Crypto World
Here is what Solana Foundation’s cryptic ‘Don’t waste time with crypto’ ad really means
The Solana Foundation is taking a deliberately contrarian approach to crypto marketing in San Francisco, rolling out a billboard campaign that reads: “Don’t waste time with crypto.”
At first glance, the message may seem a bit confusing as a crypto foundation is saying not to waste time with crypto. But according to the Solana Foundation, it is a bullish bet on the future of crypto that intersects with agentic AI.
Essentially, what this means is that rather than wasting your time executing transactions with crypto, which might be cumbersome and time-consuming, let your AI agents do the hard work.
The ad directs passersby to the x402 account on X, a nod to a growing push within the Solana ecosystem to position blockchain not as a consumer-facing product, but as invisible infrastructure for the next phase of the internet.
The message reflects a broader thesis the ecosystem has been advancing: that crypto’s future lies in powering an “agentic” internet, where artificial intelligence systems, not humans, initiate and execute economic activity.
Read more: Visa is ready for AI agents. So is Coinbase. They’re building very different internets
At the center of that vision is x402, a new type of payment system built for the internet. In simple terms, it lets apps, websites or AI tools automatically charge small amounts of money when they’re used, without requiring logins, subscriptions or human involvement. For example, an AI agent could request data from a service, instantly pay a small fee, and receive the result in a single seamless step. The idea is to make online payments as easy and automatic as loading a webpage — especially for very small transactions that traditional payment systems struggle to handle.
This model enables so-called “agentic payments,” often involving fractions of a cent, which are difficult to support on traditional financial rails due to high fees and latency. Solana is betting that its high throughput and low transaction costs make it a natural settlement layer for this emerging economy.
The billboard’s tongue-in-cheek directive encapsulates that shift. If the technology succeeds, the argument goes, users won’t need to think about crypto at all.
“Crypto and Solana are well on their way to being the default way AI pays,” a Solana Foundation spokesperson said, adding that agents will gravitate toward networks where “performance wins.”
Retail fear across US equity markets has reached levels not seen in over two decades. The ROBO Put/Call Ratio has jumped to 1.0 for the first time in at least 20 years.
The reading exceeds the 0.91 peak during the 2008 Financial Crisis and the 0.95 reached during the 2020 pandemic selloff. The ratio has doubled since December, marking the sharpest rise since the 2022 bear market began.
“This ratio tracks retail opening buy orders in options, with the current reading showing retail traders buying nearly equal amounts of puts and calls…Fear is becoming overdone in this market,” The Kobeissi Letter noted.
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Market sentiment is also evidenced by the CNN Fear & Greed Index, which has fallen to 23, placing it at the threshold of extreme fear territory.
Bearish Positioning Reaches Rare Extremes
The surge comes amid a broad rise in short interest across all major US indexes. According to data from Global Markets Investor, the median short interest for the S&P 500 now stands at approximately 3.7%, its highest level in 11 years.
The Nasdaq 100 has reached roughly 2.7% short interest, a 6-year high. The Russell 2000 sits near 5.0%, its highest in 15 years.
The last time all three indexes showed such elevated short positioning simultaneously was during the 2010-2011 European debt crisis. That convergence is significant because it suggests bearish conviction extends beyond any single sector or market-cap segment.
“All three indexes have seen short interest rise sharply since mid-2024, accelerating further in 2026,” the post added.
BeInCrypto recently reported that hedge funds shorted global equities at the most aggressive pace in 13 years, with short sales outpacing long purchases by a ratio of 7.6 to 1.
The simultaneous alignment of extreme retail fear, a near-extreme Fear & Greed reading, and elevated institutional short positioning creates a notable asymmetry. Even a modest positive catalyst could trigger forced covering across multiple indexes, triggering a rapid, potentially disorderly rally.
The contrarian case is building, but a catalyst is needed. Sentiment alone doesn’t reverse markets. The critical question is whether current fear reflects genuine, fundamental deterioration or an overshoot driven by peak-fear psychology.
A resolution in the escalating US-Iran tensions could be the kind of macro shock that flips the narrative, but for now, with no signs of de-escalation, the market remains in a holding pattern between peak fear and potential inflection.
