Crypto Fear and Greed Turns Neutral As Bitcoin Holds $80K

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index hit 50 on Tuesday, measuring “neutral” for the first time since Jan. 17. This shift ended a 108-day stretch dominated by negative sentiment. The index gauges market sentiment using volatility, momentum, trading volume, and social signals. A score below 25 signals “extreme fear” or risk aversion, while 26–49 reflects…

Bitcoin Short Liquidations Top $7.9B as $80K BTC Price Holds Firm

Bitcoin (BTC) may have a clear path to $90,000 after $7.9 billion in short liquidations in February put pressure on the bears. Data show liquidations came in three waves that extended from February through April. The liquidations highlight a growing imbalance as BTC traders continue to build short positions above $80,000, while the price holds…

Bank of Italy Deputy Governor Urges EU to Evaluate Tokenized SEPA Payments

European financial institutions should assess whether the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) can be extended into tokenized payments, Bank of Italy Deputy Governor Chiara Scotti said, as policymakers look for ways to keep euro-denominated settlement central to digital finance. Scotti called a tokenized extension of SEPA an “important area for reflection” during a Monday speech…

Drift outlines a recovery plan for users after $295 million DPRK-linked exploit

Drift Protocol announced Tuesday the implementation of a recovery plan for users affected by a $295 million exploit on April 1, which it attributed to the North Korea state-backed DPRK hacking group identified by forensic firm Mandiant. The attack led the protocol to suspend trading and borrowing immediately after the exploit. Drift said “the majority…

US Prosecutors Ask Judge to be Lenient on ex-Celsius Exec, Citing Cooperation

Federal prosecutors are recommending a light sentence for Roni Cohen-Pavon, the former chief revenue officer of defunct cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius. In a Monday letter filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), US Attorney Jay Clayton cited Cohen-Pavon’s “substantial assistance” to the government, by being prepared to testify…

Bitcoin price retakes $81K: Is BTC in bear market rally or a ‘supercycle’?

Bitcoin (BTC) climbed 3.5% this week to hit $81,325 on Tuesday, its highest level since January. But is Bitcoin’s multi-month highs just a bear-market rally, or has it already bottomed to resume the so-called “supercycle,” as some traders suggest? Key takeaways: Bitcoin may rally to $180,000–$200,000 as institutional accumulation offsets bear-market pressure Selling pressure remains…

Microsoft-backed Space and Time Launches Virtual Vaults for Institutional Lending

Space and Time (SXT), a level-1 data blockchain that secures onchain finance projects, has launched a virtual vault platform that it says is purpose-built for institutional lending. The Microsoft-backed blockchain said on Tuesday that its new virtual vaults can be configured by institutional lenders and borrowers to their specific agreement, with cryptographically verified, continuously updated…

Crypto platform Bullish to buy transfer agent Equiniti for $4.25 billion, building tokenized securities infrastructure

Bullish (BLSH) has agreed to acquire transfer agent and shareholder services firm Equiniti in a $4.25 billion deal that would fold a core piece of traditional market infrastructure into its digital asset platform, expanding its push into tokenized securities. The transaction gives Bullish, CoinDesk’s parent company, a regulated transfer agent, a required function for public…

Bitcoin Breaks $80K Barrier: Will Altcoins Follow?

Key points: Bitcoin’s rally through $79,500 opens the door to a move toward $84,000. Ether, Dogecoin and Hyperliquid are showing strength, but the other major altcoins are yet to pick up momentum. Bitcoin (BTC) opened the new week with a rally above $80,500, suggesting the bulls are attempting to take charge. Analysts are closely watching…

Polygon Launches Wallet Privacy Feature to Hide Senders, Receivers and Amounts Onchain

Ethereum scaling solution Polygon has launched private stablecoin payments in an effort to attract more businesses and institutions to the chain.  In a statement on Sunday, Polygon introduced its new wallet feature that enables users to privately route transactions through a shielded pool, with verification handled by zero-knowledge proofs. The move is part of an…