CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.
The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 1968.74, up 3.5% (+66.62) since 4 p.m. ET on Friday.
Seventeen of 20 assets are trading higher.
Leaders: NEAR (+8.1%) and AVAX (+5.5%).
Laggards: BCH (-0.6%) and XLM (-0.3%).
The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.
OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said U.S. policymakers must act now to prepare for advanced artificial intelligence, warning that the technology is moving from theory into daily economic use.
In an interview with Axios, Altman said AI systems already handle coding and research tasks that once required teams of programmers. Newer models will go further, he said, helping scientists make major discoveries and allowing individuals to do the work of entire groups.
That shift is already visible in cybersecurity, where some industry leaders say artificial intelligence is tilting the balance toward attackers.
Charles Guillemet, chief technology officer at hardware wallet maker Ledger, for example, told CoinDesk that AI tools are lowering the cost and skill needed to find and exploit software flaws. Tasks that once took months, such as reverse-engineering code or linking multiple vulnerabilities, can now be completed in seconds with the right prompts.
The crypto industry saw more than $1.4 billion in assets stolen or lost in attacks last year. That figure could keep growing, Guillemet suggested. Moreover, developers are increasingly relying on AI-generated code, which may potentially introduce new flaws at scale.
The response, he said, will require stronger defenses such as mathematically verified code, hardware devices that keep private keys offline and a broader recognition that systems can fail.
While Altman noted that AI could speed up drug discovery or materials science, he also flagged that it could also enable more powerful cyberattacks and lower the barrier to harmful biological research. Such threats may emerge within a year, which makes coordination across government, tech firms and security groups urgent.
“We’re not that far away from a world where there are incredibly capable open-source models that are very good at biology,” he said. “The need for society to be resilient to terrorist groups using these models to try to create novel pathogens is no longer a theoretical thing.”
Another example he suggested was a “world-shaking cyberattack” that could occur as early as this year. Avoiding that, he said, would require a “tremendous amount of work.”
He framed OpenAI’s policy ideas as a starting point, aiming to push debate on how to manage systems that learn fast and act across many fields. Using AI to help defend against these potential attacks, he said, is important.
On the potential nationalization of OpenAI, Altman said the case against it relies on the need for the U.S. to achieve “superintelligence” before its rivals do.
“The biggest case against nationalization would be that we need the U.S. to succeed at building superintelligence in a way that is aligned with the democratic values of the United States before somebody else does,” he said. “That probably wouldn’t work as a government project, I think that’s a sad thing.”
Still, Altman said he believes companies involved in AI must work closely with the U.S. government.
Given his role at OpenAI, Altman also has a financial stake in how the sector evolves. That position may shape how he frames both the urgency of regulation and the role of private companies like OpenAI in managing emerging risks, which could influence the firm’s competitive standing.
Energy is one area where he sees quick progress because greater processing power capacity could keep costs down as AI demand grows.
Altman also pointed to early signs of labor shifts. A programmer in 2026, he said, already works differently to one a year earlier.
AI will become a sort of utility, like electricity, embedded across devices while the cost of basic intelligence falls and top systems remain expensive.
“You will have this personal super assistant running in the cloud,” Altman said. “If you use it a lot or use it at high levels of intelligence you’ll have a higher bill one month and if you use it less, you’ll have a lower bill.”
It’s “incredibly important that people building AI are high integrity, trustworthy people.”
An appeals court ruled Monday that New Jersey could not temporarily ban prediction market provider Kalshi, giving the platform a much-needed win against an onslaught of state enforcement actions.
A Third Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled in a 2-1 vote that the state could not bring an enforcement action against Kalshi because the company’s products are subject to the federal Commodity Exchange Act, rather than New Jersey state gambling laws.
“Kalshi began offering sports-related event contracts on its DCM exchange,” the majority ruling said. “Kalshi self-certified compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, so those event contracts were presumptively approved under federal law … To date, the CFTC has not determined that Kalshi’s sports-related event contracts are contrary to the public interest.”
The CFTC has not commenced any enforcement actions against “sports-related event contracts,” the ruling, signed by Chief Judge Michael Chagares and Circuit Judge David Porter said.
“New Jersey argues that Kalshi’s event contracts are not ‘swaps’ covered by the Act because the outcome of a sports game is not ‘joined or connected’ with a financial, economic, or commercial instrument or measure,'” the ruling went on to add. “But its proposed ‘joined or connected’ requirement raises the bar beyond what the [Commodity Exchange] Act requires.”
