Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky sentenced for 12 years in prison for stealing $48M

Alex Mashinsky, disgraced founder of bankrupt crypto lending firm Celsius, stole $48 million from customers. A landmark case of crypto fraud reached its conclusion. On Thursday, May 8, Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the firm’s bankruptcy, which cost its users billions. According to the prosecution, Mashinsky victimized thousands of people, many of whom lost their life savings. At the same time, the disgraced founder stole more than $48 million from Celsius. Mashinsky pleaded guilty to securities and commodities fraud. Mashinsky pleads for sympathy The sentence fell short of the 20-year term requested by the Department of Justice, which called it a just punishment. Mashinsky disagreed, and his lawyers, in a May 5 filing, described the DOJ’s request as a ‘death-in-prison’ sentence . They argued that Mashinsky never intended to harm customers or steal their money. His legal team attempted to elicit sympathy by highlighting the persecution his Jewish family faced in Soviet Russia and his military service in the Israeli Defense Forces. However, the judge did not take those factors into consideration during sentencing. You might also like: Celsius CEO selects Bankman-Fried lawyers for upcoming trial Celsius was a crypto lender that promised high interest rates while touting the safety of its investments. On some deposits, they gave out 17% in interest , much higher than the market rate. At its height, the firm claimed it had 1.7 million users, managed $11.7 billion worth of assets, and gave out $8 billion in loans. But in 2022, as the crypto market faced extreme volatility, Celsius’s operations began to unravel. Instead of secure loans, the firm had engaged in highly leveraged trading strategies. When markets turned, those positions collapsed, leaving Celsius insolvent and its depositors with billions in losses. Read more: What happened to Celsius Network: a year in review

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Trump Coin Price Prediction: 15% Rally and $1.5B Volume – How Quickly Can TRUMP Hit $100?

The Trump Coin price has rallied by 16% in the past 24 hours, with its move to $14.18 coming as markets respond positively to yesterday’s trade deal between the US and the UK. TRUMP is now up by 85% in the past month, having risen from a four-month low of $7.65 on April 8, as tariffs bit prices across the board. What’s arguably bullish about Trump Coin’s position right now is that it remains 80% down from its ATH of $73.43 (January 19), meaning that it has lots of space left to climb. And with Donald Trump continuing to do things to pump the token’s price , it could easily continue to rise over the coming months. Trump Coin Price Prediction: 15% Rally and $1.5B Volume – How Quickly Can TRUMP Hit $100? As strong as the Trump Coin looks right now, its chart shows how its indicators have only just spiked after a bearish period of contraction. From plunging below 30 earlier in the week, TRUMP’s RSI (purple) has now risen as high as 80, a sign of very strong buying pressure. Source: TradingView Likewise, the coin’s 30-period average (orange) has just climbed over the 200-period average (blue) again, another sign that it has entered a growth spurt. And as we saw with the coin’s price and its RSI towards the end of April, it could easily mount another strong rally in the next few days. Of course, we could just as easily see TRUMP whales capitalize on today’s move and dump large quantities of the token on the market, as suggested by a big transfer this morning from one unknown wallet to another. 10,294,951 #TRUMP (142,878,477 USD) transferred from unknown wallet to unknown wallet https://t.co/GhqCrJd5UB — Whale Alert (@whale_alert) May 9, 2025 However, in the medium-term, there are a few reasons why the Trump Coin price could continue to see steady growth. For one, the market has only just begun recovering from April’s tariff shock, with the arrival of a US-UK trade deal potentially a precursor to multiple similar deals with multiple other nations. Secondly, Trump Coin itself is likely to benefit from its association with President Donald Trump, who most recently has announced a private dinner open to the token’s 220 biggest holders. Right now 22 of the top 220 spots on the leaderboard for the Trump dinner own zero coins. pic.twitter.com/syz1yVOiJs — Nigel Eccles (@nigeleccles) May 5, 2025 Invitations will derive from average holdings of TRUMP between April 23 and May 12, meaning that the Trump Coin price could be volatile up until the latter date. But given Trump’s tendency to promote to the coin, we could see other pumps later in the year. As such, TRUMP could reach $17.50 by the end of the month, $30 by the end of July, and $100 by the end of the year. How to Beat the Market with Presale Tokens TRUMP looks strong at the moment, but we now entering a period where many alts could do well and even outperform the market. Some of these are presale coins, which can often generate lots of hype and momentum during their sales, helping them to rally strongly when they list on exchanges. Not all of them will do well, but one token that has been gaining in size recently is Bitcoin Bull (BTCBULL) , an ERC-20 token with strongly deflationary tokenomics. We warned you. The bulls not stopping. pic.twitter.com/kx2SeyPq7V — BTCBULL_TOKEN (@BTCBULL_TOKEN) May 8, 2025 It has now raised over $5.4 million in its sale, with this figure giving a clear indication of its increasing popularity. What makes BTCBULL stand out is the fact that its tokenomics are connected to Bitcoin (BTC), with the token’s protocol programming burns and airdrops in accordance with BTC’s price growth. It has a hard cap of 21 billion BTCBULL, and will hold burns whenever Bitcoin reaches a new $25,000 price milestone, beginning from $125,000. It also rewards BTCBULL holders with BTC airdrops at each $50,000 milestone, starting from $150,000. This could make it a very profitable token to hold, particularly when holders can also stake it for passive income. Investors can join the BTCBULL sale by going to the Bitcoin Bull website and connecting a compatible wallet, such as Best Wallet. It’s currently available at the price of $0.002505, although this will rise again in just under three days, so traders should hurry. The post Trump Coin Price Prediction: 15% Rally and $1.5B Volume – How Quickly Can TRUMP Hit $100? appeared first on Cryptonews .

