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  • Arbitrum freezes $71 million in ether tied to Kelp DAO exploit

    Arbitrum freezes $71 million in ether tied to Kelp DAO exploit

    A chunk of the Kelp DAO haul is no longer going anywhere.

    Arbitrum’s Security Council froze 30,766 $ETH worth roughly $71 million on Monday night, moving funds linked to Saturday’s $292 million rsETH exploit into an intermediary wallet that can only be accessed through further Arbitrum governance action.

    The Arbitrum Security Council has taken emergency action to freeze the 30,766 $ETH being held in the address on Arbitrum One that is connected to the KelpDAO exploit. The Security Council acted with input from law enforcement as to the exploiter’s identity, and, at all times,…

    — Arbitrum (@arbitrum) April 21, 2026

    The council said it acted on input from law enforcement regarding the exploiter’s identity and executed the freeze “without impacting any Arbitrum users or applications.”

    The transfer completed at 11:26 p.m. ET on April 20, according to Arbitrum’s statement on X. The stolen funds are no longer controllable by the address that originally held them.

    The move recovers about a quarter of the total amount drained from Kelp’s LayerZero-powered bridge on Saturday, when attackers pulled 116,500 rsETH by exploiting compromised verifier infrastructure. LayerZero attributed the attack with preliminary confidence to North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

    Arbitrum is a layer-2 blockchain, meaning a network built on top of Ethereum that processes transactions more cheaply and settles them back to the main chain. Its Security Council is a group of elected signers with emergency powers to take protective action in exactly this kind of scenario, though governance-level interventions on user funds remain rare and controversial because they introduce a degree of discretionary control over an otherwise permissionless network.

    The freeze leaves Kelp with a partial recovery option on top of whatever else law enforcement and chain-tracing firms can claw back.

    It also escalates the ongoing dispute between Kelp and LayerZero over who bears responsibility for the exploit, since any broader socialization of remaining losses now has a $71 million offset to work with before legal coordination, insurance, or treasury contributions come into play.

    Kelp has said it is coordinating with ecosystem partners on a recovery fund and weighing next steps on unpausing, loss socialization, and legal coordination with affected counterparties. LayerZero has not publicly commented on the Arbitrum freeze.

    Whether more stolen funds can be frozen depends on where else the attacker moved rsETH or its derivatives before consolidation, and whether other chains with similar emergency powers choose to act on their portions of the flow.

  • Ripple wants the XRP Ledger to be quantum-proof by 2028. Here is its plan

    Ripple wants the XRP Ledger to be quantum-proof by 2028. Here is its plan

    While quantum computing remains a largely theoretical threat to blockchain for now, some projects are already preparing for that eventuality.

    Fintech company Ripple has released a detailed four-phase roadmap to make the $XRP Ledger, a decentralized, layer-1 blockchain, quantum-resistant, aiming to reach full readiness by 2028. $XRP, the world’s fourth-largest digital asset by market capitalization, is the native token of the $XRP Ledger. Ripple’s solutions use $XRP Ledger, $XRP, and other digital assets. Ripple is also one of many developers building on and contributing to the $XRP Ledger (XRPL).

    Ripple’s announcement comes weeks after Google warned that a quantum computer could potentially attack Bitcoin, the world’s largest blockchain, with less computational power than previously estimated—prompting some analysts to suggest 2029 as the Q-day, the so-called deadline to build defenses against such a machine. Bitcoin developers are also already working on measures to mitigate the risk.

    Let’s first understand the threat to XRPL and then discuss the four-phase plan.

    Quantum risks to XRPL

    A quantum computer has three implications for the $XRP Ledger, and these apply equally to most other blockchains.

    First, every time an XRPL account signs a transaction, its public key becomes visible on the blockchain. It’s like writing your mailing addresses on the outside of an envelope, allowing anyone to see where it came from, but they still can’t see what’s written inside without the private key.

