The crypto market is in the red today, with the global market cap slipping by 4.32% to $3.25 trillion. Most cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana, are seeing sharp losses. Bitcoin is trading below $104,000 at the time of writing. There is support near $101,000 to $102,000.
Ethereum (ETH) has dropped over 9% in the past 24 hours, falling to around $2,501. XRP has also taken a hit, slipping by more than 5% to trade at $2.11. Popular altcoins like Solana (SOL) and Dogecoin (DOGE) aren’t spared either — SOL is down over 10% while DOGE has fallen by nearly 9%. Even large-cap tokens like BNB and Cardano (ADA) have lost ground, dropping 2.89% and 8.6% respectively.
Geopolitical Tensions Shake Markets
The biggest reason for today’s crypto sell-off is a sudden escalation in Middle East tensions. Israel reportedly launched an airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 13 and this geopolitical shock spooked global investors, sending them rushing toward safer assets like gold, which jumped 5%.
Historically, whenever there’s unrest in the Middle East, risky assets like cryptocurrencies tend to fall. Bitcoin alone dropped by nearly 4% intraday, a move similar to what happened during the U.S.-Iran conflict in 2020.
Macro and Regulatory Pressure
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently warned that Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could push U.S. inflation up to 3%. This could lead the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer — bad news for risk assets like crypto.
Coinbase’s recent launch of CFTC-compliant perpetual futures contracts has pulled short-term liquidity away from spot markets, adding to the downward pressure.
The next big event for the markets is the upcoming interest rate decision, due in a few days. Right now, there’s a 99% chance rates will stay the same. The market’s hoping Fed Chair Jerome Powell will sound more confident about future economic stability, hinting at rate cuts later. If not, and if the Fed sticks to its “wait and see” stance, markets might stay weak for now.
In an exclusive interview with BeInCrypto, former US CFTC Commissioner Timothy Massad explains how President Trump’s crypto ventures and political power have significantly overlapped in his first two months at the White House.
Shortly before assuming office for the second time, US President Donald Trump dove head-first into a flurry of crypto experiments. From endorsing World Liberty Financial (WLFI) to launching his meme coin, Trump is raising serious concerns over conflicts of interest. Tim Massad, the 12th CFTC Chairman, who served under Barack Obama, shares his thoughts.
A Historic President For Many Reasons
Before assuming his first term in office in 2016, President Trump broke with modern precedent by departing from established conflict-of-interest norms. A real estate mogul with a trademark for a last name, Trump would be entering the Oval Office as the leader of a multi-billion dollar empire.
While former presidents like Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush took measures to separate themselves from their businesses by placing their assets in a blind trust, the sitting President took a different approach.
Instead, Trump handed day-to-day management decisions over to his sons but did not divest in his ownership stake.
Though he received much backlash during his first term over conflict of interest concerns, Trump refused to relinquish ownership of the Trump Organization before assuming office for the second time.
Given Trump’s favorable stance toward digital asset policy development, players inside and outside the industry have begun to wonder whether his decisions are based on the sector’s best interests or are designed to benefit his own ventures.
How Deep is Trump’s Involvement in World Liberty Financial?
Though Trump does not have a direct role in WLFI, he appears on the whitepaper’s list of supporting teams as “Chief Crypto Advocate.” His three sons, Eric, Donald Jr., and Barron, are also on the list.
Reports further unveiled that the Trump family holds a 75% stake in the platform’s net revenue and a 60% stake in the holding company. At the same time, Trump and his associates own 22.5 billion of the company’s tokens.
For former CFTC Commissioner Tim Massad, despite Trump’s informal role in WLF’s governance, his stake in the platform’s performance raises serious conflicts of interest.
“I think it’s unprecedented and plainly wrong for a President of the United States to engage in commercial ventures or have his family and associates engage in commercial ventures that can be directly influenced by the policies he adopts as President or the statements he makes about those policies,” Massad told BeInCrypto.
Meanwhile, the tokens themselves are non-transferrable, limiting financial flexibility. Though the project aims to provide token holders access to a range of DeFi-related products and services, it has yet to launch them. In the meantime, token holders will have to wait until the time comes to use their tokens.
“I have yet to see any real business case or utility that’s of value to people who invest. So I think it all just has a character of taking advantage of people,” Massad added.
The industry has also grown weary over how WLF and other Trump-endorsed projects could be used to gain the President’s favor.
Industry Leaders Voice Concerns Over World Liberty Financial’s Legitimacy
Shortly before Trump launched World Liberty Financial, many prominent figures in the crypto sector warned that the project could cause Trump further legal troubles. Meanwhile, Alex Miller, CEO of Web3 platform Hiro, described the project as an “obvious pump scheme.”
Meanwhile, Alex Miller, CEO of Web3 platform Hiro, described the project as an “obvious pump scheme.”
Just fucking shoot me
Anyone who thinks this is good for crypto, that it doesn’t make us look like clowns, that it doesn’t set us back YEARS in credibility….
