Invest ideasNews
24 Apr 2026, 20:30
Hoskinson Says Cardano Faces A Make-Or-Break Web3 Problem
Charles Hoskinson used his latest livestream to argue that Cardano’s next phase should focus less on abstract decentralization rhetoric and more on fixing a structural weakness he says still defines crypto: the reliance on centralized off-chain infrastructure. In the process, he tied that critique directly to Cardano’s treasury debates around BlockFrost, Midnight, partner chains and the broader direction of the network. Speaking from Wyoming in a late-night broadcast recorded on April 23, Hoskinson framed the discussion around “My First Impressions of Web3,” a January 2022 essay by Signal co-founder Moxie Marlinspike. He described the piece as one of the texts that convinced him to acquire BlockFrost, saying Moxie had identified “the uncomfortable hidden truths” behind the industry’s decentralization claims. Cardano Can Succeed Where Web3 Fell Back Hoskinson spent much of the stream reading and unpacking Marlinspike’s central argument: that users do not want to run their own servers, protocols move slowly, and most supposedly decentralized applications still depend on centralized companies for the actual user experience. One of the essay’s most important passages, in Hoskinson’s telling, was this: “Once a distributed ecosystem centralizes around a platform for convenience, it becomes the worst of both worlds. Centralized control but still distributed enough to become mired in time.” That line became the throughline of Hoskinson’s own case for Cardano. He acknowledged that the problem is not unique to Ethereum, even though Marlinspike’s original examples focused on Infura, Alchemy, MetaMask and OpenSea. “So, we’ll stop for a moment and we’ll ask is Cardano any different?” Hoskinson said. “The answer is no. That’s the uncomfortable hidden truth that Moxy’s talking about.” From there, he shifted from diagnosis to strategy. Hoskinson argued that Midnight had to come first because it brings the cryptographic building blocks needed for a more coherent trust model, citing multi-party computation, zero-knowledge cryptography and trusted execution environments. But, he said, privacy and cryptography alone are not enough if the infrastructure layer remains dependent on centralized service providers. That is where BlockFrost entered the picture. Hoskinson said the company’s long-term role should be to become “a decentralized infrastructure network,” effectively a decentralized alternative to the developer platforms that now sit between users and blockchains. “BlockFrost destiny, should we fund it, is to become the decentralized infra Alchemy that we all wish we would have had,” he said, “and something that Moxy could write about as the proper good alternative, the thing that actually is philosophically consistent.” He bolstered that point with the economics of crypto infrastructure. Citing a February 2022 funding round, Hoskinson noted that Alchemy reached a $10 billion valuation after raising $200 million, up sharply from a prior $3.5 billion valuation. For Hoskinson, those numbers were not just venture-market trivia. They were evidence that the real control points in crypto often live outside the chain itself, in the companies that host, index and shape the interfaces through which users interact with the network. Hoskinson also used the stream to connect this thesis to Cardano’s treasury voting process. He said the proposals now in front of the ecosystem are not random funding asks, but part of an end-to-end push to decentralize the application layer, improve scalability, connect Cardano to other systems and build off-chain infrastructure that does not simply recreate Web2 chokepoints. “There’s always going to be a part that’s offchain,” he said. “It bothered me deeply to say that we are these web three people, but we’ve created an incentive system for companies to accelerate and grow and basically take the off-chain component and define and sculpt the user experience.” At press time, ADA traded at $0.25.
24 Apr 2026, 20:20
Nakamoto, Inc. puts its BTC treasury to work with a derivative trading strategy
Nakamoto, Inc. (Nasdaq:NAKA) announced an active management approach to its treasury. The company has been running the hedging and derivative strategy for a while, only now making it public. Nakamoto retains 5,058 BTC, ranked 20th among public companies with BTC holdings. The coins were idle until recently, but will be used in an active management strategy to boost earnings, while minimizing risk. Nakamoto’s approach could signal a way forward for other treasury companies, which now let their BTC sit idle. Recently, Nakamoto sold 284 BTC at $70,400 per BTC, below its cost basis. Going forward, the company aims to preserve its treasury while using it in an active management derivative strategy. Nakamoto uses Kraken for a derivative strategy Nakamoto has partnered with Bitwise as its strategy manager through a dedicated account. Kraken will provide custody and the execution of trades. This also means Nakamoto may move some of its assets to new addresses. As of April 24, the known wallet of Nakamoto held 3,988 BTC , less than the previously stated treasury. Some of the coins were already used in the program, which operated throughout Q1. Nakamoto uses a smaller share of its treasury as collateral for its strategies. Nakamoto will trade BTC implied volatility Nakamoto will establish a separate vehicle to generate regular inflows, based on trading BTC implied volatility. This strategy diverges from other approaches, like active acquisitions and counting only unrealized gains in reports. Nakamoto may improve its cash flow and have more leeway to make its playbook more viable. BTC implied volatility is a forward-looking metric used to gauge options strategies and sentiment. | Source: The Block Since BTC cannot offer yield, the active management approach is the only way to secure returns. BTC treasury companies rarely resort to decentralized approaches to avoid risking the loss of their coins. BTC staking is limited to several fully Web3 startups, but is not used by treasury companies. Staking is usually the main approach for ETH and SOL treasury holders. The implied volatility metric is a forward-looking indicator based on options market prices, representing the BTC fluctuations in a future time frame. The graph measures expected, not historical volatility, and Nakamoto can use the metric to estimate option premiums, measure risk, and sentiment. Nakamoto will buy protective put options and put spreads to protect against the BTC downside, and will also gain funding from selling call options. The strategy should yield a directional gain in both BTC and dollars. The company will use the income to buy more BTC, cover operating costs, or as working capital. The main goal of Nakamoto would be to generate more income without selling the BTC, keeping its position as a DAT company. As Cryptopolitan reported earlier, some companies gave up on their BTC holdings, as in the case of Satsuma, pressured to sell its treasury. Other legacy miner treasuries were sold to pivot to AI. Nakamoto is the only playbook company to sell BTC from its treasury and attempt to rearrange its financials to remain viable. The company’s mNAV metric is at 0.24, the lowest among playbook companies. NAKA is down by 99% since its peak in May 2025, when the stock closed at $22.60. Currently, NAKA trades around $0.21, with slower trading and relatively low short open interest . If Nakamoto succeeds, its derivative strategy may boost options for other playbook holders to improve their balance without selling BTC. Still letting the bank keep the best part? Watch our free video on being your own bank .
24 Apr 2026, 20:19
Trump’s Treasury froze $344 million in crypto it says was linked to Ira
Trump’s team has locked down $344 million in digital coins that US officials say had ties to Iran, pulling a huge pile of stablecoin money into Washington’s latest sanctions fight. The freeze hit two Tether wallets. It came while talks over the war stayed messy, the ceasefire remained fragile, and the global economy kept paying for the fallout. According to CNN, and US officials said the money trail led through Iranian crypto platforms, private wallet layers, and addresses tied to the Central Bank of Iran. The White House is trying to hurt Tehran’s cash channels while negotiators still fail to land a deal. Nobody in Washington has said the freeze will force Iran to change its war plans or soften its negotiating stance. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department was sanctioning several wallets tied to Iran, and he said officials would keep chasing Tehran’s overseas cash lines. The Iranian mission at the United Nations gave no comment. Treasury traces Iran-linked stablecoins through exchanges and central bank wallets Tether said on Thursday that it helped the US government freeze $344 million held across two crypto addresses after several American agencies sent information about conduct they viewed as illegal. That matters for crypto markets because USDT is not just another token sitting in some dusty corner. It is one of the main rails traders use to send dollar value around the world, and the issuer can freeze tokens when authorities bring a case. A US official told CNN that investigators had information tying the coins to Iran. The official said blockchain analytics teams found links to the Iranian government, including transactions with Iranian exchanges and payments that passed through extra addresses before touching wallets tied to the Central Bank of Iran. CNN said it had not confirmed on its own that the two Tether wallets belonged to Iran or carried state-linked funds. The same US official said the Central Bank of Iran has relied on harder-to-read crypto paths for cross-border payments. The official said Tehran has used digital assets while trying to support the rial and keep trade going under tight restrictions. The Treasury also said it keeps regular contact with US and foreign banks, along with digital asset exchanges, as part of its sanctions work. Chainalysis says Iran’s crypto pile reached $7.8 billion in 2025 Governments under heavy sanctions have leaned on crypto because banks are harder to use when Washington and its allies watch every wire. Iran, Russia, and North Korea have all used digital assets to bring in money, pay partners, and work around blocked payment routes. Crypto is not secret fairy dust, and blockchain records can still be traced. But it gives sanctioned states more doors than the normal banking system. Chainalysis, the crypto-tracing company, said Iran’s crypto holdings reached $7.8 billion in 2025. The company said that growth ran faster for most of the year than it did in 2024. It also alleges that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held about half of Iran’s blockchain assets in the final quarter of 2025, matching the group’s large role across the country’s wider economy. For the frozen Tether wallets, Chainalysis said those addresses were active years ago and often sent large sums, sometimes reaching tens of millions of dollars, mostly to private wallets. The company said that style looked like patterns seen in known IRGC crypto wallets. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday backed the idea of the US joining currency swap deals with allies in the Persian Gulf and Asia as those countries look for financial cover from the Iran war . Scott said talks on US dollar swap lines are not new. In a post on X, he said they are part of regular talks the Treasury Department has had with partner countries for years. Scott also said the possible swap deals show the US dollar’s central role in global finance and what he called the strength of America’s economic shield. Your keys, your card. Spend without giving up custody and earn 8%+ yield on your balance with Ether.fi Cash.
24 Apr 2026, 20:19
'The O.C.' Star Lambasts Bitcoin on American TV
Actor Ben McKenzie went on national TV to blast Bitcoin, warning investors that "everyone is lying to you for money."
24 Apr 2026, 20:10
Ethereum Foundation sells 10,000 ETH to BitMine at $2,387
🤑 Ethereum Foundation sold 10,000 $ETH to BitMine for $23.87 million. BitMine holds over 4.9 million ETH, aiming for 5 million soon. 🌐 Critical data: BitMine’s ETH makes up about 4.1% of all supply. Continue Reading: Ethereum Foundation sells 10,000 ETH to BitMine at $2,387 The post Ethereum Foundation sells 10,000 ETH to BitMine at $2,387 appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
24 Apr 2026, 20:10
ComfyUI Hits $500M Valuation: Creator Demand for AI Media Control Surges
BitcoinWorld ComfyUI Hits $500M Valuation: Creator Demand for AI Media Control Surges ComfyUI, a startup that helps creators control image, video, and audio outputs from diffusion models with a node-based workflow, has raised a $30 million funding round at a $500 million valuation. The round was led by Craft Ventures, with participation from other investors including Pace Capital, Chemistry, and TruArrow. This valuation reflects growing demand for tools that give creators precise control over AI-generated media. ComfyUI’s Node-Based Workflow Gains Traction ComfyUI started as an open-source project in 2023, shortly after the introduction of diffusion models. At that time, models like Midjourney and OpenAI’s DALL-E were barely functional. They frequently made major mistakes, such as adding extra fingers to hands. To address these limitations, the project founders developed a modular framework. This framework gives creators granular control over every step of the generation process. The tool gained significant traction among creative professionals. It eventually evolved into a formal startup. In late 2024, ComfyUI raised $19 million in Series A financing. Investors included Chemistry Ventures, Cursor Capital, and Guillermo