Mantra CEO says OM token recovery ‘primary concern’ but in early stages
Mantra CEO John Mullin addressed key concerns from the community following the sharp decline in the OM token during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session hosted by Cointelegraph on April 14.Mullin reassured users that Mantra and its partners are actively working to support the recovery of the Mantra (OM) token, though he noted that details around token buybacks and potential burns are still being developed.“We’re still in the early stages of putting together this plan for potential buyback of tokens,” the CEO said, adding that the OM token recovery is Mantra’s “preeminent and primary concern right now.”At the time of writing, OM traded at $0.73, slightly higher than its post-collapse low of $0.52 recorded on April 13 at around 7:30 pm UTC, according to data from CoinGecko.“Baseless allegations”In addition to denying reports claiming that key Mantra investors dumped the OM token pre-crash, the Mantra CEO also denied allegations that the Mantra team controls 90% of the token’s supply.“I think it’s baseless. We posted a community transparency report last week, and it shows all the different wallets,” Mullin said, highlighting the “two sides” of Mantra’s tokenomics.Source: Cointelegraph“You have the Ethereum side and you have the mainnet side,” Mullin noted, adding the Ethereum-based token is hard capped and has been around since August 2020. “The biggest holder of OM on exchange is Binance,” Mullin continued, referring the public to Etherscan records.The top eight addresses of OM holdings. Source: EtherscanHowever, the top OM wallet is currently held by crypto exchange OKX, which controls 14% of the circulating supply, or roughly 130 million tokens.What’s next for Mantra’s $109-million MEF fund?Mullin also addressed the Mantra Ecosystem Fund (MEF), a $109-million fund launched on April 7 in collaboration with its major strategic investors, including Laser Digital and Shorooq.Other investors in the fund also included Brevan Howard Digital, Valor Capital, Three Point Capital, Amber Group, Manifold, UoB Venture, Damac, Fuse, LVNA Capital, Forte and others.Related: Mantra bounces 200% after OM price crash but poses LUNA-like ‘big scandal’ riskAccording to Mullin, the fund does not solely consist of Mantra’s OM token and has “dollar commitments and dollar contributions.”Investors in Mantra’s $109-million fund. Source: Mantra“We’ll continue to invest and support the ecosystem as part of this recovery plan,” the CEO stated.End of the staking program on BinanceIn the AMA, the Mantra CEO also said that a 38-million-OM transaction to the Binance cold wallet on April 14 is related to a staking program on Binance.“It was actually Binance,” Mullin said, adding that Binance had OM tokens on its exchange that it was using as a staking program.Source: Onchain Lens“So, they just returned them because the staking program ended,” he said.Mullin also emphasized that many of the transactions that caught the community’s reactions post-crash involved collaterals by an unnamed exchange.“Effectively, those tokens were being used as collateral on an exchange. Then, the exchange decided that it was not the position they wanted to maintain anymore, for whatever reason,” Mullin said, adding:“So, what happened was basically the positions were taken over by the exchange that took the collateral and started selling, which caused a cascade of sell pressure and forced more liquidations.”Mullin said Mantra remains committed to addressing the situation as transparently as possible.“We’re not running from anything,” he said, adding that the incident was a “very unfortunate situation.”Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6–12
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin: ‘Privacy is freedom’
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said privacy should be a top priority for developers, warning that assumptions about transparency and good intentions in global politics are overly optimistic.In an April 14 blog post, Buterin argued that privacy is essential to maintain individual freedom and protect against the growing power of governments and corporations. He criticized the idea that increased transparency is inherently beneficial, saying it relies on assumptions about human nature that are no longer valid.“These assumptions include believing that global political leadership is generally well-intentioned and sane, and that social culture continues to progress in a positive direction,” Buterin wrote. “Both are proving to be increasingly untrue.”Buterin claimed there was “no single major country for which the first assumption is broadly agreed to be true.” Furthermore, he wrote that cultural tolerance is “rapidly regressing,” which is reportedly demonstrable by an X post search for “bullying is good.” Buterin’s personal privacy issuesButerin said that he found his lack of privacy unsettling at times. He added:“Every single action I take outside has some nonzero chance of unexpectedly becoming a public media story.”Covertly taken photos of Vitalik Buterin. Source: Vitalik.ethWhile this may appear as a suggestion that privacy is an advantage only for those who venture outside the social norms, he highlighted that “you never know when you will become one of them.”Buterin only expects the need for privacy to increase as technology develops further, with brain-computer interfaces potentially allowing automated systems to peer directly into our brains. Another issue is automated price gouging, with companies charging individuals as much as they expect them to be able to pay.Related: Messaging apps are spying on you — Here’s how to stay safe in 2025There is no privacy with government backdoorsButerin also argued strongly against the idea of adding government backdoors to systems designed to protect privacy. He said such positions are common but inherently unstable.He highlighted how, in the case of Know Your Customer data, “it’s not just the government, it’s also all kinds of corporate entities, of varying levels of quality” that can access private data. Instead, the information is handled and held by payment processors, banks, and other intermediaries.Similarly, telecommunication companies can locate their users and have been found to illegally sell this data. Buterin also raised concerns that individuals with access will always be incentivized to abuse it, and data banks can always be hacked. Lastly, a trustworthy government can change and become untrustworthy in the future, inheriting all the sensitive data. He concluded:“From the perspective of an individual, if data is taken from them, they have no way to tell if and how it will be abused in the future. By far the safest approach to handling large-scale data is to centrally collect as little of it as possible in the first place.“Related: Privacy will unlock blockchain’s business potentialAuthorities have more data than everButerin raised the issue of governments being able to access anything with a warrant “because that‘s the way that things have always worked.” He noted that this point of view fails to consider that historically, the amount of data available for obtaining through a warrant was far lower.He said the traditionally available data would still be available even “if the strongest proposed forms of internet privacy were universally adopted.” He wrote that “in the 19ᵗʰ century, the average conversation happened once, via voice, and was never recorded by anyone.”Buterin’s proposed solutionsButerin suggested solutions based mainly on zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) because they allow for “fine-grained control of who can see what information.” ZK-proofs are cryptographic protocols that allow one party to prove a statement is true without revealing any additional information.One such system is a ZK-proof-based proof of personhood that proves you are unique without revealing who you are. These systems rely on documents like passports or biometric data paired with decentralized systems.Another solution suggested is the recently launched privacy pools, which allow for regulatory-compliant Ether (ETH) anonymization. Buterin also cited on-device anti-fraud scanning, checking incoming messages and identifying potential misinformation and scams.These systems are proof of provenance services for physical items using a combination of blockchain and ZK-proof technology. They track various properties of an item throughout its manufacturing cycle, ensuring the user of its authenticity.The post follows Buterin’s recent privacy roadmap for Ethereum. In it, he highlighted the short-term changes to the base protocol and ecosystem needed to ensure better user privacy.Magazine: Cypherpunk AI: Guide to uncensored, unbiased, anonymous AI in 2025
Michael Saylor’s Strategy buys $285M Bitcoin amid market uncertainty
Michael Saylor’s digital asset firm, Strategy, purchased 3,459 Bitcoin for $285.5 million, signaling continued confidence in Bitcoin even as global markets face trade-related headwinds.Strategy acquired the 3,459 Bitcoin (BTC) for $285.5 million at an average price of $82,618 per BTC. The purchase brings Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings to 531,644 BTC, acquired for a cumulative $35.92 billion at an average price of $67,556 per coin, achieving an over 11.4% yield since the beginning of 2025, Saylor wrote in an April 14 X post.Source: Michael SaylorThe $285 million purchase marks Strategy’s first Bitcoin investment since March 31, when the company acquired $1.9 billion worth of Bitcoin, Cointelegraph reported.According to data from Saylortracker, the firm is currently sitting on more than $9.1 billion in unrealized profit, representing a 25% gain on its total Bitcoin position as of 12:20 pm UTC.Strategy total Bitcoin holdings. Source: Saylortracker Strategy’s continued accumulation comes despite a broader market pullback and declining appetite for risk assets. The downturn has been largely attributed to uncertainty surrounding global trade policy after US President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs.Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher reciprocal tariffs on April 9, reverting the tariffs to the 10% baseline for most countries, except for China, which currently faces a 145% import tariff.Related: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state paymentsThis is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.