This is such an obvious pump scheme. Maybe he won’t literally rug but he’s just grifting and it’s pathetic pic.twitter.com/8bTGmUfLvG
Other industry leaders, such as Mark Cuban, Max Keiser, and Anthony Scaramucci, also criticized Trump’s decision to proceed with WLF’s token sales. Trump’s involvement in the project heightened fears that crypto’s fragile public image and controversial reputation would be smeared further.
Massad agreed with this last point, adding that crypto policy development is alive and well today more than ever. The ongoing development of stablecoin regulations, open talks of a national crypto strategic reserve, and a Senate-driven digital asset working group are only some of the current institutional initiatives.
“He, the Trump Organization and his family members should not be engaging in commercial ventures that pose such blatant conflicts of interest, given the fact that crypto regulation and things like a potential Bitcoin reserve are important policy issues today. A US president shouldn’t be engaging in these things at all, in my view,” Massad said.
Since the project’s launch six months ago, several examples validating these concerns have emerged. The most notable one has focused on Tron founder Justin Sun.
The move was highly controversial. Despite Trump’s endorsement, WLFI struggled to meet its $30 million fundraising target during its first public sale. The token’s availability was restricted, excluding general trading and limiting purchases to non-US and accredited US investors.
Sun’s investment turned WLFI’s luck around. Soon after that, he also became one of the project’s advisors. Then, on the day of Trump’s inauguration, Sun invested an additional $45 million in the project, bringing the total sum to $75 million.
This investment brought varying degrees of scrutiny. While some questioned his quick transition from investor to advisor, others pointed to Sun’s past as a potential motive for his contributions.
In March 2023, the SEC filed fraud charges and other securities law violations against Sun and his companies. This regulatory baggage has led some industry leaders to question the wisdom of his association with World Liberty Financial.
Meanwhile, Tron’s price soared following Sun’s latest WLF investment. Tron, which had been experiencing lagging prices up until that point, was able to jumpstart its trading activities.
TRON Price Surge Following Sun’s $45 Million Investment in World Liberty Financial. Source: TradingView.
However, these conflicts of interest are not just limited to Sun’s investment.
Zhao could also benefit from an agreement. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to federal charges for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering measures at Binance.
Following his plea, Zhao resigned as Binance’s CEO. Motive-driven speculations point toward the possibility of a potential presidential pardon.
For Massad, maneuvers like these are natural when a president directly involves himself in crypto ventures.
“I think there is a huge risk of conflicts of interest and corruption by virtue of the President and people associated with him selling crypto assets—whether that’s through World Liberty Financial or the meme coins. It creates the potential for ongoing conflicts, because people who might want to curry favor with the administration could buy the coins,” Massad told BeInCrypto.
All the while, Trump benefits his crypto ventures every time he makes a pro-crypto announcement.
Is Trump Manipulating the Crypto Market?
A week into March, Trump signed an executive order to establish a Crypto Strategic Reserve and a US Digital Asset Stockpile. In his original announcement, Trump said the reserve would include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins like XRP, ADA, and SOL.
The crypto market responded immediately, with all five cryptocurrencies posting strong gains. Yet, Trump’s announcement quickly raised concerns over potential market manipulation.
With Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP in its treasury, WLF’s holdings grew in value as those assets appreciated. This growth could have boosted investor confidence, leading to higher demand for WLF tokens.
The crypto market’s overall surge and attention to Trump-related projects also generated greater investor interest in WLF, contributing to its price appreciation.
Meanwhile, Trump’s meme coin surged following the President’s reserve announcement. While TRUMP’s price stood at $13.55, with a trading volume of almost $1.2 billion on March 2, those numbers surged to $17.46 and $3.6 billion, respectively, following the news a day later.
On March 4, TRUMP’s price and trading volume plummeted below the numbers they registered only two days earlier.
“I think the meme coins have looked like a classic pump-and-dump scheme or money grab. I don’t think the issue should be, why not let people invest in these things if they want to? Of course they should have the right to invest in whatever they want. The issue is the propriety of the President of the United States selling things that capitalize on his being the President,” said Massad.
Even Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin touched on the damaging effects of political meme coins in a social media post published five days after TRUMP’s launch.
“Now is the time to talk about the fact that large-scale political coins cross a further line: they are not just sources of fun, whose harm is at most contained to mistakes made by voluntary participants, they are vehicles for unlimited political bribery, including from foreign nation states,” Buterin said.
There is perhaps an analogy with weed here.
Ten years ago, to many weed represented freedom, and rebellion against sclerotic old order that denied self-sovereignty over our bodies. Then, weed became legalized, and “official”.
On that day, I remember my personal interest in weed…
Given Trump’s active participation in the crypto industry over the past several months, a vital question remains: Why hasn’t Trump been held accountable over these apparent conflicts of interest?
The answer remains short and bitter: He can’t be.
Can Trump Be Held Accountable?
The potential conflicts of interest arising from Donald Trump’s involvement in the cryptocurrency industry have drawn the attention of various political figures, particularly those focused on government ethics and oversight.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren has been the most vocal opponent of Trump’s dealings in the crypto industry.
