hodler

13 Apr 2026, 15:54

Introducing Ink Points: Season 1 is live on Kraken Pro

Season 1 has started. And if you’re a Kraken Pro trader, you’re already in it. What are Ink Points? Ink Points are how we recognize our most active Kraken Pro customers. Points accumulate based on your activity across Kraken Pro, and they open the door to the Ink ecosystem and everything it has to offer. The more you engage, the more points you accumulate. The more points you accumulate, the higher your level. We know what you’re thinking: okay, but what do I actually get? Great question. Moving on. What is live now Ink Points accrue from activity across Kraken Pro. If you’re using Pro, you’re earning points right now . Actually, the clock started April 6 and the first points drop will be today . Weekly boosts add another layer. Each week, we’ll let you know about specific activity categories that will receive a points boost, giving Pro customers a reason to stay sharp, stay engaged, and stay ahead. So there’s information. About points. That you accumulate. For reasons that will become clear soon. What is coming Shortly, we’ll announce the full structure. There are six levels. That’s a real number we’re allowed to say. We are going to tell you so much more than we’re telling you right now. Soon. Very soon. Like really, really soon. About the levels: they go up. You start somewhere, and through consistent activity, you progress. The early levels are about building habits. The middle ones are where competition starts to get real. The top level? It’s where the most active traders on Kraken Pro end up. And it shows: your tier will be visible on the season leaderboard, which means your position is more than a number. It’s a statement. What are points actually for? We’re so glad you asked, because it gives us the opportunity to tell you we can’t tell you yet. We’re not doing this to be cute. We are navigating this announcement with all the grace and transparency we can currently afford, which is: a wink, an ellipsis, and the sincere thought that it will be worth it. So start accumulating points by trading on Kraken Pro. If you haven’t started, start now. You’ll be glad you did. Ink Points on Kraken Pro Ink Points are non-tokenized and not redeemable. No cash value. Terms apply. Geo restrictions apply — not available in the UK. These materials are for general information purposes only and are not investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy, sell, stake or hold any cryptoasset or to engage in any specific trading strategy. Kraken does not and will not work to increase or decrease the price of any particular cryptoasset it makes available. Some crypto products and markets are regulated and others are unregulated; regardless, Kraken may or may not be required to be registered or otherwise authorized to provide specific products and services in each market, and you may not be protected by government compensation and/or regulatory protection schemes. The unpredictable nature of the cryptoasset markets can lead to loss of funds. Tax may be payable on any return and/or on any increase in the value of your cryptoassets and you should seek independent advice on your taxation position. Geographic restrictions may apply. See Legal Disclosures for each jurisdiction here . The post Introducing Ink Points: Season 1 is live on Kraken Pro appeared first on Kraken Blog .

13 Apr 2026, 15:50

Solana Co-Founder Demands Only U.S. Courts Should Freeze Stablecoins in Critical Regulatory Proposal

BitcoinWorld Solana Co-Founder Demands Only U.S. Courts Should Freeze Stablecoins in Critical Regulatory Proposal In a significant intervention into the global debate over cryptocurrency regulation, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has issued a stark declaration: dollar-pegged stablecoins should only be freezable under the direct authority of a United States court. This proposal, articulated in late 2024, arrives amid mounting criticism from the crypto community regarding the arbitrary power wielded by centralized issuers like Circle over the USDC stablecoin. Yakovenko’s framework suggests a fundamental rethinking of stablecoin governance, aiming to anchor digital dollar equivalents in established judicial principles rather than private corporate policy. Solana Co-Founder Proposes Judicial Model for Stablecoin Freezes Anatoly Yakovenko outlined a detailed technical and legal model for stablecoin oversight. His proposal centers on a base-layer stablecoin protocol. This protocol would possess a singular, immutable rule: funds can only be frozen pursuant to a valid U.S. court order. On top of this foundational layer, Yakovenko envisions a system where users can create wrapped stablecoins. Consequently, each user-controlled vault could implement its own distinct policies for freezing and unwrapping assets. This architecture attempts to balance regulatory compliance with user sovereignty. Furthermore, Yakovenko emphasized the necessity of a dedicated security team. This team would respond swiftly to hacks and exploits. However, their power to act would remain strictly circumscribed by judicial oversight. The Solana co-founder’s argument rests on a clear legal analogy. He stated that if any entity other than a Senate-confirmed U.S. judge can freeze an asset, that asset cannot legitimately claim to be a U.S. dollar equivalent. This position directly challenges the current operational model of major centralized stablecoins. For instance, Circle, the issuer of USDC, maintains a blacklist function. This function allows it to freeze addresses associated with illicit activity without a prior court mandate in all jurisdictions. Yakovenko’s model seeks to replace this private authority with public, transparent judicial process. Context of Rising Criticism Against Centralized Stablecoin Issuers Yakovenko’s comments did not emerge in a vacuum. They respond directly to growing discontent within the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Recently, several high-profile incidents have sparked debate. Critics argue that Circle’s response to hacks and thefts involving USDC has sometimes been slow or inadequate. More fundamentally, many decentralized finance (DeFi) proponents view the issuer’s power to freeze funds as excessive and dangerously centralized. This power creates a single point of failure and control, contradicting the censorship-resistant ethos of blockchain technology. The debate touches on core issues of money, trust, and law. Stablecoins like USDC and Tether’s USDT have become critical infrastructure for the crypto economy. They facilitate trading, serve as a safe-haven asset during volatility, and enable complex DeFi protocols. However, their centralized governance presents a persistent regulatory and philosophical tension. Yakovenko’s proposal attempts to resolve this tension by grafting traditional legal safeguards onto digital asset infrastructure. It represents a middle-path argument, acknowledging the need for legal compliance while seeking to limit arbitrary corporate power. Expert Analysis on Technical and Legal Feasibility Blockchain legal experts note the novelty and complexity of Yakovenko’s proposed model. Implementing a system that reliably interprets and executes U.S. court orders on-chain presents significant technical hurdles. Oracles—systems that feed external data onto blockchains—would need to be designed with extreme security and legal precision. Moreover, the model raises jurisdictional questions. It inherently privileges U.S. court authority, potentially complicating the global use of such a stablecoin. Other nations may demand similar recognition for their own judicial systems. From a regulatory perspective, the proposal aligns with certain directions in U.S. policymaking. The Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act, which has seen various iterations in Congress, seeks to establish federal oversight for issuers. While not mandating Yakovenko’s specific court-order model, such legislation moves toward formalizing stablecoin regulation within the existing financial legal framework. His idea can be seen as a technologist’s blueprint for how such regulation could be technically enforced in a transparent manner. The timeline of this debate is crucial. Over the past two years, enforcement actions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have increased scrutiny on all crypto sectors. Stablecoins, due to their size and connection to the traditional financial system, are a primary focus. The collapse of the TerraUSD algorithmic stablecoin in 2022 further intensified regulatory pressure for robust oversight of all dollar-pegged tokens. Comparative Analysis of Stablecoin Governance Models The cryptocurrency market currently features three primary stablecoin governance structures. Understanding Yakovenko’s proposal requires examining these existing models. Centralized Issuer Model (e.g., USDC, USDT): A single corporate entity issues the token, holds the reserve assets, and controls administrative functions like freezing and minting. This model offers high liquidity and ease of integration but centralizes trust and control. Algorithmic / Decentralized Model (e.g., DAI): Stablecoins are minted against over-collateralized crypto assets held in smart contract vaults. Governance is typically decentralized via a token vote. This model maximizes censorship resistance but can be complex and vulnerable to market volatility. Hybrid or Proposed Judicial Model (Yakovenko’s Proposal): Aims to split control. A base protocol layer enforces compliance via court orders, while a user-layer allows customizable policies. This seeks a balance between legal necessity and user autonomy. The impact of adopting a court-centric model would be profound. It could potentially increase institutional adoption by providing clearer legal safeguards. Conversely, it might face resistance from users in jurisdictions wary of U.S. legal overreach. The technical implementation would also need to ensure that the process for unfreezing assets, once a court order is lifted or a case resolved, is as efficient and transparent as the freeze itself. Conclusion Anatoly Yakovenko’s argument that only U.S. courts should freeze stablecoins presents a sophisticated attempt to reconcile blockchain innovation with traditional legal frameworks. His proposal for a base-layer protocol governed by judicial order, combined with user-controlled vaults, offers a novel architectural path forward. This intervention comes at a critical juncture, as regulators worldwide grapple with stabilizing the digital asset landscape. The Solana co-founder’s model underscores a central tension in crypto’s evolution: the need to build systems that are both decentralized in spirit and accountable under the law. The ongoing debate around stablecoin regulation, exemplified by Yakovenko’s comments, will fundamentally shape the future of money and financial sovereignty on the blockchain. FAQs Q1: What exactly did Anatoly Yakovenko propose regarding stablecoins? He proposed a technical model where a base-layer stablecoin can only be frozen by a U.S. court order. Users could then create wrapped versions with their own policies, and a security team would respond to hacks within this judicial framework. Q2: Why is this proposal significant now? It addresses growing criticism of centralized issuers like Circle, which can freeze USDC unilaterally. The proposal seeks to replace corporate discretion with transparent judicial process, aligning with broader regulatory trends. Q3: How does this differ from current stablecoin models? Current major models are either fully centralized (USDC) or decentralized/algorithmic (DAI). Yakovenko’s is a hybrid, using code to enforce legal (court) decisions while allowing user customization on top. Q4: What are the main challenges to implementing this model? Key challenges include creating a secure technical system to validate and execute court orders on-chain, resolving international jurisdictional conflicts, and ensuring the model remains efficient and usable. Q5: How have regulators responded to similar ideas? While no regulator has endorsed this specific model, proposed U.S. legislation like the Stablecoin Act moves toward formal federal oversight, creating a potential pathway for court-involved governance structures. This post Solana Co-Founder Demands Only U.S. Courts Should Freeze Stablecoins in Critical Regulatory Proposal first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

13 Apr 2026, 15:30

XRP Sees Steady Decline In Open Interest Across Platforms Amid Market Uncertainty

With geopolitical tensions building globally and influencing the cryptocurrency market , XRP has taken a hit, losing the $1.36 level in a sudden pullback. Alongside the pullback in price is a steady decline in XRP’s derivatives market, reinforcing the bearish narrative for the leading altcoin. Falling XRP Open Interest On Exchanges XRP’s price is struggling with renewed bearish pressure, driven by recent war tensions between the US and Iran. After this sudden decline in price, a noticeable shift is unfolding in the derivatives landscape of the altcoin. Related Reading: XRP Waning Price Action Drives Supply Deeper Into The Loss Territory Xaif Crypto, a market expert and investor, took to the X platform to announce that XRP’s Open Interest (OI) continues to decline across major cryptocurrency exchanges. The wave of outflow of leveraged positions indicates that traders are withdrawing in the face of heightened uncertainty or locking in gains to prevent further losses on their investments. According to the expert, the open interest has been bleeding out since the blow-off in November 2025. Looking at the chart on the 30-day time frame, the OI change is currently barely above level 0 across Binance , the world’s leading trading platform, Bybit, and OKX. This decline in open interest frequently indicates a cooling period in market activity or a consolidation phase, during which speculative momentum starts to wane. As a result, the market expert has predicted an explosive move for the altcoin in the near future, allowing it to recover key resistance levels. In another X post , Xaif Crypto has drawn the attention of market participants to the XRP Taker Buy/Sell ratio on the Binance platform. As of Saturday, the metric has surged to a new all-time high, a classic positive condition that could shape the short-term outlook for the altcoin. It is worth noting that this metric measures between market buy and sell orders, and currently, buyers are taking over the order flow. Xaif Crypto stated that sellers are exhibiting signs of exhaustion, which points to renewed conviction among investors as bullish pressure intensifies. Despite waning market action, buyers are demonstrating aggressive buying activity, with smart money steadily stacking up their holdings, a clear indication of a real accumulation phase among holders . Crypto Exchanges’ Reserves Are Drying Up Fast A striking trend is turning across the XRP market, as tokens are leaving crypto exchanges at a rapid pace. When coins are leaving trading platforms, it often points to growing conviction as traders choose to hold their assets in private custody rather than sell them on these exchanges. It also reflects tightening market liquidity, which could play a role in determining the next significant price move . Related Reading: User Activity On XRP Ledger Contracts With Declining Active Wallet Numbers As reported by SMQKE, there are just 1.7 billion XRP available across all crypto exchanges, suggesting a smaller amount of the altcoin available for sale or trading. This is the lowest level of the altcoin held on trading platforms over the past 7 years. In a 21Shares report, the asset manager referred to this trend, which collides with growing institutional ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) demand , as “the supply-shock mechanism.” The company added that “this intersection of scale and scarcity is the primary engine for a non-linear repricing throughout 2026.”

13 Apr 2026, 15:14

Bitcoin Rally Could Be a Trap Before Major Collapse, Says Analyst

Bitcoin (BTC) entered the week with a fresh decline below $71,000 on Monday, and its next move remains uncertain. But market players expect a final upside push before a major downturn unfolds in the coming weeks. Final Pump Before Dump? Crypto analyst Doctor Profit believes Bitcoin could see a limited upside move in the near term before entering a broader and more aggressive decline. According to his latest assessment, the probability of Bitcoin climbing toward the $76,000 level is high. While the price could still extend beyond that zone into the $79,000 to $84,000 range, uncertainty remains about how far the current upward momentum can stretch before a reversal begins. In his latest tweet, Doctor Profit stated that the broader trend remains bearish despite the potential for short-term gains. He expects the market to experience a significant downward move in the coming weeks and argued that the current price action could be setting up a bull trap. In this scenario, temporary upward momentum may draw in optimistic buyers before a sharp reversal leads to deeper losses. The analyst believes this type of setup is often driven by market makers aiming to create liquidity before pushing prices lower. As a result, he does not view the recent recovery as a sign of a confirmed bottom, but rather as part of a larger corrective structure that has yet to play out fully. A major part of his outlook is tied to expectations in traditional financial markets. He predicts a major correction in the S&P 500 within the next two months, which could potentially exceed a 35% decline. Such a drop would be larger than the fall recorded during the COVID-19 market crash, and he expects it to have a strong spillover effect on risk assets. Hence, Bitcoin is unlikely to remain insulated if equities experience a sharp downturn, and instead could follow with an accelerated decline of its own. This anticipated “domino effect” is central to his bearish thesis. Doctor Profit reiterated his previous analysis that Bitcoin will eventually fall into the $50,000 range or even lower after completing its current upward phase. Geopolitical Turmoil Persists Bitcoin slipped as geopolitical tensions escalated following the breakdown of high-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad. The talks failed to produce a resolution, as both sides blamed each other. The situation intensified after US officials stated that Iran was unwilling to accept terms, while Tehran described the demands as unreasonable. Markets reacted more sharply to subsequent developments, particularly the warning of a potential US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route. The threat of intercepting vessels and escalating military action raised fears of supply disruptions and broader conflict. The post Bitcoin Rally Could Be a Trap Before Major Collapse, Says Analyst appeared first on CryptoPotato .

13 Apr 2026, 15:05

Arizona Temporarily Stands Down on Kalshi Prosecution as Federal Ruling Blocks Monday Arraignment

A federal judge’s emergency order has blocked Arizona from proceeding with what would have been the first criminal arraignment of a prediction market operator in U.S. history, handing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) a decisive early victory in the escalating fight over whether states can regulate event contracts as gambling. Key Takeaways: A federal

13 Apr 2026, 15:00

It’s Too Early For A Bitcoin Price Bottom, Here’s What You Should Be Looking At

Bitcoin price may be showing signs of holding steady, but that alone does not confirm a bottom is in place. A recent post by crypto analyst @CryptoTice_ argues that the current market phase does not yet meet the conditions historically associated with a true Bitcoin price bottom. Instead of focusing on short-term stability, he points to what investors should actually be watching before calling the cycle complete. BTC Price Cycles Suggest A Later Bottom Formation One of the clearest signals highlighted by the analyst is timing within Bitcoin’s well-known four-year cycle. The chart he shared alongside his analysis compares previous cycles following the 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024 halvings, revealing a consistent structure. In each case, a Bitcoin price bottomed after extended declines and a period of consolidation. Related Reading: XRP Whales Are Rapidly Buying While Retail Is Panicking, Do They Know Something You Don’t? In the current cycle, a key region is identified between roughly 800 and 950 days after the halving, marking the stage where previous cycles began to approach their final lows. This portion of the chart is further reinforced by a vertical marker that aligns this phase more closely with the last quarter of 2026. This timing is significant because it challenges the growing belief that a bottom could form earlier in the year. Historically, there is no clear precedent for a Q1, Q2, or Q3 bottom within this cycle structure. Instead, past patterns consistently show prolonged declines followed by a delayed period of stabilization before the market fully bottoms out. What this means in practical terms is simple: if the cycle remains consistent, the market is still too early. The timing alone suggests that the process of forming a true bottom has not yet fully played out. What To Watch Before Calling The Bottom Timing is only part of the picture. The second, and equally important factor, is market behavior. According to the analysis, bottoms are also defined by how participants react as the market declines. A recurring pattern can be observed across cycles. Price tends to fall first, followed by narratives that attempt to explain the drop. After that comes capitulation, where confidence fades, and weaker participants exit. Only then does a lasting bottom take shape. Related Reading: 2018 Footage Of Ripple CEO Saying They’re Taking Over SWIFT Resurfaces, But How Have They Fared Since Then? Right now, that final phase does not appear to be complete. Market sentiment still shows signs of confidence, with participants buying aggressively and expecting a near-term recovery. This behavior often indicates that the market has not yet reached its lowest point. For investors, the takeaway is clear: rather than focusing solely on whether the price has stopped falling, attention should shift to signs of exhaustion such as declining confidence, rising volatility, and a broader sense of capitulation. Until these conditions align with the later stage of the cycle, the likelihood that the market has already formed a bottom remains low. Ultimately, identifying a Bitcoin price bottom requires alignment between timing and sentiment. Based on both historical patterns and current behavior, those signals are not yet fully in place. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com