Coinbase, the largest digital assets exchange in the United States, has revealed that residents across five states have missed out on more than $90 million in potential staking rewards since June 2023.
The exchange explained that the missed earnings stemmed from these states’ ongoing legal actions against the platform’s staking services.
Coinbase Pushes Back Against Outdated Staking Bans in US States
On April 25, Coinbase publicly urged California, New Jersey, Maryland, Wisconsin, and South Carolina to lift their restrictions against its staking services.
According to the exchange, removing these restrictions would align these states with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Notably, several other states have already abandoned similar efforts.
Coinbase argues that the holdout states have imposed outdated and misdirected bans. The company stresses that regulators originally designed cease-and-desist orders to combat scams, not legitimate financial services like staking.
Considering this, the firm warned that the financial impact on residents will continue to grow unless the restrictions are lifted soon.
“The holdouts actively harm their consumers by barring their access to safe wealth generation tools like staking. They’ve cost these Americans tens of millions of dollars in potential earnings – and counting,” Coinbase’s chief legal officer Paul Grewal said on X.
Beyond lost earnings, Coinbase believes these state-level actions harm consumers by limiting their choices.
The exchange warned that residents might be forced to seek staking options through less secure, lightly regulated platforms. This shift could expose users to higher risks without the protections offered by licensed and established exchanges.
“By singling out Coinbase, these holdout states are arbitrarily picking winners and losers. That’s the job of consumers, not state bureaucrats. Their actions not only deprive consumers of competition and choice, but also push them towards potentially less regulated (or unregulated) staking platforms,” Coinbase stressed
Coinbase also raised concerns about the wider effects on the crypto industry. The ongoing bans, it said, add to the regulatory uncertainty that continues to cloud the US digital asset market.
“Against this backdrop, continued litigation by the holdout states is more indefensible than ever. These lawsuits don’t protect consumers – they confuse them and expose them to greater risk,” Coinbase stated.
The firm emphasized that dropping the staking restrictions would benefit residents and promote safer innovation. It added that this move would help create a stronger, more competitive crypto economy in the United States.
Garantex, a Russian crypto exchange under US sanctions, accused Tether of attacking the Russian crypto market.
According to the exchange’s Telegram announcement, Tether has frozen several USDT wallets on the exchange, which are worth over $28 million.
USDT Holders in Russia are At Risk
Garantex stated that USDT stablecoins in user wallets are at risk. Several USDT funds held by users in the exchange have been frozen. To manage the situation, Garantex has temporarily halted all operations.
Co-founder Sergey Mendeleev stated that this action disrupts Russia’s international trade carried out with digital assets.
“We temporarily suspend the provision of all services, including cryptocurrency findings, for a while while we are solving this problem with the whole team. We fight and don’t give up!” Garantex wrote on Telegram.
Further, he warned that the freeze creates difficulties for businesses and financial institutions that depend on crypto to settle international payments.
“While we discussed easing tensions and relaxing sanctions, we were deceived once again. Suddenly, the paradigm shifted: earlier, sanctions were merely glossed over, but now they block without trial or investigation. This is exactly the reality I have warned about for at least two years, yet neither the Central Bank nor the professional community listened,” — wrote Mendeleev.
Mendeleev stressed that the disruption affects Russia’s economic engagements on a broader scale. Western sanctions have forced digital currencies to play a vital role in international settlements. The current incident further complicates those processes.
The exchange’s claim draws attention to mounting regulatory pressure and a growing conflict between US authorities and market players operating in Russian jurisdictions.
Garantex Sanction Explained
State Duma deputy Anton Gorelkin added his perspective on the incident. He pointed out that Tether’s decision reflects a broader trend of pressure applied by Western regulators on crypto infrastructure amid ongoing sanctions.
Gorelkin highlighted that centralized stablecoins like USDT remain particularly exposed to outside control. Despite the blockade, he expressed confidence that it is impossible to completely shut down the Russian crypto market.
Officials charged the exchange with failing to comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules. US agencies claimed that Garantex played a role in laundering over $100 million linked to hacker groups and dark web transactions.
In March of last year, law enforcement agencies from the US and UK began an investigation into Garantex. They reviewed crypto transactions totaling more than $20 billion made using USDT.