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Traders Are Split Between Bitcoin, XRP, and Solana — But LINK Is Climbing Watchlists Too

The cryptocurrency market experiences an interesting standoff situation during the month of May. The price of BTC remains stagnant near $94,000 although XRP continues a downward trend. The price of Solana SOL gained modestly after its late April decline while Chainlink LINK starts to gain interest from analysts who raise their mid-year predictions. Three factors including institutional progress with macroeconomic factors alongside on-chain data have led to distinct market segments among traders who are realigning their investments between these classes. Bitcoin shows normal sideway movement after price rallies but investors monitor essential resistance boundaries intensely during this period. XRP has experienced a 7% decrease in value over five days yet Solana shows long-term potential due to its 180% annual spike. LINK has produced flat price gains because its market value continues at $13.41 despite expert analysts predicting it will surpass $15+ during the middle of this year. STAGE ALMOST FULL — ACT NOW MAGACOINFINANCE has become a more common topic in crypto discourse as analysts study it as an alternative system in addition to its role as a separate process. Newer projects like MAGACOIN FINANCE establish their own specific market space as the token’s pre-sale reaches more investors in locations away from dominant cryptocurrencies BTC and SOL. Bitcoin Hovers Near $94K, XRP Drops 7%, and Solana Adds 1.9% — LINK Sees Quiet Surge Bitcoin (BTC): Bitcoin entered a consolidation phase after April’s price escalation when traders held positions within the range of $93,800 to $94,200 during May 6 activities. A negative 0.5% daily movement exists within Bitcoin’s price range while the broader support stays strong at $93,500. The market watches the Federal Reserve’s upcoming May 7 interest rate announcement while Bitcoin faces downwalling pressure near $99,000 and $100,000. XRP: The cryptocurrency market lost 7% of its value during the previous five days and currently stands at $2.08. XRP faces downward momentum because of technical difficulties coupled with Ripple’s movement toward RLUSD while XRP’s use cases have become less visible to the market. ETF approval rumors continue to circulate despite an estimated 77% chance for approval before this year ends. XRP’s institutional use remains uncertain after Ripple acquired Hidden Road but before these changes take effect traders remain watchful. Solana (SOL): Solana (SOL) experiences a 1.96 percent daily increase as daily trading reaches $146.81. Over the last 12 months SOL has emerged as a leading cryptocurrency displaying 179.9% growth as it returns stronger from its April value lows. The system attracts significant development work as well as broadening participation across the network. Chainlink (LINK): LINK has quietly moved upward making it one of the most unnoticed market developments during the early months of 2025. The market value currently stands at $13.41 with a total decrease of 1.55 percent in the last 24 hours due to positive performance across the board. Analysts predict LINK will reach values between $14–$15.30 by July 2025 while more optimistic scenarios estimate it could reach $19.63 during this year. Key Investor Trends: The current Bitcoin trading range shows investors await significant macroeconomic signals. Meanwhile XRP experiences