OM price has reacted negatively to MANTRA’s new token burn announcement. The team announced a token burn plan that will remove 150 million OM tokens from circulation forever. As per the details, they will plan an additional 150 million token burn which can bring the burn amount to 300 million tokens.
OM Price Slumps After Token Burn Announcement
According to the company’s announcement, CEO and Founder John Patrick Mullin will burn his entire 150 million allocation of team tokens. This was a promise he made to the community last week.
Despite the substantial supply reduction plan, the OM token price has reacted negatively to the news. Data shows that the OM price is down approximately 5% in the last 24 hours and trades at $0.5437. This decline adds to a much steeper drop of 91% over the past 30 days. Amidst this drop, CoinGape analysis talks about the possibility of OM rebounding 50% from its lows.
The token burn process has already started with the unstaking of 150 million OM from the Team and Core Contributor allocation. This was initially staked at mainnet genesis in October 2024 to support network security. The company has provided transaction hashes for verification, and the unstaking period will complete on April 29, 2025. Following this, the OM will be sent to a burn address and permanently removed.
MANTRA has started a transparent process for the token burn and has provided specific technical details to allow community verification of each step. The unstaking of 150 million tokens from the Team and Core Contributor allocation has begun and can be tracked through three transaction hashes provided in the announcement.
The tokens were originally staked at mainnet genesis in October 2024 to bootstrap network security. According to the announced timeline, the unstaking period will conclude on April 29, 2025, after which all 150 million tokens will be sent directly to the designated burn address.
MANTRA Plans An Additional 150 Million Token Burn
MANTRA has also mentioned that once the burn transaction is executed, they will give complete verification to the users. The company is also in discussions with key ecosystem partners to implement an additional 150 million OM token burn. This would double the impact of the initial burn to a total of 300 million OM removed from circulation.
The token burn will have major effects on MANTRA’s tokenomics and staking economics. According to the blog details, the 150 million OM burn will reduce the total supply from 1.82 billion OM to 1.67 billion OM. This is regarding an 8.2% reduction in the overall number of tokens present.
The burn will also impact the staking configuration within the network in a particular manner. Removing these tokens from staked supply will reduce the staked tokens to 421.8 million OM.
This adjustment will decrease the bonded ratio of the network from 31.47% to 25.30%. This decrease in the bonded ratio is especially important to stakers who bond their OM. This is because it will lead to a greater staking APR (Annual Percentage Rate).
Mantra’s crash was one of the most notable ones recently. Crypto exchange Binance also broke silence amid the token’s crash.
As the Trump tariffs reach a crescendo, the UK is confident of reaching a deal to reduce its steel and car export levies to the US. The incoming trade pact will see the UK offer a raft of concessions to the US in a reciprocal fashion.
UK-US Inches Toward Agreement To Lower Trump Tariffs
According to a Financial Times report, the UK and the US are nearing the inking of a deal tipped to lower previously imposed Trump tariffs. Per the report, negotiators are rippling with confidence of signing a deal to cut UK steel and car exports to the US.
The report predicts the signing within the week after a series of bilateral horse-trading between parties. The UK steel and car exports have been careening under the weight of a 25% Trump tariff imposed in April.
While the report did not immediately specify the tariff rate reduction, UK negotiators in Washington are confident of significant cuts given their range of concessions. Firstly, the UK is willing to cut the digital services tax imposed on US-based technology companies.
“Quotas are complex to operate and inherently limiting to trade,” said one automobile manufacturing executive. “The most important thing is cutting the 25% tariff because above 10%, it is just not sustainable.”
Secondly, the UK will slash its tariffs on US car imports while cutting levies on agricultural products. However, the UK negotiators are unsure about the prospects of pharmaceutical tariff cuts in the incoming trade deal.
The incoming deal follows India’s big concessions to the US and will trigger a chain reaction of nations scrambling to reach an arrangement with the US.
Cryptocurrency Markets Brace For Impacts From Trade Concessions
As the Trump tariffs intensify and countries scramble to the negotiating table, cryptocurrency investors are bracing for market impacts. As chatter around an incoming trade deal with the US grows louder, the crypto markets have risen by a modest 2% over the last day.
Although only a small rise, flashes of lower tariffs with China have stoked speculation for a crypto market rally. However, trade concessions may reduce crypto’s appeal as a safe-haven asset, lowering overall demand.
Bitcoin price has risen to nearly $100K amid an uncertain macroeconomic climate since the Trump tariffs went live. As trade concessions gather steam, investors are looking at the incoming FOMC meeting for indicators of Bitcoin price direction.
Since US President Donald Trump assumed office, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has dropped, settled, or paused lawsuits against prominent crypto entities left and right. In stark contrast to the previous administration’s leadership under Chair Gary Gensler, the SEC seems to be parting from its previous crackdown on digital assets.
In an interview with BeInCrypto, Nick Puckrin, Founder of The Coin Bureau, and Hank Huang, Chief Executive Officer at Kronos Research, highlighted the substantial election influence the crypto industry had over Trump’s candidacy as a contributing factor to the SEC’s looser stance on crypto.
