Layer-1 (L1) coin Cardano has recorded a 10% gain over the past week, positioning itself for an extended rally.
The altcoin is now trading close to its 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), a key technical level that, if breached, could validate the ongoing rally and open the door to fresh highs.
ADA Approaches Key Breakout Zone Amid Surge in Buying Pressure
ADA currently trades near its 20-day EMA and is poised to climb above it. This key moving average measures an asset’s average price over the past 20 trading days, giving more weight to recent prices.
When an asset is about to rally above its 20-day EMA, it signals a shift in short-term momentum from bearish to bullish. This crossover signals that ADA buying pressure is increasing and confirms that the asset has entered an upward trend.
ADA’s successful break above the 20-day EMA would signal renewed momentum and act as a dynamic support level for the coin’s price, giving buyers more control.
On-chain metrics further support the bullish outlook. According to Santiment, ADA’s Network Realized Profit/Loss (NPL) has turned negative, indicating that most holders are currently at a loss.
Historically, this discourages selling pressure as traders are less willing to part with their assets at a loss. This behavior encourages longer holding periods, which in turn tightens supply and can drive up ADA’s price in the short term.
Cardano Bulls in Control
On the ADA/USD one-day chart, the coin’s positive Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) reinforces this bullish outlook. At press time, this indicator, which measures how money flows into and out of an asset, is at 0.04.
A positive CMF reading like this indicates that buying pressure outweighs selling pressure. It reflects strong capital inflows into ADA, suggesting that its investors are accumulating rather than offloading their positions. ADA could extend its rally and climb to $0.70 if this trend persists.
A recent report from Reown reveals that the on-chain ecosystem is maturing, with users expanding their engagement beyond trading activities. Many believe that payments and artificial intelligence (AI) will be crucial in driving the wider adoption of on-chain technology.
Despite optimism about crypto’s future, challenges such as fees, security, and interoperability persist.
The Future of Crypto Adoption
Reown shared its report, “The State of Onchain UX,” with BeInCrypto. It draws from a survey of 1,038 active crypto users in the US and UK, conducted between February 19 and February 26, 2025.
“For crypto payments to truly reach the mainstream, they must match the ease of traditional fintech experiences. Users should be able to transact effortlessly without needing to understand blockchain mechanics,” Reown’s Payments Product Manager Mirna Barca wrote.
AI is seen as another key driver, with 35% of users identifying it as a major catalyst for adoption. Nonetheless, while AI’s potential is acknowledged, there is some skepticism about blockchain’s role in AI development.
Only 29% believe the two technologies will complement each other. Meanwhile, just 18% see crypto as facilitating AI’s progress.
“Despite trading taking the crown when it comes to user activity today, payments and AI dominate as the two themes users feel will play bigger roles on a greater scale, suggesting that the leading services users access today does not reflect what they believe to drive its long-term value,” the report read.
Shortly after President Trump took office, the SEC established a crypto task force to create a clear regulatory framework for digital assets. In fact, new SEC chairman Paul Atkins has also stressed the importance of crypto regulation, calling it a ‘top priority.’
This focus has contributed significantly to industry optimism, and user data exemplifies that. 86% of users believe it will drive mainstream adoption, while 14% think it will slow innovation.
“We’re in the final throes of regulatory uncertainty in the US. In Europe, MiCA is finally taking shape, but a lack of precedent has kept innovators guessing, just like in the US. The industry is on the cusp of regulatory clarity but we aren’t quite there yet,” Marco Santori, Director of WalletConnect Foundation, remarked.
What Are the Top Factors Holding Back Widespread Crypto Adoption?
Confidence in on-chain security has risen significantly, with 69% of users feeling safe, up from 50.5% last year. However, so have phishing attacks. The number of phishing attacks reported by users has grown to 21%, up from 14.4%.
“Phishing attacks are up, and that’s a problem. But security UX still isn’t where it needs to be. If we can make transaction signing clearer and build in fraud protection, we can help users feel more in control,” Reown’s CEO Jess Houlgrave commented.
