Bitcoin delivers a classic liquidity grab with a correction below $115,000 only to bounce back, while traders eye a BTC price showdown with new all-time highs next. Key takeaways: Bitcoin traders now turn their focus to higher levels after Friday’s $115,000 liquidity grab. Fundstrat’s Tom Lee predicts Bitcoin could hit $250,000 by year-end. Read more
A young and tech-savvy population, combating inflationary pressures, is driving Bitcoin adoption and a new financial system in Pakistan. Pakistan’s demographics position the country as a major catalyst for Bitcoin (BTC) adoption, allowing it to “leapfrog” developed nations, according to Bilal Bin Saqib, Pakistan’s state minister of crypto and blockchain. “A global policy shift has happened, not just in Pakistan, but all around the world,” Bin Saqib told Cointelegraph in an exclusive interview. The government of Pakistan moved to regulate crypto in November 2024. The country has 40 million crypto wallets and is one of the “top five” countries in terms of crypto adoption, which the minister attributed to Pakistan’s young demographic. He told Cointelegraph: Read more
XRP selling pressure could mushroom if the recent 50 billion XRP sale from a wallet linked to Ripple's Chris Larsen was "just the warm-up." Key points: Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen sparks warnings to XRP investors after a wallet linked to him sends 50 million tokens to exchanges. Larsen notionally has over 2.5 billion XRP left, which would create massive selling pressure if distributed. Read more
Wrench attacks on prominent crypto executives are shaping the narrative on centralized crypto custody. Crypto custodians are reporting increased interest in their services amid the rising frequency of so-called “$5 wrench attacks” on cryptocurrency traders, investors and project leaders. In the last year, several high-profile wrench attacks — physical attempts to steal someone’s crypto — have targeted prominent investors and business executives in the blockchain industry. The crypto mantra of “not your keys, not your coins” has lost its power among some investors who fear for their personal safety. Cold wallets may offer full control over digital assets, but they also present a single point of attack. Read more
Japan’s slow and risk-averse approval system, not taxes, is the real barrier driving Web3 startups and liquidity offshore, says WeFi CEO Maksym Sakharov. Japan’s regulatory bottlenecks, not taxes, are the real reason crypto innovation is leaving the country, according to Maksym Sakharov, co-founder and CEO of decentralized onchain bank WeFi. Sakharov told Cointelegraph that even if the proposed 20% flat tax on crypto gains is implemented, Japan’s “slow, prescriptive, and risk‑averse” approval culture will continue to push startups and liquidity offshore. “The 55% progressive tax is painful and very visible, but it’s not the core blocker anymore,” he said. “The FSA/JVCEA pre‑approval model and the absence of a truly dynamic sandbox are what keep builders and liquidity offshore.” Read more