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Bitcoin Bulls See Their First Weekly Close Above 21-Week Resistance in Six Months

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Bitcoin Bulls See Their First Weekly Close Above 21-Week Resistance in Six Months

Bitcoin (BTC) counts down the final days of April with a fresh attack on $80,000 as price teases key breakouts.

  • Bitcoin sees its first weekly close above a key trend line since October 2025.
  • Liquidity grabs ramp up as traders eye a potential support retest closer to $70,000.
  • The Federal Reserve interest-rate decision and inflation data form macro volatility catalysts.
  • Analysis sees the “end of capitulation” on Bitcoin as institutions shore up the market.
  • US manufacturing data could allow BTC/USD to avoid a retest of its macro lows.

Bitcoin closes above 21-week trend line for the first time in six months

Bitcoin may have failed to tap $80,000 or even hold its latest gains, but the weekly close was still significant.

After a last-minute push higher, BTC/USD managed to close out the weekly candle just above a key trend line, data from TradingView confirms.

BTC/USD one-hour chart with 21-week EMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

This was its 21-week exponential moving average (EMA) — a resistance feature on the chart in place since October 2025. The last weekly close above it was when the pair traded at nearly $115,000.

As Cointelegraph reported, the 21-week EMA was already on the radar for trader and analyst Rekt Capital. 

A weekly close above it, he argued last week, was a prerequisite for avoiding a support retest of $73,000.

“Unless BTC is able to reclaim the 21-week EMA as support… Then this EMA could indeed force BTC into a post-breakout retest of the top of the Double Bottom price broke out from last week,” he told X followers.

BTC/USD one-week chart. Source: Rekt Capital/X

The 21-week EMA currently forms the upper boundary of Bitcoin’s bull market support band, together with the 20-week simple moving average (SMA) at $76,550.

Similarly, it was in October last year that price completed a weekly close fully above the band’s two trend lines.

Last week, trader Daan Crypto Trades said that such an event “could confirm the end of this down trend and further relief bounce.”

BTC/USD one-week chart with bull market support band. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Liquidity grabs drive low-time frame BTC price action

On short time frames, the BTC price landscape is offering traders mixed signals.

As overall strength persists despite geopolitical uncertainty, bulls continue to struggle with reclaiming key support lines.

“Some great momentum on $BTC lately, however there are some crucial levels to consider,” crypto trader Michaël van de Poppe commented in his latest analysis on X.

Van de Poppe said that price breaking through $79,000 opens up the path to levels up to $100,000, which will nonetheless “take time.”

“If there’s no clear breakout at $79K, it wouldn’t be surprising to expect some period of consolidation before there’s another test of the resistance,” he reasoned.

“In that case, there’s a level that I prefer to see hold: $73.5k+.”

BTC/USDT six-hour chart. Source: Michaël van de Poppe/X

Earlier, Cointelegraph reported on expectations of a fresh BTC price comedown and even new macro lows. 

Van de Poppe added that such an outcome could occur should the $73,000 area fail.

Continuing, trader CrypNuevo suggested that liquidity grabs could bring about that trip to the lower end of the $70,000-$80,000 corridor. 

After the weekly close, BTC/USD took out late shorts above $79,000 before rapidly heading downward, liquidating newly placed longs, data from CoinGlass shows.

BTC 24-hour liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlass

“Price could take the upside liquidations first in a range highs deviation, before going for the lower ones at $70k mid-range,” CrypNuevo predicted.

He added that both $70,000 and $80,000 had an “interesting amount” of potential liquidations to offer.

BTC liquidation heatmap. Source: CrypNuevo/X

Powell’s final Fed FOMC meeting brings stocks warning

With markets still unsure of the roadmap for the US-Iran war, risk appetite is nonetheless “returning,” analysis says.

This week has begun with the hope of further negotiations to end the conflict, this time thanks to an Iranian proposal.

Bitcoin appeared to find reason for relief on the news, hitting new multimonth highs before quickly retracing. 

“Risk appetite continues to grow rapidly in this market,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter wrote in an X response as BTC/USD neared $79,500.

Macro volatility is set to continue in the coming days, thanks also to US macroeconomic events.

Wednesday will see the Federal Reserve’s next decision on interest-rate changes, and markets will be watching Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference for cues when it comes to future policy.

Fed target rate expectations for Wednesday’s FOMC meeting (screenshot). Source: CME Group FedWatch Tool

The war has added new inflation risks for the US, and Thursday’s release of the Fed’s “preferred” inflation gauge should reflect its impact on the trend.

This week also marks the last Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting with Powell as Chair, ahead of the assumed takeover by Kevin Warsh.

“New Fed chairs have a history of being greeted with market volatility,” trading resource Mosaic Asset Company noted in the latest edition of its regular analysis series, The Market Mosaic.

An accompanying chart put the average S&P 500 drawdown in the year a new Fed chair takes over at 20%.

S&P 500 drawdowns under new Fed chairs. Source: Mosaic Asset Company

BTC price analysis sees “structural bottom” in place

Bitcoin near $80,000 has led analysts to suggest that the “end of capitulation” is already here.

