Vitalik Buterin says the app layer needs ‘good social philosophy’ most
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argues it’s Ethereum’s application layer, not its infrastructure layer, where Ethereum needs “good social philosophy” the most. The app layer is where developers build decentralized applications on top of Ethereum’s base infrastructure and where they make decisions about how these programs operate. In an April 12 post on the social media platform Warpcast, Buterin responded to a user’s argument that Ethereum needs a new generation of developers rooted in Ethereum’s core values to renew itself. He argued that it’s the app layer that needs this more. “Apps are 80% special purpose. What apps you build depends heavily on what ideas you have of what Ethereum apps, and Ethereum as a whole, are there to do for the world. And so having good ideas on this topic out there becomes crucially important,” Buterin said. Source: Vitalik ButerinIn comparison, Buterin says a programming language like C++ may not be as influenced by the creator’s ideology, as it is a general-purpose tool that doesn’t have much surface to be made worse or improved by social philosophy. “Imagine that C++ had been made by a totalitarian racist fascist. Would it be a worse language? Probably not,” he said.Ethereum’s layer 1 is similar to an extent, argued Buterin, though it is more exposed to philosophical influence, citing its move to proof-of-stake (PoS) and supporting light clients as examples. “Someone who doesn’t believe in decentralization would not add light clients, or good forms of account abstraction,” he said. “Someone who doesn’t mind energy waste would not spend half a decade moving to PoS, but the Ethereum Virtual Machine opcodes might have been roughly the same either way. So Ethereum is perhaps 50% general-purpose,” Buterin added. Apps with good social philosophy vs bad In a follow-up post, Buterin told a user that in his opinion, crypto privacy protocol Railgun, Web3 social protocol Farcaster, decentralized prediction market Polymarket and messenger app Signal are examples of apps with a good social philosophy. Source: Vitalik Buterin“You build apps that do the right thing behind the scenes by default. Signal is a reasonably good example of this, though it has significant flaws of its own. Farcaster is also a good example of this,” Buterin said.Related: Vitalik Buterin criticizes crypto’s moral shift toward gamblingOn the other hand, Buterin said the memecoin platform Pump.fun, the collapsed crypto ecosystem Terra, its native token Terra (LUNA), and the collapsed crypto exchange FTX are examples of bad social philosophy.“The differences in what the app does stem from differences in beliefs in developers’ heads about what they are here to accomplish,” he said. Magazine: Bitcoin eyes $100K by June, Shaq to settle NFT lawsuit, and more: Hodler’s Digest, April 6 – 12
Commerce Secretary Lutnick walks back tariff relief on electronics
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick walked back the recent reciprocal tariff exemption on select electronics announced in an April 12 bulletin from the United States Customs and Border Protection.On April 13, Lutnick told ABC News that the reciprocal tariff exemption was temporary until the administration established a sector tariff regime for semiconductor products, which includes phones, graphics processors, and computing chips in a “month or two.” Lutnick added:”President Trump has called out pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and autos. He called them sector tariffs, and those are not available for negotiation. They are just going to be part of making sure we ensure core national security items are made in this country.””We can’t be relying on China for fundamental things we need. Our medicines and our semiconductors need to be built in America,” Lutnick continued. The official also said he was confident that the US and China would arrive at a trade deal through negotiations.The emphasis on national security and onshoring critical industries could signal that the trade tariffs will be a long-term geostrategic policy and not simply a short-term negotiation tactic to make US exports more attractive, as some analysts have suggested.The Volatility S&P Index (VIX), a measure of the S&P stock index’s volatility, remains elevated amid macroeconomic uncertainty. Source: TradingView Related: Bitcoin ‘decouples,’ stocks lose $3.5T amid Trump tariff war and Fed warning of ‘higher inflation’Trade war heightens volatility and sends markets tumblingTrump’s trade tariffs crashed the stock and crypto markets, wiping away trillions in shareholder value as investors dumped riskier assets on fears of a lengthy trade war between the United States and its trading partners.In an April 10 X Post, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas cited the SPY US Equity History Volume chart as evidence that the S&P 500 stock market index is now more volatile than Bitcoin (BTC).According to the analyst, the S&P 500 Index hit a volatility level of 74 in April, compared to Bitcoin’s 71.Stocks and crypto pumped following rumors of the Trump administration initiating a 90-day reciprocal tariff pause. Approximately $2 trillion was pumped into stocks on rumors of softer trade policies.Much of this value was then wiped away when Trump claimed that rumors of a 90-day pause were false and returned once the Trump administration did, in fact, issue a reciprocal tariff pause in the following days.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again
Bitcoin rallies amid macroeconomic concerns — Are HYPE, ONDO, RNDR and KAS next?
