Decentral Block Post

Ethereum's focus on scaling through many layer-2 networks, each with its own transaction processing speed and parameters, potentially gives the network an unlimited number of unique high-throughput chains, according to Anurag Arjun, co-founder of Avail, a unified chain abstraction solution.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Arjun acknowledged that Ethereum and high-throughput competitors with monolithic architecture are fundamentally different products. However, Ethereum's choice to scale through a plethora of L2 solutions gives it an overlooked quality:

"The under-appreciated beauty of this rollup-centric roadmap architecture is that it allows multiple teams to experiment with different execution environments and different block times."

This allows a diverse set of high-throughput sidechains to appear rather than just one singular architecture on any monolithic layer-1s, the executive added. However, without true interoperability, switching between L2s will remain as complex as bridging assets between different blockchain ecosystems altogether, Arjun warned.

An overview of Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem. Source: L2Beat

The Avail co-founder's perspective runs contrary to the many critics of Ethereum's L2-focused approach, who say that the network's scaling solutions silo liquidity and are ultimately corrosive to the base layer. Ethereum's critics argue that L2s are one of the primary causes of Ether's (ETH) poor price performance in the last year.

Related: Vitalik Buterin proposes swapping EVM language for RISC-V

Tokenization platform Securitize has partnered with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Mantle to launch an institutional fund designed to earn yield on a diverse basket of cryptocurrencies, the companies said. 

Similar to how a traditional index fund tracks a mix of stocks, the Mantle Index Four (MI4) Fund aims to offer investors exposure to cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Solana (SOL), as well as stablecoins tracking the US dollar, Securitize said in an April 24 announcement. 

The fund also integrates liquid staking tokens — including Mantle’s mETH, Bybit’s bbSOL, and Ethena’s USDe — in a bid to enhance returns with onchain yield, according to the announcement.

The launch comes as retail and institutions alike increase exposure to cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, as a hedge amid escalating macroeconomic uncertainty.

Mantle’s mETH yields 3.78%. Source: DeFILlama

‘S&P 500 of crypto’

The market capitalization-weighted index fund aspires to “become the de facto SPX or S&P 500 of crypto,” Timothy Chen, Mantle’s global head of strategy, said in a statement. 

The company offers institutions a way to generate yield from digital assets. One of its liquid staking products, Mantle Staked Ether (mETH), yields holders approximately 3.78% APR as of April 24, according to data from DefiLlama. The protocol has more than $680 million in total value locked (TVL). 

Key Takeaways:

The Bitcoin long-term holder cohort saw a $26 billion value increase as BTC price surged to $94,900.

Short-term holders sold at a loss in early April.

Bitcoin’s 30% correction lines up with historical cycles, and BTC could find support in the $88,750 and $91,000 zone.

Bitcoin (BTC) long-term holders (LTHs) significantly increased their collective wealth in April as BTC price surged from $74,450 to $94,900. According to data from CryptoQuant, the long-term holders (LTHs) realized market cap increased from $345 billion to $371 billion between April 1 and April 23, marking a $26 billion gain.

Jay Clayton, recently appointed interim US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has begun offering statements in criminal cases involving crypto fraud.

In an April 23 notice, the US Attorney’s Office said Eugene William Austin, also known as Hugh Austin, had been sentenced to 18 years in prison following his conviction on conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. Together with his son, Brandon, sentenced to four years, Austin offered fraudulent crypto investment services, resulting in roughly $12 million in losses to more than 24 people.

“For years, Hugh Austin was the leader of a fraud and money laundering scheme that stole more than $12 million from more than two dozen victims,” said Clayton. “Austin involved his own son in his crimes, working with him to rip off victims and spending investor money on personal expenses, like luxury hotels [...] Austin will now be held accountable for the harm he caused to individual investors and others.”