Mantra bounces 200% after OM price crash but poses LUNA-like 'big scandal' risk
Mantra’s OM (OM) token staged a sharp rebound after plunging 90% over the weekend, following an active response from the project’s team addressing allegations of a rug pull scam.OM bounces 200% as co-founder addresses concernsAs of April 14, OM was trading for as high as $1.10, almost 200% higher when compared to its post-crash low of $0.37 a day prior. OM/USDT daily price chart. Source: TradingViewThe rebound came after Mantra addressed mounting rug-pull allegations. Co-founder JP Mullin reassured the community that the project remains active, pointing to the official Telegram group being “still online.”“We are here and not going anywhere,” Mullin wrote, also sharing a verification address to prove the team’s OM token holdings. He attributed the OM’s crash to “reckless forced closures initiated by centralized exchanges.”Source: JP Mullin The assurance calmed the OM token sell-off that had obliterated over $5 billion in market capitalization and liquidated $75.88 million worth of futures positions in a day.Numerous online commentators claimed the Mantra team, reportedly controlling 90% of the token supply, orchestrated the sell-off due to suspicious OM transfers to centralized exchanges right before the crash.Source: AltcoinGordonAnalyst Ed further alleged that the Mantra team used their OM holdings as collateral to secure high-risk loans on a centralized exchange. He noted that a sudden change in the platform’s loan risk parameters triggered a margin call, contributing to the token’s sharp decline. Source: EdExchanges adjust loan risk parameters to manage market volatility and protect themselves from potential insolvency due to falling collateral values. Centralized exchanges like OKX have changed their parameters after Mantra’s tokenomics update in October 2024.Notably, Mantra doubled the total supply of OM tokens from 888,888,888 to 1,777,777,777 in the said month. It further transitioned from a capped to an uncapped, inflationary model with an initial 8% annual inflation rate.Source: Wu BlockchainOKX CEO Star Xu called Mantra a “big scandal,” adding that it would release relevant reports regarding its crash in the coming days.OM bounce might resemble LUNA’s bull trap OM’s 200% rebound from its $0.37 low may look impressive, but its structure closely resembles the classic bull trap pattern seen in Terra’s LUNA debacle in May 2022.OM’s price has crashed below the 50-week exponential moving average (50-week EMA; the red wave) support near $3.25 and is now testing resistance at the 200-week EMA (the blue wave) at around $1.08.OM/USDT weekly price chart. Source: TradingViewMeanwhile, OM’s weekly relative strength index (RSI) has dropped to 33.31, signaling weakening momentum and increasing the risk of another breakdown.Related: What is a rug pull in crypto and 6 ways to spot it?This setup strongly mirrors LUNA’s post-crash behavior. After its sharp decline in May 2022, the price staged a brief recovery but failed to reclaim its 50-week and 200-week moving averages, triggering a deeper and more prolonged downtrend. LUNA/USD weekly price chart. Source: TradingViewJust like LUNA, OM now faces mounting skepticism despite the temporary bounce, with chartist AmiCatCrypto saying that the Mantra token can plunge 90% within a day after rallying for 100 days.“If you ask me if bull market is over. Short answer. YES,” she wrote, adding: “Any gains from this point is considered bounces.”This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Mantra says one particular exchange may have caused OM collapse
The team behind real-world tokenized asset blockchain Mantra says its native token’s sudden 90% plunge was caused by exchanges forcibly closing positions without notice, with one currently unnamed exchange potentially to blame. On April 13, Mantra (OM) price dropped from $6.30 to below $0.50, rapidly shedding over 90% of its $6 billion market cap.“We have determined that the OM market movements were triggered by reckless forced closures initiated by centralized exchanges on OM account holders,” Mantra co-founder John Mullin wrote in an April 13 statement on X.“The timing and depth of the crash suggest that a very sudden closure of account positions was initiated without sufficient warning or notice,” he added. Source: John Mullin“That this happened during low-liquidity hours on a Sunday evening UTC, early morning Asia time, points to a degree of negligence at best, or possibly intentional market positioning taken by centralized exchanges.”Mullin told an X user they believe one exchange “in particular” was to blame but said they were still “figuring out the details.” He told others that the centralized exchange in question wasn’t Binance. Mantra has an upcoming community connect on X, where Mullin says the team would share more information.Source: John MullinSome traders allege the token collapse was a rug pull, while others are speculating the Mantra team had used their tokens as collateral to take out a massive loan from a centralized exchange and the team fell prey to a loan risk