Decentral Block Post

Some of the top holders of Donald Trump’s memecoin could come out of the shadows to appear for a dinner the US President is planning to host on May 22.

As of April 23, the official Trump memecoin (TRUMP) website offered the opportunity for the “top 220” holders to meet the president in person at his golf club in Washington, DC. At the time of publication, the guest list for the event was unclear, but the project stated any tokenholder who applied had to pass a background check, “can not be from a [Know Your Customer] watchlist country,” and could not have any additional guests.

The memecoin, which the then-president-elect launched on Jan. 17 before taking office, has been heavily criticized by the crypto industry and lawmakers for potentially allowing foreign officials and interest groups to send money directly to the US President without proper disclosure and oversight. The team behind the project controls 80% of the total supply, while the identities of many of the other top tokenholders are mainly unknown.

Top TRUMP memecoin holders as of April 23. Source: TRUMP token

The price of the TRUMP memecoin surged roughly 52% from $9.30 to $14.20 shortly after the dinner announcement. After the token launched on Jan. 17, the project’s market capitalization increased to roughly $15 billion before dropping more than 50% by Jan. 20.

Related: US lawmaker says TRUMP coin could risk national security

For years, crypto investors have looked to the four-year cycle, anchored around Bitcoin’s halving events, as a kind of sacred roadmap. The theory goes: Every four years, Bitcoin’s supply is cut in half, triggering a bullish frenzy, followed by a euphoric peak, a brutal crash, and then a slow recovery. Rinse, repeat.

But what if that model is starting to break? That is what onchain analyst James Check suggests.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Check said that the tidy frameworks that once defined Bitcoin’s market behavior are no longer as useful in today’s macro-driven, institutionally influenced environment.

Rather than labeling the current market as “bull” or “bear,” Check paints a more nuanced picture. Bitcoin, he argues, is now driven more by macroeconomic conditions and investor psychology than by predictable cycles or halving dates. As such, the lines between bull and bear get blurry.

“The world doesn’t operate on four-year cycles,” he says. “You can imagine a headline tomorrow where suddenly all these tariffs get pulled back […] and markets start to move. I can just as easily construct a case where the next headline could send all risk assets into a pretty nasty decline.”

If you’re following developments in the cryptocurrency market, you’ve likely noticed that Coinbase Derivatives has introduced XRP futures contracts to its US derivatives exchange. This move is part of a broader trend where regulated platforms are expanding access to futures trading, giving investors new ways to engage with digital assets like XRP (XRP).

But what exactly are XRP futures? And how do you get involved as an investor or trader?

Let’s take a closer look.

What are XRP futures?

XRP futures are standardized financial contracts that allow you to agree to buy or sell XRP at a predetermined price on a specific future date. Rather than trading the actual token, you’re trading a contract that tracks the price of XRP.

These contracts are overseen by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), meaning they operate within a regulated framework. That adds a level of oversight and structure that appeals to many investors, particularly those wary of the risks tied to unregulated platforms.

Riot Platforms has used its massive Bitcoin stockpile as collateral to secure a $100 million credit facility from Coinbase as the cryptocurrency miner eyes continued expansion. 

The $100 million loan from Coinbase’s credit arm marks Riot’s “first Bitcoin-backed facility,” CEO Jason Les said in an April 23 statement.

Les said the credit line will be used to fund general corporate operations and support the company’s “strategic growth initiatives.”

Source: Riot Platforms

The credit line is scheduled to mature in one year’s time, but could be extended for an additional year. The loan carries an annual interest payment of at least 9%, based on the current upper limit of the federal funds rate plus 4.5%. 

Crucially, the funding amount “will be secured by a portion of [Riot Platforms’] total Bitcoin holdings,” the company said.

Ethereum is entering one of its most precarious periods since its inception. Usage on the base layer is plummeting, core metrics are nearing multi-year lows, and even co-founder Vitalik Buterin is proposing a radical architectural overhaul. 

Institutions aren’t waiting to see how it plays out. Blockchain data shows that long-time supporters such as Galaxy Digital and Paradigm have been slashing their Ether (ETH) holdings in recent weeks. 

So far in April, Ethereum’s base-layer activity has continued to collapse. Ethereum’s network fees are dropping, and inflation has been rising. Though layer-2 networks continue to develop, they’re cannibalizing the base layer’s value capture.

