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SEC, Binance Ask Judge to Extend Pause in Ongoing Case

Attorneys for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Binance asked a federal judge on Friday to continue a pause in the regulator’s case against the crypto exchange for another two months, citing “productive discussions.”

The SEC sued Binance in 2023, alleging the exchange — alongside its U.S. affiliate and executives such as former CEO Changpeng Zhao — violated federal securities laws by operating as an unlicensed clearing agency, broker and exchange. The SEC also alleged commingling and that Binance.US’s trading volume was manipulated. In February, after U.S. President Donald Trump retook office and appointed Commissioner Mark Uyeda as acting agency chair, the regulator asked for a 60-day pause in the case, which was set to expire on Monday. The SEC pointed to a newly created crypto task force aiming to draft clearer guidance around how securities law might apply to digital assets as part of its explanation for the requested pause.

In Friday’s filing, the attorneys involved said the discussions included “how the efforts of the crypto task force may impact the SEC’s claims,” and requested another 60 days’ pause.

“In light of these continued discussions and the time required for the staff to seek authorization from the Commission as necessary to approve any resolution or changes to the scope of this litigation, the SEC requested that the Defendants agree to continue the current stay for an additional 60 days, and the Defendants agreed that continuing the stay is appropriate and in the interest of judicial economy,” the filing said.

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Onyxcoin Rises by 150% as Volume Explodes, Binance Announces Listing

Onyxcoin (XCN), the native token of its namesake’s modular blockchain, experienced a major boost over the past 48 hours, bucking the bearish market sentiment with a 150% rise.

Daily trading volume averaged around $25 million earlier this week until the token started to rip through levels of resistance. That figure has now ballooned to $600 million, the majority of which took place on Coinbase.

The surge in volume and apparent lack of visible catalyst prompted Binance to list XCN futures on its exchange on Friday.

Unlike many other Binance listing announcements, the listing did not spur an additional increase in token price, which could indicate that some investors opted to “sell the news,” creating a type of equilibrium between new buyers and old sellers.

As the native token of Onyxchain, XCN can be used for payments within the Onyx ecosystem, this includes node deployment. It can also be used to participate in governance proposals.

The token has been trading for three years but performance was largely muted in 2023 and 2024. It then rose rapidly in January, going from $0.0025 to $0.03 in 11 days, prompting Tron founder Justin Sun to question the legitimacy of price action.

“XCN chain is currently engaging in significant market manipulation. They are using high leverage and contract that could cause serious harm to many exchange users. I recommend that major exchanges pay close attention to this risk,” Sun wrote in a tweet on Jan. 24 that he’s since deleted.

UPDATE April 11, 15:46 UTC: Adds context about XCN token and now deleted tweet from Justin Sun.

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Binance Gains Market Share as Bitcoin Volume Declined 77% From Yearly Peak: CryptoQuant

Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoin spot trading volumes have declined as crypto prices entered into correction mode in the last two months, with crypto exchange Binance emerging as the preferred avenue for traders, according to a report from CryptoQuant.

Total bitcoin spot trading volume on crypto exchanges declined from a high of $44 billion on February 3 to $10 billion at the end of Q1, a nearly 77% drop, according to the analytics firm. Meanwhile, total altcoin spot trading volume on crypto exchanges declined from a high of $122 billion on February 3 to $23 billion at the end of Q1 — a more than 80% fall.

A volume drop of such magnitude suggests traders and investors are losing interest or confidence, possibly due to uncertainty or fear. Falling prices mean the value of bitcoin and other cryptos is going down, which can scare off more people, creating a cycle of less trading and lower prices, the report added.

Market’s loss is Binance’s gain

During the same time, Binance increased its dominance over the other crypto exchanges with its share of total market trading reaching almost 50%. Binance’s share of total daily bitcoin spot trading volume increased from 33% on February 3 to 49% by the end of Q1.

This implies that trading volumes on other exchanges declined much faster than on Binance, and that the exchange becomes the largest liquidity venue during times of higher market volatility.

Furthermore, Binance’s share of total daily altcoin spot trading volume increased from 38% on February 3 to 44% by the end of Q1.

Some altcoins still show relatively high spot trading volumes on Binance, in spite of the overall slowdown in trading volumes. For example, large altcoins like BNB, TON and EOS are still being traded with relatively high activity, at a time that overall crypto volumes have declined.

Meanwhile, bitcoin inflows to Binance have accelerated in the past week, CryptoQuant independent analyst Martuun wrote.

“The bitcoin reserve on Binance has increased from 568,768 BTC (Mar 28) to 590,874 BTC (Apr 9), an increase of 22,106 BTC,” he said in a snippet. “This shows a strong acceleration in BTC inflows to Binance. It’s likely that investors are actively moving funds to Binance, due the macro uncertainty and before the upcoming CPI announcement.”

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Binance’s Second Reward-Bearing Asset LDUSDT to Launch Soon

Binance Futures will soon introduce LDUSDT, a reward-bearing margin asset that accrues rewards to holders.