    However, a quantum computer can reverse-engineer the private key from the exposed public key, draining your coin holdings.

    Second, accounts that have held coins for long periods of time are the highest risk. The longer the public key sits on-chain, the more time a future quantum attacker has to target it.

    Lastly, the team added that building quantum-resistant systems is not just a technical challenge but an operational one, as it’s tied to every $XRP holder and every application built on the $XRP Ledger.

    Collectively, these things warrant a structured response.

    The four-phase plan

    Phase 1, called Q-Day readiness, is an emergency measure designed to protect exposed public keys and long-held accounts if quantum computers arrive faster than expected.

    In that case, Ripple will implement what it calls a hard shift: Classical public-key signatures will no longer be accepted by the network, requiring all funds to migrate to quantum-safe accounts.

    This phase also looks into enabling safe recovery for all account owners via zero-knowledge proofs, a way of mathematically proving you own a key without revealing the key itself. This would allow holders to migrate funds even in a compromised scenario, ensuring no one is locked out.

    Phase 2 is already underway and is targeted for completion in the first half of 2026. It involves Ripple’s applied cryptography team conducting a full assessment of quantum vulnerability across the XRPL network and testing defenses suggested by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. government’s global standards body for cybersecurity.

    But those defenses aren’t without cost. For instance, post-quantum cryptography uses larger keys and signatures, which can strain the ledger. So the team is also working through the tradeoffs and what system changes might be needed.

    To accelerate this phase, Ripple has teamed up with quantum security research firm Project Eleven for validator-level testing, developer networking benchmarking and early custody wallet prototypes.

    Phase 3, targeted for completion in the second half of 2026, involves controlled integration of post quantum measures. In this phase, Ripple will begin integrating quantum-resistant signatures alongside existing ones on its developer test network. It will allow developers to test and build against the new cryptography without disrupting the live network and existing users.

    This phase, therefore, directly addresses the third implication that migration, though a giant operational effort, must not break what already works.

    At the same time, the work goes beyond just replacing today’s signing methods. The team is rethinking the broader cryptography underpinning XRPL and exploring quantum-resistant approaches to privacy and secure data processing, which are important for compliant tokenization and features such as confidential transfers.

    “This phase is where experimentation meets system design. We’re not just asking “what works cryptographically?” We’re asking “what works for XRPL at scale?,” the team said.

    Phase 4 marks the full transition from experiment to full deployment, targeting completion by 2028. “We’ll design, build and propose a new amendment to the XRPL ecosystem for native post-quantum cryptography and begin transitioning the network to PQC-based signatures at scale,” Ripple’s team said.

    The four phases mean the migration path could be seamless and significantly less painful, which could be a material advantage as the clock ticks down to Q-day.

  • Bitcoin reclaims $75,000 as Iran ceasefire talks advance, equities rally resumes

    Bitcoin reclaims $75,000 as Iran ceasefire talks advance, equities rally resumes

    Bitcoin is back above $75,000, as markets price another diplomatic off-ramp.

    The cryptocurrency was up 1.5% over 24 hours and 1.7% on the week, after Iran confirmed it will send a delegation to Pakistan for a second round of ceasefire talks. Ether (ETH) rose 1.2% to $2,310, $XRP ($XRP) gained 1.3% to $1.43, and BNB climbed 1.5% to $630. Solana (SOL) was the lone laggard in the top 10, up just 0.9% and down 1.1% on the week.

    The MSCI All Country World Index resumed its rally after Monday’s pause, climbing 0.1% as Asian equities led the move higher, with the regional tech index advancing 2.4%. Brent crude fell 0.7% to $94.81 a barrel, gold slipped 0.6% to about $4,800, and silver dropped 1% to $78.90. Treasuries and the dollar were little changed.

    The two-week ceasefire expires Wednesday evening Washington time, and Trump said on Monday he is not likely to extend it. That’s the deadline markets are now trading on.