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The post US Equity Fear Gauge Tops 2008 Crisis Levels as Short Interest Hits Multi-Year Highs appeared first on BeInCrypto.
The US Iran war latest news oil prices today tells a sharply escalating story: American forces struck more than 50 military targets on Kharg Island, the hub through which Iran exports 90% of its crude, sending oil surging more than 3% to nearly $116 per barrel within minutes of the first reports.
Summary
- The US military struck dozens of military targets on Kharg Island early Tuesday, Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency was first to report explosions, and Vice President JD Vance confirmed the strikes during a press conference in Budapest
- Oil jumped over 3% to nearly $116 per barrel immediately, while Brent crude crossed $110; Vance said the strikes did not include oil infrastructure and did not represent a change in strategy ahead of Trump’s 8 PM ET deadline
- The IRGC warned it would “deprive the US and its allies of the region’s oil and gas for years” if Trump follows through with threatened strikes on Iran’s civilian power and water infrastructure tonight
The US Iran war latest news oil prices today sent a fresh shock through global energy markets on Tuesday as US forces struck more than 50 military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s largest oil export hub, hours before President Trump’s 8 PM ET deadline expired. Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported multiple explosions on the island as early as 1:30 PM local Tehran time, and oil surged immediately, with US crude jumping over 3% to nearly $116 per barrel and Brent crossing $110.
VP JD Vance confirmed the strikes during a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest, characterizing them as “re-strikes” on previously targeted sites. “I don’t think the news about Kharg Island changes anything,” Vance said, insisting the attacks did not touch oil infrastructure and did not alter the president’s strategy ahead of the evening deadline.
Kharg Island handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports and carries a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, making it the primary financial lifeline of Tehran’s war-era economy. Iran earns an estimated $53 billion in net oil export revenues annually, about 11% of its GDP, almost entirely flowing through the island’s pipelines and terminals.
The US has now struck the island twice since the war began February 28. The first attack in mid-March destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile bunkers, and air defense systems while preserving oil infrastructure. Tuesday’s strikes hit some of the same sites, according to a US official, again stopping short of targeting the oil terminal itself. Whether that restraint holds after 8 PM is the question driving markets.
What an Oil Infrastructure Strike Would Mean
Analysts have warned that striking Kharg’s oil terminal would have immediate and lasting consequences. “A direct hit on Iran’s export terminal would instantly shut down most of its 1.5 million barrels per day crude exports,” JPMorgan data cited by CNBC showed. “Destruction of its oil infrastructure would take years to rebuild, leaving the country deprived of its most critical source of revenue,” Vandana Hari of Vanda Insights told CNBC.
Iran has already telegraphed its response. The IRGC warned Tuesday that it would “deprive the US and its allies of the region’s oil and gas for years” if the civilian infrastructure strikes go forward. It also signaled that restraint toward Gulf Arab states hosting US military assets is now over, saying “all such considerations have been lifted” — a direct threat to regional energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
Bitcoin and Crypto Markets Under Fresh Pressure
As crypto.news reported, each round of escalation in this conflict has pushed oil higher and Bitcoin lower, with the Strait of Hormuz closure already keeping crude above $100 for weeks and compressing Federal Reserve flexibility on rate cuts. Crypto.news also noted that major cryptocurrencies have dropped 3 to 5% during prior escalation phases, as higher oil prices feed directly into inflation expectations and reduce appetite for risk assets.
Tonight’s 8 PM deadline, and what follows it, will determine the next major move for both energy and crypto markets.
Multiple Bitcoin indicators, including a bull-bear sentiment index and realized price metric, point to a possible final BTC shakeout toward $54,000
Bitcoin (BTC) is showing signs of the bear market’s late stages but could see another leg lower in the coming months, says Joao Wedson, founder and CEO of on-chain analytics platform Alphractal.
Key takeaways:
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BTC may still see one last big drop before recovering, based on one sentiment indicator.
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The next likely downside target is near Bitcoin’s realized price at $54,000.
