On Apr. 13, 2025, a U.S. billionaire and founder of the biggest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, Ray Dalio, told NBC&#8217;s Meet the Press reporter that &#8220;right now we are at a decision-making point and very close to a recession.&#8221; Still,…

Ray Dalio, who predicted the 2008 crisis, says the US is on the brink of something worse than a recession. Is Bitcoin reserve a solution?

The X account of UK Member of Parliament and Leader of the House of Commons, 
Lucy Powell, was hacked to promote a scam crypto token.
In a series of now-deleted posts on April 15, Powell&#8217;s X account shared links 
to a token called the House of Commons Coin (HOC), describing it as &#8220;a 
community driven digital currency.&#8221;
_Source:__Daniel Green_
A member of Powell&#8217;s staff confirmed to the BBC that the account had been 
hacked and that &#8220;steps were taken quickly to secure the account and remove 
misleading posts.&#8221;
DEX Screener shows the HOC token saw limited interest from would-be investors, 
achieving a peak market cap of just over $24,000 shortly after the posts from 
Powell&#8217;s account.
The token has seen a total of 736 transactions and a trading volume of just 
$71,000.
While Powell hasn&#8217;t promoted a cryptocurrency before, it isn&#8217;t unheard of for 
political figures to back real crypto tokens.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both launched and 
promoted memecoins days before they entered the White House, sparking 
criticism from the president&#8217;s political rivals and even some supporters.
Argentine President Javier Melei also promoted a token called LIBRA, which 
quickly crashed in value and has caused a political scandal in Argentina and 
calls for a probe into Melei&#8217;s involvement with the token.
## Powell&#8217;s account hack follows similar attack on Ghana&#8217;s president
In March, the X account of Ghana&#8217;s President John Mahama saw a similar breach, 
with attackers taking over his account for 48 hours to promote a scam 
cryptocurrency called Solanafrica.
_The Ghanaian president &#8216;s X account was hacked in March 2025. 
Source:__CrediRates_ _ _
_**Related:**__**UK trade bodies ask government to make crypto a &#8216;strategic 
priority&#8217;**_
The scammers made similar crypto-promoting posts to Mahama&#8217;s 2.4 million 
followers, claiming that the scam project was &#8220;making payments fast and free 
across the continent with support from Solana and the Bank of Ghana.&#8221;
After regaining control of the president&#8217;s X account, his spokesman Kwakye 
Ofosu, confirmed to AFP that the account &#8220;has now been fully restored, and we 
urge the public to disregard any suspicious cryptocurrency-related posts from 
the handle.&#8221;
_**Magazine:**__**Memecoin degeneracy is funding groundbreaking anti-aging 
research**_

UK lawmaker’s X account hacked to boost scam ‘House of Commons Coin’

Markets may have moved past the peak of U.S. tariff policy uncertainty, but 
the path ahead remains volatile, according to a new report from Nansen. Nansen 
Highlights ‘Bessent Put’ as U.S. Moderates Trade Stance In a report shared 
with Bitcoin.com News, Aurelie Barthere, Principal Research Analyst at Nansen, 
argues that recent U.S. tariff negotiations suggest […]

Markets Face Bumpy Climb After Peak Tariff Uncertainty, Nansen Says

Ethereum price started a fresh decline from the $1,690 zone. ETH is now 
consolidating and might decline further below the $1,580 support zone. 
Ethereum started a fresh decline after it failed to clear $1,700 and $1,720. 
The price is trading below $1,620 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. 
There was a break below a new connecting bullish trend line with support at 
$1,625 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could 
start a fresh increase if it clears the $1,640 resistance zone. Ethereum Price 
Faces Rejection Ethereum price formed a base above $1,550 and started a fresh 
increase, like Bitcoin. ETH gained pace for a move above the $1,600 and $1,620 
resistance levels. The bulls even pumped the price above the $1,650 zone. A 
high was formed at $1,690 and the price recently corrected gains. There was a 
move below the $1,640 support zone. Besides, there was a break below a new 
connecting bullish trend line with support at $1,625 on the hourly chart of 
ETH/USD. The price tested the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move 
from the $1,472 swing low to the $1,690 high. Ethereum price is now trading 
below $1,625 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. On the upside, the 
price seems to be facing hurdles near the $1,620 level. The next key 
resistance is near the $1,640 level. The first major resistance is near the 
$1,650 level. A clear move above the $1,650 resistance might send the price 
toward the $1,690 resistance. An upside break above the $1,690 resistance 
might call for more gains in the coming sessions. In the stated case, Ether 
could rise toward the $1,750 resistance zone or even $1,800 in the near term. 
More Losses In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $1,640 resistance, it could 
start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1,580 
level. The first major support sits near the $1,555 zone and the 61.8% Fib 
retracement level of the upward move from the $1,472 swing low to the $1,690 
high. A clear move below the $1,555 support might push the price toward the 
$1,525 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $1,450 support 
level in the near term. The next key support sits at $1,420. Technical 
Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is gaining momentum in the 
bearish zone. Hourly RSI &#8211; The RSI for ETH/USD is now below the 50 zone. Major 
Support Level – $1,580 Major Resistance Level – $1,640

Ethereum Price  Dips Again—Time to Panic or Opportunity to Buy?