structural challenges because of RLUSD yet it has potential long-term growth through ETF speculation. Network growth has not weakened Solana’s ability to stay resilient. Value-focused traders are attracted to Chainlink as its projected expansion paths forward. CLICK HERE – $0.007 LISTING COMING FAST MAGACOINFINANCE Enters Crosshairs as Rotations Deepen in Altcoin Markets MAGACOINFINANCE is starting to appear on watchlists because presale continues steadily and community attraction increases. MAGACOINFINANCE operates outside Bitcoin and Solana’s direct competitive space but leads a rising trend within politically-oriented crypto investments. The project maintains a special branding and economic model to attract investors from a select group of retail crypto enthusiasts. Investors who are beyond basic altcoins such as ADA, XRP, and LINK are showing interest in MAGACOIN Finance because of its rising Discord interactions along with tokenomics-based strategy. Analysts predict the presale participation will reach levels 35 times higher than current numbers based on projections. Due to its ability to perform according to speculative cycles MAGACOINFINANCE has the potential to expand 35x times if market conditions stay favorable for risks. This is driven by: Low market cap entry point Retail-centric branding Social activity continues to rise simultaneously with Discord member acquisition statistics. Participants in the presale stage benefit from limited availability of coins. Data from the official MAGACOINFINANCE Discord network demonstrates growing user involvement as the data reveals: Daily active users up 22% week-over-week The population of token owners increases progressively as different presale phases unfold. The current degree of public input and transparency matches what successful new cryptocurrency initiatives demonstrate at this developmental stage. Conclusion: With Bitcoin Sideways and XRP in Flux, New Altcoin Narratives Take Shape Bitcoin: The macro anchor still remains Bitcoin while its consolidation period likely will finish after the Fed’s decision. XRP: The token exhibits short bearish tendencies but potential ETF enhancements and institutional deals in development. Solana: The network shows sustained growth due to ongoing steady developer and user working. LINK: Has been steadily increasing as it prepares for positive price movements later in the year. MAGACOIN FINANCE: The speculative asset continues to attract more community members and promotes its presales with success. During summer market volatility capital movements will split investors between large established coins and risk-taking investors who shift their funds into MAGACOINFINANCE . The mid-cycle momentum of 2025 may show its defining characteristics through the varying stories across different market sectors. LIMITED TIME OFFER-GET 50% EXTRA BONUS WITH MAGA50X To learn more about MAGACOINFINANCE , please visit Website: https://magacoinfinance.com Twitter/X: https://x.com/magacoinfinance Continue Reading: Traders Are Split Between Bitcoin, XRP, and Solana — But LINK Is Climbing Watchlists Too

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Bitcoin Bulls Eye Potential Path to $150,000 as Price Targets Rise Amid Market Optimism

Bitcoin Paths Toward Parabolic Growth: Is $150,000 Possible? Bitcoin is experiencing a surge in optimistic price predictions as the cryptocurrency approaches significant resistance levels, sparking discussions of potential new heights.

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Ripple Settlement Slammed by SEC Commissioner

Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw believes that new SEC administration is actually scared of winning

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Solana, Cardano and XRP Whales Flock to XPFinance Presale as Over 10% of Soft Cap Filled in 24 Hours

This content is provided by a sponsor. The crypto landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and the XRP Ledger is now in sharp focus, thanks to XPFinance, a pioneering decentralized lending and borrowing protocol making waves with its newly launched presale. In just 24 hours, XPFinance’s highly anticipated presale has seen over 10% of its 100,000

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Bitcoin broke $100K… is it real this time?

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Can Solana crack the $170 barrier? Yes – 3 reasons why

SOL is attracting the most attention in the market, which can yield positive results for the asset.

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Bitcoin’s Grip Loosens: Market Expert Says Dominance Has Hit Its Ceiling

Raoul Pal, Real Vision founder and prominent trading name, stated on Wednesday that the dominance of Bitcoin may have topped this cycle. In an X post, Pal said that DeMark Indicators’ signals point toward the potential that a change is imminent after several months of Bitcoin at the top of the market. Pal noted that daily, weekly, and monthly charts all are flashing top signals on Bitcoin dominance. Related Reading: XRP At $2.20? Analyst Insists It’s Not Too Late To Get In Bitcoin dominance is now at nearly 65%, a figure that has increased steadily since December 2024. Despite this growth, it is still yet to reach the 2021 high of 74%, or the 2017 high previously. This, according to Pal, indicates a weakening trend in the percentage of the crypto market dominated by Bitcoin over time. DeMark Tops Flash Warning Signs Pal relied on technical analysis tools called DeMark Indicators, developed by market veteran Tom DeMark. They are used to identify when a trend could be losing momentum. Although Pal didn’t specifically state what the exact signals were that he watched for, one of the TD Sequential’s functions is to find turning points like this. I think BTC dominance topped today. There are daily, weekly and monthly DeMark tops in place and the top is well below 2021 top and that was below the 2017 top. If that plays out, it is the hallmark of the next phase of the Banana Zone. Let’s see… — Raoul Pal (@RaoulGMI) May 8, 2025 Currently, Bitcoin is over 6% higher since the beginning of 2025 and has just reclaimed the $103k level. The coin is slowly making its way toward the $105,000 threshold. But while Bitcoin is going higher, most other cryptocurrencies have not been able to keep pace. Altcoins Have Fallen Behind Statistics indicate that the TOTAL2 index, which captures the value of the crypto market excluding Bitcoin, has fallen by almost 20% this year. It declined from $1.34 trillion to $1.07 trillion. This difference between Bitcoin and the rest of the market has contributed to increasing Bitcoin’s dominance. If Pal’s analysis is correct, this difference will soon begin to narrow. He thinks that as soon as Bitcoin dominance reaches a peak, money may begin entering altcoins. Traders usually move their focus from Bitcoin to smaller coins as soon as they feel the top coin has gotten its run out. That’s what happened before, and Pal believes the same may occur. The Banana Zone Theory Pal also mentioned what he refers to as the “Banana Zone.” It’s his terminology for a period where prices accelerate in a sharp, curved trajectory — sort of like a banana. He divides this into three stages. Phase one, he says, began in November 2024, when the prices of crypto started to break out. Related Reading: Trump Trade News Ignites Bitcoin Mania—$100K Coming? Now he believes we’re entering phase two, which he calls the “Banana Singularity.” That’s the part where altcoins start rising faster than Bitcoin, as more investors start hunting for bigger gains in riskier coins. This is usually when people start seeing major moves across smaller tokens. Altcoin Season May Be On The Way Pal’s message is crystal clear: Bitcoin’s time at the top may be slowing down. If the technical indicators are correct, altcoins may soon be taking center stage. It wouldn’t be the first time. In previous bull runs, capital rotated out of Bitcoin and into altcoins as the top coin’s dominance tailed off. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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AI's GPU obsession blinds us to a cheaper, smarter solution