In one of its QuickTake blog posts on Monday, onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant pointed to institutional investors as the key supporting factor during the 2026 bear market.

“During the Hormuz Shock, large investors refused to sell their Bitcoins and the panic in derivatives was irrelevant, as institutional conviction was already cemented,” contributor GugaOnChain summarized.

In early February, CryptoQuant argued, when BTC/USD briefly fell to near $60,000, a “purge” of low-conviction investors had already been underway for several months.

“Operators took profits, purging weak hands and retreating the support to $54.5K,” GugaOnChain continued, referring to Bitcoin investors’ average cost basis, also known as realized price. 

“In practice: the retail that paid the speculative premium at $90K entered absolute panic with the free fall. Forced to sell at a loss, they returned their Bitcoins to the Smart Money in the $62K zone, establishing an early support above the fair price.”

Bitcoin realized price data (screenshot). Source: CryptoQuant

CryptoQuant described the “apex” of the process occurring in February, with a recovery underway ever since.

“The apex of this purge occurred on February 5, 2026, consolidating the ground zero of this Bear Market. With the Spot squeezed at $62.8K and the Realized Price (RP) at $55.3K, the deviation was only 1.34%,” GugaOnChain explained, calling a “structural bottom.” 

“Unlike the absolute capitulation of 2022, when the price crossed below the network’s base, this time the panic stalled at a 13% distance from the Wall. Institutional capital erected a concrete floor before the abyss, exhausting the selling power of investors without conviction.”

Bitcoin realized-price data ordered by date coins moved onchain. Source: CryptoQuant

US macro data may save Bitcoin from new bear-market low

Throughout the current macro volatility, US Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) has formed a key upside catalyst for crypto and risk assets.

Related: Bitcoin Bull Score hits six-month high as 2022 bear-market fears linger

This is set to continue, with PMI entering an “expansion” phase for the first time since 2022.

For commentator Matthew Hyland, this now has implications for Bitcoin price action for the rest of 2026. In this bear-market year, BTC/USD should find a bottom in Q4, matching 2022 — but PMI should change the landscape.

“Because of the strength of the PMI expansion trigger along with the other 10+ signals I do not believe the ‘4 year cycle’ works out as most expect,” he wrote on X.

BTC/USD versus US PMI data. Source: Matthew Hyland/X

Instead of beating its February lows, Bitcoin should instead put in “higher low” near $60,000, contrary to the majority’s expectations. Supporting this, Hyland made reference to “10+ signals” showing that the new bottom is already in place.

“My invalidation would be a severe black swan something worse than the past few months however black swans are NOT likely so Its low percentage odds of being invalidated and not favorable to happen,” he added.

The Fintech Landscape of Malawi in 2026

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The Fintech Landscape of Malawi in 2026

The following is the fintech and wider digital and economic development of the African nation of Malawi in 2026.

Malawi’s fintech story in 2026 is one of incremental transformation—quiet, often overlooked, yet increasingly consequential. In a low-income, largely agrarian economy, digital financial services are not merely a convenience; they are becoming a critical tool for inclusion, resilience and economic participation.

With a population of over 22 million people, Malawi’s economy nonetheless remains relatively small. Its gross domestic product (GDP) is only around $16billion. It is heavily reliant on agriculture (notably tobacco, tea and sugar) alongside services and a modest industrial base. It is one of the poorer economies of Africa, with a GDP per capita of $650.

Digital economic transformation

Malawi’s digital transformation is driven by necessity rather than scale. With a predominantly rural population and limited physical infrastructure, digital technologies are increasingly seen as a way to overcome structural barriers.

Government strategies, aligned with broader development frameworks notably the country’s economic development strategy called Malawi 2063 Vision, have prioritised expansion of mobile and broadband connectivity, digitisation of public services and payments, and promotion of digital financial inclusion.

Mobile penetration has reached approximately 70 per cent, while internet penetration remains lower at around 30 per cent, though steadily rising.

Given the fact that Malawi is a low-income nation, there is support from institutions such as the World Bank and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). Organisations such as those have focused on building digital ecosystems that enable micro and small and medium enterprises (MSME) growth, rural inclusion and financial access.

Financial services sector

Busy street market, Blantyre, Malawi, Africa, Malawi, the landlocked country in southeastern Africa. IMAGE SOURCE GETTY

Malawi’s financial services sector has historically been characterised by limited access, particularly in rural areas. However, digital financial services are reshaping the landscape, especially mobile money.

Mobile money platforms have become the primary entry point into financial services. This shift reflects a broader regional trend, where mobile-first models are bypassing traditional banking infrastructure. This is a trend seen across much of wider sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite the challenges of Malawi, digital plays potential in its economic development. This has seen the likes of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), the country’s central bank, play an important role in supporting this transformation when it can.

First off, the country has begun modernising its national payments system. The RBM has worked to enhance interoperability between banks and mobile money operators, improving efficiency and reducing transaction costs.

In addition, Malawi has advanced several key things pertaining to digital finance. First, its national payment switch has been a focus, enabling integration across financial institutions and supporting digital payments expansion. Second, regulatory frameworks for mobile money and fintech has been a priority, seeing the RBM strengthen licensing and oversight of electronic money issuers and payment service providers. This is ensuring stability and consumer protection.

