Crypto News

- One of the most appealing narratives about cryptocurrencies is their purported sky-high potential. Bitcoin has seen multiple years in which the coin gained more than 200%. Ethereum and XRP shareholders also saw mammoth 12-month increases in recent years. But investing in cryptocurrency also means accepting massive volatility. The digital currencies often trade on market sentiment and speculation rather than being backed by tangible assets. And while stocks have built-in safeguards, such as markets that halt trading when a stock moves too low, too quickly, there are no such circuit breakers for cryptocurrencies. That means an investor could be left holding the proverbial bag. That's why I prefer stocks to cryptocurrencies. With...

- Record Numbers The National Retail Federation said U.S. Easter spending will reach a record $24.9 billion in 2026, surpassing the previous high of $24 billion set in 2023. On a per-person basis, consumers are expected to spend a record $195.59. Food is projected to account for $7.5 billion, gifts for $3.9 billion, clothing for $3.7 billion, candy for $3.5 billion and flowers for $2.2 billion. At the same time, crypto philanthropy is no longer a marginal experiment. The Giving Block said it processed more than $100 million in cryptocurrency donations in 2025, up 66% year over year, bringing total crypto donations processed since 2018 to more than $300 million. The average crypto gift size in 2025 reached $11,019. Together, those...

- Crypto Enforcement Architect Todd Blanche Named Interim Attorney General Todd Blanche is now the interim head of the Department of Justice, and the crypto industry is paying attention for a specific reason that has nothing to do with his biography. President Trump announced Thursday that Blanche, previously serving as deputy attorney general, would replace Pam Bondi as Attorney General. The real headline: the man who authored the DOJ’s crypto enforcement memo now controls the institution that executes it. Blanche signed the four-page directive in April 2025 that disbanded the DOJ’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team and instructed prosecutors to stand down from regulatory-violation cases against the crypto industry. That...

- The Bitcoin price has spent five weeks bouncing between $60,000 and $73,000. BTC rallies when Trump hints at ending the Iran war and crashes when he escalates. Traders keep reacting to his comments, but the real threat to Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is what happens when the emergency oil reserves keeping global markets together run out. The IEA deployed 400 million barrels on March 11—the largest release in its 52-year history—to buy time while the Strait of Hormuz stays closed. BCA Research estimates the world would hit an "oil cliff" around April 19, when reserve releases and temporary Russian oil exemptions are both exhausted. For Bitcoin, which has traded with an 85% correlation to the Nasdaq during oil spikes in 2026, what would...

- Stablecoin Crypto Supply Hits $315B in Q1 as USDC Gains, USDT Slips Total stablecoin supply reached a record $315 billion in Q1 2026, rising roughly $8 billion quarter-over-quarter even as the broader crypto market contracted. The headline figure masks a sharper story underneath: USDC is taking ground from USDT, and the gap is closing faster than most market participants expected. USDC supply surged 220% since late 2023 to approximately $78 billion, driven by institutional B2B settlement, payroll infrastructure, and programmatic payment rails built by Visa and Stripe. USDT, still the dominant issuer by raw supply, saw its share slip – a divergence CEX.IO flagged as one of the quarter’s defining market dynamics. Key Takeaways...

- Brian Armstrong Pledges Personal Oversight to Future-Proof Bitcoin Against Quantum Threats Brian Armstrong has put himself personally on the line for Bitcoin quantum resistance, pledging direct oversight of Coinbase’s post-quantum cryptography research and implementation efforts at a moment when the threat has moved from theoretical to time-stamped. The commitment signals that Coinbase is no longer treating quantum risk as a long-range problem for someone else’s roadmap. The urgency is not manufactured. Google Quantum AI and Caltech research published in late 2025 modeled a hypothetical advanced quantum computer cracking Bitcoin’s encryption in under nine minutes – barely inside the network’s 10-minute block confirmation window...

- Key Takeaways The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the March U.S. jobs report at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, April 3, 2026. This places the major macro release on Good Friday, a U.S. stock markets holiday. This timing could make crypto markets among the first major venues to absorb the initial reaction. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the March 2026 Employment Situation release for April 3. NYSE’s 2026 holiday calendar shows Good Friday as a market holiday, and Cboe’s options holiday schedule also lists “None” for both regular and global trading hours that day. Why The Setup Stands Out Investors and policymakers closely watch the monthly jobs report as a critical U.S. economic release. It shapes expectations around...

