Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is donating 500 BNB (BNB) each to Thailand and Myanmar following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that caused severe damage to buildings and widespread flooding.

Zhao plans to distribute the funds through Binance and Binance Thailand if a third-party onchain donation platform cannot be found to distribute the disaster relief funds.

“I hope everyone is safe in Thailand,” the Binance founder wrote in a March 28 X post before announcing the contributions to both countries affected by the earthquake.

According to The Guardian, at least 144 people are confirmed to have died as a result of the catastrophic earthquake as first responders in both countries continue rescue efforts to free people trapped under rubble.

Source: CZ

Related: Thailand regulator approves USDT, USDC stablecoins

Disaster strikes Myanmar and Thailand

The earthquake struck on March 28 at approximately 1:20 PM local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately 10 miles from Mandalay — the second-largest city in Myanmar.

The death toll in both countries is expected to rise as relief efforts continue, with 732 individuals reportedly injured as a result of the earthquake.

Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has called upon any country willing to help with the disaster relief efforts to provide any aid it can.

Crypto donations amplify aid during times of crisis

The cross-border efficiencies, low transaction costs, and near-instant settlement times of cryptocurrencies make digital assets an ideal medium for disaster relief funds.

Following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that impacted Turkey and Syria in February 2023, philanthropist Haluk Levent began collecting crypto disaster relief donations.

The Giving Block, a company that works with nonprofit organizations to facilitate crypto donations, also used crypto to raise funds for the victims of the Maui wildfires in 2023 and managed to give over $1 million to the relief effort.

More recently, in January, The Giving Block started an emergency relief fundraiser for those impacted by the California wildfires in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.

At the time of this writing, the organization has raised over $1 million for the California wildfire relief fund.

Magazine: Crypto is changing how humanitarian agencies deliver aid and services

Five Democratic lawmakers in the US Senate have called on leadership at regulatory agencies to consider the potential conflicts of interest from a stablecoin launched by World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the crypto firm backed by US President Donald Trump’s family.

In a March 28 letter from the US Senate Banking Committee, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and four other Democrats asked the Federal Reserve’s committee chair on supervision and regulation, Michelle Bowman, and acting comptroller of the currency, Rodney Hood, how they intended to regulate WLFI and its stablecoin, USD1.

March 28 letter from five Democratic senators to OCC, Fed leadership. Source: US Senate Banking Committee

The letter came as members of Congress are considering legislation to regulate stablecoins through the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, or GENIUS Act. The bill, if signed into law, would essentially allow the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Federal Reserve to oversee stablecoin regulation, including for issuers like WLFI and its USD1 coin. 

Trump also signed an executive order in February attempting to have all federal agencies — purportedly including the OCC — “regularly consult with and coordinate policies and priorities” with White House officials, giving the US president unprecedented control. 

“President Trump’s involvement in this venture, as he strips financial regulators of their independence and Congress simultaneously considers stablecoin legislation, presents an extraordinary conflict of interest that could create unprecedented risks to our financial system and to the integrity of decisions made by the [Fed and OCC],” said the letter, adding: 

“The launch of a stablecoin directly tied to a sitting President who stands to benefit financially from the stablecoin’s success presents unprecedented risks to our financial system.”

Related: Trump’s USD1 stablecoin deepens concerns over conflicts of interest

Since World Liberty launched in September 2024 — months before the US election and Trump’s inauguration — many of the firm’s goals have been shrouded in secrecy. The project’s website notes that Trump and some of his family members control 60% of the company’s equity interests. 

As of March 14, World Liberty had completed two public token sales, netting the company a combined $550 million. On March 24, the project confirmed launching its first stablecoin on the BNB Chain and Ethereum. The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., also pitched USD1 from the DC Blockchain Summit on March 26 with three of WLFI’s co-founders.

Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

Bitcoin price extended its decline on March 28, falling for a fourth consecutive day to paint an intra-day low of $83,387. BTC’s (BTC) decline mirrored the Wall Street sell-off, where the DOW closed 700 points lower, alongside the S&P 500 index, which dropped 112 points. 

