Author: John Smith

Continued talks of reinstating and expanding tariffs — particularly targeting China and potentially extending to other major trade partners like Mexico and the European Union. These tariff policies, central to President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, aim to protect domestic industries and reduce U.S. trade deficits. But beyond American borders, such policies have the power to reshape the global economy, disrupt supply chains, and shift geopolitical alliances. While tariffs are often framed as domestic economic tools, their global ripple effects are far-reaching. They influence how and where products are made, which countries align economically, and how trade relationships evolve. Below,…

China and Russia are now reportedly settling select energy transactions using Bitcoin, according to a recent report by investment firm VanEck. The move marks a shift away from the U.S. dollar-dominated financial system and comes amid heightened global trade tensions. VanEck’s Head of Digital Assets Research, Matthew Sigel, confirmed the development, stating that the adoption of Bitcoin (BTC) for trade settlement is evolving beyond speculation.  “That interest is no longer theoretical. China and Russia have reportedly begun settling some energy transactions in Bitcoin and other digital assets,” he wrote in a recent report. In addition to China and Russia, Bolivia…

Exaion, a subsidiary of French electric utility giant EDF Group, is now a validator of Etherlink, the Tezos-powered layer 2 blockchain. Exaion, which offers high-performance computing and cloud solutions for blockchains, has joined Etherlink, an Ethereum (ETH) Virtual Machine compatible L2 powered by Tezos (XTZ) smart rollups, as validator.  The move follows a key milestone that saw Exaion join Tezos as a corporate baker in October 2020. As an EVM-compatible layer 2 platform, Etherlink enables non-custodial and seamless integration with Ethereum tools, leveraging Tezos’ rollup technology for scalability and accountability. Integration across the Ethereum ecosystem includes wallets and indexers. The…

Shiba Inu, the popular Ethereum-based meme coin, has dropped to a critical support level as the broader cryptocurrency market remains under pressure. Shiba Inu (SHIB) price rebounded to $0.00001199 on Wednesday after trading at $0.00001145, its lowest level since February 27, and 65% from its lowest level this year.  This crash is because of the ongoing performance of the crypto market as Bitcoin (BTC) and most altcoins have retreated.  Both SHIB’s fundamentals and technical indicators suggest further downside in the coming days. One key metric is the Mean Dollar Invested Age, which tracks the average time that each dollar’s worth…

U.S. legislators are pushing for clearer regulations on crypto, in an effort to keep the $2.7 trillion crypto industry in the U.S. U.S. Congress is seeing another major push for regulatory clarity on crypto. On April 9, the House financial services committee’s subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence held a hearing on crypto regulation. The goal of the hearing was to find ways to align U.S. securities laws with the realities of the digital age, especially with regard to crypto assets. In his remark to the committee, House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill commended the committee’s…

Bitcoin reclaimed the $80,000 level while major U.S. stock indices soared higher after President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause on the administration’s tariff regime for some countries. Bitcoin (BTC) traded above $81,000 Wednesday afternoon while the Nasdaq index was nearing a 10% gain as the latest announcment from the White House calmed markets that had been rocked by fears of a prolonged and aggressive trade war. In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump said several countries had reached out to initiate negotiations on trade, tariffs, and currency issues. As a result, he authorized a 90-day pause…

Solana price continued its freefall this week and is on the verge of forming a death cross, as Polymarket traders bet it may crash to $80 soon. Solana (SOL) was trading at $106 on Wednesday, down by over 60% from its highest level in January.  A Polymarket poll with over $2 million in assets estimates that SOL may drop to $80 in April, a further 25% decline from current levels. About 35% of participants expect the token to hit that price, while just 15% see it rising to $150. Solana’s ecosystem has faced headwinds in recent months. According to CoinGecko,…

A U.S. District Court in Nevada has granted Kalshi a preliminary injunction, temporarily halting the state’s efforts to block the crypto-based prediction market from operating.  The ruling allows Kalshi to continue offering sports event contracts in Nevada while its legal challenge against the state proceeds. Today, the Federal Court in Nevada granted Kalshi’s preliminary injunction and blocked the State from trying to prevent Kalshi from offering prediction markets.We are grateful for the court’s careful attention to this matter and recognition of Kalshi’s status as a… pic.twitter.com/oxZpgkWWGX— Tarek Mansour (@mansourtarek_) April 9, 2025 Judge Andrew P. Gordon issued the decision Tuesday,…

EDX Markets, a cryptocurrency exchange backed by Citadel Securities, Charles Schwab, and Fidelity, has announced a new partnership with digital asset infrastructure firm BitGo to accelerate institutional adoption of crypto. The partnership will see venture capital backed  and institution-focused EDX Markets integrate BitGo’s settlement layer Go Network to enable instant settlement of digital assets and fiat. EDX will tap into BitGo’s qualified custody platform to allow clients trade and settle, reducing exposure to the exchange. Meanwhile, EDX’s deep liquidity becomes accessible to BitGo’s pool of liquidity as BitGo Prime joins EDM Markets as a member. Infrastructure and regulatory compliance are…

Bitcoin’s downside pressure has seen sell-off dynamics shift from newer coins to older cohorts, with the gradual capitulation coming amid broader market weakness. On-chain metrics and data insights platform Glassnode says Bitcoin (BTC) Bitcoin’s downside pressure has seen sell-off dynamics shift from newer coins to older cohorts, with the gradual capitulation coming amid broader market weakness. Year-to-date, BTC has dropped more than 17%, including a 9% decline in the past week. Tariffs and broader economic uncertainty have weighed heavily on risk assets, including Bitcoin. With this performance, coins in the three to six months cohort have seen share of realized…