parameter change, then a margin call.Mullin denied these theories in follow-up X posts, saying, “The team did not have a loan outstanding” and haven’t orchestrated a rug pull. “Tokens remain locked and subject to the published vesting periods. OM’s tokenomics remain intact, as shared last week in our latest token report. Our token wallet addresses are online and visible,” Mullin said.Source: John MullinThe price of OM staged a minor recovery in the aftermath of the price collapse, briefly returning above $1, but it is back down and currently trading around $0.7894, according to CoinGecko.The token hit an all-time high of just under $9 on Feb. 23 and is now down over 91% from that figure. Source: Star XuMillions of Mantra tokens moved in the week prior to collapse Blockchain analytics platform Spot On Chain said in an April 14 post to X that some OM whales moved 14.27 million tokens to the crypto exchange OKX three days before the crash. In March, the same whales picked up 84.15 million OM for $564.7 million.“Now, after a brutal 90% drop, their remaining 69.08 million OM is worth just $62.2 million, putting their total estimated loss at a staggering $406.3 million,” Spot On Chain said.“However, they may have hedged the position elsewhere, and it’s possible they contributed to the sharp drop.”Source: Spot On ChainAt the same time, blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain said that since April 7, at least 17 wallets deposited 43.6 million OM into crypto exchanges, representing 4.5% of the circulating supply. Related: Mantra unveils $108M fund to back real-world asset tokenization, DeFiIn January 2025, Mantra and investment conglomerate DAMAC signed a $1 billion deal to tokenize the investment conglomerate’s various assets. Meanwhile, Mantra announced on Feb. 19 that it had received a virtual asset service provider license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express
Mechanism Capital founder doubles Bitcoin position with a $200M long
Andrew Kang, founder of the crypto venture firm Mechanism Capital, has seemingly doubled down on his bet that Bitcoin will gain in price with a $200 million long position, onchain data shows. “Andrew Kang just doubled his Bitcoin position,” crypto analytics firm Arkham said in an April 12 X post. It explained a crypto address tied to Kang made another $100 million long bet on Bitcoin (BTC) with an expected profit, or loss, of $6.8 million.On April 9, Arkham noted that the Kang-tied wallet had put on a $100 million leverage-long bet on Bitcoin after US President Donald Trump posted to his Truth Social platform earlier the same day that “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT.”Source: ArkhamJust hours later, the Trump administration announced a 90-day pause on its global hiked tariff regime, which sent crypto and stocks rallying. The tariffs, first unveiled on April 2, had gone live just hours earlier and had tanked most financial markets.Kang said in an April 12 X post that trade war capitulation and a “Trump put” — the belief that the president will work to bump the stock market — “are the perfect combination for BTC to reverse a multi month downtrend.”Kang noted Trump’s April 9 Truth Social post could be a sign of the so-called “Trump put.” Source: Andrew KangMeanwhile, Senate Democrats called on the Securities and Exchange Commission in an April 11 letter to launch an insider trading and market manipulation probe into Trump and his affiliates over the post, which they said “appears to have previewed his plans” to pause the tariffs.Bitcoin choppy on tariff confusionBitcoin has seen an over 2% swing over the past 24 hours as the Trump administration went back and forth on tariff exemptions for Chinese electronic goods.Related: NFT trader faces prison for $13M tax fraud on CryptoPunk profitsBitcoin hit a 24-hour low of $83,197, wiping most of the gains it made before the weekend, but it has since recovered to trade flat over the past day at around $85,000 after briefly hitting a top of $85,315, CoinGecko data shows.Trump posted to Truth Social on April 13 that “there was no tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday,” April 11, but that levies on Chinese electronics are “moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket’” of 20%.Asia Express: Bitcoiner sex trap extortion? BTS firm’s blockchain disaster
Asia holds crypto liquidity, but US Treasurys will unlock institutional funds