BTC index hints at a drop toward $54,000
In a Tuesday post, Wedson said Bitcoin’s 720-day Tactical Bull-Bear Sentiment Index (TBBI), a long-term indicator that tracks multi-year cycles of fear and greed, had dropped into an extreme bearish zone below 20.
Historically, such readings have reflected “late-stage fear” among traders, a phase that can still produce one final shakeout before Bitcoin begins a more durable recovery.
In 2022, for instance, Bitcoin fell more than 20% after the indicator reached similarly depressed levels.
A comparable setup also appeared before Bitcoin lost around 50% in 2018, prompting Wedson to see a similar possibility in 2026.
Related: Bitcoin RSI ‘nearly perfectly’ copying end of 2022 bear market: Analysis
He warned that Bitcoin could still face “a sharp move like a –$15K shakeout” over the next six months, implying a roughly 20% decline from current levels toward the $54,000 area.
More BTC indicators converge on $50,000–$55,000
The implied target matches earlier BTC downside calls that see Bitcoin falling toward the $50,000–$55,000 area on war-led oil inflation and quantum security risks.
The $54,000 level also nearly coincides with Bitcoin’s realized price (purple) on Glassnode’s MVRV Extreme Deviation Pricing Bands, suggesting any final shakeout could send BTC toward a key on-chain cost-basis support level.
More bearish forecasts have also surfaced, with analysts such as Bloomberg Intelligence’s Mike McGlone warning that Bitcoin could eventually slide to as low as $10,000.
Still, Strategy’s aggressive Bitcoin purchases in recent weeks have helped absorb selling pressure and limit BTC’s downside, raising the possibility that the broader bearish scenario may fail to play out.
As Cointelegraph reported, Bitcoin could reverse sharply and climb back toward $100,000 or higher if the Michael Saylor firm continues its buying spree.
This article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or recommendations. All investments and trades carry risk; readers are encouraged to conduct independent research before making any decisions. Cointelegraph makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information presented, including forward-looking statements, and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this content.
The US stock market dropped on April 7 as Trump’s warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” ahead of the Iran Strait of Hormuz deadline injected fresh fear into equities.
WTI crude surged to $115.19, up 13% in a single week, as reports of Israeli strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island petrochemical infrastructure removed the remaining de-escalation hopes that had given stocks a brief lift in recent sessions.
Three forces drove selling on April 7, all tracing back to the same root cause. Oil above $115 is feeding into inflation expectations, keeping the Fed locked, and crushing consumer and growth stocks simultaneously.
1. Trump’s “Civilization” Warning Kills De-Escalation Narrative
Markets had been pricing in partial de-escalation after Iran’s earlier diplomatic exchanges through mediators. Trump’s statement, made ahead of his self-imposed Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, killed that narrative and reignited fears of direct strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure.
The Hormuz closure has already disrupted roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies. Trump’s demand for immediate reopening, paired with reports of Kharg Island strikes, signals that the conflict is entering a more dangerous phase rather than winding down.
Risk assets sold off as the “war ending soon” trade unwound.
2. WTI at $115 Tightens the Oil-Inflation-Rates Chain
WTI crude at $115.19 is 13% higher in a single week. Oil at these levels functions as a direct tax on consumers and businesses, raising input costs across every sector and feeding into the inflation data the Federal Reserve is watching.
The March CPI report due Friday is expected to show the sharpest monthly increase since 2022, making rate relief even less likely.
3. Apple’s 3.35% Drop Drags the Index
Apple (AAPL) fell 3.35% after Nikkei Asia reported engineering setbacks in the foldable iPhone that could push back production timelines. Apple carries the largest weighting in the S&P 500, so a nearly 4% decline mechanically drags the index regardless of broader conditions.
What Is Happening to Major US Indexes?
At press time, all four major indexes are in the red.
- S&P 500 fell 28.89 points (−0.44%) to 6,582.94. The index dipped over 1% earlier in the session before recovering.
- Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 244.33 points (−0.52%) to 46,425.60.
- Nasdaq Composite declined 141.40 points (−0.64%) to 21,854.90.
Russell 2000 slipped 0.85 points (−0.34%) to 251.51, confirming that small-cap weakness mirrors the broader index decline.
