Stablecoins Do Not Threaten Banking Just Yet: Analyst

The impact of stablecoins on the banking sector appears “limited” at the current phase of the adoption cycle, but banks could face increasing competition and an erosion of market share as the stablecoin sector and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) grow in market capitalization.  “So far, the use of stablecoins remains limited, but their market capitalization…

Current BTC Price Action Shows Dramatic Underperformance: Analyst

The current Bitcoin (BTC) market cycle is “dramatically” weaker than the three previous cycles, according to Alex Thorn, the head of firmwide research at investment firm Galaxy. Thorn compared price action since the April 2024 Bitcoin halving to cycles triggered in 2012, 2016 and 2020; the current cycle shows significantly dampened volatility and lower upside….

AllUnity Expands EURAU Stablecoin Into Uniswap DeFi Liquidity Pools

AllUnity, a regulated European stablecoin issuer, is expanding its euro-pegged stablecoin, EURAU, across major decentralized exchanges (DEXs). The company announced Thursday that its EURAU stablecoin is entering liquidity pools across major DEXs, including Uniswap, currently the largest decentralized exchange by trading volumes. The rollout includes two EURAU trading pairs, one against Tether USDt (USDT) on…

Aave records $6 billion TVL drop as Kelp hack exposes structural risk at DeFi lender

Aave just watched $6.6 billion walk out the door, and it’s not because anyone hacked Aave. The protocol’s total value locked dropped from $26.4 billion on April 18 to nearly $20 billion in U.S. morning hours on Sunday, per DefiLlama. The AAVE token fell 16% to $92, and daily fees spiked to $1.99 million as…

Aluminum Giant Alcoa to Sell Dormant Smelter to Bitcoin Miner NYDIG: Report

US aluminium giant Alcoa is reportedly nearing a deal to offload its long-idle Massena East smelter in upstate New York to Bitcoin mining firm New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG). The company is in advanced discussions and expects the transaction to close “in the middle part of this year,” CEO Bill Oplinger told Bloomberg on…

Bitcoin Halts Gains as US-Iran War, Hormuz Closure Make a Comeback

Bitcoin foreshadows fresh market mayhem as it appears that the US-Iran war has returned, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz oil route. Bitcoin (BTC) sought to protect $75,000 into Sunday’s weekly close as crypto surfed fresh uncertainty over the US-Iran war. Key points: Bitcoin price action sinks from ten-week highs amid fears that…

Telegram CEO Warns EU Age Verification App Risks Surveillance

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov warned Friday that the European Union’s new age-verification app could become a stepping stone toward broader online identity tracking, days after the European Commission said the system was technically ready for rollout. In a Telegram post on Friday, Durov cited analysis from security consultant Paul Moore, who said the app is…

RaveDAO Denies Manipulation as Binance, Bitget Probe RAVE Trading Activity

RaveDAO has denied any role in the recent surge and sharp collapse of its RAVE token, as major crypto exchanges open probes into trading activity following allegations of market manipulation. In a thread posted on X, the project said it was “not engaged in, nor responsible for, recent price action,” responding to mounting scrutiny after…

Bitcoin Tops $77K as Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Open

Update (4.17.26 6:43 PM UTC): This article has been updated to reflect updated BTC prices and rally data. Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessel traffic for the remainder of the current ceasefire, prompting quick market reactions. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for…

Why Michael Saylor’s Strategy decided to make STRC’s dividend bi-monthly

Leading bitcoin treasury company Strategy (MSTR) has proposed shifting the dividend payment schedule on its perpetual preferred equity, Stretch (STRC), from monthly to semi-monthly. The amendment, outlined in Strategy’s investor presentation, would keep the 11.5% annualized dividend rate and total annual obligations unchanged (currently $1.2 billion). Holders would receive payouts roughly every two weeks instead…