PancakeSwap has unveiled its CAKE Tokenomics 3.0 proposal, fueling 12% uptick in the token&#8217;s price. PancakeSwap (CAKE) has unveiled a new proposal, detailing its vision for CAKE Tokenomics 3.0. At the heart of the proposal is the goal to achieve…

PancakeSwap unveils CAKE Tokenomics 3.0, boosting CAKE price by 12%

Auradine, a U.S.-based firm in energy-efficient blockchain and artificial 
intelligence (AI) infrastructure, has raised $153 million in a Series C 
funding round to accelerate its growth and innovation. Auradine Hits $300M 
Total Funding With Latest $153M Investment The oversubscribed round was led by 
Stepstone Group and included participation from Maverick Silicon, Premji 
Invest, Samsung Catalyst […]

Auradine Raises $153M in Series C to Boost Blockchain and AI Infrastructure

A new report by Reuters suggests that China may be looking to liquidate large 
stashes of confiscated Bitcoin, potentially exerting downward pressure on 
BTC’s price. Sources cited by Reuters indicate that local Chinese governments 
have been engaging private companies to convert seized Bitcoin into cash, in 
an effort to bolster public finances under strain from a slowing economy. 
Chinese Authorities Could Offload 15,000 Bitcoin The Chinese ban on Bitcoin 
and crypto trading stands in tension with these liquidation efforts, prompting 
legal experts, senior judges, and law enforcement officials to call for 
clearer regulations. Reuters quotes Chen Shi, a professor at the Zhongnan 
University of Economics and Law, who described these disposals as “a makeshift 
solution that, strictly speaking, is not fully in line with China’s current 
ban on crypto trading.” Chen attended a seminar earlier this year alongside 
various government officials to debate potential changes to the rules, 
underscoring the urgency of creating a consistent framework for handling 
seized virtual currencies. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $1 Million? BPI Says 
One US Move Could Make It Happen China’s existing lack of transparency in 
dealing with confiscated digital coins has fueled concerns about corruption 
and emboldening further crypto-related crimes. The Reuters report highlights 
an alarming rise in such offenses: money involved in Bitcoin and crypto- 
related crimes surged to 430.7 billion yuan (roughly $59 billion) in 2023, 
reflecting a tenfold increase according to blockchain security firm SAFEIS. 
Further underscoring the scale of the issue, the country’s top procurator has 
recorded 3,032 people sued for Bitcoin and crypto-related money laundering 
last year. While Beijing forbids crypto trading and refuses to recognize 
digital tokens as legal tender or valid assets, the Reuters investigation 
points to a parallel reality where local governments rely on proceeds from 
these forced liquidations. Jiafenxiang, a Shenzhen-based technology company, 
reportedly sold cryptocurrencies worth more than 3 billion yuan in offshore 
markets on behalf of various municipal authorities in China’s eastern Jiangsu 
province. The US dollar proceeds from these transactions were then exchanged 
for yuan and transferred to local finance bureaus. Debate on potential reforms 
has unfolded at a time of heightened tensions between China and the US amidst 
Donald Trump’s second presidency, a period marked by the former American 
president’s push to deregulate cryptocurrencies and build a strategic BTC 
reserve. Guo Zhihao, a lawyer based in Shenzhen, believes China’s central bank 
should consider a similar strategy for seized Bitcoin and crypto assets, 
suggesting that “China’s central bank is better positioned to handle the 
cryptocurrencies, and should either sell them overseas or build a crypto 
reserve from seized tokens like Trump plans to.” Related Reading: Bitcoin 
Undervalued? Analyst Breaks Down Bullish On-Chain Metrics Other legal 
analysts, such as Sun Jun from Shanghai Landing Law Offices, see lucrative 
opportunities for private firms that help local governments dispose of large 
crypto holdings. Sun, however, stresses the importance of robust guidelines 
and vetting procedures, urging China to clarify the legal status of these 
tokens, set up a centralized disposal system, and regulate the entities 
involved. According to Winston Ma, an adjunct professor at NYU Law School and 
former managing director of China Investment Corp, a more centralized approach 
would help the country “maximize the value of the seized cryptocurrencies,” 
possibly through a crypto sovereign fund in Hong Kong, where digital trading 
is permitted. The potential for Beijing to retain some of these seized assets 
has also fueled broader speculation, particularly since China’s local 
governments collectively held an estimated 15,000 Bitcoins, making the Chinese 
state one of the largest institutional Bitcoin holders worldwide. Observers 
note that part of China’s crypto holdings likely originates from the country’s 
crackdown on illicit activities, including the high-profile PlusToken Ponzi 
scheme, which led to the seizure of 194,775 Bitcoin. According to crypto 
intelligence firm Arkham, these tokens were transferred to the national 
treasury in November 2020, though it remains unclear whether the holdings have 
been sold or remain in China’s possession. At press time, BTC traded at 
$84,071. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin Faces Pressure As Report Flags Chinese Sell-Off Plans