But the story isn’t entirely about Ethereum’s collapse. Some whales are treating this downturn as a rare buying opportunity. Even those who are selling Ether can’t fully let it go.

Ethereum gets dumped by institutions, but for how long?

Institutions are dumping Ethereum, but it’s the ex they keep checking on. It’s not entirely out of the picture — just benched while they explore options like Solana (SOL).

Opinion by: Sasha Shilina, PhD, founder of Episteme and researcher at Paradigm Research Institute

Decentralized prediction markets are gaining ground in the scientific world, offering an intriguing answer to the field’s ongoing reproducibility crisis. While a notable share of research findings fail to replicate in independent tests, supporters believe market-driven forecasting can speed up identifying robust studies.

Detractors remain cautious, worried that introducing financial wagers could compromise the measured, peer-reviewed process that has guided academic inquiry for centuries. The debate hinges on whether blockchain-based forecasting will elevate or destabilize scientific credibility.

Crowdsourcing predictions

Despite these concerns, recent developments point toward real promise. Platforms like Polymarket and Pump.science have shown that crowdsourcing predictions can help refine collective judgment in fields as varied as politics and longevity. This model is being adapted for science, where it could quickly flag dubious claims and reward reproducible ones. 

Although critics highlight potential market manipulation, decentralized science (DeSci) advocates argue that broad participation from multiple stakeholders could democratize the validation process, discouraging one-sided interventions by well-funded groups.

Payments behemoth PayPal plans to offer a 3.7% yield on balances held in its PayPal USD stablecoin.

According to an April 23 Bloomberg report, a PayPal representative said that the measure aims to encourage more usage of the firm’s stablecoin. The program is expected to launch this summer, and the rewards will also be paid out in PayPal USD (PYUSD).

Users will be able to exchange PYUSD for fiat currency, spend it or send it to other users. The rewards will accrue daily and will be paid on a monthly basis. The company hopes this feature will lead to a higher predominance of stablecoin and crypto payments on its platform.

The report follows PayPal USD reaching a $1 billion market cap in the summer of 2024. As of publication, the stablecoin’s market cap is nearly a quarter lower at $873.3 million.

PayPal USD’s market cap chart. Source: CoinMarketCap

Tzahi Kanza, CEO of crypto investment firm Syndika, told Cointelegraph that “from a regulatory standpoint, PayPal must ensure that offering interest doesn’t cause its stablecoin to be classified as a security. “When it comes to financial risks for the users, he said that PayPal can keep its promises, and the main risk is losing the peg to the dollar rather than interest-related issues. He said:

Richard Heart, the controversial founder of HEX, is claiming total victory over the US SEC after years of court battles.

On April 21, the SEC said that it would not amend and refile its fraud case against the former child actor and crypto evangelist. A court had dismissed the SEC’s fraud charges against Heart on Feb. 28.

Heart announced on X that HEX had obtained a victory very few crypto projects could boast: “Richard Heart, PulseChain, PulseX, and HEX have defeated the SEC completely and have achieved regulatory clarity that nearly no other coins have.”

HEX may be out of hot water with American securities regulators (for now), but Heart still faces charges in Europe, where he is wanted both for alleged tax fraud and for alleged assault on a minor. 

Richard Heart, real name Richard James Schueler, is still on Interpol’s wanted list. Source: Interpol

SEC claimed Heart used HEX to defraud investors

In July 2023, the SEC filed a complaint against Heart, whose real name is Richard James Schueler, along with HEX, HEX’s layer-1 blockchain project, PulseChain, and the decentralized exchange (DEX) for the PulseChain network, PulseX. 

Gaming giant Ubisoft has partnered with Web3 firm Immutable to launch Might & Magic: Fates, a blockchain-powered strategy card game set in the Might & Magic universe.

According to a news release shared with Cointelegraph, Might & Magic: Fates blends classic strategic gameplay with modern blockchain technology, offering players digital ownership through Immutable’s Web3 infrastructure.

The game will launch on iOS and Android. The title introduces fresh mechanics, faction-based strategies and a wide array of legendary heroes and creatures.

Players can collect, trade, and customize decks using hundreds of cards, crafting unique strategies in a competitive environment where success is driven by skill and tactical decision-making.

