Crypto World
Lack of On-Chain Privacy Holds Back Crypto Payments
The lack of privacy for on-chain transactions is a core obstacle to mainstream crypto payments. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao argues that privacy gaps deter businesses from using crypto to settle expenses, including payroll. He highlighted a scenario in which a company paying employees in crypto on-chain could have salary details exposed simply by inspecting sending addresses. The remark underscores a broader debate about whether public ledgers can sustain enterprise-level use without compromising sensitive information. In a separate exchange with Chamath Palihapitiya, host of the All-In Podcast, CZ connected these concerns to physical security, suggesting that transparency could heighten corporate risk even beyond financial data. The conversation comes as privacy-focused narratives—rooted in crypto’s cypherpunk origins—reassert themselves in a landscape where AI and data security add new layers to the discussion.
Key takeaways
- The privacy question sits at the center of enterprise crypto adoption, with executives arguing that transparent on-chain activity deters payrolls and other payments.
- A concrete example cited by CZ shows how salary information could be inferred from transfer histories, illustrating a tangible risk for corporate use cases.
- The revival of cypherpunk values in crypto debates signals a shift toward prioritizing user control over data and resistance to pervasive surveillance on public ledgers.
- Industry voices warn that as AI-powered tools become more capable, centralized servers and on-chain data could become more attractive targets for attackers, elevating the need for privacy-preserving technologies.
- Policy and product developments around on-chain privacy—alongside pragmatic privacy narratives in media and research—are likely to shape how institutions view crypto as a payments and settlement layer.
Tickers mentioned:
Sentiment: Neutral
Market context: The privacy debate in crypto intersects with ongoing discussions about regulatory expectations, enterprise data handling, and the evolving threat landscape. As institutions weigh the benefits of programmable money against the risks of exposure, privacy-preserving technologies are entering broader conversations, alongside calls for pragmatic privacy implementations in the industry. The issue sits within a wider trend of renewed Cypherpunk-inspired discourse and a cautious approach to on-chain transparency in corporate contexts.
Why it matters
Privacy is not a niche concern but a practical constraint on the practical use of blockchain technology for everyday business. The payroll example alone illustrates how a lack of on-chain privacy can undermine a core financial function, potentially stalling broader corporate adoption. For enterprises, the risk is twofold: accidental data leakage that reveals payroll structures, vendor relationships, or strategic alliances, and the more subtle threat of data aggregation by adversaries who can piece together a company’s financial health from transaction patterns.
Industry voices emphasize that corporate workflows—trade secrets, supplier networks, and internal budgets—rely on confidentiality even when the underlying infrastructure aims to be transparent. The Kaspa project’s privacy emphasis, echoed in conversations about enterprise adoption, highlights that a meaningful on-chain privacy layer can be a prerequisite for companies to feel safe transacting with crypto as a payment method. As AI systems grow more capable, the ability to infer sensitive information from on-chain activity could become easier, making robust privacy protections not just desirable but necessary for security of business data.
These threads align with a broader narrative about cypherpunk values resurfacing in crypto discourse: the principle that encryption and privacy are foundational to a decentralized, censorship-resistant financial system. The idea that privacy tools can coexist with auditability and compliance is increasingly a focal point for developers building privacy-enhanced protocols and for policymakers considering how to balance innovation with consumer protection. The conversation is not about anonymity at all costs but about ensuring that legitimate users—businesses and individuals—have the ability to shield sensitive data while preserving the integrity of financial ecosystems.
In parallel, industry commentators point to a future in which on-chain privacy becomes a standard part of enterprise-grade crypto infrastructure. This includes recognition that centralized data stores and surveillance risks will attract AI-assisted threats, making privacy technologies a strategic requirement for any organization looking to deploy blockchain-based financial solutions. The discussion is complemented by media and research highlighting pragmatic privacy innovations and the potential for privacy-centric architectures to coexist with regulated, auditable systems. These developments suggest a trajectory where privacy enhancements are not a tech niche but a core governance and risk-management consideration for the crypto economy.
