Crypto World
Why iGaming Brands Are Turning to Kooc Media for Guaranteed Press Coverage and PR Distribution
Kooc Media, a specialist PR distribution agency headquartered in the United Kingdom, has opened its doors to the iGaming industry with a dedicated press release service for online casinos, sportsbooks, betting platforms and gambling affiliates. The service delivers confirmed article placements on the agency’s own news websites, expert content creation by an in-house editorial team, and optional newswire distribution that can place gambling brand announcements on some of the biggest media platforms in the world.
Online gambling has quietly become one of the most profitable digital industries on the planet. Millions of players across dozens of regulated markets spend billions each year on sports betting, online slots, live dealer games, poker and other casino products. The industry employs tens of thousands of people and attracts serious investment from both private equity and public markets.
Despite all of this, the iGaming sector remains badly underserved when it comes to professional public relations. Most gambling companies that have tried to secure press coverage through conventional PR agencies have come away disappointed. The standard experience involves paying a retainer, waiting weeks for outreach results and ending up with little or nothing to show for it. Journalists at mainstream outlets frequently ignore pitches from betting and casino brands, and many generalist PR firms lack the knowledge to craft effective messaging for the gambling audience.
Kooc Media spotted this problem years ago while working with clients in similarly challenging industries. The agency was founded in 2017 and built its reputation providing PR services for crypto projects, fintech startups and technology companies — sectors that face comparable media resistance. The decision to formally extend its services to iGaming was driven by increasing demand from gambling brands looking for a PR partner that could actually deliver measurable results.
“We kept hearing from iGaming companies who had been let down by other agencies,” said Michelle De Gouveia, spokesperson for Kooc Media. “They had spent money on PR and received nothing in return. Our model is the opposite of that. We guarantee placements, we publish fast, and we prove everything with live links. That is what the gambling industry has been waiting for.”
How the Service Works in Practice
The process Kooc Media has developed for its iGaming PR clients is deliberately straightforward. A gambling brand comes to the agency with an announcement — it could be a new casino launch, a sportsbook entering a regulated market, a software integration, a licensing achievement, a rebrand, a partnership deal or any other piece of genuine business news.
From there, Kooc Media’s editorial team takes over. They write a professional press release based on the client’s brief, handling the structure, messaging and tone. The client reviews the draft and requests any changes. Once approved, the article goes live.
Publication happens across the agency’s owned network of news sites, which includes titles such as Blockonomi, CoinCentral, MoneyCheck, Parameter, Beanstalk and Computing. These are established publications covering finance, technology, business and digital trends. All of them are indexed by Google News, which gives every published article the chance to appear in Google News feeds and rank in organic search results.
Most articles are live within 24 hours of client approval. For brands working to tight deadlines around product launches, sporting events or regulatory milestones, this speed is a major advantage.
Clients who want their announcement to reach a wider audience can choose packages that include distribution through partner newswire networks. At the highest tier, this can result in placements appearing on outlets such as Business Insider, Bloomberg, Benzinga, MarketWatch, USA Today and feeds linked to Dow Jones. For an online casino or sportsbook, landing coverage on platforms of that calibre creates instant credibility.
After every campaign, clients receive a full report containing live links to each published article. There is no ambiguity about what was delivered.
The Strategic Case for iGaming PR
Gambling companies invest heavily in marketing. Paid search, affiliate partnerships, social media campaigns, sponsorship deals and television advertising have all been core channels for the industry. But each of these channels is becoming more difficult or more expensive to use effectively.
Google restricts gambling advertising in many markets. Social media platforms continue to tighten their rules around betting content. Television advertising bans for gambling are being implemented or expanded across parts of Europe. Even sports sponsorship, once the go-to branding tool for sportsbooks, is under increasing regulatory pressure in several countries.
Public relations cuts through many of these restrictions. A press release published on a respected news website reaches audiences through organic search and news aggregation rather than through paid advertising channels. It is not subject to the same platform restrictions that limit other forms of gambling marketing. And it carries inherent credibility because the content appears on a third-party publication rather than on the brand’s own website or social media accounts.
The search engine benefits are equally important. Every article placed on a high-authority, Google News indexed website creates a backlink that strengthens the client’s domain authority. Over time, this improves rankings for high-value search terms like “new online casino,” “best sportsbook,” “sports betting platform” and dozens of other phrases that drive player acquisition. For iGaming brands competing in organic search, regular press coverage is not just a branding exercise — it is a core part of the SEO strategy.
Player trust is another factor that makes PR particularly valuable for gambling companies. Online gambling requires customers to hand over personal and financial information to a platform they may have never used before. Players naturally look for signals that a brand is legitimate and trustworthy. Seeing a casino or sportsbook mentioned on a well-known news site provides exactly that kind of reassurance.
Packages Designed Around iGaming Needs
Kooc Media has built its iGaming packages to be flexible enough to serve the full range of businesses operating in the online gambling space. Small operators and startups can access entry-level packages that provide publication across a selection of the agency’s owned websites. These packages are affordable enough for companies working with limited marketing budgets but still deliver real, verifiable media coverage.
Mid-tier options add broader distribution through partner networks and additional placements, suitable for growing brands that want more visibility without committing to a large-scale campaign. Premium packages provide the full newswire experience with distribution across major financial and business media, ideal for established operators making significant announcements.
