Despite recent chaos and fears of a recession, public companies Strategy and Metaplanet are doubling down on new Bitcoin purchases. Strategy purchased BTC worth $285 million, while Metaplanet spent $26.3 million.
Metaplanet’s activity is particularly noteworthy because Japan’s 30-year treasury yields are soaring. For public companies in Japan, conventional economic practice is to pull back from the dollar, but committing to Bitcoin is a bold strategy.
Strategy and Metaplanet Resume Bitcoin Accumulation
Today, however, its Chair, Michael Saylor, announced a major new Bitcoin buy at $285 million:
“Strategy has acquired 3,459 BTC for ~$285.8 million at ~$82,618 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 11.4% YTD 2025. As of 4/13/2025, Strategy holds 531,644 BTC acquired for ~$35.92 billion at ~$67,556 per bitcoin,” Saylor claimed via social media.
Two days before Strategy made its own major purchase, Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich announced a similar investment:
“Metaplanet has acquired 319 BTC for ~$26.3 million at ~$82,549 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 108.3% YTD 2025. As of 4/14/2025, we hold 4525 BTC acquired for ~$386.3 million at ~$85,366 per bitcoin,” Gerovich claimed.
Metaplanet’s commitment here is particularly noteworthy because it contradicts near-term macroeconomic headwinds. The global market is filled with risk-averse behavior right now, and Japan’s 30-year bond yields surged to the highest level in over two decades.
Despite this clear signal, the Japanese Metaplanet is continuing to make major Bitcoin investments. The latest purchases also had a positive impact on the company’s stock market. It’s currently up by 3% today, after suffering notable losses the past month.
In short, major corporate Bitcoin holders like Strategy and Metaplanet aren’t interested in tapering off yet. Despite the recent chaos, there is serious confidence that BTC will either gain in price or represent a stable store of value.
Either way, when public firms like this publicly take a bullish stance, it can shore up confidence across the entire market.
BeInCrypto sat down with members of the LBank team to analyze the possible resurgence of the meme coin market as a leading crypto narrative and what their fusion with artificial intelligence (AI) can have on their reach.
LBank also discussed the impact of the four-month-old Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation on its operations across Europe. They described a fundamental change in investor confidence in light of greater regulatory clarity and simplified accessibility.
Have Meme Coin Highs Given Way to Devastating Lows?
In recent years, the meme coin market has largely been characterized by overwhelming highs and devastating lows. The first few months of 2025 have further confirmed the volatile nature of these tokens, to the point that a vocal part of the crypto community believes that their recent lows have marked the end of the meme coin lifecycle.
These claims are not unfounded, especially now that the US President has become a meme coin player. When Trump launched his meme coin in mid-January, TRUMP reached a market capitalization of nearly $8.8 billion, a number never before seen by a meme coin launch.
When insider traders capitalized on the surge to sell off their holdings and retain millions of dollars in gains, retail investors bore the brunt of the massive sell-off, suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
“The decline in meme coin market cap since January can be attributed to a combination of market dynamics and sentiment shifts. A key driver was the rapid rise and subsequent crash of the TRUMP token, which drew significant market capital due to its viral appeal but collapsed sharply, eroding investor confidence and triggering a broader risk-off sentiment,” Eric He, Community Angel Officer and Risk Control Adviser at LBank told BeInCrypto.
After similar experiences with the MELANIA token and the LIBRA launch, some of these retail investors realized that meme coins —as unregulated and unpredictable as they are— may not be the best investments.
Is the Meme Coin Frenzy Coming to a Halt?
Given the devastating effects that these episodes have had on the meme coin market, trading has reduced significantly. The crypto community seems to have become saturated with news of pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls, likely contributing to a halt in the meme coin frenzy.
The total meme coin market capitalization has been free-falling since January’s peak following the presidential token launches. Now, its levels resemble those of September 2024. The greater economic downturn that traditional and crypto markets experienced over the past several weeks has only worsened prospects.
Yet, despite this downward pressure, the market still experiences a high level of activity. It has a $14.5 billion trading volume and a $57 billion market capitalization.
Total meme coin market capitalization. Source: CoinGecko.
According to the LBank team, the meme coin industry is due for a revival.
