Crypto World
Kharg Island oil hub struck
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.
TLDR
- The number of Cardano whale wallets holding over 10 million ADA has reached a four-month high.
- Whale activity increased by 5.2% over the past nine weeks, despite ADA’s price remaining depressed.
- ADA’s price is 11% higher than its lowest point in February, but has not shown significant upward movement.
- Cardano’s network processed over 4 billion ADA in transactions, amounting to over $1 billion in on-chain volume.
- Large holders accumulated 220 million ADA in March, bringing their total holdings to nearly 14 billion tokens.
The number of wallets holding over 10 million ADA tokens has reached a four-month high of 424. According to Santiment, this marks a 5.2% rise over the past nine weeks, even though Cardano’s price remains subdued. Despite the increased whale activity, ADA continues to trade below its previous highs.
Cardano Whale Activity Shows Strong Accumulation
Recent data from Santiment reveals that ADA’s price is 11% higher than its February 5 low this year. However, the rise in whale activity has not led to an immediate price surge. Santiment suggests that if the accumulation persists while the price remains low, it could eventually lead to a bullish divergence.
Analytics platform TapTools reported a 4 billion ADA transaction volume over the last five days, equating to over $1 billion. This shows that the increased activity among whales is paralleled by rising network usage. Despite this, the price of ADA has not yet reacted positively, remaining stuck below key resistance levels.
ADA’s Struggles Continue Amid Increased Whale Holdings
Whale interest in Cardano has been noticeable for weeks, with analysts like Ali Martinez highlighting that large holders accumulated 220 million ADA in late March. These whales now hold nearly 14 billion ADA, making up around 37% of the total supply. However, ADA’s price continues to remain stagnant, trading at $0.24, a 42% decline in the past three months.
Even with the accumulation trend, ADA’s price remains 92% lower than its all-time high of over $3. Cardano’s recent performance in terms of trading volume also lags behind competitors like Solana and XRP, which processed $2.6 billion and $1.5 billion in transactions, respectively, over the same period. This shows that while whale activity is increasing, ADA’s broader market performance remains underwhelming.
Bearish Trend Persists Despite Growing Whale Interest
Despite the uptick in whale holdings, ADA continues to trade below its 50, 100, and 200-day exponential moving averages. This keeps the broader trend bearish, regardless of the accumulation. On Twitter, user gnarleyquinn raised concerns, suggesting that Cardano’s market dominance, which has dropped from 4.5% in 2021 to around 0.3% today, may lead to a decline in the coming years.
The ongoing price struggles show that Cardano has not decoupled from the broader altcoin market. While whales continue to accumulate, ADA’s future price movements remain uncertain. It remains to be seen whether the increasing accumulation will ultimately lead to a change in price dynamics for Cardano.
According to the bureau, a large number of minors aged 17 and younger were included in complaints related to crypto or crypto ATMs, resulting in more than $5 million in losses.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that Americans’ losses from crypto-related scams increased to more than $11 million in 2025.
In its annual internet crime complaint report released on Monday, the FBI said that cryptocurrency and AI-related scams were “among the costliest” for Americans in 2025, with 181,565 complaints totaling more than $11 billion. According to the bureau, it received more than one million complaints in 2025 reporting losses of about $21 million due to cyber-enabled crimes.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that investment scams resulted in the highest percentage of victims reporting losses in crypto as opposed to cash, debit cards, gift cards and other media of exchange. In addition, about 10% of the 13,168 complaints involving cybercrimes targeting minors aged 17 and younger were related to crypto or crypto ATMs, resulting in more than $5 million in losses.
The complaints the FBI received were despite the bureau’s efforts to “identify and notify people who are currently falling victim to cryptocurrency investment fraud” through its Operation Level Up in 2024. Globally, blockchain analytics platform Chainalysis reported in March that illicit addresses received $154 billion in 2025, driven in part by sanctions evasions.
Related: Cambodian lawmakers propose severe prison time for crypto scammers
Scammers use Tron blockchain token to con users using FBI
According to the FBI report, there were 32,424 complaints involved in impersonation of government officials, resulting in about $800 million in losses. However, the report did not mention bureau officials issuing a March notice warning Americans that a token on the Tron blockchain was impersonating the FBI with the goal of obtaining personal information.
