volumes between US-regulated and offshore exchanges, indicated a drop in dominance from US exchanges after BTC reached an all-time high in January.

Bitcoin total transferred ratio chart (US vs off-shore). Source: X.com

As illustrated in the chart, a trend reversal is underway, which implies BTC transfer volumes on US exchanges are beginning to rise again, aligning with previous bull market rallies.

A key technical indicator in the chart is the 90-day simple moving average (SMA) crossing above the 365-day SMA. Historically, this crossover has preceded major price rallies. For example, when this signal occurred at $60,000, Bitcoin began a rally within one week. This suggests a potential price surge may occur in the coming weeks.

Likewise, verified onchain analyst Boris Vest said Bitcoin is still undervalued. In a quick take post on CryptoQuant, the analyst explained that Bitcoin exchange reserves have fallen to 2018 levels, with only 2.43 million BTC held on exchanges compared to 3.4 million in 2021, indicating long-term holding and reduced supply.

Auradine, a Silicon Valley-based startup that specializes in equipment for AI data centers and Bitcoin mining, has announced a raise of $153 million in a Series C funding round. The new capital will go to increasing the company’s product suite of infrastructure for AI and blockchain technology.

The Series C round was led by StepStone Group and included participation from Maverick Silicon, Premji Invest, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Qualcomm Ventures, and others. Auradine said the round was oversubscribed but did not disclose by how much or at what valuation the funds were raised.

Along with the funding round, Auradine announced the launch of AuraLinks AI — its new business group dedicated to networking solutions targeting data centers’ energy and cooling costs.

According to Goldman Sachs, energy demand due to AI data centers is expected to rise 165% by 2030. Building a small-scale AI data center can cost $10 million to $50 million, while large-scale AI data centers can cost hundreds of millions.

Auradine designs and manufactures application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and related systems for Bitcoin mining. The company sees a strategic opportunity in the current US-China trade tensions and US President Trump’s push to boost domestic manufacturing. Among its main competitors is the Chinese-based firm Bitmain, which reportedly holds a 90% market share in the Bitcoin manufacturing sector.

An appellate court has granted a joint request from Ripple Labs and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to pause an appeal in a 2020 SEC case against Ripple amid settlement negotiations.

In an April 16 filing in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the court approved a joint SEC-Ripple motion to hold the appeal in abeyance — temporarily pausing the case — for 60 days. As part of the order, the SEC is expected to file a status report by June 15.

April 16 order approving a motion to hold an appeal in abeyance. Source: PACER

The SEC’s case against Ripple and its executives, filed in December 2020, was expected to begin winding down after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced on March 19 that the commission would be dropping its appeal against the blockchain firm. A federal court found Ripple liable for $125 million in an August ruling, resulting in both the SEC and blockchain firm filing an appeal and cross-appeal, respectively.

However, once US President Donald Trump took office and leadership of the SEC moved from former chair Gary Gensler to acting chair Mark Uyeda, the commission began dropping multiple enforcement cases against crypto firms in a seeming political shift. Ripple pledged $5 million in XRP to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Garlinghouse and chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty attended events supporting the US president.

Related: SEC dropping Ripple case is ‘final exclamation mark’ that XRP is not a security — John Deaton

Bitcoin (BTC) has risen above $85,000, signaling that the bulls are trying to form a higher low at $83,000. The short-term price action remains susceptible to news related to the US tariffs and the ongoing trade war with China.

Gold has been a clear winner during the current bout of macroeconomic uncertainty. Citing data from Bank of America (BoA), The Kobeissi Letter said that gold funds are on track to hit $80 billion in net inflows year-to-date, roughly double the amount seen in 2020. In comparison, spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds’ net inflows have shrunk to just $165 million after weeks of continuous outflows, per CoinShares data.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360

However, some cryptocurrency investors are happy about gold’s rally because a popular theory suggests that Bitcoin not only copies but exceeds gold’s rally with a few months’ lag. Anonymous crypto trader Titan of Crypto said in a post on X that Bitcoin could hit $137,000 by July-August 2025.

Could Bitcoin bulls build momentum and push the price above the overhead resistance? Will the altcoins also see a short-term rally? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

Bitcoin price analysis

Bitcoin failed to rise above the 200-day simple moving average ($87,660) on April 15, but a minor positive is that the buyers have sustained the price above the 20-day exponential moving average ($83,289).

Tokenization company Securitize has expanded its digital asset operations by acquiring MG Stover’s fund administration business, in a move the company said has significantly grown its assets under management and ability to serve institutional clients.

With the acquisition, MG Stover’s fund administration business has been absorbed into Securitize Fund Services, Securitize’s wholly owned subsidiary, the company disclosed. 

Securitize Fund Services now manages more than $38 billion in assets across 715 funds. 