Market breadth is negative, with 3,365 stocks declining (60.4%) versus 1,990 advancing (35.7%).
The S&P 500 trades at 6,580 on the daily chart, grappling with two converging Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), trend indicators that give greater weight to recent price action.
The 20-day EMA sits at 6,601 and the 200-day EMA at 6,587. When the shortest and longest EMAs compress this tightly, it reflects a market that has lost directional conviction and is waiting for a catalyst to force resolution.
The intraday low of 6,534 found support near 6,518 at the 0.382 technical level. A daily close below 6,518 opens the path toward 6,441 and the previous swing low at 6,316.
On the upside, the US stock market needs a daily close above 6,643 to show recovery strength, with 6,845 as the next target above that.
Which Sectors Are Holding Up?
Energy led with a +0.54% gain as WTI stayed above $115. The sector remains the only group with a structural tailwind from the Iran conflict, as elevated oil prices directly increase producer revenue.
Utilities added +0.35% as defensive positioning continued. Risk aversion is overriding the sector’s traditional rate sensitivity, making yield-paying defensives attractive as a parking spot for nervous capital.
Communication Services gained +0.30%, supported by Google (GOOG) rising 1.21%.
Which Sectors Are Falling?
Consumer Cyclical led losses at −1.48%. Higher oil prices compress discretionary spending power by raising fuel and transportation costs. Tesla (TSLA) fell 2.94%, Home Depot (HD) dropped 2.60%, and Walmart (WMT) lost 2.66%.
Consumer Defensive also fell 1.30%, an unusual decline for a traditionally safe sector that signals selling pressure is broad enough to hit even conservative holdings. Coca-Cola (KO) lost 1.34% and Procter & Gamble (PG) dropped 0.67%.
Basic Materials declined 0.63% despite gold holding above $4,400. The decline reflects that commodity-linked equities are not fully insulated from the broader selling pressure.
Major Stock News Investors Are Watching
Broadcom (AVGO) jumped 4.92% after Anthropic signed an agreement with Google and Broadcom for multiple gigawatts of next-generation TPU capacity starting in 2027.
The deal signals that AI infrastructure demand remains strong enough to override the macro headwinds for companies directly tied to capacity buildout.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) surged 10.08% on Medicare Advantage windfall news, making it the day’s standout gainer in the S&P 500 and providing a floor for the Healthcare sector that would have otherwise fallen further.
What Are Investors Watching Next?
Trump’s self-imposed Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz arrives within hours. If Iran signals compliance or a negotiated pathway, oil could retreat sharply, lifting equities by Wednesday’s open.
If the deadline passes without resolution and strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure begin, WTI could push higher. That scenario would further compress the oil-inflation-rates chain. It would push the 10-year yield toward new highs, and bring the S&P 500’s 6,316 swing low firmly into play.
The March CPI data arrives on Friday. A hot print would reinforce the “higher for longer” narrative, while a softer number could provide relief to growth stocks.
The combination of the Iran deadline and CPI makes this week one of the most event-dense for the US stock market.
The post Why Is the US Stock Market Down Today? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
CME Group is expanding its suite of cryptocurrency futures products, as more traditional finance (TradFi) entities launch regulated crypto trading products.
On Tuesday, CME Group announced plans to launch Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) futures contracts on May 4, pending regulatory review.
Market participants will be able to trade both micro-sized and larger-sized contracts, including AVAX futures sized at 5,000 AVAX and Micro AVAX futures sized at 500 AVAX, as well as SUI futures sized at 50,000 SUI and Micro SUI futures sized at 5,000 SUI.
CME expands altcoin futures lineup
The news follows CME Group’s announcement in January of its plans to launch crypto futures contracts tied to Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM).
The move is the latest sign that traditional financial firms are broadening their regulated crypto product offerings.
CME Group’s continued expansion of its crypto derivatives suite reflects “growing demand for regulated, institutionally-sound products in this asset class,” said Justin Young, CEO and Co-founder of Volatility Shares.
During an earnings call in early February, CME Group CEO Terry Duffy said the exchange is mulling plans to launch its own digital token that could operate on a decentralized network.