    Three vessels attempted transit through the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, with U.S. and Iranian blockades still in place, the first test of whether the waterway is opening before a deal is signed.

    Bitcoin has lagged equities through this entire cycle. The MSCI ACWI is on an 11-day rally that stumbled only once since the conflict de-escalation began, while bitcoin has spent the same stretch rebuilding from below $74,000 to just above $75,000. Part of that lag is structural.

    Funding rates on bitcoin perpetual futures have remained negative for about 46 consecutive days, according to Bloomberg data, the longest such run since the FTX collapse in late 2022.

    Net inflows into spot bitcoin ETFs rose to $996.4 million last week, per SoSoValue, and Ethereum spot ETFs took in $275.8 million.

    Research firm Kaiko said in a weekend note that a break above $76,000 would open a path toward $85,000.

    The mining side adds a different signal. Public mining companies sold a record 32,000 $BTC in the first quarter, according to TheEnergyMag, more than in all of 2025 and above the 20,000 $BTC miners dumped after the Terra collapse in Q2 2022.

    Bitcoin’s mining difficulty fell 2.43% to 135.59 trillion at the latest adjustment, while network hashrate recovered from roughly 978 exahashes per second to 992 EH/s this month per Glassnode.

    Traders looking for the shorter-term signal will watch whether Bitcoin breaks $76,000 on a Pakistan talks progress headline, which would trigger the short squeeze K33 flagged, or slides back below $74,000 if Trump’s Wednesday deadline expires without a deal. A deeper signal sits in the mining data.

    Miners selling at a record pace through a difficulty drop suggests production economics remain compressed despite the price recovery, and any sustained rally above $80,000 would need to absorb continued treasury selling from the same cohort.

  • Cavaliers-Raptors Game 2: Cleveland takes control of the series

    Donovan Mitchell and James Harden prove to be a formidable combination as the Cavaliers defeat the Raptors, 115-105, and take a 2-0 series lead.

    LeBron James is long gone from Cleveland and has been for years, yet there’s something he left behind that the Cavaliers are flexing to their advantage in this first round playoff series.

    Their postseason dominance over the Raptors continues, even if the “LeBronto” nickname left town with LeBron.

    There could be a cry for a new moniker, now that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have assumed the role of making life in the spring miserable for the Raptors. The Cavs have now beaten Toronto 12 straight times, and the latest victory was accomplished Monday when Mitchell and Harden couldn’t be contained and Evan Mobley chipped in as well.

    “Your superstars step up. This was a superstar’s game,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson.

    Harden and Mitchell, especially. They combined for 58 points and took turns distancing the Cavaliers from the Raptors, enough to assume a 2-0 lead in the series and send the Raptors back home and scrambling for answers.

    Here are the takeaways from the Cavs’ 10-point Game 2 win:

    1. Mitchell and Harden are two much for the Raptors (so far)

    Donovan Mitchell (30 points), James Harden (27 points) and Evan Mobley (25 points) combine for 82 to give the Cavs a 2-0 series lead.

    Given the stakes and the situation, this served as the high-water mark for the Mitchell-Harden backcourt tandem which was formed at the trade deadline a few months ago. They were fluid and forceful and a handful Monday for the Raptors and really through both games.

    This was precisely what the Cavaliers hoped for when they fused these two stars together and now they’re reaping the benefits of that decision. Both players are capable of going downhill and attacking the rim for layups or fouls, or shooting from 15 feet and beyond. It’s a combination that’s tough to defend, even for a decent group of Toronto defenders.

    Not only did they score, but did so efficiently: 22-for-35 combined shooting, along with 12 rebounds and nine assists. They’re both very good isolation scorers off the dribble. And not only did they get buckets but each bring a tendency to take — and make — tough shots, while double teamed or in traffic.

    There was a stretch where Mitchell had 17 points in 20 minutes and Harden 19 in 19, an impactful 1-2 punch.

    “That’s why they’re stars,” said Atkinson.

