Tag: CRYPTOS FoxBusiness.

  • American Financial Advisory Firm Shares Two Reasons XRP Could be a Good Buy Before 2027

    The Motley Fool, an American financial advisory firm, says the $XRP downturn could present an opportunity for investors ahead of 2027.

    $XRP has gone through a tough period, falling 22% since the start of the year and dropping 52% from October 2025, when the current downtrend began. With this decline, The Motley Fool has explained why $XRP could still be worth considering before 2027.

    Key Points

    • $XRP has collapsed 22% year-to-date, currently sitting at $1.43 as the months-long downtrend persists.
    • The Motley Fool shares two reasons this downturn may present an opportunity for investors to procure $XRP before 2027.
    • The first reason focuses on how Ripple is changing its strategy toward a broader ecosystem development.
    • For the second reason, The Motley Fool mentions $XRP’s growing institutional adoption.

    $XRP Downturn Presents Opportunity

    In a report, The Motley Fool pointed out that $XRP has struggled throughout 2026. Notably, from the $3.6 high attained last summer, the token has lost more than 60% of its value.

    The report suggests that this drop may create an opportunity. For investors who have been waiting for prices to come down, this could be the moment to take a closer look, The Motley Fool said. It then highlighted two main reasons behind its outlook.

    Ripple’s Push Toward a Broader Ecosystem

    The first focuses on how Ripple is changing its strategy. In the past, Ripple mainly tried to set up $XRP as an alternative to traditional cross-border payment systems like SWIFT. Since its creation in 1973, SWIFT has handled trillions of dollars in daily transactions, along with other major payment networks.

    However, getting banks to move away from a trusted and widely used system has not been easy. While Ripple has gained some institutional partners, it has not achieved large-scale adoption as a direct replacement for SWIFT.

    As a result, Ripple has started focusing on building a more diverse ecosystem. Instead of relying on a single use case, it is expanding how its technology can be used by connecting with other decentralized projects.

    One major step in this direction was the launch of XAO DAO in June 2025, a community-led initiative that funds projects built within the ecosystem.

    $XRP Institutional Adoption Gains Momentum Amid Regulatory Clarity

    The second reason rests on institutional adoption. The report explains that Ripple’s ecosystem may finally solve one of its biggest challenges: getting large financial institutions on board. These institutions usually prefer systems that are already proven and widely used, rather than new ideas that have not been tested at scale.

    Ripple’s ecosystem could meet these needs by presenting multiple layers, such as systems that help prevent fraud and financial crime. It could also support traditional financial products like ETFs moving onto blockchain networks.

    Moreover, regulation has also started to improve. For instance, Ripple has settled its long-running case with the U.S. SEC, which began in December 2020. The case reached an agreement in May 2025, with the court dismissing the appeals in August 2025.

    At the same time, new laws have emerged in the U.S. Specifically, the report called attention to the GENIUS Act, passed last year, and ongoing work on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The Clarity Act passed the House in July 2025 and has continued through Senate discussions at press time, with further progress expected later that month.

    These developments show that regulators are starting to put clear rules in place. While it is still uncertain how well Ripple will carry out its plans, the report notes that if it gains momentum in 2026, $XRP’s current price could be one of the last chances to buy the token at a reasonable level before 2027.

  • Anthony Scaramucci Says Bitcoin ‘Checks Every Single Box’ Of What Defines ‘Money’ And That’s Why He’s ‘Bullish’

    Anthony Scaramucci Says Bitcoin ‘Checks Every Single Box’ Of What Defines ‘Money’ And That’s Why He’s ‘Bullish’

    ‘Bitcoin Has Built Its Own Trust System’

    In an X post, Scaramucci emphasized the trustworthiness of Bitcoin, comparing it to the trust people have in fiat currencies.

    “A dollar bill is made of linen and cotton. But we accept it because we trust it,” Scaramucci stated. “Over 16 years, Bitcoin has built its own trust system — decentralized, no central authority, no single point of failure.”