Traders can swap their tether (USDT) on Binance’s Simple Earn Flexible Product for LDUSDT, which can then be utilized as margin for stablecoin-margined futures trading.

Binance said LDUSDT builds on the success of BFUSD, its inaugural reward-bearing margin asset, which debuted earlier and enabled users to earn annual percentage yields (APY) through the exchange’s hedging and investment strategies.

“After the launch of our first reward-bearing margin asset, BFUSD, was positively received by users, we are pleased to introduce yet another product to bring more utility to our users,” Jeff Li, VP of Product at Binance said in a statement. “LDUSDT increases capital efficiency for users and lets users put their assets to work for them as both a reward-earning and liquid trading margin asset, all while retaining flexibility to redeploy their capital at any time.

As such, LDUSDT is not a stablecoin but a crypto token designed specifically for use as futures trading margin while simultaneously offering reward-earning potential. As of Wednesday, annualized yields for holding the token are around 1.5%, per The Block, and will be updated on a minute-by-minute basis.

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Crypto Analyst Warns Of Volume Drop That Could Trigger 60% Bitcoin Price Crash To $49,000

Crypto analyst Melika Trader has warned of a volume drop that could trigger a 60% Bitcoin price crash. The analyst provided an in-depth analysis of what this price crash could mean and if it would mark the end of the bull run. 

How The Bitcoin Price Could Crash By 60% And Drop To $49,000

In a TradingView post, Melika Trader revealed how the Bitcoin price could crash by 60% and drop to $49,000. The analyst noted that BTC is hanging just above a critical support zone, an area he claimed many traders recognize as the “most important support level” from a volume perspective on Binance. 

His accompanying chart showed that the Bitcoin price could suffer a 60% drop once it loses the former trend line at $75,000. The flagship crypto is also in danger, having lost the critical support at around $83,000. This drop to $49,000 would bring BTC back toward the high-volume range near $30,000. 

This provides an ultra-bearish outlook for the Bitcoin price. However, Melika Trader raised a twist, stating that only 20% of traders might actually lose. He noted that, according to Binance’s volume profile data, the majority of buying activity and position accumulation happened below $35,000. 

Bitcoin

The analyst further mentioned that most long-term holders and smart money entered during the 2022/2023 accumulation range. The Volume Profile Visible Range (VPVR) is also said to show significant support below the current Bitcoin price, with minimal trading volume at higher levels. Melika Trader remarked that only a minority of traders bought BTC during its late-stage bull run above $70,000. 

Meanwhile, the majority of investors are still in profit or break-even, even if the Bitcoin price retraces back to its base. As such, most traders are safe, as BTC risks a drop to as low as $49,000. 

Why BTC’s Bull Market Is Over

CryptoQuant’s CEO, Ki Young Ju, recently asserted that BTC’s bull market is over amid the Bitcoin price decline. He alluded to the ‘Realized Cap’ metric to explain his confidence that the bull run is over. The CryptoQuant CEO noted that if Realized Cap is growing but Market Cap is stagnant or falling, it means capital is flowing in but prices aren’t rising. 

Ki Young Ju noted that this is a clear bearish signal, and this is what is currently happening. Capital is entering the market right now, but the Bitcoin price isn’t responding, which he claims is typical of a bear market. The CryptoQuant CEO explained that even large purchases like MicroStrategy’s aren’t pushing prices up because there is too much sell pressure at the moment. 

Ki Young Ju again affirmed that current data points to the Bitcoin price being in a bear market. He noted that sell pressure could ease anytime but warned that historically, real reversals take at least six months. As such, the CryptoQuant CEO believes a short-term rally seems unlikely. 

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $77,000, down over 7% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Bitcoin

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Binance Data Reveals Surprising Bitcoin Trading Patterns—Here’s What Traders Are Doing

Bitcoin’s recent price trajectory has continued to show considerable instability. After briefly climbing past the $87,000 mark earlier this week, the cryptocurrency experienced a significant pullback, declining to $81,332 earlier today.

As of the latest data, Bitcoin is trading at around $82,600, reflecting a weekly decrease of about 7.6%. This downward momentum indicates ongoing market uncertainty, influencing investor strategies and market sentiment.

With frequent retracements and short-lived surges, the current pattern highlights persistent volatility in the cryptocurrency space. This instability has prompted some analysts to explore more profound insights into investor behavior to predict potential market directions.

Analyzing Binance User Activity for BTC Market Signals

CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn recently provided a perspective on Bitcoin market dynamics through an analysis of user activity on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.

Maartunn’s investigation into Binance user retention patterns offered some interesting insights into trading behavior that could influence Bitcoin’s market performance.

According to the analyst’s findings, over half of returning Binance users make their second deposit within 16 days following their initial transaction. Nearly 10% of users perform their second deposit within just one day, indicating active trading behavior rather than passive investment strategies.

Binance days until user return.

Furthermore, approximately one-third of returning users reload their accounts by day seven, reinforcing the notion that Binance predominantly attracts traders engaging in frequent transactions.

What Does This Mean for Bitcoin?