Custom campaigns are available for companies with specific needs. Whether a client wants to target particular geographic markets, focus on certain types of publications, or run a sustained monthly PR programme, Kooc Media can build a campaign to match.
All packages include managed content creation. Clients never need to provide a finished press release or hire external writers. The agency handles everything internally, keeping the process simple and fast.
An Agency Built for Industries That Move Fast
Speed, reliability and transparency sit at the centre of everything Kooc Media does. The agency was built to serve industries where timing matters, where results need to be tangible and where traditional PR methods consistently fall short.
“iGaming is a perfect fit for our model,” said De Gouveia. “These are fast-moving companies that need coverage today, not in three weeks. They need to know exactly what they are getting before they spend a penny. And they need an agency that understands their industry well enough to get the messaging right first time. That is what we deliver.”
About Kooc Media
Kooc Media is a specialist PR distribution agency founded in 2017 in the United Kingdom. The company owns and operates multiple news websites and provides guaranteed media placements, professional press release writing, newswire distribution and managed PR campaigns for clients across the crypto, fintech, technology and iGaming industries.
Kooc Media’s gambling PR packages are available now through the company’s website at https://kooc.co.uk.
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.
Tether has disclosed an 8.2% stake in Antalpha, acquiring about 1.95 million Antalpha shares through related entities. The position, disclosed in a Schedule 13D filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, places the stablecoin issuer among Antalpha’s largest shareholders following the mining-focused lender’s May 2025 initial public offering. Giancarlo Devasini, Tether’s chairman, shares voting and dispositive power over the stake, according to the filing. The document also notes that Tether and its affiliates may adjust their holdings over time in response to market conditions and other factors.
Antalpha operates in the Bitcoin-backed lending and equipment-financing space, catering to mining operators. The company reported a loan portfolio of about $1.6 billion as of the end of 2024 and maintains close ties to the Bitmain ecosystem, a major supplier of mining hardware.
Antalpha raised roughly $49.3 million in its IPO, at $12.80 per share. Tether had previously signaled a potential interest in purchasing up to $25 million worth of shares.
In its latest annual figures, Antalpha posted 2025 revenue of $79.7 million, up 68% year over year, with net income rising to $18.5 million—more than triple the previous year’s figure. On the day of the disclosure, Antalpha’s stock climbed about 7.2% to around $9.97 in early trading, according to Google Finance data.
Source: Cointelegraph, based on the Schedule 13D filing and Antalpha’s financial disclosures.
Key takeaways
- Tether now holds roughly 1.95 million Antalpha shares, representing an 8.2% stake and giving the founder’s circle voting power over the position, per the Schedule 13D.
- The stake arrives after Antalpha’s May 2025 IPO, with Tether previously indicating interest in buying up to $25 million of shares.
- Antalpha’s core business centers on Bitcoin-backed lending and mining equipment financing, with a reported $1.6 billion loan portfolio at year-end 2024 and ties to the Bitmain ecosystem.
- Tether’s broader investment strategy is to deploy profits across crypto infrastructure, tokenized assets, and related tech—new bets alongside existing holdings in Eight Sleep, Gold.com, Anchorage Digital, and a Kaio-backed round.
- The stablecoin issuer remains the dominant player in the market, with USDT accounting for about $187 billion in market capitalization and the total stablecoin market near $320.7 billion.
Antalpha and the mining-finance niche
Antalpha’s business model emphasizes liquidity and equipment financing for mining operators, a space that has drawn interest from investors seeking exposure to the cyclical upswing of crypto mining. The company’s sizable loan portfolio signals a continued focus on securing scalable credit lines for operators navigating equipment cycles and capital expenditure needs. Its connection to Bitmain’s ecosystem underscores a strategic alignment with a major supplier in the mining hardware sector, potentially easing access to hardware and related financing channels for clients.
Tether’s stake: governance, strategy, and potential impacts
The Schedule 13D filing confirms that Tether’s stake in Antalpha is substantial enough to position the company as a major shareholder. With Devasini listed as sharing voting and dispositive power, the arrangement signals an intentional governance role in Antalpha’s ongoing development. While the filing notes that Tether and its affiliates may adjust their position over time, the move reflects a broader pattern of Tether diversifying beyond its core stablecoin operations into strategic investments across crypto finance, infrastructure, and real-world asset initiatives.
Cointelegraph has previously reported on Tether’s expansive capital deployment—an approach that taps profits from USDT to fund ventures across mining, AI, financial services, and tokenized assets. The recent Antalpha stake complements a portfolio that has included investments in tokenized real assets and regulated financial infrastructure. The company’s strategy has included selective allocations to fintech and on-chain finance ventures, with profits fueling these bets rather than reserve-backed liquidity alone.
Tether’s broader venture footprint and what it signals
Beyond Antalpha, Tether’s investment activity this year has spanned several notable deals. In March, the company led a $50 million funding round for Eight Sleep, a firm building sleep-focused wellness hardware and software, which valued the company at around $1.5 billion. In February, Tether acquired a roughly $150 million stake in Gold.com, representing about 12% ownership, as part of its push to widen access to tokenized gold through its XAUt stablecoin product. In the same month, Tether announced a $100 million equity investment in Anchorage Digital, a federally chartered U.S. digital asset bank that provides custody, settlement, and stablecoin issuance services to institutional clients.
