Circle, the issuer of the stablecoin USDC, has received in-principle approval from the Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (ADGM's FSRA) to operate as a money services provider in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This approval allows Circle to expand its operations within the region. This is an AI-generated article powered by DeepNewz, curated by The Defiant. For more information, including article sources, visit DeepNewz . To continue reading this as well as other DeFi and Web3 news, visit us at thedefiant.io
The crypto winter was tough for both the crypto industry and investors. At that time, many companies went bankrupt one after another, and one of them was the crypto lending platform Celsius, which went bankrupt in 2022. Celsius founder and former CEO Alex Mashinsky, who was investigated for his crimes at Celsius, confessed in December 2024. He now faces a potential 20-year prison sentence. According to Coindesk, a 20-year prison sentence was sought for Alex Mashinsky for organizing a fraud that resulted in customer losses of approximately $7 billion. US prosecutors found Mashinsky guilty of deliberately misleading customers about the security of their deposits by manipulating the CEL token for his personal gain and asked the court to impose a 20-year prison sentence. “Celsius took out unsecured loans, made risky trades, and secretly manipulated the price of the CEL token using customer assets, all while publicly assuring customers that their funds were safe. Therefore, the Court should sentence Alexander Mashinsky to twenty years in prison as a just punishment for his years-long campaign of lies and profiteering that resulted in billions of dollars in losses and thousands of victimized customers.” They also added that although Mashinsky told clients he was “HODLing” with them, on the contrary, he personally sold $48 million worth of CELs at inflated prices. Despite the founder being charged with a hefty fine, CEL’s price has surprisingly surged by over 80% and is currently trading at $0.15. Still, the token is far from its former glory. CEL’s all-time high was $8.02 on June 4, 2021, meaning it has fallen over 98% from that level. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Altcoin Founder Who Caused $7 Billion in Losses Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison! Price Reacts!
As the new crypto cycle takes shape, early movers are already identifying the projects showing real momentum. Bitcoin (BTC) continues setting the tone for digital assets, Ethereum (ETH) refines blockchain innovation, Ripple (XRP) strengthens cross-border payment networks, and Solana (SOL) drives blockchain scalability improvements. Among this rising momentum, MAGACOINFINANCE is quickly gaining ground as one of the most exciting stealth-stage opportunities heading into 2025. Positioning into strong projects early has consistently been the difference between average returns and extraordinary results. MAGACOINFINANCE Is Building Strong Early Momentum Right from the launch, MAGACOINFINANCE saw an instant wave of interest from investors—clearly signaling rising investor confidence and early-stage demand . Wallet growth is expanding steadily, organic community traction is strengthening, and early insider attention is rising sharply. Even better, investors entering now can still secure a 50% bonus using MAGA50X , giving early buyers a significant head start before future exchange listings open to broader demand. Other Major Players Gaining Strength Projects like Ripple (XRP) , Cardano (ADA) , TRON (TRX) , and Litecoin (LTC) are showing continued resilience. XRP solidifies its dominance in payment channels, ADA continues pushing sustainable blockchain scalability, TRX drives high-efficiency decentralized applications, and LTC remains a trusted legacy payment asset. While these names play important roles, MAGACOINFINANCE offers rare stealth-phase access that can be crucial to maximizing gains in the next rally. Why MAGACOINFINANCE Could Lead the 2025 Altcoin Rally Investor tracking shows that MAGACOINFINANCE is gaining critical ground faster than many established altcoins. Early accumulation, growing organic momentum, and analyst coverage point to MAGACOINFINANCE potentially leading the next breakout movement in 2025. Those securing entry early are positioning themselves for what could be one of the biggest growth stories of the coming cycle. Final Word While Bitcoin (BTC) , Ethereum (ETH) , Ripple (XRP) , and Solana (SOL) continue to dominate headlines, MAGACOINFINANCE is steadily building a foundation for serious long-term growth. Smart positioning now could create the success stories investors talk about for years to come. For more information, please visit: Website: https://magacoinfinance.com Twitter/X: https://x.com/magacoinfinance Continue Reading: Could XRP and MAGACOINFINANCE.COM Follow Early Ethereum Growth in 2025? TRX and Kaspa Are Gaining