    Another key moment, and a curious one at that, was when Harden “gently” pushed off on Scottie Barnes, who fell to the floor. While Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic jumped from his seat and screamed for a foul, Harden shot a cold look at his fallen defender for about a second, then shot a 3-pointer that needed two bounces before falling in.

    The chemistry between Harden and Mitchell seems surprisingly solid given how little time they’ve spent together, but each seems determined to make it work, which it has in this series. It helps that there’s a mutual respect; Harden willingly yields to Mitchell, and Mitchell surrenders the ball-handling to Harden, who’s the superior passer.

    2. Mobley brought the Cavs a Big 3

    Unwilling to let his teammates have all the fun, Mobley delivered solidly by shooting 11-for-13 for 25 points. And in the process he showed how tough the Cavs are to beat if they can get someone to play on the level of Harden and Mitchell.

    Mobley comes into the playoffs following a season that was solid but partly because of injuries, not exactly a step up from 2024-25 when he was an All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year. Big things were expected in the follow-up, and it waited until Game 2 of the first round.

    “He’s in a phenomenal place physically, and mentally he’s in a great flow,” said Atkinson.

    When Mobley is this active on the offensive end, the Cavs aren’t as predictable and opposing defenses are punished if they pay too much respect to Harden and Mitchell. Also, Harden’s passing should not only benefit Mobley, but Jarrett Allen.

    3. Brandon Ingram has some ‘splaining to do

    He was mainly a ghost down the stretch of Game 1 and complained about the lack of touches. Then his Game 2 response was rather tame, putting it mildly. The Raptors aren’t trailing 0-2 in this series all because of Ingram, but his lack of an impact offensively is a serious factor.

    If you combined the second half of Game 1 with the first half of Game 2, Ingram shot a combined 0-for-7 with four points.

    Overall, in the last six quarters of this series he’s 3-for-16 shooting (11 points), a glaring lack of production from the Raptors’ leading scorer. And his five turnovers Monday didn’t help, either.

    He’s having a forgettable series so far, and this was inflamed when he insisted that “me shooting nine shots is not going to win basketball games” after Game 1.

    Well: Ingram shooting 15 times in Game 2 didn’t win a basketball game, either. Ingram has been humbled for sure, mainly by Dean Wade, but also by his own problems. He’s a rhythm scorer who thrives in the mid-range yet never established any flow Monday, even with more touches.

    4. Raptors still missing Quickley

    Immanuel Quickley missed his second straight playoff game with hamstring issues and the absence of the Toronto starting point guard was an obvious setback for the club.

    There was no indication Tuesday about his status for Game 3; in the meantime, the Raptors went searching for additional scoring and playmaking and leaned on Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett with good results. They combined for 48 points and 10 assists but also a minus-23 combined.

    Without Quickley, backup Jamal Shead had to play 38 minutes; he averaged 22 during the season. He had three turnovers and made one shot.

    The Raptors also made the telling decision to reduce Jakob Poeltl’s playing time. The starting center saw just 10 minutes, his lowest in the playoffs for the Raptors.

    Clearly, Toronto is grasping to find solutions and a workable rotation against the Cavaliers. Good thing there’s a break between games, because the Raptors will need the next few days to figure it out for Game 3.

    * * *

    Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

  • Solana DeFi Tests Liquidity Depth as USDC Borrow Rates Surge

    Solana DeFi Tests Liquidity Depth as USDC Borrow Rates Surge

    • The Solana ecosystem suffers a liquidity crisis after the security breach at KelpDAO on April 20, draining $USDC reserves.
    • Leading protocols such as Jupiter and Kamino report utilization levels near 100%, limiting access to capital for new loans.
    • Stablecoin lending yields have climbed to 10.2%, marking record levels in the network’s credit infrastructure.

    Following the KelpDAO security incident that shook investor confidence, the DeFi sector on Solana is undergoing a systemic challenge. The massive outflow of capital has created a bottleneck in stablecoin availability, driving up operating costs.