In an investor note dated April 15, 2025, Matt Hougan, the Chief Investment 
Officer (CIO) of Bitwise, shared an examination of Bitcoin’s recent trading 
patterns that may surprise both critics and supporters. “Bitcoin is acting 
like an asset that wants to go higher, if only macro obstacles would get out 
of the way,” he wrote. According to Hougan, Bitcoin’s price on April 14 
hovered around $84,379, compared to $84,317 a month earlier—a minuscule change 
of 0.07% during a 30-day window. This flat performance emerged against the 
backdrop of two significant geopolitical events: the United States announcing 
the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and President Donald Trump 
imposing sweeping tariffs on countries around the globe. The resilience that 
Bitcoin has shown during this period stands in stark contrast to the broader 
downward trend in traditional financial markets. Hougan pointed out that the 
S&amp;P 500, which peaked on February 19, has lost 12.0% of its value, with 
Bitcoin down a comparable 12.4% since that date. He found this alignment 
astonishing, particularly because it departs from Bitcoin’s behavior during 
past market downturns. In the 2022 correction, for example, the S&amp;P 500 slid 
24.5% while Bitcoin plunged 58.3%. Similarly, at the onset of the COVID-19 
crisis in early 2020, stocks fell 33.8% but Bitcoin sank 38.1%, and in late 
2018, when escalating trade tensions between the United States and China 
dragged equities down 19.36%, Bitcoin declined 37.22%. This track record had 
historically reinforced the notion that, when stocks took a hit, Bitcoin would 
invariably suffer a far steeper pullback. Related Reading: Bitcoin Lags Gold 
As Wall Street Doubts Persist, Claims Expert In his latest note, Hougan 
emphasized how different the present situation feels. Instead of being 
battered well beyond the equity market’s turbulence, Bitcoin is now mirroring 
stock losses closely. He acknowledged that this alone does not make Bitcoin an 
unequivocal hedge asset, adding, “Critics will point out that matching stocks’ 
performance during a downturn is not the same as acting as a hedge asset, and 
that gold has been a better performer than Bitcoin during this pullback. 
That’s true.” Nonetheless, he argued that Bitcoin’s ability to stay around the 
$80,000 mark while global markets churn is a testament to its robust staying 
power in the face of multiple macroeconomic shocks. “If that doesn’t give you 
confidence in its staying power, I don’t know what will,” he remarked. 
Hougan’s view is that we are witnessing a transitional phase in Bitcoin’s 
evolution. He explained that the cryptocurrency has historically been driven 
by two competing forces: it has served as a risk asset, associated with 
significant upside potential and high volatility, yet it has also occasionally 
taken on the role of a hedge similar to gold. Related Reading: This Bitcoin 
Pullback Mirrors 2017’s Path To Parabolic Highs, Says Analyst In Bitcoin’s 
early days, the risk-asset angle tended to dominate; in major equity sell- 
offs, investors often shed Bitcoin faster and more aggressively than they 
exited stocks. Now, with more corporations integrating Bitcoin into their 
balance sheets, institutional investors exploring it as part of diversified 
portfolios, and governments—like the United States—incorporating it into 
strategic reserves, there appears to be a gradual tilt toward Bitcoin being 
treated more like “digital gold.” . Still, Hougan warned that investors should 
not overlook the inherent unpredictability in the current macro environment. 
He noted that equity markets may not yet have found a bottom, raising the 
possibility that deeper slides could re-expose Bitcoin’s vulnerability if 
broader panic sets in. He also conceded that gold’s performance remains a more 
classic example of a safe-haven behavior during systemic shocks, meaning 
Bitcoin has not conclusively demonstrated that it can replace traditional 
hedges during intense economic strain. Even so, in his words, “The world is 
unraveling, and Bitcoin is trading above $80,000.” Hougan underscored that 
there is no guarantee this dynamic will endure, particularly given the 
unpredictable repercussions that could stem from sudden tariff escalations or 
shifts in monetary policy. As he concluded in his note, “Our baby is growing 
up as a macro asset. And that’s a beautiful thing to see.” At press time, BTC 
traded at $85,200. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from 
TradingView.com

‘Bitcoin Wants To Go Higher,’ Says Bitwise CIO—But There’s A Catch

Bitcoin price started a fresh decline from the $86,500 zone. BTC is now 
consolidating and might continue to decline below the $83,200 support. Bitcoin 
started a fresh decline from the $86,500 zone. The price is trading below 
$85,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There was a break below a 
connecting bullish trend line with support at $84,500 on the hourly chart of 
the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair could start another 
increase if it clears the $84,500 zone. Bitcoin Price Faces Rejection Bitcoin 
price started a fresh increase above the $83,500 zone. BTC formed a base and 
gained pace for a move above the $84,000 and $85,500 resistance levels. The 
bulls pumped the price above the $86,000 resistance. A high was formed at 
$86,401 and the price recently corrected some gains. There was a move below 
the $85,000 support. Besides, there was a break below a connecting bullish 
trend line with support at $84,500 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. 
The price tested the $83,200 support. Bitcoin price is now trading below 
$85,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. On the upside, immediate 
resistance is near the $84,000 level and the 23.6% Fib retracement level of 
the downward move from the $86,401 swing high to the $83,171 low. The first 
key resistance is near the $84,500 level. The next key resistance could be 
$84,750 and the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the 
$86,401 swing high to the $83,171 low. A close above the $84,750 resistance 
might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise 
and test the $85,500 resistance level. Any more gains might send the price 
toward the $86,400 level. Another Decline In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise 
above the $85,000 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate 
support on the downside is near the $83,500 level. The first major support is 
near the $83,200 level. The next support is now near the $82,200 zone. Any 
more losses might send the price toward the $81,500 support in the near term. 
The main support sits at $80,800. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD 
is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) 
– The RSI for BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – 
$83,200, followed by $82,200. Major Resistance Levels – $84,750 and $85,500.