This probe reflects the ongoing tensions between regulators and crypto operators in sanctioned environments.
The non-fungible token (NFT) sector experienced explosive growth in 2021. Artists, investors, and collectors were all swept up in the frenzy. Yet, its meteoric rise was followed by a downturn, prompting questions about the sector’s sustainability.
Alexander Salnikov, co-founder of Rarible, believes the market is not facing a collapse but rather a shift. In an exclusive interview with BeInCrypto, Salnikov offered his perspective on the state of NFTs in 2025 and their role moving forward.
Are NFTs Still Relevant in 2025, or Have They Run Their Course?
The rise of NFTs, fueled by excitement and speculation, was inevitable for a market experiencing such rapid innovation. Nonetheless, like many emerging technologies, this early surge was followed by a correction. The hype gave way to the realities of market maturation and sustainability.
According to the latest report by DappRadar, the art NFT market saw an impressive surge in 2021, with trading volumes reaching $2.9 billion. However, by the first quarter of 2025, the trading volume was recorded at just $23.8 million, marking a 93% decline.
NFTs Trading Volume Over the Years. Source: DappRadar
Similarly, the number of active traders peaked at a record high of 529,101 in 2022. Yet, this figure sharply declined by 96%, with just 19,575 active traders remaining by Q1 2025.
A previous industry report from DappRadar revealed that the underwhelming performance wasn’t just a trend in 2025. In fact, 2024 was one of the worst-performing years for the NFT market since 2020. In addition, BeInCrypto also reported on a study that revealed 98% of NFT projects launched in 2024 were essentially “dead.”
Despite the decline, Rarible’s Salnikov has maintained a positive outlook for the sector. He emphasized the importance of a clear purpose when it comes to NFTs.
“Once upon a time, after the .com burst, the headlines rang that the internet was only a fad. But as more companies integrated the technology into everyday use cases, it became ingrained as a part of life,” he told BeInCrypto.
“The speculative phase had its moment, but now we’re watching NFTs evolve into actual infrastructure—tools creators use to build communities, products, and new digital economies,” he said.
NFTs Beyond the Hype: Unlocking Real-World Utility
Salnikov stressed that utility in the NFT space is no longer a distant concept—it is happening right now. Creators are using NFTs for membership, brands for loyalty programs, and games for player identity.
He pointed to a growing convergence between the digital and physical worlds, with NFTs being tied to merchandise, events, and even real-world assets. Binance Research’s April 2025 report further corroborates this trend.
The report spotlighted several real-world partnerships, indicating interest in NFTs. Examples include Azuki’s physical-backed NFT with Michael Lau, The Sandbox’s Jurassic World collaboration, EGGRYPTO’s anime characters with Eparida, and Sony’s Soneium platform partnering with LINE to create Web3 mini-apps.
“The next wave of growth isn’t about chasing a trend—it’s about unlocking new types of ownership and access that feel native to the internet generation,” noted Salnikov.
While this perspective offers optimism, the reality for many companies is quite different. Due to low trading volumes, major platforms like Bybit, X2Y2, and Kraken have resorted to discontinuing their NFT services.
Those that didn’t shut down explored alternative avenues. For instance, Magic Eden expanded beyond NFTs with the acquisition of Slingshot. Nevertheless, Salnikov dismissed this strategy, commenting,
“We’re not trying to bolt on non-NFT features just to stay busy—we’re building NFT commerce that actually fits the communities using it.”
He explained that this approach uses modular, customizable on-chain marketplaces. Creators can tailor them to fit their specific audiences, whether it’s a gaming project, an L3, or a legacy brand.
“NFTs are the feature—they just need the right framing,” the Rarible co-founder stated.
When Fame Fades: The Diminishing Returns of Celebrity-Backed NFTs
In January 2022, Bieber spent 500 ETH (approximately $1.3 million at the time) on Bored Ape #3001. This NFT is from Yuga Labs’ Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collection.
However, according to the latest data, the NFT is worth only 13.51 WETH (around $24,174), a decline of 98.1%. Although the singer hasn’t sold his NFT, it has received little attention lately, with no promotional efforts or notable discussions around it.
Thus, while celebrities can bring attention to NFTs, this highlights the need for substance beyond the name itself. As Salnikov pointed out, celebrity involvement in the sector is fleeting.