This high frequency of early deposits by returning users highlights a pattern of short-term trading rather than long-term holding. Such active engagement on Binance can directly impact Bitcoin’s price volatility, as rapid buying and selling contribute significantly to market fluctuations.

Increased trading activity shortly after initial deposits often implies speculative market behavior, potentially leading to quick price movements in both directions.

Bitcoin (BTC) price chart on TradingView

Overall, the behavioral trends observed on Binance suggest that Bitcoin might continue to experience sharp volatility in the near term. The quick return rate of traders to deposit funds signals a market where trading volume spikes are frequent, influencing Bitcoin’s price stability.

As traders rapidly enter and exit positions, the market can witness sudden price shifts driven by speculative trades rather than sustained investment interest. Meanwhile, recent data has revealed Bitcoin bull score index has seen a notable drop to 10.

Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView

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ACT Memecoin Crashes 50% As Several Altcoins Suddenly Tank On Binance – What’s Going On?

On Tuesday morning, several altcoins nosedived up to 50% on global crypto exchange Binance, sparking confusion among investors. Several community members shared theories for the incident, speculating that recent adjustments in the exchange’s position limits could be responsible.

Altcoins See Q2 Opening Crash On Binance

Multiple altcoins saw a peculiar start to Q2 after their price tanked on Binance on Tuesday morning. The crypto community raised the alarm after Solana-based memecoin and AI Agent token Act I: The AI Prophecy (ACT) plunged around 50% in less than an hour.

The cryptocurrency, which once had a market capitalization of $722 million, has moved sideways for most of March, hovering between the $0.18-$0.19 price range until today. In 30 minutes, ACT crashed from the $0.189 mark to the $0.087 level, registering a 53% fall.

Similarly, the DEXE, KAVA, DF, HIPPO, BANANAS31, LUMIA, TST, and QUICK tokens also recorded a sudden price drop, losing between 10% and 35% of their value in an hour.

altcoins

ACT’s team acknowledged the incident, stating, “Dear ACT community, we want to assure you that we’re fully aware of the current situation. Our team is actively investigating and working collaboratively with all relevant parties to address this matter.” The post also noted they had begun developing a response plan alongside their trusted partners.

Analyst Altcoin Sherpa suggested that a price bounce for ACT seems likely but noted that “ppl might realize that they don’t really want to hold this coin and view this as a forced rebalance event. Nobody buying. Nobody selling.”

No April Fool’s Joke

As Binance posted about a different April Fool’s joke, investors started to speculate what caused the sudden bleeding, with some joking that the prank had gone too far. The crypto community guessed that Wintermute was responsible for the Altcoin massacre, as it reportedly liquidated several of its positions today.

Nonetheless, the trading firm’s CEO, Evgeny Gaevoy, denied the rumors, stating, “Not us fwiw, but also curious about that postmortem.”

Meanwhile, Lookonchain suggested that Binance’s recent update of its leverage and margin tiers on several altcoins, including ACT, could have been the reason for the token crash.

Six hours later, Binance Customer Support replied to Wu Blockchain’s report, revealing that the reason for the dump was that three VIP users cross-sold tokens worth 514,000 USDT in the spot market and a non-VIP user transferred a large amount of ACT from other platforms and sold 540,000 USDT worth of the token in a short period.

As a result, the cryptocurrency’s price dropped, which led some users to close their futures contracts, triggering the decline of other altcoins. The crypto exchange pointed out that they recently took “the initiative to take preventive measures to adjust leverage multiples downward.”

“Binance Contracts has recently issued consecutive adjustment announcements for the ACTUSDT perpetual contract, during which there was no market movement and no active reduction of any user’s position,” the post detailed.

Binance added that it will continue to investigate the incident and update the relevant details if there is any news, concluding that the crypto market has been volatile recently and asking investors to exercise caution.

Altcoins, ACT, ACTUSDT

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VanEck Eyes BNB ETF Launch After BTC, ETH Product Success

Investment manager VanEck has registered to list an exchange-traded fund tracking BNB, the native cryptocurrency of the Binance-linked BNB Chain.

The New York-based firm has proposed the establishment of a trust in Delaware for a BNB ETF, a preliminary step to a formal application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

VanEck’s BNB ETF, if approved, would be the first such product listed in the U.S.

The company was among the first issuers of bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) ETFs in the U.S. following their approval in January and July 2024 respectively.

VanEck has also registered to list ETFs tracking the native tokens of Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX).

BNB is priced at just over $603 at the time of writing, little changed in the hours since the first reports of VanEck’s plans.

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Is Binance Losing Its Grip? Bitcoin Flows Reveal Key Market Shifts

After experiencing a bearish trend earlier in the week, Bitcoin (BTC) seems to have regained upward momentum. The asset started the day with a 2.1% rise. It is currently trading above the $84,000 mark, signaling a potential return to its previous price levels.

Despite this positive movement, Bitcoin remains subject to fluctuating market conditions, influenced by external factors and internal metrics impacting its performance across different exchanges.

Shifting Trends in Bitcoin’s Exchange Flows

As BTC continues to make strides above $84,000, an interesting trend has emerged in exchange flows signaling investor behavior. A recent analysis by CryptoQuant’s Joao Wedson provides a fascinating perspective on the current state of the Bitcoin market.

According to Wedson, Bitcoin’s price action has been significantly impacted by lower selling pressure on certain exchanges, particularly Binance.

quicktake-image

In his report titled “Lower Selling Pressure: Binance and the BTC Flow Across Different Exchanges”, Wedson highlights that Short-Term Holders (STHs) are sending significantly fewer Bitcoin to Binance compared to other exchanges.

The current amount of BTC being sent to Binance stands at 6,300 BTC, much lower than the average of 24,700 BTC transferred to other platforms. This suggests that many traders on Binance may be adopting a more neutral stance, potentially waiting for clearer signals before making further moves.

quicktake-image

On the other hand, Bitcoin inflows to other exchanges are increasing, indicating that investor behavior may vary based on the platform they use. Binance, despite having the highest trading volume, seems to be seeing less activity from short-term holders, whereas other exchanges are experiencing higher inflows.

This shift could suggest that while Binance remains a trusted exchange, other platforms are beginning to see more action from BTC traders.

Bitcoin (BTC) price chart on TradingView

Binance Dominates Spot Trading Volume

In another analysis by CryptoQuant’s Maartunn, the focus shifted to spot trading volumes across various exchanges, with Binance taking the lead. In the year-to-date data for 2025, Binance has been the dominant player in spot trading volume, handling a cumulative total of $1.9 trillion.

This is more than three times the volume of its closest competitor, Crypto.com, which stands at 12.12%. The dominance of Binance is significant, as higher trading volumes typically result in greater liquidity and tighter spreads, benefiting traders with better pricing and smoother entry and exit opportunities.

The increasing liquidity on Binance makes it an attractive option for many investors, and its dominance in spot trading volume further solidifies its position as a key player in the cryptocurrency market.

Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView

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Some Crypto Tokens Plunge 50% Within Minutes on Binance Amid Suspected Trading Bot Glitch

Multiple tokens cratered as much as 50% within 30-minutes on crypto exchange Binance on Tuesday, with market watchers wondering if a misconfigured trading bot could have caused the declines.

Act I, the Prophecy (ACT) slumped 50%, DeXe (DEXE) dropped 30% and dForce (DF) fell nearly 20% within minutes after 1100 UTC on Tuesday, data from Binance shows, with no immediate catalyst or explanation behind the sudden fall.

The tokens are not related or in the same sector. Data showed a surge in selling volumes roughly around the same time, with no other tokens on Binance seeing similar spikes in selling volumes.

The cascade spread over to other exchanges, with these tokens down equivalent amounts on other centralized exchanges as well as on decentralized exchanges.

Early reactions on X ranged from surprise to speculations of a market-making bot possibly causing the declines due to a misconfiguration on how they trade, though CoinDesk could not independently confirm the allegations as of writing time.

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Binance Offboards Market Maker That It Said Made $38M Profit on MOVE Listing

Binance, the largest crypto exchange by trading volume, said it “offboarded” a market maker for Movement’s MOVE token with an association to another market maker that had been removed from the platform due to “misconduct.”

Market makers are middlemen who are responsible for creating liquidity so trades can take place smoothly without big delays or price swings. They do this by quoting prices to both buyers (bid) and sellers (ask) and taking the opposite side to the transactions.

The market maker, which wasn’t identified, made a $38 million profit when the MOVE tokens were first offered for trading on the exchange, Binance said Tuesday. Instead of meeting its obligations to ensure sufficient order size and place orders for both bid and ask prices, it placed sell orders for 66 million MOVE tokens one day after the initial listing and “little buy orders.”

One-sided market-making activity is widely considered illicit and illegal, and Binance reiterated that strict rules are in place for defaulters.

The entity was offboarded on March 18, and both the Movement Labs and Movement Foundation teams were informed of the “irregularities with their market maker,” Binance said in the post. The market maker is no longer able to participate on the exchange and all proceeds were frozen to compensate users, whose details will be available at a later date.

“Any project-authorized market makers who do not comply with or breach such principles and rules, Binance will take further actions against such market makers to best protect our users,” the exchange said.

The development comes as Binance, in a separate and unrelated incident, suspended a staff member following an internal investigation into alleged front-running trades from a previous role at BNB Chain.

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Binance Wallet Suspends Staff Member Over Front-Running Allegations

The Binance Wallet team said Tuesday in a post on X that it has suspended a staff member accused of using confidential information from their previous roles at BNB Chain to front-run a token launch.

The employee allegedly purchased coins via multiple wallets ahead of a Token Generation Event (TGE), later selling part of the holdings for quick profits.

“This behavior constitutes front-running based on non-public information obtained from his previous role and is a clear breach of company policy,” a statement from the Wallet team reads.

Binance’s investigation found no evidence that the Wallet team employees were involved in insider trading. The company said the information they used was based on data obtained while they were at BNB Chain, not on the Wallet team.

Binance said it will cooperate with relevant authorities to pursue appropriate legal action.

Binance’s suspension of this Wallet employee echoes Coinbase’s 2023 scandal involving former manager Ishan Wahi, who admitted leaking token-listing details with his brother and another contact.

Coinbase eventually got involved in the case to contest Securities and Exchange Commission charges that the tokens Wahi inside-traded on were securities.

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Analyst Sets Dogecoin Next Target As Ascending Triangle Forms

Crypto analyst CobraVanguard has revealed the next price target for Dogecoin as an ascending triangle forms for the foremost meme coin. A rally to this price target could pave the way for the new highs, especially with the crypto market looking to be in rebound mode. 

Next Target For Dogecoin As Ascending Triangle Forms

In a TradingView post, CobraVanguard set $0.197 as the next target for the Dogecoin price with an ascending triangle forming. He noted that this ascending triangle indicates a potential price increase. The analyst added that it is anticipated that the price could rise, aligning with the projected price movement of AB=CD.

Meanwhile, CobraVanguard warned that it is crucial to wait for the triangle to break before taking any action. His accompanying chart showed that Dogecoin needs to break above $0.177 to confirm a break above the ascending triangle. A break above that target would then lead to a rally to the $0.197 target. 

Dogecoin

Dogecoin already looks to be in rebound mode at the moment, alongside Bitcoin, which is nearing the $90,000 mark again. The foremost meme coin is nearing the $0.177 target for a break above the ascending triangle. As crypto analyst Kevin Capital suggested, DOGE will likely rally as long as BTC is in bullish territory. 

Crypto traders are also betting on a Dogecoin rally to the upside. Crypto analyst Ali Martinez revealed that 76.26% of traders with open DOGE positions on Binance futures are leaning bullish. This is particularly bullish because Binance traders have a good track record of being right most of the time. In another X post, Martinez revealed that whales bought over 120 million DOGE last week, which is also bullish for the foremost meme coin. 

DOGE’s Market Structure Has Shifted

In an X post, crypto analyst Trader Tardigrade revealed that Dogecoin’s market structure has shifted. This came as he noted that Dogecoin is recovering from an ascending triangle, forming higher highs and higher lows from lower highs and lower lows.

Based on this, the analyst affirmed that Dogecoin had shifted the market structure from a downtrend to an uptrend on the hourly chart since it just formed the second higher high. His accompanying chart showed that DOGE is eyeing a rally to $0.177 as it continues to form higher highs. 

Martinez raised the possibility of the Dogecoin price rallying to as high as $4 or even $20 in the long term. He stated that if DOGE holds above the $0.16 support at the lower boundary of an ascending channel, history suggests that it could rebound toward the mid-range at $4 or upper range at around $20. 

At the time of writing, the Dogecoin price is trading at around $0.174, up over 3% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Dogecoin

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Bitcoin Open Future Bets on Binance Increase by $600M, Suggest More Price Volatility

The bitcoin (BTC) price has jumped 2% to $87,800 since midnight UTC. The increase has been accompanied by an uptick in future open interest on Binance, validating the buoyant market mood to signal sustainable gains.

The open interest in the BTC-USDT futures listed on the exchange has increased by roughly 7,000 BTC ($614.6 million) since the early Asian trading hours, according to data tracked by Coinglass and Velo Data. Open interest refers to the number of active, or open, contracts at a given time.

Furthermore, funding rates on Binance have held positive to suggest a bias for leveraged bullish (long) bets.

“This is a good sign, volatility is coming,” Coinglass said, referring to the notable increase in open interest.

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Bitcoin’s Role in DeFi Is ‘Untapped Opportunity,’ Binance Research Says

Bitcoin’s (BTC) role in decentralized finance (DeFi) is growing as the world’s largest cryptocurrency evolves from more than just a store of value, Binance Research said in a report Thursday.

The Bitcoin network is “evolving into a broader decentralized finance ecosystem with the emergence of Bitcoin DeFi,” analyst Moulik Nagesh wrote.

This is a sector that “unlocks bitcoin’s capital efficiency” with the use of financial applications focused on lending, staking, stablecoins and decentralized exchanges (DEX’s), the report said.

DeFi is an umbrella term used for lending, trading and other financial activities carried out on a blockchain, without the need for traditional intermediaries.

Binance noted that only ~0.8% of the bitcoin supply is currently being used in DeFi, and this presents a large “untapped opportunity.” In fact, last year, Julian Love, a deal analyst at Franklin Templeton Digital Assets, said the opportunity could be as much as $1 trillion.

Binance Research report said that Bitcoin needs layer 2s as the network lacks “native programmability,” unlike smart contract-based layer 1s. A layer 1 network is the base layer or the underlying infrastructure of a blockchain. Layer 2 refers to a set of off-chain systems or separate blockchains built on top of layer 1s.

While there has been some progress on the development of Bitcoin layer-2 networks, these platforms need greater adoption and liquidity incentives to be able to scale up effectively, Binance Research said.