Tron users reported receiving a token with the FBI logo claiming that their wallet was “under investigation.” The users were then prompted to enter personal information under the guise of an FBI anti-money-laundering verification to avoid their accounts being frozen.
Magazine: Are DeFi devs liable for the illegal activity of others on their platforms?
A fresh wave of online backlash is now building around Pakistan’s request to extend Trump’s Iran deadline, with users questioning whether the move was genuinely independent.
The speculation centers on the edit history of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s post on X. History shows an earlier version of the message, followed by a more detailed “draft” version that explicitly calls for a two-week extension and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Some users claim this suggests coordination behind the scenes. The theory is simple: if the US agrees to extend the deadline, framing it as a response to Pakistan’s request allows Washington to avoid appearing to back down under pressure.
There is no evidence supporting this claim. Neither the White House nor Pakistani officials have indicated any coordinated messaging strategy.
Still, the timing has fueled suspicion. The post appeared just hours before Trump’s deadline, as negotiations intensified and markets reacted sharply.
In volatile geopolitical moments like this, narratives form quickly. Right now, this one is being driven by inference, not confirmation.
The post Internet Questions Pakistan’s Role in Trump’s Iran Deadline Twist appeared first on BeInCrypto.
TLDR
- Charles Schwab outlines two approaches for integrating cryptocurrencies into investment portfolios.
- The return-based approach focuses on expected returns, volatility, and asset correlations.
- Schwab recommends modest allocations to bitcoin and ether based on expected returns.
- The risk-based approach focuses on managing overall portfolio risk from crypto exposure.
- Schwab warns that even small allocations to crypto can significantly raise portfolio risk.
Charles Schwab, the leading U.S. brokerage firm managing over $12 trillion in assets, recently outlined two approaches for integrating cryptocurrencies into investment portfolios. The firm emphasized that while there is no fixed method for crypto allocations, investors should carefully consider their risk tolerance and long-term objectives. Schwab’s research highlights the potential for diversification, though it warns that even small allocations to crypto can significantly increase portfolio risk.
Return-Based Approach to Crypto Investments
In its white paper, Charles Schwab detailed a return-based approach to crypto investing, which is rooted in expected returns. This method examines the anticipated returns, volatility, and correlations with traditional assets like stocks and bonds. Schwab suggests that if investors expect a return of 15% per year from Bitcoin, a conservative portfolio might allocate around 1%, while a more aggressive one could allocate up to 8.8%.
The firm noted that ether, due to its higher volatility, would warrant smaller allocations. For example, a conservative portfolio might allocate just 0.1% to ether, while a more aggressive portfolio might allocate up to 2.5%. Schwab also stressed that if returns for either bitcoin or ether fall below 10%, it might not justify any allocation, even for more risk-tolerant investors.
Risk-Based Approach to Crypto Exposure
Charles Schwab also presented a risk-based approach to crypto allocation, where the focus shifts from returns to managing overall portfolio risk. In this approach, the crypto exposure is determined by the amount of total portfolio risk that comes from cryptocurrencies. For instance, in a conservative portfolio, a 1.2% allocation to bitcoin or 0.9% to ether could represent 10% of the total portfolio risk.
For moderate to aggressive portfolios, Schwab suggests allocating up to 4% in bitcoin and nearly 3% in ether to achieve similar risk levels. Schwab explained that this risk-based method is particularly useful for investors who want to understand how crypto fits into their broader asset mix. While crypto may offer diversification benefits, Schwab cautioned that increasing exposure comes with heightened portfolio concentration risk.
Charles Schwab’s Crypto Exposure Options
As Schwab moves forward with its new crypto offering, Schwab Crypto, it has also been providing exposure through various products like crypto-related stocks and exchange-traded products. Schwab has introduced a waitlist for clients interested in buying and selling bitcoin and ether directly. For now, the brokerage firm offers crypto exposure through over-the-counter trusts and futures for approved clients.
Despite initially dismissing cryptocurrencies as “purely speculative” in 2019, Schwab has evolved its stance on digital assets over time. The firm now encourages investors to carefully evaluate the role that crypto could play in their portfolios, keeping in mind the elevated risks associated with even a small allocation.