The overarching theme behind recent activities has been Malawi’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) III (2024-2028), which is aiming to increase formal financial service access to 95 per cent of adults by 2028. This aims to be done by mainly leveraging fintech to enhance mobile money, digital payments, and rural financial services. The strategy focuses on bridging the rural-urban divide, supporting women-owned businesses, and enhancing financial literacy to foster economic resilience and growth

Financial inclusion and fintech

One can see why the country needs a financial inclusion strategy through on-the-ground statistics. Financial inclusion in Malawi remains limited. Estimates suggest that only 25 per cent of adults have access to a formal bank account, while a significantly larger proportion uses mobile money services.

Like in other parts of the developing world, both the excluded and the included, there remains gap in terms of the financial engagement of people. This also applies in Malawi. Especially in credit, insurance and savings, the engagement of people in Malawi overall remains limited.

The country’s financial hub is Blantyre, the commercial capital, alongside Lilongwe as the administrative centre. One of the largest banks is National Bank of Malawi, which plays a central role in expanding both traditional and digital financial services.

For instance, the bank has Mo626 Digital+ App, which is a comprehensive mobile banking app available on the App Store and Google Play, enabling instant transfers, bill payments, and mobile phone top-ups. It even does diaspora banking, as there are many Malawians abroad, giving them the opportunity to register using international numbers and manage accounts.

Other players – both in financial services and in telecoms – that are actively promoting fintech and wider financial digital services include the likes of Airtel Money Malawi and FDH Bank.

Malawi’s fintech ecosystem is still in its early stages, with an estimated 20 fintech and digital financial service providers, primarily focused on payments and mobile money.

An example of a fintech in the country is TNM Mpamba, which is a leading mobile money service enabling payments, transfers and financial inclusion.

These players highlight a key feature of Malawi’s fintech landscape: telecom-led innovation supported by banks, rather than a large, independent startup ecosystem.

Conclusion: inclusion through persistence

Malawi’s fintech journey is gradual but meaningful. In 2026, digital financial services are expanding access and reducing barriers, particularly for rural populations. While challenges remain, the country is steadily building a more inclusive financial system. This demonstrates  that even small, incremental gains can drive meaningful change in economic participation over time. For Malawi, this is a prime example of its ambitions towards digital inclusion for all as part of its wider economic development.

Crypto ETPs Extend Inflow Streak as BTC Trades Above $76K

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Crypto ETPs Extend Inflow Streak as BTC Trades Above $76K

Cryptocurrency investment products continued their run of inflows last week as Bitcoin traded at its highest levels since early February.

Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) recorded $1.2 billion in inflows last week, marking their fourth consecutive week of gains, CoinShares reported Monday.

The inflow streak is the largest so far this year, as the four-week total has reached about $3.9 billion, surpassing the previous four-week run of $2.9 billion in March.

Total assets under management rose to $155 billion, the highest level since Feb. 1, supported by Bitcoin trading above $76,000 for the first time since its February correction, CoinShares head of research James Butterfill said.

He said that crypto ETP growth likely reflects improving institutional demand against a backdrop of a Bitcoin surge. “The market now turns to the FOMC decision on April 28–29, which is likely contributing to caution at the margin,” Butterfill added.

Bitcoin leads inflows as most assets see gains

Bitcoin led last week’s ETP inflows, drawing $932.5 million and lifting year-to-date flows to $4 billion. A large share of these inflows came from US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, which recorded about $824 million in inflows last week, according to SoSoValue.

Ether ETPs ranked second with $192 million of inflows, marking the third consecutive week of gains above $190 million, with year-to-date inflows now at $390 million.

Crypto ETP flows by asset (in millions of US dollars). Source: CoinShares

XRP funds returned to inflows after recording $56 million in outflows the previous week.

Despite the positive trend, short-Bitcoin products also recorded modest inflows of $16.5 million. That was broadly in line with the prior month’s average, suggesting persistent but not elevated hedging demand, Butterfill said.

Blockchain equity ETFs hit record weekly inflows.

The analyst also noted that blockchain equity ETFs recorded a record week of inflows.

The ETFs have seen $617 million in inflows over the past three weeks, Butterfill said, highlighting rising demand for exposure to the broader technology and digital asset sector.

Related: Morgan Stanley launches stablecoin offering through money market fund

Regionally, the US dominated with $1.1 billion of inflows. Germany saw around $62 million, more than double the prior week, while Switzerland reversed last week’s $138 million of outflows with $35 million of inflows.

Magazine: XRP hints at 30% spike, Bitcoin ETFs post 9-day inflow streak: Hodler’s Digest, April 19 – 25

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Bitcoin swings below $78,000 after failed breakout as altcoins slide: Crypto Markets Today

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Bitcoin swings below $78,000 after failed breakout as altcoins slide: Crypto Markets Today

Volatility returned to crypto markets Monday as bitcoin BTC$77,843.36 spiked up to $79,480 before quickly reversing to $77,800.

