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.
Illinois Senate passes crypto bill to fight fraud and rug pulls
The Illinois Senate by a vote of 39 to 17 passed a regulatory bill aimed at curbing cryptocurrency fraud and protecting investors from deceptive practices, including rug pulls and misleading fee structures.On April 10, the chamber passed Senate Bill 1797 (SB1797), also known as the Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act, which Senator Mark Walker introduced in February.The bill gives the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation authority to oversee digital asset business activity within the state.Under the legislation, any entity engaging in digital asset business with Illinois residents must be registered with the state’s financial regulator. The bill also requires crypto service providers to offer advance full disclosure of user fees and charges.Bill SB1797. Source: Ilga.gov“A person shall not engage in digital asset business activity, or hold itself out as being able to engage in digital asset business activity, with or on behalf of a resident unless the person is registered in this State by the Department under this Article […],” the bill states.Related: Trump family memecoins may trigger increased SEC scrutiny on cryptoWalker has previously highlighted the need to address crypto-related fraud in Illinois. In an April 4 X post, he stated:“The rise of digital assets has opened the door for financial opportunity, but also for bankruptcy, fraud and deceptive practices. We must set standards for those who have evolved in the crypto business to ensure they are credible, honest actors.”Illinois’ push for stronger oversight follows a wave of high-profile memecoin meltdowns and insider-led scams that have left retail investors with substantial losses.In March, New York introduced Bill A06515, aiming to establish criminal penalties to prevent cryptocurrency fraud and protect investors from rug pulls.Related: Trump’s tariff escalation exposes ‘deeper fractures’ in global financial systemMemecoin scams spark regulatory momentumOne of the most notorious recent cases was the collapse of the Libra token, a memecoin reportedly endorsed by Argentine President Javier Milei. In March, the project’s insiders allegedly withdrew over $107 million in liquidity, causing a 94% price crash and wiping out roughly $4 billion in market value.Libra token crash. Source: Kobeissi LetterInsider scams and “outright fraudulent activities” like rug pulls, which are “not only unethical but also clearly illegal, with case law to support enforcement,” should see more thorough regulatory attention, Anastasija Plotnikova, co-founder and CEO of blockchain regulatory firm Fideum, told Cointelegraph, adding:“In my view, these activities should fall firmly within the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies.”The latest meltdown occurred on March 16, after Hayden Davis, the co-creator of the Official Melania Meme (MELANIA) and the Libra token, launched a Wolf of Wall Street-inspired token (WOLF).Source: BubblemapsOver 82% of the token’s supply was held by the same entity, which led to a 99% price crash after the token peaked at a $42 million market capitalization.Argentine lawyer Gregorio Dalbon has asked for an Interpol Red Notice to be issued for Davis, citing a “procedural risk” if Davis were to remain free as he could access vast amounts of money that would allow him to either flee the US or go into hiding.Magazine: Caitlyn Jenner memecoin ‘mastermind’s’ celebrity price list leaked
Grayscale and Osprey end 2-year legal fight over Bitcoin ETF promotion
Asset managers Osprey Funds and Grayscale Investments agreed to settle a lawsuit over alleged violations of Connecticut law in the advertising and promotion of Grayscale’s Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). According to an April 9 court filing, the parties agreed to settle the two-year-old case and are finalizing documentation and settlement terms. The filing noted that once those steps are completed, Osprey will withdraw its appeal.“Soon after this appeal was filed, the parties reached a settlement of this case,” the motion stated. “It is expected that all these tasks can be done within 45 days, and it is uncertain whether a shorter extension would suffice.”Details of the settlement have not been made public. Grayscale and Osprey reach settlementThe legal battle between the two firms started on Jan. 30, 2023, when Osprey filed a suit in the Connecticut Superior Court. Osprey claimed it was Grayscale’s only competitor in the over-the-counter Bitcoin (BTC) trust market and that Grayscale had maintained its market share through deceit. Osprey claimed Grayscale promoted its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) as a means to access a spot Bitcoin ETF through a conversion. Osprey argued that the conversion was presented as a certainty, despite regulatory uncertainty at the time.Grayscale’s application to convert GBTC into a spot ETF was approved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2024. An August 2023 ruling compelled the SEC to reconsider its rejection of Grayscale’s application to convert the fund into an ETF. The SEC’s approval allowed GBTC to transition into a spot ETF and begin