The network’s security model is faced with “long-term sustainability challenges” as block rewards will continue to halve, the report said, thereby reducing miner incentives.

The long-term viability of Bitcoin DeFi is dependent on execution, the further development of layer-2s, and the “ability to align with bitcoin’s unique value proposition,” the report added.

Read more: Ethereum L2 Starknet Seeks ‘Bitcoin’s DeFi Take-Off Moment’ With BTC Wallet Xverse

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Trump Family Held Talks to Buy Stake in Binance.US: WSJ

A Trump family representative held talks to buy a stake in Binance’s U.S. arm, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Thursday.

The stake could have been acquired through Trump-family backed crypto project World Liberty Financial, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Steve Witkoff, a friend of the U.S. president, was involved in the deal talks, the report added.

The talks started last year after Binance reached out to Trump’s allies offering to reach a deal with the family so as to bring the crypto exchange back to the U.S.

Binance U.S. this not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.

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How to buy Bitcoin with a credit card

How to buy Bitcoin with a credit card

Key takeaways

  • Buying Bitcoin with a credit card offers nearly instant transactions and convenience, but it costs you higher fees and potential blocked transactions from card providers.
  • Centralized exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken are the easiest reputable platforms on which to buy Bitcoin with credit cards.
  • To protect yourself during transactions, only use trusted exchanges and use security protocols like 2FA.
  • Credit card purchases can offer some extra protection against fraud compared to other payment methods, but purchase limits can be more restrictive

Looking for the quickest and easiest way to purchase Bitcoin? Buying Bitcoin with a credit card is almost instant on many platforms. Before you start your digital shopping spree, you should take a few minutes to learn how to buy Bitcoin (BTC) with a credit card in the most efficient way. 

However, if you’re not careful, you could end up damaging your credit score and even getting scammed out of your investments. 

Below, you will find a step-by-step process for purchasing Bitcoin on a reputable exchange, plus learn how to protect yourself from unnecessary financial distress along the way. 

Why use a credit card for Bitcoin purchases?

Buying Bitcoin via a credit card is almost instant on major exchanges. It can be performed easily on a mobile device or web, allowing buyers and traders to quickly take advantage of market moves.

Often, the cryptocurrency exchanges that accept credit cards are regulated and will use high levels of encryption. These exchanges will require Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks for security and compliance.  

Purchasing Bitcoin with a credit card is a beginner-friendly option for new cryptocurrency investors already familiar with using their credit cards for online transactions. There may be some protection from the credit card company if something goes awry.

Will buying Bitcoin with a credit card affect my credit score?

Every purchasing decision you make with your credit card will have an effect on your credit score, either positive or negative. Crypto is likely to do more harm than good to a credit score. Here’s why:

  • Particularly with large Bitcoin purchases, it will increase your credit utilization ratio. Banks don’t reflect kindly to high credit utilization above 50% of a credit limit.
  • Traditional banks and card issuers classify crypto purchases as cash advances and risky transactions. 
  • Payment history still remains the key factor in your credit score. Credit issuers may well frown upon regular Bitcoin purchases.

Did you know? Over 85% of retailers across the world accept credit cards, while only 25% of online retailers accept crypto payments. Credit cards are still more widely accepted; however, crypto acceptance is growing quickly. 

Where to buy Bitcoin (BTC) with a credit card

You could buy Bitcoin with credit cards on centralized crypto exchanges (CEXs). Well-known global platforms like Coinbase, Kraken and Binance all enable their users to buy Bitcoin with a credit card. Adding to this, you can use instant buy features to purchase Bitcoin with a credit card without depositing fiat currency into your account first. 

However, the regional availability for CEXs varies from platform to platform. This is usually dependent on local regulations and compliance. So, before picking a platform, you should check if it operates in your location and with your card issuer.

What if a credit card transaction is declined?

Many traditional banks actively block crypto-related transactions, which means you might find your credit card declined when attempting to purchase Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. This is often due to the bank’s policy against facilitating cryptocurrency transactions. 

However, there is good news: Modern fintech banking alternatives, such as digital banks and crypto-friendly payment platforms, are increasingly supportive of cryptocurrency purchases, offering a smoother transaction experience.

Aside from bank restrictions, other reasons for declined crypto transactions can include fraud prevention measures, where the transaction is flagged as suspicious. Additionally, exceeding your credit card’s spending limit or encountering issues with your card’s authorization settings can also lead to a declined transaction.

Is there a limit to how much Bitcoin can be bought with a credit card?

The purchase limit for Bitcoin varies for each individual and is influenced by two main factors. First, the spending limit on your credit card, which is determined by your bank or card issuer. Second, the crypto exchange you’re using will impose its own purchase limits. 

For first-time buyers, these limits can be relatively low — often just a few hundred dollars. However, depending on the exchange and your account history, these limits can typically be increased to $5,000 or more per week if needed.

You should also be aware of the credit card Bitcoin purchase fees that can include: 

  • Exchange fees: Typically 3%–5% for credit card purchases (this is higher than other methods, which can be as low as 0.1%).
  • Card issuer fees: Some treat crypto purchases as cash advances.
  • Foreign transaction fees: It may apply to fiat foreign currency transactions. 

