While the broader crypto market struggled to find direction in April, VIRTUAL bucked the trend to record significant gains. The altcoin has soared 183% over the past month, standing out as one of the few tokens to record substantial gains in an otherwise lackluster market.
VIRTUAL is up 22% in the past 24 hours, making it the top-performing crypto asset today. It is poised to continue its rally, especially as institutional interest grows.
Smart Money Fuels VIRTUAL’s Rally
VIRTUAL initiated its uptrend on April 22 and has consistently marked new daily price highs since then. As its price climbs, there has been a corresponding rise in its Smart Money Index (SMI), which currently stands at 3.07.
The SMI indicator tracks the trading activity of institutional investors, often referred to as the “smart money.” It analyzes intraday price movements, focusing on the first and last trading hours.
When the SMI rises with an asset’s price, major investors are accumulating positions, reflecting growing confidence in the asset’s upward momentum. The current uptick in VIRTUAL’s SMI suggests that institutional players are actively accumulating the token, likely positioning for further gains.
Further supporting the bullish outlook is the token’s rising Chaikin Money Flow (CMF). As of this writing, this momentum indicator stands at 0.25 and remains in an upward trend.
The CMF indicator measures money flow into and out of an asset. A rising CMF like this reflects increased capital inflows and positive sentiment among traders.
Therefore, VIRTUAL’s CMF reading reinforces its price surge and hints at the potential for a continued rally in the short term.
VIRTUAL’s Price Action Hints at Further Upside
VIRTUAL’s triple-digit rally since April 22 has caused it to trade within an ascending parallel channel. This pattern is formed when an asset’s price consistently makes higher highs and higher lows, moving within two upward-sloping, parallel trendlines.
It signals a bullish trend, suggesting that the asset’s price may continue rising as long as it stays within the channel. If demand strengthens and VIRTUAL climbs, remaining within the channel, it could trade at $2.26.
However, a resurgence in profit-taking activity will prevent this bullish projection. If selloffs begin, the VIRTUAL token could lose recent gains, break below $1.55, and fall toward $0.96.
Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao made a rare public appearance in Hong Kong Sunday, revealing he rarely trades cryptocurrency despite founding the world’s largest exchanges.
The appearance was particularly noteworthy as Zhao recently denied reports he would attend another Hong Kong crypto event on April 8. His presence at both the BNB Super Meetup and the MVB 9th event generated significant attention in the crypto community.
CZ talking with Justin Sun at a BNB event in Hong Kong. Source:X(joezhoublack)
Market Concerns and Investment Advice
“The industry is not particularly healthy right now,” Zhao said during the BNB Super Meetup, criticizing excessive focus on meme coins. “We’re putting too much attention on quick gains.”
In a surprising admission, Zhao said, “I don’t speculate much. I don’t trade crypto much. I haven’t bought any meme coins.”
Zhao, worth approximately $66.6 billion, suggested several dozen to “over a hundred” cryptocurrencies could potentially outperform Bitcoin long-term, while emphasizing Bitcoin remains the most stable investment.
For newcomers, he recommended a disciplined approach “I strongly recommend young people invest a small amount each month that you can afford to lose,” he advised, endorsing dollar-cost averaging. “There’s no bad time to enter the market, but how you enter is very important.”
Past Mistakes
Zhao acknowledged mistakes in Binance’s approach to DeFi, admitting he failed to give proper attention to the BNB ecosystem while dealing with US legal issues.
“We didn’t focus enough on the BNB ecosystem. This was a big mistake.”
When asked about BNB’s future value, Zhao avoided specific predictions but emphasized that expanding use cases would naturally increase its value.
Personal Life
Zhao revealed numerous countries now seek his blockchain advice, including the UAE, United States, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. “Now countries need us, and we can support them,” he said.
In a separate interview with Tron founder Justin Sun, Zhao discussed his digital education project aimed at providing free content to children worldwide. “With about $300 million, we could digitize 18 years of education across 30 subjects,” he explained.
Before the Super Meetup, Zhao appeared alongside Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin at BNB Chain’s MVB 9th event, where 16 projects were selected for an acceleration program.
When asked about his daily routine, Zhao said he typically works from bed due to back problems and enjoys kitesurfing in his free time. “Most of my time is spent working from bed because my back isn’t great,” he shared.
He completed a four-month prison sentence in September 2024 after pleading guilty to U.S. federal charges related to money laundering. Binance paid $4.3 billion in fines, while Zhao personally paid $50 million.
As we enter Q2 of 2025, the global crypto market finds itself steering a complex intersection of macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures.
BeInCrypto spoke with analysts Leena ElDeeb of 21Shares and Max Shannon of CoinShares, who offer distinct but insightful perspectives on the crypto space’s outlook for the new quarter.
Bitcoin’s Future: Bullish or Bearish?
The two analysts share a bullish outlook on Bitcoin, albeit with differing views on its short-term fluctuations. Leena ElDeeb sees the potential for Bitcoin to surpass $90,000, driven by macroeconomic factors such as a possible rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.
“February’s softer-than-expected CPI print boosted rate cut expectations. If rate cuts materialize, a wave of liquidity could reignite bullish momentum, pushing equities and Bitcoin past key resistance levels,” she told BeInCrypto.
In her view, Bitcoin could eventually hit a range between $150,000 and $200,000 by the year’s end, bolstered by growing regulatory clarity and political support, such as President Trump’s proposal for a strategic crypto reserve.
Max Shannon, on the other hand, remains more cautious about Bitcoin’s immediate future. He predicts that Bitcoin will continue to trade within a wide range of $70,000 to $90,000 in Q2, constrained by persistent tariff issues.
“The moment they [tariffs] get lifted will likely be a massive boon for the equities and crypto market,” he notes, indicating that a resolution could pave the way for Bitcoin’s next big move.
Both analysts acknowledge Ethereum’s struggles, particularly its nearly 40% drop in Q1. However, they also highlight key developments that could support a recovery in the next quarter.
ElDeeb points to Ethereum’s upcoming upgrade, the Pectra upgrade, which is expected to improve staking and network scalability.
“Ethereum’s staking is also about to be improved with the launch of Pectra. These changes are expected to boost the appeal of staking-enabled products,” she explained.
Additionally, she sees growing competition from other blockchain platforms like Solana and Sui, which are attracting retail users with faster and cheaper transactions. Despite this, ElDeeb remains optimistic about Ethereum’s long-term potential, particularly as scalability solutions begin to take effect.
Shannon is more skeptical of Ethereum’s future, specifically with its ongoing challenges in both the monetary and smart contract spaces.
“Ethereum is attempting to function both as a monetary asset, where it struggles to compete with Bitcoin, and as a smart contract platform, where it faces strong competition from Solana,” the CoinShares analyst stated.
Shannon also highlights Ethereum’s changing monetary policy and the increasing technical debt as concerns that could limit its growth in the short term.
The rise and fall of celebrity meme coins like TRUMP, MELANIA, and LIBRA were hot topics in Q1 2025. Both analysts agree that the hype around this category of tokens is unlikely to be sustained in the long run.
“The forthcoming cryptocurrency market rally is anticipated to be driven by significant advancements in decentralized finance (DeFi), particularly through innovative mechanisms that enhance token holder engagement,” she notes, citing Aave’s recent proposal to share revenue with AAVE token holders as a prime example of this trend.
On the flip side, Shannon suggests that the decline in meme coins and altcoins could be a sign of broader challenges in the altcoin market.
“The Melei controversy, pump.fun decline, and declining centralized and decentralized exchange volumes show altcoins could have a very hard time this year in my opinion,” he cautions.
As trading volumes continue to drop, Shannon forecasts that altcoins may continue to underperform.
“Even in a BTC bull run altcoins could underperform,” the analyst added.
The Road Ahead
Looking ahead to Q2 2025, both ElDeeb and Shannon anticipate continued market volatility. External macroeconomic conditions like US tariffs, interest rate decisions, and geopolitical factors will largely shape the market.
While ElDeeb maintains a generally optimistic view, predicting a recovery for both Bitcoin and Ethereum, Shannon advises caution, particularly with altcoins.
For investors, diversification remains key. ElDeeb emphasizes the value of Bitcoin’s fixed supply and decentralization, which have historically helped it recover from turbulent periods.
“We consider these market corrections as great market entry points,” she says.
Shannon, meanwhile, stressed the importance of caution in navigating the altcoin space. He added that Bitcoin could be the best bet for those seeking stability.
Cybercriminals have found a new attack vector, targeting users of Atomic and Exodus wallets through open-source software repositories.
The latest wave of exploits involves distributing malware-laced packages to compromise private keys and drain digital assets.
How Hackers are Targeting Atomic and Exodus Wallets
ReversingLabs, a cybersecurity firm, has uncovered a malicious campaign where attackers compromised Node Package Manager (NPM) libraries.
These libraries, often disguised as legitimate tools like PDF-to-Office converters, carry hidden malware. Once installed, the malicious code executes a multi-phase attack.
First, the software scans the infected device for crypto wallets. Then, it injects harmful code into the system. This includes a clipboard hijacker that silently alters wallet addresses during transactions, rerouting funds to wallets controlled by the attackers.
Malicious Code Targeting Atomic and Exodus Wallets. Source: ReversingLabs
Moreover, the malware also collects system details and monitors how successfully it infiltrated each target. This intelligence allows threat actors to improve their methods and scale future attacks more effectively.
Meanwhile, ReversingLabs also noted that the malware maintains persistence. Even if the deceptive package, such as pdf-to-office, is deleted, remnants of the malicious code remain active.
To fully cleanse a system, users must uninstall affected crypto wallet software and reinstall from verified sources.
Indeed, security experts noted that the scope of the threat highlights the growing software supply chain risks threatening the industry.
“The frequency and sophistication of software supply chain attacks that target the cryptocurrency industry are also a warning sign of what’s to come in other industries. And they’re more evidence of the need for organizations to improve their ability to monitor for software supply chain threats and attacks,” ReversingLabs stated.
These infected files included clipboard hijackers and crypto miners, posing as legitimate software but operating silently in the background to compromise wallets.
The incidents highlight a surge in open-source abuse and present a disturbing trend of attackers increasingly hiding malware inside software packages developers trust.
Considering the prominence of these attacks, crypto users and developers are urged to remain vigilant, verify software sources, and implement strong security practices to mitigate growing threats.