CME Group is the largest derivatives exchange by volume, and reported a record average daily trading volume of 28.1 million contracts in 2025, according to a Jan. 7 announcement.
Related: Crypto exchanges gain as tokenized commodity market climbs to $7.7B
CME Group prepares to launch 24/7 trading for crypto products
More TradFi entities are exploring ways to issue tokenized investment products with 24/7 trading. CME said on Feb. 19 that its cryptocurrency futures and options products will begin trading 24/7 on May 29.
Unlike traditional stocks and equities constrained to trading hours, cryptocurrencies are natively tradable 24/7 through cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized venues.
On March 24, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced it was partnering with tokenization platform Securitize to mint blockchain-based shares of stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Cointelegraph reported. The initiative is part of its parent company, Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE) plan for a tokenized securities venue designed for 24/7 trading and instant onchain settlement.
Meanwhile, crypto exchanges are also venturing into tokenized TradFi products. Coinbase launched 24/7 stock perpetual futures for non-US traders on March 20, offering cash-settled exposure to major US stocks and indices, including Apple and Nvidia.
Crypto exchanges Binance and Kraken have also launched tokenized perpetual futures trading for non-US traders, along with other offshore platforms.
Magazine: Can Robinhood or Kraken’s tokenized stocks ever be truly decentralized?
Bitcoin (BTC) stayed near a key long-term trend line at Tuesday’s Wall Street open as markets waited for US-Iran war cues.
Key points:
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Bitcoin and US stocks attempt to shrug off claims by US President Donald Trump that a “whole civilization will die” after his Iran deadline expires.
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Oil eyes a rematch with multiyear highs as escalation fears take control.
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Bitcoin traders see lower levels resulting from current indecision.
Bitcoin attempts to ignore Trump Iran comments
Data from TradingView showed BTC price action focusing on its 200-week exponential moving average (EMA) near $68,300.
Volatility briefly entered prior to the US trading session as President Donald Trump said that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” referring to his 8pm Eastern time deadline for a deal with Iran.
“I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social, while keeping full details sparse.
The post was accompanied by news of strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure on Kharg Island.
Despite this, US stocks managed to avoid major losses on the day, leading commentators to suggest that Iran rhetoric was all but fully priced in.
“Markets have become numb to the headlines,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter reacted on X.
The day prior, trading company QCP Capital noted that the same geopolitical pattern had been playing out for weeks.
“While the economic and humanitarian consequences of escalation would be severe, particularly via energy market disruption, markets are increasingly discounting the immediacy of this risk,” it wrote in its latest “Market Color” analysis.
QCP described stocks as “broadly stable,” with crypto showing “resilience.”
“After several weeks of weekend escalation rhetoric followed by early-week de-escalation signals, markets are beginning to recognise and fade this pattern,” it continued.
“Despite approaching deadlines and rising rhetoric, crypto markets continue to exhibit resilience rather than panic.”
WTI crude oil nonetheless passed $116 per barrel on the day, coiling below its highest levels in nearly four years.
BTC price surfs liquidity walls
Commenting on Bitcoin and wider market trajectory, crypto trader Michaël Van de Poppe suggested that an inflection point was coming.
Related: Bitcoin RSI ‘nearly perfectly’ copying end of 2022 bear market: Analysis
“Prime question for this is likely whether there will be a ceasefire in the Middle-East or not,” he told X followers.
“From a technical standpoint, it’s more likely that markets are turning downwards as the trend is clearly in that direction and (as I’ve mentioned earlier), sweeping the lows and grabbing that liquidity strengthens a potential reversal on the markets significantly.”
Trader LP flagged overhead resistance making $72,000 a problematic hurdle to clear for bulls.
“Orderbook pressure showed strong buy pressure between 63–66K, which helped drive price toward the 70K region. However, sell pressure is now stepping in around 71–72K, acting as resistance and potentially capping price if it persists,” an X post read.
This article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or recommendations. All investments and trades carry risk; readers are encouraged to conduct independent research before making any decisions. Cointelegraph makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information presented, including forward-looking statements, and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this content.
Polymarket has become one of decentralized finance’s most profitable protocols after a pricing overhaul, generating about $7.1 million in fees in the first week of the second quarter, according to new data.