- Cryptocurrency prices have dropped significantly in the past six months. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) closed March 30 at roughly $66,700, more than 45% down from its October high. Growing risk-off sentiment, low trading volumes, and geopolitical tensions have all contributed to the decline of the leading crypto. The waning interest also fits with historical price patterns: Bitcoin tends to enter a rut after hype-driven rallies, such as last year's wave of enthusiasm about potential legislative progress, mainstream adoption, and a pro-crypto administration. However, an end may be in sight for the latest crypto dip. A recent note from Goldman Sachs suggests Bitcoin may have reached its bottom. Why Goldman Sachs thinks Bitcoin's bottom is in...

- Franklin Resources Bets on Active Crypto, Acquires 250 Digital Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) is included among the 15 Cheapest Stocks with Highest Dividends. On April 1, Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) announced its agreement to acquire 250 Digital, which will become part of its newly formed Franklin Crypto unit. This move represents a deeper push into digital assets. By integrating 250 Digital, the firm aims to expand its actively managed crypto investment offerings for institutional clients, moving beyond basic exposure through products such as bitcoin ETFs. The firm currently manages $1.8B in global assets. The deal is projected to close in the second quarter, with part of the payment being made using BENJI tokens...

- Over the past decade, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has been one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies in the world. Since its launch back in July 2015, Ethereum is up a phenomenal 68,400%. However, Ethereum is now down over 30% in 2026, and currently trades at a 57% discount to its all-time high of $4,954 from last year. To say that things are headed in the wrong direction would be an understatement. With that in mind, are there any Ethereum alternatives worth buying instead? The search for the next Ethereum To answer that question, it's important to understand the current competitive landscape for Ethereum. When it launched a decade ago, Ethereum was the first Layer-1 blockchain network. It quickly became a core building block of the...

- There are two ways to think about Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) right now. If you're a glass half-full type of investor, then Bitcoin has likely bottomed out and is ready to continue its long-time upward trajectory. However, if you're a glass half-empty type of investor, then Bitcoin is likely to feel even more pain this year, given that prior market downturns have seen Bitcoin lose as much as 74% of its value. There's no better way to see these opposing viewpoints play out than in online prediction markets, where traders put money to work betting on the future price of Bitcoin. Bitcoin event contracts on Polymarket On Polymarket, it's possible to buy event contracts based on what price you think Bitcoin will hit in 2026. Right now...

- Charles Schwab Is Gearing Up to Offer Bitcoin, Ethereum Spot Trading Financial services firm Charles Schwab won’t make its members wait much longer to buy spot Bitcoin and Ethereum and hold crypto on its platform. A newly launched cryptocurrency page under the firm’s “Investment Products” dropdown on the website indicates that Schwab Crypto “is coming soon.” A company spokesperson confirmed to Decrypt that the spot offering is imminent. “We remain on track to launch our spot crypto offer in the first half of 2026, starting with Bitcoin and [Ethereum],” a representative for the firm told Decrypt, adding that interested parties could sign up for updates and potential early access online. This follows remarks from CEO Rick Wurster in...

- How to set up a crypto wallet: A step-by-step guide If you want to own cryptocurrency, you need a crypto wallet. The wallet doesn’t store the actual coins, but it does hold the private keys — or passwords — you need to access your crypto. Read on to learn how to set up popular wallet options and how to transfer crypto into them. What is a crypto wallet? A crypto wallet is the tool you need to hold and use digital currencies, like bitcoin (BTC-USD) or XRP (XRP-USD). The wallet doesn’t store cash or coins. These are stored on the blockchain — a secure, public record book of transactions. Your crypto wallet holds the secret passwords, called private keys, that let you access and spend your cryptocurrency. There are different kinds...