As regulators scrutinize the balance between transparency and confidentiality, the industry is watching for concrete privacy implementations that can satisfy both corporate needs and compliance frameworks. The dialogue around privacy has also gained renewed attention from mainstream voices who emphasize that the absence of privacy could undermine trust and slow adoption, particularly in areas like cross-border payments, supply chain finance, and employee compensation. The culmination of these conversations points to a broader, more nuanced approach to privacy in crypto—one that enables legitimate use while guarding sensitive information from exposure and misuse.
Further reading on related privacy themes includes discussions on the cypherpunk ethos and the evolving privacy landscape in crypto, including analyses of pragmatic privacy strategies and infrastructural approaches to privacy-preserving transactions. For a broader view of where privacy discussions are headed and how they intersect with industry and policy, see discussions on cypherpunk values in crypto, the role of privacy in CBDCs, and analyses of AI’s impact on on-chain data security.
What to watch next
- Regulatory and industry acceptance of privacy-preserving on-chain transactions for enterprise use, including payroll and treasurer workflows.
- Advancements in privacy-focused protocols and projects, with attention to practical implementations that can meet corporate governance standards.
- Analysis of how AI-enabled data analytics could exploit on-chain transparency and what mitigations are being proposed.
- Public discourse around cypherpunk values and their influence on product design, governance, and interoperability in crypto networks.
- Emerging coverage and research on pragmatic privacy in crypto, highlighting specific case studies and measurable privacy gains.
Sources & verification
- Changpeng Zhao’s comments on on-chain privacy and payroll visibility, via his X post: https://x.com/cz_binance/status/2023016538677371079
- Cypherpunk values and their place in modern crypto debates: https://cointelegraph.com/news/cypherpunk-values-dying-but-not-dead-yet-show
- Ray Dalio on privacy concerns around CBDCs: https://cointelegraph.com/news/zero-privacy-highly-controlled-cbdcs-coming-soon-warns-ray-dalio
- Kaspa’s perspective on enterprise privacy and adoption drivers: https://cointelegraph.com/news/institutions-wont-embrace-web3-without-privacy-options-dop-exec
- On-chain privacy in the context of AI and security threats: https://cointelegraph.com/news/onchain-privacy-necessity-age-ai-shielded-ceo
Privacy as the missing link for on-chain adoption
The on-chain privacy dilemma is not a theoretical debate but a practical bottleneck that could shape how quickly crypto-based payments move from pilot projects to everyday business operations. CZ’s remarks place a spotlight on concrete use cases—like payroll—where public visibility of transactions may undermine trust and willingness to adopt crypto at scale. The ongoing discussion around cypherpunk principles, combined with rising concerns about data security and AI-enabled threats, suggests that the next phase of crypto development will hinge on privacy-by-default features that preserve confidentiality without sacrificing auditable and compliant frameworks.
Ultimately, the market will look for a balanced path: privacy tools that protect sensitive information, clear governance around data handling, and privacy-preserving infrastructure that supports legitimate business needs. As projects and policymakers continue to test and refine these approaches, the industry’s ability to reconcile transparency with confidentiality could determine whether crypto payments become a mainstream, trusted option for corporate finance and everyday transactions alike.
Further reading on privacy’s role in the crypto era includes explorations of pragmatic privacy implementations and the revival of cypherpunk philosophies in today’s landscape, offering a framework for how technology and policy might converge to empower users while mitigating risk. The conversation remains dynamic, with developments that could redefine what “privacy” means in a decentralized economy and how enterprises securely participate in the programmable money revolution.
Gold is flashing conflicting signals in today’s prediction, softening price globally, yet renewed physical demand is emerging in key markets. In India, gold traded at a premium this week for the first time in two months, as lower spot prices triggered a surge in physical buying.
This is giving a mixed signal. Indian consumers are price-sensitive and move fast when dips arrive. Meanwhile, geopolitical pressure from the broadening US-Iran conflict continues to create safe-haven crosscurrents, typically bullish for gold. Yet oil is absorbing institutional hedging flows that would historically have landed in gold.
