Arbitrageurs who exploit price discrepancies between centralized and decentralized crypto exchanges are harming network decentralization, new research finds. Maximal-extractable value (MEV) on the Ethereum network is becoming increasingly centralized, with arbitrageurs tightening their grip on transaction ordering. According to a recent research paper, these arbitrageurs, called “searchers” in the paper, are increasingly in-house or have exclusive contracts with maximal extractable value builders, who are responsible for block construction on the Ethereum network. MEV refers to the profit that blockchain validators or other participants can earn by reordering transactions within a block before it’s finalized. On Ethereum, MEV often involves strategies like arbitrage, front-running, or sandwich attacks, where traders exploit price differences to maximize gains. Read more
Bitcoin may face a short-term dip as a bearish divergence, CME gap, and a high IBCI reading point to downside below $115,000. Key takeaways: A hidden bearish divergence on the RSI hints at weakening bullish momentum for Bitcoin. A CME gap between $114,000–$115,000 could act as a magnet. Read more
XRP vastly outperformed ETH over the past year, but institutional investor demand for Ether could change the trend. Key takeaways: XRP leads in yearly gains, surging 552% since July 2024 and 49% year-to-date. ETH sees major institutional adoption, with over $4.4 billion in holdings from firms like Bit Digital and BlackRock. Read more
After about two weeks of hearing from US government witnesses, Roman Storm’s legal team called Preston Van Loon to the stand to kick off its defense case. Prosecutors in the criminal trial of Tornado Cash co-founder and developer Roman Storm rested their case on Thursday, opening the door for defense counsel to call an Ethereum core developer as its first witness. According to reporting by Inner City Press on Thursday from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ethereum core developer Preston Van Loon testified in Storm’s defense case, which is expected to last about a week. The developer reportedly described Tornado Cash as a “privacy tool for Ethereum” and said he had used the mixing service four times to send a combined 43 Ether (ETH) in 2019 or 2020, citing safety concerns. “If [hackers] know the scope of my assets I can become a target,” said Van Loon, according to reporting from the courtroom. Read more
A new More Perfect Union video sheds light on what life is like for Granbury, Texas, residents living with the near-constant noise of a Bitcoin mining operation. Many residents of a Texas town southwest of Dallas, facing health problems allegedly associated with constant noise, don’t seem to have anything good to say about a crypto mining facility run by MARA Holdings. In a video released Thursday by the nonprofit advocacy organization More Perfect Union, reporter Dan Lieberman spoke to residents of Granbury, Texas, some of whom lived less than a mile from MARA’s 300-megawatt Bitcoin (BTC) mining facility. Many long-term residents and retirees described life as “hell” under the near-constant noise of the mining operation, which lies in an unincorporated area of Hood County. “It never goes away, headaches never go away,” said one elderly resident on camera, with the sound of the facility easily heard in the background. Read more