The incident, which represents one of the largest single-day movements into the privacy coin, has sparked significant discussion in cryptocurrency circles.
Over $3.2 billion flowed into Bitcoin ETFs in late April 2025, boosting expectations of a breakout above $100,000. BTC supply on centralized exchanges hit a 7-year low, easing selling pressure
Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the media company behind Truth Social and backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, is weighing the launch of a utility token and a digital wallet as part of an expansion of its streaming platform, Truth+. The potential move was revealed in a letter sent to shareholders by CEO and chairman Devin Nunes on Tuesday, ahead of the company’s annual shareholder meeting. According to Nunes, the proposed utility token would be part of a rewards program and could initially be used to pay for subscriptions to Truth+. He added that over time, the token may be used across additional services within the broader Truth ecosystem. Letter Echoes Crypto Terminology Without Explicit Recognition While the letter stopped short of labeling the token as a cryptocurrency or confirming blockchain integration, the language used aligns with terminology common in the crypto sector. TMTG operates Truth Social, a social media platform modeled after X (formerly Twitter), which Trump helped launch after being banned from major platforms for violating their policies. The company became publicly traded in March 2024 and at one point reached a valuation nearing $8 billion, despite modest revenues. Its market capitalization currently sits around $5.5 billion. This isn’t TMTG’s first foray into digital assets. In January, the company announced the formation of Truth.fi, a fintech division aiming to invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. NEW: In a letter to shareholders, CEO of Trump Media @DevinNunes announced the platform is mulling launching a utility token for subscription payments and possible other future uses within the ‘Truth ecosphere.’ pic.twitter.com/Sq2a6TdBdi — Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) April 29, 2025 It also disclosed plans to launch crypto-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in partnership with Crypto.com. The potential wallet and token for Truth+ would add to a growing portfolio of crypto ventures linked to Trump and his allies. These include NFTs, memecoins, a stablecoin project, Bitcoin mining operations, and a DeFi platform dubbed World Liberty Financial. A Trump-themed real estate video game is also reportedly in development. These developments come as the Trump administration pushes forward with a pro-crypto agenda. Since retaking office, Trump has approved the creation of a strategic digital asset reserve, advocated for stablecoin legislation, and dialed back enforcement against crypto projects across multiple federal agencies. Crypto-Friendly Paul Atkins Sworn as SEC Chair As reported, Paul Atkins was sworn in as Chairman of the SEC earlier this month, marking a leadership shift that is being welcomed by the digital asset industry. Under Atkins’ leadership, the SEC has already withdrawn or delayed several prominent cases against crypto firms. The agency dropped its lawsuits against Coinbase and Cumberland DRW earlier this year, and a separate investigation into Uniswap Labs closed in February without enforcement action. Last week, the agency also closed its investigation into CyberKongz , a prominent Ethereum-based NFT and gaming project, with no enforcement action taken. More recently, the SEC announced it would not pursue further legal action against Richard Schueler, better known as Richard Heart, the founder of Hex, PulseChain, and PulseX. The post Trump’s Truth+ Considers Adding Crypto Wallet and Token: Report appeared first on Cryptonews .
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as CZ, is set to make a highly anticipated appearance at the Dubai Binance Clubhouse today, April 30th, at 15:30 local time (19:30 Beijing
Asset manager BlackRock has filed to create digital ledger technology shares from one of the firm’s money market funds, which will leverage blockchain technology to maintain a mirror record of share ownership for investors. The DLT shares will track BlackRock’s BLF Treasury Trust Fund (TTTXX), which may only be purchased from BlackRock Advisors and The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY), the firm said in its April 29 Form N-1A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The money market fund holds over $150 million worth of assets, invested almost entirely in US Treasury bills and cash. BlackRock said that the shares “are expected to be purchased and held through BNY, which intends to use blockchain technology to maintain a mirror record of share ownership for its customers.” Unlike the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), DLT shares won’t be tokenized but will instead be used as a transparency tool to verify ownership. BlackRock will continue to maintain traditional book-entry records as the official ownership ledger. BlackRock didn’t propose a ticker or set a management fee for the DLT shares in its filing. A minimum initial investment of $3 million worth of DLT is required for institutions seeking to purchase the digital shares. BlackRock follows Fidelity’s March 21 filing to list an Ethereum-based OnChain share class, which seeks to track 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, Fidelity expects it to take effect on May 30. Wall Street heavyweights continue to explore blockchain use cases Asset managers have increasingly turned to blockchain to tokenize Treasury bills, bonds and private credit over the past few years. Related: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF buys $970M in BTC as inflows surge, boost market The treasury tokenization market is currently valued at $6.16 billion, led by BlackRock’s BUIDL at $2.55 billion, while the Franklin Templeton-issued Franklin OnChain US Government Money Fund (BENJI) secures over $700 million worth of real-world assets, according to rwa.xyz. Market caps of blockchain-based Treasury products. Source: rwa.xyz Ethereum remains the chain of choice for tokenizing treasury assets, and currently houses over $4.55 billion worth, while the Stellar network and Solana round out the top three at $474.9 million and $274.5 million, respectively. The potential of RWA tokenization has also been championed by BlackRock’s CEO, Larry Fink, who believes the technology could revolutionize investing. Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race
China’s factories hit the brakes in April as fresh U.S. tariffs cooled new orders and pushed manufacturers to cut jobs, a private survey showed Wednesday. Caixin and S&P Global April manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) slipped to 50.4 from March’s 51.2. The 50-point line separates growth from contraction. The result, the lowest since January, still topped the average forecast in a Reuters poll . The slowdown arrived as Beijing resisted rolling out new stimulus and waited out what officials expected would be a long trade dispute with Washington. On the same day, the government’s own PMI pointed to an even quicker fall in activity. “The ripple effects of the ongoing China-U.S. tariff standoff will gradually be felt in the second and third quarters,” said Wang Zhe, economist at Caixin Insight Group. “Policymakers should be well-prepared, with action taken sooner rather than later.” Demand from abroad is already fading. The survey recorded the sharpest drop in new export business since July 2023, leaving only a slight overall rise in total new orders. Factories kept output growing, but at a slower pace, by working through existing backlogs. Supplier delivery times have lengthened in China, and hiring reduced Producers also reduced inventories, while business confidence slipped to its third-lowest level since the series began in April 2012. Managers blamed the trade uncertainty for their caution. Trade disruptions and supply snags slightly lengthened supplier delivery times in April. At the same time, weak demand for raw materials and fiercer competition among vendors drove another fall in average input costs. Hiring has also reduced noticeably. After a brief gain in March, manufacturing employment dropped last month as some workers resigned and companies moved ahead with restructuring plans to cut costs. Foreign trade is a major source of employment. Former Premier Li Keqiang said in 2020 that the Premier sector supports about 180 million jobs, directly or indirectly. At the Politburo meeting last week, China’s top leaders promised help for firms and workers most exposed to the impact of U.S. tariffs that now run in the triple digits on some goods. On Monday, senior officials from several economic ministries tried to calm worries that the levies could knock China’s fragile recovery off course. Beijing has offered assistance to exporters who are willing to shift more sales to the domestic market, yet many firms hesitate. They cite weak local demand, bruising price battles, thin margins, slow payments, and high product return rates at home. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More
Asia-Pacific stocks trade were little changed on Wednesday as investor sentiment was clouded as investors digested a series of key economic indicators, chiefly weak factory activity data from Japan and China, and Australian CPI inflation. Sentiment was further dampened by a drop in U.S. futures, as traders turned cautious ahead of key U.S. economic releases later today, including the March PCE price index— the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge— and the first estimate of Q1 GDP. Gold extended its recent decline to below $3,310 per ounce on Wednesday, as easing concerns over the impact of US tariffs reduced demand for safe-haven assets. Japan ( NKY:IND ) rose 0.20% rose on Wednesday as markets reopened following a one-day holiday. The Japanese yen slipped to around 142.4 per US dollar on Wednesday, marking its second consecutive day of losses, as a string of disappointing economic data pressured sentiment. March figures revealed that industrial production fell more than expected, while retail sales growth also underwhelmed, raising concerns about the strength of Japan’s recovery. Investor sentiment was buoyed by comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said the US held “substantial talks” with Japan regarding a potential trade agreement. Markets are now focused on the Bank of Japan’s upcoming policy decision, where the central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates steady at 0.5%. China ( SHCOMP ) f ell 0.08% mixed on Wednesday, with the Shanghai Composite slipping 0.2% to around 3,280, while the Shenzhen Component rose 0.5% to 9,895, and the offshore yuan weakened to around 7.27 per dollar, as investors reacted to disappointing PMI data from China. Official data showed that the manufacturing PMI contracted more than expected in April 2025 , after reaching a one-year high in March. Similarly, the services PMI edged lower in April from a three-month peak in March, missing expectations. Meanwhile, a private survey revealed that manufacturing PMI declined in April from a four-month high in the preceding month. China’s top legislature on Wednesday enacted the Private Economy Promotion Law, the first of its kind, signaling stronger support for the country’s private sector amid ongoing trade risks with the West. In its latest update, China’s Foreign Ministry released a video on social media urging the international community to resist US economic aggression. Although the video does not directly mention the steep tariffs exchanged by both sides, it serves as a defiant message to the US and a call for global unity. Hong Kong ( HSI ) rose 0.23% to 21,934 in early trade on Wednesday, reversing modest gains from the previous session as investors reacted to China’s April PMI data. India ( SENSEX ) rose 0.13% Australia ( AS51 ) rose 0.34% rose 0.4% to around 8,100 on Wednesday, marking its fifth straight session of gains. The Australian dollar edged higher toward $0.64 on Wednesday, recouping some losses from the previous session, as investors digested the latest inflation data. Australia's h eadline inflation held at an annual pace of 2.4% in the first quarter , topping expectations of 2.3%. Meanwhile, core inflation, the Reserve Bank’s preferred measure of trimmed mean inflation, fell to 2.9% from 3.3% in the previous quarter, returning to the RBA’s 2-3% target band for the first time since late 2021. Australia’s private sector credit rose by 0.5% month-over-month in March 2025, maintaining the same pace as in the previous two months and aligning with market forecasts. Singapore bank loans increased to SGD 846.5 billion in March 2025 from SGD 841.1 billion in February. This marked the largest amount since records began in 1980. In the U.S., on Tuesday, all three major indexes ended higher , buoyed by reports that a major trade deal was nearing completion and corporate earnings. U.S. stock futures slipped on Wednesday as investors awaited crucial economic data and major corporate earnings: Dow -0.23% ; S&P 500 -0.48% ; Nasdaq -0.66% . Currencies: ( JPY:USD ), ( CNY:USD ), ( AUD:USD ), ( INR:USD ), ( HKD:USD ), ( NZD:USD ). More on Asia: China's manufacturing contracts in April despite stimulus measures Australia inflation steady at 2.4% in Q1, service inflation dips China says no need for U.S. farm and energy goods, but is stocking oil - report China ramps up cash injection as it faces tariff headwinds, PBoC chief reaffirms supportive policy
The central bank in Italy has warned that the surge in crypto-asset prices following Donald Trump’s return to the White House could pose broader risks to global markets. In a semiannual financial stability report published on Tuesday, the Bank of Italy pointed to a temporary but sharp rise in crypto valuations after the US administration signaled support for digital assets. The bank said speculative crypto-assets, particularly those like Bitcoin , experienced strong inflows after Trump’s inauguration and subsequent policy announcements. Officials in Rome cautioned that if these highly volatile instruments become more closely tied to traditional financial systems, they could amplify vulnerabilities for both markets and financial intermediaries. Italy’s central bank noted that the value of crypto-assets reached $2.75t by the end of March, with Bitcoin accounting for over 60% of that total. #Esceoggi #29aprile il 1° Rapporto sulla #StabiliitàFinanziaria del 2025, pubblicazione semestrale con le informazioni sulle condizioni del sistema finanziario italiano Lo trovi qui https://t.co/jSGLRh949B #RSF #Bankitalia pic.twitter.com/nbcNWtaMwt — Banca d'Italia (@bancaditalia) April 29, 2025 Italy Sees Financial Fragility in Growing Role of Bitcoin and Stablecoins According to the report, a significant share of Bitcoin is now held by ETF issuers, trading platforms and non-financial corporations. These entities are either betting on Bitcoin as a stock-price enhancer or using it to reshape business models, despite its high volatility. Many operate outside traditional regulatory frameworks, especially in the US, China, Canada and the UK. Their limited presence in the eurozone has so far insulated European markets, but Italian regulators warned that contagion risks are growing. The report also raised concerns about the dominance of dollar-based stablecoins such as Tether and USD Coin . If such instruments become systemic, their issuers’ heavy reliance on US government bonds as reserves could trigger market instability during redemption crises. EU Authorities Monitor Offshore Crypto Exposure as Stablecoin Risks Mount The central bank warned of a potential liquidity crunch in the event of a large-scale stablecoin failure, with spillover effects that could reach both US bond markets and global financial systems. European officials have echoed those concerns. ECB President Christine Lagarde said in April that MiCAR, the EU’s landmark crypto regulation, may not be strong enough to shield European financial institutions from fallout linked to a US-driven stablecoin boom. She warned that a mass shift of savings into dollar-pegged assets could weaken the euro area’s monetary sovereignty. Meanwhile, Natasha Cazenave of the European Securities and Markets Authority added that though crypto remains a small slice of global finance, its growing entanglement with the real economy could soon amplify risks . Italian authorities said they are closely monitoring business models and liquidity practices of firms offering crypto-assets in both EU and offshore markets. As European lawmakers move to strengthen rules under MiCAR, Italy’s warning points to the growing need for global coordination. Without it, national regulations may struggle to keep pace with the rapid global spread of crypto, especially as political support fuels faster adoption in major economies. Without it, national frameworks could be overwhelmed by the rapid internationalization of crypto-finance, especially as political backing accelerates adoption in key economies. The post Italy Flags Trump-Fueled Crypto Surge as Potential Threat to Financial System appeared first on Cryptonews .
Dubai, UAE, April 30th, 2025, Chainwire Falcon Finance , the next-generation synthetic dollar protocol backed by DWF Labs, has officially launched for public access. Following a successful closed beta phase that attracted over 200 million dollars in total value locked (TVL), the protocol makes its core features available to all users. The launch also marks the debut of “Falcon Miles”, a points program designed to reward meaningful participation across the ecosystem and drive user growth. Public access now includes Falcon’s core minting and redemption functions. $USDf, the protocol’s overcollateralized synthetic dollar, can be minted by depositing supported collateral, including both stablecoins and non-stablecoins. Eligible assets include USDT, USDC, ETH, BTC, TON, NEAR, and more. Importantly, all $USDf holders who interact with the Falcon App can stake or unstake $USDf through the platform and earn protocol-generated yields through $sUSDf. The staking process is designed to be accessible and flexible, with the option to restake into fixed-tenor vaults for enhanced returns. Once staked, $USDf is converted into $sUSDf, a yield-bearing token that grows in value over time. $sUSDf is powered by Falcon’s diversified yield strategies, which include both positive and negative delta-neutral funding rate arbitrage, cross-exchange spreads, liquidity provisioning and altcoin staking. As of today,$sUSDf offers around 15% APY, with higher returns available via fixed-tenor restaking through Boosted Yield NFTs. Alongside the public launch, Falcon Finance introduces Falcon Miles, an ecosystem-wide points program designed to reward user participation. In its initial phase, Falcon Miles tracks primary activities available directly on the Falcon App, including minting USDf, staking into sUSDf, and holding assets on the platform. Points are accumulated based on the scale and duration of engagement. Expansion of eligible activities will be incorporated progressively as the broader ecosystem rollout continues. In future phases, users will also earn points by providing liquidity on decentralized exchanges, interacting with lending protocols, and participating in yield tokenization platforms. “With Falcon Finance now live to the public, our goal is to bring greater optionality to users seeking flexible synthetic dollar solutions,” said Andrei Grachev, Managing Partner of Falcon Finance. “Falcon Miles marks the beginning of a broader effort to build a strong community where users are meaningfully rewarded for their participation and contributions to Falcon Finance.” The next chapter for Falcon Finance will include additional collateral support, partnerships-driven “miles” program, and cross-chain deployments. These will enable Falcon Finance to advance its mission to help shape the next era of synthetic digital assets. For more information, visit falcon.finance . About Falcon Finance Falcon Finance is a next-generation synthetic dollar protocol designed to provide sustainable and competitive yield generation in all market conditions. Built on institutional-grade risk frameworks with a foundation of transparency, Falcon Finance sets a new benchmark for synthetic assets in decentralized finance. Website | X.com | Discord Contact Managing Partner Andrei Grachev press@falcon.finance
Expecting the remaining Q2 to be any different for Cardano?