The move began around 23:00 UTC with the opening of U.S. equity and CME bitcoin futures, a period that often sees heightened volatility.

By 05:30 UTC, the price began falling after it failed to break above the $80,000 level, dropping 2% in an hour.

The decline occurred as oil reached its highest level since the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran began. Brent crude trades at $107 per barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump canceled plans to send U.S. officials for talks in Pakistan on Saturday.

Ether (ETH) recently traded around $2,320 after losing 2.2% since midnight UTC, underperforming bitcoin, which is down by 1.1%, but not falling as precipitously as several altcoins.

Derivatives positioning

  • Nearly $300 million in crypto futures bets have been liquidated in the past 24hours. Most of these have been bearish short plays, which likely faced the brunt of the cryptocurrency’s brief rally to nearly $79,500.
  • Open interest (OI) in XRP futures rose by nearly 2.5% in 24 hours. That’s the biggest increase among major tokens, including bitcoin, ether and solana (SOL). The OI touched a one-week high of 1.82 billion XRP alongside negative perpetual futures funding rates and OI-adjusted cumulative volume delta. This combination paints a bearish picture, consistent with the bitcoin and ether markets.
  • Analysts, however, said that persistent negative funding rates in BTC are mainly due to institutions hedging their bullish exposure in related markets and do not represent an outright bearish bet on the market.
  • HBAR, CC, XLM and HYPE are other standout OI gainers of the past 24 hours.
  • SUI records the most negative CVD, suggesting sustained aggressive selling through market orders. A Sui-based DeFi protocol named Scallop was hacked early today, and the perpetrators walked away with approximately 150,000 SUI tokens valued just over $140,000.
  • Bitcoin and ether’s 30-day implied volatility indexes extended declines, painting a picture of market calm that supports continued price rallies in the two assets. This is consistent with the recent drop in Wall Street’s VIX index, a gauge for the S&P 500 index, and record highs in other key measures, including the Nasdaq.
  • On Deribit, bitcoin and ether options continue to show a bias for puts across all time frames. Ether options expiring in December and next March are notably less bearish than their bitcoin counterparts.
  • Bitcoin’s $80,000 strike call option is the most popular on Deribit, boasting a notional open interest of over $1.5 billion. The dealer gamma here is positive, which implies that dealers (market makers) could sell on a potential breakout above this level and similarly buy the dip, arresting the price volatility.
  • Speaking of flows, Laser Digital said investors are favoring risk reversals over outright puts. This means traders prefer options strategies that profit from price swings and differences in how options are priced at different strike levels.

Token talk

  • While the broader market was volatile on Monday, the altcoin sector was hit hardest during the 05:30 UTC selloff.
  • Liquid restaking token Lido (LDO) led losses, giving back all of Sunday’s gains to fall around 17%.
  • The bitcoin-heavy CoinDesk 20 (CD20) Index is down 1.5% since midnight UTC, while the DeFi Select Index (DFX) has lost 2.3%, with only the Smart Contract Platform Select Index (SCPX) performing worse, down 2.5%.
  • A handful of tokens managed to avoid the selloff, notably PENGU, JUP and CHZ, which rose 9.1%, 4% and 3.1%, respectively.
  • CoinMarketCap’s “Altcoin Season” indicator sits at a neutral 39/100, unchanged from last week and well below last month’s high of 51/100.

BTC price hits wall at $80,000, one analyst says the pullback is temporary: Crypto Daily

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BTC price hits wall at $80,000, one analyst says the pullback is temporary: Crypto Daily

Bitcoin BTC$77,892.67 is doing that familiar dance just below a big round number, $80,000, stalled by sellers even as fresh stablecoin liquidity, ETF demand and a risk-on equity market suggest the breakout may be delayed rather than denied.

The leading cryptocurrency briefly climbed above $79,000 during Asian trading hours before slipping back to trade below $78,000 recently. Over the past 24 hours, bitcoin has lost about 0.4%. Ether (ETH) has fallen 0.6%, XRP (XRP) is down 0.8% and Solana’s SOL has dropped more than 1%. Broader market benchmarks, including the CoinDesk Memecoin Index and Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index, were also under pressure, falling more than 1% each.

According to Alex Kuptsikevich, chief market analyst at FxPro, the $80,000 level is acting as a near-term ceiling due to concentrated sell orders.

“Bitcoin has approached the $80K mark for the second time in the last few days, but has since experienced significant downward momentum. As it approaches this round figure, a build-up of sell orders is preventing the coin from moving further upwards,” he said in an email.

Still, Kuptsikevich argued the pullback appears temporary and consistent with a broader uptrend that began in late March.

This is an excerpt from CoinDesk newsletter ‘Daybook.’ Sign up here, if you haven’t already.

On-chain and ETF data offer support for that view. Crypto exchange Binance has recorded a net inflow of roughly $3.4 billion in stablecoins so far this month, following $3 billion in March, according to CryptoQuant data. That suggests fresh capital inflows, waiting for a entry point.

“This indicates an influx of new capital waiting to participate in the recovery,” pseudonymous CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost wrote on X.