    “It’s becoming part of the model portfolio for individuals and institutions worldwide,” the financier said.Scaramucci then stressed the oft-repeated scarcity narrative of Bitcoin, i.e, its 21 million supply cap, and the fact that it is “faster to move and easier to store” than gold.

    “Every characteristic that has defined money throughout human history — Bitcoin checks every single box,” he noted. “That’s why I’m bullish.”

    Not Everyone Agrees

    Economist Tony Annett countered Scaramucci’s claim, asserting that Bitcoin fails as a medium of exchange, unit of account, or reliable store of value.

    What Data Tells Us

    Notably, Bitcoin consistently ranked as the most used cryptocurrency for payments, according to payment processor Coingate, accounting for 44% of all transactions between 2014 and 2025.

    Additionally, roughly 39% of U.S. merchants accept cryptocurrency payments, with around 2,300 businesses directly accepting Bitcoin, according to a February report by CoinLaw.

    Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was exchanging hands at $74,499.77, down 1.62% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

    Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

    Photo Courtesy: Al Teich On Shutterstock

  • Aave Drops 11% as Risk-off Mood and rsETH Hack Concerns Weigh

    Aave Drops 11% as Risk-off Mood and rsETH Hack Concerns Weigh

    Aave had an especially steep drop in the past 24 hours, down 11% to trade at $90.25. That decline was more pronounced than the crypto market, which slipped by around 2.25% over the same time. The financial move shows a definitive change in investor trends, where capital retreats from higher-risk holdings. This loss has come at a time when overall market sentiment has been slightly off.

    Market pulse has turned cautious especially amid the growing geopolitical tensions. Disruptions to major global trade corridors have compounded the uncertainty. The consequence is that funds have increasingly begun flowing back into relatively safer assets in the crypto space. Bitcoin has been a primary beneficiary of this shift, and altcoins have faced increased selling pressure.

    Aave Dips Amid rsETH Hack

    The recent security incident linked to rsETH has added another layer of pressure. Aave confirmed that rsETH on the Ethereum mainnet remains fully backed by collateral. Still, the protocol has taken precautionary steps. The asset has been frozen across multiple versions of the platform. This includes Aave V3 and V4 deployments.

    Update on rsETH incident:

    According to our analysis, rsETH on Ethereum mainnet is fully backed.

    Out of an abundance of caution, rsETH remains frozen across Aave V3 and V4 and exposure to the incident is capped.

    WETH reserves also remain frozen across affected markets including…

    — Aave (@aave) April 19, 2026

    In addition, the Wrapped Ethereum reserve has been paused in affected markets. These include Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Mantle, and Linea.

    The decision was taken to prevent further risk as the situation is being evaluated. The team has stated that it is actively considering the issue and working on possible solutions. The attacker forged LayerZero cross-chain messages to withdraw 116,500 rsETH directly from the bridge contract, then deposited the tokens into Aave and other lending platforms to borrow WETH, thus creating significant uncollateralized bad debt risk.

    The impact of the incident has been visible in user behavior. A large number of whales have withdrawn funds from the protocol. This price trend appears to be precautionary rather than panic-driven. Yet, it has reduced liquidity within the system. Lower liquidity can increase volatility and make prices more sensitive to selling pressure.

    Data from DeFi tracking platforms shows a significant drop in total value locked. Aave’s TVL has declined by over 30% following the incident. It has fallen from around $26.4 billion to nearly $18 billion. This drop is indicative of lower participation and a conservative attitude among users.

    The overall market environment has also led to a slump. Ongoing inflows into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have siphoned liquidity off altcoins. It is common for institutional capital to concentrate on larger and more established assets in times of uncertainty. This trend has limited attempts at recovery for tokens such as Aave.