The metal is caught between its own fundamentals and political pressure.
Broader macro conditions, US equity recovery, persistent crypto ETF demand, and Middle East uncertainty are compressing gold’s near-term upside while keeping its floor intact.
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Gold Price Prediction: Metal Momentum Melting Away?
Gold spot prices pulled back sharply enough to trigger the first Indian physical premium in two months, signaling that lower prices are clearing demand but not generating fresh upside momentum. Volume patterns suggest buyers are opportunistic at the moment.
Key technical levels to watch: macro analysts tracking cross-asset flows note that gold’s ability to hold above its 50-day moving average will determine whether the current softness is a buyable dip or the early stage of a deeper retracement. Momentum indicators are flat-to-negative on the daily chart, with no clear catalyst for a reversal spike unless geopolitical escalation accelerates safe-haven demand.
If US-Iran tensions escalate sharply, ETF outflows from equities resume, and gold rebounds toward recent highs on genuine safe-haven rotation. Physical demand provides a price floor, gold consolidates in a tight band, and directional conviction stays low while crypto dominates headlines.
The data points to the base case as most probable near-term. Gold isn’t collapsing.
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Maxi Doge: The Dog That Eats Metals
Gold’s muted momentum is precisely the environment that pushes speculative capital toward higher-velocity opportunities. Those hunting asymmetric upside aren’t waiting for gold to find direction. They’re looking earlier in the cycle.
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Research Maxi Doge before committing capital.
This article is not financial advice. Conduct your own research before investing.
The post Gold Price Prediction: Metal Price Melting appeared first on Cryptonews.
Speculation is growing online that Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, may be posting on X with help from inside the United States.
The theory stems from unusually polished English posts, US-focused messaging, and an account label showing “connected via the US App Store.” Some users claim the tone feels “too American” to be organic.
However, there is no clear evidence that the account is run from the US or by Americans. The App Store label can reflect device settings or routing, not physical location.
American commentators are overstating these details. X settings show that Ghalibaf’s account was most likely accessed via an iPhone using a US-region Apple ID, or a VPN / routing setup
So, it doesn’t prove physical presence in the US.
What is clear is the messaging itself has changed.
Ghalibaf, a former IRGC commander and now a central political figure in Iran’s wartime leadership, has begun speaking directly to American audiences.
He references gas prices, economic hardship, and political decisions in Washington. His posts increasingly mirror US political language and online culture.
At the same time, he has made comments that resemble market commentary. In one example, he suggested investors should interpret political signals as indicators of market direction.
These posts stop short of financial advice but frame the war through economic consequences.
This shift aligns with a broader strategy. Iranian officials are using English-language posts to shape foreign public opinion during the conflict.
By focusing on economic pain and market reactions, Ghalibaf’s messaging makes the war feel immediate to US audiences.
The bigger story may not be where the posts come from, but why they sound this way. Ghalibaf is not just acting as a political figure in the war.
He is operating in the information space, where influence over perception can matter as much as actions on the ground.
The post Why Iran’s Top War Operator Suddenly Sounds Very American appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Key Takeaways
- The OCC has granted Coinbase conditional authorization to establish a federally chartered trust entity
- This charter is limited to custody operations and market infrastructure, excluding retail deposits and traditional banking
- Final approval hinges on Coinbase completing multiple regulatory and administrative requirements
- The federal designation is anticipated to expand Coinbase’s reach among institutional investors
- Coinbase’s current New York state trust charter and BitLicense continue operating without interruption
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has issued conditional authorization for Coinbase (COIN) to launch Coinbase National Trust Company, a federally chartered trust institution.
This OCC charter is tailored exclusively for custody operations and market infrastructure services. The crypto exchange will not accept consumer deposits or function as a conventional fractional reserve banking institution under this authorization.
According to Greg Tusar, Co-CEO of Coinbase Institutional, the clearance provides “federal regulatory uniformity to the custody and market infrastructure business we have been building for years.”
