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HYPE Surges by 9% to Reach $20, as Bitcoin Price Bounces Back to $95K (Market Overview)

Bitcoin's price recently bounced back to nearly $95,000, following a dip towards the lower end of its current consolidation range. Over the past week, BTC's price has been oscillating between $93,000 and $95,000, sparking speculation of an imminent breakout.

Meanwhile, most larger-cap altcoins have seen minimal movement, mirroring BTC's performance. However, notable exceptions include HYPE and PI, which recorded impressive gains over the past 24 hours. Specifically, HYPE surged by 9% to reach $20.

The total crypto market cap has increased by over $25 billion since yesterday, hitting a high of $3.075 trillion.

The Reasons Behind Circle's Rejection of Ripple's $5 Billion Acquisition Proposal

Ripple, despite having its own stablecoin, intended to make a significant move in the stablecoin space by acquiring the second-largest issuer, Circle. However, the offer, which was said to range between $4 billion and $5 billion, was reportedly declined as Circle considered it too low. Ripple, according to sources, has no plans to increase the offer.

Earlier this year, Ripple completed the acquisition of Hidden Road, a prime broker, for $1.2 billion and this was seen as a significant move in the industry. Ripple’s own stablecoin, RLUSD, launched last year, saw its market cap increase significantly in early April but has since slowed down, with less than $20 million gained in the weeks following.

Despite this, trading volumes on CEX have increased by 30% to over $50 million.

BTC maxis...

Trump's Digital Assets Advisor Labels Race for Bitcoin Reserve as a 'Space Race'

Bo Hines, the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, has equated the international scramble to amass a Bitcoin reserve to a "space race", with the U.S. aiming to take the lead. The government aims to swiftly establish a strategic Bitcoin stockpile, with the Treasury Department working on auditing current holdings and developing acquisition strategies.

Hines believes the U.S. can devise "extremely creative" ways to accumulate the cryptocurrency, and has implied that the government plans to hold a significant amount.
He also highlighted early actions taken under President Trump, such as regulatory reversals, that have positioned the U.S. to become a global hub for digital assets. Hines, appointed to the advisory group in 2025, focuses primarily on Bitcoin, referring to it as "digital gold".

Pressure Mounts: Is Solana (SOL) Poised for a Significant Shift?

Solana's Bollinger Bands have indicated a possible surge in volatility, even though the cryptocurrency has recently experienced a slight decrease in value. Despite this, experts remain optimistic about SOL, predicting prices between $240 and $300.

Solana's value has dipped by 3% in the past week, trading at roughly $148, with little volatility observed in the last few hours. The Bollinger Bands indicator suggests this calmness could give way to massive price action soon. This pattern has led to significant bull runs in other cryptocurrencies in the past.

Meanwhile, SOL has still seen a near 20% rise this month, with experts like Jelle and BitBull predicting a continuation of this upward trend, potentially reaching over $300.

April 30th Ripple (XRP) ETF Update: A Comprehensive Guide

Teucrium and ProShares recently gained regulatory approval to introduce futures-based XRP ETFs in the US, providing investors with leveraged exposure to Ripple's native token's price movements, without holding actual tokens.

Teucrium, a Vermont-based asset manager, led the way by launching the first such ETF, generating about $5 million in trade volume on its debut day. The SEC also approved the launch of three additional XRP ETFs by ProShares, expected to be available from May 14.

Meanwhile, the decision on Franklin Templeton's spot XRP ETF has been postponed until June 17, with prospects remaining favorable for approval in 2025. Spot XRP ETFs, if approved, could simplify investors' access to Ripple's native token, as these types of funds purchase and store the actual cryptocurrency.

Arthur Hayes Advocates for Investing in Bitcoin and Altcoins Now

BitMEX co-founder, Arthur Hayes, confidently predicted at the Token2049 conference in Dubai that Bitcoin will reach $1 million by 2028. Hayes encouraged the audience to invest in Bitcoin and other stablecoins, based on an expected shift in monetary policy and economic instability in the US. He anticipates a return to money printing by the Federal Reserve due to fiscal deficits, tariff issues, and a deteriorating bond market, which could inflate Bitcoin's value.

Drawing parallels to past market conditions, he expects the US central bank, despite its hawkish stance, to support Treasury markets indirectly. If these forecasts materialize, Bitcoin will likely respond with a parabolic rally. Meanwhile, Bitcoin's ongoing price action suggests a long-term bullish momentum, despite minor fluctuations.

Alpaca Finance (ALPACA) Experiences Over 2,000% Surge in One Week: What's Behind It?

Alpaca Finance (ALPACA) experienced an unexpected 2,300% price surge in a week, despite Binance's delisting announcement. This significant rally has led the Relative Strength Index (RSI) into the overbought territory with a ratio of 93.

The sudden surge might be due to a short squeeze, where traders, anticipating a price fall, were forced to repurchase tokens to avoid further losses, pushing the price up. However, this could lead to a significant price decline as forced buying ends and demand decreases. Another contributing factor could be Alpaca Finance's burning program, which has removed approximately 18.6% of the maximum ALPACA token supply from circulation.

Despite the rally, traders should be cautious as the high RSI indicates a potential bearish scenario.

BlackRock's IBIT Surpasses 600K BTC, Boosted by Institutional Buyers Amid Bitcoin Surge

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has reached a new milestone, managing over 600,000 BTC, as institutional investors continue to fuel the Bitcoin rally. This shift is attributed to an eight-day inflow streak with U.S. Bitcoin ETFs absorbing $3.9 billion into their holdings, marking a rise in investor confidence.

Despite this, Santiment's report has revealed a concerning trend: Bitcoin’s price is increasing while trading volumes are falling. Observers have noted that a narrow group of investors has propped up the market, primarily ETF issuers and corporations, while retail traders have taken a step back.

Despite this, Bitcoin is currently holding steady around $95,000 following a decisive breakout earlier in the month.

What is the Current Value of a $1,000 Investment in XRP from 2018?

XRP, a cryptocurrency promising to redefine the banking system, has attracted significant attention. To estimate the potential returns, an investment of $1,000 in XRP during 2018 is considered.

Based on the average XRP price of $0.66 in 2018, an investment then would now be worth approximately $3,360, marking a profit of around $2,360. However, if the investment had been made when the price was at its highest in 2018 ($3.83), the current value would be around $580, indicating a loss of 42%.

If the investment was made at the lowest price point in 2018 ($0.24), the initial $1,000 would now be around $9,250, reflecting a gain of over $8,000. Thus, the outcome of such an investment would have varied greatly depending on the timing.

Ethereum Celebrates a Major Victory as BlackRock Turns $150B Treasury Fund into Tokens

Ethereum recently gained a significant victory as BlackRock filed a prospectus to tokenize its $150 billion Treasury Trust fund into a new asset class known as "DLT Shares". Former Ethereum developer, Eric Connor, described it as the "biggest real-world asset flow to Ethereum yet".

The tokenization of the Treasury Trust Fund, which invests solely in short-term US Treasury securities, will be tracked using blockchain technology via BNY Mellon. BlackRock has previously launched a fund on the Ethereum blockchain and 93% of its assets are currently on Ethereum.

Despite this, Ethereum's price remains low, but institutions like BlackRock appear to be showing interest in the under-valued cryptocurrency.

Words from the wise...

SEC Postpones Verdict on XRP and Dogecoin ETF Applications

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed its decision on ETF applications related to XRP and Dogecoin. Bitwise proposed the Dogecoin ETF, while Franklin Templeton filed for the XRP fund. The SEC has extended its review period to June 15 for the Dogecoin ETF and June 17 for the XRP-based one to ensure sufficient time for considering the rule changes and any associated issues.

However, experts predict more delays until Q4 2025. The SEC also postponed decisions on other crypto ETFs, including a Solana fund from Franklin and Grayscale's Hedera ETF. The delay in the XRP ETF decision comes shortly after the SEC approved three futures funds from ProShares, set to launch on May 14.

Evaluation of Bitcoin's Value: Intensifying Sale Pressure as Bitcoin Struggles with $95K Resistance Level

Bitcoin is encountering increasing resistance around the $95K mark, signaling a possible market correction before a potential surge. After breaking past the 100- and 200-day moving averages, Bitcoin approached the critical $95K level, where bullish momentum began to fade, suggesting a possible pullback to the $90K zone.

This zone represents significant support, and if maintained, could set the stage for another bullish momentum. On a 4-hour timeframe, indications of a short-term correction were also observed. On-chain analysis reveals a pattern of negative funding rates even during rallies, indicating a lack of market confidence.

This pattern often leads to short-term pullbacks, which could eventually strengthen the overall bullish structure.

Evaluation of Ripple's Value: Is XRP's Momentum Depleting After a 9% Weekly Surge?

Ripple's price has reached a significant level at the $2.4 mark, which is in line with key resistances, and there seems to be insufficient bullish momentum. This could result in a sideways consolidation before a breakout. The $2.4 zone, which aligns with the upper boundary of a long-standing wedge pattern and the 100-day moving average, presents a formidable barrier for bulls.

The market is likely to see a period of sideways consolidation due to the lack of adequate demand and momentum. On a lower time frame, a potential three-drives pattern suggests buyer exhaustion at the $2.4 mark. Even if Ripple breaks above $2.4, the next challenge is around $2.5, and the crucial $3 mark can only be targeted after overcoming these levels.

However, a minor pullback seems likely in the short term.

Have Retail Investors Arrived as Bitcoin (BTC) Nears $95K Mark?

Cryptocurrency rallies have traditionally seen the involvement of retail investors. However, the cycle that started post-US elections seemed to lack these participants. Bitwise’s CEO, Hunter Horsley, suggested that the recent BTC price rally from $75,000 to $95,000 was driven by institutions, advisors, corporations, and even nations, with retail investors yet to make a significant appearance.

However, Santiment, an analytics platform, suggested that retail traders have shown confidence in the crypto markets, as indicated by an increase in social media posts predicting BTC price surges. Similarly, IntoTheBlock noticed a significant increase in balances of short-term traders, primarily retail investors, supporting the view that the current move may be part of a broader uptrend.

Celsius Network's CEL Skyrockets by 80% Amidst Calls for 20-Year Jail Term for Founder Alex Mashinsky by US DOJ

Celsius Network's native token, CEL, surged by 80% following the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) request for a 20-year prison sentence for former CEO Alex Mashinsky, accused of financial misconduct and deception over several years. Despite the recent surge, CEL is still well below its all-time high of over $8 in June 2021.

The DOJ alleges that Mashinsky manipulated CEL's price, profiting from selling his personal tokens at inflated prices, and misled customers about the company’s handling of deposits. Celsius Network, once a prominent crypto lending platform, filed for bankruptcy due to liquidity issues and halted customer transactions.

Investigations revealed Mashinsky's misuse of customer funds and price manipulation of CEL. He was arrested on multiple fraud charges and later released on a $40 million bond.

Binance US's Endorsement Boosts Altcoin Virtuals Protocol by 30%: A Detailed Analysis

Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) witnessed a significant surge after being endorsed by Binance US, even as other major cryptocurrencies saw minor losses or stagnated around their April 28 price levels.

This led to VIRTUAL’s market capitalization nearing the $1 billion mark, ranking it the 94th-largest cryptocurrency. The most notable factor behind this rally is the support from Binance.US, which introduced deposits for VIRTUAL and launched the VIRTUAL/USDT trading pair. Analysts predict potential for further growth, with price targets ranging from $2 to $5.

Earlier this month, after a system exploit by a project called PlayGameAI, Virtuals Protocol fully refunded affected users and promised a compensation plan.

Vitalik Buterin Reveals Ethereum's Future Strategy Centered on L1s, Blobs, and User Experience

Ethereum Foundation (EF) co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Executive Director Aya Miyaguchi have disclosed the organization's long-term strategy, focusing on decentralization, community empowerment, and technological robustness. They emphasized a renewed focus on Layer 1s (L1s), Blobs, and user experience (UX) to support global users of the Ethereum ecosystem.

The EF's main objectives include ensuring users reap benefits from ETH's underlying properties, facilitating ecosystem resilience and decentralization, and addressing weak points. Priorities for the coming year include scaling the Ethereum mainnet, advancing blobs technology, improving UX across the chain, and boosting L1 and L2 interoperability.

In addition to this, the EF announced leadership changes, appointing Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz K. Stańczak as co-executive directors to enhance strategic execution and strengthen operations.

Exploring Cryptocurrency with Venga's CEO Michael Stroev: A Paris Blockchain Week 2025 Interview

During Paris Blockchain Week 2025, Venga CEO Michael Stroev talked about the role his company is playing in the changing landscape of digital finance. Venga, launched in 2024, is driven by accessibility, education, and innovation to face challenges hindering widespread acceptance of cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance (DeFi).

The platform enables users to deposit euros, buy cryptocurrencies, and manage their assets within Venga’s ecosystem or on a decentralized wallet. Though Venga provides basic services like euro deposits and withdrawals, Stroev emphasized that the company's main focus is promoting DeFi and Web3 innovations.

He also highlighted the role of education and discovery in achieving mass crypto adoption and sees Venga as a potential marketplace for trusted Web3 and DeFi projects. Despite market challenges, Stroev remains optimistic about Venga’s long-term growth.