Crypto

European Central Bank executive Piero Cipollone has argued that rising geopolitical tensions make a European-controlled payments system a strategic necessity. Rising geopolitical tensions are strengthening the case for a European-controlled digital payments system, according to European Central Bank (ECB) executive board member Piero Cipollone. In an interview with Spanish newspaper El País, shared by the ECB on Wednesday, Cipollone described the proposed digital euro as “public money in digital form,” arguing that it was needed to complement cash and address an increasingly fragmented payments landscape in Europe, especially as e-commerce grows.  He noted that cash accounted for around a quarter (24%) of day-to-day transaction value in 2024, down sharply from 2019 (40%), and said the ECB had a responsibility to adapt how it provided money as a public good. Read more

Bitcoin ETF investors contend with price dropping to their aggregate entry level, but a crypto executive claims new institutions are lining up. Bitcoin (BTC) institutional investors face a test of “conviction” as exchange-traded fund (ETF) holdings tumble by $6 billion. Key points: Bitcoin ETF investors now face falling into aggregate loss on their holdings. Read more

As Bitcoin inches towards $90K, capital has rotated into altcoins, resulting in weekly gains between 30% and 56%.

CZ defended buy-and-hold as his personal strategy, saying critics twisted his words and ignored the need for careful coin selection.

Bitcoin price traded below $90,000 as investors braced for Jerome Powell’s post-FOMC speech that could trigger volatile swings toward key BTC price levels. Bitcoin (BTC) is attempting to break the resistance at $90,000 on Wednesday, as traders expect volatile price swings before and after the US policy decision on interest rate cuts.  Key takeaways: The odds of the US Federal Reserve leaving interest rates unchanged today are 100%. Read more

Aave now controls 51.5% of the DeFi lending market share, the first time any protocol has crossed the 50% threshold since 2020. The milestone arrives not through competitor collapse but through steady accumulation: Aave's $33.37 billion in total value locked sits atop a $64.83 billion lending category that has consolidated around a single liquidity hub. […] The post How Aave’s DeFi monopoly created a risky feedback loop with only a $460M backstop appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin trades near $89,200 as a bearish weekly EMA crossover, ETF outflows, FOMC risks, and rising supply in loss draw market attention.

A wallet linked to an alleged theft of US government-seized crypto launched a Solana memecoin on Pump.fun that later crashed 97%, raising tokenomics red flags. A cryptocurrency wallet linked by blockchain investigators to an alleged theft of US government-controlled crypto holdings launched a Solana-based memecoin that later collapsed, renewing scrutiny of memecoin launch practices and onchain token distribution risks. The token, called John Daghita (LICK), was created on the Pump.fun launchpad and lost about 97% of its value within its first day of trading, according to onchain data. The token briefly reached a market capitalization of about $915,000 before falling below $25,000 by the time of writing. Leading up to the rally, the token deployer address made four acquisitions, while the coin was still trading below the $21,000 market capitalization, Pump.fun data shows. Read more

HYPE has skyrocketed by 60% in the past few days.

Arthur Hayes says covert Fed liquidity to support the yen could mechanically lift Bitcoin and crypto prices.

OKX says the card supports USDC and USDG spending, is issued via Monavate on Mastercard’s network and is available to verified EU users. Cryptocurrency exchange OKX is rolling out a payment card in Europe, allowing users to spend stablecoins at merchants accepting Mastercard. The OKX Card is issued through the company’s Electronic Money Institution (EMI) partner, Monavate, OKX said Wednesday in an announcement shared with Cointelegraph. At launch, the card supports spending in stablecoins including Circle’s USDC (USDC) and the Paxos-issued Global Dollar (USDG). Read more

Ether prices did not remain below $3,000 for long and have returned to the psychological price level. 

Chainalysis says the on-chain money laundering ecosystem processed $82 billion in funds in 2025, with Chinese-language networks now dominating. The use of centralized crypto exchanges for laundering illicit funds is on the decline, with Chinese-language money laundering networks now being used more than ever, according to Chainalysis. Chainalysis said in a report on Tuesday that informal service-based networks offered through Chinese-speaking channels have a wide variety of laundering-as-a-service businesses that use money mules, informal over-the-counter trade desks, and gambling platforms to mix and swap crypto. The networks emerged during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, and now “dominate known crypto money laundering activity.” Read more

Experts say the metals expansion builds infrastructure, not a near-term volatility hedge, as Coinbase stock falls 46% from its peak.

The Base team won't chase million-dollar token pumps, says Pollak.

The filing comes after regulators closed their probe into Uniswap Labs, shifting attention from enforcement toward questions over liquidity.

Morgan Stanley has named longtime executive Amy Oldenburg to lead its new digital-asset strategy role as it ramps up its push into crypto. The post Morgan Stanley Creates Digital-Asset Strategy Post, Names Long-Serving Exec To Lead appeared first on Cryptonews.

Nomura-backed Laser Digital has filed for a US national trust bank charter with the OCC to bring its crypto business under federal regulation, the FT reported. The post Nomura’s Crypto Arm Laser Digital Eyes US Bank Charter: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

Morgan Stanley largely sat out the first wave of institutional crypto adoption across 2024–2025 but surprised many with three crypto ETF filings earlier this month. Morgan Stanley has tapped veteran executive Amy Oldenburg to lead the investment bank’s new crypto unit, just weeks after announcing plans to launch three crypto exchange-traded funds and a crypto wallet. Oldenburg will transition to head of digital asset strategy after working in Morgan Stanley’s emerging markets equity team since 2001, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Oldenburg has been leading the emerging markets team since November 2021, where she was tasked with driving the division’s digital asset strategy. Read more

New analysis points to steadier market conditions for Bitcoin as liquidity support holds and investors shift toward hedging over leverage.