Increased Threat is Met by Government Action France is beefing up the protection of crypto leaders and their families following a spate of violent attacks and kidnapping attempts. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced on May 16 a coordinated government response to what he described as a growing threat to the industry leaders. “All these repeated kidnappings of experts in the crypto sector will be fought using precise instruments, both immediate and short-term, to discourage, deter and hinder for the protection of the industry,” Retailleau informed a press conference. This follows an upsurge of disturbing attacks where big crypto figures and their relatives were targeted by criminals requesting cryptocurrency payments in exchange for their freedom. High-Profile Attacks Trigger Urgency The latest incident happened earlier this week in central Paris, where Pierre Noizat’s daughter, head of French crypto exchange Paymium, was attempted to be kidnapped by masked men. The attempt was unsuccessful, but it was the third serious attack on a crypto executive in France this year. In yet another horror case last year, 2024, David Balland, co-founder of cryptocurrency storage wallet firm Ledger, was kidnapped along with his wife. The two were held for ransom, and Balland was also brutally assaulted, including being mutilated, before he was rescued by police. Ten suspects were arrested, some of whom had demanded cryptocurrency in return for their freedom. France Becomes a Target Éric Larchevêque, one of the founders of Ledger, attended a high-level meeting with Retailleau and representatives from the police. He highlighted the gravity of the threat, stating that of around 50 attacks known to have been endured by crypto bosses globally in the past year, 14 occurred in France alone. “France has become the epicenter for crypto kidnappings,” Larchevêque explained, and added the government’s willingness to act as a step to counter this threatening trend. Government Action Underway Government officials are purportedly developing an overarching plan that addresses direct protection for vulnerable persons, greater cooperation between crypto companies and law enforcement agencies, and specialized training for police departments dealing with digital finance crime. They are also examining legal reforms to increase punishments for technology-targeted violence and ransom payments in cryptocurrency. While the crypto sector continues to grow and attract wealth, authorities say that criminal targeting of its leaders can only surge. The recent move by the government is meant to meet the requirement of promoting innovation with protecting public safety. France’s reaction can be a model for others threatened in the same way, inaugurating an age of security consciousness in the cyber world of finance.
The S&P 500 has erased six weeks’ worth of panic and clawed its way back from a near-bear breakdown, jumping 20% since April 7 as traders dumped their fears and grabbed every rebound they could find. According to data from CNBC, the rally started after tariffs reached their peak tension point in early April, which triggered the heaviest liquidation seen since the start of the year. That fear didn’t last. As soon as the Trump administration hinted at backing off the China tariff hikes, bulls piled back in and stocks lit up. The sell-off from February’s highs had already wiped out nearly a fifth of the index’s value. But technical traders had started calling the setup “so bad it’s good” — and they were right. From that intraday bottom, the S&P 500 exploded by 23%. By last Friday, it had reclaimed levels above the 200-day moving average and pushed past the April 2 “Liberation Day” closing price. It’s now back in the green for the year, sitting right above where it was the day after the 2020 election. Traders rotate fast as volatility crashes and momentum builds The market’s comeback wasn’t quiet. It’s been a straight-line grind higher, the kind of boring rally that signals strength, not weakness. Last week alone, the S&P 500 added 5.3%. Technical indicators triggered momentum and breadth signals that usually only go off during a real escape from a market bottom. The VIX, Wall Street’s fear gauge, plunged from 50 to under 20 faster than ever recorded. It ended the week at 17, a level that reflects calm instead of chaos. Retail names like Robinhood, Palantir, and CoreWeave have soared 50% to 60% since April 7. Robinhood and Palantir moved almost in sync. CoreWeave, which only IPO’d last month, is up nearly 60%. Nvidia spiked 16%. Meanwhile, social trading firm eToro, which went public last week after ditching its 2021 SPAC plans, jumped 20% right out of the gate. Stablecoin firm Circle, along with fintechs Klarna and Chime, have all filed to go public too. Brokerage and investment banking stocks as a group are back near their highs, riding the wave of investor confidence. Tariff retreat feeds bulls as AI and fiscal noise shape outlook The real fuel for the rally came when President Donald Trump backed away from his sky-high China tariffs. Warren Pies, chief investment officer at 3Fourteen Research, said the rebound is tracking similar to policy-driven bottoms seen in 1998, 2011, and late 2018. But this isn’t pure euphoria. Hedge funds and institutional investors are still underweight. Surveys of retail traders and financial advisors show sentiment barely above recent bearish lows. The energy from late 2024’s “animal spirits” is trying to restart, but hasn’t fully ignited yet. Some of the volatility in April wasn’t about tariffs at all. The first dip came after momentum tech names reversed sharply when DeepSeek’s AI challenge threw off the usual order. But since then, most major platforms have doubled down on capex, and the AI story is back in business. Big names are inching back to their highs. The Nasdaq Composite, since ChatGPT launched, has eerily followed the same pattern it took after Netscape’s debut in 1994. By 1997, it had tripled. No one’s betting on a repeat just yet, but the resemblance hasn’t gone unnoticed. As for tariffs, their impact could still change the game. The US trade deficit with China is just 1% of GDP. China’s exports to the US make up 3% of its economy. But even small disruptions create confusion. If those tensions linger, they could drag on jobs and housing, which are already slowing. And now the “free pass” zone is over. The next wave of economic data will hit harder. Valuation-wise, the S&P 500 is trading at 21.5 times forecast earnings over the next year. That’s high. It’s not crisis-high, but it’s uncomfortable. Back in February, it hit 22x—above that, and markets usually want more than just talk. KEY Difference Wire : the secret tool crypto projects use to get guaranteed media coverage
Robert Kiyosaki, one of the investors and entrepreneurs well-known in the financial world, made an important prediction about the Bitcoin (BTC) price in his latest statement. Claiming that the values of gold, silver and Bitcoin in particular will continue to rise, Kiyosaki cited the US Federal Reserve as the “collapse” as the reason for this. Stating that he continues to buy more Bitcoin, Kiyosaki stated that he expects the BTC price to reach $250,000 this year. In addition, the analyst claimed that Bitcoin is a better asset than silver or gold. The reason for this is that the maximum number of BTC that can be in circulation in history is limited to 21 million. He added that gold, silver mines and oil well owners can simply increase their production when the price of these assets increases, but this is not the case with Bitcoin. Related News: Ethereum Developers Criticize Bitcoin: They Revealed the Amount of Money Needed to Attack BTC The FED was under pressure from US President Donald Trump to lower interest rates again today. Trump is openly calling on Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Market Oracle Robert Kiyosaki Predicts Bitcoin’s Maximum Price This Year
Bitcoin’s recent price fluctuations are heavily influenced by stagnant stablecoin reserves, signaling a cautious approach among retail investors. Despite Bitcoin’s recent surge past $100k, lackluster stablecoin inflows suggest retail is
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President Donald Trump plans to have Big Tech corporations use coal to power their data centres. In April, he issued an executive order asking his cabinet to identify coal-powered infrastructure that could support AI data centres and assess whether they can meet the energy demands of tech firms. Earlier in January, he also explained to the World Economic Forum that he would greenlight power plants for AI under an emergency order and encourage tech companies to use coal as a secondary energy source. Some tech industry leaders acknowledge they need fossil fuels to meet their energy demands According to the Energy Information Administration, coal emits more carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour than any other energy source. Thus, the tech industry has been investing more in renewable energy to maintain sustainability goals and reduce emissions. Nevertheless, tech companies’ new preference for renewable sources cost the coal industry greatly, with a number of coal plants already abandoned in the United States. In 2023, roughly 16% of electricity came from burning coal, down from 51% in 2001. However, Trump’s push for expansive coal use could change the downturn in statistics and prove productive for coal miners. Peabody Energy CEO James Grech, who attended Trump’s executive order ceremony at the White House, believes that coal plants can meet the nation’s electricity demands, including data centres’ energy needs. He argued that coal plants only supply about 42% of their maximum capacity at the moment and should augment the amount of power produced. Grech added, “We believe that all coal-powered generators need to defer US coal plant retirements as the situation on the ground has clearly changed. We believe generators should un-retire coal plants that have recently been mothballed.” Some in the tech industry have also recognised the need for fossil fuel to meet their AI power demands. However, some are leaning more towards natural gas than coal. Natural gas produces less than half the carbon dioxide of coal per kilowatt hour of power. Kevin Miller, Amazon’s vice president of global data centres, even claimed to get the energy they need, they’ll need to rely on thermal generation in the short term. At the Oklahoma City Conference, top executives from Amazon, Nvidia and Anthropic could not answer directly when asked whether they would use coal for electricity generation. Miller even