Bitcoin (BTC) made a brilliant comeback this week, rising more than 7%, indicating solid buying at lower levels. BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes said in a post on X that the US bond market crisis could be setting the stage for more policy response, and that could result in an “up only mode” for Bitcoin.Blockchain and intelligence platform Glassnode said in a post on X that Bitcoin had built solid support at $79,000, with roughly 40,000 Bitcoin accumulated there. Bollinger Bands creator John Bollinger also echoed similar views. In a post on X, Bollinger said that Bitcoin was forming a “classic Bollinger Band W bottom,” but it needed confirmation.Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360Market participants will be closely watching the performance of the US dollar index (DXY), which is trading below the 100 level. Any further weakness in the US dollar could be bullish for Bitcoin. If Bitcoin manages to hold on to the higher levels, it is likely to boost the sentiment in the cryptocurrency sector. That could trigger a recovery in select altcoins. What are the cryptocurrencies that may benefit from Bitcoin’s strength? Bitcoin price analysisBitcoin broke and closed above the resistance line on April 12, which is the first indication that the corrective phase may be ending.BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe bears are unlikely to give up easily and will try to pull the price back below the 20-day exponential moving average ($82,885). If they manage to do that, it suggests that the bears remain active at higher levels. The BTC/USDT pair could then drop to $78,500.Buyers are likely to have other plans. They will try to defend the 20-day EMA on the way down. If the price rebounds off the 20-day EMA, it will signal a change in sentiment from selling on rallies to buying on dips. That enhances the prospects of a rally to $89,000 and, after that, to $95,000.BTC/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe 20-EMA is sloping up, and the relative strength index (RSI) is in the positive territory, indicating an advantage to the bulls. A rebound off the 20-EMA suggests that the bulls are trying to flip the resistance line into support. The pair may face selling at $89,000, but it is likely to be crossed. That could propel the pair to the $92,000 to $95,000 zone.On the downside, the moving averages are the crucial support for the bulls to defend. If they fail in their endeavor, the pair could plummet to $78,500.Hyperliquid price analysisHyperliquid (HYPE) closed above the 50-day SMA ($15.14) on April 11 and reached the overhead resistance of $17.35 on April 12.HYPE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe 20-day EMA ($13.84) has started to turn up, and the RSI has risen near 56, suggesting buyers have the edge. Sellers are trying to defend the $17.35 resistance, but if the bulls prevail, the HYPE/USDT pair could start a rally to $21 and subsequently to $25.This optimistic view will be negated in the near term if the price turns down from $17.35 and breaks below the 20-day EMA. The pair could then fall to $12, which is expected to attract buyers.HYPE/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe pair has pulled back to the 20-EMA, which is a critical near-term support to watch out for. If the price bounces off the 20-EMA with strength, it signals buying on dips. The bulls will then make one more attempt to overcome the barrier at $17.35. If they succeed, the pair may rise to $21. There is minor resistance at $18, but it is likely to be crossed. Sellers will have to pull and sustain the price back below the 20-EMA to weaken the bullish momentum. The pair could then descend to the 50-SMA.Ondo price analysisOndo (ONDO) has broken out of the downtrend line, suggesting that the bears may be losing their grip.ONDO/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe recovery is facing selling near $0.96 but may find support at the 20-day EMA ($0.83) on the way down. If the price rebounds off the 20-day EMA, the bulls will again try to drive the ONDO/USDT pair above $0.96. If they manage to do that, the pair could pick up momentum and rally toward $1.20.Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will try to pull the price back below the 20-day EMA. If they can pull it off, the pair could drop to $0.79 and later to $0.68.ONDO/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe 4-hour chart shows that the pair is facing selling in the $0.93 to $0.96 resistance zone. Buyers will have to keep the price above the 20-EMA to maintain the upper hand. If the price rebounds off the 20-EMA with strength, the possibility of a break above $0.96 increases. The pair may then climb to $1.05 and later to $1.20.Instead, if the price skids below the 20-EMA, it suggests that demand dries up at higher levels. The pair may then descend to the 50-SMA.Related: Bitcoin price tags $86K as Trump tariff relief boosts breakout oddsRender price analysisRender (RNDR) has reached the overhead resistance of $4.22, where the bears are expected to mount a strong defense.RNDR/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe moving averages are on the verge of a bullish crossover, and the RSI has risen into the positive zone, signaling an advantage to buyers. If the price rises above $4.22, the RNDR/USDT pair will complete a double-bottom pattern. There is minor resistance at $5, but it is likely to be crossed. The pair could then climb to the pattern target of $5.94.Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down sharply from $4.22 and breaks below the moving averages, it signals a range-bound action in the short term.RNDR/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe pair is facing selling at $4.06, but the pullback is likely to find support at the 20-EMA. If the price rebounds off the 20-EMA with strength, it will suggest that the sentiment remains positive. That improves the prospects of a break above $4.22. The pair may face resistance between $4.60 and $5, but if the price does not dip back below $4.22, it signals the start of a new up move.Alternatively, a break and close below the 20-EMA suggests the bulls are losing their grip. The pair may then slump to the 50-SMA, signaling a consolidation in the near term.Kaspa price analysisKaspa (KAS) rose and closed above the 50-day SMA ($0.07) on April 12, indicating that the selling pressure is reducing.KAS/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe 20-day EMA ($0.07) has started to turn up, and the RSI has risen into the positive territory, suggesting that the path of least resistance is to the upside. If buyers drive the price above $0.08, the KAS/USDT pair will complete a double-bottom pattern. This bullish setup has a target objective of $0.12.Contrarily, if the price turns down from $0.08 and breaks below the 20-day EMA, it will signal a range formation. The pair may swing between $0.08 and $0.05 for some time.KAS/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewThe pair has turned down from $0.08 but is likely to find support at the 20-EMA. If the price rebounds off the 20-EMA, the pair could rally to the top of the range, which is a crucial resistance to watch out for. If buyers overcome the overhead barrier, the pair could start a new upmove toward $0.09.This positive view will be invalidated in the near term if the price turns down and breaks below the $0.07 support. That could keep the pair stuck inside the range for a while longer.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 token price collapses by over 90% in 24 hours
The price of the Mantra (OM) token, the native cryptocurrency of the Mantra real-world tokenized asset blockchain, has collapsed by over 90% in the last 24 hours.On April 13, Mantra fell from a price of approximately $6.3 to below $0.50 and shed over 90% of its $6 billion market cap.Mantra token market cap and overview. Source: CoinGeckoTraders are characterizing the token collapse as an apparent rug pull. Market investor Gordon wrote: “[The] team needs to address this or OM looks like it could head to zero. Biggest rug pull since LUNA/FTX?”However, the exact reason for the collapse of the OM token’s price is not clear at the time of this writing.Related: Mantra unveils $108M fund to back real-world asset tokenization, DeFiThis is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.
Saylor signals Strategy is buying the dip amid macroeconomic turmoil
Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor has signaled that the company plans to acquire more Bitcoin (BTC) following a nearly two-week pause in purchases.The company’s most recent acquisition of 22,048 Bitcoin on March 31 brought its total holdings to 528,185 BTC.According to SaylorTracker, Strategy’s BTC investment is up by approximately 24%, representing over $8.6 billion in unrealized gains.Strategy continues to accumulate BTC amid the recent market downturn that took Bitcoin’s price below the $80,000 level, and the company continues to be closely monitored by BTC investors as a barometer for institutional interest in BTC.Strategy’s Bitcoin purchase history. Source: SaylorTrackerRelated: Has Michael Saylor’s Strategy built a house of cards?Bitcoin’s store-of-value narrative grows despite the recent price declineThe current macroeconomic uncertainty from the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China has negatively impacted risk-on