Coinbase filed its national trust charter application with the OCC in October of last year. The platform currently operates under a limited-purpose trust charter issued by the New York Department of Financial Services, which authorizes digital asset custody services at the state level through Coinbase Prime, its institutional division.
The federal charter represents a significant upgrade. “We’re the custodian to over 80% of the world’s digital asset ETFs, but there are a number of other asset managers and hedge funds and others that would like to see the entity that they face have this kind of charter,” Tusar explained.
Essentially, the OCC certification unlocks opportunities that state-level authorization alone cannot provide.
Coinbase’s institutional division reported $245.7 billion in assets under custody as of June 2025 — representing approximately 7% of the entire cryptocurrency market, based on figures from its charter filing.
Outstanding Requirements for Final Approval
Conditional authorization differs from full approval. Before the charter becomes operational, Coinbase must convene its inaugural board meeting, implement corporate bylaws, set up payment infrastructure, and successfully complete a pre-launch examination by the OCC.
The company has committed to collaborating closely with OCC regulators to satisfy all outstanding conditions.
Meanwhile, Coinbase’s existing New York BitLicense and state-level trust charter remain active and unchanged. Coinbase, Inc. continues its operations under NYDFS supervision without disruption.
Other Applicants Pursuing Federal Charters
Coinbase isn’t the only crypto firm seeking this regulatory status. The OCC granted conditional approvals to multiple digital asset companies late last year, including BitGo, Circle Internet Group, Fidelity Digital Assets, Ripple, and Paxos.
Additionally, EDX Markets — backed by Morgan Stanley and Citadel Securities — along with World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s most significant cryptocurrency initiative, have submitted national trust charter applications.
The federal charter also establishes infrastructure for emerging payment solutions and complementary financial services, targeting both institutional partners and retail users as primary beneficiaries.
While Congress has moved forward with market structure legislation, federal supervision of crypto custody providers has remained inconsistent. This OCC approval fills that regulatory void for institutional services without requiring completed legislative action.
The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has approved cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase’s application for a national bank trust charter after six months of consideration.
In a Thursday X post, Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal said the company received conditional approval for the OCC application, following December approvals for Ripple Labs, BitGo, Circle, Fidelity Digital Assets and Paxos.
Although the company said in October it had “no intention of becoming a bank” if approved, the move by US regulators marks one of the most significant forays into bridging crypto and traditional finance.
“Coinbase is not becoming a commercial bank,” said vice president of institutional product Greg Tusar in a Thursday blog post. “We will not be taking retail deposits. We will not be engaging in fractional reserve banking. This charter is about bringing federal regulatory uniformity to the custody and market infrastructure business we have been building for years.”
Tusar said that the company would continue to operate under the Department of Financial Services in New York, where it holds a BitLicense and a state charter as a limited-purpose trust company.
The OCC approval, coupled with Coinbase’s state-level efforts, came as the company is in the middle of a debate on issues stalling a digital asset market structure bill in Congress, including over stablecoin yield.
CEO Brian Armstrong said in January that the exchange could not support the legislation as written. Lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee later postponed a markup, which is necessary before a potential floor vote on the bill.
Related: Coinbase exec says Senate CLARITY compromise is close, but no markup date set
At the time of publication, the OCC website showed no change to Coinbase’s application, which it marked as received by the banking regulator. Cointelegraph reached out to the exchange for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Coinbase faces legal pushback over prediction markets
The crypto platform rolled out prediction market bets for US-based users in January as part of a partnership with Kalshi.
In lawsuits filed preemptively against state gaming authorities in Connecticut, Illinois and Michigan, Coinbase argued that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as a federal regulator, had the authority to oversee prediction markets. Many of the cases were ongoing as of Thursday.
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The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Illinois and various state officials on Thursday over the state’s efforts to shutter prediction market providers.
Illinois sent cease-and-desist letters to some prediction market providers, arguing that the companies were offering sports gambling products that should be regulated under state law. The CFTC has argued that prediction markets are offering swaps products, which are regulated under the federal Commodity Exchange Act and therefore are under the “exclusive jurisdiction” of that regulator.
