U.S Senator Probes Status Of Binance Inquiry Over Iran Compliance Concerns

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) has asked the Justice Department and FinCEN for updates on the status of monitors overseeing Binance, citing concerns about the exchange’s compliance program and allegations of weak anti-money laundering controls, according to Fortune reporting. 

In letters sent Friday, Blumenthal referenced reports of Iranian-linked crypto flows and questioned whether Binance’s oversight structure is functioning as intended. 

As part of a 2023 settlement tied to sanctions and money laundering violations, the exchange agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine and accept two independent monitors — one reporting to the DOJ and another to FinCEN — to oversee its…

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Bitcoin Hits $78,000 As 46 Days Of Short Positions Face Potential Short Squeeze

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is up 5% after breaking above the descending trendline that defined the entire bear trend from $128,000, setting up short-squeeze conditions.

The 46-Day Short Streak

The last time this squeeze happened was November to December 2022 during the FTX collapse.

“Traders are actively building short positions and betting against a breakout, creating conditions where a short squeeze becomes more likely if upward momentum persists,” said Vetle Lunde, head of research at K33.

If prices keep climbing, traders who bet against the rally face mounting losses that can force them to buy back positions all at once, sending prices sharply higher in a cascading short squeeze. The…

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XRP Up 10% In A Week: What Do Prediction Markets Say?

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has gained roughly 10% over the past week, with traders increasingly pointing to a potential breakout as price compression continues higher timeframes.

Price Structure Compressed

He says this compression, combined with several weekly indicators, is unusually significant.

Based on historical cycle behavior, he suggested XRP could eventually see a large move, potentially in the $8–$12 range in a strong bullish scenario.

XRP’s weekly indicators (MACD, RSI, Stoch RSI) are very close to turning bullish but are not confirmed yet since the weekly candle has around three days left.

Momentum looks compressed and downside pressure may be fading, which could signal a potential…

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Kraken Owner Payward To Acquire Bitnomial For $550M, Securing Full CFTC-Licensed U.S. Crypto Derivatives Stack

Kraken-owner Payward has agreed to acquire Bitnomial in a deal valued at up to $550 million in cash and stock, giving the firm control of a fully licensed U.S. crypto derivatives stack as it expands deeper into regulated markets.

The transaction values Payward at $20 billion and is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary conditions and regulatory filings with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Bitnomial stands out as the first crypto-native platform in the U.S. to secure all three licenses required to operate a full-stack derivatives business: a designated contract market, a derivatives clearing organization, and a futures commission merchant. Those…

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Strategy (MSTR) Jumps Over 12% As Bitcoin Pumps Past $77k

Bitcoin proxy stock Strategy surged over 12% today as the price of bitcoin roared above 77,000 dollars, extending a volatile week for crypto markets against the backdrop of war and fragile diplomacy in the Middle East. 

The move added to the gains Strategy has notched in April after the company highlighted a 1.3 billion dollar “bitcoin gain” tied to the rebound in its holdings, even as it sits on large unrealized losses from prior quarters.

Bitcoin pushed through key resistance in the mid‑70,000s and briefly traded above $77,000, building on a multi‑day squeeze that has forced short sellers to cover. Derivatives data this week showed hundreds of millions of dollars in…

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Bitcoin Price Charges Past $77,000, Iran Says Strait Open

Bitcoin price soared above $77,000 this morning after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open under a new ceasefire framework and President Donald Trump amplified the message with a post that highlighted full passage through the waterway. The move sharpened an existing risk-on rotation across global markets and pushed the largest cryptocurrency back toward a resistance band that has capped every rally since early February.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ceasefire, tying the decision directly to a 10‑day truce between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

The announcement…

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XRP Surges 12% From Its April Lows: What’s Going On?

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has surged 12.5% from its April low as U.S. spot ETFs recorded $41.64 million in net inflows for the week ending April 16, the largest single-week inflow in three months.

The ETF Acceleration

The weekly inflow represents a 254% jump from the prior week’s $11.75 million, the kind of acceleration that typically accompanies pattern breakouts rather than consolidation.

The last five days show consistent demand with inflows of $11.87 million, $17.11 million, $11.20 million, $1.46 million, and $9.09 million. 

Cumulative inflows have reached $1.26 billion, pushing total assets past $1.08 billion.

Bitwise and Franklin products continue to lead flows, while Grayscale shows mixed…

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Cardano CEO Announces Breakthrough: Can ADA Break Out?

Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) CEO Frederik Gregaard said the network cut audit costs by 50% for institutions and listed a $100 million reinsurance product on the London Stock Exchange.

The Audit Cost Breakthrough

The Cardano Foundation posted 7,000 financial transactions using a product called Leccia on the blockchain.

Grant Thornton then used legal entity identifiers to download all transactions, compare them to the bookkeeping ledger, and sign the audit.

The process proved institutions can lower audit costs by nearly 50% while moving from spot checks to full architectural audits that examine all transactions, Gregaard told Cointelegraph at Paris Blockchain Week.

“Instead of a spot check of…

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Dogecoin Whales Go On An Accumulation Spree As DOGE Rallies On Iran Peace Optimism

Signs of easing geopolitical tensions have lifted cryptocurrencies, including Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE), and whales have started loading up on the memecoin.

Whales Getting Ready For DOGE’s Leg Up?

Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez highlighted in an X post on Thursday that large investors bought around 330 million DOGE tokens this week. At the prevailing prices, this amounted to $32.34 million

Hope Builds for Iran War Resolution

President Donald Trump’s string of positive remarks on the Iran conflict has reignited risk-on sentiment, boosting cryptocurrencies—including Dogecoin. The top memecoin has rallied over 6% in the past week.

Notably, Martinez had identified…

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