Did you know? 8%–10% of the adult global population is thought to own cryptocurrency of some form in 2025. A huge jump from 1%–2% in 2018, highlighting the increasing adoption rate.

How to buy Bitcoin on CEXs with a credit card

Buying Bitcoin with a credit card is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make a purchase. Once you have a verified exchange account, you can make the transaction almost instantly. 

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to buy Bitcoin with a Visa or Mastercard on Coinbase. Steps on other exchanges may vary, but the process is generally very similar. 

Step 1: Create a verified account

Follow the user-friendly sign-up process. Ensure to activate 2-factor authentication (2FA) to double-lock your account.  

During the sign-up process, you’ll need to verify your identity. Crypto regulations in many countries require exchanges to comply with KYC and AML regulations. To pass these checks, you must upload a valid government ID (passport, driving license or any other acceptable ID card).

Follow the user-friendly sign-up process and add identity information

Step 2: Link your credit card

Once your account is accessible, use the right-hand side panel to add your payment method. This will give you the option to link a credit card. Add your card details and click  “Add Card.”  

Enter the amount to buy and click Buy Now

Step 3: Buy Bitcoin

Using the right-hand side panel instant buy feature, select Bitcoin and the amount you’d like to purchase. The exchange buy limit will also be shown next to your credit card payment method. This is usually limited to 10,000 British pounds daily on Coinbase. When ready, click “Buy Now.” Confirm the purchase on your banking app. Once approved, the Bitcoin will be added to your exchange account and fiat debited from your credit card. 

Enter the amount to buy and click Buy Now

How to protect yourself from fraud when buying Bitcoin with a credit card

The irreversible nature of Bitcoin means security and fraud prevention should be at the top of your list. It is your responsibility to protect your financial information and crypto from being compromised. To stay safe when buying Bitcoin, you should:

  • Only use a reputable and regulated exchange with a strong security record.
  • Use core security features, including unique passwords and 2FA.
  • Watch out for phishing attempts. Double-check URLs, and don’t click email links or unsolicited messages.
  • Consider moving Bitcoin into a self-custody hardware wallet to protect against exchange hacks and fraud. 

Is it safe to buy BTC with a credit card?

It is generally considered that buying Bitcoin with a credit card is one of the safest methods. This is because it helps to protect your wider financial information, such as direct access to bank accounts.  

You can also benefit from fraud prevention and spending limits that credit card companies offer. So, if your card details or accounts fall into the wrong hands, you will have higher levels of protection. Plus, there is even some recourse to reverse payments and have fraudulent payments struck off. 

While it does offer added protection and convenience, purchases will come at a higher cost. Credit card companies typically charge higher fees for crypto transactions, and you may face restrictions on the size of Bitcoin purchases. 

Many exchanges impose lower purchase limits for credit card transactions, especially for first-time buyers, which could make it less appealing for larger investments. Despite these drawbacks, the extra protection and ease of use make it a convenient option for those new to the crypto space.

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.

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Why There’s More to BNB Than Meets the Eye

Many investors dismiss BNB as simply “the Binance coin,” but that designation fails to recognize its broader value unlocks. While BNB was initially launched as the native token of the Binance Chain (now the BNB Smart Chain), and its early token burns were tied to Binance’s quarterly profits, BNB is evolving into a decentralized asset with multiple use cases and reasons for economic value.

While BNB may enjoy some value accrual from the expansion of Binance, its token supply model and the development of the BNB Chain offer two independent sources of value. First, BNB serves as a store of value through quarterly and fixed-ratio BNB burning mechanisms. Second, it powers smart contract functionality via the BNB Smart Chain, which has become a growing hub for DeFi and gaming applications.

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Deflationary store of value

BNB’s burn mechanism differentiates it from almost every other cryptocurrency. Let’s compare BNB to BTC, ETH and SOL:

BTC: Inflationary, but with a capped supply.

ETH: Inflationary or deflationary, due to unpredictable burn rates tied to network activity.

SOL: Inflationary, starting at 8% and decreasing over time.

BNB’s burn process is unique; it removes tokens from circulation based on the number of blocks produced and average price each quarter, as well as having a fixed ratio of the gas fees accumulated in each block. Nearly 60 million BNB (~$35 billion at current prices) has been burned so far, reducing the circulating supply to 142 million. The last quarterly burn alone wiped $1 billion worth of BNB from existence — a 4.6% annualized deflation rate!

Bitcoin currently commands the most attention as a store of value asset because of its first mover advantage, market cap and a robust, decentralized network of miners. Any change in the Bitcoin code (i.e., changing the target supply) would need to be agreed upon by the majority of the network, which would prove exceedingly difficult with bitcoin’s level of decentralization. Investors should note that the BNB burn has already been modified from its original whitepaper so there is no guarantee it won’t be changed further. This is the tradeoff with an aggressive token burning strategy.