Opinion by: Jack Lu, CEO of BounceBitFor years, crypto has promised a more open and efficient financial system. A fundamental inefficiency remains: the disconnect between US capital markets and Asia’s liquidity hubs.The United States dominates capital formation, and its recent embrace of tokenized treasuries and real-world assets signals a significant step toward blockchain-based finance. Meanwhile, Asia has historically been a global crypto trading and liquidity hub despite evolving regulatory shifts. These two economies operate, however, in silos, limiting how capital can move seamlessly into digital assets.This isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a structural weakness preventing crypto from becoming a true institutional asset class. Solving it will cause a new era of structured liquidity, making digital assets more efficient and attractive to institutional investors.The capital bottleneck holding crypto backInefficiency between US capital markets and Asian crypto hubs stems from regulatory fragmentation and a lack of institutional-grade financial instruments.US firms hesitate to bring tokenized treasuries onchain because of evolving regulations and compliance burdens. Meanwhile, Asian trading platforms operate in a different regulatory paradigm, with fewer barriers to trading but limited access to US-based capital. Without a unified framework, cross-border capital flow remains inefficient.Stablecoins bridge traditional finance and crypto by providing a blockchain-based alternative to fiat. They are not enough. Markets require more than just fiat equivalents. To function efficiently, they need yield-bearing, institutionally trusted assets like US Treasurys and bonds. Without these, institutional capital remains largely absent from crypto markets.Crypto needs a universal collateral standardCrypto must evolve beyond simple tokenized dollars and develop structured, yield-bearing instruments that institutions can trust. Crypto needs a global collateral standard that links traditional finance with digital assets. This standard must meet three core criteria.First, it must offer stability. Institutions will not allocate meaningful capital to an asset class that lacks a robust foundation. Therefore, collateral must be backed by real-world financial instruments that provide consistent yield and security.Recent: Hong Kong crypto payment firm RedotPay wraps $40M Series A funding roundSecond, it must be widely adopted. Just as Tether’s USDt (USDT) and USDC (USDC) became de facto standards for fiat-backed stablecoins, widely accepted yield-bearing assets are necessary for institutional liquidity. Market fragmentation will persist without standardization, limiting crypto’s ability to integrate with broader financial systems.Third, it must be DeFi-native. These assets must be composable and interoperable across blockchains and exchanges, allowing capital to move freely. Digital assets will remain locked in separate liquidity pools without onchain integration, preventing efficient market growth.Without this infrastructure, crypto will continue to operate as a fragmented financial system. To ensure that both US and Asian investors can access tokenized financial instruments under the same security and governance standard, institutions require a seamless, compliant pathway for capital deployment. Establishing a structured framework that aligns crypto liquidity with institutional financial principles will determine whether digital assets can truly scale beyond their current limitations.The rise of institutional-grade crypto liquidityA new generation of financial products is beginning to solve this issue. Tokenized treasuries, like BUIDL and USYC, function as stable-value, yield-generating assets, offering investors an onchain version of traditional fixed-income products. These instruments provide an alternative to traditional stablecoins, enabling a more capital-efficient system that mimics traditional money markets.Asian exchanges are beginning to incorporate these tokens, providing users access to yields from US capital markets. Beyond mere access, however, a more significant opportunity lies in packaging crypto exposure alongside tokenized US capital market assets in a way that meets institutional standards while remaining accessible in Asia. This will allow for a more robust, compliant and scalable system that connects traditional and digital finance.Bitcoin is also evolving beyond its role as a passive store of value. Bitcoin-backed financial instruments enable Bitcoin (BTC) to be restaked as collateral, unlocking liquidity while generating rewards. For Bitcoin to function effectively within institutional markets, however, it must be integrated into a structured financial system that aligns with regulatory standards, making it accessible and compliant for investors across regions.Centralized decentralized finance (DeFi), or “CeDeFi,” is the hybrid model that integrates centralized liquidity with DeFi’s transparency and composability, and is another key piece of this transition. For this to be widely adopted by institutional players, it must offer standardized risk management, clear regulatory compliance and deep integration with traditional financial markets. Ensuring that CeDeFi-based instruments — e.g., tokenized treasuries, BTC restaking or structured lending — operate within recognized institutional frameworks will be critical for unlocking large-scale liquidity.The key shift is not just about tokenizing assets. It’s about creating a system where digital assets can serve as effective financial instruments that institutions recognize and trust.Why this matters nowThe next phase of crypto’s evolution depends on its ability to attract institutional capital. The industry is at a turning point: Unless crypto establishes a foundation for seamless capital movement between traditional markets and digital assets, it will struggle to gain long-term institutional adoption.Bridging US capital with Asian liquidity is not just an opportunity — it is a necessity. The winners in this next phase of digital asset growth will be the projects that solve the fundamental flaws in liquidity and collateral efficiency, laying the groundwork for a truly global, interoperable financial system.Crypto was designed to be borderless. Now, it’s time to make its liquidity borderless, too.Opinion by: Jack Lu, CEO of BounceBit. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