- Cryptocurrency prices continue to languish as crude oil prices soar with no end in sight to the war in Iran. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: $BTC) ended the week trading below $67,000 U.S., while Ethereum (CRYPTO: $ETH) fell to right around $2,000 U.S. per token. Smaller cryptocurrencies such as Solana (CRYPTO: $SOL) and XRP (CRYPTO: $XRP) also fared poorly amid a continued selloff in stocks and other risk assets. Markets around the world turned lower after U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a speech in which he said the Iran war would last for several more weeks. Trump’s comments sent crude oil prices up more than 10% in a single day, putting pressure on stocks and crypto. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, the U.S. standard, is now...

- Publicly traded Bitcoin miner MARA has cut its workforce by 15% shortly after it sold $1.1 billion worth of the top crypto asset, the company confirmed following an initial report. Citing sources close to the matter, the publication reported that the cuts impact full-time employees across departments, and may also impact contractors for the firm. “MARA remains focused on executing our strategic evolution from a pure-play Bitcoin miner into an energy and digital infrastructure company,” a spokesperson from MARA said. “As our company evolves, so too must our operations and where we focus our resources. With this in mind, as part of our broader growth strategy, we made the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our team by...

- Many within the crypto industry are outraged by Circle's lack of a response to the Drift exploit conducted this week, expressing dismay regarding the capabilities of the USDC issuer's compliance program. What's the Scoop? What's the Take? Had GENIUS already been in effect, incidents like the Drift exploit may have played out differently. At a minimum, stablecoin issuers would have the information and authority to identify bad actors and quickly freeze funds — potentially limiting damage and accelerating recovery. While the frustration with Circle's response is understandable, the reality is that a "fix" is already on the way. It, however, comes with the tradeoff of bank-like compliance systems, which could encumber on the...

- Bitcoin has experienced a tumultuous period nearly six months after the flash crypto crash on Oct. 10 last year, which wiped out millions of dollars in a single day. Bitcoin (BTC) hit an all-time high of $126,080 on Oct. 6, but it is currently trading 47% lower at $66,600.67. Noted Bitcoin advocate Cathie Wood remains optimistic despite the downturn, encouraging investors to consider the broader perspective. Wood, a veteran investor in the digital assets industry, first gained Bitcoin exposure in 2015 with her fund, ARK Invest. ARK Invest continues to engage with crypto-linked equities such as Coinbase, Robinhood Markets, Block, Circle Internet Group, Bitmine Immersion Technologies, and Bullish, adjusting holdings based on market...

- 194-year-old tortoise survives a bizarre crypto scam Jonathan, the giant tortoise, has lived through the rise and fall of empires, the invention of the lightbulb, and the reign of eight British monarchs. At 194 years old, the world’s oldest living land animal is a symbol of resilience on the island of Saint Helena. However, even a creature that predates the postage stamp is not safe from the reach of modern internet criminals. This week, Jonathan became the face of a viral cryptocurrency scam that tricked some of the world’s largest news organizations. A fake farewell sparks a global panic The chaos began on X (formerly Twitter) when an account posing as Jonathan’s long-time veterinarian, Joe Hollins, announced the tortoise had...

- Popular miner lays off 15% of staff days after selling $1.1 billion in Bitcoin The Bitcoin mining industry is in the middle of an identity crisis. With shrinking margins thanks to halving, soaring energy costs, geopolitical uncertainty, and intensifying competition, major miners are quietly reinventing themselves as AI and high-performance computing infrastructure companies. Firms like Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ), Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT), and Cipher Mining (NASDAQ: CIFR) have all announced pivots toward leasing data centre capacity to AI operators. It gives a higher-margin, more predictable revenue stream than mining ever offered. Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA) is watching that shift closely, and its latest...

- MARA Holdings Cuts 15% Of Staff As It Moves Away From Bitcoin Mining Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings (NASDAQ: $MARA) is reducing its workforce by 15% as it pivots to focus on artificial intelligence (A.I.) infrastructure. The layoffs impact full-time staff across multiple departments, according to media reports. In some instances, entire teams are being eliminated at the company. In an internal memo leaked to the media, MARA Holdings CEO Fred Thiel said, “We’re focusing the company in a new direction. That means the shape of our team needs to change…” The memo stated that affected employees will receive one month of paid leave and benefits through April 30, 13 weeks severance, and full payout for unused time off. Like other...