assets across the board.Stock markets wiped away trillions in shareholder value in response to Trump’s sweeping tariff order, and crypto markets also experienced a deep sell-off.Data from the Total3, an indicator that tracks the market capitalization of the entire crypto sector excluding BTC and Ether (ETH), shows that altcoins have collectively shed over 33% of their value since the market peak in December 2024.By comparison, BTC is only down roughly 22% from its peak of over $109,000 in January 2025 and is currently rangebound, trading around the $84,000 level.The Total3 crypto market cap, pictured in blue, compared to the price of Bitcoin. Source: TradingViewThe price of Bitcoin remained relatively stable amid a $5 trillion sell-off in the stock market, lending credence to Bitcoin’s use case as a store-of-value asset as opposed to a risk-on investment.Speaking with Cointelegraph at Paris Blockchain Week 2025, Cypherpunk and CEO of digital asset infrastructure company Blockstream, Adam Back said the macroeconomic pressures from a prolonged trade war would make Bitcoin an increasingly attractive store of value.Back forecasted inflation to surge to 10-15% in the next decade, making real investment returns on traditional asset classes such as stocks and real estate incredibly difficult for market participants.”There is a real prospect of Bitcoin competing with gold and then starting to take some of the gold use cases,” Back told Cointelegraph managing editor Gareth Jenkinson.Magazine: Bitcoiner sex trap extortion? BTS firm’s blockchain disaster: Asia Express
Bitcoin price tags $86K as Trump tariff relief boosts breakout odds
Bitcoin (BTC) hit an eleven-day high on April 13 as the crypto market relief rally closely tracked US financial policy changes.BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewBitcoin traders say brace for more volatilityData from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD reaching $86,000 for the first time since April 2.The pair had reacted well to news that US President Donald Trump had decided to exclude certain key products from his ongoing trade tariffs against China.Traditional markets are closed on weekends —creating lower-liquidity trading in crypto markets and raising the chance for price volatility— with Bitcoin subsequently dropping under $84,000.With hours to go until the weekly close, BTC/USD was thus up 7% for the week, having started with a trip to new five-month lows.Commenting, traders were cautious over BTC price strength.Call me crazy but I don’t think I trust this breakout on $BTC.Low volume, overbought stoch, and on a weekend.If we can remain over 84k through Monday I’ll look for higher but for now this seems sketchy. pic.twitter.com/qKVdYAOYPJ— Roman (@Roman_Trading) April 12, 2025Daan Crypto Trades noted the ongoing interplay with the 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) at $85,000.“This is however still a weekend move so far and we know next week will be volatile again with news regarding tariffs and the first big tech earnings coming up,” part of a post on X read.BTC/USD 1-day chart with 200 EMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewWell-known trader Peter described the rebound from the lows as looking “more corrective than it does impulsive.”BTC/USD 2-hour chart. Source: Peter Brandt/XPopular trader and analyst Rekt Capital meanwhile saw the true hurdle to a Bitcoin bull market rebound coming in the form of a stubborn long-term daily downtrend.“Bitcoin has Daily Closed above the Downtrend. Thus, breakout confirmation is underway,” one of his latest X updates explained alongside an illustrative chart.“However BTC has previously Daily Closed above the Downtrend but failed its retest (a few of the red circles). Retest needs to be successful and it is in progress.”BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: Rekt Capital/XAs Cointelegraph reported, the daily downtrend, in place since late 2024, is earmarked as a key hurdle for bulls to overcome.Related: Bollinger Bands creator says Bitcoin forming ‘classic’ floor near $80KRSI bullish divergence still in playAnother post flagged promising signals on Bitcoin’s relative strength index (RSI) indicator.A classic leading indicator, RSI continued to print another bullish divergence with price on daily timeframes.“Bitcoin is developing yet another Higher Low on the RSI while forming Lower Lows on the price,” Rekt Capital summarized.“Overall, throughout the cycle Bitcoin has formed Bullish Divergences like this on a few occasions already. Each Bull Div preceded reversals to the upside.”BTC/USD 1-day chart with RSI data. Source: Rekt Capital/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.
Web3 needs to be more human, and emotional AI is the answer
Opinion by: Max Giammario, founder and CEO of KindredThe interfaces and user experience in Web3 tools are terrible, even more so when compared to their Web2 counterparts. This lackluster experience for Web3 is losing the attention of as many users as desired, and with how fast the ecosystem moves, these shortcomings are rarely paid attention to.AI agents can be an excellent tool to overcome these weaknesses. Their potential to improve development and user experience is remarkable, although it has yet to reach its real potential. Once combined with emotional AI, which will enable us to understand contexts beyond their programming, we will see a quantum leap from Web3 tools to ordinary users.Web3’s learning curve is very steepConsider your first interactions with a Web3 wallet — a scary, difficult experience. Many people fear that, at any moment, they could make a mistake, which could mean losing money. This situation can be less uncomfortable if we add agents with emotional AI that can guide new users and provide personalized support, keeping people at ease during their learning process.If the first interaction with Web3 is seamless in this way, adoption could grow. A better user experience would be a win-win for the entire industry, which suffers from having few users. Reaching a level of adoption of a Web2 tool would be a win for the ecosystem.Emotional AI companions would make everything easierWith the potential that emotional AI agents have, they would facilitate the experience of new users, and they could serve as personal assistants to interact with the rest of the Web3 tools in a more autonomous, personalized way.Emotional AI agents could act as motivational coaches, providing continuous, personalized and empathetic accompaniment that enables them to connect deeply with their users and guide them in the best practices to avoid significant losses in Web3.Recent: Inside an AI-powered Web3 game’s race to 100 million usersThese are just some of the most evaluated uses of Web3 today. The more applications it has in the future, the more potential is unlocked. Combining so much state-of-the-art technology, however, entails significant risks that must be considered in its development.Implementing emotional AI in Web3 carries risksIntegrating emotional AI within the Web3 ecosystem could be very beneficial. Still, it must be considered that it entails risks that any AI has, plus what the use of Web3 implies. One of the most significant risks would be using personal information because, as an emotional AI, it will require more information from its users, which increases the danger of data leakage.This same personalization could generate an unhealthy dependence on its emotional AI partner, so safeguards against this would have to be implemented. Even being so personalized, it will generate biased information, which will close the scope of the AI agent.Considering the risks mentioned above, while the technology is under development, by the time emotional AI agents launch, developers can forge the path to reduce these risks and implement all the benefits of this technology.Emotional AI is the key to greater adoption of Web3AI tools have become more widespread at a rate we have not seen since the launch of the internet. The speed of adoption is because AI tools have become straightforward tools to facilitate any task. The next step is emotional AI agents, which allow for closer AI companions who can provide better support.As complicated as the Web3 industry is, if these emotional AI companions became the standard in the ecosystem, all these tools would be available to any user. The Web3 adoption it would facilitate would be enormous, and all this value would be worth the risks.Opinion by: Max Giammario, founder and CEO of Kindred. 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.
‘Bitcoin Standard’ author to develop Austrian economics curriculum for UK school
Lomond School, a private institution in Scotland, will begin accepting Bitcoin for tuition payments and is collaborating with Bitcoin author Saifedean Ammous to introduce a new curriculum focused on Bitcoin and Austrian economics. Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, is developing an educational curriculum combining the principles of Bitcoin (BTC) and Austrian economics.“I’m going to be working with Lomond School to develop a curriculum for bitcoin and Austrian economics,” Ammous wrote in an April 12 X post, sharing his excitement for “making the material widely available worldwide.”Source: Saifedean AmmousLomond School Principal Claire Chisholm confirmed the collaboration on April 12, writing that she was “thrilled to be working with Dr. Ammous” and appreciative of the “positivity of the Bitcoin community.”The news comes a day after Lomond School announced it would accept BTC for tuition payments starting from the autumn semester of 2025, becoming the first school in the United Kingdom to adopt BTC payments.Source: Saifedean AmmousAmmous is best known for The Bitcoin Standard, which was first published in 2018. The book outlines the economic philosophy behind Bitcoin and contrasts it with fiat currency systems. It has sold more than one million copies and has been translated into 38 languages, according to Ammous.Cointelegraph has contacted both Ammous and Lomond School for additional details regarding the upcoming curriculum.Related: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state paymentsBitcoin education is gaining momentum worldwideEducational institutions around the world have increasingly embraced Bitcoin as both a subject of academic study and a financial tool.Schools and universities have been launching Bitcoin-based courses since as early as 2013 when the University of Nicosia in Cyprus launched its Master’s in Digital Currency program, which is accessible both in-person and online.New York University’s Stern School of Business launched “The Law and Business of Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies” course in 2014 — one of the first Bitcoin-specific courses in the US.Stanford University also launched its “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies” course in 2015, focused on the technological and economic aspects of the world’s first cryptocurrency.Related: Swedish MP proposes Bitcoin reserve to finance ministerIn February 2025, the University of Austin announced launching the first first-of-its-kind Bitcoin investment fund of over $5 million as part of the institution’s larger $200 million endowment fund.Source: Eric BalchunasThree months before the University of Austin’s announcement, a regulatory filing revealed that Emory University accumulated over $15 million worth of Bitcoin via Grayscale’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 28.Magazine: SCB tips $500K BTC, SEC delays Ether ETF options, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Feb. 23 –March. 1