XRP price started a fresh decline below the $2.150 zone. The price is now 
consolidating above $2.00 and facing hurdles near the $2.120 zone. XRP price 
started a downside correction from the $2.250 resistance zone. The price is 
now trading below $2.10 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a 
key bearish trend line forming with resistance at $2.130 on the hourly chart 
of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair might extend losses if 
there is a close below the $2.00 support zone. XRP Price Faces Resistance XRP 
price started a downside correction from the $2.250 zone, like Bitcoin and 
Ethereum. The price traded below the $2.150 and $2.120 levels to enter a 
bearish zone. The price even spiked below $2.050 but stayed above $2.00. A low 
was formed at $2.036 and the price is now consolidating losses. There was a 
recovery wave above the $2.10 level. The price spiked above the 50% Fib 
retracement level of the downward move from the $2.184 swing high to the 
$2.036 low. The price is now trading below $2.10 and the 100-hourly Simple 
Moving Average. On the upside, the price might face resistance near the $2.120 
level. There is also a key bearish trend line forming with resistance at 
$2.130 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. The trend line is near the 
61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.184 swing high to 
the $2.036 low. The first major resistance is near the $2.180 level. The next 
resistance is $2.20. A clear move above the $2.20 resistance might send the 
price toward the $2.250 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward 
the $2.320 resistance or even $2.350 in the near term. The next major hurdle 
for the bulls might be $2.50. More Losses? If XRP fails to clear the $2.120 
resistance zone, it could start another decline. Initial support on the 
downside is near the $2.030 level. The next major support is near the $2.00 
level. If there is a downside break and a close below the $2.00 level, the 
price might continue to decline toward the $1.920 support. The next major 
support sits near the $1.840 zone. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD 
for XRP/USD is now losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative 
Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support 
Levels – $2.030 and $2.00. Major Resistance Levels – $2.120 and $2.180.

XRP’s $2.00 Pivot Point—A Launchpad or Breakdown Zone?

Despite recent major developments in the crypto industry, the market has just 
posted its weakest Q1 performance in years &#8212; but a crypto analyst is pointing 
to several catalysts that could make Q2 more promising.
&#8220;Frustrating. That&#8217;s the best word to describe the past quarter,&#8221; Bitwise 
chief investment officer Matt Hougan said in a recent market report, calling 
Q1 the &#8220;best worst quarter in crypto&#8217;s history.&#8221;
## Bitcoin and Ether took an unusual hit in Q1
Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), the two largest cryptocurrencies by market 
capitalization, saw price declines of 11.82% and 45.41%, respectively, over Q1 
2025 &#8212; a quarter that has historically seen strong results for both assets. 
Since 2013, Q1 has been Bitcoin&#8217;s second-strongest quarter on average (51.2%) 
and historically the best for Ether (77.4%), according to CoinGlass data.
_Historically, Q1 2025 is the second-best performing quarter for Bitcoin on 
average, but it &#8216;s the best for Ether. Source: __CoinGlass_
Hougan pointed to a few key catalysts that could help crypto deliver more 
upside to Q2.
He noted the rise in global money supply, which &#8220;after years of tightening, 
central banks across the globe are signaling a shift toward monetary easing 
and M2 expansion.&#8221;
&#8220;Historically, these conditions have been favorable for risk assets, 
particularly for digital assets,&#8221; Hougan said. Echoing a similar sentiment, 
Pav Hundal, the lead analyst at Australian crypto exchange Swyftx, told 
Cointelegraph in February that &#8220;in normal times, global loosening measures are 
a pretty reliable lead indicator for crypto.&#8221;
More recently, on April 14, analyst Colin Talks Crypto said, &#8220;Global M2 has 
remained at an ATH for 3 days in a row.&#8221; Bitcoin moves in the direction of 
global M2 83% of the time, economist Lyn Alden wrote in a September research 
report.
_BTC/USD vs global M2 supply. Source:__Colin Talks Crypto_
Hougan also said the &#8220;clean sweep of pro-regulations&#8221; in the US may be another 
bullish factor for the crypto market. &#8220;This is the long tail of regulatory 
clarity that no one is talking about, and it&#8217;s just getting started,&#8221; Hougan 
said.
The rise in stablecoin assets under management may also be a positive 
indicator that more upside is to come this year in the crypto market. Hougan 
said during the first quarter, stablecoin assets under management surged to 
&#8220;an all-time high of over $218 million.&#8221;
&#8220;Growing stablecoin adoption will benefit adjacent sectors, including DeFi and 
other crypto applications,&#8221; he said.
_**Related:**__**Bitcoin rally to $86K shows investor confidence, but it &#8216;s 
too early to confirm a trend reversal**_
The firm also said that the &#8220;geopolitical chaos&#8221; seen in the global economy 
during Q1 2025, mainly after US President Donald Trump&#8217;s inauguration through 
his tariffs, &#8220;are pushing global investors to reassess their portfolios.&#8221;
It comes only days after Hougan recently reiterated his prediction that 
Bitcoin may surge approximately 138% from its current price of $84,080 by the 
end of the year.
&#8220;In December, Bitwise predicted that Bitcoin would end the year at $200,000. I 
still think that&#8217;s in play,&#8221; Hougan said.
Meanwhile, crypto exchange Coinbase recently said, &#8220;When the sentiment finally 
resets, it&#8217;s likely to happen rather quickly, and we remain constructive for 
the second half of 2025.&#8221;
_**Magazine:**__**Riskiest, most &#8216;addictive&#8217; crypto game of 2025, PIXEL goes 
multi-game: Web3 Gamer**_
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every 
investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their 
own research when making a decision.

4 things that could turn crypto prices around in Q2 after the ‘best worst quarter’

According to a recent CryptoQuant Quicktake post, while Bitcoin (BTC) has seen 
a steady rise in price from November 2024 to February 2025, sentiment in the 
cryptocurrency&#8217;s futures market has not shown a corresponding uptick. Bitcoin 
Futures Sentiment Index Signals Caution Bitcoin’s price surged from 
approximately $74,000 in November 2024 to a peak of $101,000 by early February 
2025. However, following US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, 
risk-on assets &#8211; including BTC -have experienced a significant pullback. 
Related Reading: Bitcoin Boom Still In Play? Analyst Predicts Final Leg Up 
After hitting a potential local bottom of $74,508 earlier this month on April 
6, the apex cryptocurrency has recovered some of its recent losses. The top 
digital asset is trading in the mid $80,000 range at the time of writing. 
Despite this recovery, BTC’s futures sentiment has continued to decline since 
February. Even as the price holds near local highs, sentiment in the futures 
market has notably cooled. CryptoQuant contributor abramchart highlighted this 
divergence, noting that it could indicate increasing caution or profit-taking 
behavior despite the ongoing bullish trend. The analyst commented: This 
indicates a cooling interest or increased fear in the futures market, possibly 
due to macroeconomic uncertainty, regulatory concerns, or expected 
corrections. A look at the BTC futures sentiment index shows a resistance zone 
around 0.8 and a support level near 0.2. The index is currently hovering 
around 0.4, pointing to a predominantly bearish sentiment across futures 
markets. Similarly, Bitcoin’s average price has steadily declined from its 
early 2025 highs. It is now ranging between $70,000 and $80,000, signalling 
possible market indecision amid heightened tariff tensions. According to 
abramchart, if futures sentiment remains low, BTC could face extended price 
consolidation or even downward pressure in the near term. However, any 
emerging bullish catalyst could quickly shift the sentiment and renew upward 
momentum. Is BTC Close To A Momentum Shift? Some analysts believe Bitcoin may 
be nearing a breakout. After consolidating in the mid-$80,000s for several 
weeks, on-chain metrics suggest BTC may be undervalued at current levels. 
Indicators such as BTC exchange reserves and the Stablecoin Supply Ratio 
support this view. Related Reading: Bitcoin Buy Signal Confirmed? Analysts 
Highlight Key Reversal Zone In Play In addition, momentum indicators like 
Bitcoin’s weekly Relative Strength Index have begun to break out of a long- 
standing downward trendline &#8211; raising hopes for a potential bullish rally back 
toward $100,000. However, several risks still remain. The recent appearance of 
a ‘death cross’ on BTC’s price chart &#8211; combined with persistent macroeconomic 
concerns related to trade tariffs &#8211; could still weigh heavily on market 
sentiment. At press time, BTC trades at $83,917, down 1.8% over the past 24 
hours. Featured image from Unsplash, Charts from CryptoQuant and 
TradingView.com