The SEC’s Approach Under Trump
The SEC has experienced a clear shift in its approach to crypto lawsuits under Trump’s presidency. Its move away from the aggressive enforcement tactics of its previous leadership has largely characterized this shift.
“When President Donald Trump won the US election, the crypto industry rejoiced. Finally, the ‘regulation by enforcement’ era, which the SEC under the leadership of Gary Gensler was so famous for, was about to come to an end. And the new administration didn’t disappoint. Within just a couple of weeks of Trump’s inauguration, the revamped SEC started dropping lawsuits against crypto firms left, right and center,” Puckrin said.
Two weeks ago, the SEC officially dropped its appeal and XRP lawsuit against Ripple Labs, ending a five-year legal battle. The Commission had originally accused Ripple of conducting an unregistered securities offering worth $1.3 billion through XRP sales.
“After more than four years in limbo, the SEC has officially decided that XRP is not a security (though what it is instead remains to be seen). This case has been weighing heavily on XRP – the fourth largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of roughly $130 billion– so its resolution is a major win,” Puckrin added.
The wider crypto community celebrated the outcome, with many arguing that it will set a precedent for how digital assets are classified in the US. This prediction is warranted, given that the SEC has been on a lawsuit-dropping spree.
The SEC has also dropped several ongoing investigations against OpenSea, Robinhood, Uniswap Labs, Kraken, and Gemini. It has also asked a federal court to issue a 60-day pause over its litigation against Binance. Meanwhile, the Commission settled its investigation into ConsenSys over its Ethereum software products.
These lawsuits surfaced in parallel to a series of crypto-friendly measures meant to foster greater innovation and curb potential regulatory suffocation that had existed during the Biden era.
Will New Leadership Define Clear Crypto Regulations?
A day after Trump assumed office, SEC Acting Chairman Mark Uyeda announced the creation of a dedicated crypto task force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. The task force was reportedly designed to resolve long-standing ambiguities in the regulatory treatment of digital assets.
In all SEC crypto lawsuits, Commissioner Uyeda has implemented a strategy prioritizing industry engagement to develop regulatory frameworks that balance innovation and investor protection.
Meanwhile, Trump strategically nominated Paul Atkins, a crypto-curious, regulation-light candidate, to replace Gensler as head of the SEC. Just this week, the Senate Banking Committee voted to advance Atkins’ nomination to the full Senate.
Now, only a stone’s throw away from becoming SEC Chair, Atkins is expected to loosen regulatory oversight on crypto.
“With the establishment of a new Task Force and key appointees like Paul Atkins fostering innovation, Trump’s strategic move to create a Bitcoin reserve within the government further underscores his commitment to supporting the industry. The future of crypto regulations will be focused on less oversight and the beginning of a delicate but promising thaw in the regulatory landscape,” Huang added.
Though some say Trump’s handling of crypto affairs has resulted in a never-before-seen triumph, others are weary that his increasing involvement in the industry has turned out to be a recipe for disaster.
The Impact of Crypto Donations on Regulations
Several industry leaders went to great lengths to ensure that Trump became America’s 47th president. Millions of dollars in donations from crypto firms throughout Trump’s campaign illustrated these efforts.
According to a Public Citizen report, over $119 million from crypto corporations went into influencing the 2024 federal elections, largely through Fairshake, a non-partisan super PAC backing pro-crypto candidates and opposing skeptics.
Crypto corporations donated over $119 million to the 2024 federal elections. Source: Public Citizen
Coinbase and Ripple, among others who stand to profit, directly provided over half of Fairshake’s funding. The remaining funds mostly came from billionaire crypto executives and venture capitalists. Notable contributions included $44 million from the founders of Andreessen Horowitz, $5 million from the Winklevoss twins, and $1 million from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.
So far, big crypto’s spending strategy is paying off with a more favorable environment.
Without a clear framework to guide the crypto industry following these dropped lawsuits, this lax approach risks being short-lived. Ultimately, this could tarnish long-term crypto adoption.
“Somehow, all these victories feel somewhat hollow after the reputation of the crypto industry has been tarnished by the billions of dollars in combined losses from meme coin scams. Meanwhile, Hayden Davis, the mastermind behind LIBRA, continues to launch fraudulent meme tokens, despite being on the Interpol wanted list,” he said.
A 2024 report by Web3 intelligence platform Merkle Science revealed that meme coin rug pulls cost investors over $500 million. The February LIBRA incident showed how this trend was carried over to 2025. Nansen data revealed that 86% of investors lost $251 million, while insiders pocketed $180 million in profits.
Though crypto scammers may be charged with related crimes like wire fraud or money laundering, rug pulling is legal. Better said, it’s unaccounted for. No regulation holds crypto insiders responsible for meme coin scams.
“As crypto becomes an ever more mainstream asset class, consumers need to be protected against those who choose to use it for nefarious purposes. One way to do this is through education, and that’s our job as an industry. But deterring scams and extractive behavior is the job of the regulators. And it’s time they stepped up to the task,” Puckrin told BeInCrypto.