CEO Paolo Ardoino has publicly highlighted the breadth of Tether’s venture exposure, noting that the firm has invested in more than 120 companies through its venture arm, with funding drawn from profits rather than from stablecoin reserves. This approach aims to diversify the company’s revenue streams and digital-asset ecosystem exposure while maintaining a cautious stance toward custodial and regulatory-compliant ventures.
Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Tether could pursue fresh capital at a valuation around $500 billion, with the company signaling that fundraising could be delayed if investor appetite does not materialize. The stake in Antalpha, along with the broader lineup of strategic bets, reinforces a narrative of continuous expansion into crypto infrastructure and related industries—an approach that aligns with Tether’s long-term ambition to anchor a broader ecosystem around stablecoins and on-chain finance.
Market context and what to watch next
Antalpha’s performance, combined with Tether’s growing investment footprint, offers a window into how stablecoin issuers are recalibrating their role in the crypto economy—from liquidity providers to strategic accelerators for on-chain assets, mining finance, and tokenized real-world assets. For investors, the key questions revolve around governance outcomes, the impact on Antalpha’s strategy and profitability, and how Tether’s venture portfolio may influence regulatory and market perceptions of stability-backed capital in crypto markets.
As the crypto landscape evolves, observers will watch how Tether’s stake translates into governance influence at Antalpha, how Antalpha leverages this partnership to scale its lending and financing operations, and how the broader set of Tether-backed ventures interacts with growth in mining, asset tokenization, and institutional-grade on-chain infrastructure.
Readers should stay attentive to Antalpha’s quarterly results and any subsequent regulatory disclosures that illuminate how such strategic holdings shape governance, risk, and value creation in the mining-finance niche and beyond.
Tether has taken an 8.2% stake in Antalpha, making the stablecoin issuer one of the company’s largest shareholders following its May 2025 initial public offering (IPO), according to a Monday filing.
The Schedule 13D filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission indicates that Tether now holds 1.95 million shares through related entities, with Giancarlo Devasini, chairman of Tether, sharing voting and dispositive power over the position.
The filing also states that Tether and its related entities may increase or reduce their holdings over time depending on market conditions and other factors.
Antalpha provides Bitcoin-backed lending and equipment financing to mining operators, reporting a loan portfolio of about $1.6 billion as of the end of 2024, and is closely tied to the Bitmain ecosystem, a major supplier of mining hardware.
Antalpha raised about $49.3 million in last year’s IPO at $12.80 per share, according to its prospectus. Tether had previously indicated interest in purchasing as much as $25 million worth of shares.
Antalpha reported 2025 revenue of $79.7 million, up 68% year over year, while net income rose to $18.5 million, more than tripling from the previous year.
On Monday, its shares rose about 7.2% to around $9.97 in early trading, per Google Finance data.
Tether is the issuer of Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, with a market cap of about $187 billion, roughly 58.4% of the total stablecoin market, which stands near $320.7 billion, according to DefiLlama data.
Related: Tether announces $150M recovery program for Drift Protocol
Tether expands investments across crypto infrastructure and beyond
Tether’s investment in Antalpha comes as the company is using its recent profits to expand into a range of sectors tied to digital assets, including mining, artificial intelligence, financial services and tokenized assets.
Earlier on Monday, real-world asset tokenization protocol Kaio said Tether participated in an $8 million funding round.
“The participation of Tether reflects direct strategic alignment,” the announcement said. “USDT has become the dominant settlement layer for cross-border capital flows. KAIO provides the next layer: structured, compliant access to institutional-grade yield for USDT holders.”
In March, Tether led a $50 million investment in Eight Sleep, a company that develops sleep-focused products such as smart mattresses and wellness systems, valuing it at $1.5 billion.
In February, the company acquired a $150 million stake in Gold.com, representing about 12% ownership, as part of a push to expand access to tokenized gold through its XAUt product.
The same month, Tether made a $100 million equity investment in Anchorage Digital, a federally chartered US digital asset bank that provides custody, settlement and stablecoin issuance services to institutional clients.
CEO Paolo Ardoino said in July that Tether has invested in more than 120 companies through its venture arm, with those investments funded from company profits rather than stablecoin reserves.
Earlier this month, Tether was reported to be seeking fresh capital at a $500 billion valuation, with the company indicating it could delay the raise if investor demand falls short.
Magazine: Adam Back says current demand is ‘almost’ enough to send Bitcoin to $1M
Iran peace talks entered their most uncertain phase yet Monday as Vice President JD Vance prepared to lead a delegation to Islamabad alongside envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Axios reported, even as Iran’s Foreign Ministry formally stated it has “no plans” for a second round and Tehran suspected the invitation was cover for a surprise US military strike before Wednesday’s ceasefire expiry.
Summary
- Two US Air Force C-17 cargo planes landed at a Pakistani air base Sunday carrying security equipment, and Islamabad’s Red Zone was locked down with thousands of security personnel deployed in anticipation of a US arrival.
- Trump told Axios: “I feel fine about it. The concept of the deal is done. I think we have a very good chance to get it completed,” directly contradicting Iran’s public rejection of talks.
- Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed its counterpart spoke with Iran’s foreign minister by phone Sunday about “the need for continued dialogue,” leaving a narrow window for Iran to reverse its stance.
