Google is bringing zero-knowledge proofs to Google Wallet, allowing users to verify their age on websites without revealing personal details like birthdates. The privacy-enhancing feature marks a major step in making cryptographic identity tools more accessible—and more invisible—for everyday users.…

‘Privacy shouldn’t be a luxury’: Google adds ZKPs to Wallet for age checks

Bitcoin (BTC) has surged 14.6% over the past two weeks, rising from 
approximately $84,500 on April 18 to the mid-$90,000 range at the time of 
writing. With this upward momentum, the leading cryptocurrency appears to be 
setting its sights on a new all-time high (ATH), as several technical and 
momentum indicators hint at a growing bullish trend. Bitcoin Monthly 
Stochastic RSI Turning Bullish In a recent post on X, crypto analyst Titan of 
Crypto shared a BTC monthly chart indicating that the Stochastic Relative 
Strength Index (RSI) is on the verge of a bullish crossover. For the 
uninitiated, a Stochastic RSI bullish crossover signals growing upward 
momentum and is often interpreted as a potential buy signal or the start of a 
potential rally. Titan of Crypto added that if confirmed, the bullish 
crossover may initiate BTC’s next leg up. Related Reading: Bitcoin Flashing 
Pre-Rally Signals Seen Before Major 2024 Breakouts, Analyst Says As an 
example, the analyst referred to BTC’s price action on the monthly chart from 
back in Q3 2021. At the time, a similar bullish crossover in the Stochastic 
RSI preceded a 56.9% surge in Bitcoin’s price. However, Bitcoin must hold 
above crucial support levels to maintain this bullish structure. In a separate 
X post, renowned analyst Ali Martinez noted that BTC could re-test the $95,700 
support zone before advancing toward the $100,000 milestone. On the resistance 
side, Martinez emphasized that $97,530 remains a “key level to watch.” A 
successful breakout beyond this threshold could pave the way for BTC to 
revisit or surpass its previous ATH. As it stands, Bitcoin is trading roughly 
10% below its record high. Analysts Predict BTC’s Next Move Crypto analyst 
Rekt Capital also weighed in on BTC’s potential trajectory. In an X post 
published yesterday, he suggested that once BTC decisively breaks through the 
$97,000 to $99,000 zone, it could face rejection near $104,500. Following 
that, holding the $97,000–$99,000 range as support would be critical for BTC 
to launch toward new highs. Related Reading: Bitcoin Demand Momentum Yet To 
Recover From Deep Negative Zone, Analyst Says Similarly, analyst Ted noted 
that BTC is currently trading in a Wyckoff accumulation phase. The analyst 
added that BTC’s slide below $76,000 in early April was likely the bottom for 
this market cycle. He added: Looking at the Wyckoff accumulation pattern, it 
seems like the $96K-$99K level could act as a resistance. I think BTC could 
consolidate here for a few days, before eventually breaking to the upside. 
Despite bullish momentum, some concerns remain. Analysts caution that Bitcoin 
is unlikely to face a true supply shock in the immediate future, which could 
temper upside potential. At press time, BTC trades at $97,142, up 0.9% in the 
past 24 hours. Featured image created with Unsplash, charts from X and 
TradingView.com

Bitcoin Stochastic RSI Signals Brewing Bullish Momentum – ATH Incoming?

Andreessen Horowitz’s A16z crypto reports stablecoin volumes soaring to $1.82 
trillion, igniting a payments revolution and accelerating adoption of instant, 
low-cost global finance infrastructure. $1.82 Trillion Stablecoin Explosion 
Sets off Payment Revolution in Global Finance Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto 
division, A16z crypto, highlighted a sharp rise in stablecoin activity in an 
April 25 editorial, reporting that […]

$1.82T Stablecoin Boom Set to Speedrun Banking History, Says A16z

In a video released on Thursday, crypto commentator Zach Rector dismantled a 
viral claim—popularized by influencer Jake Clover—that XRP tokens are secretly 
changing hands for $100,000 apiece inside clandestine “dark pools.” Rector’s 
rebuttal aims to calm newcomers spooked by the rumor and to re-center the 
discussion on verifiable market mechanics rather than conspiratorial price- 
suppression narratives. XRP OTC Deals Aren’t Market Manipulation Rector opens 
the broadcast by calling the thesis “a new round of misinformation and FUD,” 
stressing that “institutions are [not] going to get XRP at $100,000 on the 
private ledger. That’s not happening.” He explains that what social-media 
accounts now label “dark pools” are simply over-the-counter (OTC) 
desks—private bilateral venues that large holders have used for decades in 
equities, foreign exchange and, more recently, digital assets. “It’s nothing 
new or specific to XRP,” he says, adding that Ripple Labs has been off-loading 
part of its treasury via OTC since 2019 without depressing the open-market 
price. Indeed, XRP has “pumped tremendously since November,” Rector notes, 
even as Ripple distributed fresh supply to institutional counterparties. Much 
of Clover’s allegation hinges on the idea that a separate, private version of 
the XRP Ledger (XRPL) carries its own price—orders of magnitude above the 
public market’s. Rector calls that notion a fundamental misunderstanding of 
how Ripple’s enterprise tooling works. Central-bank or government pilots often 
ask for “private ledgers where they can keep messaging and transactions hidden 
from the public view,” he acknowledges, but those environments are 
permissioned sidechains or wrapped derivatives. “XRP only exists on the public 
XRP Ledger that we all use […]. Your XRP can never leave the XRP Ledger,” he 
states. If testers wanted to model a six-figure price for stress-testing 
purposes, “that’s not the real XRP, never was, never would be.” To underscore 
the point, Rector cites Ripple chief technology officer David Schwartz, who 
“has already addressed this” and clarified that “there are not two prices of 
XRP.” Rector also invokes examples from other enterprise-focused chains—XDC’s 
hybrid architecture and Constellation’s Department of Defense “Metagraph” 
deployment—to show that privacy partitions are standard practice, not evidence 
of hidden liquidity at surreal valuations. OTC Buyers Get A Discount While 
some retail traders fear that Wall Street would happily pay an astronomical 
premium behind closed doors, Rector argues the economics are inverted: “Why 
would an institution pay $10,000 per XRP on the private ledger […] when it’s 
available on the public market for $2?” OTC desks exist precisely so that 
whales can accumulate “without moving the market,” not to overpay. In fact, 
history shows that Ripple has often granted institutional partners a discount, 
not a markup—something revealed in discovery during the SEC vs. Ripple 
lawsuit. Rector reminds viewers that Ripple’s data set includes “over 1,700 
NDAs” and that R3 once negotiated an option to buy five billion XRP “for a 
sub-penny” over three years, ultimately settling for a single billion when the 
broader partnership soured. None of those figures approach the six-figure 
fantasy. At press time, XRP traded at $2.21. Featured image created with 
DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Crypto Pundit Debunks $100,000 XRP ‘Dark Pool’ Theory