Institutional demand remains strong. U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs have pulled in $2.44 billion in investor money this month, the most since October, when bitcoin hit record highs above $126,000.

But not everything is hunky-dory. Security risks in decentralized finance (DeFi) continue to weigh on sentiment. On Sunday, the SUI-based lending platform Scallop was exploited, resulting in the loss of roughly 150,000 SUI, or about $142,000. While small, it adds to a growing list of attacks this month, including the massive Drift and KelpDAO exploits.

Together, DeFi protocols have lost an estimated $623 million to hacks in April alone, according to Memento Research. Since inception, total losses from DeFi-related exploits have climbed to roughly $7.72 billion, according to data source DeFiLlama. This underscores a persistent structural risk for the sector.

In traditional markets, WTI crude oil prices continue to hover above $90 per barrel, with Brent above $100 as supply remains constrained. The latest pricing is significantly higher than $70 or below before the Iran war began in late February, and threatens to destabilize global economy with high inflation. Stay alert!

Read more: For analysis of today’s activity in altcoins and derivatives, see Crypto Markets Today . For a comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead.”

What’s trending

Today’s signal

Private key compromises lead DeFi hack losses. (DefiLlama)

The pie chart shows the breakdown of total losses suffered in crypto hacks by different methods of attack, including private key compromises, phishing exploits, access control issues and other smart-contract vulnerabilities.

Since inception, the biggest vulnerability has been private key compromises, accounting for 40% of the total.

Think of a private key as the master password to your crypto wallet. It’s a long, random string that proves you control your wallet and own crypto funds in it, allowing you to transact onchain. The issue, however, is that there is no reset password option if you lose the key.

So, once the hacker has it, you have lost your wallet and funds. This is known as the private key compromise and the fact that it’s the biggest security risk indicates that audits need to focus beyond just smart contracts.

EU releases 20th sanctions package against Russia introducing specific crypto bans

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EU releases 20th sanctions package against Russia introducing specific crypto bans

The European Union (EU) released its “biggest package” of sanctions in two years against Russia, describing the measures as far-reaching and restrictive. They specifically target crypto with a total ban on providers and platforms established in that country.

“Russia is becoming increasingly reliant on cryptocurrencies for international transactions,” the EU said in an April 23 statement. “The EU is introducing a total sectoral ban on providers and platforms established in Russia that allow the transfer and exchange of crypto assets.”

The bloc also banned Russia’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the ruble-pegged RUBx stablecoin and all EU support for the development of the digital ruble.

The sanctions include measures against 20 Russian banks and four third-country financial institutions and entities connecting to the Russian System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), the Russian banking messaging network, according to a Chainalysis report.

The blockchain intelligence firm said the EU also imposed sanctions on TengriCoin, a Kyrgyz crypto exchange operating as Meer.kg, where significant amounts of the government-backed stablecoin A7A5 are traded.

That measure follows years of escalating enforcement targeting the wider Garantex–Grinex–A7A5 ecosystem that has been extensively tracked, Chainalysis noted.

As documented, A7A5 has been prolific, processing $119.7 billion to date and functioning as a purpose-built settlement rail designed to bridge sanctioned Russian businesses into the global financial system, the firm said. In the 2026 Crypto Crime Report, that figure exceeded $93.3 billion in less than a year.

“The new measures now create an ecosystem-wide crypto restriction on Russia and Belarus,” the blockchain intelligence firm said.

The firm said that people from the EU are now no longer allowed to transact with cryptocurrency service providers (CASPs) and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms from Russia and Belarus. They are also barred from providing Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) crypto services to Belarusian individuals and entities.

The EU also stated that “netting transactions with Russian agents are now forbidden, to prevent the circumvention of EU sanctions.”

Countries referenced in the sanctions package in connection with financial services, trade flows, or intermediary activity include Kyrgyzstan, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Rightway Parking Highlights MSP’s Edge for On-Time Travel

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Rightway Parking Highlights MSP’s Edge for On-Time Travel

Nobody thinks much about airport reliability when a trip is booked on time, and everything runs as planned.

It becomes a lot more important when it does not.

A late departure can throw off the rest of the day fast. Meetings get pushed, pickups get messy, connections disappear, and even a short trip starts costing more than expected. That is part of why a Rightway Parking analysis of Bureau of Transportation Statistics flight data and a USAFacts review of airport on-time performance stands out: Minneapolis–St. Paul International posted an on-time rate of about 80.8%, putting it among the stronger major-airport performers in the country.

That is not the kind of airport result most travelers would guess right away. The national delay conversation usually revolves around larger, more chaotic hubs. But MSP has quietly turned into one of the better airports in the country for travelers who care about a trip going the way it is supposed to.

MSP is quietly outperforming much bigger-name airports

According to USAFacts’ review of airport on-time performance, Minneapolis–St. Paul posted an on-time rate of about 80.8%, putting it among the strongest-performing major airports in the country. That is a meaningful result in a period when flight disruptions remained a regular part of U.S. air travel, and the national on-time baseline sat closer to the high-70% range.

That alone would be notable. What makes it more interesting is where MSP is doing it.

This is not an airport benefiting from year-round desert weather or unusually light traffic. Minneapolis–St. Paul operates in a region where winter conditions can be severe and where travelers would reasonably expect weather-related problems to drag down performance. Instead, MSP has continued to beat many airports that carry far less of that seasonal burden.

Rightway Parking’s review of the available 2024–2025 performance data places MSP in the same reliability conversation as Phoenix and Seattle, two airports more commonly associated with operational steadiness. Phoenix Sky Harbor led many of the national reliability discussions, but MSP was not far behind. For travelers in the Upper Midwest, that matters because it suggests they do not need to trade convenience for dependability.

It also makes Minneapolis–St. Paul is a more compelling airport than its reputation might suggest. It is not usually framed as a national travel headline-maker, but when the metric is whether flights leave and arrive on time, it looks much stronger than many better-known coastal hubs.

Why Minneapolis–St. Paul keeps getting the fundamentals right

No airport reaches this level of consistency by accident.

The data narrative around MSP points to a few practical advantages. One is hub discipline. Minneapolis–St. Paul is a major Delta hub, and large hub operations can either create order or magnify chaos depending on how they are managed. In MSP’s case, the airport appears to benefit from strong scheduling and comparatively efficient operations that help it stay stable even when the broader network gets strained.

That helps explain why MSP continues to outperform expectations. Airports do not have to be small to be reliable. They have to be run well.

A recent SmartAsset 2025 flight delays study also highlighted how sharply airport performance can vary depending on congestion, operating environment, and systemic strain. The airports that struggle most are often the ones dealing with layered complexity all at once: overcrowded airspace, infrastructure bottlenecks, weather pressure, and tight scheduling margins.

MSP’s edge appears to come from avoiding the worst of that combination. Even with winter weather in the mix, it has managed to maintain a steadier operating profile than airports where congestion and cancellations have become almost expected. That gives it a practical advantage for travelers who are less interested in airport rankings as trivia and more interested in whether a trip will run on time.

It also gives local travelers something useful to factor into booking decisions. When travelers compare airports only on airfare, they can miss the value of reliability. A slightly cheaper ticket loses some of its appeal if it comes with a greater chance of missed plans, rebooking stress, or hours lost in transit.

Why this matters for real travelers, not just data tables

On-time performance is not an abstract travel metric. It shapes the full cost and stress level of a trip.

For business travelers, a delay can mean a missed client meeting, a shortened workday, or a last-minute scramble to salvage an itinerary. For families, it can mean children stuck waiting in terminals, disrupted pickup plans, and tighter transfer windows. Even leisure travelers who can absorb a delay more easily still pay for it in time, meals, rides, and avoidable frustration.

That is what makes a dependable airport more valuable than it first appears.

For anyone flying out of the Twin Cities or connecting through Minneapolis, booking MSP off-site parking makes even more sense when it is tied to an airport that already gives travelers a better chance of staying on schedule.

That is the smarter way to look at airport choice. Travelers often compare airlines, ticket prices, and departure times. They should also compare the airport itself. In that broader calculation, MSP looks like a better decision than many travelers might assume.

It is also a reminder that not all major hubs are created equal. Some add friction to a trip. Others quietly reduce it. Minneapolis–St. Paul has increasingly looked like the second type.

MSP’s reliability stands out even more next to bigger problem airports

The strongest case for Minneapolis–St. Paul may be the contrast.

Across the country, travelers have spent the last year hearing about disruption at airports such as Newark and Dallas/Fort Worth, where delays and cancellations became defining parts of the story. Even some of the nation’s most important air hubs have struggled to maintain dependable on-time performance. That has made airport choice feel less neutral than it used to.

In that environment, MSP’s steadiness becomes more than a nice statistic. It becomes a useful consumer distinction.

Travelers deciding whether to depart from or connect through a major hub are not just choosing a route map. They are choosing an operating environment. A hub with stronger on-time performance can reduce the chance that one small issue escalates into a daylong disruption.

The surprise is part of the story. Many travelers would probably expect a Sun Belt airport to rank near the top for reliability. Few would expect a major Upper Midwest hub to beat so many rivals while dealing with snow, ice, and winter scheduling pressure. But that is exactly what makes MSP stand out.

It is not just reliable in theory. It is reliable in a context where being reliable is genuinely difficult.

Travel coverage often rewards the loudest airport stories: the worst meltdowns, the longest lines, the biggest cancellations. Minneapolis–St. Paul offers the opposite kind of headline. It is an airport that is doing a lot of things right, often without much fanfare, and travelers may benefit from paying closer attention.

For anyone who values a trip that starts and ends with fewer surprises, that may be the most useful travel story of all.

Why MSP deserves a closer look

A cheaper fare can always catch the eye first. A better airport tends to prove its worth later. MSP is making a strong case that travelers should notice it earlier in the process. Rightway Parking’s analysis suggests that if on-time travel is part of what makes a trip feel well planned, Minneapolis–St. Paul belongs much higher on the shortlist.