    In the near term, the next decision will be down to very specific price levels. The $90 mark is serving as a major support zone. A holding above this level could help stabilize the price. If selling pressure goes down, a consolidation phase between $90 and $95 may follow. The downside is that any break below $90 could yield further losses. The next support range is between $85 and $87. This zone may interest investors who look for lower entry points. But the overall market slump could delay any significant recovery.

  • Ripple CTO Says RLUSD Evaluation Exposed the Same Risk That Drained $292M From Kelp DAO

    David Schwartz, CTO Emeritus at Ripple, had a pointed observation this week after the Kelp DAO rsETH bridge was exploited for approximately $292 million.

    He had seen this coming. Not this specific attack, but the conditions that made it possible.

    “I evaluated a lot of DeFi bridging systems for use by RLUSD,” Schwartz wrote on X. “I was almost exclusively focused on the security and risk aspect. One thing I noticed is that most schemes were very well designed and had really strong mechanisms available to protect against exactly the type of attack the KelpDAO situation seems to have been caused by.”

    The Sales Pitch That Buried the Security Features

    What Schwartz described is a pattern he encountered repeatedly during his evaluation process. Bridge providers would pitch their most advanced security features prominently, then almost immediately suggest that those features were optional and that most customers chose not to use them.

    “They generally in effect recommended not bothering to use the most important security mechanisms because they have convenience and operational complexity costs,” he wrote. “We were frequently pitched the simplicity and ease of adding more chains with the implicit assumption we wouldn’t bother using the best security features they had.”

    “Their sales pitch was that they have the best security features but they’re easy to use and scale, assuming you don’t use the security features,” he said.

    What Actually Happened to Kelp DAO

    On April 19, Kelp DAO identified suspicious cross-chain activity involving rsETH and paused contracts across mainnet and multiple Layer 2 networks. Approximately 116,500 rsETH was drained through LayerZero-related contract calls, worth around $292 million at current prices.

    On-chain analysis from D2 Finance traced the root cause to a private key leak on the source chain, creating a trust issue with OApp nodes that the attacker exploited to manipulate the bridge.

    Schwartz offered his own hypothesis about what likely went wrong at the protocol level. “I have a funny feeling part of the problem is going to be something like KelpDAO choosing not to use key LayerZero security features out of convenience,” he wrote.

    LayerZero itself offers robust security mechanisms including decentralised verification networks. The question investigators are now examining is whether Kelp DAO configured its implementation using a minimal security setup, specifically a single point of failure with LayerZero Labs as the sole verifier, rather than the more complex but significantly more secure options available.

  • Bitcoin Price Gives Back Gains, But Structure Remains Bullish

    Bitcoin Price Gives Back Gains, But Structure Remains Bullish

    Bitcoin price started a fresh decline from the $78,400 zone. $BTC is consolidating and might struggle to stay above the $73,500 support.

    • Bitcoin failed to stay above $76,500 and corrected gains.
    • The price is trading below $75,500 and the 100 hourly simple moving average.
    • There is a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $75,600 on the hourly chart of the $BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken).
    • The pair might extend losses if it stays below the $75,500 and $76,000 levels.

    Bitcoin Price Dips Again

    Bitcoin price failed to stay above the $77,500 resistance zone. $BTC formed a top near $78,350 and started a fresh decline. There was a move below the $76,500 level.

    The price dipped below the $75,500 and $75,000 levels. A low was formed at $73,637 and the price is now consolidating losses below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $78,343 swing high to the $73,637 low.

    Bitcoin is now trading below $76,000 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $73,500, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $74,750 level.

    The first key resistance is near the $75,500 level. There is also a connecting bearish trend line forming with resistance at $75,600 on the hourly chart of the $BTC/USD pair. A close above the $75,500 resistance might send the price further higher.

    Source: BTCUSD on TradingView.com

    In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $76,000 resistance and the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $78,343 swing high to the $73,637 low. Any more gains might send the price toward the $77,200 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $78,000.

    Downside Continuation In $BTC?

    If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $75,500 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $74,000 level.