trading on the NYSE Arca exchange.Related: Crypto ETPs shed $240M last week amid US trade tariffs — CoinSharesLawsuit settlement follows Osprey appeal On Feb. 7, Judge Mark Gould sided with Grayscale, ruling that Osprey’s claims against the asset manager were exempted from the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. Osprey responded by filing a motion for reargument on Feb. 10. The fund claimed that Gould’s ruling came “before the close of discovery,” which is the formal evidence-gathering phase of a lawsuit.The fund claimed that the ruling overlooked the differences between how the Federal Trade Commission and Connecticut courts treat deceptive advertising. The settlement ended one of the more prominent legal clashes among crypto asset managers competing for early ETF dominance. Grayscale’s GBTC remains one of the largest Bitcoin investment vehicles in the United States.Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express
Feds, SEC charge app maker with fraud, saying ‘AI’ service was Philippine workers
US authorities have charged a tech app founder with fraud, alleging that his advertised artificial intelligence-powered e-commerce app actually relied on human workers in the Philippines.Albert Saniger of Barcelona, Spain, founder and former CEO of the company Nate, was charged with one count of securities fraud and wire fraud, the Justice Department said in an April 9 statement, while the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action.Court documents said Saniger founded Nate around 2018 and launched an app of the same name in July 2020, marketing it as an AI-powered universal shopping cart that offered users the ability to complete online retail transactions, including filling in shipping details and sizing, without human input.The Justice Department alleged that, in reality, “Saniger used hundreds of contractors, or ‘purchasing assistants,’ in a call center located in the Philippines to manually complete purchases occurring over the nate app.”Source: US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New YorkInvestors gave Saniger over $40 million, feds sayActing US Attorney for New York Matthew Podolsky alleged Saniger duped investors by “exploiting the promise and allure of AI technology to build a false narrative about innovation that never existed.” Under the guise of investing in the AI-powered app, Sangier allegedly solicited more than $40 million in investments from venture capital firms and told employees to hide the true source of Nate’s automation. “This type of deception not only victimizes innocent investors, it diverts capital from legitimate startups, makes investors skeptical of real breakthroughs, and ultimately impedes the progress of AI development,” Podolsky said. The company acquired AI technology from a third party and had a team of data scientists develop it, but authorities claimed the app never achieved the ability to consistently complete e-commerce purchases, and its actual automation rate was effectively zero. Related: Aussie regulator to shut 95 ‘hydra’ firms linked to crypto, romance scamsDuring a busy holiday season in 2021, it’s alleged that Sanger directed Nate’s engineering team to develop bots to automate some transactions on the app along with the human workers. Nate ceased operations in January 2023, and Saniger terminated all of Nate’s employees after media reports started casting doubt on the app’s capabilities, according to the SEC’s court filing. The securities and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. The SEC suit is asking the courts to ban Saniger from holding office in any similar company and return investor funds.Cointelegraph contacted Nate for comment. Information on Saniger’s lawyers was not immediately available. Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging research
US crypto miners may rush to buy rigs in tariff pause despite ‘clear disadvantage’
US Bitcoin mining firms will try to capitalize on the Trump administration’s recent tariff pause by stocking up on mining rigs, but the baseline 10% tariffs will still leave the industry at a disadvantage, industry executives say.President Donald Trump paused his administration’s hefty reciprocal tariffs until July 8, but kept a minimum 10% tariff on most countries bar China, which had its rate hiked to 145%.Hashlabs CEO Jaran Mellerud told Cointelegraph that while the 10% levy is much lighter than the initial tariffs, US miners are still at a “clear disadvantage” when it comes to purchasing mining machines, compared to competitors abroad.He said the baseline US tariffs aren’t enough “to make mining in the US unprofitable, but it definitely raises capital expenditure and will impact the long-term viability of new investments.”“We expect to see a short-term spike in machine imports as miners rush to get ahead of potential future tariff hikes,” Mellerud added.Source: Jaran MellerudA price hike on crypto mining rigs is already happening, Luxor Technology’s chief operating officer Ethan Vera told Cointelegraph.