In the lawsuit, the CFTC continued this argument, saying Illinois’s efforts “intrudes on” the CFTC’s role, and that federal law preempts state regulations in this matter.
“Event contracts are derivative instruments that enable parties to trade on their predictions about whether a future event — which may relate to economics, or elections, or climate, or sports, or anything else of a potential financial, economic or commercial consequence — will occur,” the filing said.
The CFTC, especially under current Chairman Mike Selig, has argued that prediction markets are federally regulated, even as many of these companies expand to allow customers to place bets on sporting events. States, under both Republicans and Democrats, have pushed back. Nevada’s Gaming Control Board secured a temporary restraining order against Kalshi last month, with a hearing set for Friday.
The CFTC will participate in an appeals court hearing before the Ninth Circuit later this month, in a consolidated case involving the North American Derivatives Exchange, Kalshi and Robinhood.
Read more: Prediction markets backlash builds possible stormcloud for 2027
Anthony Scaramucci is openly backing Michael Saylor’s high‑yield Bitcoin strategy at the same time he jolts markets with a tongue‑in‑cheek X video announcing a 2028 presidential run, sharpening the line between his crypto advocacy and broader economic message.
Summary
- Scaramucci calls himself a “big fan” of Michael Saylor while dissecting Strategy Inc.’s roughly 11.5% perpetual yield tied to Bitcoin, warning that leverage and drawdowns remain real risks.
- In a previous crypto.news story, he linked that same wealth‑gap narrative to stalled CLARITY legislation in Washington and his long‑term Bitcoin thesis.
- His April 1 “Mooch 2028” video on X, framed as an April Fools’ gag, doubles as a campaign‑style address on inequality, debt and digital assets.
In a recent episode of the All Things Markets podcast, SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci and Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz pulled apart Strategy Inc.’s (NASDAQ: MSTR) use of high‑yield perpetual securities, which Scaramucci said can deliver “four quarterly dividend payments equivalent to a yield of approximately 11.5%” for Bitcoin believers. He was explicit about his own position: “I’m a big fan of Saylor, and obviously SkyBridge owns a lot of Bitcoin. We don’t hold any of those assets, but I just wanted to disclose that to people.”
Saylor’s 11.5% Bitcoin‑backed yield under scrutiny
Novogratz stressed the structure’s dependence on leverage: “It’s leverage on the strategy,” he said, arguing Saylor currently enjoys a “big margin of safety” because of his large Bitcoin corpus but that a sharp drop in BTC would “inevitably” eat into that cushion. He warned that if Bitcoin crashed to around $30,000, perpetual investors “naturally” fear losing principal, because they “don’t have the right to get their money back” and Saylor can theoretically halt dividends, which would likely push the instrument to a steep discount.
That nuanced pitch to yield‑hungry Bitcoin holders landed just hours before Scaramucci’s latest viral video on X, where he stood in his office wearing a “Mooch 2028” cap and declared, “I’m running for President of the United States in 2028… Join me and help me heal America.” The clip, posted on April Fools’ Day, was quickly framed by outlets like Benzinga and Breitbart as a prank, but it reads like a test balloon: he references his ill‑fated 11‑day stint in Donald Trump’s first White House and insists, “I do believe I can help guide this country in the right direction.”
In a separate BeInCrypto interview covered by BloomingBit, Scaramucci said that passing the CLARITY Act, Washington’s flagship crypto market‑structure bill, is “not an easy situation,” adding that “in the current political environment, securing 60 votes in the Senate is almost impossible.” Earlier comments to Coinness underscored how partisan rancor over Trump’s launch of a memecoin, which he said earned between $600 million and $700 million, has further poisoned the well for bipartisan crypto rules.
Price‑wise, Scaramucci has hardly turned cautious: in February he told Benzinga that Bitcoin “doesn’t reward being early, but being patient,” even as BTC traded near $70,981, down about 7.2% on the day, and more recently has floated scenarios of $2 million to $3 million per coin over the next decade. For a would‑be “Mooch 2028” candidate, the message is clear enough — leverage can juice returns, but the real bet is that Bitcoin outlasts U.S. political dysfunction.
Key Takeaways
- Needham reduced HOOD price target from $100 down to $90 while maintaining its Buy recommendation
- Compass Point lowered its target from $127 down to $108, retaining its Buy stance
- March data revealed declining volumes across equity, options, and cryptocurrency trading
- HOOD shares have plummeted 52% in the last six months and 38% since the year began
- The company’s banking arm has exceeded $1.5 billion in total deposits
Robinhood Markets has encountered significant headwinds this week as several Wall Street analysts have lowered their price expectations following the release of disappointing March trading data.
On Wednesday, Needham’s John Todaro revised his price target downward from $100 to $90, though he maintained his bullish Buy rating. His decision stemmed from observations of decelerating growth throughout virtually all segments of the platform.
“We view HOOD as the most advanced financial services platform in its evolution toward a comprehensive financial super app, however the latest volume data and reduced net interest income suggest a more subdued operating environment,” Todaro explained.
The March performance report, published March 30, indicated equity notional trading volumes reached approximately $196 billion. The platform processed 187 million options contracts, while cryptocurrency trading notional volumes totaled $16 billion.
Todaro adjusted his equities and options projections for the first quarter of 2026 downward but maintained his cryptocurrency volume forecasts unchanged, noting that declines in that sector had already been incorporated into previous models. He also reduced revenue expectations for both 2026 and 2027, primarily due to anticipated lower trading activity and diminished net interest income.
His revised $90 target price reflects 27 times Needham’s discounted fiscal 2027 EV/EBITDA calculation.
This adjustment came one day after Wolfe Research’s Steven Chubak lowered his target from $115 to $81 — representing approximately a 30% reduction. His revision followed a decline in cryptocurrency transaction revenues, further pressured by broader digital asset market weakness.
Compass Point Joins Downgrade Chorus
Compass Point’s Ed Engel similarly decreased his price objective on Wednesday, moving from $127 to $108 while preserving his Buy rating. His forecasting models project Q1 revenue coming in 9% beneath consensus expectations, with shortfalls anticipated across all three primary business lines.
Engel observed that retail trading activity typically decelerates after five to six straight months of volatile market conditions, and that most retail investor favorites have generally declined since early October.
He made a comparison to April 2025, when analysts were reducing forecasts ahead of Liberation Day. Engel proposed that should markets recover, Robinhood could emerge as a significant beneficiary considering the 2026 IPO calendar.
HOOD shares have now declined 52% during the past six months and trade 46% beneath their 52-week peak of $153.86. The stock currently carries a P/E multiple of 34.14 and commands a market capitalization of $63.1 billion. InvestingPro’s analysis indicates the stock appears overvalued at present price levels.
Banking Segment Provides Encouraging Signs
Despite trading challenges, not all indicators are negative. Robinhood’s banking operation has surpassed $1.5 billion in deposits, serving nearly 100,000 funded customers — representing an approximately 50% deposit increase over a recent timeframe.
Bernstein SocGen Group reduced its price target from $160 to $130 while maintaining an Outperform rating. The investment firm continues to forecast 25% earnings per share expansion by 2026 and a 30% revenue compound annual growth rate spanning 2025 through 2027.
Jefferies launched coverage with a Buy recommendation and an $88 price target, highlighting opportunities from expanding global retail participation and a diversified product offering.
According to TipRanks, HOOD maintains a Strong Buy consensus recommendation based on 15 Buy ratings and 2 Hold ratings, with an average price target of $117.33 — suggesting approximately 67% potential upside from current trading levels. The most optimistic price target among analysts reaches $147.
The company’s complete first-quarter earnings report is scheduled for release in May.
Soluna Holdings, a publicly traded Bitcoin (BTC) mining and AI infrastructure company focused on renewable energy, announced on Thursday that it closed a $53 million deal to acquire a wind farm to power its upcoming Project Dorothy 3 AI data center campus.
The Briscoe Wind Farm, located in Briscoe County, Texas, has a potential capacity of up to 300 megawatts (MW), according to the company’s announcement.
