Hodler | Crypto

A crypto analyst says Bitcoin is on its way to $160,000 or a “crazy number,” Alex Mashinsky gets 12 years jail, and more: Hodler’s Digest The US federal court for the Southern District of New York has sentenced former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky to 12 years in prison for fraud.  Mashinskys legal team sought a light sentence. They highlighted his spotless record before the Celsius incident, along with his military service and willingness to plead guilty. But US prosecutors were less inclined to leniency, suggesting on April 28 that the judge deliver a 20-year sentence for his actions. Betting markets predicted a light sentence ahead of the May 8 hearing. Polymarket showed only 11% odds for a 20-year sentence or higher. Read more

Bitwise says its “in house” prediction for Bitcoin is $1 million by 2029, deputy CIA director says Bitcoin “here to stay” — Hodler’s Digest The US Central Intelligence Agency is increasingly incorporating Bitcoin as a tool in its operations, and working with the cryptocurrency is a matter of national security, Michael Ellis, the agencys deputy director, told podcast host Anthony Pompliano. In an appearance on the market analyst and investors The Pomp Podcast show, Ellis told Pompliano that the intelligence agency works with law enforcement to track BTC, and it is a point of data collection in counter-intelligence operations. Ellis added: Bitcoin is here to stay cryptocurrency is here to stay. As you know, more and more institutions are adopting it, and I think that is a great trend. One that this administration has obviously been leaning forward into. Read more

Crypto analysts are casting doubt over Bitcoin’s return to $100,000, Sam Bankman-Fried moves prison: Hodler’s Digest Michael Saylor, the CEO of top corporate Bitcoin holder Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), expressed support for new US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins. In an April 23 X post, Saylor wrote that SEC Chairman Paul Atkins will be good for Bitcoin. The statement follows Atkins swearing-in as the 34th chairman of the SEC on April 21. Blue Macellari, head of digital assets at investment firm T. Rowe Price, also commented on Atkins in a recent Bloomberg interview. She seemed hopeful and recognized a change in how the SEC has acted under the new administration, particularly with crypto-related information, including close to six or seven roundtables with industry professionals. Read more

Swiss bank Sygnum says altcoins may see a resurgence in Q2 2025, Mantra CEO plans team token burn: Hodler’s Digest Mantra CEO John Mullin said he is planning to burn all of his teams tokens in order to win back the trust of the networks community following the sudden collapse of the Mantra (OM) token on April 13. Im planning to burn all of my team tokens and when we turn it around the community and investors can decide if I have earned it back, Mullin posted to X on April 16. Mantra set aside 300 million OM, 16.88% of the tokens nearly 1.78 billion total supply, for its team and core contributors. They are currently locked and were scheduled to be released in stages between April 2027 and October 2029, according to an April 8 blog post. Read more

Shaquille O’Neal cleared to settle Astrals NFT lawsuit, Bitcoin $100K target still in play, and more: Hodler’s Digest Former NBA star Shaquille ONeal has been granted final court approval to settle a class-action lawsuit for $11 million with Astrals non-fungible token (NFT) buyers. Florida federal court judge Federico Moreno granted approval of the settlement between ONeal and the class group led by Daniel Harper in an April 1 order made available on April 8. The deal created a fund of up to $11 million for eligible class members and awarded $2.9 million in attorney fees and costs. All those who purchased Astrals NFTs from May 2022 to Jan. 15 and those who purchased the projects native GLXY tokens up until mid-January are eligible.  Read more

A crypto analyst eyes Bitcoin’s potential retrace to $70K, a crypto investor funds a SpaceX flight, and more: Hodler’s Digest BitMEX co-founder and former CEO Arthur Hayes says US President Donald Trump’s tariffs may rattle the global economy in some ways, but that same disruption could be exactly what Bitcoin needs to rally. Global imbalances will be corrected, and the pain papered over with printed money, which is good for BTC, Hayes said in an April 3 X post. His comments come just a day after it was announced that the Trump administration will hit all countries with a 10% tariff starting April 5, with some countries facing even larger rates, such as China facing a 34% tariff, the European Union 20%, and Japan 24%.  Read more

A crypto analyst is eyeing off a sooner timeframe for Bitcoin all-time highs, XRP may retrace up to 40%, and more: Hodler’s Digest Bitcoin will break past its $109,000 all-time high sooner than expected despite recent volatile US macroeconomic conditions, according to a crypto analyst.  The market may be underestimating how quickly Bitcoin could surge potentially hitting new all-time highs before Q2 is out, Real Vision chief crypto analyst Jamie Coutts told Cointelegraph.  He said this forecast stands regardless of whether or not there is more clarity on US President Donald Trumps tariffs and potential recession concerns. Read more

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says the SEC lawsuit is “over,” Donald Trump speaks at Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit: Hodler’s Digest The US Securities and Exchange Commissions multi-year enforcement action against Ripple is finally coming to an end, according to the companys CEO. This is it the moment weve been waiting for. The SEC will drop its appeal a resounding victory for Ripple, for crypto, every way you look at it, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse wrote on X on March 19. Im finally able to announce that the case has ended; its over, Garlinghouse said in the video attached to the X post. Read more