    The first major support is near the $73,500 level. The next support is now near the $72,500 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $71,200 support in the near term. The main support now sits at $70,000, below which $BTC might struggle to recover in the near term.

    Technical indicators:

    Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone.

    Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for $BTC/USD is now below the 50 level.

    Major Support Levels – $74,000, followed by $73,500.

    Major Resistance Levels – $75,500 and $76,000.

  • Upcoming ‘Bitcoin’ Movie With Casey Affleck, Gal Gadot Probes Satoshi’s Identity

    A film exploring Bitcoin’s origins is moving toward global release while spotlighting the mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto. Starring Gal Gadot and Casey Affleck, it revisits Craig Wright’s contested claims and their impact on Bitcoin’s identity.

    Key Takeaways:

    • New Bitcoin film stars Casey Affleck and Gal Gadot, probing Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity.
    • Craig Wright’s disputed role deepens divisions across Bitcoin developers and market participants.
    • Industry reaction may polarize further as the film revives debate over Bitcoin’s origins.

    Bitcoin Creator Dispute Moves Into Mainstream Film

    The mystery surrounding Bitcoin’s creator is moving into the mainstream as “ Bitcoin,” previously referred to in online reports as “ Bitcoin: Killing Satoshi,” adapts one of crypto’s most contested debates to the screen. Ahead of the Cannes market, Patrick Wachsberger’s 193, a film sales and production company, launched international sales on the project, signaling a push to global buyers. Around the same time, Acme AI & FX, the production company behind the film, confirmed it had wrapped production on the Doug Liman-directed feature. The movie, described as the “first fully-generated, studio-quality AI feature film,” centers on the unresolved question of who created Bitcoin and why that issue continues to influence industry discussions and market perception.

    The story follows Charlotte “Lotte” Miller, a war correspondent played by Gal Gadot, who is recruited by blockchain investor Calvin Ayre, portrayed by Pete Davidson, to write an investigative report on Australian computer scientist Craig Wright. Casey Affleck plays Wright, with Isla Fisher also appearing in the cast. The film was written by Nick Schenk and produced by Ryan Kavanaugh and Lawrence Grey, with production beginning at the end of February. The synopsis described the film:

    “A high-stakes conspiracy thriller that asks the question no one in power wants answered.”

    A longer description presents the movie as the story of one man’s effort to prove he created Bitcoin, a claim that allegedly puts his life in danger and sparks a global controversy involving tech billionaires, world leaders, and the future of the financial system.

    Craig Wright Claims Renew Industry Polarization

    From a Bitcoin industry standpoint, the film enters a highly disputed issue. Wright’s claim that he is Satoshi Nakamoto has been challenged for years by developers, researchers, and other participants in the sector, many of whom point to the lack of accepted cryptographic proof. A 2024 U.K. court ruling also rejected his claim, adding legal weight to that skepticism. Within parts of the BTC community, Wright is widely referred to as “Faketoshi,” and critics have accused him of fraud tied to those assertions.

    The production approach has also drawn attention, as the “fully-generated” label refers largely to AI-built environments and visuals, while actors perform traditionally with digital settings added in post-production. At the same time, the subject matter is likely to drive industry reaction, as many bitcoiners view the claims as legally and technically discredited rather than unresolved.

    That divide helps explain why the film is likely to provoke a polarized response across crypto. Many will see it as reopening a debate already settled by legal findings and technical evidence, while others may view it as an attempt to revisit unanswered questions around motive and power. The synopsis stated:

    “All this leads Lotte, and the audience, to the central question — If Craig Wright didn’t invent Bitcoin, why is a coalition controlling trillions in global wealth spending hundreds of millions and risking everything to destroy him?”

    “This is an exciting and gripping story, set in the mysterious and high-stakes real world of crypto,” Wachsberger told Deadline. The positioning underscores how the film is being framed, not just as a thriller, but as a mainstream take on one of bitcoin’s most contested narratives, where claims have long been weighed against verifiable proof.

