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Uphold, the multi-asset crypto trading platform, is reportedly seeking a potential sale to a payments firm with $1.5 billion target. Besides this, the New York-headquartered firm is also considering the Initial Public Offering (IPO) amid the bullish momentum. The firm has reportedly hired FT Partners – according to the Block – to consider both the
The post Crypto Trading Platform Uphold Up For $1.5 billion Acquisition : Report appeared first on CoinGape.
Solana (SOL) price is facing weakness as bearish headwinds persist in the crypto market. Moreover, SOL continues to underperform against Ethereum (ETH), with the SOL/ETH ratio plunging 25% in less than three weeks to its lowest level in nearly a month. Amid weakening bullish momentum, will Solana price crash to $130 or bounce higher? Solana Price Weakens as SOL/ETH Crashes The momentum around Solana price is growing weak amid a crash in the SOL/ETH ratio. As Coingape reported, Solana’s underperformance is driving Ethereum’s gains, with the latter recording a mild 1.3% drop in seven days, notably lower than SOL’s 11% drop. At press time, the SOL/ETH ratio stood at 0.0613 after shedding more than 25% of its value since May 8. At this level, the ratio was testing a multi-month support level that had previously determined whether the price continues with the upward trend or drops lower. SOL/ETH is losing… Read More at Coingape.com
The post Solana Price Rally Weakens as SOL/ETH Crashes 25% appeared first on CoinGape.
The week was notably bullish for the crypto market, with Bitcoin (BTC) reaching record highs of $111,980 and more optimistic predictions emerging. US states’ investment trends and regulatory developments dominated the spotlight, while Pi Network’s price surge also drew attention.
The following is a roundup of some of the most important developments in the crypto market this week.
One of the most notable developments this week in crypto was the revelation of US states’ $632 million holdings in Strategy’s MSTR stock. BeInCrypto reported that in Q1 2025, the holdings increased by an average of 42%.
“14 US states have reported $632 million in MSTR exposure for Q1, in public retirement and treasury funds. A collective increase of $302 million in one quarter,” Bitcoin Laws founder Julian Fahrer posted.
California, through its state teachers and public retirement fund, led the pack with $276 million in MSTR shares, followed by Florida, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Despite a recent veto on a Bitcoin reserve bill, Arizona also increased its MSTR holdings.
Other states like Utah and Colorado showed substantial growth in MSTR investments, with the former’s holdings growing by 184% in the last quarter. On the other hand, while boosting its MSTR position by 26%, the Wisconsin Investment Board sold off its entire $300 million stake in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF.
This exemplifies that Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin (576,230 BTC), has become a preferred choice for states seeking indirect crypto exposure without dealing with the complexities of direct ownership.
Pi Network has been widely discussed since its open network launch in late February 2025. This week, Pi Coin (PI) dominated headlines due to its 11% price appreciation. BeInCrypto highlighted that the catalyst behind this uptick was an 86 million withdrawal from the OKX exchange.
This reduced OKX’s PI token balance to just 21 million. This mass movement suggested investors were holding rather than selling. This bullish signal is often associated with confidence in future price appreciation.
“This isn’t just a withdrawal—it’s a POWER MOVE by the Pi community. Scarcity is kicking in, and the market is feeling the heat!” a Pioneer posted on X.
Nonetheless, the high was fleeting. After the rise, more declines followed. Over the past day alone, Pi Coin’s value depreciated by 4.7%.
At the time of writing, it traded at $0.79.
Along with its underwhelming price performance, Pi Network has faced significant criticism due to its inability to secure a listing on major exchanges like Binance or Coinbase. Concerns regarding its lack of recognition on price tracking platforms, token distribution, node centralization, and migration challenges further add to the growing list of issues.
Another crypto-related incident this week involved the co-founder of the Telegram-based crypto project Blum. On May 18, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow arrested Vladimir Smerkis, who previously managed Binance’s operations in Russia. Smerkis allegedly committed ‘large-scale fraud.’
“The Zamoskvoretsky District Court granted the investigator’s petition for the preventive measure of detention for Vladimir Smerkis, who was arrested in connection with a case of large-scale fraud (Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation),” local media reported.
In response to the arrest, Blum quickly distanced itself from Smerkis and his involvement in the project.
“We would like to inform our community that Vladimir Smerkis has stepped down from his role as CMO and is no longer involved in the development of the project or in any co-founder capacity,” Blum’s official statement read.
This week in crypto, Bitcoin took center stage with its impressive rally. BeInCrypto was the first to report that Bitcoin reclaimed its all-time high of $108,900 after four months. However, the rally didn’t stop there, as the price continued to climb.
Yesterday, BTC peaked at a new record of $111,980, a high yet to be surpassed. Yet, analysts are increasingly optimistic about Bitcoin’s prospects moving forward.
Mathematician and analyst Fred Krueger predicted that Bitcoin’s price could surge to $600,000 by October 2025. His forecast hinges on a series of speculative developments that will begin on July 21, with BTC priced at $150,000.
“THE FINAL RUN: BITCOIN TO $600,000. Timeframe: 90 days — from Monday, July 21, 2025. Starting BTC: $150,000, Ending BTC: $600,000. Final Gold: $10,400. DXY: Collapses from 96 → 68. US 10Y Yield: Spikes to 9.2% before being “frozen” by the Fed. SPX: Collapses 50%,” Krueger stated.
The supposed catalysts for Bitcoin’s rise to $600,000 include a failed US Treasury auction, BRICS nations launching a Bitcoin-backed payment system, countries shifting reserves to Bitcoin, rising Treasury yields, a collapse in US real estate, tech companies adopting Bitcoin, and a potential restructuring of the US dollar at an October summit.
Apart from the price, Bitcoin also dominated the regulatory sector. This week in crypto, Texas’s Senate Bill 21 passed its second House reading with a 105-23 vote. Shortly after, it passed the third and final reading by a vote of 101-42.
The bill, which aims to create a state-level Bitcoin Reserve, now only requires Governor Abbott’s signature to be finalized. Notably, as BeInCrypto pointed out, Governor Abbott is pro-crypto.
In fact, he posted an article about the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve on his X account today, which signals a likely approval.
“It’s happening. Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, will sign Texas’ Bitcoin Reserve into law. One of the richest states will be buying Bitcoin. Get ready!!!” crypto commentator Kyle Chassé remarked.
With the Texas Senate session ending on June 2, Governor Abbott has until then to make a decision. If signed into law, Texas will become the second US state to establish its own Bitcoin Reserve, following New Hampshire.
The post This Week in Crypto: US States’ $632 Million MSTR Stake, 86 Million Pi Withdrawals, Bitcoin New High and More appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Secure your spot here.
The post deFINTECH by EVAA at TOKEN2049: Where On-Chain Builders Talk Product, Not Hype appeared first on BeInCrypto.