Source: bnbburn.info

BNB Chain – a modular L1 ecosystem

BNB’s next evolution is the BNB One Chain Initiative, which aims to unify a multichain ecosystem built for Web3 interoperability:

BNB Smart Chain (BSC): A fast, low-cost, EVM-compatible DeFi hub.

BNB Greenfield: A decentralized storage network for real-time, monetizable data.

opBNB: An ultra-low-fee (sub-$0.0001 per transaction) high-throughput rollup, built for on-chain gaming and high-demand dApps.

With several headwinds facing Ethereum (namely layer 2 fragmentation and inflationary concerns), BNB’s One Chain Initiative provides a viable alternative to developers and web3 applications.

Now, it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies with BNB. Investors should still consider the risk that their decentralization push is only a marketing stunt, as well as the ongoing regulatory battles over Binance’s know-your-customer (KYC) policy and other issues.

With Richard Teng now at the helm of the exchange, Binance and BNB’s next chapter will likely be focused on compliance and working with regulators/exchanges to increase access for the BNB token. With BNB mostly unavailable on U.S. exchanges, the token has still achieved a ~$100B market cap with international support alone. As U.S. crypto regulations ease, BNB’s re-entry into U.S. markets could be a significant catalyst for further growth.

Disclosures:

Osprey Funds manages the Osprey BNB Chain Trust (OBNB), a single-asset Trust providing exposure to BNB and publicly quoted on the OTCQX Market. Investors can learn more and read the Trust prospectus at ospreyfunds.io. Matt does not own any BNB or OBNB.

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Binance Gets $2B Investment From Abu Dhabi’s MGX

Crypto exchange giant Binance said on Wednesday that Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX invested $2 billion in the company.

The investment marks the first institutional placement in the exchange and it’s also the first digital asset-focused investment for MGX, according to a press release. The investment was made in stablecoins, the statement noted, though it did not specify which currency was used.

Binance is the largest crypto exchange by trading volume in the world with over $20 billion daily volume, CoinMarkatCap data shows. The trading platform already established a presence in Abu Dhabi, employing around 1,000 people in the city, according to the company.

The firm’s Dubai subsidiary, Binance FZE, obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) last year, which allows the company to offer a broad range of exchange and trading services across the entire United Arab Emirates. Binance’s Abu Dhabi subsidiary was granted permission to provide custody services by the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Regulatory Authority.

Richard Teng, now the CEO of Binance, previously headed the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Regulatory Authority.

BNB, the native token of the Binance-adjacent BNB Chain, jumped 3% to $574 immediately on the news before giving back the gains and sliding to $550.

UPDATE (March 11, 2025, 15:15 UTC): Adds details about Binance’s regulatory licenses in the UAE and BNB price action.

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Binance Whales Cash Out as Bitcoin Drops—More Downside Ahead?

Bitcoin’s price has once again turned bearish after briefly recovering to $94,000 on Monday. Notably, the cryptocurrency had shown signs of strength earlier this week following a period of decline, but the recovery was short-lived.

As of today, Bitcoin slipped below $90,000, marking a 1.8% decrease in the past 24 hours. According to CryptoQuant analyst Crazzyblockk, one key factor contributing to this downward movement appears to be increased selling pressure from large Bitcoin holders.

Whales and Large Holders Drive Selling Pressure on Binance

Crazzyblockk in his latest insight highlights how whales and other large investors on Binance are actively offloading BTC as prices rise. This trend suggests that experienced traders are taking advantage of market optimism to exit their positions, potentially limiting Bitcoin’s short-term upside potential.

The trend also comes at a time when whale to Binance flow sees a consistent increase. Crazzyblockk’s analysis of on-chain data from Binance particularly indicates that large Bitcoin holders—categorized as fish, sharks, and whales—are selling into market rallies.

Binance Bitcoin exchange inflow status.

The data reveals that the larger the holder, the more strategically they distribute their Bitcoin holdings. These entities account for an increasing share of daily sell-side activity on Binance, suggesting that they are actively shaping Bitcoin’s price movements.

As Bitcoin’s price trends upward, whale activity on Binance has intensified, with more BTC flowing into the exchange. The report highlights that while retail investors—often referred to as shrimps—have remained relatively inactive, whales and sharks are capitalizing on rising prices to take profits.

This consistent distribution from high-value holders has created sustained downward pressure, preventing Bitcoin from making a parabolic move higher.

Bitcoin Market Outlook: Can Accumulation Offset Whale Selling?

With large holders continuing to offload BTC, the risk remains that any further upside could trigger even more selling pressure, reinforcing resistance levels.

This dynamic means that Bitcoin’s price movement could remain constrained unless new accumulation from long-term investors or institutional buyers offsets the selling trend.

Crazzyblockk emphasizes that tracking Binance’s whale activity is crucial for understanding market direction. Since these large holders are not just participants but also price movers, their actions can provide insight into short-term market trends.

If whale selling slows and new accumulation picks up, Bitcoin could find support and regain momentum. However, if the current trend continues, further downside pressure remains a possibility.

Bitcoin (BTC) price chart on TradingView

Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView