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Coinbase Cofounder Issues Serious Crypto Price Warning As Bitcoin ‘Death Cross’ Fear Spreads

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Bitcoin and cryptocurrency prices have struggled last week with the crypto market’s combined value slipping under $1.5 trillion—down from $2.5 trillion in May.

The bitcoin price, after getting an unexpected boost from Tesla billionaire Elon Musk last weekend, has resumed its decline over the last few days, falling back toward $30,000 per bitcoin.

Now, as bitcoin charts show the price 50-day moving average has fallen below the 200-day moving average—a pattern known as the “death cross”—Coinbase cofounder Fred Ehrsam has warned “most” cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets “won’t work” and “90 percent of NFTs” will have “little to no value in three to five years.”

Bitcoin’s “death cross,” despite its ominous name, appears to be a lagging price indicator. The last time the trading pattern occurred in March 2020, it heralded a huge bitcoin bull run that helped even smaller cryptocurrencies surge to all-time highs.

“People are going to try all sorts of things,” Ehrsam, who has gone on to found the blockchain investment firm Paradigm since leaving Coinbase in 2017, told Bloomberg this week, warning many of those smaller cryptocurrencies won’t survive. “There’ll be millions and millions of cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets, just like there were millions and millions of websites. Most of them won’t work.”

Coinbase, the San Francisco-based bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange, went public this year at a huge $100 billion valuation but has since seen its market cap plummet, falling by a third amid waning interest among retail traders and global regulatory pressure.

Since bitcoin was created in 2009, thousands of cryptocurrencies have been created with crypto data provider CoinMarketCap currently counting just over 10,000 different coins.

Some, such as ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency after bitcoin with a market capitalization of $250 billion compared to bitcoin’s $660 billion, have established themselves as cryptocurrency mainstays—while others including EOS and, more recently internet computer, have made splashy debuts only to fade away over time.

Internet computer’s ICP token is down over 90 percent from its all-time high price set shortly after its launch in May, while EOS, which made headlines when it raised $4.1 billion ahead of its launch in 2018, is trading 80 percent lower.

Ehrsam also warned against investors betting on NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The popularity of NFTs, that use cryptocurrency technology to allow all manner of digital real estate from artwork to tweets, memes and YouTube videos, to be tokenized and sold via a blockchain, has exploded over the last few months—though data suggests the market is already significantly down on its early-May peak.

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Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, NEAR Protocol Soar 5%-10% in Cryptocurrency Rebound

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Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and NEAR Protocol have seen impressive gains ranging from 5% to 10%, igniting optimism among investors after a period of volatility.

Dogecoin, the meme-inspired digital currency, surged by 5% to add to its recent momentum while Shiba Inu, another popular meme coin, followed suit with a 10% jump.

NEAR Protocol, a blockchain platform focusing on decentralized applications, also joined the rally with a solid 5% increase.

This surge comes on the heels of Bitcoin’s resurgence, which saw a nearly 5% gain to briefly break the $62,000 price level.

Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, reclaimed the $3,000 level, further bolstering confidence in the market.

The rally was spurred by the release of the U.S. April jobs report, which showed the addition of 175,000 jobs, falling short of the expected 245,000.

This unexpected development eased concerns about higher interest rates, prompting a positive response from cryptocurrency investors.

Market analysts pointed out that the softer-than-expected jobs data led to an increase in the likelihood of at least one rate cut by September, according to CME FedWatch data.

This dovish sentiment, coupled with the Federal Reserve’s indication of no immediate interest in cutting rates, contributed to a more favorable environment for cryptocurrencies.

Moreover, Coinbase analysts highlighted the recent Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, where policymakers tapered the pace of the central bank’s balance sheet runoff, signaling a more dovish stance.

This move was interpreted as a positive signal for both fiat and cryptocurrency markets.

Arthur Hayes, former CEO of BitMEX, expressed confidence in Bitcoin’s recent performance, suggesting that it may have bottomed out at $56,000.

However, he cautioned investors to expect a gradual recovery rather than a swift ascent to previous highs.

Hayes forecasted a period of range-bound price action between $60,000 and $70,000 until August.

As the cryptocurrency market continues to navigate through fluctuations, the recent rebound in Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and NEAR Protocol reflects a renewed sense of optimism among traders, fueled by positive developments in the broader financial landscape.

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Binance Boss Behind Bars: CZ Sentenced to Four Months for Crypto Exchange Failures

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Binance CEO

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, has been sentenced to four months in prison for his role in security failures that enabled cybercriminals and terrorist groups to exploit the Binance platform.

The verdict, delivered by US District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle, is the first time a chief executive officer of a major cryptocurrency exchange has been incarcerated for breaching banking secrecy laws.

The courtroom, packed with onlookers and CZ’s legal team, witnessed the billionaire entrepreneur, clad in a dark suit and light blue tie, receive his sentence stoically.

Despite fervent pleas from prosecutors for a three-year sentence to set a precedent in the crypto industry, Judge Jones opted for a shorter term.

In his statement, Judge Jones emphasized that no individual, regardless of wealth or status, is exempt from accountability under the law.

The case against CZ stemmed from a protracted investigation by the US Department of Justice, casting a long shadow over Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, and its high-profile leader.

Prosecutors argued that CZ’s failure to implement adequate money laundering safeguards facilitated illicit transactions, enabling cybercriminals and even terrorist groups like Hamas to operate freely on the platform.

The sentencing also comes on the heels of similar crackdowns within the cryptocurrency space, including the recent conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, a former crypto titan who received a 25-year prison sentence for defrauding FTX customers of billions of dollars.

CZ’s defense team, however, contended that he should be spared imprisonment due to his non-US citizenship, which they argued put him at heightened risk in a US detention facility.

Nevertheless, Judge Jones emphasized the gravity of CZ’s offenses, terming them “unprecedented” in scale and impact.

In a post-sentencing statement on social media, CZ expressed acceptance of his fate, vowing to “do his time” and focus on education and philanthropy upon his release.

Despite his impending incarceration, CZ affirmed his commitment to the cryptocurrency sector as a passive investor.

The implications of CZ’s sentencing extend beyond his personal fate, raising questions about regulatory oversight and accountability within the burgeoning crypto industry.

Federal prosecutor Kevin Mosley underscored the deliberate nature of CZ’s violations, arguing that they were not mere oversights but intentional breaches of US law.

As CZ prepares to serve his prison term at Seattle’s Federal Detention Center, SeaTac, the crypto community grapples with the repercussions of his downfall.

The episode serves as a stark reminder that, despite the decentralized ethos of cryptocurrencies, regulatory scrutiny and legal accountability remain paramount in an increasingly interconnected financial landscape.

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U.S. Prosecutors Recommend 36-Month Prison Term for Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao

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Binance CEO

In a significant development in the legal saga surrounding Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, U.S. prosecutors have recommended a 36-month prison term for its founder, Changpeng Zhao.

The recommendation follows Zhao’s guilty plea to violating laws against money laundering, a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battle between Binance and U.S. authorities.

Zhao, commonly known as CZ, stepped down as Binance’s chief last November, simultaneously admitting to the violations alongside the exchange.

The firm agreed to a hefty penalty of $4.32 billion as part of the settlement with prosecutors.

According to court filings submitted to the U.S. district court for the western district of Washington, prosecutors argued that the magnitude of Zhao’s willful violation of U.S. law warranted an above-guidelines sentence.

While federal sentencing guidelines set a maximum term of 18 months in prison for Zhao, prosecutors emphasized the severity of the violations and their consequences in advocating for the extended sentence.

The legal scrutiny surrounding Binance stems from allegations that the exchange failed to report over 100,000 suspicious transactions involving designated terrorist groups such as Hamas, al Qaeda, and ISIS.

Furthermore, prosecutors alleged that Binance’s platform facilitated the sale of child sexual abuse materials and served as a recipient of a significant portion of ransomware proceeds.

As part of the settlement, Zhao agreed to pay a $50 million fine and disengage from any involvement with Binance, the platform he founded in 2017.

The penalties imposed on Binance included a staggering $1.81 billion criminal fine and restitution of $2.51 billion.

The recommendation for a 36-month prison term underscores the seriousness with which U.S. authorities are addressing violations within the cryptocurrency industry.

The outcome of Zhao’s sentencing, scheduled for April 30 in Seattle, will likely have far-reaching implications for both Binance and the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem.

As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, stakeholders across the industry are closely monitoring developments to gauge their impact on the future of cryptocurrency exchanges and their founders.

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