Amid rising crypto crime, Crystal Intelligence is acquiring Whale Alert&#8217;s Scam Alert platform to turn individual victim reports into actionable intelligence for law enforcement. Crystal Intelligence, a blockchain analytics and risk monitoring firm, announced it&#8217;s acquiring Scam Alert, a public…

Crystal Intelligence acquires Whale Alert’s scam detection platform

According to a recent post on X by Shaco AI, Bitcoin (BTC) is showing a bit of 
“stage fright” as it hovers just below key short-term moving averages, 
signaling a potential loss of momentum. At the time of writing, BTC is trading 
at $94,383, beneath both the 25-hour Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $95,192 
and the 50-hour SMA at $95,675. This positioning reflects a cautious stance 
among traders, with bulls unable to reclaim control and bears subtly 
tightening their grip. The dip below these moving averages paints a short-term 
bearish picture, as Shaco AI described it, &#8220;Mama Bear pulling Baby Bitcoin 
down.&#8221; This metaphor highlights the building pressure on Bitcoin as it 
attempts to break free from its current consolidation range. Without a 
convincing move above these SMAs, the market may remain hesitant, with the 
risk of further downside looming unless stronger bullish momentum emerges 
soon. RSI And MACD Paint A Cautious Picture In his effort to further support 
his analysis, Shaco AI pointed to momentum indicators that are beginning to 
flash cautionary signals. One of the key indicators, the Relative Strength 
Index (RSI), is currently resting at a rather subdued 38.78. Related Reading: 
Analyst Identifies When Bitcoin Price Will Reach Cycle Top — Here’s The 
Timeline This level typically suggests that an asset may be nearing oversold 
territory, hinting that Bitcoin could be undervalued at the moment. However, 
instead of signaling a confident bounce, the RSI appears more hesitant, as if 
BTC is simply feeling “shy” at this bearish gathering, uncertain whether to 
retreat further or gather the courage to rebound. Adding to the uncertainty, 
Shaco AI drew attention to the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), 
which currently stands at -432.37. While this negative reading implies that 
bearish momentum is present, the MACD’s behavior hasn’t been decisive. It’s 
more of a quiet murmur than a clear call, “whispering secrets,” as Shaco AI 
aptly described it, about a potential shift in trend. He also noted an 
interesting detail for the crowd: trading volume has been notably muted. With 
current volume at 527.17304, falling short of the average 593.655497, it’s as 
if the market is tiptoeing, trying not to disturb the calm. This subdued 
activity suggests that traders may be sitting on their hands, waiting for a 
clearer signal before making any bold moves. Structural Levels For Bitcoin To 
Watch Analyzing Bitcoin’s current structural setup, Shaco noted that key 
support lies at $93,514.1, a potential safety net if bearish momentum 
intensifies. On the upside, resistance is firmly positioned around $96,593, 
acting as a critical barrier should BTC attempt an unexpected upward breakout. 
Related Reading: CMT-Verified Analyst Reveals When To Buy Bitcoin As Heikin 
Ashi Candle Turns Bearish In conclusion, Shaco AI advised traders to stay 
alert as Bitcoin teeters at a critical juncture. Whether it continues to drift 
downward or stages a bold rebound from its support levels remains to be seen. 
Investors should keep a close eye on momentum shifts and volume spikes for 
early clues on its next act. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from 
Tradingview.com

Bitcoin Caught In Bearish Drift As It Slips Below Key Support Averages, Bears Taking Over?

While many crypto ecosystems focus on decentralization as the core tenet of 
Web3, Aptos is seeing success with hybrid platforms that blend Web2 and Web3 
technologies, commonly referred to as &#8220;Web2.5.&#8221;
In an interview at the Token20249 event in Dubai, Aptos&#8217; head of ecosystem, 
Ash Pampati, told Cointelegraph that they see Web2.5 platforms earn &#8220;tons of 
revenue&#8221; within Aptos. He noted that consumer-focused applications in 
particular are thriving on the network.
Web2.5 is a term used to describe a combination of Web2 and Web3 technologies. 
The term describes platforms or applications that blend centralized Web2 
experiences with decentralized Web3 elements.
These applications often avoid full decentralization, drawing criticism for 
not fully embracing the Web3 vision.
_Ash Pampati at the Token2049 media lounge in Dubai. Source: Cointelegraph_
## Consumer-focused Web2.5 platforms generate revenue on Aptos
Pampati told Cointelegraph that one of the trends he sees within the Aptos 
ecosystem is that founders want to build &#8220;great consumer experiences.&#8221;
The executive said that the Aptos network was built to support projects with 
almost a Web2-like scale. Because of its Meta origins, he said Aptos has a 
developer stack focusing on abstracting friction away from Web3.
Pampati described this as more of a Web2 user experience &#8220;without sacrificing 
Web3 principles.&#8221; The executive said platforms that followed such models found 
success within the ecosystem:
&gt; &#8220;We see a lot of great consumer Web 2.5 platforms emerging. So, those that 
&gt; are focused on distribution and those that are focused on fan loyalty are 
&gt; also generating tons of revenue because they&#8217;ve created great products.&#8221;
Pampati said that the trend is mainly influenced by their developer stack and 
what the Aptos platform offers, which focuses on broad consumer applications.
_**Related:**__**From digital identity to outer space: Projects push crypto 
use cases**_
## The challenge of attracting the next million users
While Web2.5 applications address some of the user experience problems for 
crypto and Web3, Pampati said that one of the challenges in the space remains 
the onboarding of non-crypto natives to the industry.
&#8220;I think the biggest challenge is trying to predict the next catalyst that 
pulls forward the next million, 10 million users into crypto. I think there&#8217;s 
a lot of tendency to go and refight old wars,&#8221; Pampati told Cointelegraph.
He said founders tend to move back into concepts like memecoins and non- 
fungible tokens (NFTs). However, he believes that finding the next catalyst 
that will spur broader mainstream adoption requires creating something new.
Pampati added that collaborating and motivating founders to &#8220;see through the 
corners and not just try to recreate what&#8217;s already been created before&#8221; also 
remains a challenge. The executive said that founders should be prepared for 
when the next catalyst happens.
_**Magazine:**__**Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it &#8216;s becoming them in 
stablecoin fight**_

