Riot Platforms reversed its Bitcoin hodling strategy, selling 475 BTC in April to fund growth amid mining revenue struggles. Strategy continued its Bitcoin buying spree, purchasing 1,895 BTC for $180
US President Donald Trump will preside over the “Cryptocurrency and Artificial Intelligence Innovators” dinner, with a staggering ticket price of $1.5 million per attendee, CNBC reported. This high-profile event, organized by the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc, is one of the most expensive political fundraisers in recent memory. The dinner will also feature David Sacks, a tech investor and influential venture capitalist whose rising prominence in Washington has been welcomed by the crypto industry. Sacks and others close to Trump are credited with helping usher in a major regulatory shift in favor of digital assets, in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s more cautious stance. Related News: What's Next for Ethereum? Analysts Reveal the Level That Must Be Surpassed for ETH to Ignite a Bull Run In addition to the May 5 dinner targeting wealthy political donors, Trump has scheduled a second cryptocurrency-themed gathering for May 22. The unique event, geared toward “memecoin millionaires,” will not accept cash donations. Instead, attendees will be required to hold TRUMP tokens, signaling a deeper adoption of blockchain-native fundraising models. While MAGA Inc. continues to make millions through these private dinners, it remains transparent about how the super PAC spends its significant donations. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Another Crypto Move from Donald Trump – Also Involving the TRUMP Token
As momentum continues to spread across the crypto market in May 2025, select assets are standing out for their structure, resilience, and technical setups. XRP , Solana (SOL) , Bitcoin (BTC) , and Injective (INJ) are showing signs of renewed strength, while MAGACOINFINANCE continues to build recognition as an early-stage asset with long-term potential. For investors working with $1,400 , the current environment presents a unique opportunity to enter high-potential positions ahead of broader moves. MAGACOINFINANCE – Rising With Precision and Purpose Away from short-term noise, MAGACOINFINANCE is becoming one of the most closely watched early-stage projects of 2025. Backed by over $7.8 million raised , a growing investor base, and consistent development milestones, this asset is not just trending—it’s earning attention. Rather than riding hype cycles, MAGACOINFINANCE is rising through structural growth, brand strength, and organic traction across platforms. Strategic investors seeking asymmetric upside are increasingly including MAGACOINFINANCE in their watchlists—and with good reason. XRP and Solana Press Against Key Resistance XRP is holding steady at around $2.15 , buoyed by ETF exposure and institutional inflows. Traders are eyeing the $2.45 breakout zone, which, if surpassed, could unleash a surge of capital targeting medium-term highs. Volume remains consistent, with confidence growing in XRP’s strategic role in global settlement systems. Solana (SOL) continues to trade in the $140–$145 range after a strong April. Analysts are focused on the $180 resistance zone, with expectations of renewed momentum as new NFT and DePIN projects gain traction on the network. Solana’s speed and scalability remain attractive to developers and institutional backers alike. Bitcoin’s Macro Momentum Gains Strength Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around $95,000 , having climbed 14.5% in April . With ETF inflows increasing and major financial institutions reinforcing long-term interest, BTC’s macro narrative remains intact. Analysts suggest targets up to $132,000 by summer if the current trend holds. As the market anchor, BTC’s strength continues to elevate altcoin interest and confidence. Optimism and Injective Remain Infrastructure Leaders Optimism (OP) , trading near $3.25 , is seeing steady growth as Ethereum Layer-2 demand rises. Developer adoption and infrastructure expansion are key strengths, and any ETH surge could act as a catalyst for OP’s next leg up. Injective (INJ) remains a standout for decentralized finance infrastructure. At approximately $35 , INJ has shown technical resilience despite market fluctuations. Its roadmap and dApp ecosystem continue to gain traction, with strong support from long-term holders. Final Thoughts From XRP and Solana challenging resistance, to Bitcoin’s macro strength and infrastructure projects like Optimism and Injective setting deeper roots—this market phase rewards strategic positioning. And in that environment, MAGACOINFINANCE stands tall as a discovery-phase asset with a blueprint for relevance. To learn more about MAGACOINFINANCE, please visit: Website: https://magacoinfinance.com Twitter/X: https://x.com/magacoinfinance Continue Reading: From $1,400 to Opportunity—BTC, XRP, SOL, and MAGACOINFINANCE in Focus
The company wants to buy the president’s meme coin as a way to advocate for free trade between Mexico and the U.S.