Rauch, founder of Vercel. Why Creators Need Granular AI Control Although the latest diffusion models have come a long way from adding a sixth digit to hands, the need for granular precision has only grown. Yoland Yan, ComfyUI’s co-founder and CEO, explained this to Bitcoin World. He said, “If you think about your typical prompt-based solution, like Midjourney or ChatGPT, you ask for something, it gets only 60% to 80% there. But to change that remaining 20%, you have to try this slot machine.” Yan compared the process to playing in a casino. Prompting the model to make a small change can result in a completely different output. This includes overwriting the parts that were already perfect. ComfyUI’s node-based interface allows creators to link specific components of the generation process. It gives them full control over the quality of their final output. Yan added, “You cannot easily convey that message in the prompt box of a foundational model.” User Adoption and Market Impact Creators seem to agree with Yan’s assessment. ComfyUI claims to have over 4 million users. The tool is being used by creative professionals for visual effects, animation, advertising, and even industrial design. The startup says its offering has become such a necessary tool of the trade for technical artists and other creatives that it is not uncommon to see “ComfyUI artist or engineer” listed as a job title on studio job boards. AI Media Control in an Era of AI Slop Although video and image foundational models continue to improve, Yan claims that they are far from perfect. A tool like ComfyUI will continue to be in high demand. He stated, “In the world where AI slop is going to be everywhere, the Comfy version of human-in-the-loop approach is going to win out most of the eyeballs in the end.” ComfyUI’s competitors include Weavy, a startup that was acquired by Figma last year. This acquisition highlights the growing importance of node-based workflows in the creative industry. Funding Details and Investor Confidence The $30 million funding round at a $500 million valuation shows strong investor confidence. Craft Ventures led the round. Other participants included Pace Capital, Chemistry, and TruArrow. This funding will likely help ComfyUI expand its team and improve its platform. The startup’s valuation has increased significantly since its Series A round in late 2024. How Node-Based Workflows Improve AI Output Node-based workflows allow creators to break down the AI generation process into discrete steps. Each step can be controlled independently. This approach contrasts with prompt-based systems, where users type a description and hope for the best. With ComfyUI, creators can: Adjust specific parameters for image quality Control the influence of different model components Iterate on specific parts of an image without regenerating everything Combine multiple models for unique outputs This level of control is essential for professional use cases. It ensures consistent quality and reduces wasted time. Industry Applications and Use Cases ComfyUI’s tool is used across various industries. In visual effects, artists use it to generate backgrounds and textures. In animation, it helps create consistent character designs. Advertising agencies use it to generate multiple variations of an image quickly. Industrial designers use it to visualize product concepts. The tool’s flexibility makes it valuable for any field that requires precise control over AI-generated media. Conclusion ComfyUI’s $500 million valuation underscores the growing demand for AI media control tools. Creators increasingly need granular control over diffusion model outputs. The node-based workflow approach offers a solution to the limitations of prompt-based systems. With over 4 million users and strong investor backing, ComfyUI is well-positioned to lead this market. As AI-generated content becomes more common, tools that give creators precise control will become even more essential. FAQs Q1: What is ComfyUI? ComfyUI is a startup that provides a node-based workflow for controlling image, video, and audio outputs from diffusion models. It gives creators granular control over the AI generation process. Q2: How much funding did ComfyUI raise? ComfyUI raised $30 million in a funding round led by Craft Ventures, at a $500 million valuation. Q3: Why do creators need ComfyUI? Prompt-based AI models often produce outputs that are only 60-80% correct. ComfyUI allows creators to make precise adjustments without regenerating the entire output. Q4: Who are ComfyUI’s competitors? ComfyUI’s competitors include Weavy, which was acquired by Figma in 2024. Q5: How many users does ComfyUI have? ComfyUI claims to have over 4 million users, including professionals in visual effects, animation, advertising, and industrial design. This post ComfyUI Hits $500M Valuation: Creator Demand for AI Media Control Surges first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
