Connect with us

Crypto World

SEC’s Paul Atkins grilled on crypto enforcement pull-back, including with Justin Sun, Tron

Published

on

Crypto’s AI push stalls without a ‘ChatGPT moment,’ Justin Sun says

The top Democrat on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee demanded the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission explain during a Wednesday hearing what happened with the agency’s enforcement interest in Tron Foundation founder Justin Sun and whether his ties to President Donald Trump have had an influence.

Representative Maxine Waters highlighted the U.S. securities regulators’ abandonment of almost all of its previous crypto enforcement cases when Trump took over the White House and replaced the agency’s leadership last year. She underlined the case against Sun in which the agency investigated Sun and his company on wide-ranging allegations, including that they’d improperly jacked up the price of their token (TRX).

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins told the committee that he couldn’t discuss individual cases, but he expressed his willingness to have further conversations in a confidential briefing “to the extent the rules allow me to do that.”

Sun was formally accused by the SEC in 2023 of trying to artificially inflate TRX’s trading volume through a so-called “wash trading” scheme, allegedly having his own employees “engage in more than 600,000 wash trades of TRX between two crypto asset trading platform accounts he controlled.” But the agency moved to pause that case in court a year ago “while they consider a potential resolution.” No resolution has yet been announced.

Advertisement

“Well, while you were exploring a potential resolution, Mr. Sun has been busy ingratiating himself within Trump’s orbit,” Waters said to Atkins, referencing Sun’s ties to the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial Inc.

Waters also flagged a more recent development in which an alleged former girlfriend of Sun suggested publicly that she had evidence of TRX manipulation.

Spokespeople for Tron and Sun didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the exchange during Wednesday’s hearing.

“Chairman Atkins, you have said that under your leadership, the SEC will focus on real fraud,” she said. “Does your statement extend to fraud in the crypto market?”

Advertisement

“Whatever involves securities,” Atkins responded.

His agency last year dropped high-profile enforcement matters against Binance, Ripple, Coinbase, Kraken, Robinhood and several other companies, with its new management criticizing the “regulation-by-enforcement” approach to crypto under the agency’s previous leadership.

Asked by another Democratic lawmaker whether his agency ever protects investors at a cost to Trump’s businesses, Atkins responded, “As far as what the Trump family does or not, I can’t speak to that.”

While Democrats have focused on the SEC’s reversal of its previous crypto enforcement work, Republicans on the committee concentrated on Atkins’ promises that he’ll provide the crypto industry regulations to clarify — alongside the Commodity Futures Trading Commission — how the companies can operate in the U.S.

Advertisement

Atkins said the agencies are working on rules “consistent with what’s in the Clarity Act that you all passed here in the House, and hopefully what will come out of the joint work that you’re doing with the Senate. So, you know, we will carry that forward, and basically it’ll help give certainty as to where the jurisdiction of the two agencies are.”

As the SEC and CFTC work on that joint effort under their Project Crypto label, the CFTC also recently moved to embrace the new U.S. stablecoin approach by revising an earlier so-called “no action” letter that now clarifies that national trust banks can issue payment stablecoins, expanding the list of eligible tokenized collateral to include the tokens issued by such banks.

Also on Wednesday, the U.S. regulator of credit unions, the National Credit Union Administration, proposed a rule governing how firms can apply to become stablecoin issuers. It’s an opening step toward implementing last year’s Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act — the crypto industry’s first major legislative win.

In the meantime, the crypto sector is now watching a policy race between Atkins’ SEC and Senate lawmakers working on the Clarity Act to regulate U.S. crypto markets. With recent setbacks dragging on the Senate’s progress, Atkins’ agency may take a lead in establishing digital assets rules.

Advertisement

Read More: House Democrats slam SEC for dropping crypto cases with Trump ties

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crypto World

Mantle’s stablecoin surges 75% in 30 days as liquidity flywheel kicks in

Published

on

Solana DEXs match CEX pricing as on-chain liquidity structure evolves

Mantle’s ecosystem stablecoin has added roughly 375 million dollars in market value over the past month, climbing from about 494 million to nearly 870 million and cementing the network’s push to become a full‑stack on‑chain liquidity and banking layer built around ETH staking and restaking primitives.

Summary

  • Stablecoin market cap jumps 75% in 30 days, approaching 870 million dollars as Mantle’s liquidity products gain traction across DeFi.
  • Growth rides on Mantle’s mETH staking and cmETH restaking stack, which channels yield and demand back into the broader ecosystem.
  • Mantle’s deep treasury and “fortress” balance sheet reinforce confidence in its stablecoin and DeFi rails despite wider market volatility.

Mantle’s stablecoin engine is firing on all cylinders. Over the past 30 days, the total market value of the Mantle ecosystem stablecoin has risen from roughly 494 million dollars to around 870 million, a gain of more than 75% that sharply outperforms the broader market and highlights the chain’s emerging role as an on‑chain liquidity hub.