According to him, a celebrity name alone can’t replace genuine creative direction or a strong community.
“Celebrity drops will come and go—it’s the culture behind them that determines if they stick,” he remarked.
He argued that celebrities treating NFTs as mere merchandise deters audiences. Nevertheless, when an NFT drop is intentional and truly taps into something meaningful like music, fashion, or fandom, that’s where the lasting value is found.
“We’re way more interested in working with creators who are building for the long haul than just chasing headlines,” Salnikov disclosed to BeInCrypto.
The executive also outlined the need for a more accessible and user-friendly approach for attracting interested users. He detailed that onboarding users should not feel “like a tech demo.” Salnikov pointed to Rarible as an example.
According to him, Rarible focuses on ensuring that each marketplace built on its platform is a product people genuinely want to use. This involves features such as fiat onramps, low-cost mints, a clean user interface, and, most importantly, content that resonates with users.
“We’re not selling NFTs—we’re powering experiences that just happen to be onchain,” Salnikov concluded.
While the NFT market faces ongoing challenges, it remains to be seen whether the industry is entering a new phase of growth or if further obstacles lie ahead in its evolution.
Smart Money wallets have been aggressively offloading TRUMP, BNKR, and PWEASE in the last seven days, raising red flags for these trending tokens. TRUMP has faced the heaviest pressure, with over $380,000 in net outflows, as its price remains stuck in a sharp downtrend.
BNKR, despite posting strong weekly gains, has also seen large traders liquidating their positions, signaling potential profit-taking. Meanwhile, PWEASE is experiencing similar bearish flows as larger wallets continue to trim exposure despite the recent buzz around the meme coin.
This steep correction has coincided with notable smart money activity, as key wallets have been heavily exiting their positions. In the last seven days alone, smart money wallets sold $382,660 worth of TRUMP while only buying $1,240, resulting in a sharp net outflow of $381,420.
This imbalance suggests that larger, more informed investors are losing confidence in TRUMP’s short-term prospects, contributing to the downward momentum.
If this corrective trend persists, TRUMP could fall further and retest its next key support level, $9.54. Failure to hold this level may expose the asset to deeper losses.
However, if TRUMP manages to reverse its current bearish trend and regain bullish momentum, it could attempt to challenge resistance at $12.51.
A successful breakout above this level may open the door for a move towards $13.88. If buying pressure strengthens further, TRUMP could rally back up to $17.75, reclaiming levels closer to where it was trading before the recent downturn.
BankrCoin (BNKR)
BNKR has surged by 19% over the past week, positioning itself as one of the top-performing AI coins and one of the most talked-about assets on the Base chain.
This recent rally has drawn significant attention, helping BNKR stand out in a competitive market. However, despite the price increase, smart money wallets have shown mixed behavior—while they purchased $75,700 worth of BNKR in the last seven days, they also offloaded $213,730, resulting in a net outflow of $138,000.
This suggests that although BNKR is trending, larger investors may be capitalizing on the recent rally to secure profits.
If this selling pressure persists, BNKR could lose its recent momentum and slip below key support levels at $0.00019 or even $0.00018, marking its lowest levels since mid-February.
On the other hand, if BNKR manages to reignite the bullish sentiment that fueled last week’s gains, it could retest resistance at $0.000225.
A breakout above this level could pave the way for a further move toward $0.000282, signaling a strong continuation of its upward trend.
PWEASE
PWEASE, a Solana meme coin satirizing US Vice President JD Vance, has been drawing attention amid volatile market conditions.
Over the past seven days, smart money wallets have shown a bearish stance. They purchased $166,720 worth of PWEASE but sold $291,000 in the same period, resulting in a net outflow of $124,320.
This suggests that while the token has gained some traction, larger investors are currently leaning towards reducing their exposure, adding selling pressure to the coin.
If this corrective trend continues, PWEASE could move lower and test the key support at $0.0125. If that level fails to hold, a deeper decline toward $0.0059 may follow.
However, should PWEASE manage to attract renewed buying interest and reverse the downtrend, it could push up to challenge resistance at $0.0295.
A breakout above this level could open the door for further upside toward $0.040, signaling a potential shift back to bullish momentum for the meme coin.
