Bitcoin AI Generated News

A crypto analyst has offered a fresh, data-driven outlook for Bitcoin’s next all-time high and the market bottom that will shape it — and the results hinge on where that bottom ultimately lands. What the analyst found Crypto market analyst Ardi posted on X a cycle-based model that ties Bitcoin’s long-term upside to where the next market bottom forms. His working premise: Bitcoin’s historical cycle expansions have been compressing. Across the past four cycles, each bottom-to-top rally delivered only about 40%–50% of the upside of the prior cycle — a pattern Ardi interprets as a maturing market producing smaller exponential gains as adoption and market size grow. The math behind the forecast Ardi expresses the projection simply: Next cycle top ≈ this cycle bottom × (previous multiple × k) - Previous multiple: estimated at roughly 7–8x (the move from 2022 lows to the 2025 peak) - k: a diminishing factor of 0.4–0.5, representing the observed 40%–50% compression between cycles Scenario: bottom at $60,000 If Bitcoin’s cycle low is around $60,000, Ardi’s model places the next base-case peak in the $190,000–$200,000 range. A stronger “euphoric” extension — the kind of price surge seen at the height of previous cycles — could push BTC toward about $240,000, which he calls the potential supercycle outcome. Scenario: bottom at $50,000 If instead the bottom forms nearer $50,000, the model adjusts downward: a base-case peak near $160,000 and an extended euphoric top approaching $200,000. Context and caveats Ardi’s view arrives after a sharp drop to $60,000 in February 2026 that followed strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel and a related surge in oil prices. That was the first time BTC revisited $60,000 after peaking above $126,000 in October 2025, and the asset had been in a downtrend since that ATH. Ardi emphasizes that these ranges depend on the cycle structure remaining intact and that the model reflects historical patterns — not certainties. The projection offers a framework for where Bitcoin’s next major bull cycle might conclude under different bottom scenarios, but like all models it should be taken as probabilistic guidance rather than a guaranteed outcome. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

XRP is approaching a make-or-break zone as momentum builds toward a potential breakout — but the path up isn’t assured. Traders and analysts say the next few sessions will be critical for determining whether XRP resumes a bullish leg or reverses sharply. What’s happening now - CasiTrades notes XRP is closing in on the completion of Wave E inside a larger consolidation, with multiple technical counts converging on $1.53 as the key resistance. - The near-term technical view anticipates upward moves into the $1.50–$1.53 area. That bullish scenario remains intact only while XRP holds above the important support at $1.39. A decisive break below $1.39 would likely invalidate the current wave count and shift momentum lower. Why Bitcoin matters - Market observers are watching Bitcoin closely. If BTC can rally into resistance near $79,000, it could provide the broader market lift XRP needs to successfully test $1.50–$1.53. - Conversely, if Bitcoin tops locally, XRP risks a “wave failure” — falling just short of its target and reversing. Two scenarios to watch - Bull case: A confirmed breakout above the ACE trendline would clear $1.50 resistance and set a next upside target around $1.90, which aligns with a potential wave-3 expansion from the lows. - Bear case: If XRP is rejected at $1.53 (or drops below $1.39), sentiment could flip quickly and trigger a sharp retracement toward the $1.09 and $0.87 zones. Additional context from Hov - Analyst Hov points out XRP is underperforming peers — it still hasn’t reclaimed $1.50 while several major altcoins have hit new local highs. XRP is forming a clear triangle pattern, which often precedes a breakout but can also produce false moves when the setup is too obvious. Bottom line - The coming price reaction around $1.50–$1.53, and whether XRP can hold above $1.39, will likely define the token’s direction over the next weeks. Keep an eye on Bitcoin’s move into the $79k area and any confirmed break of the ACE trendline for the clearest signal. (Information presented for market context and not financial advice.) Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: Trump’s Fed Pick Pledges Independence — But A Republican Hold and DOJ Probe Leave Crypto Markets on Edge Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s pick to chair the Federal Reserve, told senators at an April 21 confirmation hearing that he has made no rate commitments to the White House and would act independently if confirmed — a claim that comes as political and procedural obstacles cloud his path and keep crypto markets watching. Key developments - At the Senate Banking Committee hearing, Warsh said, “The president never once asked me to commit to any particular interest rate decision, and nor would I agree to it if he had,” adding he would be “an independent actor if confirmed as chair of the Federal Reserve.” - Warsh also told senators he doesn’t believe Fed independence is meaningfully threatened when elected officials publicly state views on rates — a position Democrats criticized as downplaying White House pressure after Trump repeatedly demanded rate cuts and threatened to remove current chair Jerome Powell. - Senator Elizabeth Warren branded Warsh a “sock puppet,” accusing him of aligning his positions with Trump’s preferences. - Despite broad Republican backing, GOP Senator Thom Tillis blocked the Banking Committee from advancing Warsh’s nomination until the Department of Justice drops a criminal investigation of Powell tied to alleged cost overruns on a renovation of the Fed’s Washington headquarters. Tillis framed the move as a procedural condition, telling Warsh, “Let’s get rid of this investigation, so I can support your confirmation.” - The investigation is led by the U.S. attorney for D.C.; a subpoena for Powell was recently blocked in court and prosecutors have vowed to appeal. - Powell’s term as Fed chair expires May 15, leaving Warsh’s confirmation unresolved as that deadline approaches. - Warsh has agreed to divest roughly $100 million in personal assets within 90 days of being sworn in if the Senate confirms him. Why crypto traders care U.S. rate policy is a major driver of crypto liquidity and sentiment. Markets have already priced in fewer Fed rate cuts in 2026 — a shift analysts say tightens liquidity conditions that historically help fuel crypto bull runs. Any hint that a Fed chair could be subject to political pressure on rate decisions adds uncertainty to an environment where macro signals heavily influence risk appetite, leverage, and capital flows into digital assets. What to watch next - Whether Tillis maintains his block or allows a committee vote. - The outcome of the DOJ’s appeal over the subpoena tied to the Powell probe. - Fed and White House signals on rate policy as Powell’s May 15 term expiration nears. - How traders update expectations for Fed cuts and liquidity — a key input for crypto prices and market structure. In short: Warsh insists on independence, but a GOP procedural hold and an ongoing DOJ probe of Powell keep the Fed transition uncertain — and that uncertainty matters for crypto’s next macro-driven move. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Tax-free bitcoin is back in the U.K. — and this time retail investors have a clear route to hold it inside an ISA. Fintech startup Stratiphy has won approval to offer cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes (ETNs) inside a special class of individual savings account (ISA), enabling investors to hold certain crypto products tax-free, the Financial Times reports. Stratiphy will make three 21Shares ETNs available to IFISA investors: bitcoin, ether and a combined bitcoin-plus-gold product. Why this matters - ISAs allow U.K. savers to shelter up to £20,000 a year from income tax and capital gains tax. Being able to place crypto ETNs into an ISA wrapper restores a tax-advantaged route to crypto exposure for retail investors. - HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) ruled at the end of February that crypto ETNs must be held only within Innovative Finance ISAs (IFISAs) from the start of the 2024–25 tax year on April 6. That classification effectively narrowed the path to tax-free ETNs, because few mainstream platforms offer IFISAs. Background and fallout Last year the U.K. moved to lift a retail ban on access to some crypto ETNs, but HMRC’s subsequent decision to restrict ETNs to IFISAs left that opening largely unused — until Stratiphy’s approval. Critics warned the approach risked making the U.K. an outlier compared with other markets where exchange-traded products (ETPs) have broadened retail access to crypto. What Stratiphy is offering Stratiphy, which launched in August 2023, allows users to customize investment strategies and will offer both crypto ETNs and the IFISA wrapper needed to hold them. The platform manages about £4 million across roughly 2,000 retail and corporate clients. CEO Daniel Gold told the FT there is “a disproportionate level of interest” in crypto ETNs and described them as “an interesting way to diversify your portfolio” given their low correlation with traditional assets. A quick note on ETNs and IFISAs - ETNs are debt securities designed to track the performance of an underlying asset or index; they provide exposure but also carry issuer credit risk. - IFISAs are a type of ISA that can hold peer-to-peer loans and certain debt instruments, and — with HMRC’s classification — crypto ETNs. Stratiphy did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment. Bottom line: U.K. investors who want tax-free crypto exposure now have a viable option again, but the route is narrower than in some other markets and comes with product- and issuer-specific risks. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

MicroStrategy’s preferred stock slump didn’t stop Bitcoin’s rally — for the first time in six months MicroStrategy’s perpetual preferred, STRC, went ex-dividend on April 15. Historically, Bitcoin has tended to slide in the week after that payout; this time, however, BTC bucked the pattern. Bitcoin was trading around $75,000 on the ex-dividend date and has since pushed toward $79,000 — the first week-after-payout rise following STRC’s dividend event in six months. Why the STRC drop usually matters STRC is a dividend-bearing perpetual preferred with a $100 par value. Like most dividend securities, its price drops on the ex-dividend date by roughly the size of the payout because new buyers no longer get that dividend. Typically, STRC then spends roughly two weeks clawing back toward par, after which MicroStrategy can more readily tap its at-the-market (ATM) program: issuing new shares near par and using proceeds to buy more Bitcoin. STRC is currently trading around $99.47, close to that $100 trigger level, underscoring its role as an aggressive funding tool for the company’s Bitcoin accumulation. MicroStrategy’s stock and Bitcoin buys MicroStrategy (MSTR) shares were trading more than 9% higher on Wednesday at about $178, suggesting the company may be preparing to tap its common-stock ATM program to fund additional Bitcoin purchases. The company recently disclosed one of the largest single acquisitions on record — 34,164 BTC — with Bitcoin initially remaining in the $75,000 area after that disclosure. What’s driving the Bitcoin move? The rally looks partly structural. Perpetual futures funding rates are still negative, indicating that bearish positioning dominates (shorts are paying longs). When prices rise in that environment, shorts are often forced to cover, creating a short squeeze that accelerates gains. At the same time, a persistent Coinbase premium — Bitcoin trading at a slight premium on the U.S. exchange versus offshore venues — points to steady spot demand from U.S. buyers. Bottom line STRC’s ex-dividend dynamics have been an important part of MicroStrategy’s funding playbook for buying Bitcoin. This week’s unusual post-dividend Bitcoin strength, combined with STRC nearing par and MSTR rallying, raises the prospect that MicroStrategy could soon issue more shares under its ATM programs to add to its already massive BTC holdings. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

The London P2P sweep: FCA shutters eight unlicensed crypto trading hubs In its first coordinated crackdown on illicit peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto trading, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), working with His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU), has raided eight locations across London. Regulators served cease-and-desist notices at each site and collected evidence that the FCA says is now feeding several criminal investigations. What the raids targeted Officials say the sites were suspected of facilitating P2P crypto trading—direct, person-to-person buy and sell activity—without the registrations or anti-money-laundering (AML) controls required under U.K. law. The FCA reiterated that anyone operating as a crypto exchange provider in the U.K. must be registered; there are currently no registered P2P crypto traders or platforms in the country. Regulators’ warning “Unregistered peer-to-peer crypto traders operating in the U.K. are doing so illegally and pose a financial crime risk,” said Steve Smart, the FCA’s executive director of enforcement and market oversight. DI Ross Flay of SWROCU added that unregistered traders can