Pablo Hernández de Cos, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements, said Monday that stablecoins present both “opportunities and challenges,” urging coordinated efforts to move forward.

The Pros And The Cons

In a speech at a Bank of Japan seminar, Hernández de Cos highlighted the potential of stablecoins to improve cross-border payments and provide “convenient access” to the dollar and other foreign currencies. He also praised their instant settlement and simultaneous settlement capabilities.

“On the other hand, stablecoins pose significant macroeconomic and financial challenges, including their potential effects on credit supply, financial stability and monetary…

Read more on Benzinga

Leading cryptocurrencies fell alongside stock futures Sunday evening as tensions between the U.S. and Iran increased dramatically over the weekend.

Crypto Market In Red

Bitcoin sharply retreated from $76,000 as trading volume spiked 20% over the last 24 hours. Ethereum dipped below $2,300, while XRP and Dogecoin also traded in the red.

Over $415 million was liquidated in the past 24 hours, with $335 million in long positions alone wiped out, according to Coinglass data.

Open interest in Bitcoin futures fell 3.76% over the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, sentiment among whale and retail traders on Binance flipped “neutral.”

“Fear” sentiment persisted in the market, according to the Crypto Fear &…

Read more on Benzinga

A crypto whale tracked as 0xeCE7 shifted $225 million in USDC onto Binance, Bybit, and Deribit and then pulled 32,007 Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)—valued at about $77.52 million—off Binance after buying. The burst of activity arrives as a long-dormant Bitcoin whale has resurfaced, moving roughly $469.8 million in BTC after more than 14 years of silence and reminding traders how closely markets watch big wallets.

In a post on X, Lookonchain reported that the same address funneled the USDC to multiple venues over about 10 hours before withdrawing the 32,007 ETH from Binance. The post pegged the ETH haul at $77.52 million.

Mysterious Whale Activity Sparks Market Speculation

The Ethereum move…

Read more on Benzinga

The trading activity of members of Congress continues to draw attention from retail investors, with potential conflicts of interest based on timing of trades and committee assignments signaling red flags around the transactions.

One member of Congress is drawing attention for the purchase of an ETF, not for a potential conflict, but for the size of the trade.

• iShares Bitcoin Trust stock is trading near recent lows. What should traders watch with IBIT?

Congresswoman Buys Bitcoin ETF Again

Congresswoman Sheri Biggs (R-S.C.) recently disclosed several transactions made in March, according to the Benzinga Government Trades page.

This marks the second time Biggs has disclosed buying…

Read more on Benzinga

Bitcoin climbed to $77,000 on Friday, coinciding with nearly $1 billion in liquidations of mostly shorts.

Notable Statistics:

Coinglass data shows 182,798 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $818.97 million.

SoSoValue data shows net inflows of $26.05 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Thursday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of $18.02 million.

In the past 24 hours, top gainers include RaveDAO, Ethena and Aerodrome Finance.

Notable Developments:

Trader Notes:

Ted Pillows noted heavy sell walls forming between $78,000 and $80,000, creating a strong resistance zone. He also warned that downside liquidity is thin until around $73,000, meaning a sharp pullback could occur…

Read more on Benzinga

Galaxy Digital Inc (NASDAQ:GLXY) shares are surging on Friday. The stock is riding a wave of renewed optimism across the digital asset ecosystem.

The Nasdaq is up 1.38% while the S&P 500 has gained 1.40%.

Middle East Peace Fuels Risk-On Sentiment

The primary catalyst is a sector-wide crypto rally. Markets reacted to signs of progress toward a Middle East ceasefire. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial vessels on Friday.

“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open,” Araghchi posted on X.

Crypto Prices Bounce On Geopolitical Relief

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC)…

Read more on Benzinga

The long discussed threat that quantum computing could one day break modern cryptography is no longer being treated as a distant, theoretical concern. Within the crypto industry, it is increasingly framed as a timing problem, not an if.

The Timeline Problem Is Getting Harder To Ignore

For years, the idea that quantum computers could crack cryptographic keys sat comfortably in the long term category. Estimates often placed meaningful breakthroughs decades away, giving networks ample time to upgrade.

That timeline is now being questioned.

Recent research and industry discussions suggest that advances in quantum computing could compress that window significantly. Some projections now place…

Read more on Benzinga

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has the potential to reach $1 million by 2035, says Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan, but only if store of value market continues to grow the same manner for the past 20 years.

Path To $1 Million

In an Apr. 17 interview with CoinDesk, Hougan said Bitcoin is entering a long-term institutional adoption phase, driven by ETF growth, geopolitical instability and rising demand for “digital gold.”

He estimates Bitcoin could reach seven-figure valuations if it captures 15%–17% of the global store-of-value market, up from roughly 6% today.

Under that scenario, long-term price targets could extend even further, toward $1 million–$2 million.

Hougan also argued that Bitcoin’s recent…

Read more on Benzinga