Advertisement

The move comes as Mantle doubles down on an integrated strategy: pair an Ethereum Layer 2 with native liquid staking and restaking, then plug that liquidity into DeFi. At the base layer sits mETH, Mantle’s liquid staking token for Ethereum, which has already attracted more than 1 billion dollars in total value locked by letting users earn staking rewards while keeping their assets liquid. On top of that, cmETH extends those positions into restaking, unlocking additional yield and incentives without forcing users to unwind core ETH exposure.

This composable stack is now bleeding directly into stablecoin demand. As traders and protocols seek dollar liquidity backed by yield‑bearing collateral, Mantle’s stablecoin becomes a natural settlement and liquidity layer inside the ecosystem, tightening the feedback loop between ETH staking flows, DeFi usage and dollar‑denominated volume. Campaigns such as “Methamorphosis” and ecosystem incentive seasons have further accelerated user onboarding and capital rotation into Mantle’s products.

Underpinning the growth is a balance sheet that rivals mid‑tier centralized players. Mantle controls a multi‑billion‑dollar treasury, including more than 270,000 ETH, giving the DAO ample capacity to backstop liquidity, co‑invest in protocols and defend key pegs or markets when needed. Research firms have already labeled Mantle a “fortress” protocol for its ability to withstand severe price shocks in its native token while maintaining solvency. If current growth persists, Mantle’s stablecoin could become one of the core dollar rails for restaking‑centric DeFi over the coming cycle.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

Chainlink price confirms bearish SFP as $8.33 support comes

Published

on

Chainlink price confirms bearish SFP pattern as $8.33 support comes into focus - 1

Chainlink price has confirmed a bearish swing failure pattern at a key resistance zone, signaling a potential downside rotation. The rejection near $9.72 increases the probability of a corrective move toward the $8.33 high-timeframe support.

Summary

  • Bearish SFP confirmed: Rejection at the $9.72 resistance signals weakening bullish momentum.
  • Value Area High lost: Indicates a shift in market structure toward downside pressure.
  • $8.33 support in focus: Confluence with value area low makes it the next major downside target.

Chainlink (LINK) price is showing clear signs of technical weakness after failing to sustain momentum above a critical resistance level. Recent price action formed a bearish swing failure pattern (SFP) at the $9.72 high-timeframe resistance, a signal that often indicates exhaustion in bullish momentum.

With this rejection now confirmed, traders are closely watching the $8.33 region as the next significant support level.

Advertisement

Chainlink price key technical points

  • High-timeframe resistance rejection: Price rejected the $9.72 resistance with a bearish SFP formation.
  • Value Area High lost: Loss of this key level signals weakening bullish momentum.
  • Downside target: $8.33 aligns with the value area low and major high-timeframe support.
Chainlink price confirms bearish SFP pattern as $8.33 support comes into focus - 1
LINKUSDT (4H) Chart, Source: TradingView

Chainlink recently attempted to break above the $9.72 resistance level, which has historically acted as a major barrier in price action. However, the breakout attempt was short-lived. The market briefly traded above the previous swing high but quickly reversed, leaving a wick above the level before closing back below it. This structure forms a classic swing failure pattern, which is widely recognized by traders as a signal that liquidity above the highs has been taken before the market rotates lower.

The confirmation of this SFP highlights a shift in short-term market control. When price fails to sustain above a key resistance and closes back within the previous range, it often indicates that buyers have lost momentum. In Chainlink’s case, the inability to hold above $9.72 suggests that the move was primarily driven by liquidity collection rather than genuine bullish continuation. This increases the probability of a retracement as the market seeks lower levels of support.

Another important technical development is the loss of the value area high. This level previously acted as a key pivot within the current trading range, providing support during earlier pullbacks. Once price loses this level, it often signals a structural shift where sellers begin to gain greater control of the market.

The breakdown from this region reinforces the bearish outlook and suggests that Chainlink may continue rotating within the broader range. On the regulatory front, Chainlink’s deputy general counsel, Taylor Lindman, has also joined the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Crypto Task Force, stepping in to replace Michael Selig.

Advertisement

The next major level of interest is the point of control, which represents the price level with the highest traded volume within the range. This area typically acts as a magnet for price due to the high concentration of market activity. If Chainlink continues to show weakness and fails to reclaim the value area high, price is likely to gravitate toward this zone as traders reposition within the range structure.

Below the point of control lies the value area low, which sits in direct confluence with the $8.33 high-timeframe support level. This region represents a critical area where buyers may attempt to step in and defend price. Historically, high-timeframe supports combined with volume-profile levels tend to attract significant market interest, making $8.33 an important level to monitor in the coming sessions.

Meanwhile, on the fundamental side, Chainlink has recently enabled Coinbase’s cbBTC bridging to Monad, unlocking over $5 billion in Bitcoin-backed liquidity for decentralized finance applications and further expanding its ecosystem utility.

Advertisement

While short-term bounces can occur during corrective phases, the broader structure currently favors downside continuation. As long as price remains below the rejected resistance at $9.72 and fails to reclaim the value area high, the bearish market structure remains intact. This keeps the probability tilted toward a deeper rotation within the current range.

What to expect in the coming price action

From a technical and structural perspective, Chainlink remains under bearish pressure following the confirmed SFP rejection at $9.72. If the value area high continues to act as resistance, price is likely to rotate lower toward the $8.33 support zone.

A strong reclaim of the lost resistance would invalidate the bearish outlook, but until then, the path of least resistance remains to the downside.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

Weekly Bitcoin Buys Produce The Best Returns Across Bull And Bear Markets

Published

on

Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Price, Bitcoin Analysis, Adoption, Markets, Price Analysis, Cryptocurrency Investment, Investment 101, Bitcoin Adoption

Smart investors adjust their strategy during bear markets and 50% drawdowns like the one seen in Bitcoin (BTC) over the last five months. The strategy, known as dollar-cost averaging (DCA), involves investing the same amount at regular intervals regardless of market conditions. 

Historical market cycle data and forward-looking BTC price simulations provide a clearer view of how these steady investment patterns develop across different entry periods and time horizons.

A five-year Bitcoin DCA stack shows strong net gains

A $250 weekly Bitcoin purchase starting in January 2021 resulted in $67,500 invested over a five-year period. Based on DCA simulation data, the strategy accumulated 1.65097905 BTC at an average purchase price of $40,884.

At the current Bitcoin price near $71,000, that 1.65097905 BTC is valued at roughly $120,518, representing a $53,018 gain (76%) on the invested capital. When Bitcoin traded for $100,000, the holdings were worth about $165,098, while at the cycle peak near $126,000 in October 2025, the same amount reached $208,023.

Advertisement
Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Price, Bitcoin Analysis, Adoption, Markets, Price Analysis, Cryptocurrency Investment, Investment 101, Bitcoin Adoption
Bitcoin DCA cycle 2021-2026. Source: Newhedge

A shorter accumulation window illustrates how entry timing changes the early outcome while the strategy continues building exposure. A $250 weekly DCA beginning January 2024 results in $28,500 invested, accumulating 0.36863166 BTC with an average purchase price of $77,312.

At the current price of $71000, the amount is valued at about $26,909, a –6% unrealized loss. At $100,000, the holdings had risen to $36,863, while a $126,000 cycle high valued the Bitcoin at $46,448.

In a February X post, Swan Bitcoin analyst Adam Livingston compared a similar DCA approach against equities over the past five years. A $100 weekly allocation produced $42,508 in Bitcoin versus $37,470 in S&P 500 (SPX), representing 62.9% and 43.6% returns, respectively.

Livingston noted that purchasing Bitcoin consistently during drawdowns has historically produced stronger cumulative returns despite the price volatility.

Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Price, Bitcoin Analysis, Adoption, Markets, Price Analysis, Cryptocurrency Investment, Investment 101, Bitcoin Adoption
$100 DCA cycle into BTC and SPX. Source: Adam Livingston/X

Related: Bitcoin’s bullish momentum accelerates but topping $78K remains a challenge

Long-term models emphasize the time horizon

Forward-looking simulations examine how the DCA strategy could work from 2026 onward. A $250 weekly DCA beginning January 2026 allocates about $54,250 by March 2030.

Advertisement

The price assumptions come from Bitcoin’s long-term power-law growth curve, which tracks Bitcoin’s historical price relative to time on a logarithmic scale. The model produces a rising support band and median trend that have broadly aligned with previous market cycles.

Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Price, Bitcoin Analysis, Adoption, Markets, Price Analysis, Cryptocurrency Investment, Investment 101, Bitcoin Adoption
Bitcoin power-law growth curve. Source: Bitbo.io

Using this framework, analysts estimate that by 2028, the long-term trend support may move above $100,000, forming the base assumption for future DCA modeling. Simulations from Bitcoin Well place the median price near $430,278 by March 2030.

To capture the wider range around that path, the model also considers deviation bands of the power-law channel, producing a lower projection near $274,000 and an upper expansion scenario near $900,000.

Under those assumptions, the weekly strategy accumulates about 0.30 BTC over four years.

  • At $274,000, the holdings are worth about $82,200.

  • At the $430,278 median estimate, the investment value reaches $129,000.

  • At a $900,000 BTC price, the investment is worth nearly $270,000.

Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Price, Bitcoin Analysis, Adoption, Markets, Price Analysis, Cryptocurrency Investment, Investment 101, Bitcoin Adoption
DCA investment results by March 2030. Source: Bitcoin Well

A November 2025 study by Bitcoin researcher Sminston With tested how the entry timing affects the long-term outcomes using similar projections. Even buying 20% above $94,000 (the price of BTC at that time) and exiting 20% below the projected 2035 median still produced nearly 300% gains on the remaining holdings after a decade.

The total savings reached 7.7 times the initial capital in the simulation.

Advertisement

The study concluded that entry timing adjusts the range of outcomes, while long holding periods drive the majority of the results.

Related: A sucker’s rally? Why Bitcoin analysts say BTC price must hold $70K