The company forecasts that the facility will generate annualized revenue between $20 million and $24.4 million.
Shares of Soluna are up by about 7.6% following the news, and are trading at about $0.76 at the time of writing.
Soluna expanded into AI data center infrastructure in February 2024, amid an industry-wide pivot toward AI and high-performance computing infrastructure to shore up declining revenues from the crypto mining business.
Related: AI data center gold rush sparks debate over impact on Bitcoin mining
Miners adopt renewable energy solutions amid profit squeeze
The Bitcoin mining industry faces several economic headwinds, including declining block rewards, rising energy costs and compressing profit margins, with many companies operating near or below breakeven levels.
Up to 20% of mining companies aren’t profitable, according to a March 2026 report from asset manager CoinShares.
The average cost to mine a single Bitcoin rose to nearly $80,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025, CoinShares said. Bitcoin is currently trading well below that level.
“Q4 2025 marked the most challenging quarter for Bitcoin miners since the April 2024 halving,” the report said.
The October 2025 market crash, which caused Bitcoin to plummet from an all-time high around the $125,000 level to a low of about $60,000, and rising network hashrate have placed even more pressure on the industry, CoinShares said.
Bitcoin mining companies sold over 15,000 BTC between October and early March to cover operating expenses, and the pace of selling has continued in recent weeks.
Several Bitcoin mining companies, including The Pheonix Group and Sangha Renewables, have adopted renewable energy solutions to power their operations and remain competitive amid a challenging business environment.
Canaan, a mining hardware manufacturer and mining company, partnered with Soluna in September to deploy a wind-powered BTC mining facility at the Briscoe, Texas site.
Related: AI may already use more power than Bitcoin — and it threatens Bitcoin mining
Polymarket traders now put a 65% chance on WTI crude hitting $120 at some point in 2026, as Middle East tensions and supply fears drive a rapid repricing of oil risk.
Summary
- The Polymarket market on WTI crude reaching $120 in 2026 has seen its implied probability jump to 65%, up 25 percentage points over 24 hour.
- The contract resolves “yes” if any one-minute candle high of the active WTI futures month in 2026 trades at or above $120; a prior market used CME’s year-end settlement price instead.
- ChainCatcher reports that Polymarket will keep monitoring flows in the oil markets and updating pricing as conditions change.
Prediction platform Polymarket is currently assigning a 65% chance that WTI crude oil futures will trade at $120 per barrel at some point in 2026, with the market’s probability having climbed 25 percentage points in the past 24 hours and 10 points in the last hour. That repricing comes against a backdrop of WTI futures trading around $106 per barrel after a more than 6% daily move, as escalating Middle East tensions and fears of supply disruption outweigh the impact of scheduled OPEC+ production increases.
The specific market — “What will WTI Crude Oil (WTI) hit in April 2026?” — resolves on an intraday high rather than a closing level, using one-minute candles for the active month WTI futures contract. Under the rules, the market will resolve to “yes” if, at any point during the 2026 period, any one-minute candle for the active WTI month prints a high at or above $120; otherwise, it resolves “no,” with fallback to official daily highs from CME if oracle data is unavailable.
Polymarket’s earlier WTI contracts, including a “Will Crude Oil (CL) hit by end of March?” market, were tied to the official settlement price of the near-month futures on the last trading day of the period. In those structures, a “yes” outcome required the CME settlement price to be at or above the strike level on expiry, a stricter condition than a single intraday spike.
By contrast, the new $120 market pays out if WTI touches the threshold at any moment in the year, making it more sensitive to short-lived volatility and headline-driven spikes. That shift aligns the oil market with other Polymarket structures that key off one-minute candles, reflecting the platform’s move toward higher-frequency oracle data for commodities and macro assets.
The jump to a 65% implied probability that WTI will hit $120 mirrors a broader repricing of oil risk across prediction venues and derivatives. Analysis of crude oil markets shows that traders now see elevated odds of WTI breaking into triple digits and sustaining high volatility, with probabilities for $95 and $100 per barrel also rising alongside volume and open interest at higher strikes.