The sell-off in equities is widely attributed to investors increasing worries over inflation after the core Personal Consumption Expenditures index data from February rose to 2.8% (a 0.4% monthly increase), which was higher than expected. 

S&P 500 drops $1 trillion in market cap value. Source: X / The Kobeissi Letter

The sell-off was further amplified by the markets’ response to US President Trump’s newly levied “reciprocal tariffs,” which applied a 25% tariff to “all cars that are not made in the United States.” 

The chances for a Bitcoin relief rally or oversold bounce are likely diminishing as traders cautiously keep an eye on April 2, the day Trump has labeled “Liberation Day,” where additional tariffs, including “pharmaceutical tariffs,” are expected to be unveiled. 

Bitcoin price to fall to $65K? 

According to veteran trader Peter Brandt, Bitcoin could be on the path to $65,635. 

BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: X / Peter Brandt

In an X social post, Brandt confirmed the completion of a “bear wedge” pattern and said, 

“Don’t shoot the messenger. Just reporting on what the chart says until it says something different. Bear wedge completed with 2X target from the double top at $65,635.” 

Crypto trader ‘HTL-NL’ agreed with Brandt, suggesting that Bitcoin’s failure in “breaking the ice” of a long-term descending trendline and the confirmation of the bear wedge are proof that BTC is destined to revisit its range lows. 

BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: X / HTL-NL

From a purely technical point of view, it’s difficult to project a swift reversal in Bitcoin’s price action as many of its daily timeframe metrics are not oversold. Despite the absence of strong spot market demand in the current price zone, crypto trader Cole Garner says that “whales are going wild right now.” 

BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: X / Cole Garner

According to Garner, the Bitfinex spot BTC margin longs to margin shorts metric just fired a powerful signal which shows historical returns of 50%+ returns “within 50 days.” 

Related: US regulators FDIC and CFTC ease crypto restrictions for banks, derivatives

Beyond the day-to-day price fluctuations, positive crypto industry developments continue to occur on the regulatory front. 

On March 28, White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks commended the FDIC and its Acting Chairman Travis Hill for clarifying the “process for banks to engage in crypto-related activities.” 

Source: X / David Sacks

Essentially, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s letter to institutions under its oversight provided clear guidance on their ability to engage in and provide crypto-related products and services without needing to notify the FDIC first.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

The four-year crypto market cycle that traders and investors have become accustomed to is no longer as pronounced due to the maturation of crypto as an asset class and the participation of institutional investors, according to Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal.

During a recent episode of Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction, Nailwal said that Overall speculative activity is down due to high interest rates in the United States and low-liquidity conditions, but will rebound once rates are cut and the Trump administration settles into its new role.

Although interest rates on 10-year Treasury bonds have come down significantly, rates still remain relatively high. Source: TradingView

Nailwal added that while he expects 30-40% drawdowns between cycles and still expects the Bitcoin (BTC) halving to have some effect on markets, the four-year cycle is now less pronounced. Nailwal said:

“We have generally seen 90% drawdowns between cycles, which is very normal in crypto. I feel that those drawdowns will be less pronounced and they will feel a little bit more professional, more mature, especially for the Blue Chip crypto assets.”

The Polygon founder concluded that once the uptrend resumes and crypto markets experience a prolonged bull run then capital will rotate from larger cap assets into smaller cap assets.

Related: BTC dominance steadily rising since 2023, is altseason now a relic?

Other disruptors of the four-year cycle

US President Donald Trump’s executive order establishing a Bitcoin strategic reserve is one of the factors market analysts say is distorting the four-year market cycle.

Pro-crypto policies from the Trump administration have also legitimized crypto in the eyes of institutional investors, which should bring in new capital flows and reduce the volatility of digital assets.

Flows into crypto ETFs for the week of March 21. Source: CoinShares

The advent of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has also disrupted the four-year cycle by propping up the prices of digital assets that have ETFs and sequestered capital in those investment vehicles.

Because ETFs are traditional finance products that do not give the holder the underlying digital assets, these investment vehicles prevent capital from freely rotating into other assets.