    DeFi Funds Outflow Spreads to Solana

    Following the KelpDAO rsETH hack, the chain reaction has further spread from EVM networks to Solana. Several $USDC markets on Solana’s leading lending protocol Kamino have seen sharp surges in deposit APY and utilization rates. The Prime… pic.twitter.com/mbAaEi31R4

    — Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) April 20, 2026

    Technical data shows the magnitude of the crisis: Jupiter Lend, with $421 million in deposits, maintains a 99% utilization rate. Meanwhile, the Kamino market records an interest rate of 10.2% on $USDC, with barely any remaining liquidity to withdraw or borrow.

    The pressure on the ecosystem is not superficial, as the main credit markets are operating at the limit of their technical capacity. This situation forces users to re-evaluate their positions in the face of the scarcity of liquid assets.

    As liquidity providers withdraw their funds for fear of contagion, interest rates act as a defense mechanism. However, this rising cost of credit is paralyzing leverage strategies that are vital to the network.

    Smaller protocols are also feeling the impact, with platforms like Marginfi reporting utilization levels exceeding 88%. The interconnection of Solana’s DeFi markets amplifies every capital outflow movement at an accelerated pace.

    The impact on borrowing costs and prediction markets

    The sudden spike in $USDC rates has shifted the cost landscape for end users. Specific vaults on Kamino, such as Staekhouse, now show interest rates consistently exceeding 8% APR.

    This environment of “digital dollar scarcity” has indirectly affected the price perception of the native token SOL. Prediction markets have reacted with pessimism, assigning minimal probabilities to an immediate recovery of the asset above certain thresholds.

    It is evident that market sentiment has turned toward extreme caution, reflected in low derivatives trading volume. The lack of circulating $USDC prevents strong buying positions from forming, limiting any attempt at a technical rebound.

    Even veteran platforms like Save Finance have crossed 70% utilization, indicating that the problem is structural and not limited to a single protocol. Market depth is being tested like never before in this financial cycle.

    User trust is now the scarcest resource, beyond the technical liquidity in smart contracts themselves. The coming days will be crucial to determine if the network can attract new capital to stabilize interest rates.

    Despite Solana’s technological robustness, its dependence on external liquidity is exposed during external security events. The normalization of rates will depend entirely on the speed at which deposits return to money markets.

    The Solana network is going through a critical period of liquidity stress caused by the KelpDAO incident. With utilization rates at the limit and borrowing costs on the rise, the DeFi ecosystem requires an urgent injection of capital to restore operability and user confidence.

  • Bank for International Payments (BIS) Warns Again! “These Cryptocurrencies Are Risky, Cooperation is Necessary!”

    Bank for International Payments (BIS) Warns Again! “These Cryptocurrencies Are Risky, Cooperation is Necessary!”

    The Bank for International Payments (BIS), which is skeptical of Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies, shares no different view regarding stablecoins.

    According to Reuters, BIS Managing Director Pablo Hernandez de Cos expressed his concerns about stablecoins while speaking at a Bank of Japan (BOJ) seminar in Japan.

    BIS Director General Cos stated that dollar-denominated stablecoins like Tether ($USDT) and $USDC are by nature more similar to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) than to cash. Cos warned that stablecoins are closer to investment products than cash and could pose a significant threat to financial stability if they continue to grow.

    Cos specifically stated that the current structure of dollar-indexed stablecoins, such as $USDT and $USDC, is not suitable for use as a payment method and does not meet the necessary requirements.

    The BIS director general also added that because stablecoin issuers’ reserves consist of short-term government bonds and bank deposits, market instability could lead to large capital outflows and subsequent chain reactions.

    “Because the reserve assets held by stablecoin issuers consist of short-term government bonds or bank deposits, in stressful situations, if large-scale repayment demands arise, they may be forced to urgently sell these assets or put pressure on banks’ financing conditions.”