The Big Banks Are Very Bullish On Bitcoin And Here Are Their 6-Figure Predictions

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The Big Banks Are Very Bullish On Bitcoin And Here Are Their 6-Figure Predictions

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Bitcoin is no longer being discussed only by crypto traders and retail bulls. Some of the world’s biggest banks are now attaching six-figure targets to the leading cryptocurrency, and this is a major change in how Wall Street is looking at Bitcoin’s next cycle. Major banks including Citi, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered, and TD Cowen are all pointing to a future where the BTC price trades well above current levels, with several projections clustered between $140,000 and $200,000.

Banks And Their 6-Figure Predictions For Bitcoin

Not long ago, the words “fraud” and “ponzi scheme” were the most popular way Wall Street described Bitcoin. The very institutions now projecting six-figure price targets spent years trying to talk investors out of the asset entirely. The most interesting BTC price projection is from Citi. Citi projected a base case of $143,000 for BTC, with its bull case reaching as high as $189,000. The forecast is tied to stronger institutional demand and the idea that Bitcoin can continue absorbing capital through ETFs.

JPMorgan’s outlook is similarly bullish, with analysts at the bank pointing to a $170,000 scenario based on Bitcoin’s valuation relative to gold. The bank’s model suggests BTC still has room to close the gap with gold as a store-of-value asset, especially if there’s continued ETF demand.

Goldman Sachs has highlighted its view as a scenario, and the number is also worth noting. Goldman’s digital assets team sees potential for Bitcoin to approach $200,000 in 2026.

Standard Chartered has taken the longest view of the group. The bank revised its 2026 year-end target to approximately $100,000, citing reduced buying from digital asset treasury companies and slowing ETF inflows. However, Standard Chartered still maintains a long-term projection of $500,000 by 2030. TD Cowen rounds out the group with a target of $140,000, which is the lowest prediction from the bunch.

Bitcoin bullish

Bitcoin Price Predictions From Banks. Source: @CryptoPatel On X

Big Banks Moving Into BTC?

The contrast between Wall Street’s past posture and its current research output is interesting, mostly with JPMorgan. Back in September 2017, when Bitcoin was trading around $4,200, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon called the cryptocurrency a fraud at an investor conference, compared it to tulip bulbs, and said he would fire in a second any trader caught dealing in it.

However, things have changed now, and reports indicate that JPMorgan Chase & Co. is in the process of offering cryptocurrency trading services to institutional clients. Goldman Sachs also disclosed in a regulatory filing that it owns around $1 billion worth of Bitcoin, with CEO David Solomon also confirming that he personally owns a small amount of the asset.

Citi, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs have all announced new Bitcoin-related products over the past three months, spanning custody, trading, ETF filings, and direct purchases. The banks that once called BTC a fraud are now modeling its path to $200,000. According to crypto analyst Crypto Patel, that’s not adoption. That’s capitulation.

Bitcoin price chart from Tradingview.com
BTC price moves lower | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

You Say You Want a (Payments) Revolution   | The Fintech Times

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You Say You Want a (Payments) Revolution   | The Fintech Times

From shells to cards and from coins to crypto – the way we transact has always evolved alongside the way we exchange value. History shows that payment innovations only take hold when two essential ingredients align: need and trust.

New technologies regularly promise to transform payments, yet too often they can feel like solutions in search of a problem. We have seen false dawns before with Open Banking (although here, arguably, early promise may soon start to bear fruit), and today we are seeing much excitement around agentic payments and the apparent rise of stablecoins.

So, do we really want a payments revolution? Or is one happening whether we want it or not?

Perhaps a better question is this: why do we think we need new ways to pay at all? Starting with the “why” helps make more sense of the “what” and the “how”. For all their promise, innovations such as agentic payments and stablecoins have not yet crossed the tipping point into the mainstream. Nor are they likely to until purpose aligns with capability and trust, with regulation playing a central role in creating that trust.

The real revolution is technology itself. And above all, the biggest game-changer is AI. Over the past decade, conference after conference has shifted its attention from the API economy to blockchain, to crypto, to the metaverse, and now to the ubiquitous subject of AI. Yet these are not isolated or disconnected trends. They are interconnected forces that, together, are reshaping human interaction and broader societal evolution.

That is the real “why” behind change in payments. As technology transforms the way people interact, trade and do business, it also creates demand for new ways to exchange value. New forms of commerce will require new forms of payment.

What does this mean for payment innovations today?

Stablecoin:

For today’s businesses, stablecoins are increasingly seen as a bridge between digital and traditional finance. Early interest is being driven by their potential to reduce friction, cost and delay in cross-border payments, while retaining a link to relatively non-volatile fiat value. For now, however, most engaged companies remain in the exploration phase. At present, the clearest use case is simple: faster, cheaper and easier international
payments. Adoption remains constrained by the lack of mature, trusted and potentially dominant infrastructure. When businesses do embed stablecoins into their operations, they are more likely to rely on established blockchain networks than build their own. A small number of existing chains, including Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain, have emerged as leaders. Even so, widespread corporate adoption is unlikely until infrastructure appears that is more closely associated with trusted financial
institutions.