Macroeconomic pressure and geopolitical uncertainty also have a disruptive effect on market cycles, as investors flee risk-on assets for more stable alternatives such as cash and government securities.

Magazine: Bitcoin will ‘start ripping’ as Trump’s polls improve: Felix Hartmann, X Hall of Flame

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said in a March 28 letter that institutions under its oversight, including banks, can now engage in crypto-related activities without prior approval. The announcement comes as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced that digital asset derivatives wouldn’t be treated differently than any other derivatives.

The FDIC letter rescinds a previous instruction under former US President Joe Biden’s administration that required institutions to notify the agency before engaging in crypto-related activities. According to the FDIC’s definition:

”Crypto-related activities include, but are not limited to, acting as crypto-asset custodians; maintaining stablecoin reserves; issuing crypto and other digital assets; acting as market makers or exchange or redemption agents; participating in blockchain- and distributed ledger-based settlement or payment systems, including performing node functions; as well as related activities such as finder activities and lending.”

FDIC-supervised institutions should consider associated risks when engaging in crypto-related activities, it said. These risks include market and liquidity risks, operational and cybersecurity risks, consumer protection requirements, and Anti-Money Laundering requirements.

On March 25, the FDIC eliminated the “reputational risk” category from bank exams, opening a path for banks to work with digital assets. Reputational risk is a term that underscores the dangers banks face when engaging with certain industries.

Related: FDIC resists transparency on Operation Chokepoint 2.0 — Coinbase CLO

Digital asset derivatives won’t be treated differently — CFTC

While the US crypto derivatives market had been a gray zone due to regulatory uncertainty, that has been changing. On March 28, the CFTC withdrew a staff advisory letter to ensure that digital asset derivatives — a type of trading product — will not be treated differently from other types of derivatives. The revision is “effective immediately.”

The change in tone from the CFTC and FDIC follows a new environment for crypto firms under US President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump has vowed to make the US “the crypto capital of the planet.” Crypto firms are shifting strategies to align with the easing regulatory climate. On March 10, Coinbase announced the offer of 24/7 Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) futures. In addition, the company is reportedly planning to acquire Derebit, a crypto derivatives exchange.

Kraken, another US-based cryptocurrency exchange, has also made moves in the derivatives market. On March 20, it announced the acquisition of NinjaTrader, which would allow the exchange to offer crypto futures and derivatives in the United States.

Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

It has been a wild few years for GameStop, the video game retailer turned memecoin stock. After being pulled from the edge of bankruptcy in 2021 thanks to a surging stock price, the company has made sensible business decisions over the years, such as shrinking its physical footprint and focusing on higher-margin items. 

Now, GameStop is trying to secure its survival by investing in Bitcoin (BTC). This approach seems to have worked for Strategy, Michael Saylor’s business intelligence firm turned Bitcoin bank. Strategy has now amassed more than 500,000 BTC through successive purchases. And despite experiencing massive volatility, Strategy’s stock has rallied more than 2,100% since acquiring its first Bitcoin back in 2020.

GameStop has memed its way back to relevance — who says it can’t secure at least the next decade of its existence by riding the Bitcoin wave?

This week’s Crypto Biz newsletter chronicles GameStop’s Bitcoin gambit, the adoption magnet that is tokenization and the recovery in Bitcoin mining revenues.

GameStop: Following the Strategy playbook

On March 25, GameStop confirmed that it had received board approval to invest in Bitcoin and US-dollar-pegged stablecoins. There’s reason to believe that the video game retailer could make a big splash, given its corporate cash balance of nearly $4.8 billion. This is a notable jump from one year earlier when the company’s balance sheet was around $922 million. 

There’s also reason to believe that GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen was orange-pilled by Michael Saylor after the two met in early February. Cohen confirmed that the meeting took place by posting an uncaptioned photo of him and Saylor on Feb. 8. 

Source: Ryan Cohen

For his part, Saylor continues to accumulate as much BTC as humanly possible. Earlier in the week, he announced that Strategy had acquired another 6,911 BTC, bringing its stockpile to 506,137 BTC.