Founded in 2007, MG Stover offers full-service fund administration spanning traditional financial industries like hedge funds, venture capital and private equity, as well as digital asset funds. 

A Securitize spokesperson informed Cointelegraph that the acquisition pertains only to MG Stover’s fund administration business and not the company as a whole.

Asset manager Bitwise has listed four Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) exchange-traded products on the London Stock Exchange, expanding its presence in the European region.

The listings include the Bitwise Core Bitcoin ETP, the Bitwise Physical Bitcoin ETP, Bitwise's Physical Ethereum ETP, and the Bitwise Ethereum Staking ETP, according to the April 16 announcement.

The products are available to institutional or otherwise-qualified investors with an accreditation, and not open to retail investors.

Bitwise is applying to launch crypto investment vehicles as digital assets gain a greater foothold in global financial markets, attracting more institutional interest in crypto and increasing the legitimacy of the nascent asset class.

Related: Bitwise doubles down on $200K Bitcoin price prediction amid trade tension

The right market maker can be a launchpad for a cryptocurrency project, opening the door to major exchanges and providing valuable liquidity to ensure a token is tradeable — but when the wrong incentives are baked into the deal, that market maker can become a wrecking ball.

One of the most popular and misunderstood offerings in the market-making world is the “loan option model.” This is when a project lends tokens to a market maker, who then uses them to create liquidity, improve price stability, and help secure listings at a cryptocurrency exchange. In reality, it has been a death sentence for many young projects.

But behind the scenes, a number of market makers is using the controversial token loan structure to enrich themselves at the expense of the very projects they’re meant to support. These deals, often framed as low-risk and high-reward, can crater token prices and leave fledgling crypto teams scrambling to recover.

“How it works is that market makers essentially loan tokens from a project at a certain price. In exchange for those tokens, they essentially promise to get them on big exchanges,” Ariel Givner, founder of Givner Law, told Cointelegraph. “If they don’t, then within a year, they repay them back at a higher price.”

What often happens is that market makers dump the loaned tokens. The initial sell-off tanks the price. Once the price has cratered, they buy the tokens back at a discount while keeping the profit.

Bitcoin (BTC) centered on $84,000 at the April 16 Wall Street open amid hopes that a weak US dollar would fuel a bull market comeback.BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bitcoin analysis calls for 2023 rally repeat

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD consolidating after a swift comedown from local highs the day prior.

That volatility had accompanied ongoing developments in the US-China trade war, with crypto and risk assets staying sensitive to headlines and statements from parties such as US President Donald Trump.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index traded down 1.4% and 2.2%, respectively, at the time of writing.

Gold remained the standout winner, having set new all-time highs above $3,300 per ounce on the day.

Opinion by: Mārtiņš Beņķītis, co-founder and CEO of Gravity Team

As crypto adoption plateaus in some developed nations, emerging markets have led the charge for adoption. Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America have become rapid growth centers, with new activity driven by limited banking options, local currency instability and growing smartphone use. The need for alternative finance in these regions is acute. While blockchain technology can deliver it, it certainly won’t be easy.

A significant hurdle in emerging crypto markets is market-making, where traditional approaches have struggled as a result of specific challenges, including limited infrastructure and economic instability. Standard market-making strategies often fail or are simply unable to account for these complexities. A new approach known as “boutique market-making” can unlock growth, providing tailored liquidity solutions that consider local factors like regional regulations, cultural nuance and specific pain points for each market. 

This “boutique” approach will bring enormous benefits to the average person in emerging markets and, for the first time, create access to financial services and give them control over their economic outlook.

Providing liquidity in emerging markets is challenging

While the potential for growth in emerging crypto markets is clear to see, tapping into it is not. The path is fraught with challenges that require a specialized and nuanced approach. Here, standard market-making strategies are largely ineffective. 

Update (April 16, 6:50 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add a comment by Mantra CEO John Mullin.

Troubled decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Mantra released an official statement addressing the reasons for a 92% flash crash of its OM token on April 13.

An April 16 announcement titled “Statement of Events: 13 April 2025” reiterates that the crash did not involve any token sales by the project itself, and the Mantra team remains fully functional and continues investigating the incident.

Although Mantra CEO John Mullin previously said that the team was preparing a post-mortem, the new statement offered few new details about the reasons behind the rapid movement of OM tokens to exchanges and the subsequent liquidation cascade.

Source: John Mullin

“The purpose of the announcement was to share an updated analysis on the key factors that caused the price movement and verifiable data about the circulating supply,” Mullin subsequently told Cointelegraph, adding that the investigation is still underway.

Real estate-focused financial technology firm Janover has acquired 80,567 Solana tokens for roughly $10.5 million.