A notable 44% of users now use multiple wallets for security reasons, up from 32.8% in 2024. In addition, 18% of users cite security concerns, such as hacks and scams, as a barrier to engaging on-chain.
Challenges in Mainstream Crypto Adoption. Source: Reown
Notably, users also emphasized the need for interoperability, with 47% considering it very important. Additionally, 18% cited a lack of interoperability as a barrier. Despite this, only 14% listed it as one of the core issues that need to be resolved.
Therefore, the report draws attention to the need for developers to focus on real-world use cases, ensuring seamless, secure, and cost-effective user experiences. It also highlights a disconnect between user expectations, centered on payments and social apps, and current behavior, which remains heavily trading-focused.
“Understanding and addressing this dynamic will be critical to achieving true mainstream adoption,” the report noted.
With 67% of survey participants optimistic about crypto’s development, the on-chain ecosystem is poised for growth. However, addressing security, fees, and interoperability will be essential to unlocking its full potential and driving the next wave of mainstream engagement.
In the crypto market, a new generation of on-chain banking products is currently taking shape. Highlighting this evolution, EVAA Protocol, the first and leading DeFi protocol on TON, is hosting deFINTECH, a legendary side event of TOKEN2049 Dubai, in collaboration with TAC, the Layer 1 TON EVM network extension that connects the TON blockchain with Ethereum apps, allowing Telegram users to access popular EVM applications directly from their TON wallet.
The event is supported by key partners, including sponsor Ston.fi, the leading DEX on the TON blockchain, and media partners BeInCrypto and INCRYPTED, providing official media coverage. The curated gathering will take place on April 30, 2025, from 2 PM to 6 PM at DAOS HUB Dubai, deFINTECH’s official venue partner.
deFINTECH brings together the builders, product leaders, and fintech visionaries who are actively reimagining the future of banking on blockchain rails. The event focuses on envisioning on-chain neo-banking—financial services built natively on-chain and natively integrated into everyday platforms like Telegram. This includes exploring stablecoin payments, Telegram-native wallets, tokenized vaults, and intuitive on-chain yield tools.
Hosted by EVAA Protocol, deFINTECH highlights the platform’s dedication to DeFi accessibility and efficiency. EVAA provides liquidity market solutions and leveraged staking strategies, integrated deeply with Telegram and top-tier TON applications like Tonkeeper, Notcoin, Ston.fi, FIVA, TG Wallet, and DeDust. This creates a frictionless experience for users to borrow, lend, and earn yield on TON.
Why deFINTECH Matters
With Telegram’s crypto ecosystem gaining significant traction and stablecoins becoming a preferred medium for payments and savings, particularly in emerging markets, novel opportunities are arising at the intersection of Web3, embedded finance, and real-world adoption. deFINTECH serves as a dedicated venue for those pioneering this transformation.
The event is designed for founders and product leads building on-chain fintech solutions alongside wallet teams, L1/L2 ecosystem developers, and Web3 banking infrastructure builders. It also brings together investors, early adopters in social finance and DeFi, institutional players exploring on-chain finance, media, and strategic contributors focused on this evolving sector. With 150–190 highly relevant guests expected, the event fosters an atmosphere centered on valuable connections and substantive discussions.
One unique aspect of deFINTECH is that it moves away from traditional conference formats. Instead of stages and panels, the event prioritizes meaningful dialogue, fosters early-stage collaboration, and encourages product-first conversations. The goal is to create an atmosphere where genuine connections are made and practical solutions for the future of on-chain finance are discussed. deFINTECH offers a focused environment for meaningful connections and strategic dialogue during the busy TOKEN2049 week. Attendance at the event is by invitation only.
What To Expect
Attendees can anticipate an afternoon centered around direct interaction and collaboration. The format includes focused roundtable discussions exploring the future of neo-banking and DeFi user experience. There will also be opportunities for live demos and product showcases presented in a casual, off-stage setting.