Tokenized real estate comes to Polyon

DigiShares has launched a real estate trading platform on Polygon, giving investors access to a liquid on- and off-ramp for commercial and residential properties. 

RealEstate.Exchange, also known as REX, launched with two luxury property listings in Miami, Florida, including a 520-unit tower and a 38-unit residential complex.

A Google street view of one of the property listings, The Legacy Hotel & Residences in Miami, Florida. Source: Google Maps

DigiShares CEO Claus Skaaning told Cointelegraph that REX has an additional five or six properties in the pipeline, adding that REX will eventually support all sorts of commercial and residential properties. 

REX operates in the United States through a license with Texture Capital, a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The platform is also seeking registrations in the European Union, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. 

Tokenized assets coming to CME

CME Group, one of the world’s largest derivatives exchange operators, has tapped Google Cloud to roll out its asset tokenization program. 

Specifically, CME Group is using the Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL) to tokenize traditional assets on the blockchain — a move the company said would improve capital market efficiency and wholesale payments. 

Tokenization could “deliver significant efficiencies for collateral, margin, settlement and fee payments as the world moves toward 24/7 trading,” said Terry Duffy, CME Group’s Chairman and CEO.

Although CME didn’t provide specific details about which assets would be part of the tokenization pilot, it plans to begin testing the technology with market participants next year.

Bitcoin miner revenues stabilize post-halving

Bitcoin miners are on track for recovery following the network’s April 2024 halving event, which reduced mining revenues from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC.

According to data from Coin Metrics, miner revenues are approaching $3.6 billion in the first quarter, which isn’t far off from the prior quarter’s $ 3.7 billion tally. It marks a major rebound from the third quarter of 2024 when revenues plunged to $2.6 billion. 

Miners have quickly adapted to the latest quadrennial halving, though revenues remain lower than the pre-halving peak in the first quarter of 2024. Source: Coin Metrics

“With almost one year elapsed since Bitcoin’s 4th halving, miners have endured a period of stabilization, adapting to reduced block rewards, tighter margins, and shifting operational dynamics,” Coin Metrics said.

Despite adverse market conditions since the halving, some miners are doubling down on their Bitcoin hodl strategy. Hive Digital’s chief financial officer told Cointelegraph that the company is focused on “retaining a significant portion of its mined Bitcoin to benefit from potential price appreciation.”

Crypto Biz is your weekly pulse on the business behind blockchain and crypto, delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday.

US President Donald Trump has reportedly issued pardons to three of the co-founders of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, who had pleaded guilty to felony charges.

According to a March 28 CNBC report, Trump granted pardons to Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed, who were facing a range of criminal charges related to money laundering or violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. Hayes and Delo pleaded guilty in February 2022, admitting they “willfully fail[ed] to establish, implement and maintain an Anti-Money Laundering program” at BitMEX, while Reed entered a plea a few weeks later.

At the time of publication, the White House had not released a statement suggesting that Trump planned to pardon the three men. Cointelegraph contacted BitMEX for a comment regarding the pardon, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has issued a number of controversial federal pardons, including to more than 1,500 people facing charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was in prison for more than 11 years. Reports have suggested that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in misusing customer funds, was also attempting to cozy up to Trump and Republicans for a potential pardon.

Related: Changpeng Zhao says he ‘wouldn’t mind a pardon’ from Donald Trump

US authorities charged Delo, Reed, Hayes, and Gregory Dwyer — the exchange’s first employee — in 2020 with violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. Hayes, BitMEX’s then-CEO, stepped down from his role amid the legal battle.

The reasons for Trump’s pardon were unclear at the time of publication, as the three men had already been sentenced to a combination of home arrest or probation in 2022. The BitMEX co-founders were also ordered to pay $30 million in penalties as part of a civil case with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The exchange’s cases with US authorities included an agreement to pay $100 million in consent payments to both the CFTC and the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Center in 2021. In January, a judge imposed a $100 million fine and two years of unsupervised probation on HDR Global Trading Limited, BitMEX’s parent company. 