If the SEC doesn’t take advantage of this opportunity to curb the consequences that meme coin scams can produce, it will result in an enormous setback for the industry.
Comprehensive Regulation Beyond Dropped Lawsuits
Puckrin illustrated the need for heightened regulatory clarity in crypto by drawing attention to the way the SEC penalizes insider trading in the context of traditional investing.
“In traditional investing, insider trading is a serious crime. In the US, it’s punishable by fines of up to $5 million for individuals and prison sentences up to 20 years. Similarly, federal penalties for engaging with illegal gambling activities include up to five years in prison. Perpetrators of memecoin scams must be punished with the same level of severity, because the result is the same: manipulating markets and cheating unsuspecting investors out of their savings,” he said.
Puckrin clarified, however, that the issue isn’t solely about penalizing fraudsters. Just as the SEC’s past overregulation hindered the industry, the current lack of meme coin rules creates an environment where new scams and exploitative schemes can easily flourish.
“Yes, the removal of lawsuits is great news for blockchain innovation, but something needs to replace it. Indeed, serious cryptocurrency firms have never advocated for an unregulated Wild West. What they want is clarity and rules that are fit for the nascent blockchain industry – not just a copy-and-paste of existing financial regulations that simply don’t work for crypto,” he said.
Although the Trump administration has only been in place for four months, the clock is ticking, and meaningful change takes time.
Unanswered Questions Loom
Puckrin expressed concern over the current administration’s prioritization of lawsuit dismissals instead of working faster to implement transcendental crypto regulation.
“My concern is that regulators will keep kicking the can down the road with crypto regulation, having gained the approval of the industry for dropping the many lawsuits that were stifling its growth. And this is incredibly dangerous,” he told BeInCrypto.
Meanwhile, critical questions that only the SEC can define remain unanswered.
“What are memecoins and who will ensure another LIBRA fiasco doesn’t happen? Are utility altcoins now commodities and if so, will the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulate them? And, importantly, what do we do about compensating investors who have lost billions to crypto fraud?” Puckrin concluded.
The SEC’s current direction promises a regulated renaissance or a breeding ground for future crises.
With billions lost and critical questions unanswered, the future of crypto hinges on whether the regulatory body will translate its recent shift into a lasting framework that fosters innovation without sacrificing investor protection.
As developers await further testing results from the Hoodi testnet, the highly anticipated Ethereum Pectra mainnet upgrade, initially slated for April 2025, has been delayed.
This decision came during Ethereum’s All Core Developers Consensus Call (ACDC) #153 on March 20. It reflects the development team’s cautious approach to ensuring a smooth and stable upgrade process.
Hoodi Testnet to Determine Pectra Timeline
During the call, Ethereum’s core team reviewed the progress of Pectra.
Instead of confirming a mainnet date, they opted to monitor the upgrade’s performance on Hoodi, a newly launched testnet designed to assess Pectra’s stability. This is unsurprising, as Ethereum Protocol Support Lead Tim Beiko recently hinted as much. He noted the scheduling of Pectra Upgrade at least 30 days after Hoodi forks successfully.
“…Pectra will be scheduled 30+ days after Hoodi forks successfully, pending infra and client testing. Fusaka planning will run in parallel, with a deadline of March 24 to propose EIPs, and a tentative date of April 10 for a scope freeze,” Beiko explained.
Therefore, the delay is not entirely surprising, reflecting developers’ cautious approach to ensuring a smooth transition.
Ethereum Developers’ Consensus Layer Meeting 153 for Pectra Upgrade
The main reason for postponing the upgrade is the need for thorough testing. Developers use Hoodi to simulate real-world conditions and identify potential issues before activating Pectra on the mainnet.
The upgrade will go live on Hoodi on March 26, with developers observing its performance before deciding on the mainnet release.
Another factor influencing the delay is History Expiry, a planned cleanup process set to go live on May 1. This change, linked to Ethereum Improvement Proposal 6110 (EIP 6110), affects the handling of validator deposit history on Ethereum.
Since Pectra plays a key role in this process, the delay also compels the postponing of History Expiry. Developers are now reconsidering the timeline for implementing this change.
For now, the priority is to ensure a successful Pectra test on Hoodi, which is better than the Sepolia testnet. If testing goes smoothly, developers could move forward to set a mainnet launch date. However, they could extend the timeline further if necessary.
“Sepolia’s Pectra upgrade hit a snag because a node didn’t upgrade in time—sounds trivial, but it’s a reminder: Ethereum’s decentralization is only as strong as its weakest operator. If one forgotten node can delay an upgrade, imagine what happens when real money is on the line,” one user quipped.
At the same time, discussions about Ethereum’s next major upgrade, Fusaka, are underway. Developers are considering additional improvements for inclusion in future updates. This would ensure that Ethereum continues to grow and maintain its leadership in the blockchain space.
Although the Pectra delay is temporary, developers emphasize that thorough testing is essential to avoid unexpected issues.
The Ethereum community will have to wait a little longer, but the upgrade remains a top priority. A final decision on the mainnet launch date is due in the coming weeks.