enable criminals to “move, disguise and spend illegal money.” Enforcement context The operation builds on a string of FCA actions against unregulated crypto activity: - Prosecutions and takedowns of illegal crypto ATMs over recent years. - Police arrests related to an unregistered crypto exchange in 2024. - Regulatory moves last year against offshore platform HTX for unlawful financial promotions, alongside expanded scrutiny of social media figures promoting high-risk crypto products. Regulatory timeline and consumer advice The sweep comes as the U.K. prepares a broader regulatory regime for crypto: the full framework is due by October 2027, with a licensing window expected to open in September 2026. Today’s rules focus heavily on AML compliance and financial promotion controls. The FCA urged consumers to verify firms using its online register and warned that anyone trading with unregistered P2P operators lacks access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and compensation schemes—and risks unknowingly accepting stolen funds. What this means for the market The action signals regulators’ intent to clamp down on unlicensed, in-person OTC and P2P activity that could be exploited for money laundering. For traders and operators, the message is clear: without FCA registration and AML safeguards, P2P operations in the U.K. are exposed to enforcement action and carry significant user risk. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Privacy on blockchains is no longer a theoretical debate — it’s the next battleground for institutional finance. This month, Tempo — the Stripe-backed payments blockchain that raised $500 million at a $5 billion valuation and counts Visa, Mastercard, Paradigm, and UBS among its backers — published a detailed architectural proposal for private enterprise stablecoin transactions. Tempo isn’t an obscure privacy experiment; it’s one of the most institutionally credentialed launches in years, staffed by engineers who understand how banks, payments firms, and corporate treasuries operate. When a project with that pedigree puts privacy front and center in its launch-week roadmap, it’s not a hint. It’s a ruling. Why this matters: public blockchains expose every wallet, balance, and transaction in real time. That transparency is a brilliant tool for censorship resistance and auditability, but it’s lethal for institutional activity. Imagine every hedge fund position, corporate treasury move, and pension rebalancing instantly visible to competitors and bad actors — front-running, strategy leakage, and targeted attacks would follow. For large-scale finance, public-by-default ledgers are a non-starter. Tempo’s April 16 announcement offers a practical response: Zones. Zones are private parallel chains tethered to Tempo’s public mainnet. Inside a Zone, participants transact privately; the broader network sees only cryptographic proofs that transactions are valid, not the underlying data. Compliance controls can be embedded with the token, and assets stay interoperable with Tempo Mainnet. For payroll, settlement, and treasury workflows, it’s a pragmatic design that aligns with enterprise needs. But there’s an important caveat: Tempo’s Zones are operator-visible. The Zone operator — typically an enterprise or infrastructure provider — can see everything that happens inside the Zone. The public sees nothing; the operator sees everything. For many regulated entities that’s acceptable, or even necessary for compliance. But it does reintroduce a single point where trust and risk concentrate: you’ve moved privacy off the public chain and into the hands of an intermediary rather than eliminated visibility altogether. An alternative architectural approach removes that intermediary trust entirely: zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography. ZK proofs let parties prove a transaction’s correctness without revealing its details. In ZK-native blockchains, execution is privacy-preserving at the protocol layer: accounts compute locally, chains store only cryptographic commitments, transaction histories aren’t browsable, and no operator has a god’s-eye view. If Bitcoin solved trustless transfer and Ethereum added programmability, ZK-native chains offer verifiable privacy — proof that things happened correctly without exposing what actually happened. That raises the old regulatory objection: privacy versus compliance. The framing that they are mutually exclusive is breaking down. Regulators don’t need unrestricted access to everything; they need conditional, verifiable assurance that transactions follow the rules. Selective, programmable disclosure — revealing only what a regulator needs under defined conditions — is precisely what ZK tools enable. Tempo’s model provides compliance at the operator level; ZK-native approaches bake it into cryptography. Both can meet compliance goals, but they distribute trust in very different ways. Put simply, institutions have decided they cannot run on fully public blockchains. The industry’s next big choice is the type of privacy to build: - Operator-trusted privacy (Tempo Zones): practical, enterprise-friendly, places visibility and risk with a known operator. - Cryptographic privacy (ZK-native chains): minimizes trusted intermediaries, enforces privacy at the base layer, and supports selective disclosure via proofs. Both are legitimate, but they aren’t equivalent. The privacy model you adopt determines your risk surface, compliance posture, and what failure modes you’re exposed to. Architecture isn’t an afterthought — it shapes everything that follows. The privacy debate is over. The real questions now are what kind of privacy institutions will standardize on, and who — if anyone — they’re willing to trust with the view. Tempo’s announcement didn’t just start a conversation; it sharpened the choice institutions must make as onchain finance goes mainstream. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Something quietly big is unfolding on the XRP Ledger: institutional capital is starting to flow in — not into speculative tokens, but into one of the safest markets in finance: US Treasuries. Why it matters - Several institutional-grade, treasury-backed products are already live on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), and their combined value now exceeds $300 million. That’s small relative to global markets, but significant for a network long associated primarily with cross-border payments. - The presence of major names shows XRPL is rapidly closing the gap with more established blockchains for tokenized real-world assets. Who’s on the ledger (current deployments) - Ondo Finance — $221.8 million (largest share). Ondo’s OUSG token is backed by BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund and lets qualified investors mint and redeem 24/7 using Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin. - OpenEden T-Bill Vault — roughly $55 million. - Guggenheim Treasury Services — about $40 million. - abrdn (Aberdeen Group plc) — a tokenized liquidity fund worth $15.9 million. abrdn manages over $600 billion in assets. Together these four products account for more than $333 million of institutional capital on XRPL. Growth so far - XRPL’s tokenized asset base exploded in 2025, growing roughly 2,200% — from $24.7 million in January to about $567 million by year-end. Institutional treasury products make up a meaningful slice of that expansion, even if overall allocations remain small versus traditional markets. Perspective and upside - The US Treasury market exceeds $30 trillion, so current XRPL allocations are a tiny fraction of a vast opportunity. That tiny footprint, however, highlights potential: tokenization scales dramatically once infrastructure, custody, and regulatory clarity align. - Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan has projected the tokenization market could expand from roughly $26 billion today to as much as $200 trillion over time, pointing to enormous tradable pools (e.g., hundreds of trillions in stocks and bonds). If XRPL captures even a modest share of that future market, the implications for usage — and for XRP’s long-term narrative — would be substantial. Bottom line Institutional products tied to US Treasuries are no longer hypothetical on XRPL — they’re live and growing. The absolute amounts remain small versus global debt markets, but the speed of adoption and the caliber of providers involved make XRPL’s move into tokenized government debt one of the more consequential developments to watch in crypto infrastructure and the evolving tokenization story. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Shiba Inu (SHIB) is showing signs of life as a broader crypto rally lifts risk assets across the board. CoinGecko data puts SHIB up 2.5% over the past 24 hours, 6.4% over the last seven days, 0.9% on 14-day charts, and 6.5% over the previous month — a welcome rebound, but one that still leaves the memecoin far off its highs. Despite the recent gains, SHIB remains nearly 50% below its level from late April 2025 and has spent an extended period trading under the psychologically important $0.00001 mark. That raises the question many investors are asking: is this your last chance to buy SHIB below $0.00001? The uptick in SHIB coincided with Bitcoin’s surge to roughly $78,000 earlier today — its strongest showing in almost three months. Historically, Bitcoin-led rallies often spill over into smaller-cap tokens and memecoins, helping to revive risk appetite across the market. Geopolitics may be playing a part too. Positive headlines around a potential US-Iran nuclear agreement are being credited with lifting broader risk-on sentiment; while the Middle East conflict isn’t resolved, any progress toward a deal could entice investors back into higher-risk assets, including memecoins like SHIB. On the technical front, SHIB still faces notable resistance at about $0.000006, and it may consolidate around that level until stronger bullish momentum arrives. Analysts point to two potential macro catalysts that could provide that momentum: a possible interest-rate cut in May following the appointment of Kevin Warsh as Fed chair, and any concrete breakthrough on a US-Iran deal. Together, those developments could help reignite a broader crypto bull run and push SHIB back above $0.00001. Bottom line: the recent rally has narrowed losses and lifted sentiment, but SHIB is not yet out of the woods. Short-term upside hinges on macro tailwinds and renewed risk appetite; for long-term investors, the move presents both opportunity and risk — whether this is a final chance to buy below $0.00001 depends on those unfolding catalysts and your personal risk tolerance. Also read: Should You Still Believe in Shiba Inu’s $0.01 Price Target. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Japan has formally reclassified crypto assets as financial instruments — putting XRP on the same legal footing as stocks and bonds — according to crypto commentator UnknowDLT. The move, revealed on X (formerly Twitter), marks a major step in regulatory clarity from a country often described as having some of the strictest crypto rules globally. Why this matters for XRP Japan’s reclassification gives XRP a clear regulatory status that could smooth institutional and retail use cases within the country. Observers note that Japan has long been one of Ripple’s strongest markets. XRP Update points out Ripple’s early collaboration with SBI, which helped launch On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) using XRP as a bridge asset for real-time cross-border payments and to eliminate pre-funding requirements. That foothold has helped drive adoption across corporate and consumer channels. Growing on-chain and merchant adoption On-chain initiatives and commercial integrations are multiplying in Japan. Pundit Xaif reported that SBI and Tobu Top Tours are issuing prepaid payment tokens on the XRP Ledger tied to a 30 trillion yen payments market, effectively tokenizing parts of the payments ecosystem. Meanwhile, Rakuten Wallet has listed XRP for its roughly 44 million users, allowing purchases with loyalty points and spending across a merchant network reportedly reaching up to 5 million outlets — further embedding XRP into everyday payments use. Technical outlook: a possible big rally On the price front, analyst Egrag Crypto argues that a substantial rally remains possible, forecasting a move into the $9–$13 range. He interprets the recent descending triangle and its breakdown not as a failure but as a liquidity sweep inside a larger macro uptrend — what he calls the “Bifrost Bridge” structure. In his view, triangles are short-term patterns while channels define longer cycles; because XRP remains inside the macro channel, the bullish thesis is intact and a long accumulation phase could precede an explosive expansion. Market snapshot At the time of writing, CoinMarketCap lists XRP around $1.45, up on the day. Bottom line Japan’s regulatory clarity and ongoing ecosystem integrations add real-world momentum for XRP, while some technical analysts see scope for a multi-dollar rally if broader macro and on-chain trends persist. As always, these developments carry both opportunity and risk; readers should do their own research before acting. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Crypto analyst Zynx has published a long-term roadmap for Bitcoin’s price on X (formerly Twitter), using the so-called “Bitcoin Power Law” to project where BTC could trade over the coming decade. The model, which fits past market moves to a long-term growth curve, delivers a bullish set of multi-year targets — and suggests upside measured in multiples rather than single-digit gains. What Zynx projects (mid-year targets) - 2026: ~$145,000 (≈1.9× current price) - 2027: ~$200,000 (≈2.7×) - 2028: ~$265,000 (≈3.5×) - 2029: ~$350,000 (≈4.7×) - 2030: ~$470,000 (≈6.3×) - 2033: ~$1,000,000 (≈13.3×) Context and numbers - Zynx published the thread on April 20, 2026, noting the then-current BTC price around $75,200 and calling the market “historically undervalued.” - The Power Law approach has previously flagged milestones such as BTC’s eventual break above $100,000; sites like Bitbo plot the same kind of trajectory back to 2011 to visualize the long-term trend. What the Bitcoin Power Law is - It’s a curve-fit method that uses Bitcoin’s historical price action to estimate a long-term growth line. Because it smooths out short-term volatility, the Power Law often produces steadily rising targets that assume an ongoing upward trend over many years. Why readers should be cautious - The Power Law is a retrospective curve fit — informative for long-horizon scenarios but not a prediction tool that accounts for macro shocks, regulatory changes, or sudden market stress. - Zynx’s projections imply limited room for prolonged bear markets (a near-continuous bull run), which runs counter to Bitcoin’s history of sharp cyclical drawdowns. Use these forecasts as one data point among many, not a guaranteed path. Bottom line Zynx’s Power Law update is bullish and frames Bitcoin’s future returns in exponential terms. It’s a useful long-range viewpoint for investors who buy into the idea that BTC’s multi-year trend will continue upward, but it’s not a substitute for risk-aware portfolio planning. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

MicroStrategy (MSTR) shares jumped more than 10% Wednesday after Bitcoin’s latest surge and the company’s newest large BTC purchase. Executive chairman and former CEO Michael Saylor announced that MicroStrategy acquired 34,164 Bitcoin for about $2.54 billion, at an average price of roughly $74,395 per coin. That buy brings the firm’s cumulative holdings to 815,061 BTC, reportedly purchased for about $61.56 billion. Bitcoin’s recent strength is helping fuel the stock’s rally. BTC has climbed roughly 17% over the past month and ticked higher into Wednesday’s session; MicroStrategy stock has risen more than 32% during the same monthly stretch. Over the last week Bitcoin has been up about 3%, signaling a partial recovery after a choppy start to the year. MicroStrategy’s public filings show the firm continues to carry material unrealized crypto losses on its books. In its first-quarter report issued a few weeks ago, the company disclosed a $14.46 billion unrealized loss on digital assets, alongside a $2.42 billion deferred tax benefit. As of March 31, MicroStrategy recorded a $1.73 billion deferred tax asset tied to those unrealized losses, which was offset by a matching $1.73 billion valuation allowance. Investors will get another data point soon: MicroStrategy is scheduled to report first-quarter 2026 results after the market closes on May 5, 2026. Wall Street’s consensus EPS estimate is about -$3.41 per share, which reflects an expected year-over-year improvement of roughly 79.3% from the prior period. Despite criticism over its heavy Bitcoin exposure, MicroStrategy remains one of the most visible corporate proponents of BTC as a treasury asset. Saylor has argued that broader recognition of Bitcoin as a capital asset, deeper integration with the banking system, and the expansion of crypto financial products—particularly ETFs—could sustain long-term demand for the token and underpin the company’s strategy. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: Sullivan & Cromwell admits AI “hallucinations” in bankruptcy filing tied to alleged crypto scam network Sullivan & Cromwell has told a federal bankruptcy judge that one of its recent filings in a high‑stakes Chapter 15 fight contained errors produced by generative AI — including fabricated case citations and misstated authorities — in a case seeking to recover billions of dollars in cryptocurrency allegedly tied to the Prince Group and its owner, Chen Zhi. What happened - In a letter to Judge Martin Glenn of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Andrew Dietderich, S&C’s head of restructuring, said the firm “deeply regret[s]” that an April 9 motion contained AI “hallucinations” that created fictitious authorities and distorted real ones. The firm represents court‑appointed liquidators from the British Virgin Islands pursuing claims in Chapter 15 proceedings. - S&C withdrew the original motion and filed a corrected version after opposing counsel — lawyers for Prince Group and Chen at Boies Schiller Flexner — flagged the problems. The defendants say at least 28 citations were erroneous, including quotations that do not exist, and that some cited cases were from different circuits than indicated. - The firm acknowledged its AI‑use rules were not followed during preparation. S&C said its policy requires lawyers to complete training before using generative AI tools and to “trust nothing and verify everything,” warning that failure to do so violates firm policy. A broader review turned up additional minor drafting issues the firm attributed to human error. Case context: crypto recovery and alleged scam network - The litigation centers on efforts by BVI liquidators, via Chapter 15 recognition in the U.S., to pursue claims tied to Prince Group and Chen Zhi. U.S. prosecutors allege Chen directed scam compounds that targeted victims worldwide and have sought to seize billions in cryptocurrency they say is linked to the alleged fraud. Chen was detained earlier this year in Cambodia and later returned to China. - Prince Group — incorporated in the British Virgin Islands — has been linked by U.S. authorities to large‑scale fraud operations in Southeast Asia and has been sanctioned by both U.K. and U.S. governments. The Chapter 15 proceedings are aimed at giving the liquidators authority to act on behalf of creditors and alleged victims in the U.S. Legal fallout and industry implications - Opposing counsel argue the timing of S&C’s correction prejudiced the defendants because the revised filing arrived after they filed objections; they asked the court to adjourn a hearing and hold a status conference. - The episode highlights growing legal and operational risks as law firms experiment with AI in high‑stakes litigation, particularly in complex crypto asset recovery matters where accuracy of authority and timing are critical. - Courts globally have started to react: judges have sanctioned or criticized lawyers for AI‑generated fabrications; in Australia a lawyer lost the ability to practise as a principal after AI‑related errors. Law schools are adding instruction on generative tools, and courts are already weighing how AI interacts with rules on privilege and process — even as some courts pilot AI to manage heavy caseloads. Why this matters for crypto readers - Recovering crypto tied to alleged scams depends on airtight legal work and credible documentation. AI can speed research and drafting, but this incident shows that unchecked outputs can undercut litigation strategies, create delay, and expose firms and clients to reputational and procedural risks. - For victims, liquidators and prosecutors seeking billions in crypto, precision in filings isn’t just academic — it materially affects the pace and success of recovery efforts. S&C did not identify the individual lawyers who prepared the original motion. The court will now decide whether to reschedule proceedings and how to address any prejudice claimed by defendants. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Aptos drives broad-based rally as CoinDesk 20 climbs 3.4% Aptos (APT) led gains across the CoinDesk 20 on Wednesday, rising 5.5% and helping push the index higher. The CoinDesk 20 closed at 2,157.12 — up 3.4% (+71.19) since 4 p.m. ET Tuesday — with all 20 constituents trading in the green. Top performers: APT (+5.5%) and ICP (+5.3%). Bottom movers (still positive): XLM (+0.9%) and CRO (+1.9%). The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based crypto benchmark tracked and traded on multiple platforms across several regions globally. CoinDesk Indices releases this daily snapshot to highlight market leaders and laggards. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Headline: North Korea’s Lazarus Group ramps up attacks with “Mach-O Man” macOS malware — CertiK North Korea’s state-backed hacking collective Lazarus Group has rolled out a new macOS malware campaign dubbed “Mach-O Man,” and security researchers warn it’s turning routine business communications into a fast lane for credential theft and fund extraction. What’s happening - CertiK researcher Natalie Newson told CoinDesk that Lazarus — which security firms estimate has stolen about $6.7 billion since 2017 — is actively targeting fintech, crypto companies and high-value executives. In just the past two weeks the group allegedly siphoned more than $500 million in the outbreaks tied to the Drift and KelpDAO incidents. - Newson said the tempo of attacks is what makes Lazarus especially dangerous: “KelpDAO, Drift, and now a new macOS malware kit, all within the same month. This isn’t random hacking; it’s a state-directed financial operation running at a scale and speed typical of institutions.” She urged the crypto industry to treat Lazarus like banks treat nation-state cyber actors — as a constant, well-funded threat. How Mach-O Man works - Mach-O Man is a modular macOS malware kit developed by Lazarus’s Chollima division, built with native Mach-O binaries tailored to Apple environments where crypto and fintech teams often operate. CertiK says other cybercriminal groups have already adopted the kit. - The campaign primarily uses a social-engineering technique researchers call “ClickFix.” Attackers send executives urgent meeting invites via Telegram for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. The meeting link points to a convincing fake site claiming there’s a connection problem and instructing the victim to paste a single command into their Mac terminal to “fix” it. - These fake verification pages sometimes impersonate Cloudflare or hijack DeFi project domains; guided keyboard shortcuts make victims run a harmful command themselves. Once executed, attackers gain instant access to corporate systems, cloud SaaS accounts and financial resources. Newson warns that the pages and instructions look legitimate, which often allows the attack to bypass traditional security controls. - Variants exist, and by the time victims discover a breach the malware may have already erased itself, making attribution and remediation more difficult. “They likely don’t know it yet,” Newson said. “If they do, they probably can’t identify which variant affected them.” Other voices - Mauro Eldritch, founder of threat-intelligence firm BCA Ltd., described the delivery vector and how the spoofed meeting flow lures targets into running the command. - Security researcher Vladimir S. reported on X that Lazarus actors have already used the tactic to hijack DeFi domains and display fake Cloudflare-style prompts instructing administrators to run terminal commands. Why this matters for crypto - The attack blends targeted social engineering with macOS-native tooling, letting highly motivated, well-funded operators quickly pivot from initial access to full control over financial resources. For crypto firms — many of which rely on remote collaboration tools, cloud services and command-line workflows — the technique poses an acute operational risk. Practical takeaways - Security teams and executives should treat any unsolicited instruction to run terminal commands with extreme skepticism. - Reinforce training on social-engineering risks, verify meeting invites through secondary channels, and implement strict controls around administrative and cloud credential usage. - Consider additional endpoint monitoring for macOS environments, and harden processes for domain and DNS changes to prevent hijacks. Bottom line: Mach-O Man demonstrates how state-directed groups are weaponizing everyday workflows to drain wallets and access corporate infrastructure. CertiK’s warning underscores that Lazarus is not a sporadic nuisance but a sustained, institutional-grade threat the crypto sector must defend against. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Kevin Warsh — President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve — told senators on April 21 that he would not take orders on interest rates, but his confirmation is stalled after a Republican senator put a procedural hold on the vote. The standoff adds another layer of uncertainty for markets already sensitive to Fed policy — including crypto. At a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Warsh insisted he has made no commitments to the White House on rate policy and pledged independence if confirmed. “The president never once asked me to commit to any particular interest rate decision, and nor would I agree to it if he had,” Warsh said. He also told senators, according to CNBC, that elected officials expressing views on rates does not meaningfully threaten Fed independence — a position Democrats pushed back on as downplaying White House pressure. Senator Elizabeth Warren called Warsh a “sock puppet,” accusing him of shifting positions to line up with Trump. Despite broad GOP backing, Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced he will block the nomination from leaving the Banking Committee until the Department of Justice drops