“I write today to request information about how you, as President Trump’s ‘Crypto Czar,’ have addressed your conflicts of interest, and how you will prevent the President and other private individuals from directly profiting off of the Trump Administration’s efforts to selectively pump the value of certain crypto assets, drop crypto asset-related enforcement actions, and deregulate the crypto asset industry. These actions have the potential to benefit billionaire investors, Trump Administration insiders, and speculators at the expense of middle-class families,” Elizabeth Warren wrote.
However, not much else can be done beyond letters that demand responses and clarifications from the Trump administration.
The Legal Loophole
US Presidents are largely exempted from conflict of interest provisions. This exemption has been based on legal interpretations that argue these laws could impede the President’s ability to fulfill their constitutional duties.
“The problem is, the POTUS is not subject to the conflict-of-interest laws that apply to most other executive branch officeholders. There is the Foreign Emoluments Clause in the Constitution, which prohibits accepting gifts from foreign countries. There’s also a domestic clause that prohibits accepting gifts from the government. But beyond that, he’s not subject to the usual conflict-of-interest standards. So, it’s unfortunate that we don’t have those standards applicable to a president. I think, had any other president done these things, there would be far more outrage,” Massad told BeInCrypto.
Given the legal circumstances, public scrutiny and political pressure are the best ways to hold a president accountable for potential conflicts of interest.
Yet, despite the legal exemptions for sitting presidents, the ethical implications of Trump’s crypto dealings remain undeniable.
As the lines between political power and personal profit continue to blur, the necessity for clear ethical standards, even without legal mandates, becomes increasingly urgent.
Failing to do so might erode public trust in the crypto industry, generating potentially irreversible consequences.
A promising Layer 2 protocol called Solaxy ($SOLX) has captured attention by raising an impressive $26.8 million during its ongoing token sale.
In the same way that L2s such as Base have improved Ethereum’s throughput, Solaxy now promises to do the same for Solana, speeding up transactions and stopping network congestion.
Solaxy’s stunning presale, which is still ongoing, shows strong investor confidence in the project’s vision to help Solana maintain its position in the cryptocurrency world.
Technical Innovation Behind Solaxy Excitement
Blockchain networks face an ongoing challenge of balancing security, decentralization, and transaction throughput.
Despite Solana’s impressive processing capabilities compared to many competitors, periods of intense network activity (such as when $TRUMP launched) still create bottlenecks, resulting in delayed confirmations and occasional transaction failures.
Solaxy approaches this challenge through an architecture that processes transactions outside the main chain before bundling them together.
These streamlined validation mechanisms maintain security while improving speed, and reduce transaction costs across Solana.
This means Solaxy can help unlock Solana’s full potential, potentially creating billions in new economic value across the ecosystem.
Market Position And Investment Opportunity
With Solana currently valued around $65 billion, and Solaxy in its pre-launch phase, astute investors may recognize the potential value disconnect. Early participants can secure tokens at $0.001666, though this entry price increases in the next 24 hours as the offering advances.
Beyond potential price appreciation, the project offers a staking program currently yielding 152% annually, providing immediate benefits to participants. This rate will naturally decrease as more tokens enter the staking pool.
Cryptocurrency platform 99Bitcoins, with its 700,000+ YouTube subscriber base, recently featured Solaxy in its coverage. Analyst Umar Khan expressed particularly bullish sentiment, describing it as a “Solana gem” with the potential to multiply investment 100 times following its market debut.
This coverage from a respected industry voice provides the project with credibility and visibility, demonstrating its ability to resonate with serious cryptocurrency analysts.
Solaxy Arrives as Excitement Grows Around Solana
After months of turbulent price action, cryptocurrency markets appear to be stabilizing. Solana specifically has posted a modest 1.4% gain over the past week, holding firmly at the psychologically important $125 level.
This price zone carries special significance as it marked the exact support level before Solana’s previous surge to its all-time high of $294.33 in January. Technical analyst Crypto Patel has identified this as “strong support” that could potentially launch Solana toward $500 as market conditions improve.
This stabilization is already benefiting Solana ecosystem projects, with Render and Bonk up 8% this week while Helium has grown 22%.
Given Solaxy’s targeted approach addressing a core infrastructure need and its relatively smaller market capitalization, the project appears uniquely positioned to outperform even these impressive gains during the next market cycle.
For those interested in the token offering, Solaxy provides multiple ways to get involved. Participants can use Solana-compatible wallets, Ethereum-compatible wallets, or direct credit card purchases.
The process begins at the official Solaxy website, where you select your investment amount and preferred payment method. After the presale concludes, tokens are available for claiming.
Regarding security concerns, the project has completed a comprehensive audit through Coinsult, which found no vulnerabilities or issues in the codebase, providing additional confidence for potential participants.
As Solana’s ecosystem continues expanding, Solaxy represents an infrastructure improvement that could dramatically enhance the network’s capabilities.
The post Solaxy is Solana’s Rising Star as L2 Protocol Raises $26M: Best Crypto Presale? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
A promising Layer 2 protocol called Solaxy ($SOLX) has captured attention by raising an impressive $26.8 million during its ongoing token sale. In the same way that L2s such as Base have improved Ethereum’s throughput, Solaxy now promises to do the same for Solana, speeding up transactions and stopping network congestion. Solaxy’s stunning presale, which …
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