  • Ethereum staking crosses 32% – Yet ETH still lacks ONE KEY driver

    Ethereum staking crosses 32% – Yet ETH still lacks ONE KEY driver

    Ethereum’s market structure is tightening as staking activity continues to rise, steadily reducing the liquid supply available for trading.

    With over 32% of $ETH now staked, a significant portion remains locked, which compresses the tradable float across exchanges. This shift matters because it directly impacts market depth, making order books thinner over time.

    Source: TokenTerminal

    As liquidity tightens, price becomes more sensitive to incoming demand, which allows even moderate inflows to drive sharper upside moves. However, this same condition introduces fragility, as thinner liquidity reduces the market’s ability to absorb selling pressure.

    If support weakens, downside moves can accelerate quickly, reflecting a structure where supply constraint amplifies both upward and downward volatility.

    Demand structure weakens as perpetuals drive momentum

    As staking continues to lock supply, the demand side begins to show a different character, where derivatives take the lead instead of spot conviction.

    Activity shifts quickly into leveraged markets, with Perpetual Volume rising to $34.74 billion, far above the $14.29 billion Spot Volume, which shows traders prefer speed over stability.

    However, Open Interest (OI) fell to around $31.18 billion, down 5.75%, which suggests traders are not building sustained positions but rotating exposure.

    Consequently, Funding Rates turned slightly negative, reflecting growing short pressure even as price held. This creates a mixed structure, where some traders position for downside while others chase short-term moves.

    As a result, price becomes more reactive rather than stable, implying that users face faster swings, where gains can reverse quickly without strong spot demand to support them.

    Order Flow shift signals buyers regaining control

    As derivatives continue to drive demand, order flow begins to explain why Ethereum struggled to sustain upside across the cycle.

    Selling pressure stayed persistent, with Net Taker Volume deeply negative during key rallies, including around -$511 million above $4,000.

    As the price pushed closer to the peak near $5,000, that pressure intensified further, reaching nearly -$568 million, which shows sellers actively met every breakout attempt.

    Source: CryptoQuant

    This pattern explains the repeated failure to hold highs, as leveraged sellers absorbed demand faster than it could build.

    However, the structure now begins to shift.

    Since March, Net Taker Volume has flipped positive to about +$102 million, which suggests buyers are finally absorbing supply.

    If this continues, price may stabilize and build higher, yet failure would return the market to reactive, leverage-driven swings.


    Final Summary

    • Ethereum [$ETH] supply compression tightens liquidity, which increases upside sensitivity, yet thinner depth raises volatility risk during demand shocks or selling pressure.
    • Ethereum shows early demand shift as buyers absorb selling, yet weak spot conviction keeps price reactive and dependent on sustained inflows.
  • Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Slide As Iran Claims ‘Ceasefire Violations’ Amid Middle-East Tensions: Analyst Sees BTC’s Positive Momentum ‘Fading’

    Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Slide As Iran Claims ‘Ceasefire Violations’ Amid Middle-East Tensions: Analyst Sees BTC’s Positive Momentum ‘Fading’

    Leading cryptocurrencies fell alongside stock futures Sunday evening as tensions between the U.S. and Iran increased dramatically over the weekend.


    Crypto Market In Red

    Bitcoin sharply retreated from $76,000 as trading volume spiked 20% over the last 24 hours. Ethereum dipped below $2,300, while XRP and Dogecoin also traded in the red.

    Over $415 million was liquidated in the past 24 hours, with $335 million in long positions alone wiped out, according to Coinglass data.

    Open interest in Bitcoin futures fell 3.76% over the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, sentiment among whale and retail traders on Binance flipped “neutral.”

    “Fear” sentiment persisted in the market, according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.

    Top Gainers (24 Hours)

    The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.51 trillion, following a decline of 1.62% increase in the last 24 hours.