Circuit Judge Jane Roth, who penned a dissent, said the New Jersey state rules did not “undermine the congressional objectives” under the Commodity Exchange Act, and the actual products available on Kalshi’s platform “are sports gambling,” pointing to contracts betting on the winner of a National Football League game, the point spread in that game and combined number of points scored as examples.
States throughout the U.S. have started filing lawsuits or issuing cease-and-desist orders to prediction market providers, including Kalshi and Polymarket, alleging that their sports-related contracts violate state gambling laws. The CFTC has contended that prediction markets, or event contracts, are swaps governed by the Commodity Exchange Act, which preempts these state rules.
Different courts have issued divergent rulings. Some state courts have filed initial temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctions in the states’ favor, while federal district courts have been more mixed.
Appeals courts have similarly been mixed. While the Third Circuit’s ruling on Monday suggests that prediction market providers will prevail on their argument that the Commodity Exchange Act preempts these state rules, the Ninth Circuit declined to block another state enforcement action from Nevada last month, clearing the way for that state to secure a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Kalshi. There will be another Ninth Circuit hearing later this month with a number of companies.
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, speaking Monday at an event hosted by Vanderbilt University and the Blockchain Association, said it was important that the federal regulator defend its “exclusive jurisdiction over these markets.” The CFTC filed an amicus curiae brief to the Ninth Circuit ahead of the hearing taking place next week.
“Our definition of commodity and statute is very broad. It includes events on sports, it includes events on politics, it includes corn and grains and all sorts of things,” he said. “It doesn’t really distinguish between if you’re offering an event contract on grains, [that] you’re regulating that differently than an event contract on sports.”
Rwanda’s central bank has restated its prohibition on cryptocurrency activity involving the national currency after Bybit introduced support for the Rwandan franc on its peer-to-peer marketplace, prompting a swift regulatory response.
In a statement published Sunday, the Centrak Bank of Rwanda said crypto-assets are not authorized for payments, conversions involving the franc, or peer-to-peer trading under the current framework. The central bank warned residents against using such services, citing financial risks and the absence of legal protection in cases of loss.
The clarification followed an announcement from Bybit on Friday that users could buy and sell digital assets using the Rwandan franc through its P2P platform. The exchange did not indicate whether it had secured local regulatory approval before enabling the feature, and it has not issued a public response to the central bank’s statement.
Regulators stressed that the Rwandan franc remains the country’s only legal tender. The central bank also reiterated that financial institutions under its supervision are prohibited from facilitating conversions between the franc and crypto-assets, reinforcing restrictions designed to limit exposure between the domestic financial system and digital asset markets.
Rwanda has maintained a restrictive stance on cryptocurrencies since 2018, when authorities first moved to curb their use in domestic transactions. Policymakers have framed the position as part of a broader effort to protect financial stability and preserve confidence in the local currency.
The latest warning underscores concern that foreign crypto platforms integrating the franc into trading services could bypass existing safeguards. By enabling peer-to-peer transactions denominated in the local currency, such platforms risk creating informal channels that operate outside regulatory oversight.
At the same time, Rwanda is pursuing a state-backed digital currency project, the e-franc, which remains in a proof-of-concept phase. Authorities view the initiative as a way to modernize payments infrastructure while maintaining control over monetary policy and currency issuance. A pilot phase is expected to follow as the project advances.
Regulatory efforts are also evolving beyond outright restrictions. In March, the Rwanda Capital Market Authority released a draft framework aimed at establishing rules for virtual asset service providers. The proposal outlines a licensing regime that would permit regulated activity while maintaining strict limits on how cryptocurrencies can be used within the country.
Under the draft legislation, crypto-assets would not be recognized as legal tender, and several activities would face prohibitions, including mining operations, mixer services, and tokens linked to the Rwandan franc. The framework also introduces oversight measures intended to bring service providers under regulatory supervision.
The approach reflects a broader trend among emerging markets seeking to balance innovation with control over domestic financial systems. While some jurisdictions have embraced digital assets, others have moved to restrict their use to prevent capital flight, reduce exposure to volatility, and safeguard monetary sovereignty.
Data from Chainalysis indicates that Rwanda ranks among lower-adoption markets for cryptocurrency activity across 2024 and 2025, with transaction volumes trailing regional peers such as Nigeria and South Africa.
Limited usage has so far reduced the scale of potential systemic risks, though regulators appear intent on maintaining tight oversight as global crypto platforms expand their reach.
Crypto has added to a Sunday rally, with bitcoin rising above $70,000 in quiet post-Easter U.S. trading hours.
The gains come alongside a modest advance in the major stock market averages ahead of President Trump’s Tuesday ultimatum for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. Just past the noon hour on the East Coast, the Nasdaq is higher by 0.45% and the S&P 500 by 0.3%.
Bitcoin is now higher by nearly 4% over the past 24 hours, with ether, XRP and solana posting similar gains.
Contrarian bitcoin bulls — as bitcoin crashed to $60,000 in early February — first took hope that a bottom was forming, as the strongly no-coiner Financial Times took a victory lap.
The bulls may have been even more pleased over this past weekend by a couple of other bottoming signals. First was the late Friday news that Jeff Park was exiting his role as chief investment officer at ProCap Financial (BRR). Led by Anthony Pompliano, ProCap was among 2025’s hastily formed bitcoin treasury companies aiming to hitch their wagon to the BTC bull market and replicate the success of Michael Saylor’s Strategy.
As with others of the 2025 crop — David Bailey’s Nakamoto (NAKA) and Jack Mallers’ Twenty One Capital (XXI) among them — ProCap stock has struggled mightily, performing far worse for shareholders than bitcoin itself.
Second was well-followed, longtime bull Willy Woo, suggesting that bitcoin could trade sideways for 8 to 12 years from here before finally entering a major bull market.
Other signals of the past couple of weeks: bitcoin miner MARA Holdings unloading more than 15,000 of its bitcoin stack, peer Riot Platforms selling off its entire March BTC production of 3,778 coins, and the aforementioned Nakamoto parting with some its holdings.
Whether the true bottom is in remains to be seen, but the bottoming signs continue to grow.
Iran’s Khorramshahr port was hit, and the U.S. continues backchannel talks instead of official diplomacy. Ceasefire by April 7 is at 1% YES, down from 12% a week ago.
April 15’s odds dropped to 6% YES from 22% a week ago, showing traders’ skepticism about a short-term ceasefire. April 30 stands at 18% YES, reflecting similar doubts. The largest shift occurs between April 30 and May 31, with a 19-point jump, suggesting traders expect potential diplomatic activity in May.
Daily trading volume is significant, with $430,773 in USDC traded. It takes just $12,367 to move the April 7 odds by 5 points, showing vulnerability to larger trades. The largest price move in the last 24 hours was a 2-point spike for the April 30 market, indicating traders are cautious but not overly reactive.
Traders face uncertainty. At 1¢, a YES share for April 7 pays $1 if a ceasefire happens — a 100x return if a diplomatic breakthrough occurs. Current odds show skepticism about a quick resolution. The source tier of this news suggests caution, as social media can amplify noise over signal.
Watch for statements from key actors like Secretary of State Rubio or intermediaries like Oman and Qatar, which could sway market sentiment. Any confirmed talks or diplomatic progress will be pivotal.
Get prediction market intelligence as a structured API feed. Early access waitlist.
The Bitcoin (BTC) history is filled with strange milestones, and the latest appears to be a single block mined in 2021. Crypto enthusiasts have uncovered surprising details about the 666,666th block, which contains a powerful biblical message that has sparked widespread attention for its unusual mix of superstition and religious symbolism. The news comes as the market celebrates Easter, creating an even more ominous coincidence, which many crypto users are already circulating online.
While Bitcoin has captured global attention through its innovative technology and surging price, the cryptocurrency’s blockchain continues to reveal intriguing details that fuel speculation among users and analysts. On January 18, 2021, Bitcoin’s 666,666th block was successfully mined by BTC.com, a mining pool responsible for validating transactions and adding new blocks to the chain.
The block’s number alone was enough to send corners of the internet into frenzy, with many pouting to the figure’s association with the biblical “number of the beast.” However, even more intriguing, a short, clear message was permanently recorded within the block. It reads, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good,” followed by a reference to the Bible verse Roman 12:21.
In Christian tradition, the number 666 is widely regarded as the mark of the “Antichrist,” drawn from the Book of Revelations. The number’s repetition within the single block also appears to deepen the symbolism, catching the attention of many crypto community members. As for the embedded message, Romans 12:21 is widely interpreted as a call to resist evil and corruption while triumphing against darkness through virtue.
Whatever the hidden meaning, the block’s message is circulating all over X and other social media. The text can still be viewed on-chain today through public explorers, where the record remains fixed as part of the block’s data. It was added through a Bitcoin feature called OP_Return, which allows users to attach small pieces of text directly onto the blockchain, making them permanent and unchangeable once confirmed. The block’s miner reportedly paid over five times the normal fees to add the message, with the transaction linked to wallets named “God” and “Bible.”
As news about the 666,666th block spreads, some crypto members have begun questioning the timing and source of the message. One user even speculated whether it might be linked to Bitcoin’s pseudonymous founder and creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Even more interestingly, the widespread attention and discussion came a day after Nakamoto’s birthday, April 5.
However, reports indicate that the message was never part of Bitcoin’s original design and was not placed there by Nakamoto. The Bitcoin creator stepped away from the project in 2011, years before block 666,666 was ever mined. Additionally, the Romans 12:21 inscription was also added by an anonymous Bitcoin founder over a decade after Nakamoto’s disappearance. Since the text was an external addition, its placement has no direct connection to Bitcoin’s core history or its mysterious founder.
Featured image from Pixabay, 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.
Argentine President Javier Milei may have deeper connections to the LIBRA meme coin scandal than he publicly admitted.
According to The New York Times, newly recovered phone logs and messages show Milei made seven calls to entrepreneur Mauricio Novelli before and after posting about the LIBRA token on his X account on February 14, 2025, the night of its launch.
Novelli is portrayed as a key figure in the crypto scandal who allegedly coordinated Milei’s endorsement of the coin and facilitated deals worth millions, including an alleged $5 million arrangement connected to Milei’s backing.
Audio messages on WhatsApp suggest recurring payments to Milei as a congressman, with mention of amounts for his sister, Karina Elizabeth Milei.
Draft documents on Novelli’s device detail potential plans for payments tied to Milei publicly endorsing a consultant, though there is no confirmation that funds were exchanged.
Milei and Novelli have known each other since the pandemic, according to El País.
During that time, Novelli reached out to Milei, offering support and online courses through his trading firm, N&W Professional Traders.
Investigators say records from Novelli’s phone indicate that Milei began receiving monthly payments, and by the time he became president, Novelli had established a trusted role with access to both Milei and his sister.
Experts analyzing Novelli’s devices suggest he acted as a broker for approvals, tax exemptions, and regulatory favors, while also seeking to capitalize on Milei’s public image.
The LIBRA token, launched by Hayden Davis‘ Kelsier Ventures, briefly surged to a market capitalization of nearly $4.6 billion as Milei showed his endorsement.
The meme coin plunged roughly 85% following accusations of a rug pull by the development team. Milei withdrew his support as the token’s value collapsed.
Estimated investor losses range from $251 million to $400 million, with data showing only 36 wallets earning over $1 million each, while approximately 114,410 investor wallets suffered losses.
Milei has maintained that he was merely drawing attention to a private venture and had no substantive connection to the coin’s launch. In an interview shortly after the scandal, he argued that only a small number of investors were affected and that most were foreign professionals.
Last May, the Investigation Task Unit (UTI) probing the LIBRA token scandal was dissolved by Milei under Decree 332/2025.
The UTI, which coordinated with anti-corruption and financial authorities, investigated allegations of insider trading, illicit fundraising, and links to public officials, forwarding findings to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Bitcoin’s muted price action is masking a buildup of downside risk in derivatives markets, where traders are increasingly positioning for a sharper move lower.
According to a recent Bitfinex report, the options market is showing a persistent gap between implied and realized volatility, with implied volatility holding in the 48% to 55% range while actual price swings remain subdued. This divergence suggests traders are paying a premium for protection, even as spot markets appear calm.
The more critical factor sits just below current levels. Analysts point to a “negative gamma environment” under $68,000, where market makers who have sold downside protection may be forced to sell bitcoin as prices fall in order to hedge their exposure.
That dynamic can turn a gradual decline into a sharper move. As prices drop, hedging activity adds further selling pressure, creating what the report describes as a “self-reinforcing feedback loop.”
The setup leaves bitcoin vulnerable to an accelerated move toward the $60,000 level if support breaks. Even recent liquidations — over $247 million in long positions — may not have been enough to fully reset positioning.
Despite the lack of large price swings, the structure of the market points to low conviction. Traders are not aggressively directional, but they are unwilling to discount tail risk, a sign that the current range may not hold, the report states.
Bitcoin’s sideways trading range between roughly $64,000 and $74,000 has created the appearance of stability, but underlying demand conditions tell a different story. The report describes the market as a “fragile equilibrium,” where weakening spot demand and reduced participation leave prices supported by a thinning base of buyers.
Corporate treasury activity, once a steady source of demand, has narrowed significantly. While firms like Strategy (MSTR) continue to accumulate, others have stepped back or even reduced exposure, including a notable sale by Marathon (MARA). This shift has left the market increasingly dependent on a small number of participants rather than broad-based accumulation.
At the same time, a large concentration of supply sits above current prices, particularly around $74,000. Investors who bought at higher levels are now looking to exit on rallies, capping upside and reinforcing the range.
Together, these forces suggest bitcoin’s current calm is less a sign of strength than a temporary balance. With demand weakening and derivatives positioning turning more fragile, the market may be more exposed to a sudden break than price action alone implies.
Bitcoin and crypto focused prediction market platform Polymarket is preparing its most significant infrastructure upgrade to date, rolling out a rebuilt trading system alongside a new native stablecoin designed to replace bridged collateral and streamline on-chain activity.
The overhaul, described by the company as a “full exchange upgrade,” is expected to go live over the next several weeks and includes new smart contracts, an updated central limit order book (CLOB), and a proprietary collateral token called Polymarket USD. The token will be backed 1:1 by USDC and will replace USDC.e, a bridged version of the stablecoin currently used across the platform.
Last month, Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, made a $600 million direct cash investment in prediction market platform Polymarket as part of a broader equity fundraising round, the company announced.
The shift away from bridged assets reflects a broader effort to reduce reliance on cross-chain infrastructure, which can introduce additional risks and inefficiencies. By moving to a natively controlled collateral token, Polymarket aims to tighten control over settlement, improve liquidity consistency, and simplify the trading experience for users.
At the core of the upgrade is a redesigned matching engine and an improved order book architecture. The new system is intended to deliver faster execution, tighter spreads, and lower operational overhead. According to developer materials, the updated exchange stack reduces the complexity of order structures while introducing support for advanced features such as EIP-1271 signatures, enabling smart contract wallets to interact more seamlessly with the platform.
Polymarket said most users will experience a smooth transition, with the interface automatically handling the conversion of existing assets into Polymarket USD via a one-time approval. However, more advanced traders and developers will need to manually wrap their holdings using a dedicated collateral onramp contract and update integrations to align with the new system.
As part of the migration, all existing order books will be cleared during a scheduled maintenance window, with the company promising advance notice ahead of the transition. The reset is intended to ensure consistency across the upgraded infrastructure and avoid discrepancies between legacy and new systems.
The timing of the overhaul comes amid rapid growth for Polymarket, which has seen trading volumes surge in recent months. The platform reportedly surpassed $10 billion in monthly volume in March, underscoring increasing demand for event-based trading markets across crypto and traditional finance audiences.
Beyond performance improvements, the upgrade signals a strategic shift toward greater vertical integration. Polymarket has historically relied on external systems, including optimistic oracle mechanisms, to resolve market outcomes. However, the company has hinted at future plans for a native token, potentially called POLY, which could play a role in governance and dispute resolution.
If implemented, such a token could allow Polymarket to internalize key functions like market validation and outcome verification, reducing dependence on third-party protocols and giving the platform more direct control over what it defines as “truth” within its markets.
The infrastructure revamp also aligns with Polymarket’s renewed push into the U.S. market. After previously halting domestic operations, the company has since registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and is positioning itself to operate within an increasingly defined regulatory framework.
With its latest upgrade, the company is attempting to evolve from a fast-growing crypto application into a fully-fledged exchange platform, combining improved execution infrastructure with tighter control over collateral, governance, and market integrity.
Editorial Disclaimer: We leverage AI as part of our editorial workflow, including to support research, image generation, and quality assurance processes. All content is directed, reviewed, and approved by our editorial team, who are accountable for accuracy and integrity. AI-generated images use only tools trained on properly license material. In Bitcoin, as in media: Don’t trust. Verify.