LBank’s Belief in the Revival of the Meme Coin Market
Though the decline in meme coin performance has been significant, the LBank team expressed that these circumstances are far from unexpected. Meme coins are inherently tied to community support and social momentum.
The sustained trading volumes and large market capitalization serve as tangible indicators that, even in a downturn, the market is seeing active community engagement and liquidity. Investors still see value in the tokens’ cultural and speculative appeal.
“We see it as a healthy market correction rather than a fundamental shift. Meme coins have always been volatile, but the fact that trading volumes remain high shows continued interest. What’s happening now is not the end of the trend—it’s just a recalibration before the next wave,” Mario Iemma, Head of Spanish Markets at LBank, told BeInCrypto.
In fact, Iemma believes that meme coins will not be dying out anytime soon.
AI agents represented the first significant shift in the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry. These autonomous systems proved that they could make decisions and perform tasks independently. This technology enhances intelligence, adaptability, and fairness in financial mechanisms.
Now, developers have unlocked artificial intelligence’s potential on tokens. Systems like Grok have already made news by using AI to automatically and independently design and launch tokens.
However, with a nascent technology like AI, the LBank team emphasized the need for responsible and thorough deployment for the long-lasting success of AI-generated tokens. This success hinges on two particular factors: accessibility and security.
Security and Accessibility Challenges for AI-Generated Tokens
The concept of security is frequently associated with any emerging technology. Artificial intelligence is no exception, especially in a particularly unregulated industry like crypto.
According to He, AI-generated token projects’ degree of security and transparency will determine their success.
Iemma agreed, adding that if AI-generative tokens become widely accessible, this development will also require additional layers of oversight.
“That same accessibility demands better filters, vetting, and AI-based security audits—areas where exchanges like LBank are already investing resources,” he said.
While reflecting on the security risks associated with artificial intelligence and the breaches in consumer trust that meme coins have had on the crypto community, the LBank team also emphasized the need for greater regulation in the industry.
The development of cryptocurrency regulations varies significantly across the globe. Notably, the European Union implemented comprehensive rules almost five months ago, while key markets such as the United States are still establishing adequate frameworks.
MiCA’s Effect on the European Crypto Market
Last December, with the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, the European Union became the first jurisdiction to establish a comprehensive and unified regulatory framework for crypto-assets across all its member states, marking a significant milestone.
According to the LBank team, MiCA gives users and institutions a trustworthy framework. This development has proven critical for industry growth across the region.
“MiCA has forced firms to become more transparent and compliant, which is a good thing for long-term trust. We’ve seen exchanges accelerate their legal and operational upgrades. For users, it creates a safer, more predictable environment,” Iemma said, adding, “With clearer rules, banks and investment firms are more willing to explore crypto partnerships, custody solutions, and even tokenized assets. Regulation reduces reputational risk, and MiCA is helping bridge that gap.”
However, this experience can be largely attributed to established firms in the industry and investors with access to substantial resources. Other players, however, have struggled to gather the requirements to apply for a MiCA license.
Future Accommodation for Smaller Crypto Businesses
In discussing the impact of MiCA since its enactment last December, He highlighted how different industry players have responded to the landmark regulation. He noted that startups struggle the most to obtain an operational license.
When evaluating the cost-effectiveness of an operational license, He’s conclusions make sense.
MiCA is an expensive regulation. It mandates minimum capital requirements based on the crypto services offered. These requirements range from €50,000 for advisory and order-related services to €125,000 for exchange and trading platforms and up to €150,000 for custody services. Businesses must maintain this capital as a financial safeguard.
Beyond minimum capital requirements, companies must factor in government and legal fees, local presence costs, bank setups, and ongoing operational costs. But for prominent exchanges like LBank, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Future MiCA updates could address the high compliance costs for smaller businesses. Meanwhile, other regions developing their crypto regulations should consider this aspect to avoid creating similar barriers.
The crypto market’s volatility continues, compounded by the absence of bullish signals from broader financial markets. While altcoins are becoming less dependent on external developments, they are increasingly relying on internal network progress to drive price movement.
BeInCrypto has analyzed three altcoins to watch, focusing on whether key events could trigger a price shift in the third week of April.