Attendees can also expect to participate in open networking with other participants, ensuring valuable interactions without superfluous presentations. deFINTECH cultivates a culture of co-creation, inviting attendees to actively take part in shaping the conversation rather than passively consuming content. The agenda features focused discussions, including insights from venture capital, partner spotlights, and collaborative talks, all interwoven with ample networking time.
The Venue: DAOS HUB Dubai
deFINTECH will be hosted at DAOS HUB Dubai, serving as the event’s official venue partner. Located in the heart of Dubai, DAOS HUB is a purpose-built ecosystem that provides a space where Web3 builders, contributors, and innovators can collaborate and grow. Its mission is to create an ideal environment for Web3 startups to thrive through network-native connections and curated access, making it a fitting backdrop for the event’s forward-looking conversations. The event runs from 2 PM to 6 PM on April 30, 2025.
“Web3 doesn’t need another conference. It needs a product room,” said Vlad Kamyshov, CEO of EVAA Protocol.“At deFINTECH, we stop pitching dreams and start building real tools — right inside Telegram, where our users already are. We believe stablecoin payments, Telegram-native wallets, and on-chain yield tools can reimagine banking—making it open, permissionless, and composable. This isn’t just a trend — it’s a movement. Our goal is to bring together the builders and visionaries shaping the next financial layer.”
For those actively working on Telegram-based payment rails, secure yield vaults for stablecoins, or compliance-friendly DeFi applications, deFINTECH offers a unique space to connect, collaborate, and contribute to the next wave of financial innovation.
Summer Mersinger, a pro-crypto Commissioner at the CFTC, will resign on May 30 to become the Blockchain Association’s next CEO. With her absence, the Commission will soon be reduced to three members.
President Trump has already appointed Brian Quintenz as the CFTC’s next Chair. However, his confirmation could take months, and another Commissioner will resign as soon as he gets in. Thus, the CFTC may be understaffed for many months.
Today, it announced that Summer Mersinger, one of the CFTC’s five Commissioners, will resign and become its next CEO:
1/ We’re pleased to announce that CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger has been chosen as the new Blockchain Association CEO. Summer will leave her current position as Commissioner on May 30 and will start at the Association on June 2. pic.twitter.com/gVD0B4PpdH
— Blockchain Association (@BlockchainAssn) May 14, 2025
To be fair, Mersinger could do a huge amount of good in this outside advocacy role. The Blockchain Association discussed her enthusiasm for crypto and thorough knowledge of the federal regulatory apparatus, both of which will be powerful assets.
However, between Mersinger and an existing vacancy, the CFTC will soon be short two of its five Commissioners.
Additionally, of the Commission’s current members, Mersinger’s term expires further in the future than any of her colleagues. Acting Chair Caroline Pham, another crypto advocate, won’t reach this limit until 2027, but the other two CFTC Commissioners are technically past their expiration date already.
CFTC is Becoming a ‘Ghost Town’
All this is to say, one of the US’s most important crypto regulators could be severely understaffed soon. To be clear, President Trump has already nominated one replacement, Brian Quintenz.
If Quintenz passes the Senate confirmation process, he’ll become the CFTC’s next Chair. However, this might take a long time.
Quintenz’ own confirmation process could potentially last into the summer. So far, no hearings, votes, or procedural updates of any kind have been officially scheduled yet.
Furthermore, after Quintenz becomes Chair, the CFTC will need to replace yet another Commissioner. Christy Goldsmith Romero, a crypto-neutral Commissioner whose term already expired, has vowed to resign as soon as Quintenz gets in.
Currently, there don’t seem to be any credible rumors about who will replace her, and the process has not started.
At this rate, the Commission could be severely understaffed for most of 2025. Confirming one new commissioner could take months, and the CFTC will have to start the process over again immediately after that.
To be fair, this isn’t necessarily negative. The Commission will have one pro-crypto Chair and two neutral voices, followed by two pro-crypto members and one neutral Commissioner.
Nonetheless, understaffing is almost certainly going to be a persistent problem. It could negatively impact the CFTC’s ability to enact friendly regulation.