a criminal probe into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell. That investigation concerns alleged cost overruns tied to a renovation of the Fed’s Washington headquarters and is being led by the U.S. attorney for D.C.; a subpoena against Powell was blocked in court and the prosecutor has vowed to appeal. Tillis framed his hold as a procedural demand rather than a personal objection to Warsh, telling him at the hearing: “Let’s get rid of this investigation, so I can support your confirmation.” Timing raises stakes: Powell’s term as Fed chair expires May 15, and Tillis’s move leaves Warsh’s path to confirmation unresolved ahead of that deadline. Warsh also agreed that, if confirmed, he would divest roughly $100 million in personal assets within 90 days of being sworn in. Why crypto traders should care The Fed chair’s views and the institutional independence of the Fed have direct consequences for liquidity and rate expectations. Crypto markets have been highly sensitive to U.S. rate policy during this cycle; traders have already priced in fewer Fed rate cuts in 2026, a shift that tightens the liquidity backdrop that has historically helped fuel crypto rallies. Any suggestion that a new chair could face political pressure over rate decisions adds policy risk, which can increase volatility and make it harder for digital-asset investors to price future risk and returns. Bottom line: Warsh professed independence in the hearing, but political and legal wrangling — and the looming May 15 deadline — mean the Fed leadership question remains unresolved, keeping macro and crypto markets on edge. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Google Cloud unveils $750M partner fund to scale “agentic” AI — and what it means for crypto At Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas, Google Cloud announced a $750 million partner fund aimed at accelerating real-world deployments of agentic artificial intelligence — AI systems that don’t just answer questions, but act and execute tasks. The initiative is built to bankroll consulting firms, systems integrators, software vendors and channel partners as they identify use cases, prototype and test agentic systems, deploy agents at scale, and train customer teams. What Google is offering - Financial backing plus technical resources and dedicated engineering support, including Google’s forward-deployed engineers embedded inside partner organizations to help with complex rollouts. - Support for partner activities such as AI value assessments, Gemini proofs-of-concept, and building Gemini Enterprise practices. - Access to agentic AI prototyping frameworks, deployment assistance, Wiz-based security assessments, and usage incentives to speed adoption. - Early access to Gemini models and enterprise-agent tooling for select consulting partners to help refine systems before broader release. Named partners and pilots - Forward-deployed engineer placements are planned with major integrators and consultancies including Accenture, Capgemini, Cognizant, Deloitte, Devoteam, HCLTech, and TCS. - Several service providers, like Sydney-based Quantium, will receive sandbox credits, training, and referrals to build Gemini Enterprise solutions. - Top strategy consultancies — Accenture, Bain, BCG, Deloitte and McKinsey — will get early access to Gemini models for feedback and refinement. - The Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform will enable enterprise-ready agents built with governance and security controls, and the partner ecosystem will include software vendors such as Adobe, Atlassian, Oracle, Palo Alto Networks, Salesforce, ServiceNow and Workday. Why Google is doubling down Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian framed the move as part of a broader shift from models that only answer queries to models that perform tasks — the “shift towards agents.” The fund is designed to deepen partner involvement in assessment, prototyping and integration across enterprise environments and help accelerate customer deployments. Hardware push and AI infrastructure competition Parallel to the partner program, Google is advancing its custom hardware strategy. The company is reportedly talking with Marvell Technology to develop two new chips: a memory-focused processor to complement Google’s TPUs and a next-generation TPU optimized for AI workloads. Google expects to finish the memory-centric chip design by next year and then move to test production. These moves are part of a broader effort to position Google’s chips as an alternative to Nvidia GPUs, and Google has expanded partnerships with Intel and Broadcom to meet rising AI compute demand. Google also says growing TPU adoption has contributed to Google Cloud revenue. What this means for crypto and Web3 - Faster, production-ready agentic AI could power smarter trading bots, automated compliance (AML/KYC), on-chain analytics, smart contract auditing, and oracle services — boosting tooling available to crypto firms and institutions. - Embedded engineering and security assessments (Wiz) may make large-scale, security-conscious deployments more viable for regulated crypto players and enterprise blockchain adopters. - Early access to Gemini models and enterprise agents gives major consultancies and enterprise vendors an opportunity to shape how agentic AI integrates with ERP, CRM and security stacks that many crypto firms already use. - The hardware push is relevant to any compute-heavy crypto use case (large-scale analytics, model inference for on-chain services): alternatives to GPU-dominant stacks could change cloud cost and performance profiles for AI-enabled blockchain services. Risks to watch - Increased centralization: deep integration with Google’s agent platform and chips may create vendor lock-in concerns for projects seeking decentralization. - Governance and privacy: “agentic” systems acting on behalf of users raise questions about auditability, decision-making transparency and liability in on-chain contexts. - Security and dependency: broader agent rollouts amplify the attack surface unless tooling and partner security practices scale effectively. Bottom line Google’s $750M partner fund and complementary hardware push signal a concerted effort to move agentic AI from lab experiments to enterprise production. For the crypto world, that means new capabilities and scale for AI-driven services — but also the usual tradeoffs around vendor concentration, governance and security that Web3 projects will need to navigate. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Tax-free bitcoin is back in the U.K. — but with caveats. Fintech startup Stratiphy has won approval to offer cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes (ETNs) inside a special class of individual savings account (ISA), restoring a route for retail investors to hold crypto in a tax-advantaged wrapper, the Financial Times reported. The move makes crypto ETNs eligible for Innovative Finance ISAs (IFISAs), a type of ISA that can hold alternative investments. Why this matters - ISAs shelter returns from income tax and capital gains tax up to an annual allowance of £20,000. That makes them one of the most attractive tax-efficient vehicles for U.K. investors. - At the end of February, HM Revenue & Customs clarified that crypto ETNs could only be held in IFISAs from the start of the current tax year on April 6. Until now, almost no mainstream platforms offering IFISAs were prepared to list crypto products, which left the earlier lifting of the retail ban on crypto ETNs effectively unusable for most investors. What Stratiphy is offering - Stratiphy, a London-based investment platform that launched in August 2023, will offer three ETNs from issuer 21Shares: bitcoin, ether and a combined BTC+gold product. - The platform manages about £4 million for roughly 2,000 retail and corporate clients. CEO Daniel Gold told the FT that interest in crypto products is “disproportionate” and framed ETNs as a way to diversify portfolios because crypto can have low correlation with traditional asset classes. Context and controversy - The HMRC classification drew criticism from some market watchers who warned it could leave the U.K. out of step with other markets where exchange-traded products (ETPs) have made crypto exposure broadly available to retail investors. - The technicality — ETNs being allowed only inside IFISAs — meant that until an IFISA provider actually listed crypto ETNs, retail access remained limited. Stratiphy appears to be among the first mainstream-ish platforms to bridge that gap. What investors should keep in mind - Holding ETNs in an IFISA means any gains within the £20,000 annual ISA allowance are tax-free, but ETNs are not the same as owning underlying crypto: they are financial notes that track prices. - Availability is still narrow: investors will need an IFISA provider that lists crypto ETNs, and product suitability, fees and issuer risk should be considered. Stratiphy did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

MicroStrategy’s preferred stock, STRC, has broken a six-month pattern — and Bitcoin played a starring role. One week after STRC’s April 15 ex‑dividend date, Bitcoin has climbed to roughly $79,000, reversing the usual post‑payout lag that has accompanied STRC for the past half year. At the time of the April 15 ex‑dividend, Bitcoin was trading around $75,000, so the move higher comes despite the typical ex‑dividend adjustment in the preferred. Why STRC matters - STRC is MicroStrategy’s perpetual preferred instrument the company has used aggressively to fund Bitcoin purchases. Like most dividend‑paying securities, STRC typically falls on the ex‑dividend date by roughly the payout amount; new buyers after that date aren’t entitled to the dividend. Historically the shares have then taken about two weeks to recover toward their $100 par value. STRC is currently trading at about $99.47. - That recovery is operationally important: once STRC (or MicroStrategy’s common stock) is trading at or near par, the company can effectively tap its at‑the‑market (ATM) programs to issue new shares and use proceeds to buy more Bitcoin. Equities and balance‑sheet moves MicroStrategy’s common shares jumped more than 9% on Wednesday to about $178, suggesting the company may continue to use its common stock ATM to fund additional BTC accumulation. The firm also disclosed a massive purchase — 34,164 BTC — one of the largest single acquisitions on record, with the price initially holding in the $75k area. Market dynamics behind the rally The rally shows hallmarks of positioning-driven upside: - Perpetual futures funding rates remain negative, meaning shorts are effectively paying longs to hold positions. When prices rise in that context, short sellers often scramble to cover, creating a short squeeze that can accelerate gains. - A persistent Coinbase premium — Bitcoin trading slightly higher on the U.S. exchange than offshore venues — points to steady U.S. spot demand. Bottom line STRC’s quicker recovery this cycle and the corresponding strength in MicroStrategy’s common stock clear the way for further ATM‑funded Bitcoin buys. Combined with funding‑rate dynamics and a Coinbase premium, the market setup has produced a velocity that could push BTC higher so long as those structural conditions persist. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

Bitcoin briefly topped $79,000 on Wednesday, hitting its strongest level since early February as a broad crypto rally gathered momentum. The largest digital asset rose about 4.5% over 24 hours and was trading near $78,550, pushing major altcoins higher — ether, BNB ($641.51), Solana and XRP all outperformed, while the CoinDesk 20 Index climbed roughly 3.5%. Notable crypto stocks joined the advance: - MicroStrategy (MSTR), the biggest corporate bitcoin holder, jumped about 10% - Circle Internet (CRCL), issuer of the USDC stablecoin, rose ~9% - Coinbase (COIN) gained ~6% - Bitcoin miners MARA and RIOT added roughly 6–7% The broader market also turned risk-on: the S&P 500 gained 0.9% and the Nasdaq surged 1.3% to record highs. Traders cited geopolitical developments — including U.S. President Donald Trump’s remark that he would extend the Iran ceasefire while keeping a naval blockade at the Strait of Hormuz — as fueling some of the risk appetite, though uncertainty around peace talks remains. Market strategists warn the near-term path for BTC still hinges on macro and geopolitical news. Paul Howard, senior director at Wincent, flagged $72,000 as key support and suggested upside may be capped near the $79,000–$80,000 area as short-term traders take profits. Derivatives flows could magnify the move higher. Vetle Lunde, head of research at K33 Research, noted perpetual-swap traders remain heavily short, with seven-day funding rates near three-year lows even as open interest climbs — a combination that raises the odds of a short squeeze. “Rising leverage alongside deeply negative funding suggests shorts are steadily building in perps, increasing both the likelihood and potential magnitude of a short squeeze,” he wrote, adding that concentrated short positions create “strong breakout potential” for BTC. The $79,000–$80,000 zone carries extra significance because it aligns with the short-term holder realized price — essentially the average cost basis of recent buyers, who are often more prone to sell into strength. A decisive move above that band could signal stronger conviction behind the rally; failure to hold it would likely invite renewed selling and profit-taking from shorter-term holders. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news