Ripple’s $5 billion acquisition bid was reportedly snubbed as one expert says 
Circle is eyeing a $10 billion IPO amid bullish momentum and favorable crypto 
regulation. Ripple’s Acquisition Bid Rejected? Expert Suggests Circle Has $10B 
IPO in Its Sights Attorney John E. Deaton, a well-known advocate for XRP 
holders, explained that Circle’s market value could […]

Ripple’s Failed Bid Explained: Expert Sees Circle’s $10B IPO Play Brewing

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says the United States is unlikely to add more 
Bitcoin to its reserves beyond what it has already seized due to the country&#8217;s 
high debt levels and the stereotype behind &#8220;Bitcoin bros.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m not really into the whole Strategic Reserve situation,&#8221; Hayes said in a 
May 1 interview.
## Hayes doubts any government announcing print money plans for Bitcoin
&#8220;The United States is a deficit country; the only way they can do a Strategic 
Reserve is not sell the Bitcoin they took from people, fine, that&#8217;s 200,000 
Bitcoin,&#8221; he said.
_Arthur Hayes spoke to Kyle Chasse on his crypto interview series. 
Source:__Kyle Chasse_
However, Hayes said it&#8217;s hard to imagine any &#8220;properly elected&#8221; politician 
openly announcing that the government plans to print money to buy Bitcoin 
(BTC).
&gt; &#8220;Especially when the popular narrative is a bunch of Bitcoin bros going to 
&gt; the club.&#8221;
&#8220;Is that really what you want people to think about your policy?&#8221; he asked.
On March 6, Trump signed an executive order to create a Bitcoin strategic 
reserve and digital asset stockpile in the United States. The US holds 198,012 
Bitcoin worth over $18 billion, as per recent data. The reserve is primarily 
formed of Bitcoin seized in criminal and civil cases, including significant 
amounts from the Silk Road and Bitfinex hack cases.
However, many crypto industry leaders believe that if the US government starts 
buying Bitcoin, it could set off an aggressive domino effect.
Sergej Kunz, co-founder of exchange aggregator 1inch, said during 
Cointelegraph&#8217;s LONGITUDE event in Dubai that if the US starts buying Bitcoin 
for a strategic reserve, even smaller countries may soon struggle to acquire 
the cryptocurrency.
He added. &#8220;I&#8217;m pretty sure we&#8217;ll soon see countries battling over who owns 
more Bitcoin. The US will start.&#8221;
## Hayes sees Bitcoin to altcoin rotation playbook staying the same
Hayes remains confident that the Bitcoin cycle leading into altcoin season 
will follow the same pattern as it did in 2021, despite differing views from 
other analysts.
&#8220;I personally think Bitcoin dominance is going back to where it was before the 
2021 altcoin season, which is about 70%,&#8221; Hayes said.
Hayes isn&#8217;t convinced the pattern will change. &#8220;Then people just start 
rotating,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s back at all-time highs; bull markets are back, and 
altcoins should outperform. Should is a keyword there,&#8221; Hayes said. &#8220;Depends 
on what you buy,&#8221; he added.
_**Related:**__**Bitcoin price about to &#8216;blast&#8217; higher as Fed rate cut odds 
jump to 60%**_
Bitcoin dominance &#8212; the ratio of Bitcoin&#8217;s market capitalization to the 
entire crypto market &#8212; is 64.78% at the time of publication, according to 
TradingView data.
_Bitcoin dominance was 57.59% on Jan. 1. Source:__TradingView_
This represents an 11.68% increase since Jan. 1, when Bitcoin dominance was 
hovering just below 60%, a level where some analysts said would be its peak 
before altcoin season began. Several analysts doubted that Bitcoin dominance 
would ever return to 70%.
One of those skeptics was Into The Cryptoverse founder Benjamin Cowen, who 
explained in August that he doesn&#8217;t &#8220;think it is going back up to 70%,&#8221; and 
his target for Bitcoin dominance has been 60%.
Meanwhile, in December CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju said &#8220;altseason is no 
longer defined by asset rotation from Bitcoin.&#8221;
He said the traditional signal marking the beginning of an altcoin season when 
capital rotates from Bitcoin to altcoins is outdated. Instead, altcoin trading 
volume has become more prevalent against stablecoin and fiat currency pairs.
_**Magazine:**__**Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, and now it &#8216;s becoming 
them in stablecoin fight**_