A significant SOL options block trade crossed the tape on Deribit via the OTC network Paradigm late Monday, suggesting expectations for a price rally to $400 by the end of February.

The trade, structured as a bull call spread, involved a long position in the $280 call and a simultaneous short position in the $400 call, with 10,000 contracts for each leg and both legs set to expire on Feb. 28, according to block flows tracked by Amberdata. Block trades are large orders usually placed by institutions executed over-the-counter (OTC), outside the exchange’s order book.

A bull call spread achieves its maximum profit when the underlying asset’s price is at or above the short call’s strike price, which is $400 in this case. The buyer is betting that the spread will move past $280, reaching up to $400 with a breakeven around $300, according to Amberdata’s Director of Derivatives, Greg Magadini.

Importantly, the downside risk in a bull call spread is limited to the total premium paid to establish the strategy, protecting the trader from larger losses if the market declines. Currently, SOL is trading at $254 after hitting record highs above $290 over the weekend, as per CoinDesk data.

Donald Trump relished the thought that his return to the White House would give him the power to take down the “deep state” actors who once opposed him — and almost sent him to prison.

Just hours after he was sworn in as America’s 47th president, his vengeance campaign was under way.

Among the early targets was John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser and one of the president’s harshest critics. First Bolton’s security clearance was revoked. Then Trump ordered the removal of the protective detail assigned to Bolton in 2019 after threats to his life from Iran.

“We’re not going to have security detail on people for the rest of their lives — why should we? I thought he was a very dumb person,” said Trump on Tuesday.

Bolton said he was “disappointed but not surprised”.

That may just be the beginning as Trump moves to crush perceived opponents in government, homing in on targets from intelligence agencies to the military, financial and business regulators, and within the law enforcement apparatus itself.

It could mark a new era for the US — and the way it is ruled, with favour and punishment dispensed according to the whims of a leader, not the judgments of career officials guided by the long-agreed rules of their institutions.

For Trump, it is a moment of vindication as he roots out the officials who thwarted his agenda during his first term or deepened his legal jeopardy as federal criminal cases mounted against him in 2023.

“Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponised to persecute political opponents,” he said in his inaugural address at the Capitol on Monday.

Hours later, he signed an executive order on the “weaponisation” of government, authorising sweeping reviews of US intelligence and other agencies to correct “past misconduct” through “appropriate action”.

“It’s an open-ended, anti-resistance move,” said Yuval Levin, a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, referring to the order.

He said it was “too early to tell” whether Trump was simply sending a message for civil servants to “stay out of the way” of his radical agenda or “to rearrange the bureaucracy so that it’s more completely at the service of the president”.

Intelligence agencies are a particular focus for Trump. In another of the executive orders signed during Monday’s night’s blitz, Trump stripped the security clearances of 50 former intelligence officials, claiming that they co-ordinated with former president Joe Biden’s campaign to discredit reporting about his scandal-prone son Hunter Biden.

The order echoed language used by Kash Patel, Trump’s controversial pick to head the FBI who is awaiting Senate confirmation.

Patel has long argued for the removal of security clearances to eradicate the “deep state”.

A former US intelligence official said the measure would have a “chilling effect” in the agencies. “This is a clear sign that Trump will use clearances for political reasons. That will make people wary to speak their minds.”

“Anything that suggests clearances are being manipulated for political purposes will hurt trust with the intelligence community,” said Emily Harding, director of the intelligence, national security and technology programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Trump has also sent a clear message to the Pentagon, where just minutes after his inauguration officials removed a portrait of his former top military adviser — and eventually arch critic — retired General Mark Milley. On Monday, Trump also fired Linda Fagan, the commandant of the coastguard, with a senior official saying she had “excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion” and mishandled border security.

But Trump’s plans go far beyond America’s security apparatus. The executive order on “weaponisation” called for more scrutiny of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, along with other enforcement agencies such as the justice department.

Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney-general, has vowed that the “investigators will be investigated” and “the bad” prosecutors would be prosecuted.

“I am concerned that this authorises the very weaponisation itself of the government against perceived enemies,” said Ryan Goodman, professor at the New York University School of Law.

“Ordinarily there may be nothing wrong with retrospective investigations into potential government wrongdoing,” he added. But this order “has been teed up with nominees in mind who would come into the government with an enemies list. That is a very worrisome combination for the state of democracy in the country.”

Trump previously called for the prosecution of opponents, including Nancy Pelosi, former Democratic Speaker of the House, and former vice-president Kamala Harris, whom he defeated in the 2024 general election. He has also threatened to appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” Joe Biden.

Biden himself took this threat — and others — seriously enough to issue pre-emptive pardons to members of his own family and top potential targets such as Milley and members of the panel that probed the January 6 2021 attack on the Capitol Building, including former congresswoman Liz Cheney, just before he left office.

Trump is also taking aim at federal workers, vowing to strip employment protections, which were strengthened under Biden, for tens of thousands of career civil servants in “policy-related” jobs — a way to easily fire government workers who balk at his agenda. 

Meanwhile, as he was stripping security clearances from his perceived foes, he issued a separate executive order to immediately grant temporary clearances to “ qualified and trusted personnel” of his choosing.