Iran peace talks are entering their most consequential 48 hours with the ceasefire set to expire Wednesday and no Iranian delegation publicly confirmed. The US delegation is traveling regardless. Pakistan has kept Islamabad under security lockdown in anticipation of a second round, with thousands of paramilitary and army personnel deployed through the Red Zone.
The US team, the same configuration that led the failed first round on April 11 and 12, is led by Vance and includes Witkoff and Kushner. Two US Air Force C-17 cargo planes had already landed at a Pakistani air base Sunday with security equipment and vehicles, signaling the delegation was committed to arriving whether or not Iran confirmed participation.
Tehran has told intermediaries it believes the US announcement of talks is designed to build a “blame game” narrative: publicly committing to negotiations while preparing military strikes to coincide with the ceasefire expiry. The Sunday seizure of the Touska, arriving hours after Trump announced the Pakistan talks, reinforced that suspicion. Iran’s Foreign Ministry described US statements about negotiations as “a media game.”
Iran’s chief negotiator Ghalibaf said in state television remarks Saturday that Iran’s armed forces remain “ready” even while pursuing diplomacy, framing the two tracks as simultaneous rather than alternative. The original ceasefire was announced hours before a midnight deadline during which Trump had threatened “a whole civilization will die tonight.” Iran’s negotiating team arrived at the first round dressed in black, in mourning for those killed in the war. The level of institutional mistrust is not rhetorical.
What Pakistan Is Attempting as Mediator
Pakistan has framed this engagement as an ongoing “Islamabad process” rather than a single discrete round, giving itself diplomatic room to survive a second collapse without the entire framework breaking down. Prime Minister Sharif spoke with Iranian President Pezeshkian on Sunday. Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has served as the primary interlocutor between delegations throughout the conflict.
Despite Iran’s public rejection, Pakistani authorities completed Red Zone security preparations, suggesting Islamabad has reasons to believe Iran may still participate. An Iranian parliamentary official told Al Jazeera that Iran would “likely” send a team Monday or Tuesday, a gap between the Foreign Ministry’s statement and the parliamentary official’s remark that Pakistan is actively working to close.
What the Outcome Means for Crypto Markets
The next 48 hours will determine which scenario plays out for Bitcoin price markets. A ceasefire extension or genuine deal replicates the April 8 template: oil crashes and BTC surges, potentially toward $80,000. A confirmed collapse with resumed strikes tests the institutional demand floor below $70,000.
The Iran nuclear sticking point remains the hardest to bridge: the US requires Iran to permanently halt uranium enrichment, and Iran has said it will not surrender its 440-kilogram stockpile. A second round would need to find a formula, such as third-party custody of the stockpile, that neither side has publicly endorsed but that both have reportedly discussed through Pakistani intermediaries.
If Michael Saylor can sustain his trailing four-week pace of bitcoin (BTC) buying, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) could own more than Satoshi Nakamoto by September 2026.
Buying at the world’s largest BTC treasury company now averages nearly 2,800 BTC per trading day after accelerating 40% over the last four weeks above its year-to-date average.
Strategy has publicly targeted 1 million BTC under its so-called 21/21 capital plan.
Monday’s SEC Form 8-K filing pushed the company’s holdings to 815,061 BTC. Saylor picked up 34,164 BTC last week alone, a single-week record for 2026, at an average purchase price of $74,395 per coin.
Strategy’s blended cost basis across all holdings is now $75,527, which sits within 1% of the prevailing market price of BTC.
Although there are a variety of estimates for the total holdings of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, 1.1 million is a common estimate. For example, Arkham Intelligence attributes 1,096,354 BTC to Satoshi from roughly 22,000 coinbase rewards of the blockchain’s earliest blocks.
Strategy is a mere 281,293 coins short of that figure.
If Saylor continues his pace over the last 30 days through autumn, Strategy could close the gap in 101 trading days, or about 147 calendar days.
Strategy could buy more bitcoin than Satoshi
Strategy can buy and hold BTC around the clock, but it cannot fund new buys 24/7. At the market (ATM) offerings of MSTR common stock; as well as the preferreds STRC, STRK, STRF, and STRD; occur when Nasdaq is open.
Any realistic projection of when Strategy might own more BTC than Satoshi has to measure pace by trading day, i.e. roughly 21 trading days per month adjusted for federal market holidays.
Year-to-date through April 19, Strategy has bought 142,561 BTC for roughly $11.13 billion across 73 trading days. That’s approximately 1,953 BTC per trading day.
Extrapolating the 2026 average through November 13 would put Strategy past Satoshi on that date.
However, the trailing four weeks are running about 40% hotter than the first quarter. Strategy’s last four weekly announcements, covering March 23 through April 19, totaled 52,962 BTC across 19 trading days.
That acceleration tracks Strategy’s March 23 expansion of its ATM sales. On that day, the company authorized another $21 billion of new MSTR common stock, $21 billion of new STRC preferreds, and a more limited $2.1 billion of STRK preferreds.
Saylor posted, “The Second Century Begins” in early March. He meant that Strategy had just completed its 100th BTC purchase since 2020. Six weeks into his “second century,” Saylor has bought another 76,330 BTC.
STRC preferred is doing most of the work
Of the roughly $11.34 billion Strategy has raised this year through its ATMs, almost all of which went to buy BTC, MSTR common stock provided about 50.8% or $5.77 billion. STRC provided 49.1% or $5.57 billion.
STRF and STRD preferreds contributed nothing, and STRK raised just $3.4 million.
