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Mother of Olympics TV host kidnapped for bitcoin ransom

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Mother of Olympics TV host kidnapped for bitcoin ransom

Nancy Guthrie, the 84 year-old mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, was kidnapped from her rural Tuscon, Arizona home on February 1. While law enforcement has refused to confirm or deny whether two ransom notes sent to TMZ, KOLD, and KGUN were real, the media is operating under the assumption that they are.

The notes included two deadlines — one that passed without any updates and another that TMZ states has “an element of ‘or else’” — and demanded $6 million worth of bitcoin (BTC).

Media outlets haven’t clarified if the abductors are demanding a specific amount of BTC or a specific amount valued in dollars. If they’re demanding a specific number of BTC, the recent fall in the price could actually suggest that more than $6 million worth of the cryptocurrency was originally demanded.

As of today, $6 million would equate to roughly 85 BTC, on February 1, it would be 75-76 BTC.

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Savannah Guthrie has hosted NBC’s coverage of three recent Olympic games, however, she’s understandably unable to host this year.

During the opening ceremony, three hosts acknowledged her difficult situation and wished her well.

A hoax and a second note

In a confusing set of circumstances, a man from California sent the Guthries a fake ransom demand shortly before the likely real kidnappers, who had originally stated they wouldn’t contact any media or the family in the first note, sent a second ransom note.

A local reporter at KOLD spoke to CNN and stated that the note was shorter than the first and seemed to be an attempt to provide some sort of proof they still had Guthrie in their possession.

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Reporters have suggested that the emailed ransom demands are extremely secure and unlikely to be traced.

Read more: Crypto execs hiring private security after high-profile kidnappings, report

Sloppy or brilliant?

It is difficult to establish whether the Guthrie abductors are brilliant, investigators have been sloppy, or some combination of the two.

Surprises have included that there has reportedly been no footage obtained of either the perpetrators or the vehicle(s) in which they escaped, no suggestion that a so-called “proof-of-life” has been shared with the family, and that the abductors used BTC instead of a coin that is easier to shield, such as Monero or Zcash.

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It’s unknown if the kidnappers have demanded the BTC be sent to a single wallet address or want it broken up, or if they believe they know an exchange or mixer that would reliably accept the BTC and not be easily traced.

Damning for law enforcement is the fact that they have combed through the crime scene in Tuscon at least three times and have yet to come up with any leads or new information to share with the public.

A deadline and an introduction

It’s still unclear which timezone the 5:00pm deadline refers to or what threat is being levelled. The Guthries have sent out a distressing, public video in which they speak directly to the kidnappers.

“We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way that we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.”

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While there’s little doubt that this horrifying crime has had a profound effect on the Guthrie family, Savannah Guthrie’s co-workers at Today, and others close to her, it’s also becoming more clear that entirely new demographics of the US population are about to be introduced to one of the absolute darkest sides to crypto.

The Today show averages almost 3 million viewers a day, with those who regularly tune in skewing older.

This means that an ongoing and growing global problem — that crypto is enabling kidnappers and extortionists to set up scam call centers or abduct the mother of a wealthy celebrity — will begin to finally worry older Americans.

Perhaps a new issue for the “Crypto President.”

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Not surprising, but shocking

Anyone who’s been following crypto for the past several years has heard about pig butchering.

The scam works by luring victims, usually from developing nations like China and Thailand, to vast scam call center campuses almost always located in Cambodia, Laos, or Myanmar.

Once the victim arrives, they’re imprisoned in apartment blocks and offices where they’re forced to cold text and call Westerners and romance them in a long con to get crypto.

Read more: Bitcoin torture suspects granted bail in Manhattan court

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An underreported, but important, element of the pig butchering scam is that victims are often able to contact family members to demand a ransom for their eventual release.

While an outsized ransom, such as the $6 million in BTC being demanded by the Nancy Guthrie kidnappers, is never asked for, the numbers are still high enough as to be out of reach for an average Chinese or Thai family.

This leads to victims languishing in the compounds for months or years at a time, but also leads pig butcherers to a secondary, less profitable source of income: kidnapping.

In this sense, perhaps the Guthrie kidnapping, while equal parts disturbing, terrible, and disheartening, is an important spotlight on what is now becoming a problem for everyone: cryptocurrency providing kidnappers a new, innovative way to actually get away with it.

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Crypto World

Franklin Templeton launches crypto division with 250 Digital acquisition

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Franklin Templeton launches crypto division with 250 Digital acquisition

Wall Street asset management giant Franklin Templeton is launching a dedicated cryptocurrency division as it deepens its push into digital assets, anchored by a planned acquisition of crypto investment firm 250 Digital.

The new unit, called Franklin Crypto, will bring together the 250 Digital team and its liquid crypto strategies — previously managed by CoinFund — under one structure aimed at institutional investors, the firm said Wednesday.

Former CoinFund executive Christopher Perkins will lead the division, with Seth Ginns serving as chief investment officer alongside Franklin Templeton digital assets executive Tony Pecore. The group will report to Sandy Kaul, the firm’s head of innovation.