    Stock Futures Slide As Hostilities Resume

    Stock futures sold off sharply on Sunday evening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures fell 444 points, or 0.89%, as of 8:44 p.m. EDT. Futures tied to the S&P 500 slid 0.70%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures declined 0.66%.

    Geopolitical tensions worsened over the weekend after President Donald Trump said that that was trying to get past a naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.

    Iran president Masoud Pezeshkian said U.S. actions are a “clear violation” of the ceasefire understanding and that Iranian forces are ready for a comprehensive defense, according to state-controlled media IRIB.

    Oil prices lifted, with West Texas Intermediate crude futures surging 7.50% to $90.12 per barrel.

    Bitcoin’s Struggles To Continue?

    Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader Killa noted BTC’s positive momentum “fading” after a prolonged green run.

    “Green bars are gradually weakening, suggesting momentum is stalling,” the analyst said. “With the market still range bound, it’s plausible delta shifts red from here, leading to late longs being flushed out.”

    Rekt Capital, another well-known cryptocurrency commentator on X, outlined a potential retest of Bitcoin’s support at $73,000, with a successful hold confirming the upside breakout pattern.

    Photo: Memory Stockphoto / Shutterstock

  • Cloud Dev platform breach tied to compromised AI tool raises alarm for crypto frontends

    Cloud Dev platform breach tied to compromised AI tool raises alarm for crypto frontends

    The cloud development platform Vercel’s security incident has prompted alarm in the crypto industry, following the company’s disclosure that attackers compromised parts of its internal systems through a third-party AI tool.

    Because many crypto projects rely on Vercel to host their user interfaces, the breach highlights just how dependent Web3 teams are on centralized cloud infrastructure. That reliance creates an often overlooked attack surface—one that can sidestep traditional defenses like DNS monitoring and directly compromise frontend integrity.

    Vercel said Sunday that the intrusion originated from a third-party AI tool linked to a Google Workspace OAuth app. That tool had been breached in a larger incident affecting hundreds of users from multiple organizations, the company said. Vercel confirmed a limited subset of customers was affected, and its services stayed operational.

    The company has engaged external incident responders and alerted the police while also investigating how the data may have been accessed.

    Access keys, source code, database records, and deployment credentials (NPM and GitHub tokens) were listed for the account. But these are not independently established claims.

    As proof, one of those sample items included about 580 employee records with names, corporate email addresses, account status, and activity timestamps, along with a screenshot of an internal dashboard.

    Attribution remains unclear. Individuals connected to the core ShinyHunters group denied involvement, according to reports. The seller also said it contacted Vercel, demanding a ransom, though the company has not revealed whether negotiations were conducted.

    Third-party AI compromise exposes hidden infrastructure risk

    Rather than attacking Vercel directly, attackers have leveraged OAuth access linked to Google Workspace. A supply-chain weakness of this nature is trickier to identify, as it depends on trusted integrations rather than obvious vulnerabilities.

    Theo Browne, a developer known in the software community, said those consulted indicated Vercel’s internal Linear and GitHub integrations bore the brunt of the problems.

    He observed that environment variables marked as sensitive in Vercel are safeguarded; other variables that were not flagged must be rotated to avoid the same fate.

    Vercel followed up on this directive, urging customers to review their environment variables and utilize the platform’s sensitive variable feature. That kind of compromise is particularly worrying because environment variables often contain secrets such as API keys, private RPC endpoints, and deployment credentials.

    If these values were compromised, attackers might be able to alter builds, inject malicious code, or gain access to connected services for broader exploitation.

    Unlike typical breaches that target DNS records or domain registrars, the compromise at the hosting layer occurs at the build pipeline level. That allows attackers to compromise the actual frontend delivered to users rather than merely redirecting visitors.

    Certain projects store sensitive configuration data in environment variables, including wallet-related services, analytics providers, and infrastructure endpoints. If those values were accessed, teams may have to assume that they were compromised and rotate them.

