ParaSwap DAO members were split, with some supporting the conditional return of the fees and others voting against the refund.
Bybit confirmed it was behind a proposal requesting that decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol ParaSwap return fees earned from swaps conducted by the Lazarus Group using digital assets stolen from the exchange.
On March 4, a proposal was posted on ParaSwap’s decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) forum asking to freeze and return 44.67 Wrapped Ether (wETH), worth almost $100,000, to a wallet address.
The proposal initially attracted skepticism, with several DAO members calling for verification before advancing the proposal. Bybit shared a verification post on its official X account on March 5, confirming that it was behind the proposal to return the funds.
A new report from CoinGecko claims that 2025 has been the worst year for dead crypto projects, with 1.8 million tokens collapsing in Q1 alone. This represents 49.7% of all crypto project failures from 2021 to 2025.
CoinGecko’s analysis focused on the concrete data, not establishing proof of the culprit. Still, it hypothesizes that market volatility under Trump’s Presidency is responsible for this extreme failure rate.
CoinGecko’s latest report shows that 2025 has been an exceptional year in this respect. Compared to 2024, there have been fewer token launches and many more crypto project failures in Q1 alone.
Data from CoinMarketCap shows that over 14.65 million different tokens are active right now, and the number has been rising steadily.
One year ago, the site only tracked 2.7 million. The biggest contributor to this growth has been Solana meme coins, as that blockchain’s ecosystem now accounts for more than 60% of all tokens.
Solana Meme Coins on the Rise. Source: CoinMarketCap
Moreover, a glut of project launches can dilute meme coins’ overall market potential, sinking prominent projects due to quality fears and diminishing returns.
CoinGecko also revealed another disturbing fact: by its reckoning, most crypto projects active since 2021 are now dead. It claims that 52.7% of all such tokens have failed and that the failure rate is increasing.
New launches still outweigh collapses, but the trend does not look sustainable.
The report proposes a clear hypothesis for this behavior. CoinGecko believes it credible that Trump’s tariff threats and ensuing recession fears are responsible for these dead crypto projects. Meme coin launches rose dramatically after his election, and market turbulence is killing them off.
To be clear, CoinGecko’s study did not attempt to prove a cause; it just analyzed the failures themselves. Complicated factors may be creating all these dead crypto projects.
Still, it identified the trends, and the hard data is convincing in its own right. The meme coin industry, as currently defined, may not last at this rate.
Despite political controversies surrounding the Trump Gala Dinner event, the crypto market has recently witnessed a significant accumulation wave of the TRUMP token, a meme coin associated with the Trump family.
These activities reflect strong interest from major investors, often called “whales,” and highlight the TRUMP token’s growth potential amidst a volatile market.
Whales’ accumulation to secure VIP tickets
The accumulation trend for the TRUMP token gained momentum as large investors consistently executed noteworthy transactions.
On April 28, 2025, a whale withdrew 190,987 TRUMP tokens from Binance, increasing its total holdings to 1.389 million tokens, equivalent to $20.59 million. This investor, known by the alias “MeCo,” currently holds the second position among the top holders vying for a spot at the Trump Gala Dinner, trailing only Justin Sun.
On the same day, another whale bolstered its holdings by adding 92,460 TRUMP tokens, belonging to the top 125 holders.
Before that, on April 27, a savvy trader swapped 1.18 million Fartcoins for 78,671 TRUMP tokens. Moving to April 26, a prominent whale reinvested early profits and additional funds, purchasing $5.73 million worth of TRUMP tokens.
These transactions reveal a clear trend: major investors are accumulating TRUMP tokens to secure their spots at the Trump Gala Dinner, an exclusive event reserved for top token holders.
Challenges starting
Despite these activities, TRUMP has shown positive performance signals in the market. According to data from BeInCrypto, the price of TRUMP surged by 84% over the past seven days, outpacing many other cryptocurrencies.
The spot trading volume of TRUMP on Binance also skyrocketed by 202% within nine days. However, despite these positive indicators, the Trump Gala Dinner has sparked intense political controversy.
On April 25, 2025, two US Senators, Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, sent a letter to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. They called for an investigation into the event because they believed it violated federal ethics regulations.
The Senators expressed concerns that the event could constitute a “pay-to-play” scheme. Investors pay for political access, as Trump promised a private dinner on May 22, 2025, for the top.
Following this announcement, the TRUMP token’s value surged over $100 million. This raised suspicions that the Trump family might leverage their political influence for profit.
Schiff and Warren also questioned whether Trump or his family had received guidance on profiting from digital assets during his tenure. And what safeguards exist to prevent the purchase of political access through TRUMP token investments?
First, Donald Trump launches a memecoin, netting himself billions.
Next, his family gets in on the scheme.
Now his billionaire buddies are getting even richer too.
This controversy has sparked broader questions about the intersection of cryptocurrency and politics, particularly as more public figures engage with the crypto market.
Furthermore, as previously reported by BeInCrypto, there is speculation that Trump might use the Trump Gala Dinner to promote a new NFT project.
In summary, the accumulation wave of TRUMP tokens to attend the Trump Gala Dinner shows this meme coin’s strong financial appeal due to its social and political significance. Positive price and trading volume data reinforce investor confidence in TRUMP’s growth potential.
However, the political controversies surrounding the event also introduce significant risks. Investors should remain vigilant, closely monitoring market developments and related legal factors.
On Tuesday, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded net outflows, snapping a three-day streak of inflows that had brought in over $1 billion.
With uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy decision, institutional investors appear to be reducing their exposure in anticipation of increased market volatility.
Institutions Pull Back from BTC ETFs as Fed Decision Looms
BTC spot ETFs saw net outflows of $85.64 million on Tuesday, marking a shift in sentiment among institutional investors just ahead of today’s US Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting.
Total Bitcoin Spot ETF Net Inflow. Source: SosoValue
The outflows came after three consecutive days of strong inflows, totaling over $1 billion, into these BTC-backed funds. This suggests a pullback as market participants prepare for potential volatility surrounding today’s FOMC announcement.
It can also be seen as a strategic step to avoid short-term losses in the event of an unfavorable policy signal or unexpected market reaction.
Despite the ETF outflows, on-chain data reveals a spike in spot net inflows today. This indicates that while institutional players may be reducing their ETF exposure, they could be rotating capital into direct spot positions, possibly to capitalize on short-term price swings both before and after the Fed’s announcement.
According to Coinglass, BTC’s spot net inflows sit at $9.72 million. When an asset sees spot inflows, the number of its coin or tokens purchased and moved into spot markets has increased, indicating rising demand.
This points to surging accumulation among BTC spot market participants, a trend which can drive price appreciation if buying pressure remains.
Bitcoin Rises on Buyer Strength
BTC trades at $96,679 at press time, noting a 2% surge over the past day. The coin’s positive Balance of Power (BoP) reflects the steady rise in spot buying activity ahead of the FOMC meeting. As of this writing, this is at 0.10.
This indicator measures the strength of buyers versus sellers by comparing the closing price to the trading range over a specific period. When its value is positive, buyers dominate the market, suggesting bullish momentum and upward pressure on an asset’s price.
If BTC demand rockets and market conditions remain favorable post-FOMC meeting, it could climb toward $102,080.