Opinion by: Naman Kabra, co-founder and CEO of NodeOps Network Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have become the default hardware for many AI workloads, especially when training large models. That thinking is everywhere. While it makes sense in some contexts, it's also created a blind spot that's holding us back. GPUs have earned their reputation. They're incredible at crunching massive numbers in parallel, which makes them perfect for training large language models or running high-speed AI inference. That's why companies like OpenAI , Google, and Meta spend a lot of money building GPU clusters. While GPUs may be preferred for running AI, we cannot forget about Central Processing Units (CPUs), which are still very capable. Forgetting this could be costing us time, money, and opportunity. CPUs aren't outdated. More people need to realize they can be used for AI tasks. They're sitting idle in millions of machines worldwide, capable of running a wide range of AI tasks efficiently and affordably, if only we'd give them a chance. Where CPUs shine in AI It's easy to see how we got here. GPUs are built for parallelism. They can handle massive amounts of data simultaneously, which is excellent for tasks like image recognition or training a chatbot with billions of parameters. CPUs can't compete in those jobs. AI isn't just model training. It's not just high-speed matrix math. Today, AI includes tasks like running smaller models, interpreting data, managing logic chains, making decisions, fetching documents, and responding to questions. These aren't just "dumb math" problems. They require flexible thinking. They require logic. They require CPUs. While GPUs get all the headlines, CPUs are quietly handling the backbone of many AI workflows, especially when you zoom in on how AI systems actually run in the real world. Recent: ‘Our GPUs are melting’ — OpenAI puts limiter in after Ghibli-tsunami CPUs are impressive at what they were designed for: flexible, logic-based operations. They're built to handle one or a few tasks at a time, really well. That might not sound impressive next to the massive parallelism of GPUs, but many AI tasks don't need that kind of firepower. Consider autonomous agents, those fancy tools that can use AI to complete tasks like searching the web, writing code, or planning a project. Sure, the agent might call a large language model that runs on a GPU, but everything around that, the logic, the planning, the decision-making, runs just fine on a CPU. Even inference (AI-speak for actually using the model after its training) can be done on CPUs , especially if the models are smaller, optimized, or running in situations where ultra-low latency isn't necessary. CPUs can handle a huge range of AI tasks just fine. We're so focused on GPU performance, however, that we're not using what we already have right in front of us. We don't need to keep building expensive new data centers packed with GPUs to meet the growing demand for AI. We just need to use what's already out there efficiently. That's where things get interesting. Because now we have a way to actually do that. How decentralized compute networks change the game DePINs , or decentralized physical infrastructure networks, are a viable solution. It's a mouthful, but the idea is simple: People contribute their unused computing power (like idle CPUs), which gets pooled into a global network that others can tap into. Instead of renting time on some centralized cloud provider's GPU cluster, you could run AI workloads across a decentralized network of CPUs anywhere in the world. These platforms create a type of peer-to-peer computing layer where jobs can be distributed, executed, and verified securely. This model has a few clear benefits. First, it's much cheaper. You don't need to pay premium prices to rent out a scarce GPU when a CPU will do the job just fine. Second, it scales naturally. The available compute grows as more people plug their machines into the network. Third, it brings computing closer to the edge. Tasks can be run on machines near where the data lives, reducing latency and increasing privacy. Think of it like Airbnb for compute. Instead of building more hotels (data centers), we're making better use of all the empty rooms (idle CPUs) people already have. Through shifting our thinking and using decentralized networks to route AI workloads to the correct processor type, GPU when needed and CPU when possible, we unlock scale, efficiency, and resilience. The bottom line It's time to stop treating CPUs like second-class citizens in the AI world. Yes, GPUs are critical. No one's denying that. CPUs are everywhere. They're underused but still perfectly capable of powering many of the AI tasks we care about. Instead of throwing more money at the GPU shortage, let's ask a more intelligent question: Are we even using the computing we already have? With decentralized compute platforms stepping up to connect idle CPUs to the AI economy, we have a massive opportunity to rethink how we scale AI infrastructure. The real constraint isn't just GPU availability. It's a mindset shift. We're so conditioned to chase high-end hardware that we overlook the untapped potential sitting idle across the network. Opinion by: Naman Kabra, co-founder and CEO of NodeOps Network. 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.

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