StarkWare researchers propose smart contracts for Bitcoin with ColliderVM
Sidechain developer StarkWare and Weizmann Institute of Science researchers claim to have created a workaround for multiple Bitcoin script limitations.According to a recent research paper, the new design claims to allow the deployment of complex smart contracts on Bitcoin in a more capital-efficient manner. The new system may also be vastly more efficient from a computing standpoint.ColliderVM is a protocol designed to enable stateful computation on Bitcoin, allowing multi-step processes to be securely executed over multiple transactions. Traditionally, Bitcoin script output is not accessible to other scripts, making complex calculations nearly impossible.The researchers argue that ColliderVM could allow the use of Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge (STARKs) — a type of zero-knowledge proof — on Bitcoin without requiring consensus-level changes to the network. The architecture would let Bitcoin verify complex offchain computations with minimal onchain data.ColliderVM targets Bitcoin limitationsEach Bitcoin block can contain up to 4 million OPCodes (commands) across all transactions, and a single Bitcoin script can contain up to 1,000 stack elements (data entries). Furthermore, stateless execution means that each script executes without memory of previous state or intermediate computations from earlier transactions, making complex computations impractical.The BitVM implementation from a 2023 paper by Robin Linus from Bitcoin research firm ZeroSync allowed for complex smart contracts on Bitcoin but required fraud proofs. Fraud proofs are cryptographic proofs that prove a particular transaction or computation was performed incorrectly, possibly triggering corrective actions.Fraud-proof implementation typically requires operators to front capital for potential corrective actions. In BitVM, operators pay an advance to cover potentially fraudulent transactions, recovering the capital after the fraud-proof window closes.The new system is also more efficient from a computing point of view, compared with previous implementations, but still expensive. Previous implementations used cryptographic one-time signatures (Lamport and Winternitz) that were notably computationally heavy.ColliderVM draws from the November 2024 ColliderScript paper by researchers from StarkWare, web services firm Cloudflare and Bitcoin sidechain developer Blockstream. This system relies on a hash collision-based commitment setting a challenge to produce an input that, when run through a hash function, produces an output with pre-determined features.Related: A beginner’s guide to the Bitcoin Taproot upgradeThis setup requires significantly fewer computing resources from honest operators than from malicious actors.Computational resources needed by honest and malicious actors depending on collision difficulty. Source: ColliderVM paperHash, but no food or weedA hash is a non-reversible mathematical function that can be run on arbitrary data, producing a fixed-length alphanumeric string. Non-reversible means that it is impossible to run the computation in reverse to obtain the original data from a hash.This results in a sort of data ID identifying data to the bit, without containing any underlying data.Hash function examples. Source: WikimediaThis system — somewhat resembling Bitcoin (BTC) mining — requires significantly fewer hash operations compared to BitVM, reducing both script size and processing time. ColliderVM researchers claim to have reduced the number of those operations even further, by at least a factor of 10,000.The researchers seemingly suggest that this implementation is nearly making a STARKs-based Bitcoin sidechain practical. The paper reads:“We estimate that the Bitcoin script length for STARK proof verification becomes nearly practical, allowing it to be used alongside other, pairing-based proof systems common today in applications.”STARKs are a ZK-proof system recognized for their scalability and trustless nature (no trusted setup is needed). ZK-proofs are a cryptographic system that allows users to prove a particular feature of a piece of data without revealing the underlying data.Many early ZK-proof systems necessitated a one-time secure setup that relied on “toxic waste” data. If a party were to keep hold of the toxic waste, it would allow them to forge signatures and generate fraudulent proofs. STARKs do not rely on such a setup, making them