Crypto World
Next Crypto to Explode as Bitcoin Stands Firm Above $68K and Solana ETFs Hold $1.5 Billion, but Pepeto Is the Entry That Defines This Cycle
The crypto market is heating up, and the prices sitting in front of you right now will not be here when the rally kicks in. Bitcoin held $68,317 on April 7 after Iran rejected the ceasefire, per CoinDesk, and Solana ETFs kept $1.5 billion in total inflows despite SOL crashing 57% from its peak. Every indicator that marks the start of a rally is lighting up.
But the next crypto to explode is never the coin everybody already holds at a trillion-dollar valuation. It is the presale where listing day creates the gain and exchange revenue locks it in. Here is which one ticks every requirement.
Bitcoin sat at $68,317 on April 7 after absorbing Iran.s ceasefire rejection, per CoinDesk, while BTC ETFs pulled $471 million on April 6. The Fear and Greed Index sits at 9, and altcoins bounced broadly.
The market is shifting bullish, and the traders who connect those dots are searching for the breakout alt at presale cost before the listing turns cheap entries into the bags everybody else spends the cycle regretting.
The Next Crypto to Explode Sits Below the Rally While Large Caps Grind
Pepeto: Revenue Sharing That Pays From Every Trade, at a Price the Bull Market Will Erase
Bull runs pay the people who bought during panic. The wallets that loaded Pepeto during the crash are now watching the market prove them right. Revenue sharing gives every presale holder a lasting share of trading fees based on position size, confirmed by Business Insider. BTC, SOL, and XRP generate zero income for holders. Pepeto earns on every single transaction.
SolidProof cleared the contract before the presale opened, and a former Binance executive is leading the listing plan for the exchange with its cross-chain bridge, zero-cost swaps, and token risk scoring. The $8.82 million raised came from wallets that checked every alternative and picked this one. The founder who took the original Pepe coin to $7 billion is channeling that same viral pull into tools that generate actual revenue.
At $0.0000001863, the gap between presale and listing gives a floor that no large cap can offer. 186% APY staking adds to your position while the listing gets closer, but that is just the extra.
The real payoff comes when a revenue-earning exchange token hits live bull market trading, and every bag at this price turns into supply that post-listing buyers have to purchase from you. The next crypto to explode door is closing quicker than anyone expects.
Solana: $1.5 Billion in ETF Inflows but SOL Stuck at $79
SOL trades near $79 with $1.5 billion in cumulative ETF capital proving institutional belief even as the price dropped 57% from its high, per CoinGecko. A break above $86 could push toward $100 as the broader market builds.
Strong base, but from $79 the upside is capped for anyone searching for the next crypto to explode that transforms a portfolio.
Bitcoin: Holding $68K With $80,000 as the Next Major Target
BTC held $68,317 on April 7 per CoinMarketCap and $74,500 is the final resistance before a clean run to $80,000. The $471 million in ETF capital on April 6 proves institutional appetite, and analysts keep their sights above $150,000 by December 2026.
Bitcoin is out front with clear strength, but the next crypto to explode requires numbers that go past what a $1.3 trillion coin can deliver.
The Bull Market Is Here and the Entry That Defines It Is Still Open
Step back and the whole picture becomes clear. The market tips bullish, Bitcoin refuses to break, institutions keep arriving, and Pepeto is sitting in the setup that appears once per cycle: permanent revenue sharing, SolidProof audit, a founder who generated $7 billion in demand, and exchange tools the Binance listing switches on.
Every massive crypto winner follows one pattern: a few wallets entered first, everyone else found out after, and the cheap price was gone. That sequence is playing out right now, and once the listing drops the presale cost disappears forever. Visit the Pepeto official website and make the move that puts you on the side that caught this cycle instead of the side that watched it happen. The next crypto to explode never waits for the crowd to agree, it moves while they debate, and Pepeto at $0.0000001863 is already moving.
Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale
FAQs
Why is the crypto market turning bullish right now?
Bitcoin held $68,317 after Iran rejected ceasefire, ETFs pulled $471 million on April 6, and Fear and Greed at 9 historically marks the bottom before major rallies.
Where can I find the next crypto to explode before listing?
Visit the Pepeto official website at $0.0000001863 with 186% APY staking and exchange tools ready for bull market volume.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
The latest AI news artificial intelligence US military Iran war 2026 debate has crystallized around one figure: in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, the US military struck more than 1,000 targets in Iran using Palantir’s Maven Smart System with Anthropic’s Claude embedded inside it — a pace CENTCOM head Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed publicly, and one that human rights experts say has raised serious questions about AI-assisted targeting and civilian harm.
Summary
- CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed in a March 11 video statement that US forces are “leveraging a variety of advanced AI tools” that allow commanders to make decisions “faster than the enemy can react,” with tasks that previously took hours or days now completed in seconds
- Palantir’s Maven Smart System with Anthropic’s Claude embedded processes satellite imagery, drone feeds, radar data, and signals intelligence into prioritized target lists with GPS coordinates, weapons recommendations, and automated legal justifications — what previously required roughly 2,000 intelligence analysts now reportedly requires approximately 20
- A US strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab killed over 165 civilians, according to Iranian reports; the Pentagon is investigating whether the school was on an AI-assisted target list, and more than 120 House Democrats have demanded answers
The latest AI news artificial intelligence US military Iran war 2026 story is both a technological milestone and a humanitarian reckoning. According to IBTimes, more than 1,000 targets were struck in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury on February 28 — more than double the air power deployed during the entire opening phase of the 2003 Iraq invasion. That pace is only possible with AI. A human-led targeting process would have required thousands of analysts working for weeks to generate and validate that many aim points.
The system at the center of it is Palantir’s Maven Smart System, running on Anthropic’s Claude large language model. Maven fuses classified feeds from satellites, surveillance drones, and archived intelligence into a unified platform. Claude synthesizes that information into prioritized target lists, complete with precise GPS coordinates, weapons recommendations, and automated legal justifications for strikes.
Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed the AI role in a publicly released video statement: “These systems help us sift through vast amounts of data in seconds so our leaders can cut through the noise and make smarter decisions faster than the enemy can react. Humans will always make final decisions on what to shoot and what not to shoot and when to shoot. But advanced AI tools can turn processes that used to take hours and sometimes even days into seconds.”
Cooper did not identify specific AI systems by name. What the statement left unaddressed was Maven’s reported accuracy rate: approximately 60%, compared with 84% for human analysts in some assessments.
The School Strike and the Accountability Gap
The most serious accountability question surrounds a US strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab that killed over 165 civilians. The school was reportedly on a target list generated with AI assistance. Pentagon officials said outdated intelligence contributed to the strike and a full investigation is underway. More than 120 House Democrats have formally demanded answers about AI’s role. As warfare expert Craig Jones told Democracy Now!, AI targeting is “reducing a massive human workload of tens of thousands of hours into seconds and minutes” — but “automating human-made targeting decisions in ways which open up all kinds of problematic legal, ethical and political questions.”
The conflict carries direct implications for commercial tech. Iran has explicitly named Palantir, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and other US companies as legitimate military targets because of their infrastructure’s role in the war. Iranian strikes have already damaged AWS data centers in the UAE and Bahrain. As crypto.news reported, Iran has demonstrated willingness to strike economic and technology infrastructure across the Gulf — a threat that now extends to the commercial cloud backbone powering US AI military systems.
What the Iran war has confirmed, as analysts have begun calling it “the first AI war,” is that commercial AI and warfare are no longer separate domains. As crypto.news noted, every escalation in this conflict reaches financial markets within hours. The AI targeting dimension adds a new layer of systemic risk: not just military escalation, but the weaponization of commercial technology infrastructure itself.
The seven House members may have affirmed the commission‘s authority over prediction markets, but asked questions about its inaction on insider trading.
Seven members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Michael Selig, asking for information on the agency’s inaction on insider trading on prediction markets and event contracts related to war and conflicts.
In a Monday letter, the seven US lawmakers said that the CFTC had the authority under the Commodities Exchange Act “to apply its rules and regulations for the purpose of preventing evasion of the [act’s] underlying swap provisions.” The statement signaled that the representatives affirmed Selig’s position that the commission had jurisdiction over prediction markets.
However, the House members expressed concerns about how the CFTC was policing “morally obscene” event contracts, including those on US military actions in Iran and Venezuela — in those cases, there were suspicious trades related to the timing and outcomes of US military involvement.
“Such corrupt trades deserve swift and decisive oversight,” said the letter. “Allowing these contracts to persist raises troubling concerns about the Commission’s desire and capacity to fulfill a global regulatory role.”
The legal battles over regulating prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are being waged both at a federal and state level. Several US state gaming authorities have filed lawsuits alleging that the companies are illegally offering sports bets, while the CFTC, under Selig, claims that the event contracts on the platform amount to swaps and fall under its federal regulations.
The seven House members requested that Selig respond to their six questions by April 15.
Related: Polymarket bags 97% of onchain prediction market fees after pricing overhaul
In one of the most recent legal decisions, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling blocking New Jersey gaming authorities from filing enforcement actions against Kalshi. Two out of three circuit judges said that the company had a ”reasonable chance of success” in arguing that federal commodities laws preempted state authorities.
CFTC enforcement director says agency is “watching” for insider trading
The Monday letter followed CFTC enforcement director David Miller responding to concerns over insider trading, which has also resulted in legislation proposed by Democrats. According to Miller, the commission would only prosecute instances “against those who tip or trade with misappropriated information,” but not dedicate resources to “trivial” cases.
Magazine: All 21 million Bitcoin is at risk from quantum computers
TLDR
- Anthropic unveiled its new AI model, Claude Mythos, designed to enhance cybersecurity by identifying high-severity vulnerabilities in systems.
- The Mythos model has already detected thousands of flaws across major operating systems and web browsers.
- Anthropic launched Project Glasswing, a partner program offering select organizations early access to the Mythos model for defensive tasks.
- The company committed up to $100 million in usage credits and $4 million in donations to support open-source security initiatives.
- Anthropic decided not to release the Mythos model widely, citing the need for further safeguards to ensure its safe deployment.
Anthropic introduced its latest AI model, Claude Mythos Preview, on Tuesday, focusing on cybersecurity. The model aims to strengthen defenses against cyber threats by identifying vulnerabilities and developing exploits with little human oversight. This move comes weeks after a security lapse exposed Claude’s code, which drew significant attention to Anthropic’s internal security measures.
New AI Model Targets Cybersecurity Threats
Claude Mythos Preview represents Anthropic’s cutting-edge effort in cybersecurity, designed to uncover high-severity vulnerabilities. In its testing, Mythos has already identified thousands of flaws across major systems, including operating systems and web browsers. According to the company, this new model aims to equip defenders with advanced tools before cyber attackers can harness similar AI capabilities.
Project Glasswing, a partner program, was also announced alongside the Mythos model. It offers early access to the new AI system for select companies like AWS, Google, and Microsoft, among others. More than 40 organizations will be part of the initiative, with Anthropic committing up to $100 million in usage credits to support the program.
Anthropic Pushes for Secure Deployment
Despite Mythos’s promising capabilities, Anthropic has decided against a wide release. The company emphasized the need for further safeguards before deploying Mythos at scale. “Our goal is to ensure that this powerful tool can be deployed safely and responsibly,” an Anthropic representative stated.
This caution follows a mishap earlier this year when a packaging error exposed Claude’s code. The incident led to the accidental release of over 500,000 lines of code, causing a significant security breach. Anthropic’s attempt to take down the leaked files further escalated the issue, as it mistakenly removed thousands of GitHub repositories.
Large-Scale Support for Cybersecurity Defenders
Project Glasswing’s partner organizations will be among the first to test Claude Mythos. These partners include some of the largest players in technology and infrastructure, with the Linux Foundation and Palo Alto Networks joining the program. The initiative aims to harness Mythos’s ability to identify and exploit vulnerabilities while prioritizing the security of its deployment.
Along with the partner program, Anthropic has pledged $4 million in donations to open-source security groups. The company’s focus on supporting cybersecurity initiatives highlights its commitment to safeguarding against advanced cyber threats. However, Mythos’s future remains uncertain, as Anthropic continues to refine its defensive capabilities before making the model more widely available.
The development of Mythos marks a significant step in the AI-driven defense against cybersecurity risks, though Anthropic remains cautious about its broader use.
Three suspects in a crypto wrench attack ring have been charged, according to reporting from the San Francisco Chronicle.
According to the reporting, the three men have been charged in two specific crimes, but police believe that they’re part of a larger operation and are tied to several similar crimes.
The criminals apparently used a similar technique for these crimes, namely:
- Identifying a major cryptocurrency holder.
- Researching and surveilling that cryptocurrency holder. A detective who spoke to the Chronicle described this, saying, “They figure out your trends, your life cycle, what do you normally order online, What do you normally order for takeout?”
- The criminals attempt to gain access to accounts; in the case of one victim who spoke to the Chronicle, “for me, it was my DoorDash and Uber Eats accounts.”
- The criminals would then create a fake delivery, meet the victim at the door, and then threaten them.
Wrench attacks are inherent risk
Cryptocurrency’s censorship-resistant transfers as well as its pseudonymous nature make holders an attractive target for these types of attacks.
These attacks that don’t try to bypass the cryptographic security that protects the assets but use threats and violence to influence the person who has access to the keys.
Indeed, kidnappings and extortion have become an international problem for cryptocurrency holders and firms.
Read more: French crypto tax firm targeted in ShinyHunters extortion attempt
These attacks have included French firm Waltio and UK-based Sillytuna.
France has become something of a leader when it comes to this type of activity, with even Ledger co-founder David Balland targeted.
The utility of cryptocurrency for this type of attack has resulted in even non-cryptocurrency holders having ransoms demanded in bitcoin (BTC). Prominently, Nancy Guthrie, the mother of TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie, has been kidnapped and her apparent kidnappers have sought the ransom in BTC.
Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
New data suggests that Bitcoin (BTC) could be moving closer to a bull market phase as its supply slowly shifts back into long-term, retail-investor-linked wallets. The figure surpassed 4 million BTC in Q1 2026.
The accumulation trend aligns with a rise in Bitcoin network activity index to levels last seen in April 2025, signaling a return of stronger network activity.
Bitcoin long-term wallets expand holdings
CryptoQuant data shows that balances held by accumulating address cohorts continued to rise into Q1 2026. The total BTC held by these cohorts has crossed 4.37 million BTC as of April 7, up from about 2 million BTC in early 2024, signaling sustained supply absorption.
The retail-investor-linked accumulation addresses added roughly 857,000 BTC, while the accumulating pattern wallets, defined as addresses that steadily add BTC at recurring intervals with minimal outflows, expanded to 1.29 million BTC.
This growth occurred while the price remained capped below $70,000 throughout the first quarter of 2026.
In contrast, the inflows from centralized exchanges and highly active addresses have slowed. During the 2023–2024 expansion phases, the inflows often exceeded 1.2 million to 1.5 million BTC. The recent activity has averaged 300,000 to 350,000 BTC.
The divergence shows a shift in coin distribution. More BTC is moving into long-term wallets, while fewer coins are circulating on the exchanges. This indicates a tightening of the liquid supply and a reduction in short-term trading turnover.
Related: Bitcoin holds $67K support as data exposes price to sentiment divergence
Bitcoin network activity index highlights the trend
The CryptoQuant Bitcoin network activity index has climbed to 3,600 from 3,320 on March 22. The index aggregates broader usage signals, including transaction counts and network throughput.
As observed in the chart, it has moved above its 365-day moving average for the first time since December 2024 and entered the “bull-phase” classification for the first time since April 2025.
In parallel, Bitcoin’s active addresses momentum dropped to -0.25 on April 6, the lowest reading since April 2018. The metric tracks the rate of change in active addresses, with negative values pointing to declining user participation.
The low activity levels have persisted since July 2025, echoing a similar stretch in 2024 that preceded a 35% price decline.
According to crypto analyst Gaah, the drop in activity signals the absence of short-term participants, or “tourists.” The network usage is now dominated by long-term holders focused on accumulation.
Historically, low readings have aligned with profitable accumulation phases. The reduced activity often coincides with lower sell pressure as the coins move into long-term wallets.
Related: Bitcoin’s quantum challenges are ‘more social than technical’: Grayscale
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.
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