“US miners are still looking to purchase machines ahead of the potential further increase in 90 days. In addition, US-landed machines have run up in price, as have contracts with onshore assembly.”On April 2, Trump’s hiked tariffs placed levies on Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia — countries home to three of the largest mining rig manufactures — at respective rates of 36%, 32% and 24%. Tariff instability will stunt US Bitcoin mining growthMellerud said in an April 8 report, before the pause on the hiked tariffs, that Trump’s levies could collapse US demand for mining rigs, to the benefit of non- US mining operations, as manufacturers will look outside the US to sell their surplus inventory for cheaper.He told Cointelegraph the now-lowered tariffs will offer some relief for US miners, but imposing the tariffs and then suddenly pausing them only added uncertainty to US Bitcoin mining firms looking to plan and scale.“What miners need is predictability and stable rules — not policy whiplash every few months.”Luxor’s Vera said that the policy changes “will certainly hurt growth” in the US.Related: Bitcoin hashrate tops 1 Zetahash in historic first, trackers showVera said Luxor has even been forced to rethink its strategy and consider expanding into international markets for future expansion.Trump pledged during his presidential campaign that he wanted all the remaining Bitcoin (BTC) to be “made in the USA.”Several members of Trump’s family have also partnered with Bitcoin mining firm Hut 8 to lead Bitcoin mining venture “American Bitcoin” late last month. The venture aims to build the world’s largest Bitcoin mining firm with strategic reserves. While the tariffs are broad in nature, the crypto mining industry simply isn’t a “high priority” for the Trump administration, Vera said.Trump’s tariffs have shaken up almost every market, including the crypto markets and Bitcoin, which is down 1.2% over the last 24 hours to $80,555, CoinGecko data shows.Bitcoin is now 26% off the $108,786 all-time high it set on Jan. 20 — the same day that Trump returned to the White House.Asia Express: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China
Democrats slam DOJ’s ‘grave mistake’ in disbanding crypto crime unit
Crypto-critical US Senator Elizabeth Warren has led six Senate Democrats in urging the Department of Justice to reverse its decision to terminate its crypto investigations and prosecutions division.In an April 10 letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Senators said the decision to disband the department’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team was a “grave mistake” that would support “sanctions evasion, drug trafficking, scams, and child sexual exploitation.”Senators Richard Durbin, Mazie Hirono, Sheldon Whitehouse, Christopher Coons and Richard Blumenthal signed the letter in addition to Warren.On April 7, Blanche shuttered the DOJ’s crypto enforcement team, saying in a memo that “The Department of Justice is not a digital assets regulator.”The senators claim that the decision gave a “free pass to cryptocurrency money launderers” and claimed that crypto mixing services — used to obfuscate blockchain transactions — are “go-to tools for cybercriminals.” “It makes no sense for DOJ to announce a hands-off approach to tools that are being used to support such terrible crimes,” the letter said.An excerpt of Democrat’s letter to the DOJ. Source: US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban AffairsThe senators also questioned why the Justice Department had decided not to prosecute a “host of crimes involving digital assets, including violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.”They claimed that this creates a “systemic vulnerability in the digital assets sector,” which “drug traffickers, terrorists, fraudsters, and adversaries” will exploit on a large scale. The lawmakers requested a staff-level briefing no later than May 1, providing “detailed information on the rationale behind these decisions.” Targeting Trump family crypto endeavors The letter also took a swipe at the Trump family’s crypto projects, suggesting potential conflicts of interest.Related: SafeMoon boss cites DOJ’s nixed crypto unit in latest bid to toss suitA press release accompanying the letter stated that the senators are raising concerns about the “potential connections” between the DOJ’s actions and the crypto ventures of President Donald Trump and his family.The Trumps have an interest in and have backed the crypto platform World Liberty Financial along with its token. The platform is also planning to launch a stablecoin while President Trump’s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are working to launch a crypto-mining company called American Bitcoin.“Your decisions give rise to concerns that President Trump’s interest in selling his cryptocurrency may be the reason for easing law enforcement scrutiny,” the Democrats stated. In a memo announcing the crypto enforcement team’s disbandment, Blanche accused the Biden administration of using the Justice Department to “pursue a reckless strategy of regulation by prosecution.”Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express
Bitcoiners’ ‘bullish impulse’ on recession may be premature: 10x Research
