Category: crypto

The market cap of ERC-20 stablecoins on Ethereum has dropped by $7 billion in a week, marking a significant decline in this market cycle. Darkfrost’s data shows a shift from growth to decline, suggesting investors may be leaving crypto entirely instead of rotating risk. This coincides with gains in metals and equities.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin changes his stance on full verification, now supporting it due to advances in zero-knowledge proofs. He argues that users should have stronger guarantees and be able to verify the chain without replaying every transaction. This approach aims to address issues like censorship and validator concentration on the Ethereum network.

A winter storm in the US caused Bitcoin’s hashrate to drop to a 7-month low as miners shutdown to ease grid stress. Despite this, prices of BTC, ETH, and SOL remained relatively stable. The storm affected over 40% of global mining capacity, highlighting miners’ role as a flexible load during grid stress.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, remains unconcerned by Bitcoin and Ethereum price swings, continuing to buy both regardless of short-term volatility. He sees digital assets, gold, and silver as protection against inflation and currency devaluation. Despite his mixed track record in market timing, his thesis on scarce assets gains acceptance.

XRP’s trajectory may be influenced by institutional adoption on the XRPL and market sentiment. Despite a recent drop in price due to various external factors, signs of institutional support for XRP remain strong. The XRPL is transitioning into institutional-grade financial infrastructure, attracting financial institutions with its scalability and security features.

Kevin O’Leary predicts that U.S. crypto market legislation will pass before midterm elections, despite delays. He believes the bill could clear Congress by May 15. The biggest holdup is stablecoin rewards. O’Leary criticizes a provision that could prohibit platforms from paying rewards on idle stablecoin balances, creating an uneven competitive landscape.

Circle, a stablecoin issuer, faced criticism after $3 million of stolen USDC remained unfrozen for hours after a theft tied to SwapNet users. Critics questioned Circle’s approach to user protection and the delay in freezing the stolen funds, reigniting a debate on the responsibilities of centralized stablecoin issuers.

Trader Mayne believes that Bitcoin is here to stay while alternative cryptocurrencies have either lost value or failed completely. He suggests that Bitcoin is a more secure and reliable investment compared to other cryptocurrencies that have not stood the test of time.

Ethereum is showing an increase in on-chain activity, but struggles to break out of its trading range. Analysts warn of potential downside risk for Ether due to broader market volatility. Despite this, network activity is growing, with rising user participation and transaction demand. Investors must consider these mixed signals in making decisions.

Silver has surged over 270% since early 2025, leaving cryptocurrencies like XRP down 80% against the metal. The rally in precious metals is driven by global uncertainty, trade war fears, and geopolitical tensions. Investors are moving towards physical assets like gold and silver, leaving digital assets behind.