SOL experienced a significant price rise and technical breakthrough. ETF approvals and new ecosystem features drive market optimism. Continue Reading: Solana Drives Market Excitement with Bold Price Target The post Solana Drives Market Excitement with Bold Price Target appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
BINANCE: Binance Successfully Integrates USDC (USDC) on Sonic Network and Commences Deposits – April 29, 2025
A recent forecast by financial services company Standard Chartered, indicates that the market’s leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), would hit new record highs of almost $120,000 in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. By the end of 2025, the cryptocurrency might have risen to $200,000, a 65% gain from the Q2 aim and over 110% from its present price, according to this prediction, which implies a possible growth of around 25% from current levels. Bitcoin Surge Amid Rising Term Premium Analyst Geoff Kendrick emphasizes several key factors contributing to this optimistic view on Bitcoin’s price projection, pointing to the US Treasury term premium, which is currently at a 12-year high. According to the analyst, the term premium refers to the additional yield that investors demand for holding longer-dated Treasury bonds compared to shorter-term ones, indicating broader market conditions that could favor Bitcoin as an investment. Related Reading: Dogecoin On Track For $10+ Explosion By October 2025, Says Crypto Pundit In addition to macroeconomic indicators, Kendrick highlights the behavior of major large-cap investors, known as “whales,” These BTC holders have been actively accumulating the asset, a trend that suggests growing confidence in its value. For instance, Bitcoin proxy firm Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), founded by BTC bull Michael Saylor and currently the largest corporate holder of the cryptocurrency, has recently disclosed on Monday another round of weekly purchases. Potential Sideways Trading Ahead? Another noteworthy trend is the movement of funds into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which Kendrick interprets as a safe-haven reallocation from traditional assets like gold. In his view, this shift reflects a broader sentiment among investors who are increasingly looking at BTC as a viable alternative during uncertain economic times. As of Monday morning, Bitcoin was trading at approximately $95,300, remaining relatively flat for the year but up 51% compared to the same time last year. Related Reading: Justin Sun Bets Big On JUST Token – Here’s Why He Sees 100x Potential Kendrick cautions that historical patterns in Bitcoin’s price action indicate that sharp increases are often followed by extended periods of sideways trading. Conversely, Seeking Alpha analyst Damir Tokic offers a more cautious perspective on Bitcoin’s future trajectory. He notes that BTC could continue to decline alongside the Nasdaq 100 if the market selloff accelerates and investor sentiment deteriorates. However, he also acknowledges the potential for Bitcoin to solidify its position as a safe-haven asset, particularly if the US dollar continues to depreciate. When writing, BTC retraced below the $95,000 mark toward $94,560, still up 1.1% in the 24 hour time frame. Ethereum (ETH), however, has outperformed BTC’s price action with a nearly 14% surge in the weekly time frame, compared to Bitcoin’s 7.3% surge in the same time frame. Other major altcoins like XRP and Solana (SOL), have also seen notable price recoveries, recording gains of 10% and 6% in the weekly time frame. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Is Arizona hinting at a future where Bitcoin is a government necessity, not an option?
April 29th, 2025 – Dubai, UAE class=”ql-align-justify”>Falcon Finance, a next-generation synthetic dollar, has officially launched its Transparency Page, providing users with clear visibility into the core metrics backing USDf, its overcollateralized synthetic dollar. The dashboard offers real-time updates on key protocol metrics, reinforcing Falcon Finance’s commitment to transparency, operational security, and long-term user trust. The transparency dashboard real-time metrics includes: Total Reserves Protocol Backing Ratio Reserves with Third-party Custodians Reserves with Centralised Exchanges On-chain Reserves in Liquidity Pools On-chain Reserves in Staking Pools The reserves breakdown details the distribution of backing assets across third-party custodians, centralized exchanges, liquidity pools and staking pools. Falcon Finance safeguards the majority of its reserves through multi-party computation (MPC) wallets via integrations with Fireblocks and Ceffu. Assets remain securely stored within off-exchange settlement accounts, while trading activities are mirrored on centralized exchanges such as Binance and Bybit. This structure significantly reduces centralized counterparty risk and reinforces Falcon Finance’s focus on asset protection. To support strategy and trade execution, a limited portion of assets is allocated directly to Binance and Bybit. However, the majority of assets remain securely stored within Falcon Finance’s designated custodian accounts, maintaining rigorous standards for risk mitigation and asset integrity. In addition to centralized reserves allocation, Falcon Finance strategically deploys its reserves into on-chain liquidity pools and staking pools to expand its ability to capture yield opportunities without compromising security standards. An important feature of the Transparency Page is the Attestation section, where users can access Falcon Finance’s third-party audit reports and quarterly Proof of Reserves statements. Current reports include audits conducted by Zellic (March 2025) and Pashov Audit Group (February 2025). Falcon Finance has committed to publishing updated third-party Proof of Reserves reports on a quarterly basis, with the next report scheduled for the end of the second quarter. “Falcon Finance is committed to building systems that users can rely on, even in volatile markets. Our Transparency Page is part of our broader effort to ensure security, resilience, and transparency at every level.” said Andrei Grachev, Managing Partner of Falcon Finance. Falcon Finance continues to show strong growth momentum. Since the start of its closed beta phase, the protocol has attracted over 200 million dollars in total value locked. Falcon enables users to mint USDf by depositing a broad range of supported assets, including stablecoins such as USDC and USDT, and non-stablecoin assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and TON. The launch of the Transparency Page marks an important step in providing verifiable assurance that every USDf minted is fully backed by collateral of equal or greater value. About 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 Falcon Finance press@falcon.finance This content is sponsored and should be regarded as promotional material. Opinions and statements expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of The Daily Hodl. The Daily Hodl is not a subsidiary of or owned by any ICOs, blockchain startups or companies that advertise on our platform. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in any ICOs, blockchain startups or cryptocurrencies. Please be advised that your investments are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. Follow Us on X Facebook Telegram Check out the Latest Industry Announcements The post Falcon Finance Launches Transparency Page appeared first on The Daily Hodl .
The first 100 days of the administration of US President Donald Trump have deeply impacted the crypto industry, starting with his own memecoin and culminating in a Bitcoin reserve and a spate of blockchain policymaking. Trump’s trade war with the entire world has had the largest short-term impact on crypto markets, as crypto prices have wavered amid macroeconomic worry and uncertainty. Higher prices on electronics mean Bitcoin ( BTC ) miners are finding it harder to break even, and de-dollarization concerns abound. Still, crypto markets have shown some resilience and cause for optimism in the administration’s crypto-friendly policies. A number of pro-crypto leaders have been appointed to key government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The crypto industry’s long-awaited regulatory framework is also imminent. Trump’s first 100 days have seen remarkable changes for the crypto industry, and it appears that things are only getting started. Here’s a look at what’s happened so far. Jan. 20 — Trump’s first 100 days kick off with a memecoin On Jan. 20, while Trump was sworn into office in the rotunda of the Capitol Building, his family’s crypto investment firm, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), launched its second token sale of WLFI tokens. Massive demand saw prices initially spike, though the true value of the tokens, if any, is yet to be determined, as WLFI is currently not transferable and cannot be traded on any exchanges. The memecoin served as a kickoff for Trump’s crypto agenda, which has seen unprecedented support for the industry in Washington, DC, along with a slew of moral and ethical concerns among observers and lawmakers. Related: Trump’s WLFI crypto investments aren’t paying off Jan. 20 — Pro-crypto leaders head up federal agencies on “day one” The president of the US sets the tone for several federal regulators, including those overseeing crypto. Trump immediately set out to appoint a number of pro-crypto lawyers and businessmen to head up the SEC, the CFTC and other critical federal agencies. Trump nominated businessman Paul Atkins to lead the SEC on “day one” of his presidency. Atkins would replace Gary Gensler, who was perceived by many in the crypto industry as an enemy to adoption and the industry’s progress. Also on day one, Trump appointed businessman and crypto investor David Sacks as chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology — or the crypto and AI “czar.” Atkins wouldn’t be confirmed by the Senate until April 9 and sworn in on April 21. But in the meantime, Trump also tapped former CFTC Commissioner and crypto proponent Brian Quintenz to head up that agency. Jan. 21 — $500-billion Stargate AI initiative In a press conference, Trump announced a $500-billion private-led AI infrastructure investment called “Stargate.” The president claimed the project — led by ChatGPT creator OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle — would create some 10,000 American jobs. Trump said the US needed to lead the world in AI innovation and keep development onshore. “China is a competitor, others are competitors. We want it to be in this country, and we’re making it available,” he said. OpenAI claimed that the project would “not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies.” Jan. 21 — Pardon for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht Trump announced on Truth Social that he had called the family of Silk Road 2.0 founder Ross Ulbricht after commuting his sentence. After his arrest in 2013, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 without the possibility of parole for his role in facilitating the trafficking of narcotics and other illicit substances. Ulbricht’s case became a rallying point for libertarian movements and prison reform advocates alike. Libertarian-minded crypto advocates supported Ulbricht, as his platform was one of the first places people could actually spend Bitcoin. Crypto advocates supported Ulbricht, with many believing he did nothing wrong. Source: The Bitcoin Historian Freeing Ulbricht was one of the many campaign promises Trump made to the crypto community . Jan. 23 — Ban on digital dollar, establishing a crypto working group With an executive order, Trump established an internal working group to focus on making the US “the world capital in crypto.” The order also prohibited “the establishment, issuance, circulation, and use” of a US central bank digital currency (CBDC). CBDCs are a contentious issue in the crypto community, with many privacy activists claiming that they are another form of state surveillance and government control. Enthusiasm over their creation from central bankers has further set the more libertarian-minded crypto community against their creation. Trump signing the executive order. Source: ABC News The working group would kickstart the process for creating the forthcoming US Bitcoin and crypto reserves. Feb. 1 — Trade war begins with tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada One of the promises of the Trump campaign was to rectify the “bad deals” that the US had with many of its oldest allies and most important trading partners. Just over a week after he was sworn into office, Trump announced sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, citing border security concerns and the supposed proliferation of cross-border trade of fentanyl from those countries. The same day, Canada announced retaliatory measures. On Feb. 3, Mexico promised to step up security of its northern border, responding to American requests for increased patrols. This led Trump to reverse initial tariff plans on both countries. The unexpected hostile tariffs from a close partner and ally sent stock and crypto prices tumbling. They marked the beginning of the macroeconomic uncertainty that has come to characterize the early days of the Trump administration. Feb. 12 — Vinnik-Foegel prisoner swap with Russia Alexander Vinnik, the convicted money launderer who funneled Bitcoin stolen in the infamous Mt. Gox hack through his crypto exchange BTC-e, returned to his home country of Russia . Vinnik pled guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges in 2024. BTC-e processed more than $9 billion in transactions and had over 1 million users worldwide, many of whom were in the US. Vinnik was exchanged for American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who was teaching at the Anglo-American School of Moscow and had been in a Russian jail since 2021 after being arrested for illegal possession of cannabis. Feb. 18 — Bankman-Fried makes veiled plea for release In an interview with The New York Sun, the former CEO of now-defunct crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, addressed his controversial political contributions , saying the Republican Party was always “far more reasonable.” Bankman-Fried, or SBF, made widely publicized contributions to the Democratic Party as he purportedly tried to influence democratic policymakers’ approach to the digital asset industry. It later became known that SBF was playing both sides of the aisle, donating significant funds to Republicans, though the exact amount remains unknown. In the interview, SBF likened his position to that of Trump, claiming that he’d been unfairly treated by the criminal justice system. SBF called into question the conduct of the federal judge overseeing his trial, Judge Lewis Kaplan. “I know President Trump had a lot of frustrations with Judge Kaplan. I certainly did as well.” Observers saw the interview as an attempt to elicit a pardon from Trump. Roger Ver, an early Bitcoin advocate facing criminal tax evasion charges, has made an outright appeal . March 7 — Trump establishes Bitcoin reserve and crypto stockpile On March 7, the 46th day of Trump’s presidency, he signed an executive order establishing a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.” Trump made big promises about crypto adoption on the campaign trail, including the possibility of a long-sought-after Bitcoin reserve. The US reserve, however, would fall short of expectations among Bitcoin maximalists. Rather than create a concrete plan for the US government to purchase and hold Bitcoin, it merely created a single reserve to pool all Bitcoin the government had seized during criminal proceedings. While the order does state that the government may purchase additional Bitcoin, it must do so in a budget-neutral fashion. In tandem with the Bitcoin reserve, Trump also established a US Digital Asset Stockpile containing other cryptocurrencies such as Ether ( ETH ), Solana ( SOL ), XRP ( XRP ) and Cardano ( ADA ). March 7 — White House Crypto Summit Leaders of the crypto industry descended on Washington for a meeting at the White House to discuss a wide range of topics related to crypto regulation and the development of the industry in the US. Attendees included Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and “crypto czar” David Sacks. While some attendees, including Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov, were optimistic about the event’s focus on strengthening the US crypto industry, some crypto luminaries who were not on the list were less impressed. Cardano and IOHK co-founder Charles Hoskinson, who did not attend the event, noted in a video stream that real change — i.e., legislation — must be made in Congress. “Everybody focuses on the White House because it’s simple and easy to do so. [...] And as much as we, as an industry, want this to be a short process, it’s going to be a long and methodical process,” Hoskinson said. Others put it more simply: Source: George Mandrik March 25 — WLFI goes stablecoin WLFI expanded its offerings in March with the soft launch of its stablecoin USD1. The coin, “100% backed by short-term US government treasuries, US dollar deposits, and other cash equivalents,” launched on the Ethereum and BNB Chain networks. News of the token’s launch came just days after WLFI secured more than $500 million by selling its own WLFI tokens. US lawmakers subsequently called for an ethics probe into WLFI and cited the president’s ability to influence stablecoin policy as a major conflict of interest with the project. Related: Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industry April 2 — Liberation Day Doubling down on his belligerent trade policy, Trump levies tariffs on all US trade partners on what he dubs “Liberation Day.” At a special event at the White House, Trump signed an executive order levying reciprocal tariffs on every country with a tariff on US goods, starting at a 10% minimum. Markets saw a spate of red across the board following the order, and many economic observers raised concerns over a looming recession. Crypto miners based in the US were further squeezed as their operation costs, namely for buying new mining rigs, increased significantly. Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci told Cointelegraph, “I would say that he’s had the worst 95 days in modern presidential history. The markets recovered a little, but we’ve got $9 trillion taken from the stock market. You had a growing economy that’s now heading into a medium-sized recession, possibly a steep recession.” He said that Trump declared a trade war “without any real weaponry” and subsequently lied about progress when the president claimed China was attempting to negotiate. “The lies are ok — everyone accepts that he’s a congenital liar [...] but when you’re declaring war on people and then you’re lying, it’s really bad.” April 25 — $300,000-per-plate memecoin dinner raises call for impeachment Top Trump memecoin holders were reportedly offered an opportunity to have dinner with the president, sparking renewed concerns over his crypto project and prompting one US lawmaker to support impeachment. At a town hall meeting in his home state of Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff said he “strongly” supports impeachment. “When the sitting president of the United States is selling access for what are effectively payments directly to him, there is no question that that rises to the level of an impeachable offense,” he said. TRUMP holders can register to have dinner with the President. Source: gettrumpmemes.com Rumors on social media stated that $300,000 would grant tokenholders an audience with the president, a claim the Trump administration later denied . Trump’s first 100 days could jeopardize change The first 100 days of Trump’s presidency have brought unprecedented change to the crypto industry. Simultaneously, they have opened it up to increased criticism and controversy as the president’s personal ties with blockchain projects raise ethical questions. These controversies may well jeopardize the industry’s efforts to effect change in Congress, according to Scaramucci, who said, “Trump has so inflamed everything that he’s made it even hard for [stablecoin legislation] to happen.” The STABLE Act, which aims to provide guardrails for stablecoin issuance in the US, was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 26 and passed a committee vote on April 3 , with prominent Democrats dissenting. The bill will soon head to the floor for a general vote before going to the Senate. The Senate’s GENIUS Act has recently made headway, passing a vote in the Banking Committee , largely along party lines. Magazine: Bitcoin $100K hopes on ice, SBF’s mysterious prison move: Hodler’s Digest, April 20 – 26