argued that the use of coal would depend on the combination of power available and the possible alternatives. Trump and UAE leaders will build a data centre in Abu Dhabi President Trump and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to build a massive data centre in Abu Dhabi, which has about 5GW capacity and is the largest data center outside the US. The two countries want the centre to serve as a regional platform for US hyperscalers. According to the Commerce Department, the data centre will provide low latency services to almost 50% of the global population residing within 2,000 miles of the UAE. Trump has also signed several AI-related deals with Gulf countries . However, some US lawmakers were not too pleased with his decisions. For instance, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York criticized the president for backing deals that would transfer advanced US chip technology to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, accusing him of trading sensitive technology for unclear foreign investment pledges. KEY Difference Wire : the secret tool crypto projects use to get guaranteed media coverage
Significant Ethereum selling pressures are observed after price peaks at $2,700. Large "whale" transactions have spurred market concerns over potential downturns. Continue Reading: Whale Sales Drive Ethereum Prices Lower The post Whale Sales Drive Ethereum Prices Lower appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
Spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) drew $260.27 million in net inflows on Friday, May 16, significantly outpacing spot ethereum ETFs, which recorded a total inflow of $22.12 million. Bitcoin ETFs Dominate Friday Flows While Ethereum Sees Tepid Uptake Leading Friday’s activity in the bitcoin ETF space was Blackrock’s Ishares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which took in
Brave Wallet, the crypto wallet attached to the privacy-enhancing Brave Browser, will now accept Cardano ADA tokens and native assets. Brave will allow users to send, receive, and swap Cardano from the wallet and browser. Brave has traditionally supported several cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum and Solana. Brave is currently branching out to include other tokens so that their users can enjoy multichain functionality. Cardano users can now interact with their token, such as participating in governance decisions, without having to use extensions. Brave users, therefore, will have added security because they won’t have to take risks with third-party Cardano extensions. “This collaboration with Brave”, said Charles Hoskinson, CEO of IO, “is a natural fit. We share a vision for a more secure, accessible, and user-respecting Web3. By bringing Cardano into Brave Wallet, we are expanding functionality for Cardano users in the age of on-chain governance and advancing a new standard for how blockchain networks should empower individuals, protecting privacy while enabling active, on-chain participation”. InputOutput (IO), a crypto startup, has partnered with Brave to produce the added functionality of a Cardano wallet. IO will take responsibility for adapting the Brave wallet to include Cardano’s features and take advantage of the privacy features within the Brave Browser. One feature that will be useful for Brave users in particular is the ability to swap Cardano tokens for other cryptocurrencies within Brave’s comfort zone. Charles Hoskinson, CEO of IO, believes that both Brave and Cardano share a similar vision for web3 technology and privacy-enhancing networks. Brendan Eich, CEO of Brave, is focused on improving the user experience and adding multichain functionality. This is a significant partnership for Cardano because more people can try out the token and see whether the network suits their privacy requirements. Brave Browser aims to be a web3-compliant browser with an inbuilt crypto wallet that allows users to interact with various crypto ecosystems with minimal effort. The browser also aims to increase security for the user and protect a user’s data from being exploited by companies and governments. Cardano seems to be a good fit for the Brave Browser because it has a web3 ecosystem that is carefully developed and has a large following. The Cardano team is very excited about the partnership because they will be able to create their token with the added support of Brave. In May, Cardano made a giant step in crypto development, collaborating with BitcoinOS to bridge Bitcoin to Cardano and then back again. Multichain development has become a hot topic for users because it improves the accessibility of tokens. BitcoinOS is a bridging company specializing in creating bridges between different blockchain ecosystems. A big part of the Cardano blockchain is the governance system that allows users to participate with the token. Hoskinson believes that blending Brave’s privacy features with Cardano’s governance features is perfect for the crypto project. Protecting a user’s privacy while allowing people to collaborate with a governance system is an important feature for the crypto community.
Sonic’s native token, S, is experiencing significant selling pressure following the termination of its partnership with market maker Wintermute. This split has coincided with substantial token offloads from major holders,