Immutable co-founder Robbie Ferguson teases major announcement. Source: Robbie Ferguson

“The game is free-to-play with no hard progression barriers. Players advance by collecting cards and in-game currency through gameplay,” Justin Hulog, chief studio officer for Immutable, told Cointelegraph.

Cryptocurrency staking protocol Symbiotic closed a $29 million Series A funding round led by Web3-focused investment firms, including Pantera Capital and Coinbase Ventures, to support the launch of a new economic coordination layer for blockchain security.

The round included more than 100 angel investors, with participation from major industry players including Aave, Polygon and StarkWare, the company said in an April 23 announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

The closing of the funding round also marks the launch of Symbiotic’s Universal Staking Framework, which aims to be an economic coordination layer that bolsters blockchain security via staking.

The new staking layer enables the use of any combination of cryptocurrencies to secure networks, including monolithic and modular layer-1 and layer-2 blockchains, the announcement stated.

“We’ve created a modular framework that lets protocols evolve security models over time while efficiently coordinating risk,” Misha Putiatin, co-founder of Symbiotic, told Cointelegraph. “This empowers protocols at every stage of their lifecycle to evolve their security models seamlessly without rebuilding infrastructure.”

Michael Saylor, the CEO of top corporate Bitcoin holder Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), expressed support for newly appointed US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins.

In an April 23 X post, Saylor wrote that “SEC Chairman Paul Atkins will be good for Bitcoin.” The statement follows Atkins’ swearing-in as the 34th chairman of the SEC on April 21.

Source: Michael Saylor

Blue Macellari, the head of digital assets at investment firm T. Rowe Price, also commented positively on Atkins’ swearing in during a recent Bloomberg interview. She seemed hopeful and recognized a change in how the SEC has acted under the new administration, particularly with crypto-related information, including “close to six or seven roundtables” with industry professionals. She said:

“I think that that’s gonna feed into the ability to make thoughtful and considerate policies.”

Vincent Liu , chief investment officer at crypto investment firm Kronos Research, told Cointelegraph that “under Chair Atkins, finalizing custody rules for digital assets is expected to provide the investor protections that institutions demand.” Other issues expected to be resolved are clarification on whether some digital assets are securities or commodities:

“Together, these two moves will help establish clear custody standards and bring much-needed clarity paving the way for the next wave of crypto product innovation.”

Related: SEC and feds charge man over $200M crypto trading scheme

Crypto exchange giant Coinbase is set to expand its footprint by hiring over 130 employees in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of a broader push to tap into emerging fintech talent pools across the US, a company spokesperson confirmed to Cointelegraph.

“Coinbase is making a new investment in Charlotte with a new physical office and an immediate commitment to hire for 130+ local roles across both Compliance and Customer Support over the next six months,” the spokesperson said.

They added that Coinbase’s focus on Charlotte is in response to the city’s emergence as a key financial and tech center, making it a prime choice for expansion to address increasing customer and compliance demands.

With a fast-growing population and a highly skilled talent pool, Charlotte offers an ideal setting to support Coinbase’s long-term growth, the spokesperson said.

Related: Coinbase Derivatives lists XRP futures

Bitcoin (BTC) has overtaken Alphabet (Google) to become the world’s fifth most valuable asset by market capitalization.

As of April 23, Bitcoin’s market cap surged to $1.87 trillion, edging past Alphabet’s $1.859 trillion valuation, according to asset ranking data. BTC is now behind only gold, Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia.

Top assets by market cap. Source: CompaniesMarketCap.com

Bitcoin beats Nasdaq 100 returns in April

Bitcoin’s edge over Alphabet coincides with its ongoing “decoupling” from its long-standing correlation with US tech stocks, especially in April, when BTC’s price rallied 15% despite the Nasdaq 100’s returns of 4.50% in the same period.

BTC/USD and Nasdaq 100 price comparison chart. Source: TradingView

This decoupling followed months of disappointment for crypto bulls, who expected a stronger post-election rally.

Even with April’s gains, BTC’s price remains 16% below its $109,000 all-time high set in January, when Trump was re-inaugurated as the US president.

