That’s the message left behind after hackers gave LockBit – a ransomware gang known for extorting millions. Yes, they just got a brutal taste of their own medicine. In a surprising breach, nearly 60,000 Bitcoin wallet addresses tied to LockBit’s operations were leaked online.
How serious is it? Let’s explore together.
Hackers Hit the Hackers
The attackers broke into LockBit’s dark web affiliate panel and dumped a full MySQL database for the world to see. Inside? Thousands of ransomware builds, private negotiation chats, and crypto wallet addresses used in past attacks.
One LockBit member tried to downplay the situation, saying no private keys were leaked. But analysts aren’t convinced. The leaked wallets match up with the group’s known patterns, and the data is already being picked apart by blockchain investigators.
Wallet Leak Could Unravel Ransom Trails
LockBit assigns a unique Bitcoin address to every victim. That makes it hard to trace payments – but with 60,000 addresses now public, investigators have a rare shot at connecting the dots. No private keys were shared, but even the wallet info alone could expose years of financial activity.
Talk about justice being served!
Crypto Crime Is Heating Up
This is concerning, though. Just last month, CertiK reported $364 million lost to crypto hacks, scams, and exploits – a huge jump from $28.8 million in March. Immunefi also flagged April as one of the worst months for security breaches so far this year.
And then there’s North Korea. According to Chainalysis, state-backed hackers stole over $1.3 billion in crypto in 2024, including a $1.4 billion Bybit hack. The situation’s gotten so serious, G7 leaders are expected to bring it up at their summit in Canada next month.
Wake Up Call for Governments
The U.S. Treasury is stepping in too. It’s hosting private roundtables with top crypto players next week, focusing on DeFi, cybersecurity, and banking. These are important talks to shape the next phase of U.S. crypto regulation.
Bitcoin (BTC) is now one year past its most recent halving, and this cycle is shaping up to be unlike any before it. Unlike previous cycles where explosive rallies followed the halving, BTC has seen a far more muted gain, up just 31%, compared to 436% over the same timeframe in the last cycle.
At the same time, long-term holder metrics like the MVRV ratio are signaling a sharp decline in unrealized profits, pointing to a maturing market with compressing upside. Together, these shifts suggest Bitcoin may be entering a new era, defined less by parabolic peaks and more by gradual, institution-driven growth.
A Year After the Bitcoin Halving: A Cycle Unlike Any Other
This Bitcoin cycle is unfolding noticeably differently than previous ones, signaling a potential shift in how the market responds to halving events.
In earlier cycles—most notably from 2012 to 2016 and again from 2016 to 2020—Bitcoin tended to rally aggressively around this stage. The post-halving period was often marked by strong upward momentum and parabolic price action, largely fueled by retail enthusiasm and speculative demand.
The current cycle, however, has taken a different route. Instead of accelerating after the halving, the price surge began earlier, in October and December 2024, followed by consolidation in January 2025 and a correction in late February.
This front-loaded behavior diverges sharply from historical patterns where halvings typically acted as the catalyst for major rallies.
Several factors are contributing to this shift. Bitcoin is no longer just a retail-driven speculative asset—it’s increasingly seen as a maturing financial instrument. The growing involvement of institutional investors, coupled with macroeconomic pressures and structural changes in the market, has led to a more measured and complex response.
Another clear sign of this evolution is the weakening strength of each successive cycle. The explosive gains of the early years have become harder to replicate as Bitcoin’s market cap has grown. For instance, in the 2020–2024 cycle, Bitcoin had climbed 436% one year after the halving.
In contrast, this cycle has seen a much more modest 31% increase over the same timeframe.
This shift could mean Bitcoin is entering a new chapter. One with less wild volatility and more steady, long-term growth. The halving may no longer be the main driver. Other forces are taking over—rates, liquidity, and institutional money.
The game is changing. And so is the way Bitcoin moves.
Nonetheless, it’s important to note that previous cycles also featured periods of consolidation and correction before resuming their uptrend. While this phase may feel slower or less exciting, it could still represent a healthy reset before the next move higher.
That said, the possibility remains that this cycle will continue to diverge from historical patterns. Instead of a dramatic blow-off top, the outcome may be a more prolonged and structurally supported uptrend—less driven by hype, more by fundamentals.
What Long-Term Holder MVRV Reveals About Bitcoin’s Maturing Market
The Long-Term Holder (LTH) MVRV ratio has always been a solid measure of unrealized profits. It shows how much long-term investors are sitting on before they start selling. But over time, this number is falling.
In the 2016–2020 cycle, LTH MVRV peaked at 35.8. That signaled massive paper profits and a clear top forming. By the 2020–2024 cycle, the peak dropped sharply to 12.2. This happened even as Bitcoin price hit fresh all-time highs.
In the current cycle, the highest LTH MVRV so far is just 4.35. That’s a massive drop. It shows long-term holders aren’t seeing the same kind of gains. The trend is clear: each cycle delivers smaller multiples.
Bitcoin’s explosive upside is compressing. The market is maturing.
Now, in the current cycle, the highest LTH MVRV reading so far has been 4.35. This stark drop suggests long-term holders are experiencing much lower multiples on their holdings compared to previous cycles, even with substantial price appreciation. The pattern points to one conclusion: Bitcoin’s upside is compressing.
This isn’t just a fluke. As the market matures, explosive gains are naturally harder to come by. The days of extreme, cycle-driven profit multiples may be fading, replaced by more moderate—but potentially more stable—growth.
A growing market cap means it takes exponentially more capital to move the price significantly.
Still, it’s not definitive proof that this cycle has already topped out. Previous cycles often included extended periods of sideways movement or modest pullbacks before new highs were reached.
With institutions playing a larger role, accumulation phases could stretch longer. Therefore, peak profit-taking may be less abrupt than in earlier cycles.
However, if the trend of declining MVRV peaks continues, it could reinforce the idea that Bitcoin is transitioning away from wild, cyclical surges and toward a more subdued but structured growth pattern.
The sharpest gains may already be behind, especially for those entering late in the cycle.
Bitcoin surged past $94,000 on April 23 as Trump’s China tariff shift lifted stocks and improved overall market sentiment
Why is Bitcoin (BTC) is going up today after Trump’s latest comments on China tariffs?
Bitcoin (BTC) rose sharply on April 23, extending its rally above the $94,000 mark amid broad gains across U.S. equity markets.
The move followed dovish comments from US President Donald Trump regarding U.S.-China trade relations. According to reports, Trump is in talks to negotiate a deal to cut tariffs on China as low as 50%, , which appeared to boost investor sentiment.
The S&P 500 gained 93 points, moving 1.77% higher to 5,375.86, with Big Tech stocks leading the rally at press time on Thursday.
US stocks Heatmap | Source: TradingView
Big Tech was the primary driver of the equity market’s upside momentum. Microsoft gained 2.78%, Alphabet added 1.94%, and Meta rose 1.77%. Nvidia outperformed with a 3.21% increase, while Apple climbed 1.05%.
Amazon shares advanced 2.39%, reflecting recovering confidence among investors after tariff pressures saw the AI giant, book a $5.5 billion charge last week.
The market response reflected a shift toward risk-on positioning, prompted by Trump’s softened stance on tariffs. This rhetoric was interpreted by traders as a sign of reduced trade tensions and improved macroeconomic visibility.
Bitcoin price action | Coingecko
However, despite the day’s gains, BTC price was unable to breach the key $95,000 resistance, a level seen by market participants as a psychological limit.
While bullish momentum remains intact, the inability to sustain a move above this level suggests cautious stance and early profit-taking.
What’s next?
With Bitcoin price approaching a major psychological threshold, traders are watching closely for a decisive breakout above $95,000. A sustained move could open the door to $98,000 or higher. However, renewed macro volatility or stronger-than-expected inflation could trigger profit-taking, with key support levels seen near $91,000 and $88,500.
Investors are also eyeing Trump’s upcoming policy announcements for further clues on U.S.-China economic direction.
Bitcoin price forecast today points to a cautiously optimistic outlook, with bulls setting sights on the $96,800 level following a decisive breakout above key moving averages.
After peaking at $93,787, BTC/USD pulled back slightly but remains structurally strong above its 50-day ($84,398), 100-day ($90,852), and 200-day ($88,699) simple moving averages.
Bitcoin Price Forecast Today
The recent breakout was accompanied by a sharp rise in the Bull and Bear Power (BBP) indicator, which has flipped to its highest positive reading since mid-January, currently at +10,046.19. This shift suggests growing bullish conviction among traders. Despite the minor intraday retracement, Bitcoin continues to consolidate above former resistance, now turned support near $90,000.
A sustained move above $94,000 would likely clear the path to $96,800, a key psychological and Fibonacci extension target. However, failure to hold the 100-day SMA could invite profit-taking, dragging BTC back toward the $88,500 area. For now, momentum favors bulls, with the trend showing signs of sustained accumulation.