That is already beginning to happen. Institutions such as JPMorgan, Citi and Ripple are investing in proprietary infrastructure and stablecoin-related capabilities. As those initiatives mature, they are likely to accelerate adoption by giving businesses greater confidence in the underlying rails.

For businesses operating in Europe, the regulatory picture is still evolving. Stablecoins are primarily regulated under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), particularly through its rules for asset referenced tokens and e-money tokens. However, for certain e-money-token activities, there is still complexity around how MiCA interacts with EU payment-services law. Regulators have issued interim guidance, and further clarification is expected through the PSD3/PSR legislative process, but that process is still ongoing.

Agentic payments:

The idea of agentic AI in payments has gained momentum. While fully autonomous payment decision making may still be some way off, it is arguably becoming inevitable. For agentic payments to pass the same three-part test of capability, regulation and trust, several things need to come together.

Autonomous AI decision-making in payments will raise questions around accountability, responsible use, model transparency and auditability. These are, above all, governance questions, and governance is shaped by regulation. Unlike stablecoins, however, agentic AI in payments is not governed by a single dedicated framework. Instead, it sits within a patchwork of broader AI, data and financial-services regulation. Those frameworks do not yet explicitly regulate agentic payments, but they do create the constraints that make full autonomy difficult today.

There is also a more fundamental issue: that of data. Reliable, AI decisions depend on clean, trustworthy and well-contextualised data. If underlying data is incomplete, manipulated or poorly structured, agentic payment systems could make poor financial decisions at scale.  Data quality is the foundation of trustworthy AI. Until organisations can be confident that the data feeding these systems is robust, the level of trust needed for widespread adoption will remain out of reach.

A revolution may be coming – but we’re not there yet 

At present, neither stablecoins nor agentic payments fully meet the three conditions that payment revolutions have historically required. The technological capability is advancing rapidly, but governance and trust are still catching up.

Steve Whiting, head of payments technology at Soldo

Once stronger legislative frameworks are in place, we are likely to see major financial services organisations launch more credible stablecoin and agentic-payment propositions. When businesses see those capabilities delivered by trusted brands, adoption could move quickly.

That creates a major opportunity for FinTech’s, which sit at the intersection of internet-native technology and banking-grade discipline. Firms that can combine innovation with trust, usability and governance will be very well placed to shape the next era of payments.

And when those foundations are in place, the next gen payments revolution will not just be possible. It will be unstoppable.

About the author

Steve Whiting, head of payments technology at Soldo where he leads the development of modern payment solutions that help businesses manage spending with greater control and efficiency. He brings extensive experience in fintech and payments innovation, with a focus on building scalable, user-centric financial systems.

Ripple CEO Garlinghouse Named Harvard Business Leader Of The Year

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Ripple CEO Garlinghouse Named Harvard Business Leader Of The Year

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Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has been honored as the 2026 Business Leader of the Year by the Harvard Business School Association of Northern California, giving one of crypto’s most prominent executives a high-profile recognition from the Bay Area business establishment. The award places Ripple’s payments and digital-asset strategy in a broader conversation about financial infrastructure, regulation and institutional adoption.

The event was held Tuesday, April 21, at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco, with more than 250 entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and HBS alumni in attendance, according to the association’s post shared on LinkedIn. Ripple said the evening included a fireside conversation between Garlinghouse and Ripple co-founder and executive chairman Chris Larsen, focused on more than a decade of building the company and what comes next.

Harvard Honors Ripple CEO

HBSANC framed the recognition around Garlinghouse’s role in payments infrastructure, digital assets and Bay Area business leadership. The association said it was “proud to honor Brad Garlinghouse” and described Ripple’s mission as enabling “faster, more efficient global money movement.” In its event materials, the group highlighted Ripple’s push to move, store, exchange and manage value across borders in seconds rather than days, while reducing costs and improving transparency.

Garlinghouse’s tenure at Ripple has been defined not only by product expansion, but also by the company’s long-running fight for regulatory clarity in the United States.

HBSANC described him as a central voice in the debate over digital-asset regulation and pointed to Ripple’s legal victory against the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the backdrop for the award. The association said his leadership during that period reflected “resilience” and “steadfast conviction,” language that tracks closely with how Ripple and XRP supporters have viewed the company’s posture through the SEC case.

The award also ties Garlinghouse’s current profile back to a longer Silicon Valley career. Before joining Ripple, he held senior roles at Yahoo, where he worked on products including Yahoo Mail and Messenger, later served as president of consumer applications at AOL and was CEO of Hightail. HBSANC also referenced his widely circulated “Peanut Butter Manifesto,” the Yahoo strategy memo that became shorthand in Silicon Valley for focus and product discipline.

Notably, Harvard’s own investment arm has also disclosed crypto exposure through SEC 13F filings: Harvard Management Company cut its iShares Bitcoin Trust position by roughly 21% in the fourth quarter of 2025, but still held more than $265 million in IBIT, its largest publicly disclosed holding, while opening a new Ethereum ETF position of nearly 4 million shares valued at about $86.8 million.

At press time, XRP traded at $1.4151.

XRP price chart
XRP closed above the 200-week EMA, 1-week chart | Source: XRPUSDT on TradingView.com

Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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