Retired DEA agent Bill Callahan tells Cointelegraph that bad actors can make plenty of mistakes and still “make a handsome profit.”

FOMO, lax rules are fueling the crypto crime supercycle

As controversy around Jeffrey Epstein reignites, a longtime critic of 
government power sees a deeper crisis of trust with transformative potential. 
Ron Paul condemned the Department of Justice’s recent statements on Epstein, 
arguing that the agency’s denial of a client list and insistence on 
suicide—despite contradicting evidence—exemplify a larger pattern of deception 
by government institutions. […]

Ron Paul: Government Lies Go Deeper Than Epstein

Solana started a fresh increase above the $160 zone. SOL price is now 
correcting gains and might find bids near the $155 support zone SOL price 
started a fresh upward move above the $155 and $160 levels against the US 
Dollar. The price is now trading below $162 and the 100-hourly simple moving 
average. There was a break below a key bullish trend line with support at $162 
on the hourly chart of the SOL/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair 
could start a fresh increase if it clears the $162 resistance zone. Solana 
Price Corrects Gains Solana price started a decent increase after it cleared 
the $160 resistance, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. SOL climbed above the $162 
level to enter a short-term positive zone. However, the price is facing a 
major hurdle at $168 and $169. A high is formed at $168.60 and the price is 
now correcting gains. There was a move below the 50% Fib retracement level of 
the upward move from the $158 swing low to the $168 high. Besides, there was a 
break below a key bullish trend line with support at $162 on the hourly chart 
of the SOL/USD pair. Solana is now trading below $162 and the 100-hourly 
simple moving average. It is also trading below the 76.4% Fib retracement 
level of the upward move from the $158 swing low to the $168 high. The price 
is now approaching the $158 support. On the upside, the price is facing 
resistance near the $160 level. The next major resistance is near the $162 
level. The main resistance could be $1685. A successful close above the $168 
resistance zone could set the pace for another steady increase. The next key 
resistance is $178. Any more gains might send the price toward the $185 level. 
More Losses in SOL? If SOL fails to rise above the $162 resistance, it could 
start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $158 zone. 
The first major support is near the $155 level. A break below the $155 level 
might send the price toward the $150 zone. If there is a close below the $150 
support, the price could decline toward the $145 support in the near term. 
Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for SOL/USD is gaining pace in the 
bearish zone. Hourly Hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for SOL/USD 
is below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $158 and $155. Major Resistance 
Levels – $162 and $168.

Solana (SOL) Pulls Back — Can Buyers Defend The $155 Line?

Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high above $123,000 earlier today after 
crossing the $120,000 threshold late Sunday night. The move has added more 
than 10% to its value over the past week, pushing the global cryptocurrency 
market valuation above $3.87 trillion, inching toward the $4 trillion mark. 
The current rally has reignited discussions around volume dynamics and 
accumulation patterns, as analysts monitor potential early signals that may 
influence near-term market behavior. Related Reading: Bitcoin To Reach 
$135,000 By September’s Close, Standard Chartered Forecasts Two contributors 
to CryptoQuant’s QuickTake platform, BorisVest and Darkfost, have highlighted 
technical patterns that emerged before and during Bitcoin’s latest breakout. 
Their analyses suggest a combination of shrinking spot volume and surging 
accumulation activity may have played a role in driving prices higher. These 
insights provide a more nuanced view of the forces behind Bitcoin’s recent 
surge, particularly at a time when market participants weigh upside potential 
against the possibility of volatility in uncharted price zones. Volume Drop on 
Binance Preceded Breakout, Analyst Says According to BorisVest, a notable 
collapse in spot trading volume on Binance preceded Bitcoin’s move out of the 
$100,000 to $110,000 consolidation range. In his post titled “Binance Spot 
Volume Collapsed Before Bitcoin’s Breakout: Was It a Hidden Squeeze Signal?”, 
he explained that declining spot volumes often represent quiet periods of 
either accumulation or distribution. Binance, due to its liquidity depth and 
user base, is seen as a reliable proxy for broader crypto market behavior. 
BorisVest noted that once the breakout began, trading volume spiked sharply. 
While such spikes can indicate local tops or bottoms, in this case, the surge 
in volume did not trigger a reversal but instead accelerated the rally. 
“That’s a strong signal. If the move had no real backing, we would have seen a 
fast pullback. Instead, Bitcoin kept pushing higher,” he wrote. He emphasized 
that volume acts as a roadmap for identifying zones of trade concentration and 
potential shifts in sentiment, cautioning that while Bitcoin’s recent move 
appears structurally strong, market participants should be aware of the risks 
tied to high volatility zones. Accumulator Addresses Hit 2025 High Amid Price 
Surge In a separate update, CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost observed that Bitcoin 
“accumulator addresses,” wallets with a history of only buying and not selling 
BTC, have collectively acquired roughly 248,000 BTC in 2025 so far. This is 
well above the monthly average of 164,000 BTC, pointing to intensified buying 
activity in recent weeks. “These addresses have no history of distribution and 
their continued activity at current price levels indicates long-term 
positioning,” he said. Darkfost also cautioned that if Bitcoin enters a 
correction or consolidation phase, some of these wallets could begin selling, 
which would disqualify them as accumulators and potentially introduce 
significant selling pressure. Related Reading: Who Flipped The Switch? Bitcoin 
STHs Accumulate While LTHs Take Profit At today’s prices, the accumulated 
248,000 BTC are worth about $30 billion. For now, however, this cohort’s 
behavior reflects strong confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory, even as 
the asset trades at record highs. Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart 
from TradingView

Spot Volume Drop on Binance Preceded Bitcoin’s Price Surge, Data Shows

Fairlead Strategies founder and managing partner Katie Stockton says Bitcoin 
should reach $135,000 as an “intermediate-term objective.”

Bitcoin could rally to $135K before ‘corrective phase’ — Analyst

XRP price started a fresh increase and traded above the $3.00 zone. The price 
is now correcting gains and might test the $2.75 support zone. XRP price 
started a fresh increase above the $2.850 zone. The price is now trading above 
$2.80 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a key bullish trend 
line forming with support at $2.820 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair 
(data source from Kraken). The pair could start another increase if it stays 
above the $2.750 zone. XRP Price Rallies Over 5% XRP price started a fresh 
increase after it settled above the $2.650 level, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. 
The price was able to climb above the $2.80 resistance level. The recent move 
was positive and the bulls pushed the price above the $3.00 level. A high was 
formed at $3.0324 and the price is now correcting gains. There was a move 
below the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $2.660 swing 
low to the $3.0324 high. The price is now trading above $2.80 and the 
100-hourly Simple Moving Average. Besides, there is a key bullish trend line 
forming with support at $2.820 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. On the 
upside, the price might face resistance near the $2.920 level. The first major 
resistance is near the $2.950 level. A clear move above the $2.950 resistance 
might send the price toward the $3.020 resistance. Any more gains might send 
the price toward the $3.080 resistance or even $3.120 in the near term. The 
next major hurdle for the bulls might be near the $3.20 zone. More Downsides? 
If XRP fails to clear the $2.950 resistance zone, it could start another 
decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2.820 level and the 
trend line zone. The next major support is near the $2.80 level and the 76.4% 
Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $2.660 swing low to the 
$3.0324 high. If there is a downside break and a close below the $2.80 level, 
the price might continue to decline toward the $2.750 support. The next major 
support sits near the $2.650 zone. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD 
for XRP/USD is now losing pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative 
Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support 
Levels – $2.820 and $2.750. Major Resistance Levels – $2.950 and $3.020.