U.S. stocks slipped Monday, ending a historic rally as investors grew cautious over renewed trade tensions and awaited signals from the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 dropped 0.64% to 5,650.38, breaking a nine-day winning streak — its longest since 2004. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.74% to 17,844.24, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.24% to 41,218.83. Stocks opened lower as President Trump escalated tariff rhetoric over the weekend, including a proposed 100% levy on foreign films, which hit shares of Netflix and Paramount. The announcement added to existing uncertainty around trade negotiations, particularly with China. Trump said he had no plans to speak with President Xi Jinping, despite earlier hopes of resumed talks. Losses across the major indexes deepened during the day but eased after stronger-than-expected U.S. services sector data and a Bloomberg report that India may offer tariff-free access for select goods on a reciprocal basis. You might also like: Solv founder sees BTCFi outpacing Ethereum DeFi on $2t potential Trade deals are close Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested trade deals are near, echoing Trump’s comments that new agreements could arrive this week. Still, many investors remain skeptical. The pullback comes ahead of a key Fed decision on Wednesday. Markets are pricing in just a 3.2% chance of a rate cut, but investors will closely watch Fed Chair Jerome Powell for commentary on the economic outlook amid trade uncertainty. You might also like: 100% HODL no more: Riot sells more Bitcoin than mined in April
The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned a Myanmar militia group known as the Karen National Army (KNA), accusing it of crypto-related scams and other criminal activities. According to a May 5 press release issued by the agency, the Karen National Army has been orchestrating a variety of crypto scams, including the infamous “pig butchering” scam, which lures victims into contributing more and more to fake crypto schemes. Americans “have collectively lost billions of dollars” from scams such as those emanating from Myanmar, the release reads, without specifying an amount. “Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Karen National Army (KNA), a militia group in Burma, as a transnational criminal organization, along with the group’s leader Saw Chit Thu, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, for their role in facilitating cyber scams that harm U.S. citizens, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling,” the release reads. Many international bodies, including the US, continue to refer to “Burma,” the country’s former name, to demonstrate that they don’t recognize the military regimes that have been in power at various times since a 1989 coup in which the military changed the name to Myanmar. The KNA operates in southeastern Myanmar, along the Thailand border. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued numerous sanctions against crypto-offenders over the past few years, including Middle East-based terrorist groups, cybercrime units operating overseas, and privacy-focused crypto technology like Tornado Cash . Related: FBI warns of North Korean ’social engineering’ schemes to steal crypto Crypto scams target US residents According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Americans lost $9.3 billion to crypto scams in 2024, an increase of roughly 66% from 2023. The most affected group is formed by individuals over the age of 60, who reported a cumulative loss total of $2.8 billion. Pig butchering scams are known for their significant impact on victims, both in the crypto space and beyond. The scam consists of a long-term financial fraud where scammers build trust with victims over time, often through social media or messaging platforms, before convincing them to invest in fake or manipulated crypto schemes. According to TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence company, these scams accounted for well over $4.4 billion stolen in 2023. According to the Treasury Department’s press release, this type of scam is currently common in Southeast Asia, primarily involving trafficked individuals defrauding victims. The Karen National Army is allegedly engaged in orchestrating both pig butchering scams and human trafficking networks that enable them to operate at scale. Magazine: Influencers shilling memecoin scams face severe legal consequences
The legal team for Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill has requested dismissal of criminal charges, citing newly disclosed FinCEN guidance that contradicted prosecutors’ claims and a recent Justice Department policy discouraging “regulation by prosecution” in the crypto sector. Legal Battle Looms as Samourai Founders Cite Brady Violations In a recent court filing
During a meeting last week, the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee—which comprises senior executives from BlackRock, JPMorgan, and other major financial institutions reporting to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—fingered the stablecoin market as a potential driver of Treasury demand. The committee predicted that by 2028, they might be worth $2 trillion, and almost all of them will be tied to the U.S. dollar. According to them, current regulatory proposals could channel more stablecoin reserves into U.S. Treasuries, which would make them bigger holders than even China . Legislature could make it necessary for stablecoins to buy U.S. Treasuries Stablecoins have a lot of uses, but in order to make sure they are truly safe, the U.S. government wants them to hold their money in U.S. Treasuries, which means stablecoin companies like Tether and Circle will have to purchase a lot more of them in the coming months. The demand this could create reportedly has the potential to surpass the $784 billion currently held by China, thereby reshaping how the U.S. finances its debt. “The ultimate design and adoption of stablecoins will drive the magnitude of impact they have on U.S. Treasury demand,” the TBAC’s meeting minutes read. To make this happen, the government is reportedly creating a new rule called the GENIUS Act. Think of it as a new rulebook that mandates stablecoin companies to buy Treasuries to back their digital dollars. By designating T-bills with maturities under 93 days as eligible reserves, the proposed rules would position stablecoin issuers as key players at the front end of the curve. However, the Genius Act’s effect will not end there. It takes things further by allowing those Treasuries to be used as repo collateral—making them even more attractive as backing for stablecoins. According to Forbes , the rule might take effect in August 2025. As it stands, foreign countries like China and Japan hold a lot of U.S. Treasuries, but their combined holdings do not reach the projected $2 trillion market cap of stablecoins by 2028. That means if things go as expected, U.S. dollar stablecoin issuers may end up buying even more treasuries than China, which will help the U.S. government borrow money without depending on other countries. Already, stablecoins are considered big players in the treasury market, with over $120 billion in short-term Treasuries backing stablecoins today, and another $90 billion in money market funds. Unlike banks that run on fractional reserves, stablecoin issuers—under the proposed U.S. rules—would hold full reserves, which would make them a steady, transparent source of Treasury demand. The Genius Act takes shape as China steps back from U.S. Treasuries It is in the U.S.’s best interest to keep the dollar strong while making sure it can also borrow money easily. Stablecoins becoming the new, steady buyer of treasuries under the Genius Act could help, and the development is coming at an opportune time, as China has reportedly slowed the pace of its treasury purchases. Major foreign holders of Treasury securities. Source: Treasury Department In fact, it is not just buying less, it is offloading its portfolio, with reports claiming its U.S. Treasury holdings have dropped from $1.32 trillion in 2013 to $784 billion. The TBAC has suggested that stablecoin companies could easily fill the gap that countries like China leave behind, which means the U.S. would not have to worry as much about losing a buyer like China. Countries like China like to buy U.S. debt because of the dollar’s position as the standard currency in international trade, and thus, is recognized as a low-risk investment. There are claims that the dumping of China’s treasury holdings is its way of punishing the US for its tariffs, but there is no definitive evidence that this is what is happening. For China to weaponize its holdings, it would have to sell lower than the market price, but that could have more global consequences than just devaluing the dollar. Your crypto news deserves attention - KEY Difference Wire puts you on 250+ top sites
Clanker , an AI agent launchpad on Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2, Base, has announced the departure of developer Proxystudio, who has been identified as a previous member of the Velodrome Finance team responsible for a $350,000 theft. During his time at Velodrome, Proxystudio, better known under his previous pseudonym of Gabagool.eth, stole roughly $350,000 of team funds from the project. On August 13, 2022, Velodrome released information following the theft, stating, “An attacker managed to drain $350k from this [team-owned] wallet…Much to our disappointment, we learned the attacker was a fellow team member, Gabagool.” To continue reading this as well as other DeFi and Web3 news, visit us at thedefiant.io
Cryptocurrency analysis company MakroVision emphasized in its latest analysis that Ethereum continues to perform poorly compared to market leader Bitcoin. The company noted that Ethereum’s failure to break through key resistance levels is keeping its price structure under pressure. Ethereum has been rallying from levels around $1,400 in recent weeks, but is still trading below the red downtrend line. According to the analysis, the first strong bullish signal would come when the $2,130 level is breached, and that remains the case. According to the analyst firm, while the support level at $1,730 is maintained in the short term, there has been no new upward momentum. Downside risks are still on the table. $1,545 stands out as the next critical support point. Related News: Watch Out: Massive Token Unlocks Coming This Week for 17 Altcoins - Here's the Day-by-Day, Hour-by-Hour List MakroVision stated that while Bitcoin has recently tested important resistance levels, Ethereum has remained weak, which could negatively affect market sentiment. Ethereum’s strong performance again compared to market leaders could be decisive in terms of a trend change. According to the analysis, Ethereum is currently in standby mode. It is said that a permanent break above the $2,130 level is needed for a strong bullish signal to occur. As long as this threshold is not exceeded, the market seems to remain cautious. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: What’s Next for Ethereum? Analysts Reveal the Level That Must Be Surpassed for ETH to Ignite a Bull Run