Magazine: Meet lawyer Max Burwick — ‘The ambulance chaser of crypto’

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

US President Donald Trump reportedly issued pardons to three co-founders of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, who had pleaded guilty to felony charges.

According to a March 28 CNBC report, Trump granted pardons to Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed, who were facing a range of criminal charges related to money laundering or violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.

Hayes and Delo pleaded guilty in February 2022, admitting they “willfully fail[ed] to establish, implement and maintain an Anti-Money Laundering program” at BitMEX, while Reed entered a plea a few weeks later.

Source: Arthur Hayes

At the time of publication, the White House had not released a statement suggesting that Trump planned to pardon the three men. Cointelegraph contacted BitMEX for a comment regarding the pardon, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has issued a number of controversial federal pardons, including to more than 1,500 people facing charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, rioting at the US Capitol and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was in prison for more than 11 years.

Reports have suggested that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in misusing customer funds, was also attempting to cozy up to Trump and Republicans for a potential pardon.

Related: Changpeng Zhao says he ‘wouldn’t mind a pardon’ from Donald Trump

US authorities charged Delo, Reed, Hayes, and Gregory Dwyer — the exchange’s first employee — in 2020 with violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. Hayes, BitMEX’s then-CEO, stepped down from his role amid the legal battle.

The reasons for Trump’s pardon were unclear at the time of publication, as the three men had already been sentenced to a combination of home arrest or probation in 2022. The BitMEX co-founders were also ordered to pay $30 million in penalties as part of a civil case with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The exchange’s cases with US authorities included an agreement to pay $100 million in consent payments to both the CFTC and the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Center in 2021. In January, a judge imposed a $100 million fine and two years of unsupervised probation on HDR Global Trading Limited, BitMEX’s parent company. 

Magazine: Meet lawyer Max Burwick — ‘The ambulance chaser of crypto’

Ether (ETH) price fell 9.3% between March 26 and March 28, testing the $1,860 level for the first time in two weeks. This correction led to over $114 million in liquidations of leveraged ETH futures and caused the premium relative to the regular spot market to drop to its lowest level in over a year. 

Some traders have said that the rock-bottom ETH futures premium is a bottom signal, but let’s dig deeper into the data to see if this perspective makes any sense.  

ETH 1-month futures premium relative to spot markets. Source: Laevitas.ch

Ether’s monthly futures typically trade above the regular spot price as sellers demand compensation for the longer settlement period. A 5% to 10% annualized premium usually indicates neutral markets, reflecting the cost of opportunity and the exchanges’ risk. However, ETH futures dropped below this threshold on March 8, following a 24% price correction in the prior two weeks.

The current 2% ETH futures annualized premium suggests a lack of demand for leveraged longs (buys), but this measure is highly influenced by recent price movements. For example, on Oct. 10, 2024, the ETH futures premium dropped to 2.6% after a 14% price correction in two weeks, but the indicator rose to 7% as ETH regained most of its losses. Essentially, the futures premium rarely signals changes in the spot price trend.

ETH whales are afraid Ether price will fall further 

To determine if whales have lost interest in Ether, it is crucial to observe how the market is pricing put (sell) options compared to call (buy) options. When traders anticipate a downtrend, the 25% delta skew metric rises above 6%, indicating a higher demand for hedging strategies. In contrast, periods of bullishness usually push the skew below -6%.

Ether 1-month options 25% delta skew (put-call). Source: Laevitas.ch

Currently, at 7%, the ETH options’ 25% delta skew suggests a lack of conviction among professional traders, raising the likelihood of further bearish momentum. 

From a derivatives market perspective, there is little indication that the recent ETH price correction has bottomed out. Essentially, investors are not confident that the $1,800 support will hold.

Some analysts argue that the sharp decline in Ethereum network activity is the primary reason for the reduced appeal of ETH, while others suggest that the shift toward layer-2 scalability has significantly diminished the potential of base chain fees. Given the need to compensate network validators, the lack of capital inflow requires more ETH issuance, which negatively affects net returns from native staking.