Filecoin (FIL)
FIL price has bounced off the support of $2.26, currently trading at $2.50. This rebound follows the altcoin’s 27% decline at the end of March, and traders are anticipating a recovery. The support level of $2.26 has proven crucial in halting further losses and enabling a potential uptrend.
Upcoming developments, such as the FIP 0097 proposal, could further boost FIL’s price. The transition to FEVM supporting transient storage and aligning with Ethereum’s EIP-1153 promises cleaner contracts, lower costs, and better compatibility. These improvements could drive FIL past the $2.63 resistance level, potentially reaching $2.99.
If FIL fails to break through the $2.63 barrier, the altcoin may fall back to $2.26. Losing this key support would invalidate the bullish outlook, risking a further drop to $2.00. Investors will closely monitor these levels for signs of a reversal or continued decline.
EigenLayer (EIGEN)
Another one of the key altcoins to watch before April ends, the EIGEN price is poised to breach the $0.86 resistance this week, driven by the upcoming Slashing upgrade. The upgrade will introduce a free marketplace where Operators can earn rewards for their work, and AVSs can launch verifiable services.
If EIGEN capitalizes on the momentum from the Slashing upgrade, it could surpass the $0.86 and $0.92 resistance levels. With continued upward movement, the altcoin could reach $1.00 and beyond. Investors are closely monitoring the effects of this update on price performance.
However, if EIGEN fails to breach $0.86, the price may fall back to the support level of $0.69. This would invalidate the bullish outlook and delay the recovery from the 41.5% losses incurred at the end of March.
OFFICIAL TRUMP (TRUMP)
TRUMP price recently hit an all-time low of $7.14 but has since recovered to $8.33. Despite this recovery, the likelihood of a continued rally is uncertain due to the upcoming token unlock on April 18. This event could create additional selling pressure on the altcoin in the coming days.
The first token unlock in three months, set to release 40 million TRUMP worth $331 million, will flood the market. This unlock will also initiate the daily release of 492,000 TRUMP tokens. Investors are concerned that this increased supply may further weigh on the price.
The surge in supply could prove bearish for TRUMP, which is already facing low demand. This may push the price back down to $7.14 or lower, potentially creating a new all-time low. However, if the price breaches $9.11, the bearish outlook would be invalidated, and recovery could occur.
You may not have heard of TeraHash yet. Their website describes TeraHash as a “Bitcoin mining protocol built to make mining yields as simple and accessible as staking”. But TeraHash aims to go even further: to set a new standard for mining tokenization and unlock access to mining-based rewards for everyone.
So how is it that, even before launching, TeraHash already has over 8 million users around the world?
How did a mining-themed game launched just a year ago evolve into what could soon be one of the largest Bitcoin mining protocols – backed by some of the most respected names in the mining and Web3 world?
Let’s take a closer look.
Chapter I: From Wall Street to Hashrate
The story of TeraHash began when its founders left the world of traditional finance on Wall Street, armed with deep expertise, extensive experience, and a powerful global network. Turning their focus to Bitcoin mining, they quickly scaled operations to become one of the largest players in the industry. Within just a few years, they built over 300 megawatts of Bitcoin mining operations and secured strategic partnerships with Bitmain and other industry leaders. To date, the team has deployed more than 10 EH of mining power and at one point operated nearly 2% of the entire Bitcoin network.
But the deeper they ventured into mining, the more one question kept surfacing: Why is one of the most profitable sectors in crypto still so difficult to access?
Despite offering some of the highest historical yields in the industry – 20%, 40%, even over 100% during certain cycles – Bitcoin mining remains notoriously inaccessible. Barriers like hardware procurement, hosting logistics, power agreements, and infrastructure setup create a steep entry point, often requiring millions in upfront capital and months of lead time. What should be a powerful wealth-generation tool is, for most, an exclusive domain reserved for insiders and large-scale operators.
This led to a pivotal idea:
Could there be a simpler, more inclusive way to access mining-based rewards?
Not by buying machines, but by buying a token — just like buying ETH or SOL. And ideally, without trusting centralized hosts or waiting weeks for delivery.
That concept became the foundation for a new protocol.
Chapter II: The Yield War
Crypto is, in many ways, a global market for yield.
Protocols compete to attract capital with the promise of returns:
Staking platforms, lending pools, rebase tokens, liquid staking, real-world assets.