That pace implies an annualized run rate of roughly $365 million if sustained, placing the onchain prediction platform among the industry’s top fee generators and giving it nearly all of the sector’s revenue, at 96.8% of onchain prediction market fees.
The gains follow a March 30 pricing change that pushed daily fees to around $1 million, a level that has largely held as trading activity remains elevated, data from DeFiLlama shows, and make Polymarket the eighth-largest DeFi protocol by fees, along with stablecoin issuers Circle (USDC) and Tether (USDT) and decentralized derivatives exchange Hyperliquid.
Onchain metrics also show Polymarket’s footprint beyond fees. Total value locked on the platform was over $432 million on Tuesday, according to DeFiLlama data, close to its November 2024 US election high of around $510 million, as its share of onchain prediction market revenue rises.
ICE backs Polymarket, but regulation uncertainty remains
Polymarket’s fee engine has started to attract more mainstream partners. Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, deepened its bet on Polymarket on March 27, completing a $600 million cash investment as part of a broader $2 billion commitment that will see ICE distribute the platform’s event-driven data to institutional clients.
Related: Iran war bets turn prediction markets into real-time macro radar: Sygnum
At the infrastructure level, Polymarket announced Monday that it is replacing its bridged USDC.e collateral on Polygon with a new 1:1 USDC-backed token called Polymarket USD, which will take over as trading collateral as part of the platform’s April exchange upgrade, as it continues to spin up highly-traded markets on the US-Iran conflict, oil, inflation and equities indices.
Despite its growing revenue, regulation remains a risk. Prediction markets continue to face pushback from some US states and gambling regulators elsewhere, including recent moves by Hungary and Portugal to order local blocking, and Argentina issuing a countrywide block on Polymarket, arguing that the platform operates as an unlicensed gambling site.
Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘biggest bull catalyst’ would be Saylor’s liquidation — Santiment founder
Jay Clayton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has penned a response to Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm’s motion for acquittal, criticizing his alleged criminal behavior.
In a Tuesday filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Clayton said that Storm’s criminal use of Tornado Cash was “window dressing at best and outright misdirection at worst,” rejecting arguments that he be allowed to use a civil copyright case in his defense.
The US Attorney’s filing followed a Thursday notice from Storm’s lawyers saying they intended to use a 2026 Supreme Court case, Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment, as part of an argument about the Tornado Cash co-founder’s intent to participate in the crimes of which he is accused: conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate sanctions.
Clayton said that Storm’s conduct “bears no resemblance” to that in the Cox case, which involved civil liability for copyright infringement. According to the US Attorney, there was no evidence that the Tornado Cash co-founder implemented effective anti-money-laundering measures.
“The defendant’s conduct simply is not comparable to the conduct at issue in Cox,” said Clayton. “In any event, a civil copyright case has no relevance here in the first place.”
Last August, a jury convicted Storm of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, but deadlocked on conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate sanctions charges, opening the door to a potential retrial. The case has drawn widespread attention from the crypto industry for how developers may be held responsible for their code.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Storm case are scheduled to meet on Thursday.
Related: US lawmakers move to protect blockchain devs from prosecution
Attorney behind memo calling for end to crypto “regulation by prosecution” gets top DOJ job
Last week, US President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, substituting Deputy AG Todd Blanche as acting head of the Justice Department until the Senate can vote on a replacement. Blanche, who previously acted as Trump’s personal attorney, also penned an April 2025 memo calling for the end of what he called “regulation by prosecution” in the Justice Department.
Although Blanche did not call out Storm by name, he did say that the department will “not pursue actions against the platforms that [criminal] enterprises utilize to conduct their illegal activities” and called for an end to cases inconsistent with that goal.
Storm cited Blanche’s memo in a March X post after prosecutors called to retry the Tornado Cash co-founder on the two deadlocked counts.
”The 2 counts = up to 40 years in federal prison,” said Storm. “For writing open-source code. For a protocol I don’t control. For transactions I never touched. A jury already couldn’t agree this was criminal. But the SDNY prosecutors want to keep trying with the hope of getting a different answer.”
