This morning, I came across some interesting news about Google’s updated site reputation abuse policies. Apparently, they’ve revised their main guidelines with some fresh updates.
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Bitcoin Logs Worst Q1 in 7 Years: Market Metrics Point to Brewing Bullish Momentum
Bitcoin (BTC) has faced a challenging start to 2025, recording its worst quarterly returns in seven years during Q1.
This significant downturn has left investors questioning whether now is the time to buy or sell.
Bitcoin’s Q1 Performance: A Seven-Year Low
Bitcoin’s performance in Q1 2025 has been its weakest since 2018, a year marked by a brutal bear market that saw BTC lose over 50% of its value. Data from Coinglass shows that Bitcoin’s performance in Q1 2025 has decreased by 11.82%. In Q1 2024, Bitcoin recorded an increase of more than 68%.
According to a March 31, 2025, Bitcoin’s price has declined from $106,000 in December 2024 to around $80,200 by late March 2025.
This drop reflects a combination of macroeconomic pressures and policy uncertainties, particularly following US President Donald Trump’s new tariff policies.
Amid this bearish backdrop, on-chain data reveals a contrasting trend: Bitcoin whales are accumulating. A post from Santiment on X, dated March 31, 2025, reported that the number of whale addresses holding 1,000 to 10,000 BTC has reached 1,993.
This is the highest since December 2024. This represents a 2.6% increase over the past five weeks, signaling growing confidence among large holders.
Glassnode reported on March 31, 2025, that trading activity among Bitcoin holders with a 3-6 month horizon has dropped to its lowest level since June 2021. This decline indicates that short-term holders either hold steady or exit the market, reducing selling pressure.
“Spending from BTC holders is at the lowest levels since mid-2021. This inactivity reinforces the idea that recent top buyers are holding their positions rather than exiting, despite recent volatility.” reported Glassnode.
Additionally, on the same day, Bitcoin’s supply on exchanges fell to 7.53%, the lowest since February 2018. Low exchange supply often correlates with long-term holding behavior, creating scarcity that can drive prices higher over time. Together, these metrics suggest that Bitcoin may be entering a phase of accumulation and consolidation.
Market analyst Axel Adler Jr. stated on X on April 1, 2025, that Bitcoin’s selling pressure has been exhausted. Adler predicts a consolidation range forming in April and May, suggesting that the market may stabilize before its next significant move.
Fidelity Research believes Bitcoin is gaining momentum for the next stage of its “acceleration phase.” Fidelity’s analysis draws on historical cycles, noting that periods of consolidation often precede major price increases. It is driven by institutional adoption and Bitcoin’s role as an inflation hedge.
This aligns with the whale accumulation trend and the decreasing exchange supply, pointing to potential upward momentum in the medium to long term.
The post Bitcoin Logs Worst Q1 in 7 Years: Market Metrics Point to Brewing Bullish Momentum appeared first on BeInCrypto.
UK Drug Gang Reportedly Launched a Meme Coin to Launder Money
A drug gang in the UK has created its own cryptocurrency, marking what experts believe is the country’s first known case of criminals launching a digital token to launder illicit profits.
While illicit gangs mostly rely on crypto mixers to launder money using Bitcoin or Ethereum, this particular gang created its own meme coin. They hoped it would go viral on social media and quickly spike in value.
Meme Coins and Money Laundering – A New Trend for Criminals?
According to MailOnline, experts have identified this case as the first time a British street gang has launched a real meme coin as a laundering method.
The gang operates at a mid-level and makes money through extortion, fraud, drug trafficking, and selling counterfeit goods and smuggled cigarettes. The report does not disclose the name of the coin or the gang behind it.
Gary Carroll, a drug crime expert at Claymore Advisory Group, said criminals have used cryptocurrencies to launder money for at least 15 years. Now, with meme coins, they’ve found an even easier way to do it.
Carroll explained that the gang plans to inflate the coin’s value through online hype campaigns. Once the price rises, they will dump the coin and cash out. They aim to disguise the proceeds as legitimate income from cryptocurrency ventures, not drug sales.
“Even if the coin only rises by a small amount, they could still make a lot of money before selling out. Those profits will appear to be from crypto entrepreneurship rather than drugs.” He emphasized.
Are Launchpads Amplifying Crypto Crime?
Although this might be the first recorded incident of gangs turning to meme coins, given the current state of the ecosystem, it’s likely to become a trend. Launchpads have made it extremely easy to launch a meme coin and shill it on social media.
This year alone, the market has lost billions in meme coin scams, pump-and-dump schemes, and rug pulls. Thus, it naturally attracts illicit actors and gangs and provides a more convenient channel for them to launder money.
“In one or maybe two years’ time there will be cases in court, I’m confident about that. But there are no examples of this happening in the UK…My own opinion is this will become more common. It’s a way to semi-legitimise their trade,” Carroll predicted.
According to a report published by Merkle Science in February 2025, scams and rug pulls involving meme coins caused more than $500 million in losses worldwide in 2024.
Of those incidents, 75% were carried out via X (formerly Twitter), and 19% on YouTube. Psychological manipulation tactics (social engineering) accounted for 44% of all scam techniques.
Merkle Science also noted that most rug pulls happened on the Solana blockchain, where tools like pump.fun made it significantly easier to launch and promote meme coins.
The post UK Drug Gang Reportedly Launched a Meme Coin to Launder Money appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Bitcoin ETF Inflows Hit 3-Day Streak: Smart Money or Bull Trap? | ETF News
Yesterday, Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw significant inflows, marking the third consecutive day of net positive flows.
With BTC now trading back above the $90,000 mark, signs point to renewed institutional interest, as major players appear to be piling back into the market after weeks of caution.
BTC ETF Inflows Jump 146% in a Day
On Wednesday, net inflows into US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs surged to $936.43 million, a 146% jump from the $381.40 million recorded the previous day.
This also represented the largest single-day inflow since January 17, signaling a notable resurgence in institutional demand for BTC exposure.
Ark Invest and 21Shares’ ETF ARKB led the inflow charge, recording the highest daily net inflow of $267.10 million, bringing its total cumulative net inflows to $2.87 billion.
Fidelity’s ETF FBTC followed with a net inflow of $253.82 million. The ETF’s total historical net inflows now stand at $11.62 billion.
BTC’s Price Pumps, But Derivatives Traders Bet on a Fall
On the derivatives side, open interest in BTC futures has also climbed, reflecting the increased trading activity and speculative positioning as the coin attempts to stabilize above $90,000.
BTC trades at $93,548 at press time, noting a 6% price surge over the past day. During the same period, its futures open interest has also risen by 16%. As of this writing, it stands at $67.19 billion, its highest level since January 24.
When an asset’s price and open interest rise simultaneously, it signals strong conviction behind the move. It means more capital is entering the market to support the uptrend.
However, not all indicators point to bullish sentiment.
Despite BTC’s price surge over the past day, the funding rate remains negative, suggesting that traders are paying a premium to short the coin in the futures markets. The coin’s funding rate is currently at -0.01%.
BTC’s negative funding rate means that shorts are paying longs to keep their positions open. This indicates that more traders are betting against BTC’s current rally and are anticipating a bearish reversal.
Additionally, the put-to-call ratio leans bearish. This confirms waning investor confidence and expectations of downward price movement among BTC options traders.
With BTC hovering above a key psychological level and institutional inflows rising, the coming days could reveal whether this momentum holds.
The post Bitcoin ETF Inflows Hit 3-Day Streak: Smart Money or Bull Trap? | ETF News appeared first on BeInCrypto.