ChainCatcher reported that Polymarket plans to continue monitoring flows and adjusting odds as new information on supply, geopolitics, and demand comes in, underscoring how quickly real‑money prediction markets can react to macro shocks. For macro traders, the contract offers a clean way to express views on whether war risk and supply constraints will push WTI from today’s ~$106 area to $120 or beyond before 2026 is over.
Key Highlights
- SoFi unveiled Big Business Banking, an all-hours platform enabling enterprises to handle both traditional currency and stablecoins through a regulated banking institution.
- The offering provides continuous deposits, transfers, and settlements — a stark departure from conventional banks’ limited business hours.
- Central to the platform is SoFiUSD, a stablecoin with reserves maintained directly in SoFi’s federally chartered banking entity.
- Launch partners include major industry players: Bullish, BitGo, Galaxy Digital, Mastercard, Cumberland, and Wintermute.
- Year-to-date 2026, SOFI shares have declined approximately 40%, pressured by fintech sector headwinds and accusations from short-seller Muddy Waters Research.
SoFi Technologies has progressively expanded far beyond its original student loan business model — branching into credit products, consumer banking, investment services, and small business financing. Thursday’s announcement marks another strategic shift: corporate banking solutions designed for enterprises requiring continuous financial operations.
The newly introduced service, SoFi Big Business Banking, enables business customers to maintain traditional U.S. currency holdings, transform them into digital stablecoins, and execute transfers continuously — all through SoFi’s federally chartered banking institution.
Currently, enterprises involved in cryptocurrency operations typically navigate a fragmented ecosystem of service providers. One institution handles cash holdings, another manages stablecoins, while yet another provides custody solutions. Transferring capital between these entities often requires hours or even days. SoFi aims to unify these functions under a single infrastructure.
Chief Executive Anthony Noto articulated the rationale clearly in Thursday’s announcement: “To be competitive, businesses today must operate in a global, always-on environment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, while legacy banks typically still operate 9 to 5, Monday to Friday.”
SoFiUSD Stablecoin Serves as Platform Foundation
The platform’s core component is SoFiUSD, a dollar-backed stablecoin that customers can mint and redeem directly within the banking environment. Distinguishing itself from numerous stablecoins issued beyond U.S. regulatory frameworks, SoFi’s offering connects directly to a supervised institutional balance sheet, maintaining backing reserves internally.
The infrastructure also leverages distributed ledger technology, including Solana, for transaction processing. Practically speaking, a financial services firm could deposit traditional currency, transform it into SoFiUSD, and allocate that capital to markets immediately — eliminating wire transfer settlement delays. The conversion reverses with equal efficiency.
Multiple prominent cryptocurrency enterprises have joined as initial partners. Bullish, BitGo, Galaxy Digital (GLXY), Mastercard (MA), Cumberland, and Wintermute are anticipated to utilize the infrastructure for transaction movement and settlement. These organizations specialize in trading operations, liquidity provision, and asset safekeeping — precisely the type of enterprises requiring rapid, continuous capital movement.
This introduction follows several cryptocurrency-focused initiatives from SoFi. The organization revealed blockchain-enabled remittance services in August 2025 and introduced SoFiUSD in December 2025. It also established a small business financing marketplace in 2024.
SOFI Shares Continue 2026 Decline
Despite Thursday’s announcement, market response proved subdued — and unfavorable. SOFI shares decreased approximately 2.4% during early market activity, having already weakened throughout pre-market hours.
Heading into Thursday, the equity had already depreciated roughly 40% year-to-date. Two primary factors have driven the decline: challenging market conditions affecting fintech companies generally, and a continuing controversy with short-seller Muddy Waters Research, which released allegations regarding accounting practices earlier in 2026.
SoFi dismissed those assertions as “factually inaccurate and misleading” and indicated it was evaluating potential legal recourse against Muddy Waters.
As of Thursday’s early trading activity, SOFI was trading near price levels reached following the Muddy Waters publication — with the Big Business Banking debut failing to arrest the downward momentum thus far.
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