The move builds on Franklin Templeton’s existing digital asset business, which manages about $1.8 billion, and signals a shift toward offering more active crypto investment strategies alongside its current products.

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“This is an exciting addition for Franklin Templeton,” CEO Jenny Johnson said, adding that the deal strengthens the firm’s ability to deliver dedicated crypto expertise to clients globally.

The launch of Franklin Crypto reflects a broader trend among large asset managers that are moving beyond passive exposure, such as exchange-traded funds, toward building in-house capabilities.

Perkins said the effort is aimed at meeting that demand. “Crypto’s institutional moment has arrived,” he said, pointing to growing interest from large investors seeking structured exposure to digital assets.

The transaction also includes an experimental element: part of the consideration will be paid using BENJI tokens, linked to Franklin Templeton’s on-chain U.S. Government Money Fund. The fund uses blockchain infrastructure to process transactions and record ownership.

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That approach suggests early steps toward conducting mergers and acquisitions using tokenized assets, with settlement occurring more directly on blockchain rails.

The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to approvals and other conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Avalanche (AVAX) gains 4% as index moves higher

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9am CoinDesk 20 Update for 2026-04-01: vertical

CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.

The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 1968.28, up 1.0% (+20.29) since yesterday’s close.

Eighteen of 20 assets is trading higher.

9am CoinDesk 20 Update for 2026-04-01: vertical

Leaders: AVAX (+4.0%) and HBAR (+3.6%).

Laggards: BCH (-2.1%) and BNB (+0.0%).

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The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.

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Bitcoin Breaks 5-Month Losing Streak With $68K March Close: What’s Next?

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Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Price, Markets, BTC Markets, Price Analysis, Market Analysis

Bitcoin (BTC) closed March in green, ending the longest monthly losing streak since 2018. Data suggests that the coming months may prove to be profitable for BTC.

Key takeaways:

  • Bitcoin ended March 2% higher, marking the first green monthly close in six months.

  • A similar streak in 2018/2019 led to an over 316% BTC price rebound over five months.

  • Bitcoin price faces stiff resistance at $70,000-$72,000, where key trend lines converge.

Past multi-month downtrends were followed by 300% price gains

Historical price data from CoinGlass confirms Bitcoin printed its first green monthly candle in six months, closing March 2% higher after five straight months of losses.

“This is a massive dose of hopium,” analyst Ash Crypto said in an X post on Wednesday.

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The analyst was referring to a possible shift in momentum, which might lead to a sustained recovery, as seen in previous cycles.

Related: Crypto Fear & Greed Index stuck on ‘extreme fear,’ but is there a silver lining?

The last time this happened was in 2018/2019 when BTC closed February 2019 in green, after six consecutive red months, as shown in the figure below.

This led to a reversal with over 300% returns the following five months, as Bitcoin recovered from the 2018 bear market.

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“Last time BTC dumped 6 months in a row, it pumped the following 5 months in a row that came after!” trader Satoshi Flipper said in a Wednesday post on X.

Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Price, Markets, BTC Markets, Price Analysis, Market Analysis
Bitcoin monthly percentage returns. Source: CoinGlass

If history repeats itself, the reversal may continue in April, suggesting that BTC price may have bottomed at $60,000.

Bitcoin’s bullish monthly close is a ”catalyst for fresh inflows into early April,” Trader Caleb said, adding:

“April starts with momentum.”

Bitcoin has a well-established tendency for significant price swings in April.

Since 2013, April has been a green month for eight of the past 13 years, with average returns of about 12.2%

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However, Bitcoin also tends to move in the opposite direction to March in April, and this is true for nine out of the past 13 years. 

In recent years, Bitcoin dropped in April after closing March in green, three out of four times between 2021 and 2024. 

Therefore, while the end of past multi-month drawdowns suggests a rebound is due, data demonstrates that BTC price could also slide in April.

Watch these Bitcoin price levels next

Data from TradingView shows BTC price up 2.5% on the day to trade at $68,470 as the $69,000-$70,000 resistance remains in place.

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Analysts expect Bitcoin’s range-bound price action to continue for longer, with important price levels to look for in case of a breakout. 

These include the $70,000-$72,000 supply zone, coinciding with the 50-day simple moving average (SMA), the 50-day exponential moving average (EMA) and the 1w–1m cohort cost basis

This is also where investors acquired approximately 650,000 BTC, marking a potential point of sell pressure, according to the cost-basis distribution data from Glassnode.

Breaking above this level could see BTC/USD revisit the $76,000 range high and eventually the $80,000 psychological level.

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BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Zooming out, trader Sheldon Diedericks said Bitcoin could “push into resistance” at $83,000 on the monthly time frame, a key support level from April 2025. The 200-day EMA is also close to this area.

BTC/USD monthly chart. Source: X/Sheldon Diedericks

On the downside, the 200-week EMA at $68,300 and the 200-week SMA at $59,400 remain key levels to watch. Below that, the next major level is Bitcoin’s realized price around $54,000.

As Cointelegraph reported, Bitcoin’s bear market bottom could be formed once BTC price drops toward or below its realized price.