Thanks to an aggressive advertising campaign likening STRC to a high-yield bank account or money market fund — in addition to a surge in trading volume to capture the dividend snapshot for STRC’s then-once-monthly, 11.5% annualized dividend — Strategy reported $2.2 billion of STRC sales, dwarfing its $366 million of MSTR sales.
Although MSTR has historically funded the vast majority of Strategy’s BTC buying, STRC funded 85% of last week’s purchase.
Last year, in contrast, Strategy sold zero STRC through its ATM from August through October 2025.
Read more: STRC controversy goes mainstream
STRC is supposed to trade near $100 per share, but shares have traded below $91 at times. The company has raised its dividend rate seven times in order to encourage bids after its price fell.
Strategy has also been stockpiling a few dollars, not just BTC.
The company disclosed $2.25 billion USD as of January 4. This cash is earmarked to service preferred dividends and bond interest payments. The reserve started at $1.44 billion in December 2025.
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Solana (SOL) price trades at $84.15 on the 12-hour chart, attempting a rebound from the $82.93 support. A hidden bullish divergence has formed between April 15 and April 19, signaling that selling momentum may be exhausting.
However, rising sell volume and a massive spike in exchange inflows complicate the setup. Someone is consistently offloading SOL into each rebound attempt, and the DeFi contagion spreading from Ethereum explains why.
Price Flashes a Rebound Signal but Sell Volume Tells a Different Story
Solana price peaked at $90.79 on April 17 before pulling back sharply. The low at $82.93 on April 19 marked a higher low compared a level reached on April 15. During that same window, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) printed a lower low. RSI is a momentum indicator that measures the speed of recent price changes.
That pattern is a hidden bullish divergence. Price made a higher low while RSI made a lower low, which typically signals that selling pressure is weakening. A rebound attempt has already started from that level.
Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.
Yet volume tells the opposite story. Sell-side volume has been rising since April 18, even as RSI suggests momentum is fading. That combination carries a specific meaning. Fewer percentage moves per sell wave, paired with more participants, points to distribution rather than panic. Someone is consistently unloading SOL into each small rebound.
Meanwhile, the likely source is the spreading DeFi contagion. Following the KelpDAO rsETH exploit, Solana’s Kamino Prime Market USDC reserve hit 100% utilization on April 20.
Zero liquidity is available. Multiple USDC vaults are above 95% utilization. Funds with stuck USDC positions may be selling SOL on spot markets to raise cash. That pressure creates the supply cap the chart is showing.
Exchange Inflows Surge 1,102% as Hodlers Add Nearly 500K SOL
On-chain data confirms the forced-selling thesis. The SOL Exchange Net Position Change has exploded. This metric tracks the 30-day flow of coins into or out of exchange wallets.
Meanwhile, on April 15, the metric read 109,932 SOL. By April 19, it had surged to 1,321,484 SOL. That is a 1,102% increase in four days. More SOL is now sitting on exchanges, typically a precursor to selling.
Yet the other side of the market is doing the opposite. The SOL Hodler Net Position Change is climbing. This metric tracks the 30-day change in supply held by wallets older than 155 days.
On April 16, hodlers held a net 2,434,566 SOL added over the prior month. By April 19, that figure had climbed to 2,921,661 SOL. Long-term holders added roughly 487,000 SOL in three days, a 20% jump.
The split is the key to the entire picture. Forced sellers from the DeFi crisis are possibly depositing to exchanges. Long-term holders are absorbing the supply. That structure produces a shallow rebound rather than a collapse, with each side fighting for control at specific price levels.
Solana Price Levels That Decide Between a Shallow Bounce and a Breakdown
Solana price at $84.15 sits between two tight levels. The first upside test is $85.42. A clean move above that strengthens the rebound. However, the next resistance at $90.79 is the April 17 high, a level that already rejected once. A reclaim there would neutralize the current weakness and open a path toward $93.40.
Yet if forced sellers overwhelm the hodler bid, the rebound fails. A touch of $82.93 invalidates the hidden bullish divergence. A break of $82.11, the 0.618 Fibonacci, opens $79.95 and $76.74 as the next downside targets.
Solana price at $82.93 separates a rebound that holds long-term conviction from a breakdown driven by the DeFi crisis.
The post Solana Tries to Rebound but a DeFi Contagion Sends 1.32 Million SOL to Exchanges appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Gudtrip, the AI-powered weed vape created by “vape-to-earn” firm Puffpaw, has been branded a contender for the “grifter buzzword world record” this 4/20.
On today of all days, X users decided to comment on Gudtrip’s claims that it combines “premium cannabis, blockchain rewards, and AI-powered asset tools in one product,” asking, “Is Gudtrip going for a grifter buzzword world record?”
Gudtrip says it will reward its users with “Bitcoin [BTC], Gudtrip Points, and VAPE token” when they smoke using the device.
As for the AI integration, Gudtrip says that users wishing to invest their crypto rewards can use its “open-source AI agent tools to explore supported blockchain-based strategies.”
Another X user said, “In a just world, ‘AI-powered crypto weed vape’ is an object that when conceived opens a chasm to hell beneath your feet,” while one claimed, “I’ve never seen a group of more ridiculous buzz words surrounding a drug device please dear god fuck off with your crypto/agentic AI bullshit scam thanks.”
While puffing on your vape, you’re likely to be accruing its VAPE token — the price of which Protos has been unable to confirm — rather than the 20 BTC worth $1.5 million its promotional images suggest.
Read more: Crypto’s smoking ‘solution’ will likely create more vape addicts
Just last week, shoe firm Allbirds was able to juice its stock by 508% after pivoting its operations towards investment in AI data centers.
AI has also been a major buzzword linked to many big-name layoffs this year.
Many on social media weren’t at all impressed with theGudtrip concept, with some asking for ways to short the product. Others described it as a sign of a “bubble.”
Attempting to join in on the joke that is ripping into Gudtrip’s buzzword playbook, its own founder, Reffo Tse, also asked “how do I short this?”
Read more: AI agents want to identify your crypto wallet using social media
Puffpaw’s ‘vape-to-earn’ would only make addictions worse
When Tse first released the vaping device Puffpaw, he promised to disincentivize vaping by offering users crypto rewards for using smaller amounts of nicotine.
However, it was mocked by users who noted that a vaping habit tied to a financial incentive will only incentivize continuous vaping.
UK Addiction Treatment Centres told Protos that Puffpaw wasn’t going to lower the usage of vapes. It said, “If anything, it could have the complete opposite effect because of the enticing gamification and crypto reward that comes with vaping.”
Read more: Snoop Dogg quits ‘smoke’ amid NFT, edibles launch rumors
The addiction center said Puffpaw might “worsen a person’s addiction,” and that it feels like “a corporate way of making money off people trying to quit smoking and lead healthier lives.”
The vaping product seems not to have been enough for Puffpaw’s CEO, however, and Gudtrip entered the scene in October 2025.
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Crypto audiences don’t read the way they used to. They scan, they watch, and they move fast. Our latest updates to the homepage and article pages are a direct response to that reality; introducing a dedicated video block, new social media CTAs, and UI improvements across both surfaces. This builds on last year’s full site redesign across all 26 global domains, and takes it further.
What’s new at a glance
- Video block: A dedicated section for video content, now placed prominently on article pages
- Social media CTAs: New call-to-action elements connecting editorial content to BeInCrypto’s social channels
- UI improvements: Visual hierarchy and layout updates across both the homepage and article pages, reinforcing the mobile-first approach from the September redesign
Built For How People Read Today
According to Vlada Morhunova, Product Manager at BeInCrypto, internal analytics revealed a clear split between how desktop and mobile users navigate the site.
“Desktop users tend to navigate more deliberately. They browse categories, use search, and explore related content. Mobile users behave more like scanners, relying heavily on what’s immediately visible on the page. With mobile accounting for the majority of our global traffic, we needed the homepage and article page layouts to serve that scanning behavior more effectively.”
The homepage and article pages were the clear priority. They are the two highest-traffic touchpoints across the entire product, where returning readers land and where most new visitors arrive from search and social. “If we improve the experience here,” Morhunova notes, “it lifts virtually every engagement metric across the board.”
Video is Now a First-class Format
The most visible change is the dedicated video block on article pages. It responds to a well-documented shift in how audiences consume information online.
According to Statista and DataReportal data from Q2 2025, 94.6% of internet users worldwide now watch online videos on a monthly basis.
The shift from traditional to digital viewing has reached a milestone: in May 2025, streaming overtook the combined share of broadcast and cable television for the first time ever in the US, accounting for 44.8% of total TV viewing. By December 2025 that share had climbed to a record 47.5% (Nielsen The Gauge, January 2026).
The shift is just as visible in the news sector. According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025 the proportion of people consuming video news globally jumped from 67% to 75% in just two years, with social video rising from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025.
At BeInCrypto’s Executive Council earlier this year, senior leaders from Bitpanda, Dune, and Libertex worked through the same signals: SimilarWeb data presented at the session showed that average monthly web traffic to the top 1,000 sites has declined more than 11% over five years. These homepage and article page updates are a product of that direction, not a reaction to it.
“Video is no longer a secondary format for us,” says Morhunova. “We’re investing significantly in video production, and the new designs reflect that by surfacing video content much earlier in the user journey. The goal is for video to be a natural part of how users consume crypto news on BeInCrypto.”
Social CTAs: Extending the Reader’s Journey
New call-to-action blocks across article pages connect editorial content to BeInCrypto’s social channels, creating more touchpoints beyond the article itself.
According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, social media and video have now displaced television as the primary news source in the US for the first time. Pew Research Center data from September 2025 adds further detail: one in five US adults now regularly get news on TikTok, up from just 3% in 2020; the fastest growth of any platform Pew has studied for news consumption.
- YouTube and Facebook are the top two platforms for news overall, with 35% and 38% of US adults getting news there regularly (Pew Research Center, August 2025).
This is not a trend unique to BeInCrypto. According to Meltwater and We Are Social’s Digital 2026 report (October 2025), social media ads are now the top driver of brand awareness for internet users aged 16 to 34, ahead of both search engines and TV advertising. The platforms where people discover content are the same platforms where they discover brands. Building stronger connections between editorial and social is how media outlets stay relevant in that environment.
Part of a Broader Roadmap
The September 2025 redesign established the platform architecture. This update addresses the content surfaces that matter most. What comes next goes further: expanded markets and TradFi data widgets, the next phase of the Experts Network pages, and continued improvements across all 26 language editions.