    Finally, Cos emphasized the need for global cooperation on regulation, adding that if dollar-indexed stablecoins grow large enough to compete with fiat currencies, it could have a negative impact on both financial stability and global economic policy.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Arbitrum freezes $71 million worth of ETH stolen in Kelp DAO exploit

    Arbitrum freezes $71 million worth of ETH stolen in Kelp DAO exploit

  • Ethereum Price Prediction: Bullish Shift, Key Test Ahead

    Ethereum is showing two signs of strength at the same time. One chart shows the first bullish SuperTrend flip in more than a year, while another shows $ETH still holding a long term support curve that keeps the $8,000 cycle target in play.

    Ethereum SuperTrend Turns Bullish After More Than a Year

    Ali Charts says Ethereum’s SuperTrend indicator has flipped bullish for the first time in over a year. The chart shows that shift clearly. $ETH is trading near $2,312, while the new buy signal appears around the $1,675 area after a long period of bearish trevnd signals.

    Ethereum Daily Chart. Source: TradingView / Ali Charts on X

    This matters because the SuperTrend indicator is designed to track broader trend direction, not small short term moves. On this chart, the last bullish phase led into Ethereum’s rise toward the $4,000 to $5,000 range. Then the indicator turned bearish near the top and stayed negative through the long decline and choppy recovery.

    Now the signal has changed again. That does not guarantee a major breakout, but it does show that Ethereum has moved back above a level that had capped the trend for months. As long as $ETH holds above the flipped support zone, the chart supports a stronger medium term recovery case rather than another brief relief rally.

    Ethereum Long Term Trendline Keeps $8,000 Target in View

    James argues that Ethereum can still reach $8,000, and the chart shows why that view remains active. On the weekly chart, $ETH is sitting near a rising long term trendline that has supported the market through several major cycles since 2016.

    Ethereum / U.S. Dollar Weekly Chart. Source: TradingView / James on X

    That trendline is the key feature here. Ethereum has returned to it after failing to hold the higher range above $3,000. Even so, the chart does not show a full structural breakdown yet. Instead, it shows price testing a support curve that has remained intact across multiple years.

    The $8,000 level on the chart is a long term upside marker, not a near term target. For that scenario to stay credible, Ethereum needs to keep defending the current trend support and then rebuild momentum from this area. If that happens, the broader cycle structure would still allow another leg higher. If support breaks decisively, the long term bullish case would weaken.

  • South Korean Police Seek Arrest of BTS Agency Founder Bang Si-hyuk

    South Korean Police Seek Arrest of BTS Agency Founder Bang Si-hyuk

    Bang Si-hyuk, the founder and chairman of K-pop powerhouse Hybe — the agency home of supergroup BTS — is facing possible arrest after South Korean police moved Tuesday to secure a warrant for his detention in connection with an ongoing investigation into the company’s 2020 initial public offering.

    According to reports across the Korean media, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s financial crimes investigation unit said it has booked Bang on charges of fraudulent and unfair trading and is moving to take him into custody. The agency alleges that he violated South Korea’s Capital Markets Act and secured roughly 190 billion won ($129 million) in illicit gains during Hybe’s IPO process.

    At the heart of the case is a private equity arrangement that police allege was structured to mislead early Hybe investors. Seoul authorities have said Bang deceived early shareholders ahead of the agency’s listing by steering them to sell their stakes to a private equity fund linked to his associates — then received about 30 percent of the fund’s profits under a prior agreement after Hybe went public. Bang has previously denied any wrongdoing.

    The move comes just a day after Seoul police commissioner Park Jung-bo said during a press briefing that the investigation into Bang was “essentially complete” and would be wrapped up soon. Bang has been barred from leaving South Korea since August of last year as the probe has progressed.

    Hybe has not yet released a public response to Tuesday’s developments. The company’s shares fell as much as 2.9 percent in trading following news of the warrant request.