    Frontend attacks have already been a recurring challenge in the crypto space. Recent incidents of domain hijacking have led to users being redirected to malicious clones designed to drain wallets. But those attacks usually come at the DNS or registrar level. These changes can often be detected quickly with monitoring tools.

    A compromise at the hosting layer differs. Rather than directing users to a phony site, attackers modify the actual frontend. Users may encounter a legitimate domain serving malicious code, but will have no idea what is happening.

    Investigation continues as crypto projects review exposure

    How far the breach penetrated, or whether any customer deployments were changed, is unclear. Vercel said its investigation is ongoing and it will update stakeholders as more information becomes available. It also said affected customers are being contacted directly.

    No major crypto projects have publicly confirmed receiving notification from Vercel as of publication time. But the incident is expected to prompt teams to audit their infrastructure, rotate credentials, and examine how they manage secrets.

    The bigger lesson is that security in crypto frontends doesn’t end at DNS protection or smart contract audits. Dependencies on cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, and AI integrations further increase risk.

    When one of those trusted services is compromised, attackers could exploit a channel that bypasses traditional defenses and directly affects users.

    The Vercel hack, tied to a compromised AI tool, illustrates how supply-chain vulnerabilities in modern development stacks can have cascading effects throughout the crypto ecosystem.

  • Bitcoin Drops Below $74,000 After Iran Rejects Second Round of US Peace Talks

    Bitcoin dropped below $74,000 Saturday evening after Iran rejected a second round of in-person peace talks with the United States, triggering a risk-off selloff across crypto markets.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Bitcoin fell to approximately $73,753 on April 19, 2026, after Iran rejected a second round of U.S. peace talks.
    • Iran’s refusal to negotiate stalled Strait of Hormuz diplomacy, wiping an estimated $83B from the broader crypto market.
    • Traders will watch for a U.S. response or renewed Pakistan-mediated talks, with $BTC support holding near $70,500.

    Geopolitical Tensions Push Bitcoin Below $74K After Iran Walkout

    The price of bitcoin ($BTC) slipped to approximately $73,753 on Bitstamp on April 19, 2026, a decline of roughly 2% over the prior 24 hours. The move wiped billions from total crypto market capitalization and pushed $BTC out of the $74,000 to $77,000 range it had held during recent consolidation.

    Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency confirmed Tehran’s withdrawal from a proposed second negotiating session. Iranian officials cited Washington’s excessive demands, contradictory positions, and what Iran described as an ongoing U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as reasons for refusing further talks.

    The Strait of Hormuz is a critical oil transit chokepoint. Disruptions there carry direct implications for global energy prices and investor risk appetite, and crypto markets have tracked those signals closely throughout early 2026.

    The first round of talks took place April 11 and 12 in Islamabad, Pakistan, spanning more than 21 hours without producing a ceasefire or nuclear agreement. U.S. Vice President JD Vance disclosed that Iran chose not to accept American terms. Iranian officials described the session as preliminary.

    A brief stretch of optimism followed in mid-April after President Trump indicated Iran had reached out quietly for further dialogue. That signal temporarily pushed bitcoin toward $76,000 as risk assets broadly recovered. Saturday’s rejection reversed that move.

    The broader crypto market dropped alongside $BTC. Key technical levels now draw attention. Charts point to support around $70,500 to $71,000 and resistance near $75,000. $BTC has tested $76,000 multiple times in recent weeks and failed to hold above that level.

    The development comes on the heels of Trump’s Sunday warning to Iran, in which he made clear he no longer intends to be “Mr. Nice Guy.” Markets will watch for a formal U.S. response to Iran’s rejection, any renewed effort at Pakistan-mediated talks, and further developments in the Strait of Hormuz. Until diplomacy stabilizes, crypto volatility tied to this conflict is unlikely to ease.

    By 8:30 p.m. ET, bitcoin was struggling to hold above $74,000 but has managed to do so for the time being.