It’s unclear how Blanche may use his new role to direct DOJ policy, or how long he will remain as acting AG. Clayton has asked a federal judge to consider an October retrial for Storm, but as of Tuesday, no date had been set.
Circle minted $1 billion USDC in 24 hours, extending a $4.5b year‑to‑date supply jump and signaling heavy institutional dollar demand across Solana and centralized venues.
Summary
- Circle minted $1 billion in new USDC over the past 24 hours, according to on‑chain data from Lookonchain.
- The pace and size of issuance point to institutional liquidity demand rather than retail activity.
- USDC remains the fastest‑growing major stablecoin in 2026, with net supply up about $4.5 billion year to date.
Circle has minted roughly $1 billion in new USD Coin (USDC) over the past 24 hours, a burst of issuance that signals a sharp, short‑term spike in demand for dollar liquidity across crypto rails, according to on‑chain analytics platform Lookonchain. TechFlow News, citing Lookonchain’s monitoring, reported that Circle executed two large mints totaling $500 million each, bringing 24‑hour issuance to $1 billion and adding to an already heavy minting pace on the Solana network in early 2026.
Lookonchain previously flagged similar surges, including a single‑day window where Circle minted about $1.25 billion USDC on Solana and another period where Circle and Tether together created roughly $17.25 billion in new stablecoins in the weeks following October 2025 market turbulence. OnchainLens data cited by Phemex shows Circle has minted about $3.25 billion in USDC on Solana alone over the past seven days, via repeated $250 million transactions, marking the issuer’s largest weekly stablecoin deployment on the network so far this year.
The cadence and scale of Circle’s latest $1 billion mint make it unlikely to be driven purely by fragmented retail flows. Past episodes where Circle printed $500 million to $1.25 billion in hours have typically coincided with major liquidity provisioning for centralized exchanges, ETF custodians or basis/arbitrage desks, rather than grassroots trading cycles. MEXC and KuCoin coverage of earlier Lookonchain alerts noted that fast, billion‑dollar issuance bursts often precede or accompany deeper order books and wider USDC routing across derivatives venues, lending markets and perpetual futures platforms.
More broadly, data compiled by Artemis and reported by Analytics Insight indicate that USDC has recorded the largest net stablecoin supply increase of 2026 so far, adding about $4.5 billion in circulating supply through March as rivals such as USDT saw net outflows of roughly $2 billion. A separate dashboard from MEXC shows USDC’s market cap near $73 billion, with 24‑hour trading volume around $4.48 billion and over 250 applications using USDC as base collateral or a primary trading pair, underscoring its role as regulated liquidity plumbing for both centralized and decentralized markets.
While Circle does not publicly pre‑announce client‑driven mints, the pattern fits several potential institutional use cases: ETF or centralized‑finance inventory replenishment, on‑chain basis and arbitrage strategies, or large over‑the‑counter (OTC) settlements that require immediate, programmatic dollar liquidity. CoinMarketCap’s research arm recently highlighted “massive USDC minting and inflows to exchanges like Binance,” arguing that such patterns “signal strong capital preparation for trading or deployment rather than speculative retail chasing.”
Coinfomania, covering a prior 750 million USDC mint that kicked off 2026 on Solana, framed these large issuances as “strong liquidity signals” that draw institutional attention to where fresh stablecoin capital is being parked and deployed. Combined with March data showing USDC leading all major stablecoins in net new supply, the latest $1 billion mint suggests that, at least for now, deep‑pocketed players are choosing Circle’s regulated dollar rails as their primary channel for moving size into crypto markets.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock price trades at $177.64 on the 2-day chart, up 5.31% over the past days but still down 6% year-to-date. April sits at a unique inflection for the stock. The Iran conflict could de-escalate within weeks, the FOMC meets on April 28-29 in what may be Jerome Powell’s final meeting as Chair, and pre-earnings positioning for the late May report begins building now.
The technical structure, options data, and institutional money flow each frame a different part of what April could deliver, and the causality between them narrows the range to two scenarios.
A Bearish Pattern With No Institutional Backing
The 2-day chart shows NVIDIA stock price trading inside a head and shoulders pattern. The head peaked at $197.72, a level reached on the last earnings day in late February. The right shoulder is currently building, and the pattern carries a 15% measured move if the neckline breaks.
Chaikin Money Flow (CMF), a proxy for institutional buying and selling pressure, reads -0.08. The indicator has stayed in negative territory for most of March and into April, confirming that big money has not backed the recent five-day bounce. CMF started trending upward around March 27 but has not crossed above the zero line. The last time it briefly turned positive was around the February 25 earnings release, and it quickly reversed.
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This tells a clear story. Institutional conviction has been limited to earnings events rather than the broader trend. Every bounce that happens while CMF stays negative risks building the right shoulder rather than breaking the pattern. The head at $197.72 is the invalidation level. Anything below it keeps the bearish structure alive.
The economic logic behind the negative CMF connects directly to the macro backdrop. Oil above $111 keeps inflation expectations elevated, which keeps the Fed on hold. Higher-for-longer rates compress multiples on growth stocks, including NVDA. A strengthening dollar adds further pressure on international revenue. These macro headwinds explain why institutional money has not committed despite the price bounce, and that reluctance is now visible in how options traders are positioning.
Options Traders Are Hedging More and Speculating Less
The put-call ratio data from Barchart shows a meaningful shift compared to the last pre-earnings window.
On January 7, with NVIDIA stock price at $189.11 and roughly seven weeks before the February 25 earnings, the put-call volume ratio stood at 0.53. Nearly twice as many calls as puts were trading, reflecting strong bullish conviction. The open interest ratio was 0.88.
By April 6, with a similar window before the late May earnings, the volume ratio has climbed to 0.78. The gap between call and put activity has narrowed significantly. The open interest ratio barely moved at 0.87, meaning structural long positions have held, but new bullish flow has slowed while defensive bets have grown.
The shift from 0.53 to 0.78 does not mean the market is outright bearish. It means the easy bullishness that preceded the last cycle is gone. Traders are hedging more and speculating less, which aligns with both the negative CMF reading.
The Implied Volatility (IV) Percentile, which measures where current options volatility sits relative to the past year’s range, reads just 16%. The IV Rank, a similar measure that tracks where IV stands between its 52-week high and low, sits at 8.10%.
When IV is this compressed, the market is complacent. Any surprise, whether Iran de-escalation pushing oil lower, a tariff policy shift, or an unexpected pre-earnings development, could trigger outsized moves because options have not priced in the possibility.
The combination of cautious put-call ratios and compressed IV creates a paradox. Traders are positioning more defensively, but the options market itself is not reflecting the magnitude of catalysts that could arrive in April. That disconnect means the price levels become the deciding factor for which scenario plays out.
NVIDIA Stock Price Levels That Define April
The 2-day chart with technical levels frames the month’s range.
NVIDIA stock price sits at $177.64, almost exactly at the key technical level ($177.03). The first upside hurdle is $184.91 at the 0.618 level, one of the strongest technical zones. A move above this would represent the first real test of the upper range and could push prices toward $190.53. The head at $197.72 is the level that invalidates the pattern entirely and shifts the structure bullish.
If Iran de-escalation arrives by late April and oil drops, that scenario gains traction. Falling energy prices would ease inflation fears, bring rate cut expectations forward, and lift growth stock valuations. The compressed IV means any such catalyst would be amplified because options have not priced it in.
On the downside, losing $172.14 at the 0.236 level would suggest the right shoulder has already peaked at $177.97. The neckline sits near $161.35. A confirmed break below the neckline activates the 15% measured move, projecting a decline toward $137.35.
That bearish path becomes more likely if the war extends, oil stays above $110, and the FOMC delivers hawkish language on April 28-29. In that environment, the already-cautious options positioning would accelerate into outright bearishness, and the institutional money that CMF shows has been absent would stay on the sidelines.
April is likely to be defined by which catalyst arrives first. De-escalation and falling oil favor a push toward $184 and $197. Continued conflict and a hawkish Fed favor a drift toward $161 and the neckline test. The put-call shift and low IV confirm the market has not decided yet, making this a month where the resolution could be sharp in either direction.
The post What to Expect From NVIDIA Stock Price in April 2026? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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