Crypto markets have faced a wave of liquidations over the past 24 hours, with total losses reaching $635.9 million, according to market data. Most of the liquidations (over $560 million) came from short positions, signaling growing pressure on bearish traders.

Bitcoin (BTC) led the liquidation charts, with $293 million in short positions wiped out as BTC surged past $94,000, marking a 6.29% gain within one day, according to CoinGlass data.

Ether (ETH) followed, with over $109 million in short liquidations as its price climbed nearly 10% to $1,787.

Data from exchanges showed Binance accounted for the largest share of liquidations at $18.7 million in the last four hours, with 78% of that targeting short positions. Bybit and OKX also saw significant liquidation volumes, reflecting widespread volatility across major platforms.

Crypto market sees a wave of liquidations. Source: CoinGlass

Related: Bitcoin breaks downtrend with spike toward $92.6K, but who’s behind the price momentum?

Investments in Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) rebounded to levels last seen in January, signaling a recovery in investor sentiment from concerns about global trade tariff escalations.

US spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs had over $912 million worth of cumulative net inflows on April 22, marking their highest daily investment in more than three months since Jan. 21, Farside Investors data shows.

Bitcoin ETF Flow, millions. Source: Farside Investors

“Bitcoin ETPs just saw the largest daily inflows since 21st January in a dramatic improvement in sentiment,” according to James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares.

Related: Bitcoin still on track for $1.8M in 2035, says analyst

Investor sentiment appeared to improve after US President Donald Trump said that import tariffs on Chinese goods will “come down substantially,” adopting a softer tone in negotiations.

Crypto drainers, malware designed to steal cryptocurrency, have become easier to access as the ecosystem evolves into a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model.

In an April 22 report, crypto forensics and compliance firm AMLBot revealed that many drainer operations have transitioned to a SaaS model known as drainer-as-a-service (DaaS). The report revealed that malware spreaders can rent a drainer for as little as 100 to 300 USDt (USDT).

Crypto drainers report image. Source: AMLBot

AMLBot CEO Slava Demchuk told Cointelegraph that “previously, entering the world of cryptocurrency scams required a fair amount of technical knowledge.” That is no longer the case. Under the DaaS model, “getting started isn’t significantly more difficult than with other types of cybercrime.”

Demchuk explained that would-be drainer users join online communities to learn from experienced scammers who provide guides and tutorials. This is how many criminals involved with traditional phishing campaigns transition to the crypto drainer space.

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

Key points:

Whales on Binance join Coinbase in adding BTC exposure as Bitcoin recovers above $90,000.

The Coinbase premium is back in the green amid a broad risk-asset relief rally.

Resistance attributed to an entity dubbed “Spoofy the Whale” at $90,000 disappears.

Bitcoin (BTC) has fresh whale buying pressure across major exchanges as large-volume investors boost BTC price gains.

Binance is set to implement new compliance measures for South African users, requiring sender and receiver information for all crypto deposits and withdrawals.

In an announcement on April 23, the largest exchange in terms of daily trading volume of cryptocurrencies said the move comes in response to local regulatory demands.

Starting April 30, Binance users in South Africa will be prompted to provide additional information when transferring crypto.

For deposits, users must disclose the sender’s full name, country of residence, and, if applicable, the name of the originating crypto exchange. Similarly, withdrawals will require beneficiary details before processing.

Binance to require information for all crypto transfers in South Africa. Source: Binance

The update will only impact crypto deposits and withdrawals, leaving trading and other platform features unaffected.

Ethereum’s price has surged after having been in the doldrums for weeks, helping boost its market share after it hit record lows.

Ether (ETH) has surged almost 15% over the past 24 hours, topping $1,800 on April 23. It has outperformed Bitcoin, which notched a 6% gain, and the wider crypto market, which has climbed almost 5% to reclaim a total market value of $3 trillion. 

Ether has now managed to recover almost 30% since its April 9 crash to $1,400, leading some analysts to suggest that the worst may be over for the world’s second-largest crypto asset.

“You can hate Ethereum all you want, but when it has a big day, the entire crypto ecosystem goes up,” crypto trader and analyst “Income Sharks” commented to their 640,000 X followers.

Market analyst “Ash Crypto” said ETH was “about to explode,” drawing comparison from the current chart pattern for Ether to that for Bitcoin’s performance in late 2024.