According to an April 15 announcement, with its latest purchase, Janover’s Solana (SOL) holdings reached 163,651.7 — worth about $21.2 million, including staking rewards. With this investment, the amount of Solana per each of the 1.5 million shares reached 0.11 SOL, valued at $14.47 — an increase of 120%.

Janover stock price chart. Source: Google Finance

Janover plans to start staking the newly acquired SOL immediately to generate additional revenue. The announcement follows the company raising about $42 million with the expressed intent to enhance its digital asset treasury strategy.

The new capital was raised in a convertible note and warrants sale from Pantera Capital, Kraken, Arrington Capital, Protagonist, The Norstar Group, Third Party Ventures, Trammell Venture Partners and 11 angel investors. At the same time, a team of former Kraken executives has taken control of the company.

Ethereum’s push toward layer-2 (L2) blockchain scalability may be a double-edged sword for Ether, potentially weakening the value accrual of the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, according to a new report from Binance Research.

The report suggests that Ethereum’s L2 blockchain networks — built to improve mainnet scalability and lower transaction costs — may be cannibalistic of the Ethereum base layer, negatively impacting the price of Ether (ETH).

Ethereum’s dominance in terms of decentralized exchange (DEX) volume and fees generated is “under threat” by Solana and BNB Smart Chain, Binance Research wrote.

Ethereum, Solana, BNB, DEX volume. Source: Binance Research

The main factors include slow and expensive transactions, fragmented “developer mindshare and liquidity, and reduced value accrual to the L1 due to the rise of L2s,” the report said.

VeChain, a layer-1 blockchain platform focused on real-world applications, has added Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White as its newest official adviser to raise more mainstream awareness of blockchain technology.

White, also the founder of Power Slap, will join VeChain’s advisory board next to Nobel Prize-winning physicist Konstantin Novoselov to drive real-world blockchain adoption through “complementary expertise in mass marketing and scientific innovation.”

“VeChain is an incredible partner for the UFC and Power Slap, and I’m honored to join their advisory board,” White said in a statement shared with Cointelegraph. “I’m passionate about technology, and with their products and innovation, I’m looking forward to helping elevate their brand to the next level.”

UFC CEO Dana White (left) with Sunny Lu, co-founder and CEO of VeChain (right). Source: Jeff Bottari, UFC

Related: 4th gen crypto needs collaborative tokenomics against tech giants — Hoskinson

Crypto market maker DWF Labs announced a $25 million investment in World Liberty Financial, the decentralized finance (DeFi) project backed by US President Donald Trump and his sons, as the company expands into the United States with an office in New York City. 

On April 16, Dubai-based DWF Labs said it had purchased World Liberty Financial (WLFI) tokens through a private transaction.

The firm said the transaction reflects its intent to participate in WLFI’s governance. As tokenholders, DWF Labs will be able to vote on decisions that impact the ecosystem.

WLFI launched on Sept. 16, 2024, to promote DeFi and US dollar-pegged stablecoins. During the launch, Trump said the family was “embracing the future with crypto and leaving the slow and outdated big banks behind.”

DWF Labs to provide liquidity for USD1 stablecoin

Alongside the WLFI investment, DWF Labs said the collaboration includes providing liquidity for the project’s stablecoin, World Liberty Financial USD (USD1). 

Key takeaways

A Vtuber is a real person behind a digital avatar, blending performance, storytelling, and creativity to connect with audiences through livestreams, games, podcasts, and more.

Becoming a VTuber involves designing a unique avatar (2D or 3D), using motion capture for animation, and leveraging software tools like Live2D, VSeeFace, and AI voice modifiers.

In 2025, VTubing success often starts with short-form mobile platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Cross-posting to Discord, X, or Twitch helps build community and drive monetization.

Aspiring VTubers should be aware of risks like burnout, privacy breaches, platform dependency, and unpredictable income.

Virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, have gained popularity in recent years. VTubers create content for their channels using computer-generated avatars. 

VanEck’s head of research has pitched a new type of US Treasury bond partially backed by Bitcoin to help refinance $14 trillion in US debt.

Matthew Sigel pitched the concept of “BitBonds” — US Treasury bonds with exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) — at the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Summit 2025 on April 15.

The new 10-year bonds would be composed of 90% traditional debt and 10% BTC exposure, Sigel said, appealing to both the Treasury and global investors.

Even in a scenario where Bitcoin “goes to zero,” BitBonds would allow the US to save money to refinance an estimated $14 trillion of debt that will mature in the next three years, he said.

Bitcoin to boost investor demand for T-bonds

“Interest rates are relatively high versus history. The Treasury must maintain continued investor demand for bonds, so they have to entice buyers,” Sigel said during the virtual event.

A Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) executive floated a $1 million Bitcoin price scenario if the United States were to buy 1 million BTC. 