trustless.Traditional implementation of STARK verifiers would require scripts that exceed Bitcoin’s limits. Now, researchers behind ColliderVM argue that their more efficient system approaches make an onchain verification script for STARK-proofs “nearly practical.”Related: Bitcoin sidechains will drive BTCfi growthBitcoin-based trustless sidechains?Bitcoin is widely considered the most secure and reliable blockchain, but its critics raise issues with its feature set being significantly more limited when compared to many altcoins. Sidechains such as Blockstream’s Liquid exist, but are not trustless.Director of research at blockchain firm Blockstream and mathematician Andrew Poelstra told Cointelegraph as far back as 2020 that ZK-proof-based systems are “one of the most exciting areas of development” in the cryptography space. Cypherpunk, a developer cited in the Bitcoin white paper and Blockstream founder, explained in a 2014 paper that more work was needed to implement trustless ZK-proof-based sidechains on Bitcoin.Still, even 10 years later, a system based on ColliderVM would be trust-minimized rather than trustless. This is because users would still need to trust that at least a minimal subset of network participants will act honestly to ensure the correct functioning of the system.The study’s lead authors include Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder of StarkWare, along with researchers Lior Goldberg and Ben Fisch. Ben-Sasson is one of the original developers of STARKs and has long advocated for the use of zero-knowledge proofs to improve blockchain scalability.In a recent interview with Cointelegraph, StarkWare co-founder Ben-Sasson noted that a real Bitcoin layer-2 solution would need to have “the security of Bitcoin itself.” Instead, current solutions rely on trust in signers or fraud-proof-based economic incentives. Still, he recognized the Lightning Network:“We should also acknowledge there’s, of course, today, lightning networks, which have the security of Bitcoin.“Magazine: ‘Bitcoin layer 2s’ aren’t really L2s at all: Here’s why that matters
Bollinger bands creator says Bitcoin forming 'classic' floor near $80K
Bitcoin (BTC) is exhibiting familiar “bottom” behavior at current prices, according to one of its best-known leading indicators. In an X post on April 10, John Bollinger, creator of the Bollinger bands volatility metric, revealed good news in progress for Bitcoin bulls.Bollinger bands %b metric teases BTC price comebackBitcoin may already be establishing a long-term bottom, the latest Bollinger bands data suggests.Analyzing weekly timeframes, Bollinger himself drew attention to one of his proprietary indicators, known as “%b,” which offers further clues about market trend reversals.%b measures an asset’s closing price relative to Bollinger band position, employing standard deviation around a 20-period simple moving average (SMA). Among its insights is the “W” bottom formation, where a first low beneath zero is followed by a higher low retest later — something that could now be in play for BTC/USD.Bollinger confirmed to X followers:“Classic Bollinger Band W bottom setting up in $BTCUSD. Sill needs confirmation.”BTC/USD 1-week chart with Bollinger bands data. Source: John Bollinger/XOn both weekly and daily timeframes, Bollinger bands show no trend shift has taken place yet. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the daily chart continues to walk down the lower band, with the middle SMA acting as resistance.BTC/USD 1-day chart with Bollinger bands data. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewTurning to stocks, with which BTC/USD has become increasing correlated, Jurrien Timmer, director of global macro at Fidelity Investments, drew similar conclusions.“Revisiting the Bollinger Bands, we have gone from 2 standard deviations above-trend to on-trend to now almost 2 standard deviations below-trend,” he noted about the S&P 500 on April 9. “Again, oversold but not at an historic extreme.”Bitcoin bounce may follow 10% Nasdaq plungeAs Cointelegraph continues to report, BTC price bottom targets increasingly center around the $70,000 mark.Related: Bitcoin, stocks shun CPI print win and give up tariff relief gains — Will BTC whales save the day?That level is significant for several reasons, including as a psychological barrier and its status as a liquidity magnet.Network economist Timothy Peterson, whose Lowest Price Forward metric previously offered 95% odds that $69,000 would stay intact as support, now sees Bitcoin reversing only after stocks find their own floor.“Bitcoin led NASDAQ on this decline. As the asset perceived to be at the top of the risk pyramid, I would expect NASDAQ to rally first, and then Bitcoin. Just something to look for,” he revealed this week. “But I think NASDAQ has another -10% to fall.”Bitcoin vs. Nasdaq comparison. Source: Timothy Peterson/XThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industry