By 2023, many DeFi protocols were offering just 4–8% APY, while Bitcoin mining was said to be quietly delivering 5 to 10 times higher returns.
Still, there was no on-chain standard for mining. And that raised a key question: what exactly should be tokenized? The machine itself? The revenue stream? Hosting capacity?
Eventually, the team focused on what they considered the core economic unit of mining:
The terahash per second (TH/s).
This led to the creation of THS — a tokenized representation of mining power.
Instead of purchasing a $5,000 machine with 200 TH/s, users could simply buy 1 THS, or even a fraction of THS. No need for hardware, hosting, or maintenance. 1 THS equaled 1 TH/s of live hashrate, operated by the protocol.
The team has positioned THS as the de-facto industry benchmark, akin to what ETH became for staking.
But to establish a new standard, there needed to be users — and a lot of them.
Chapter III: Enter the Cats
To build that user base, the team didn’t start with a whitepaper. They started with a game.
Amid the rise of Telegram mini-apps, they launched HashCats — a mining-themed simulation where players managed digital mining farms run by competitive, quirky cats.
Players could:
Buy and upgrade machines
Stake earnings to increase yield
Manage electricity costs
Optimize performance
Experience halvings and reward cycles
Beneath the surface, HashCats was an educational layer, subtly teaching mining economics to a mass audience.
It worked.
In less than 8 months, over 8 million users had onboarded. Over 1 million people were playing monthly. Many had no idea that behind the game was a real mining infrastructure taking shape.
The $HASH token, earned in-game, would become the incentive and utility token of the protocol, designed to receive rewards from excess mining yield, offer discounts, and support user engagement.
The reveal caught many by surprise. But it also helped clarify the bigger picture.
Players weren’t just gaming — they had been part of a large-scale crypto onboarding experiment.
TeraHash is about to launch in July, introduced a lineup of industry names involved in the project, and publicly set an ambitious goal: to tokenize at least $5 billion worth of mining hashrate over the next 3 years. Stay tuned to get latest updates.
The team positioned TeraHash as a future standard in mining tokenization.
Chapter V: What We Know So Far
While full protocol documentation is still pending, a few key pieces have already been shared.
At the core of the TeraHash system is THS — a token representing 1 TH/s of real, verifiable mining power. This token aims to become the standardized unit for mining tokenization, enabling users to access mining yield without buying hardware or managing infrastructure.
To ensure trust and accountability, the team has committed to quarterly audits and on-chain transparency reports, confirming that the number of $THS tokens in circulation matches the live hashrate under protocol control. Electricity costs, mining site data, and reward distribution metrics will also be made available through a public dashboard.
Long term, the protocol plans to integrate $THS into wallets, exchanges, and DeFi platforms.
In parallel, TeraHash introduces a second token: $HASH.
$HASH was the native currency of the original HashCats game and is expected to launch with over 1 million holders at TGE. Beyond nostalgia, $HASH plays an important role in the protocol’s design: it enables governance (DAO), provides discounts (e.g., on electricity), and most notably, serves as a mechanism for redistributing rewards from idle $THS.
The concept is simple: when users forget or fail to stake their THS, the associated mining rewards aren’t distributed. Instead, they are routed into a dedicated treasury, which periodically purchases$ HASH on the open market.
$HASH can then be staked, either solo or in combination with THS (dual staking), to unlock additional rewards. Dual staking is expected to be incentivized more heavily.
The team has also indicated that a detailed roadmap and a number of major partnership announcements are expected in June, which they describe as a “defining month” for the project.
Chapter VI: What Comes Next
As the crypto community watches closely, TeraHash is preparing to launch:
THS, a token tied to live, protocol-operated hashrate
HASH, an incentive asset tied to staking and rewards
A mining engine built to be transparent, modular, and DAO-governed
Whether TeraHash succeeds in redefining mining access remains to be seen. But its architecture suggests a push toward decentralization, programmability, and integration with wallets, custodians, and exchanges.
Could mining, one of the most capital-heavy industries in crypto, soon become open and programmable?
Could mining-based yield find its place in the broader DeFi landscape?
If TeraHash delivers on its promises, it might help reshape how the world views Bitcoin mining.
Many in the crypto community are watching closely.