The criminal case involving digital assets marked one of Clayton’s first public statements since becoming the interim US Attorney on April 22. US President Donald Trump nominated Clayton on Jan. 20 when he took office. The district has since seen the resignation of acting US Attorney Danielle Sassoon in response to the Justice Department directing her to halt a case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Related: US prosecutors file over 200 victim statements in Celsius ex-CEO’s case

Nvidia’s accelerator program appears to sidestep digital assets startups, with its help section listing crypto-focused companies as ineligible to join the tech giant's global network of founders.

According to the program website, crypto companies and four other types of businesses are excluded from participating in Nvidia's Inception: consulting and outsourced development firms, cloud service providers, resellers and distributors, and companies that are already public.

Nvidia’s Inception membership criteria. Source: Nvidia

The move indicates a shift in Nvidia's policy regarding crypto startups in its accelerator program. For instance, in 2018, the company accepted Ubex — a startup combining blockchain and AI for digital advertising — in its Inception program.

A Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment on the eligibility policy. The Inception Program is designed for companies younger than 10 years in all stages of funding.

Nvidia is best known for its semiconductors, which play a crucial role in powering microchips for data centers. That same processing power has also made Nvidia’s hardware popular among crypto miners, with the company having previously explored crypto-related use cases for its products.

Related: Public mining firms sold over 40% of their BTC in March — Report

Key Takeaways:

Ethereum saw a record 449,000 in ETH inflows to accumulation addresses on April 22.

Active addresses rose 10%, signaling growing network engagement, but DeFi activity remains weak with declining DEX volumes.

Holders in accumulation addresses remain underwater with a realized price of $1,981.

Over the past 10 days, Ethereum inflows into accumulation addresses reached their highest levels since 2018. On April 22, a record-breaking 449,000 Ether (ETH), valued at an average price of $1,750, flowed into these addresses, marking the most significant single-day inflow in Ethereum’s history. This surge suggests that long-term holders remain optimistic about Ethereum’s future, despite recent price declines. 

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) crypto task force, headed by Hester Peirce, has continued meeting with digital asset company representatives as the agency explores regulatory changes.

In an April 24 notice, the SEC task force disclosed a meeting with representatives from crypto firm Ondo Finance and the law firm Davis Polk and Wardwell to discuss “issuing and selling wrapped, tokenized versions of publicly traded US securities.” Ondo Finance donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, and the law firm announced on April 22 that it would represent the US President’s social media company, Truth Social, to launch crypto-linked exchange-traded funds.

According to the meeting request, Ondo Finance planned to discuss registration requirements for tokenized securities, compliance with financial laws, and potentially launching a regulatory sandbox. Cointelegraph reached out to the firm for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

The April 24 meeting was the latest in the SEC crypto task force’s outreach to the industry following the departure of former chair Gary Gensler. Former commissioner and Trump appointee Paul Atkins took over leadership at the agency on April 21 after his swearing-in ceremony, but has yet to take action on his proposed crypto agenda.

Related: Chiliz meets with SEC Crypto Task Force amid US market reentry plans

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has introduced a new fund management solution designed to simplify asset management for portfolio managers, highlighting the growing sophistication of institutional tools in the digital asset space. 

On April 24, Binance launched Fund Accounts, a tool commonly used by traditional asset managers and brokerage firms to consolidate client assets and streamline portfolio management.

Binance said Fund Accounts allow portfolio managers to “consolidate externally-raised investor assets into one or multiple omnibus accounts,” which can reduce operational complexity and enable more efficient trading execution. 

Presumably, these omnibus accounts operate under a single custodian who executes trades on behalf of their clients. 

The new program is only available to eligible fund managers who must contact their Binance VIP representative for more information.

Key takeaways:

Bearish Bitcoin traders were caught off guard by BTC’s rally above $90,000.

Spot volumes are driving the Bitcoin price rally.

Derivatives positions with a bearish bias remain at risk of liquidation.

Bitcoin (BTC) held above the $93,000 mark on April 24, suggesting a potential conclusion to the 52-day bear market that bottomed at $74,400. Although Bitcoin is beginning to show signs of decoupling from the stock market, professional traders have not altered their strategies, as indicated by BTC futures and margin market data.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group, which operates the largest financial derivatives exchanges worldwide, recently announced that XRP (XRP) futures contracts will go live on May 19.

According to the April 24 announcement, investors have the option of choosing between micro-sized contracts, featuring 2,500 XRP, or standard contract sizes of 50,000 XRP. All XRP futures contracts will be cash-settled.

In January 2025, the CME Group signaled an impending launch of XRP futures before quietly pulling the related page from its website.

CME’s announcement is the latest in a growing wave of crypto-focused financial products entering the market or awaiting regulatory approval in the US, a sign that cryptocurrencies have reached a new level of institutional acceptance.

The XRP ticker symbol displayed on the CME Group website. Source: CME Group

Related: CME Group taps Google Cloud for pilot asset tokenization program

Bitcoin reserves on cryptocurrency exchanges have dropped to their lowest level in more than six years, as publicly traded companies ramp up their accumulation of the digital asset following the US presidential election, according to Fidelity Digital Assets. 

“We have seen Bitcoin supply on exchanges dropping due to public company purchases — something we anticipate accelerating in the near future,” Fidelity reported on the X social media platform.

Source: Fidelity Digital Assets

Fidelity said the supply of Bitcoin (BTC) on exchanges had fallen to roughly 2.6 million BTC, the lowest since November 2018. More than 425,000 BTC have moved off exchanges since November, a trend often viewed as a signal of long-term investment rather than short-term trading.

Over the same period, publicly-traded companies acquired nearly 350,000 BTC, Fidelity said.

Fidelity Digital Assets is a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, the $5.8 trillion asset manager headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The Fidelity Digital subsidiary was established in 2018, long before cryptocurrency was considered an institutional asset class. 

Key points:

Bitcoin is setting up a showdown with leveraged shorts immediately above its yearly open price.

That key level near $93,500 is the main target for traders hoping that BTC/USD will cement its latest breakout.

The next support retest could involve $87,000, analysis suggests.

Bitcoin (BTC) consolidated below a key resistance target on April 24 as a BTC price forecast brought sub-$90,000 levels into play.

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

Analyst: BTC price correction “fairly normal”

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD retesting $92,000 as support overnight.

Opinion by: Igor Zemtsov, chief technology officer at TBCC

Crypto security is a ticking time bomb. Updatable firmware might just be the match that lights the fuse.

Hardware wallets have become the holy grail of self-custody, the ultimate safeguard against hackers, scammers and even government overreach. There’s an inconvenient truth, however, that most people ignore: Firmware updates aren’t just security patches. 

They’re potential backdoors, waiting for someone — whether a hacker, a rogue developer or a shady third party — to kick them wide open.

Every time a hardware wallet manufacturer pushes an update, users are forced to make a choice. Hit that update button and hope for the best, or refuse to update and risk using outdated software with unknown vulnerabilities. Either way, it’s a gamble. 

Theo, a provider of onchain trading infrastructure, has raised $20 million from 17 investors to enhance its institutional-grade trading platform aimed at retail investors.

The funding round was co-led by Hack VC and Anthos Capital, with additional participation from venture capital firms Manifold Trading, Miranda Ventures, Flowdesk, MEXC and Amber Group, Theo disclosed on April 24. 

Citadel, Jane Street, IMC and JPMorgan were listed as angel investors in the deal.

Created by former quant traders, Theo gives retail investors access to advanced strategies like high-frequency trading and market making, which are tools typically used by professional trading firms.

Theo’s infrastructure can be used across centralized exchanges and decentralized financing protocols, the company said. 

Tether Investments — the investment arm of leading stablecoin issuer Tether — acquired additional shares in Juventus Football Club.

According to an April 24 announcement, with its latest investment, Tether brought its total participation in Juventus to over 10.12% of the issued share capital, representing 6.18% of the voting rights. The investment follows the firm’s initial acquisition of 8.2% of the issued shares.

Tether's second Juventus investment announcement’s image. Source: Tether

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said that the investment is not only a short-term financial maneuver but “a commitment to innovation and long-term collaboration.” He added:

“We believe Juventus is uniquely positioned to lead both on the field and in embracing technology that can elevate fan engagement, digital experiences, and financial resilience. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead.”

Founder of Obchakevich Research, Alex Obchakevich, told Cointelegraph that Tether’s Juventus stake increase is an “attempt to prove to non-crypto investors and users that the company is much more than just a stablecoin.” Investors may also not be the only target:

“It is also a way to improve your image with regulators (especially in the European Union) by demonstrating transparency and stability.“

Obchakevich added that he believes “Tether is trying to return to the European market” after losing access due to compliance issues with the local Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Leading crypto exchange Binance delisted Tether’s stablecoin, USDt (USDT), in the European Economic Area (EEA) earlier this month, and now a “stake in Juventus is one of the options for returning to the EU market.”

Key takeaways

AI-powered crypto trading bots use machine learning to make smarter, faster trading decisions — without emotions.

Setting up a bot involves choosing a platform, connecting your exchange, configuring strategies and running backtests.

Bots can run 24/7, react to data instantly and are ideal for passive income seekers and active traders.

While powerful, they’re not “set-it-and-forget-it” tools. You’ll need to monitor performance and tweak strategies over time.

Understanding your goals (long-term investing, day trading, etc.) helps you choose the right bot and strategy.

Bitcoin’s price trajectory may be suppressed ahead of its upcoming “omega candle” rally, according to Prince Filip Karađorđević, the hereditary prince of Serbia and Yugoslavia.

In an April 24 interview with Simply Bitcoin, Filip said some market participants may be limiting Bitcoin (BTC) price action.

“People are able to control the market to some extent,” he said. “Maybe that’s what acted on the 2021 market that suppressed its price from jumping high up. We could get that again in 2025, but there will be one point where [Bitcoin price] will run away.”

Filip added that Bitcoin remains a fundamentally deflationary asset and said its value is “always going to rise over time.”

Source: Simply Bitcoin

He referenced the concept of the “omega candle,” made popular by Bitcoin advocate and Jan3 CEO Samson Mow. The theory predicts Bitcoin’s growth trajectory will explode after it hits the $100,000 mark.

What if paying with crypto was as easy and as fun as sending a meme on X?

In the latest episode of The Clear Crypto Podcast, StarkWare’s Nathan Jeffay and Cointelegraph’s Gareth Jenkinson sit down with Stefana Banciu, growth lead at Pulsar Money, to explore how blockchain is bringing payments into the digital age, with speed, transparency and a dash of playfulness.

Transforming Web3 payments

Banciu lays out how Pulsar is pushing the frontier of Web3 payments with features like social transfers that allow users to send crypto directly through X, simply by tagging a handle. 

“You can actually have super seamless, easy and convenient payments, and it can also be super fun.”

The episode cuts through the crypto jargon to tackle a question with mainstream resonance: Why aren’t we using crypto for everyday transactions yet?

“I wish I could say yes, but that wouldn’t be a true reflection of the state of affairs,” Jenkinson admits when asked if crypto is widely used for payments. He points to Mastercard-linked crypto cards as a stopgap, but says the real revolution hasn’t yet reached the coffee shop counter.

A bill that would allow New Hampshire to invest a portion of its state funds in digital assets and precious metals has advanced to a full Senate vote after passing a second committee.

On April 23, House Bill 302 (HB 302) was reviewed in the second Senate committee and passed in a 4-1 vote.

The legislation, introduced in January, cleared the New Hampshire House earlier this month in a 192–179 vote. It now faces a vote by the full Senate and, if approved, will require the governor’s signature to become law.

Once enacted, it would allow the New Hampshire treasury to use 10% of the state’s general funds to invest in crypto with a market cap of over $500 billion — a threshold currently met only by Bitcoin (BTC).

Source: Bitcoin Laws

Democratic representative opposes New Hampshire’s crypto reserve bill  

During a debate before the full House vote, Democratic Representative Terry Spahr argued that the bill is unnecessary. 

The telecommunications decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) project, Helium, partnered with US telcom giant AT&T to bring WiFi to its users.

According to an April 24 announcement shared with Cointelegraph, as part of the partnership, AT&T customers can now connect to Helium’s community-built WiFi network. Helium Mobile data shows that the network includes over 93,500 hotspots, most of which are in the United States.

Helium Network nodes map. Source: Helium World

The Helium Network is run by individuals and businesses that acquire and operate small cell towers that act as hotspots. Those individuals are rewarded with digital assets for their help in developing the network and providing coverage.

Related: VC Roundup: Investors continue to back DePIN, Web3 gaming, layer-1 RWAs

Helium Mobile (Helium’s mobile network division) co-founder and CEO Amir Haleem said that partnering with an industry leader such as AT&T will “rapidly accelerate the adoption of Helium and provide real-world value” to both network participants and the partner’s customers. He also hinted that “this is only the beginning” and that more announcements are to come.

Asian investment firms are stepping up their Bitcoin accumulation strategies, with Japan’s Metaplanet and Hong Kong’s HK Asia Holdings leading the way.

Tokyo-based Metaplanet disclosed on April 24 that it acquired an additional 145 Bitcoin (BTC) for 1.9 billion Japanese yen (around $13.4 million), boosting its total holdings to 5,000 BTC.

Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich confirmed the company had reached 50% of its initial goal of amassing 10,000 BTC by the end of 2025.

Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich announcing Bitcoin purchase. Source: Simon Gerovich

The firm has been aggressive in its Bitcoin treasury operations, using bond issuances and Bitcoin income strategies such as selling cash-secured BTC put options to finance its acquisitions.

Since initiating its Bitcoin strategy, Metaplanet’s stock has surged over 3,000%. The company aims to hold 21,000 BTC by the close of 2026.

Key takeaways:

Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows are at their highest since January 2025.

Inflows to exchanges down to levels last seen in December 2016.

Bitcoin’s negative funding rates could set up a short squeeze.

BTC price is above major moving averages, which can now provide support.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price rose to a new range high at $94,700 on April 23, its highest value since March 2.

Analysts are criticizing the financial implications of US President Donald Trump’s import tariffs, a development that some say highlights Bitcoin’s unique economic properties during times of global uncertainty.

Trump’s 90-day pause on higher reciprocal tariffs, reverting them to a 10% baseline for most countries except China, has exposed vulnerabilities in the US bond market, according to critics.

Economist and author of The Bitcoin Standard, Saifedean Ammous, said Trump’s decision to reverse the higher tariffs was likely a reaction to rising bond yields, suggesting the administration’s hand was forced.

“Trump fought the bond market and the bond market won,” Ammous said in an April 23 X post. “The gambit seemed to work for the first day, and the huge crash in the stock market was presented as a small price to pay for fiscal sustainability.

“But then the bonds began to crash, and it became clear how disastrous the tariffs were, and how wrong it was to expect that deliberately crashing the stock market would boost the bond market,” he added.

South Korean exchanges Upbit and Bithumb have suspended deposits for Synthetix (SNX) tokens after it was flagged by the Digital Asset Exchange Alliance (DAXA) for potential risks.

DAXA, the self-regulatory organization establishing industry standards for South Korean exchanges, designated SNX as a cautionary item. 

Assets receiving this designation typically undergo rigorous evaluations to determine whether trading can continue or if delisting is necessary.

Exchanges may take action, such as adding a warning tag to the asset and urging investors to take caution when engaging with it. Trading platforms can also perform additional measures, like blocking deposits or suspending trading support temporarily. 

Upbit and Bithumb block SNX deposits

In response to the designation, the biggest exchanges in South Korea said they are blocking deposits for SNX tokens on their platforms. 

Key points:

Bitcoin exchange 100-day average netflows are at their most negative since the start of the current bull market in 2023.

Exchange balances continue to plumb new multiyear lows.

Whales are particularly active buyers this month, while retail shows classic “panic selling.”

Bitcoin (BTC) exchanges are evoking the end of the 2022 crypto bear market as user inflows dry up this year.

Shaquille O’Neal has settled with investors who claim losses from the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, according to an April 23 filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The settlement amount remains confidential, with terms expected to be disclosed after investors formally request preliminary court approval, according to court documents.

O’Neal and other celebrities and athletes were accused of promoting FTX and allegedly contributing to investor losses by endorsing the now-bankrupt exchange.

Source: Court Listener

The case is part of a broader multidistrict litigation effort, where investors are seeking up to $21 billion in damages from FTX insiders, advisers and promoters, far exceeding the $9.2 billion available through bankruptcy proceedings.

Other celebrities embroiled in similar legal troubles for their roles in FTX include NFL quarterback Tom Brady, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, billionaire investor Kevin O’Leary, former NBA player Udonis Haslem, David Ortiz, Naomi Osaka and others. 

Decentralized exchange (DEX) KiloEx said it will compensate traders and stakers hurt by a $7.5 million exploit that temporarily shut down the platform earlier in April.

In an April 24 announcement, KiloEx said traders who had positions open while the platform was suspended would get full compensation if their losses increased or profits decreased. The platform said it would pay the difference. 

KiloEx urged traders to close their positions immediately once the platform resumes operations, as delaying could affect their profit and losses, which may then impact the compensation amount.

“Please close your position as soon as possible after the platform resumes. Compensation will be calculated based on the platform’s resume time,” KiloEx stated. 

Source: KiloEx

Stakers’ principal and earnings remain unaffected

For the platform’s Hybrid Vault stakers, KiloEx said that the stolen funds were fully reinjected into the vault. As a result, staker earnings and principal will remain unaffected. However, KiloEx said it will still provide an additional 10% annual percentage yield (APY) as a bonus for eligible stakers.

Fintech giant Revolut reported a record-breaking year, doubling its pre-tax profit to 1 billion British pounds ($1.3 billion) in 2024, driven by rapid customer growth and a resurgence in cryptocurrency trading.

According to its annual report published on Thursday, April 24, Revolut’s profit soared from 438 million pounds in 2023, while revenue jumped to 3.1 billion pounds from 1.8 billion pounds.

A key contributor to Revolut’s strong performance was its wealth division, which includes stock and digital asset trading. The segment generated 506 million pounds in revenue — nearly four times higher than in 2023 — as crypto trading activity rebounded.

Revolut’s increasing profit. Source: Revolut

Revolut added nearly 15 million new users in 2024, pushing its total customer base past 50 million. This expansion boosted revenue from card payment fees and interest on deposits, the fintech’s two largest income streams.

Founder and CEO Nik Storonsky said in the report that “2024 was another landmark year for Revolut, with continued growth across all key business areas.”

BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund has been named the best new ETF product by etf.com, as it recorded its highest inflows since Jan. 21. 

On April 23, BlackRock’s iShare Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) was awarded the “Best New ETF” at the annual etf.com ETF awards. In an X post shortly after, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said it “feels right to me.”

IBIT clocks highest inflows in three months

“I’m pretty sure this is how I voted. Both of them did things no one has seen [before],” Balchunas said, also referencing the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) winning the “ETF of the Year” award. Over the past 5 years, VOO is up 89%, according to Google Finance data.

IBIT was also the recipient of the Crypto ETP of the year.

IBIT’s two awards came on the same day IBIT recorded $643.2 million in inflows, according to Farside data. It was the highest inflow day since Jan. 21, when it saw $661.9 million, just a day after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, when Bitcoin’s spot price hit an all-time high of $109,000.