In a Bitcoin Magazine podcast, Zach Shapiro, the head of policy for the Bitcoin-focused BPI think tank, said that a 1 million Bitcoin (BTC) purchase by the US would have a massive impact on the price of the asset. 

“If the United States announces that we are buying a million Bitcoin, that’s just a global seismic shock. [...] I think first, Bitcoin price goes through the roof,” Shapiro said. “I think we’d probably go very quickly to something like a million dollars per Bitcoin.”   

The discussion followed US President Donald Trump’s March 7 executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Asset Stockpile.

A “Bitcoin superpower” should hold more Bitcoin 

BPI executive director Matthew Pines said that other nations are watching how the US positions itself with Bitcoin before formulating their own strategies.

A monthly market review by publicly traded US-based crypto exchange Coinbase shows that while the crypto market has contracted, it appears to be gearing up for a better quarter.

According to Coinbase’s April 15 monthly outlook for institutional investors, the altcoin market cap shrank by 41% from its December 2024 highs of $1.6 trillion to $950 billion by mid-April. BTC Tools data shows that this metric touched a low of $906.9 billion on April 9 and stood at $976.9 billion at the time of writing.

Venture capital funding to crypto projects has reportedly decreased by 50%–60% from 2021–22. In the report, Coinbase’s global head of research, David Duong, highlighted that a new crypto winter may be upon us.

“Several converging signals may be pointing to the start of a new ‘crypto winter’ as some extreme negative sentiment has set in due to the onset of global tariffs and the potential for further escalations,” he said.

Related: How trade wars impact stocks and crypto

Italy’s minister of economy and finance warned that US stablecoin policies are more concerning than President Donald Trump’s tariffs, citing the potential for these crypto assets to undermine the euro’s dominance in cross-border payments.

Speaking at an event in Milan, Giancarlo Giorgetti said that while trade tariffs dominate headlines, new US policies on dollar-backed stablecoins present an “even more dangerous” threat to European financial stability, according to a Reuters report.

US stablecoins allow users to invest in a widely accepted method for cross-border payments without opening a US bank account, Giorgetti said. He warned that the growing appeal of US stablecoins to Europeans should not be underestimated. 

Giorgetti urged European Union lawmakers to take more steps to boost the euro’s position as an international currency. He added that the digital euro under development by the European Central Bank (ECB) will be essential to minimize the need for Europeans to resort to foreign solutions. 

US lawmakers advance stablecoin bills

Presently, stablecoin regulation in the US remains fragmented. Instead of a unified framework, multiple agencies apply existing laws to regulate stablecoins. However, lawmakers are working to implement changes, with several pieces of stablecoin legislation progressing. 

Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange OKX announced that it is reentering the US market.

According to an April 16 blog post, OKX will return to the United States market along with the appointment of former Barclays director Roshan Robert as its US CEO. Robert said in the post:

“Today, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of OKX’s centralized crypto exchange and OKX Wallet in the United States, alongside the establishment of our regional headquarters in San Jose, California.“

All existing Okcoin users will be migrated to the new platform, which Robert said will lead to a better overall experience. The promised improvements include deeper liquidity, lower fees and advanced trading tools.

Source: OKX

Related: Standard Chartered and OKX pilot crypto, tokenized fund collaterals

Update April 16, 10:50 am UTC: This article has been updated to clarify the relationship between Astar and Soneium.

Astar, a Japanese Web3 adoption collective bridging Astar Network and Soneium, said it has slashed Soneium’s blockchain finality time by over 98%, as it aims to solve one of the biggest challenges in blockchain scalability.

Astar announced a strategic partnership with AltLayer and EigenLayer, to launch a “Fast Finality Layer” for Soneium, a Layer-2 (L2) blockchain network developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs.

In blockchain settlement, finality is the assurance that a transaction is irreversible, which happens after it is added to a block on the blockchain ledger.

The new finality layer provides a crypto-economic security guarantee through a decentralized network of validators to reduce the reliance on centralized sequencers and enable more secure crosschain interactions.

Bitcoin (BTC) faces an uphill struggle as a safe haven in 2025 as gold fund inflows circle $80 billion.

Data from Bank of America (BoA) uploaded to X by trading resource The Kobeissi Letter on April 15 confirms gold’s “best streak” since 2013.

Gold beats records as Bitcoin ETFs slump

As the US trade war sees investors flee to gold, Bitcoin has lost the limelight as a hedge against macroeconomic volatility.

BoA figures show inflows to gold funds beating records, with data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView capturing new all-time highs for XAU/USD near $3,300 per ounce on April 16.

“Gold fund net inflows have hit a record $80 BILLION year-to-date. This is 2 TIMES more than the previous high set in the full year 2020,” Kobeissi noted.