Bitcoin miner Bit Digital acquires $53M facility as AI, HPC push continues

Bitcoin mining company Bit Digital has acquired an industrial building in Madison, North Carolina, upping the ante in a business diversification strategy that includes strategic pivots into AI and high-performance computing. 

Bit Digital agreed to buy the property for $53.2 million through Enovum Data Centers Corp., the company’s wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, regulatory filings show. The investment includes a $2.25 million initial deposit, with $1.2 million being non-refundable. The transaction is expected to close on May 15.

Bit Digital disclosed the acquisition in a Form 8-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Source: SEC

Bit Digital’s regulatory filing was submitted around the same time that it announced a new Tier 3 data center site in Quebec, Canada, which will support the company’s 5 megawatt colocation agreement with AI infrastructure provider Cerebras Systems. 

The Quebec facility is being retrofitted with roughly $40 million

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/bit-digital-acquires-facility-north-carolina?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

TWAP vs. VWAP in crypto trading: What’s the difference?

Algorithmic trading strategies in crypto

Algorithmic trading has become a go-to for many traders as it lets you automate trades based on specific rules — no emotions, no hesitation, just pure logic. These strategies can scan markets 24/7, react instantly to price movements, and handle large volumes way faster than a human ever could.

Some common algo trading strategies include:

Trend following: riding the wave of upward or downward momentum.Arbitrage: taking advantage of price differences across exchanges.Market making: placing buy and sell orders to profit from the spread.Mean reversion: betting that prices will return to their average over time.

Now, within the world of algorithmic trading, there’s a special group called execution algorithms. These aren’t about predicting where the market is going — they’re about how to get in or out of a position without moving the market too much. They’re especially useful for handling

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/explained/twap-vs-vwap-in-crypto-trading-whats-the-difference?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Cash-based crypto can enable financial inclusion for billions

Opinion by: Alexander Guseff, founder and CEO of Tectum

Crypto companies have spent years pushing digital wallets and exchange apps, convinced they’ll bring financial inclusion to the world. Here’s the reality: 1.4 billion people remain unbanked, and crypto adoption has barely exceeded 8%. For all the talk about decentralization and accessibility, the industry continues to overlook the billions of people who rely on cash for their daily lives.

In developing economies of Africa, South Asia and Latin America, cash is not just dominant — it’s essential. Banking services are sparse, smartphone penetration is low, and digital literacy remains a hurdle. Expecting these populations to onboard through a process designed for tech-savvy users with internet access is unrealistic.

Yet whenever offline crypto solutions have been tested, adoption has jumped. The message is clear: People are willing to use crypto but need a way to access it that fits their

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/cash-based-crypto?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Crypto, stocks enter ‘new phase of trade war’ as US-China tensions rise

Cryptocurrency and equities markets entered a “new phase of the trade war, amid ongoing tariff escalations between the United States and China.

Global trade war concerns intensified on April 15 after the White House published a fact sheet announcing that Chinese imports would be hit with tariffs of up to 245%.

The penalties include a “125% reciprocal tariff, a 20% tariff to address the fentanyl crisis, and Section 301 tariffs on specific goods, between 7.5% and 100%,” according to the White House.

Fact sheet on tariffs, investigation into security risks posed by US reliance on imports. Source: White House

Crypto, tech stocks and other “expensive assets” have entered a “new phase” of the global trade war in response to the latest escalation, according to Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at crypto intelligence platform Nansen.

“We are now in a new

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-stocks-new-phase-trade-war-245-tariff-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

How Meta’s antitrust case could dampen AI development

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, is facing antitrust proceedings that could limit its ability to develop AI amid a field of competitors.

First filed in 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that Meta’s strategy of absorbing firms — rather than competing with them — violates antitrust laws. If the court rules against Meta, it could be forced to spin out its various messenger services and social media sites into independent companies.

The loss of its stable of social media companies could harm Facebook’s competitiveness not only in the social media industry but also in its ability to train and develop its proprietary Llama AI models with data from those sites.

The trial could take anywhere from a couple of months to a year, but the outcome will have lasting consequences on Meta’s standing in the AI race.

Meta’s antitrust case and its effect on AI

The FTC first opened

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/meta-antitrust-ftc-dampen-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Bitcoin price levels to watch as Fed rate cut hopes fade

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price failed another attempt at breaking above resistance at $86,000 on April 16 as  Fed Chair Jerome Powell dashed hopes of early rate cuts, citing the impact of Trump’s tariffs.

Since April 9, BTC price has formed daily candle highs between $75,000 and $86,400, but has been unable to produce a close above $86,000.

BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Many analysts and traders ask, “Where is Bitcoin price headed next?” as the asset remains stuck in a tight range on the lower time frame (LTF) of the 4-hour chart.

88% chance interest rates unchanged

Polymarket bettors say there is an 88% chance that the current interest rates will remain between 4.25% and 4.50%, leaving just a 10% probability of a 0.25% rate cut.

Interest rate expectations. Source: Polymarket

However, a common market belief is that

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-price-levels-to-watch-fed-rate-cut-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Eliza Labs launches auto.fun, a no-code AI spin on Pump.Fun

Eliza Labs, the developer behind the AI agent framework ai16z, announced the launch of auto.fun, a new no-code platform allowing users to launch AI agents on Web3 applications.

Auto.fun allows for the creation, deployment and monetization of AI agents by non-developers without programming knowledge, according to an April 17 announcement.

The platform supports the creation of AI agents that interact with social media, decentralized finance (DeFi) apps and other Web3 services.

“The vision for auto.fun is to democratize access to both AI and Web3 technologies by creating agents that can execute tasks autonomously on behalf of users,” said Shaw Walters, founder of Eliza Labs and the open-source elizaOS.

The animated ASCII art shown to auto.fun visitors ahead of launch. Source: auto.fun

Walters said the agents could automate yield farming strategies, manage social media accounts or trade on behalf of users. The platform is focused on X support, with DeFi,

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai16z-s-eliza-labs-launches-ai-powered-pump-fun-alternative-auto-fun?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Bybit shuts down four more Web3 services after axing NFT marketplace

Bybit is shutting down more of its Web3 services after axing its non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace earlier in April.

According to an April 16 announcement, the exchange is shutting down its Cloud Wallet (a hosted custodial wallet​), Keyless Wallet (non‑custodial multiparty computation wallet with no seed phrase​), NFT marketplace, multi‑chain decentralized exchange (DEX)​ DEX Pro and the Swap & Bridge cross‑chain swap widget​ on May 31.

Source: Bybit Web3

On April 28, Bybit will also discontinue Web3 Points, its internal loyalty program that rewarded onchain activity with redeemable points for fee discounts, airdrop boosts and early-bird perks.​

On the same day, the exchange will shut down its inscription marketplace, the decentralized NFT marketplace NFT Pro, the gateway to the Apex Pro derivatives DEX, its fiat-to-crypto on-ramp, and its initial DEX offering service.

Related: Bybit recovers market share to 7% after

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/bybit-shuts-down-four-more-services-after-killing-nft-exchange?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

North Korean hackers target crypto devs with fake recruitment tests

North Korean hackers linked to the $1.4 billion Bybit exploit are reportedly targeting crypto developers using fake recruitment tests infected with malware. 

Cybersecurity outlet The Hacker News reported that crypto developers have received coding assignments from malicious actors posing as recruiters. The coding challenges have reportedly been used to deliver malware to unsuspecting developers.

Malicious actors approach crypto developers on LinkedIn and tell them about fraudulent career opportunities. Once they convince the developer, the hackers send a malicious document containing the details of a coding challenge on GitHub. If opened, the file installs stealer malware capable of compromising the victim’s system.

The scam is reportedly run by a North Korean hacking group known as Slow Pisces, also referred to as Jade Sleet, Pukchong, TraderTraitor and UNC4899. 

Cybersecurity professionals warn of fraudulent job offers 

Hakan Unal, senior security operations center lead at security firm Cyvers, told Cointelegraph that the hackers often

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/north-korea-hackers-crypto-developers-fake-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Mantra OM token crash exposes ‘critical’ liquidity issues in crypto

Mantra’s recent token collapse highlights deeper-rooted issues within the crypto industry around fluctuating liquidity levels, creating additional downside volatility over the weekend, which may have exacerbated the token’s crash.

The Mantra (OM) token’s price collapsed by over 90% on April 13, from roughly $6.30 to below $0.50, triggering market manipulation allegations among disillusioned investors, Cointelegraph reported.

While blockchain analysts are still piecing together the reasons behind the OM collapse, the event highlights critical issues for the crypto industry, according to Gracy Chen, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Bitget.

“The Om token crash exposed several critical issues that we are seeing not just in OM, but also as an industry,” Chen said during Cointelegraph’s Chainreaction daily X show, adding:

“When it’s a token that’s too concentrated, the wealth concentration and the very opaque governance, together with sudden exchange inflows and

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/mantra-om-crash-critical-liquidity-concentration-issues?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound