Ripple’s attempt to finalize a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has been halted after a federal judge dismissed their joint request as procedurally flawed. The decision, issued by Judge Analisa Torres of the U.S. District Court for…

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Blockchain gaming saw user activity decline sharply in April, dipping below 5 
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The Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, has passed 
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Traders have started placing bets on Polymarket regarding the next crypto 
market cycle, ranging from Bitcoin&#8217;s next all-time high to possible airdrops 
occurring in the second quarter of 2025. As of May 16, a majority of bettors 
believe that Bitcoin…

Here’s what Polymarket thinks about the next cryptocurrency cycle

Key takeaways:
 * Bitcoin price consolidates as resistance at $105,000 prevents rally to new all-time highs.
 * Traders are slightly bearish, but historical data suggests that a sudden bullish move should not be ruled out.
Bitcoin (BTC) price has been consolidating within a roughly $3,500 range over 
the past seven days as the $105,000 level remains the overhead resistance to 
break.
_BTC/USD weekly chart. Cointelegraph/__TradingView_
## Bitcoin unable to crack $105,000
Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and Bitstamp shows that BTC&#8217;s price has 
been oscillating between its resistance level at $105,000 and $101,500, where 
it has found support.
&#8220;$BTC is stuck in a narrowing $101.5K-$104K range,&#8221; said Swissblock in a May 
16 post on X.
The onchain data provider said that Bitcoin began consolidating after two 
failed attempts to break above the resistance at $105,000.
&gt; &#8220;With the weekend ahead, resolution will likely be delayed, unless we get a 
&gt; Friday break.&#8221;
_BTC/USD chart. Source:__Swissblock_
For market intelligence firm Santiment, failure to grow past the $105,00 level 
has seen traders flip slightly bearish again.
&#8220;Markets generally tend to move opposite to the crowd&#8217;s expectations, 
suggesting there is a heightened probability of crypto markets rising due to 
this increased fear,&#8221; the firm explained in an X post, adding:
&gt; &#8220;Retail traders are beginning to show impatience, which historically is a 
&gt; bullish sign for prices.&#8221;
_Bitcoin social volume. Source: Santiment_
## BTC price lacks &#8220;serious catalyst&#8221;
Bitcoin has managed to sustain $100,000 as support for over a week while 
hitting 14-week highs of $105,700 on May 12.
Despite following broad volatility across risk assets, BTC/USD may have gone 
even higher were it not for maneuvers of large-volume trading entities on 
exchange order books, according to trading resource Material Indicators.
_**Related:**__**Bitcoin hitting $220K &#8216;reasonable&#8217; in 2025, says gold-based 
forecast**_
Looking at the Binance exchange, Material Indicators argued that large blocks 
of ask liquidity were stacked above the spot price, pinning the BTC price in 
range.
An accompanying chart shows that these liquidity clusters currently sit 
between $105,000 and $110,000.
&#8220;Unless we have a serious catalyst, I&#8217;m not expecting to see a sustainable 
breakout to the all-time high territory until BTC has a legit support test at 
$100,000,&#8221; it summarized in a May 16 post on X. 
_BTC/USDT order book liquidity data. Source:__Material Indicators_
Material Indicators added that a key level to watch on the downside was the 
$98,000-$100,000 range.
&gt; &#8220;With all of the above in mind, be prepared for a support test in the 
&gt; $98,000-$100,000 range, but beware of short squeezes and bull traps until 
&gt; that happens.&#8221;
## Bitcoin bulls fight to hold key support levels
Meanwhile, popular trader Daan Crypto Trades said that the &#8220;start of the 
recent move&#8221; at $93,000 was essential for Bitcoin traders going forward.
Bitcoin is trading &#8220;far away from any large liquidity clusters. The price 
didn&#8217;t trade for a long time up here just yet. So, after the initial squeeze 
of shorts, there are not that many new positions built up around this area,&#8221; 
part of his own X post explained, adding:
&gt; &#8220;The main level to look out for would be local highs above $106,000 and 
&gt; below all the way down to $93,00, which was the start of the recent move.&#8221;
_BTC/USDT liquidation heatmap. Source: Daan Crypto Trades_
Material Indicators meanwhile paid additional attention to the 50-day and 
100-day simple moving averages (SMAs), key longer-term trendlines that formed 
a bullish cross, indicating a &#8220;strong upward momentum for the macro trend.&#8221;
For MN Capital founder Michael van de Poppe, $98,000 is a &#8220;crucial area to 
hold on to&#8221; in order to ensure continuation upward.
_Source:__Michael van de Poppe_
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.

Here is why Bitcoin price is stuck below $105K

Bringing student loans onchain could increase the decentralized finance (DeFi) 
total value locked (TVL) by more than four times, supercharging the industry, 
according to Yat Siu, chairman of Animoca Brands.
Speaking at Consensus 2025 in Toronto, Siu pointed to the $3 trillion global 
student loan market as an untapped opportunity for the crypto industry. He 
said moving even 10% of that market onchain could significantly boost DeFi&#8217;s 
growth.
&#8220;You basically more than quadruple TVL in all of DeFi,&#8221; he said, underscoring 
how the industry is still in its early stages.
_Consensus chairman Michael Lau (left) with Animoca Brands chairman Yat Siu 
(right) at the Consensus mainstage in Toronto, Canada. Source: Cointelegraph_
## Web3-based education tools to drive crypto adoption
Siu also argued that Web3-based financial tools for the education sector could 
drive mass crypto adoption, especially among the young and unbanked.
&#8220;The first unbanked are the kids,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If a student receives a loan 
onchain and pays it back onchain &#8212; which is regulated, better, faster, 
cheaper &#8212; they become onboarded for crypto for life.&#8221;
Siu compared the situation to how PayPal and Venmo scaled by offering 
essential services to underserved users. The executive suggested that student 
loans could serve as crypto&#8217;s entry into the mainstream.
The executive also highlighted Animoca Brands&#8217; recent investment in Pencil 
Finance, a startup providing crypto-native student loans. Siu said the project 
operates in markets like the Philippines and Indonesia, with plans of 
expanding into the United States.
On April 30, Pencil Finance announced a $10 million student loan financing 
initiative to provide cheaper, blockchain-backed loans.
Siu previously said in an interview that the industry needs these &#8220;positive- 
sum use cases&#8221; that everyone understands. The executive said students would be 
more pro-crypto if they gained more opportunities through crypto loans.
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## Education is a natural Web3 use case
Siu also told the Consensus audience that education is a natural use case for 
Web3. The executive highlighted YouTube and TikTok, platforms that were often 
dismissed as entertainment applications. Siu said these social media apps are 
now the largest informal learning platforms in the world.
He argued that everything is tied to education and that Web3 could do 
something similar. &#8220;Education is actually fundamental, something we do all the 
time,&#8221; Siu said.
He suggested that by integrating financial infrastructure into educational 
experiences, Web3 can turn learning communities and reputational networks into 
capital assets, forming the basis of a new, decentralized financial ecosystem.
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