The Ethereum network faces steep competition

Attempting to pinpoint the reasons behind sellers’ motivations is futile, especially when considering Ethereum’s competition, which has expanded from blockchains like BNB Chain and Solana to networks tailored for specific challenges. Examples include Hyperliquid, focused on synthetic assets and perpetual trading, and Berachain, which is apparently better suited for staked assets in cross-liquidity pools.

Related: Timeline: Jelly token goes sour after $6M exploit on Hyperliquid

The success of certain decentralized applications (DApps) could serve as the final blow to Ether. For example, Ethena, the synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, is transitioning to its own layer-1 blockchain. The project, currently holding $5.3 billion in total value locked (TVL), raised $100 million in December 2024 to support this shift.

However, it may be premature to claim that ETH price will continue to fall, as a major protocol update is only weeks away. Investors should carefully track the practical benefits of Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade, particularly in terms of base layer fees and overall usability for the average user. Until then, the chances of ETH outperforming the broader altcoin market remain slim.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Bitcoin price is poised to hit $110,000 before retesting the $76,500 range, according to Arthur Hayes, pointing to easing inflationary concerns and more favorable monetary policy conditions in the US that are set to bolster risk assets, including the world’s first cryptocurrency.

Still, the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry took another hit after an unknown whale exploited Hyperliquid’s algorithms to generate over $6 million in profit on a memecoin short position.

Bitcoin “more likely” to hit $110,000 before $76,500 — Arthur Hayes

Bitcoin may reach a new all-time high of $110,000 before any significant retracement, according to some market analysts who cite easing inflation and increasing global liquidity as key factors supporting a price rally.

Bitcoin (BTC) has risen for two consecutive weeks, achieving a bullish weekly close just above $86,000 on March 23, TradingView data shows.

Combined with fading inflation-related concerns, this may set the stage for Bitcoin’s rally to a $110,000 all-time high, according to Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and chief investment officer of Maelstrom.

BTC/USD, 1-week chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Hayes wrote in a March 24 X post:

“I bet $BTC hits $110k before it retests $76.5k. Y? The Fed is going from QT to QE for treasuries. And tariffs don’t matter cause of “transitory inflation.” JAYPOW told me so.”

Source: Arthur Hayes

“What I mean is that the price is more likely to hit $110k than $76.5k next. If we hit $110k, then it’s yachtzee time and we ain’t looking back until $250k,” Hayes added in a follow-up X post.

Quantitative tightening (QT) is when the US Federal Reserve shrinks its balance sheet by selling bonds or letting them mature without reinvesting proceeds, while quantitative easing (QE) means that the Fed is buying bonds and pumping money into the economy to lower interest rates and encourage spending during difficult financial conditions.

Other analysts pointed out that while the Fed has slowed QT, it has not yet fully pivoted to easing.

“QT is not ‘basically over’ on April 1st. They still have $35B/mo coming off from mortgage backed securities. They just slowed QT from $60B/mo to $40B/mo,” according to Benjamin Cowen, founder and CEO of IntoTheCryptoVerse.

Continue reading

Hyperliquid whale still holds 10% of JELLY memecoin after $6.2 million exploit

A crypto whale who allegedly manipulated the price of the Jelly my Jelly (JELLY) memecoin on decentralized exchange Hyperliquid still holds nearly $2 million worth of the token, according to blockchain analysts.

The unidentified whale made at least $6.26 million in profit by exploiting the liquidation parameters on Hyperliquid.

According to a postmortem report by blockchain intelligence firm Arkham, the whale opened three large trading positions within five minutes: two long positions worth $2.15 million and $1.9 million and a $4.1 million short position that effectively offset the longs.

Source: Arkham

When the price of JELLY rose by 400%, the $4 million short position wasn’t immediately liquidated due to its size. Instead, it was absorbed into the Hyperliquidity Provider Vault (HLP), which is designed to liquidate large positions.

The entity may still be holding nearly $2 million worth of the token’s supply, according to blockchain investigator ZachXBT.

“Five addresses linked to the entity who manipulated JELLY on Hyperliquid still hold ~10% of the JELLY supply on Solana ($1.9M+). All JELLY was purchased since March 22, 2025,” he wrote in a March 26 Telegram post.

Continue reading

Fidelity plans stablecoin launch after SOL ETF “regulatory litmus test”

Fidelity Investments is reportedly in the final stages of testing a US dollar-pegged stablecoin, signaling the firm’s latest push into digital assets amid a more favorable crypto regulatory climate under the Trump administration.

The $5.8 trillion asset manager plans to launch the stablecoin through its cryptocurrency division, Fidelity Digital Assets, according to a March 25 report by the Financial Times citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

The stablecoin development is reportedly part of the asset manager’s wider push into crypto-based services. Fidelity is also launching an Ethereum-based “OnChain” share class for its US dollar money market fund.

Fidelity’s March 21 filing with the US securities regulator stated the OnChain share class would help track transactions of the Fidelity Treasury Digital Fund (FYHXX), an $80 million fund consisting almost entirely of US Treasury bills.

While the OnChain share class filing is pending regulatory approval, it is expected to take effect on May 30, Fidelity said.

Fidelity’s filing to register a tokenized version of the Fidelity Treasury Digital Fund. Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

Increasingly more US financial institutions are launching cryptocurrency-based offerings after President Donald Trump’s election signaled a shift in policy.

Continue reading

Polymarket faces scrutiny over $7 million Ukraine mineral deal bet

Polymarket, the world’s largest decentralized prediction market, is under fire after a controversial outcome raised concerns over potential governance manipulation in a high-stakes political bet.

A betting market on the platform asked whether US President Donald Trump would accept a rare earth mineral deal with Ukraine before April. Despite no such event occurring, the market was settled as “Yes,” triggering a backlash from users and industry observers.

This may point to a “governance attack” in which a whale from the UMA Protocol “used his voting power to manipulate the oracle, allowing the market to settle false results and successfully profit,” according to crypto threat researcher Vladimir S.

“The tycoon cast 5 million tokens through three accounts, accounting for 25% of the total votes. Polymarket is committed to preventing this from happening again,” he wrote in a March 26 X post.

Source: Vladimir S.

Polymarket employs UMA Protocol’s blockchain oracles for external data to settle market outcomes and verify real-world events.

Polymarket data shows the market amassed more than $7 million in trading volume before settling on March 25.

Ukraine/US mineral deal betting pool on Polymarket. Source: Polymarket

Still, not everyone agrees that it was a coordinated attack. A pseudonymous Polymarket user, Tenadome, said that the outcome was the result of negligence.

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DWF Labs launches $250 million fund for mainstream crypto adoption

Dubai-based crypto market maker and investor DWF Labs launched a $250 million Liquid Fund to accelerate the growth of mid- and large-cap blockchain projects and drive real-world adoption of Web3 technologies.

DWF Labs is set to sign two investment deals worth $25 million and $10 million as part of the fund.

The initiative aims to grow the crypto landscape by offering strategic investments ranging from $10 million to $50 million for projects that have the potential to drive real-world adoption, according to a March 24 announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

Source: DWF Labs

The fund will focus on blockchain projects with significant “usability and discoverability,” according to Andrei Grachev, managing partner of DWF Labs.

“We’re focusing our support on mid-to-large-cap projects, the tokens and platforms that typically serve as entry points for retail users,” Grachev told Cointelegraph, adding:

“However, good technology and utility alone isn’t sufficient. Users first need to discover these projects, comprehend their value and develop trust.”

“We believe that strategic capital, coupled with hands-on ecosystem development, is the key to unlocking the next wave of growth for the industry,” he said.

Continue reading

DeFi market overview

According to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the green.

Of the top 100, the BNB Chain-native Four (FORM) token rose over 40% as the week’s biggest gainer, followed by the Cronos (CRO) token, up over 37% on the weekly chart, despite blockchain investigators accusing Crypto.com of manipulating the CRO token supply, after reissuing 70 billion tokens that were “permanently” burned in 2021.

Total value locked in DeFi. Source: DefiLlama

Thanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.