The crypto industry has welcomed the confirmation of American businessman and former US Securities and Exchange Commissioner Paul Atkins as chair of the agency.Atkins’ approval has taken months. He appeared before the Senate on March 27 to explain his intended approach to securities regulation in the United States, as well as his views on digital assets. Atkins will replace acting chair Mark Uyeda as head of the agency, which began unwinding a number of court cases and enforcement action against cryptocurrency firms when President Donald Trump took office. However, these actions don’t amount to clear guidance — yet.Now that Atkins is ready to take the helm, the blockchain industry is hoping for the guidance they’ve been wanting for years. So who is Paul Atkins, and what can the industry expect?Senator Cynthia Lummis celebrated the confirmation. Source: Cynthia LummisPaul Atkins wants to provide guardrails for the crypto industryAn alumnus of Wofford College and Vanderbilt, Atkins has a long career in finance. He initially worked at Davis Polk and Wardwell, before serving on the staff of two former chairmen of the SEC from 1990-1994.Notably, under Chairman Breeden, he assisted in efforts to decrease barriers to entry to capital markets for small businesses and middle market companies.After working at PwC and Coopers and Lyband, Atkins joined the SEC again as commissioner at the appointment of former President George W. Bush.At the SEC, Atkins focused on improving financial services compliance with SEC regulations. He worked with law enforcement agencies in cases where investors were harmed. This included the Bennett Funding incident, a $1 billion Ponzi scheme by the leasing company in which 20,000 investors lost much of their investments. After leaving this role as commissioner, he founded and led Potomak Global Partners, a consultancy for banks and financial services firms. Ahead of his 52-44 confirmation vote — largely along party lines — Atkins faced a grilling from the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. At the hearing, Atkins said the “top priority” of his tenure as chair would be to “provide a firm regulatory foundation for digital assets through a rational, coherent and principled approach.”Related: Trump’s pick for SEC chair makes it out of committeeHe said that the current “ambiguous and non-existent regulation of digital assets” harms innovation and the sector. More broadly, he claimed that world industry wants to invest in America, but “the current regulatory environment for our financial system inhibits investment and often punishes success.”Congressman Tom Emmer said of Atkins’ nomination “It’s gonna be great,” stating that the former Chair Gary Gensler under ex-President Joe Biden had “set a pretty low bar.” Emmer said the SEC can soon provide the clarity the industry expects: “We need stablecoins. We need market structure. We need to have clarity and certainty in the system.”Faryar Shirzad, chief policy officer at Coinbase, said the confirmation was the “dawn of an era.”Source: Faryar ShirzadSEC actions under Uyeda point to further crypto priorities While no one has a crystal ball, recent analysis from Cointelegraph shows that the recent dismissals of court cases and enforcement actions may indicate the future direction of crypto regulation — or lack of regulation — by the SEC. Related: US gov’t actions give clue about upcoming crypto regulationThe dismissal of cases revolving around “the unregistered sale and offer of securities under the Securities Act of 1933 and acting unregistered as a broker, dealer, clearing agency and exchange” suggests that the SEC may not consider the assets involved as securities.This idea is bulwarked by recent statements from the SEC that proof-of-work mining, pooled mining and dollar-backed stablecoins are not subject to securities laws. On the whole, this suggests that the SEC does not consider cryptocurrencies to be subject to securities law. Crypto agenda could be hamstrung by recent SEC dismissalsOne point of friction in Aktins’ ascension to SEC chair is the recent spate of dismissals of SEC staff. The Trump administration’s efforts to cut certain types of government spending through the temporary committee of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has not spared the securities regulator. As reported by Politico in March, a combination of different buyout and dismissal programs will effectively get rid of 10% of the agency’s 5,000-strong workforce in the coming months. One source mentioned in the report suggested the total could be closer to 15%.DOGE leader Elon Musk — who himself has run afoul of the SEC numerous times throughout his career — is reportedly seeking further cuts to the SEC’s already lacerated budget and staff. A group of prominent securities law professors known as the “Shadow SEC,” have raised the alarm about the recent cuts, saying the policy is “diminishing the SEC’s staff will lead to chaotic financial markets, longer review times for registration statements, and weakened enforcement capabilities.”Creating a new framework for digital assets, especially from scratch, could take longer if the agency is bleeding staff and expertise while Musk wields a scythe in Washington. Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research