“We’re systematically modernizing BeInCrypto’s frontend architecture to be faster, more modular, and better suited to the diverse global audience we serve,” says Morhunova.
BeInCrypto reaches millions of monthly readers across 26 languages. These updates are part of a continuous investment in the product experience that underpins that reach, and a signal to partners that the platform is evolving to match where audiences are going.
The post BeInCrypto Expands Content Experience with New Homepage and Article Features appeared first on BeInCrypto.
IRGC news on Monday confirmed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared they will take “necessary action against the terrorist US military” once the safety of the Touska’s crew is confirmed, CNN reported, after the USS Spruance fired on the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman and US Marines rappelled from helicopters to board and seize the ship.
Summary
- The IRGC said it faced “certain limitations” responding immediately because family members of the crew were on board, making the retaliation conditional rather than cancelled.
- The USS Spruance fired several rounds from its 5-inch gun after the Touska ignored six hours of warnings, then US Marines boarded via helicopter and took full custody of the vessel.
- Iran’s joint military command separately warned that any attack on civilian targets will produce retaliation that is “much more devastating and widespread” than anything seen in the conflict to date.
IRGC news from Monday’s CNN report confirmed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were prepared to retaliate for the Touska seizure but were constrained by crew family members aboard. The IRGC, via the Tasnim News Agency, stated it was “prepared to respond decisively” and described the US action as “blatant aggression.” The retaliation was conditional, not cancelled.
“Once the safety of the families and crew of the vessel targeted by the United States is ensured, the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take the necessary action against the terrorist US military,” the statement said.
The Touska is an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel nearly 900 feet long that attempted to cross the US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday. US Central Command reported it ignored warnings over a six-hour period. The USS Spruance fired several rounds from its 5-inch gun before US Marines rappelled from helicopters and took custody of the ship. Trump announced the seizure on Truth Social, calling the attempt something that “did not go well for them.”
The seizure crosses a qualitatively different threshold from all prior confrontations in the conflict. Iranian IRGC gunboats firing on commercial tankers, attacking Gulf state infrastructure, and even firing on US warships are all actions that have occurred in the current conflict without triggering a direct US-Iran military exchange. The US boarding and seizing an Iranian-flagged vessel is a new category.
Iran is legally and politically compelled to respond with force or concede that the US can freely seize its ships under blockade enforcement. The presence of crew family members aboard introduced a practical constraint on any immediate counter-strike. The IRGC’s specific language makes the conditional nature explicit: retaliation is deferred, not abandoned. Markets and policymakers should expect an Iranian military response within days of the crew situation being resolved.
Iran’s joint military command issued a parallel statement warning that “if attacks on civilian targets are repeated, the next stages of our offensive and retaliatory operations will be much more devastating and widespread,” adding a second threat track alongside the IRGC’s vessel-specific vow.
What Makes This Seizure Different From Prior Escalations
When Iran fires on commercial tankers, the immediate victims are private shipping companies. When the US boards and seizes an Iranian-flagged vessel, Iran faces a sovereign humiliation requiring a proportional state-level response. Trump’s public description of the event, framed as Iran failing in an attempt that “did not go well for them,” removes any diplomatic ambiguity and makes a face-saving off-ramp significantly harder to construct.
What happens to the Touska, its cargo, and its crew now determines the escalation path. If the US uses the ship as a negotiating chip, offering to return the crew and cargo in exchange for ceasefire concessions, a narrow exit exists. If the US treats the vessel as a war prize to be permanently retained, the IRGC’s stated intention to retaliate becomes near-certain once crew safety is confirmed.
The Crypto Market Implication
For Bitcoin markets, a confirmed Iranian military strike on US naval assets would constitute a new category of escalation beyond anything the ceasefire period has produced. The institutional demand floor that has kept BTC above $70,000 through the conflict has absorbed successive escalations with each drawdown smaller than the last. A direct US-Iran naval exchange would test whether that floor holds under the most severe risk-off scenario the conflict has presented, with Brent crude likely breaking through $100 and all macro tailwinds for risk assets reversing simultaneously.
Key Takeaways
- Mizuho slashed PayPal’s rating from “Outperform” to “Neutral” while reducing the price target to $50 from $60
- X Money, Elon Musk’s upcoming payment solution, poses significant competitive risks to PayPal’s peer-to-peer payment operations
- Fourth-quarter results disappointed — earnings per share of $1.23 versus $1.29 analyst expectations; sales totaled $8.68B against $8.82B forecasts
- Company insiders offloaded 87,608 shares totaling approximately $3.83M during the last three months
- Wall Street’s consensus stands at “Hold” with a mean price objective of $56.61
PayPal is navigating challenging waters as Wall Street analysts adopt a more conservative stance. Mizuho Financial Group recently lowered its assessment of PYPL from “Outperform” to “Neutral,” simultaneously slashing the price objective by $10 — dropping from $60 to $50.
With shares trading near $50, this revised target implies minimal room for appreciation. The rating change signals Mizuho’s reassessment of PayPal’s market standing beyond immediate financial metrics.
The catalyst? Elon Musk’s X Money initiative. Set for an April debut, this payment solution is designed as the financial infrastructure of Musk’s “super app” vision. It merges payment processing, digital wallet functionality, and e-commerce capabilities — all integrated within X’s platform.
This description closely mirrors PayPal and Venmo’s core offerings. Mizuho identified X Money as a significant competitive challenge to PayPal’s peer-to-peer transaction services and branded payment solutions.
X boasts more than 400 million active monthly users. This represents a substantial ready-made customer base for any financial service launch. The platform is reportedly preparing to roll out cashtags for monitoring equities and cryptocurrencies, alongside potential collaboration with Visa.
Additional speculation suggests that X Money might provide yields approaching 6% on account balances — a capability that would position it as a serious alternative to established fintech offerings.
Quarterly Results Fell Short of Expectations
PayPal’s latest financial performance did little to alleviate investor concerns. The company posted fourth-quarter earnings of $1.23 per share, missing the $1.29 Wall Street consensus. Revenue registered at $8.68 billion versus projections of $8.82 billion.
While revenue increased 4% compared to the prior year, such modest expansion fails to inspire confidence as competitive pressures mount across multiple segments.
Market observers project annual EPS of $5.03 for PayPal. Shares currently trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.39, appearing inexpensive — though the valuation discount reflects underlying concerns.
Citi and Wells Fargo both maintain Hold positions on the security, pointing to decelerating growth prospects and eroding market position. Goldman Sachs adopted a more bearish stance, reducing its target to $41 with a “Sell” recommendation issued in February.
Bank of America initiated coverage during March with a “Neutral” outlook and $48 price objective. Across the 45 analysts monitored by MarketBeat, 7 recommend Buy, 32 suggest Hold, and 6 advise Sell.
Institutional Investors and Company Insiders Reduce Holdings
Waterfront Wealth Inc. reduced its PYPL holdings by 45.8% during the fourth quarter, divesting 22,251 shares. The fund’s remaining position of 26,372 shares carried a value near $1.495 million at period close.
Company insiders have also been net sellers. During the previous 90 days, executives and directors disposed of 87,608 shares valued at roughly $3.83 million. Notable transactions include insider Suzan Kereere reducing ownership by 54.83% in February, while CAO Chris Natali cut his stake by 65.95% in March.
Institutional ownership remains substantial at 68.32% of outstanding shares. While certain smaller funds marginally increased positions in the third quarter, larger portfolio adjustments have predominantly involved position reductions.
PayPal’s 52-week trading range extends from $38.46 to $79.50. Shares opened Monday’s session at $50.81, trading above the 50-day moving average of $44.88 yet considerably beneath the 200-day average of $55.76.
The company maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.14, equating to an annual payout of $0.56 and yielding approximately 1.1%.
Key Highlights
- BlackBerry shares climbed approximately 15% following news of enhanced NVIDIA collaboration
- Partnership brings together QNX OS for Safety 8.0 and NVIDIA’s IGX Thor technology
- Target applications include safety-critical edge AI for industrial automation and robotics
- Announcement came weeks after the company exceeded quarterly earnings expectations
- Recent insider activity shows $260K in sales with zero purchases over three months
Shares of BlackBerry (BB) experienced a dramatic rally exceeding 15% on April 20, 2026, driven by news of an enhanced technology alliance with NVIDIA (NVDA).
The collaboration focuses on merging BlackBerry’s QNX OS for Safety 8.0 operating system with NVIDIA’s IGX Thor computing platform alongside the Halos Safety Stack. This integration aims to enable engineers to create and launch mission-critical edge AI applications.
The strategic initiative zeros in on industries demanding absolute dependability — specifically industrial automation and advanced robotics. In these environments, software malfunctions transcend mere technical glitches and become serious liability concerns.
Blackberry’s QNX platform has maintained a steady presence in the safety-certified operating system landscape. This alliance provides the technology with prominent exposure through NVIDIA’s cutting-edge hardware.
Market sentiment was amplified by recent context. BlackBerry had delivered better-than-expected quarterly results in early April, generating renewed investor interest even before this partnership was unveiled.
The dual catalyst — strong financial results combined with a prominent AI-focused announcement — propelled shares significantly higher during Monday trading.
Breaking Down the NVIDIA Integration
The NVIDIA IGX Thor architecture serves edge AI deployments in harsh operational conditions. Combining it with QNX OS for Safety 8.0 delivers engineers a certified, real-time operating foundation for systems requiring stringent safety compliance.
The Halos Safety Stack enhances the package by providing additional functional safety capabilities. This comprehensive toolkit targets developers creating advanced robotics and industrial AI solutions.
BlackBerry has consistently expanded its software and IoT presence. Earlier in 2026, the company secured an agreement with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Leap Motor, demonstrating ongoing traction in automotive markets.
Current Stock Positioning
BB traded near $4.86 when the partnership was disclosed. According to GuruFocus analysis, the GF Value stands at $3.58, suggesting the stock trades roughly 35.8% above the platform’s calculated fair value estimate.
The price-to-earnings ratio currently registers at 59.73x, significantly lower than the five-year median of 113.81x — indicating valuation compression from historical peaks, though still elevated in absolute terms.
The company’s GF Score of 71 out of 100 demonstrates respectable financial strength and growth metrics, though a profitability ranking of merely 3 out of 10 highlights persistent challenges converting revenue into sustainable earnings.
Regarding insider transactions, no purchases occurred during the previous three months. Sales by company insiders totaled $260,489 during this timeframe.
Daily trading volume averages approximately 8 million shares. Prior to today’s surge, BB had gained roughly 8.4% year-to-date.
Technical indicators already signaled a buy rating before the session’s rally commenced.
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