Toncoin (CRYPTO: TON) surged on Monday after Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the messaging giant will become the “driving force” behind The Open Network blockchain.

Telegram To Lead TON

TON, the native token of The Open Network, surged over 23% in the last 24 hours to a 4-month high, with trading volume skyrocketing 623%.

The spike came after Durov announced that Telegram would replace the Swiss-based nonprofit TON Foundation as the main driving force behind the open-source TON network.

Glory Days Ahead For Telegram, TON?

Durov added that Telegram would also become the TON network’s “largest validator.” The top validator on a blockchain is the node or entity with the…

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Cryptocurrency bettors are pricing in higher odds on Iran closing its airspace for commercial flights after renewed attacks in the Strait of Hormuz challenged the ceasefire.

Will Peace Be Short-Lived?

Polygon (CRYPTO: POL)-based Polymarket showed a 52% possibility that Iran initiates a “major closure” of its airspace, up from 42% the day before.

A “major closure” is defined as a broad closure, cancellation, or suspension of commercial flights transiting, arriving in, and departing from Iranian airspace or a major Iranian Airspace region. Limited cancellations, delays or other partial closures will not qualify.

Over $3.70 million has been wagered on the outcome, making it one of the…

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Leading cryptocurrencies extended their gains, while stocks declined on Monday as Iranian attacks on UAE oil facilities unsettled investors.

Crypto Sentiment Shifts To ‘Neutral’

Bitcoin faced sharp rejection at $80,000, dropping to an intraday low of $78,217, before reclaiming the critical level later in the day.

Ethereum also reversed from the highs reached on Sunday, while XRP and Dogecoin traded sideways.

Over $480 million was liquidated in the past 24 hours, with $329 million in short positions alone wiped out, according to Coinglass data.

Open interest in Bitcoin futures rose further by 4.95% over the last 24 hours, signaling heightened speculative interest. However, both retail and…

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) could trade as high as $180,000 between this year and next, with confirmation likely coming from holding the mid-$80,000s short term, according to analysts.

The Saylor Supply Shock Math

Prominent crypto analyst Pentoshi projected broke down the numbers behind Strategy Inc.’s (NASDAQ:MSTR) Bitcoin buying spree.

Strategy has purchased 88,568 Bitcoin so far with total holdings reaching 818,334 and a goal of hitting at least 1 million by year-end.

The average works out to roughly 730 BTC per day. Meanwhile, miners produce 450 BTC per day. 

Strategy is currently on pace to buy 1.6 times the supply mined, meaning one single corporate buyer has purchased more than double…

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Bitcoin is back above $80,000 level, notably outperforming stocks on Monday.

Notable Statistics:

Coinglass data shows 121,511 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $542.80 million.       

SoSoValue data shows net inflows of $629.7 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Friday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of $101.2 million.

In the past 24 hours, top gainers include SKYAI, Dash and siren.

Notable Developments:

Trader Notes:

Michael van de Poppe argued that attempts to precisely time market bottoms or compare portfolios to recent all-time highs often lead to emotionally driven decisions.

He said both Bitcoin and several altcoins appear undervalued relative to…

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A new survey on cryptocurrency policies details that President Donald Trump’s stance on cryptocurrency is increasingly called into question by the public.

Public Trust In Crypto Oversight Declines

A CoinDesk poll, which surveyed 1,000 U.S. voters, found that 62% do not trust Trump’s administration to oversee the crypto industry.

While Trump has advocated for more crypto-friendly policies, respondents expressed broader concerns about governance and conflicts of interest in the sector.

A key issue highlighted in the survey is the overlap between public office and private crypto ventures.

About 73% of respondents opposed government officials having personal financial ties to crypto projects.

Benzinga

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) crossed $80,000 Monday as Senate Banking Committee chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) declared the CLARITY Act is in the “red zone.”

Scott Targets May Markup, June Vote

Scott told Fox Business he hopes to hold a markup of the CLARITY Act in May and bring the bill to the Senate floor in June or July. 

The legislation passed the House in July 2025 but stalled in the Senate as banks and stablecoin companies fought over stablecoin yield.

Coinbase had pulled its support of the bill in mid-January due to a draft amendment that would have prevented crypto firms from offering yield on user stablecoin balances.

ETF Inflows Hit $630 Million Friday

Monday’s rally followed stronger…

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