Aptos exec sees Web 2.5 platforms earning ‘tons’ of revenue

AIXBT price surges 20% as bulls attempt to break above the top of the breakout 
rally. AIXBT (AIXBT) is up almost 20% in the past 24 hours, currently trading 
at $0.19, with 24-hour trading volume up surging 50%. Today&#8217;s surge…

AIXBT price surges 20% as bulls eye break above $0.21 resistance

**Key takeaways:**
 * Bitcoin failed to break the $98,000 resistance amid increased profit-taking.
 * BTC price needs to close above $95,000 on the daily chart for a push to $100,000.
Bitcoin&#8217;s (BTC) price failed to break above resistance at $98,000 on May 3. 
Since April 22, BTC prices have formed daily candle highs between $93,000 and 
$97,900, but they could not close above $97,440.
_BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/__TradingView_
Bitcoin price action has been choppy and within a narrow range for the past 
few days. With elevated profit-taking and a lot of supply in profit, markets 
could see volatile price swings toward key BTC price levels over the next few 
days.
## Realized profits above &#8220;statistical levels&#8221;
Senior researcher at Glassnode, CryptoVizArt.₿, said that Bitcoin&#8217;s rally to 
the $93,000-96,000 range has &#8220;pushed the profit-taking volume above the 
statistical levels.&#8221;
In other words, the Realized Profit/Loss ratio shows that the volume of 
Bitcoin being sold at a profit exceeds historical norms. This suggests 
heightened selling activity by investors locking in gains, often signaling 
potential market tops and increased sell-side pressure.
The chart below indicates that &#8220;for every dollar realized in loss, more than 9 
dollars was realized in profit!&#8221; CryptoVizArt.₿ explained, adding:
&gt; &#8220;The fact that the price is still above $93,000 is very surprising, which in 
&gt; my humble opinion is also risky.&#8221;
_Bitcoin realized profit/loss ratio. Source: Glassnode _
As reported by Cointelegraph, BTC selling has been ramping up near the $95,000 
level over the past few days as short-term traders book profits.
Crypto analyst Checkmate said that Bitcoin&#8217;s current market is at a key 
&#8220;decision point,&#8221; so Bitcoin must clear this price zone in the near term to 
avoid another major correction.
_**Related:**__**Bitcoin price cools going into Fed rate hike week, HYPE, 
AAVE, RNDR, FET still look bullish**_
Bitcoin&#8217;s supply in profit now stands at 86%, as per data from Glassnode. This 
high percentage often signals a bullish phase. However, it also indicates 
potential risks: when supply in profit exceeds 80-90%, historical patterns 
show increased profit-taking, particularly by short-term holders, which can 
lead to corrections.
Given these two scenarios, Checkmate pointed out:
&gt; &#8220;We&#8217;re sitting right in the middle of a decision point, and all it will take 
&gt; is one big red or green candle from here to convince people of a lower high, 
&gt; or bull continuation, respectively.&#8221;
_Bitcoin distribution. Source: Checkonchain_
## Key Bitcoin price levels to watch
Bitcoin must flip the $98,000 resistance level into support to target higher 
highs above $100,000.
But first, the BTC/USD pair must close above $95,000 on the daily chart. BTC&#8217;s 
price dropped below this level on May 4, driven by profit-taking after the 
rally to $97,000. 
_BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/__TradingView_
​​One positive catalyst for the bulls could be continued demand from spot 
Bitcoin ETFs. Bitcoin ETFs registered $1.8 billion in net inflows last week, 
per Farside Investors&#8217; data.
Another catalyst could come from Wednesday&#8217;s Fed interest rate decision 
meeting.
Meanwhile, the bears will attempt to keep the $98,000 resistance in place to 
increase the likelihood of pulling the price below $92,000. The immediate 
target below the previous range lows is at $90,000, i.e., the convergence 
point of the 100-day and 200-day SMAs.
Below $90,000, the next key area of interest remains between $85,000 and 
$75,000. Reaching $75,000 would erase all the gains after the 90-day tariff 
pause.
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.

Watch these Bitcoin price levels as BTC meets 'decision point'

VanEck&#8217;s BNB ETF filing could enhance crypto market legitimacy and attract 
institutional investors, potentially boosting BNB&#8217;s mainstream adoption.
The post VanEck officially files for first Binance Coin BNB ETF in US, eyes 
staking feature appeared first on Crypto Briefing.