Tether plans US stablecoin launch as soon as this year — CNBC

Tether plans to launch a stablecoin product in the United States as soon as this year, the stablecoin issuer’s CEO, Paul Ardoino, said in an April 30 CNBC interview. Tether’s flagship stablecoin, USDT (USDT), is already the US dollar’s top “exporter,” Ardoino told CNBC. It has a market capitalization of nearly $150 billion, according to …

VC Roundup: Funding surge targets confidentiality, tokenization and Web3 infrastructure

After months of volatility and extreme fear, crypto markets turned a positive corner in the second half of April, highlighting the industry’s big sentiment shift.  For venture capital, it was business as usual, with investors continuing to pour money into promising startups across layer-1 blockchains, infrastructure, real-world asset tokenization (RWA), and Web3 social media. This …

Ethereum Pectra upgrade goes live next week — Will ETH price rally?

Key takeaways: ETH price has underperformed its peers during the current bull market, but gas sponsorship could lure developers and traders back to the network. Ethereum’s upcoming Pectra upgrade promises to improve staking efficiency, potentially increasing demand for ETH. Data suggests ETH price bottomed. Will the Pectra narrative reignite bullish momentum? Since 2024, ETH (ETH) …

Ripple $4B-$5B bid to purchase Circle rejected — Report

Blockchain payments firm Ripple has reportedly bid up to $5 billion in an effort to acquire stablecoin issuer Circle, but the offer was rejected. According to an April 30 Bloomberg report, Ripple put in a bid of between $4 billion and $5 billion as part of an attempted takeover of Circle, which was rejected as …

Price predictions 4/30: BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, ADA, SUI, LINK, AVAX

Key points: Bitcoin’s 7-day volatility is the lowest in 563 days, signaling an impending range expansion. Bitcoin’s breakout above $95,000 could swiftly take it to $100,000 and above. Although the probability is low, traders should remain cautious about a pullback in the near term. Bitcoin (BTC) has been trading in a tight consolidation near the …

Global demand grows for non-dollar stablecoins, says Fireblocks exec

Governments outside the US, including Singapore, are increasingly interested in stablecoins not tied to the US dollar, despite their currently limited liquidity, Fireblocks director of policy Dea Markova told Cointelegraph at Token2049. In an exclusive interview, Markova described the competition with dollar-pegged stablecoins as “all about sovereignty.” She compared the situation to earlier tensions between …

Bitcoin selling at $95K is ‘profit-taking pressure test’ but BTC whales are still buying

Key Takeaways: US GDP shrank -0.3% in Q1, far below +0.3% forecasts, sparking recession fears. Bitcoin faces selling pressure with its spot volume delta dropping $300 million in 3 days. Whales are accumulating BTC, but smaller holders are selling, hinting at profit-taking. Bitcoin’s (BTC) price dropped under $93,000 on April 30, after the US Gross …

Ex-Binance CEO chides Europe over crypto adoption

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the former CEO of crypto exchange Binance, said most European countries were moving “nowhere” in terms of the adoption of digital currencies. Speaking at the Token2049 conference in Dubai on April 30, Zhao said that areas of the United Arab Emirates were “extremely pro-business,” leading to crypto adoption in Dubai, while others …

Grayscale launches Bitcoin adopters exchange-traded fund

Asset manager Grayscale launched the Grayscale Bitcoin Adopters exchange-traded fund (ETF), an investment vehicle that tracks companies employing a Bitcoin (BTC) treasury, or holding strategy. According to the April 30 announcement, the ETF will provide exposure to companies across seven business sectors, including Bitcoin mining firms, automotive companies, and energy. Some of the most notable …

Bitcoin drops under $93K after US GDP data shows shrinking economy, raising recession alarms

Key points:  US GDP shrank in Q1, raising recession alarms while also prompting calls for Fed rate cuts. Bitcoin dropped to $92,910 as GDP figures were released, but sustained buy-side demand could provide support.  Today’s crypto derisking is likely transitory; market fundamentals remain strong. Bitcoin (BTC) price took an abrupt tumble as data showed the …