    The probe dates to December 2024, when South Korea’s financial authorities began examining whether Bang had entered into undisclosed profit-sharing agreements ahead of Hybe’s IPO. Police raided Hybe’s Seoul headquarters in July 2025, and Bang voluntarily returned to South Korea the following month to cooperate. In December, the Seoul Southern District Court approved a provisional seizure of his Hybe shares worth 156.8 billion won (approximately $118 million).

    The potential arrest represents an extraordinary moment for one of the most influential figures in the global music industry. Bang, 53, founded Big Hit Entertainment — Hybe’s predecessor — in 2005 after splitting from JYP Entertainment, where he had worked alongside founder Park Jin-young as one of the company’s first employees, earning the nickname “Hitman Bang” for his chart-topping prowess as a composer and producer. Big Hit had its ups and downs and even came close to bankruptcy in 2007 —before Bang reoriented the company around a promising new boy band he signed the following decade: BTS.

    Following its debut in 2013, BTS went on to become the biggest pop act in the world, smashing barriers for East Asian entertainers and becoming the first Korean group to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band is now in the early stages of a sold-out global comeback tour in support of Arirang, its first album in nearly four years.

    BTS’s commercial success has transformed Big Hit into a global pop empire. The company went public on the Korea Exchange in October 2020 in what was then South Korea’s largest IPO in three years, and rebranded as Hybe in 2021. Under Bang, the company has acquired a sprawling roster of local labels. In 2021, it paid $1.05 billion to acquire Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, picking up Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande’s management rights. It has since added Atlanta hip-hop label Quality Control and moved into Latin music.

    Today, Hybe is easily the most dominant force in K-pop. According to some local estimates, Bang’s Hybe stake alone is worth as much as 4.8 trillion won ($3.6 billion), making him the only self-made billionaire in the Korean entertainment industry.

  • Michael Jackson Biopic ‘Michael’: First Reactions

    Michael Jackson Biopic ‘Michael’: First Reactions

    The King of Pop is back! Well, kinda. The first reactions to the much-anticipated Michael Jackson biopic Michael have hit social media after the film’s U.S. premiere in Los Angeles on Monday night.

    The Antoine Fuqua-directed feature actually had its world premiere in Berlin on April 10, but social media reaction from American press has been limited. Full critics reviews for Michael drop on April 22, with the film released in theaters worldwide on April 24.

    The first official biopic of the late Michael Jackson, Michael tells the story of the music phenomenon from his early Motown days performing with his brothers in the Jackson 5 to his breakout as a solo artist. There has been much speculation about whether the film will include the more controversial aspects of Jackson’s singular life.

    The long-gestating Lionsgate film notably has the rights to use Jackson’s music, and is produced by Graham King, the man behind the four-time Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody which made a massive $911 million at the global box office.

    Michael is led by Jaafar Jackson (Jackson’s nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson) who plays the singer during his transition from a member of an immensely popular boy band to becoming the era-defining solo artist the world fell in love with. The young Michael is played Juliano Krue Valdi. The cast also includes Colman Domingo as Michael’s father Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson and Miles Teller as John Branca, an entertainment lawyer and manager.

    Lauren Farrier plays the music exec Suzanne de Passe, Kendrick Sampson plays legendary producer Quincy Jones, Larenz Tate plays the all-powerful Motown chief Berry Gordy, Liv Symone plays singer Gladys Knight and Kevin Shinick plays TV legend Dick Clark.

    Michael’s brothers, both older and younger versions are played by: Jamal R. Henderson (Jermaine) and Jayden Harville (young Jermaine); Tre Horton (Marlon) and Jaylen Lyndon Hunter (young Marlon); Rhyan Hill (Tito) and Judah Edwards (young Tito); Joseph David-Jones (Jackie) and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre (young Jackie); with Jessica Sula playing Michael’s older sister La Toya Jackson. Janet Jackson does not feature in the film.

    See the early social media reaction to Michael below.