It may be too early for Bitcoiners to start getting bullish over the longer-term impacts of a potential recession on Bitcoin’s price, says 10x Research head of research Markus Thielen.Thielen said in an April 11 markets report that credit spreads continue to widen, indicating that “recessionary concerns may be seeping deeper into the economy.”“Expecting a bullish impulse is too early,” he said.Bitcoin may face short-term headwindsWhile the long-term effects of a recession could be bullish for Bitcoin (BTC) — due to the monetary easing that typically follows US Federal Reserve rate cuts — Thielen warned that Bitcoin may face headwinds before gaining bullish momentum.“Normally, Bitcoin first sells off when China devalues or the Fed cuts, as the first cut might not be so impactful and also confirms economic weakness,” Thielen told Cointelegraph. Bitcoin is trading at $80,620 at the time of publication. Source: CoinMarketCapWhite House crypto and AI czar David Sacks said in an April 10 X post that it is “time for a rate cut” after the core Consumer Price Index increased 2.8% year-by-year for March, the lowest it has been since March 2021.CME Group’s FedWatch Tool shows a 64.8% chance of no rate cut at the Federal Reserve’s May Federal Open Market Committee meeting.Traders typically see interest rate cuts and monetary supply expansions as positively affecting asset prices, especially Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.However, Thielen said that historically, when year-over-year credit spreads “begin to widen,” Bitcoin often faces more downside pressure and takes longer to recover.Related: Bitcoin ‘significantly de-risked here’ as nearly 80% of cyclical price correction is done — Analyst“This pattern suggests that while a longer-term opportunity may emerge, Bitcoin could still face pressure in the near term,” Thielen said. He added that currency devaluations have also historically been bearish for markets in the short term before being bullish in the long term.It comes amid growing concern among market participants over the weakening US dollar.The US Dollar Index (DXY) is sitting at 100.048, down 2.92% over the past five days, according to TradingView data. The DXY is sitting at 100.337 at the time of publication. Source: TradingViewTrading resource account, The Kobeissi Letter, said in an April 10 X post, “The US dollar has exited the room. Once again, something is broken.”Meanwhile, BlackRock’s head of digital assets, Robbie Mitchnick, said in late March that Bitcoin would most likely thrive in a recessionary macro environment. “I don’t know if we’ll have a recession or not, but a recession would be a big catalyst for Bitcoin,” Mitchnick said.Magazine: Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging researchThis 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.
Crypto gaming has mixed Q1 as deals jump, investment totals dip: DappRadar
Blockchain gaming for the first quarter of 2025 has been a “mixed bag,” seeing a greater number of deals while the amount invested significantly dipped, says blockchain analytics platform DappRadar.Web3 gaming projects raised $91 million in Q1 2025, marking a 71% decrease from the fourth quarter of 2024 and a 68% drop compared to the same quarter a year ago, DappRadar said in its April 10 State of Blockchain Gaming report.DappRadar analyst Sara Gherghelas wrote the figures showed “the growing pressure on early-stage startups and hint that 2025 may prove more challenging than previous years — unless broader market conditions improve.”Another factor for the drop in investments in blockchain games is investors are increasingly shifting toward real-world assets and artificial intelligence, according to Gherghelas.Over the same time, the number of blockchain gaming-related deals that closed increased by 35% quarter-over-quarter.Web3 gaming projects raised $91 million for the quarter, marking a 71% decrease from Q4 2024. Source: DappRadarGherghelas said the jump in deals shows that “while investors are writing smaller checks, they’re still actively engaging with a broader range of projects — indicating continued interest, albeit with more cautious allocation.”Web3 gaming investors go big in infrastructureThe lion’s share of funding for Web3 gaming in the first quarter went to infrastructure-focused projects, with most focused on scalable gaming infrastructure, according to the report.Gherghelas said the focus on infrastructure funding signaled that “investor confidence in the long-term potential of Web3 gaming remains intact,” with a few stand-out projects in the quarter, such as those from MARBLEX and The Game Company.MARBLEX, the blockchain gaming division of South Korean game developer Netmarble, has plans for a Semi-Publishing Model to support a wider variety of Web3 games, backed by a joint fund exceeding $20 million with Immutable. Most of the funding for Web3 gaming last quarter went to infrastructure-focused projects. Source: DappRadarMeanwhile, Dubai-based startup The Game Company, a firm focused on blockchain-based cloud gaming, received $10 million in funding on Feb. 6 to help develop a platform that allows users to play any game on any device.Related: Blockchain gaming market is a ‘game of musical chairs’ — Gunzilla execGherghelas said that as the Web gaming industry matures, there is “a clear push toward quality, innovation, and interoperability — whether through upgraded gameplay, new identity layers, or AI-enhanced mechanics.”Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express