“Our foreign adversaries are salivating at this Trump Executive Order that grants immediate Top Secret clearances to individuals without the proper vetting and background checks,” Olivia Troye, a former Trump administration official turned critic of the president, wrote on X.

Popular caller ID app Truecaller has long left iPhone users at a disadvantage by not offering the caller information in real-time — a feature its Android users have enjoyed for some time. Today, that changes as the company is rolling out an update that brings real-time caller ID support to its iOS subscribers.

The company was able to implement the feature because Apple introduced Live Caller ID Lookup in iOS 18, allowing third-party caller ID apps to securely make a call to their server to get information about the caller. Notably, this is also the first major release from the Swedish company after the co-founders Alan Mamedi and Nami Zarringhalam stepped down from the day-to-day operations in November 2024.

Today, Truecaller has more than 2.6 million paying subscribers, of which only around 750,000 of them are on iOS. However, 40% of Truecaller’s revenue is from iOS subscriptions. The company also gets a 5X conversation rate to its premium tier on iOS compared to Android as well as 80% higher revenue from an iPhone subscriber.

Considering the importance of the iPhone to Truecaller’s bottom line, the company continues to develop its iOS app.

In 2022, Truecaller relaunched the iOS app to focus on better spam detection, thanks to Apple allowing the app to store a larger set of numbers locally.

“It did improve the overall call identification. But that wasn’t enough because in countries like India, there is a huge calling activity, and not all this would be available in the offline database,” Truecaller Product Director Nakul Kabra told TechCrunch in an interview.

India presents other challenges for the company, as well, including the arrival of a service, Calling Name Presentation (commonly called CNAP, designed to curb spam. The service, currently being rolled out by local telcos, could eventually emerge as a competitor to Truecaller.

Truecaller also updated its iOS app in 2023 with a live caller ID experience, but that involved a step requiring interaction with Siri and also wasn’t real-time.

Until iOS 18’s release, Truecaller had to rely on a locally saved dictionary of limited phone numbers on iOS.

To enable the new feature, Truecaller built a new server architecture and created a separate, encrypted database for iOS, alongside its existing larger database for Android users. Apple’s Phone app makes encrypted requests to this database and gets encrypted responses that are only decrypted on the client (iPhone) to show the caller ID in real time. This process is called “homomorphic encryption,” as the computations use encrypted data instead of decrypting them first, while decryption happens on the client to display caller information if it matches with the data stored on the server.

Kabra told TechCrunch that Truecaller had built a way to sync two databases to keep the data synced between them.

“At the moment, there might be a bit of a delay because these requests get queued up, and the encryption that we do is very time-consuming — and very expensive… But it should not be more than a few hours,” he said.

TechCrunch tested live caller ID under Truecaller’s beta program last week and noticed that the feature does provide caller information in real-time in most cases, though it sometimes misses.

Truecaller’s premium tier on iOS starts at $9.99 a month, per individual, or $74.99/year. The company also offers its family plan on iOS starting at $14.99/month or $99.99/year and the top-end Gold subscription at $249 a year.

Users can enable the Live Caller ID Lookup feature through iPhone Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification.

On iOS 18, Truecaller also updated its interface with the caller’s name appearing in bold over their number. Now, Truecaller is working on support for images to show up in the caller ID for its iOS users.

Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace, has been granted a full pardon by President Trump, honoring Libertarian support during his campaign.

Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, has been fully pardoned by President Donald Trump. On Jan. 22, Trump announced the pardon on Truth Social, his own social media platform, stating that “in honor of the Libertarian Movement,” which supported his victory in the 47th U.S. presidential election, he had granted Ulbricht his freedom.

Trump also criticized the justice system, referring to those who convicted Ross Ulbricht as “lunatics” and describing his sentence of life imprisonment plus 40 years as “ridiculous.” Ulbricht was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for his role in creating and operating Silk Road.

Launched in 2011, Silk Road was a darknet marketplace that operated until 2013 and became infamously known as the “eBay for drugs.” It facilitated anonymous transactions of illegal goods and services, primarily drugs, using Bitcoin (BTC).

At the time, Bitcoin was relatively unknown outside of niche computer circles, and Silk Road played a key role in raising public awareness of the cryptocurrency.

In February 2015, Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, was convicted for operating the platform. He was sentenced to two life terms in prison for facilitating nearly $183 million worth of illegal drug transactions.

Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in October 2013, following a complex investigation that involved cybercrime experts and undercover agents. The key to the takedown was the identification of Ross Ulbricht, who had been using the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts.”

Authorities were able to trace Ulbricht through his online activity, including mistakes he made in forum threads discussing Silk Road and the use of an email address linked to his real identity.

The breakthrough came when investigators gained access to Silk Road’s servers, which contained a vast array of evidence, including transaction logs and private messages implicating Ulbricht. He was arrested at a San Francisco public library, where FBI agents caught him accessing the platform’s back-end server.

While Ulbricht admitted to building Silk Road, he claimed that by the time of his arrest, he had handed over control of the site and was merely a “fall guy” who took the blame after being discovered.

One of Trump’s first executive orders says, “Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person.”

Cheriss May—NurPhoto via Getty Images

• G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 was overclocked to 6027MHz or 12,054MT/s
• That was achieved using just air cooling, with no need for liquid nitrogen
• There is, however, a catch (of sorts) in how the CPU was configured

G.Skill has again been setting records with its DDR5 RAM, this time with a seriously impressive overclock that doesn’t use any exotic cooling.

This feat was achieved using G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 by an expert overclocker from Indonesia, a certain ‘speed.fastest,’ who managed to crank the RAM up to 6027MHz (or 12,054MT/s).

El Salvador added 12 BTC to its reserves in the past day, ramping up its Bitcoin purchase as the leading crypto asset hovers near its all-time high.

This development comes despite a recent agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to scale back some of its crypto policies.

Bitcoin Push Continues

The National Bitcoin Office announced via X on January 19th that it had purchased 11 BTC for its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which is currently worth more than $1 million. An additional Bitcoin was acquired on the following day for $106,000.

The office’s portfolio tracker further revealed that the country’s total holdings now stand at 6,044 BTC, valued at roughly $620 million, with Bitcoin trading above $103,000.

Last month, President Nayib Bukele’s administration secured a $1.4 billion financing deal with the IMF, agreeing to reduce certain Bitcoin initiatives, including making BTC acceptance optional for businesses and reducing government involvement in the Chivo wallet.

However, the day after this agreement, the Central American country purchased $1 million worth of Bitcoin. National Bitcoin Office Director Stacy Herbert stated on X that the country’s Bitcoin strategy remains unchanged. El Salvador became the world’s first nation to recognize Bitcoin as an official currency following its adoption by the Legislative Assembly in 2021.

Bitfinex and Tether’s Offerings in El Salvador

Last year, Bitfinex Securities launched tokenized US Treasury bills in El Salvador under the country’s new securities regime. The main objective behind the offering was to raise $30 million and provide investors exposure to short-term Treasury bonds through blockchain technology.

More recently, USDT stablecoin issuer Tether announced relocating its business and headquarters to El Salvador after acquiring a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) license. The move aligns with El Salvador’s Bitcoin-friendly policies, aiming to foster global Bitcoin adoption and innovation in emerging markets. Tether’s CEO highlighted the country’s supportive environment for digital assets and its vision for financial freedom and decentralized technologies.

The recent launch of the TRUMP and MELANIA tokens, catalyzed by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, has ignited a mix of excitement and caution within the memecoin and broader cryptocurrency community. 

This frenzy has caught the attention of billionaire investor Mark Cuban, who is now contemplating the creation of his own memecoin, inspired by the recent memecoin movements.

Cuban’s Memecoin Vision: Combining Fun And Financial Responsibility? 

In a recent social media post, the renowned billionaire opened the door to the possibility of launching a new memecoin, stating, “If memecoins are the way, maybe I’ll issue one.” 

His announcement has stirred curiosity among crypto enthusiasts, particularly as he hinted that his memecoin would mirror the parameters of Trump’s TRUMP memecoin. 

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Cuban plans to implement a 20% float and adhere to a similar release schedule, with one significant distinction: all potential revenue generated from the sale would be directed to the US Treasury. To enhance transparency, Cuban also indicated that the wallet address would be publicly accessible, allowing anyone to track the funds.

Cuban framed his initiative as a way to combine entertainment with a social purpose, noting, “If you want to gamble, gamble. But at least use it to make a dent in the US debt.” 

This statement reflects a growing sentiment among some investors that memecoins can serve a dual purpose—providing both amusement and potential benefits to broader societal issues. However, Cuban’s proposal has not been without its critics. 

Cuban Cites Dogecoin Success

In response to Cuban’s announcement, a user on X (formerly Twitter) cautioned him about the potential pitfalls of launching a memecoin, suggesting that he might be accused of exploiting information asymmetry at the coin’s launch. 

The user stressed that the supposed memecoin’s price would be dictated by supply and demand dynamics, starting from nearly zero, and warned Cuban not to proceed without careful consideration.

Cuban, undeterred by the criticism, defended his understanding of the memecoin landscape, stating, “It’s not hard to put it together. I never have thought about doing a meme coin. Wouldn’t be hard at all.” 

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The back-and-forth dialogue continued, with the user asserting that creating a sustainable memecoin that benefits long-term holders is a challenging endeavor. 

He further argued that successful memecoins often emerge from community-driven initiatives rather than top-down launches, warning that hype surrounding a celebrity-backed launch could lead to short-term trading rather than fostering an organic community.

Cuban concluded the exchange by acknowledging the importance of community in the longevity of memecoins. He cited examples like Dogecoin  (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), which have thrived due to their strong communities. 

“I’m not saying buyers won’t get rekt. I said it was gambling. It’s a game of musical chairs. No promises. No pumps by me. Just complete transparency,” he emphasized.

At the time of writing, the TRUMP memecoin is trading at $44,778, recording a 14% recovery in the past 24 hours after plunging over 50% from its $79 peak reached over the weekend. 

Featured image from CNBC, chart from TradingView.com