FARGO, N.D. – Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner says he's seen an increase of cryptocurrency scams. Jahner has seen schemes where people are convinced to put up to $15,000 of their money into the kiosk to get the digital currency so others won't have access to it. The money then goes into the suspect's virtual wallet and they send it to multiple locations to stay ahead of law enforcement. Financial institutions have 10 days to comply with a search warrant to provide records, but Jahner says the money is often spent by fraudsters by then. “Our best option is to be able to prevent this activity rather than investigate it and be reactive. Typically probably less than one percent that we're able to solve these crimes and get the money back to victims,” Jahner said. A bill in the North Dakota legislature would prevent people from depositing more than $2,000 into a kiosk per day to get cryptocurrency. Warnings would be put on the machines saying “Consumer fraud often starts with contact from a stranger who is initiating a dishonest scheme. Kiosk operators would also have to have a compliance officer and have blockchain analytics software to detect and prevent suspicious activity.” The measure was passed by the House and Senate. Since the Senate added amendments, the bill has gone back to the House. 2852 Thunder Road SouthFargo, ND 58104 Studio: 701-293-9000Front Desk: 701-356-4220Email: Click Here to Email Us

According to Milk Road, traders should prioritize risk management to avoid unfavorable outcomes, as illustrated in their recent post. This advice emphasizes the importance of strategies such as setting stop-loss orders and diversifying portfolios to mitigate potential losses in volatile markets (source: Milk Road, Twitter post, March 20, 2025). Making you smarter about crypto, one laugh at a time. Trusted by 330k+ daily readers. Welcome to your premier source for the latest in AI, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and AI search tools—driving tomorrow's innovations today. Disclaimer: Blockchain.news provides content for informational purposes only. In no event shall blockchain.news be responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, the information provided. This includes, but is not limited to, any loss or damage resulting from decisions made based on the content. Readers should conduct their own research and consult professionals before making financial decisions.

Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber, said that forfeited crypto “should work for the benefit of the government.” Amid the growing adoption of cryptocurrency reserves in countries like the United States, legal activists in Russia are pushing to create a potential crypto fund. Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber, has proposed creating a government cryptocurrency fund that would include assets confiscated from criminal proceedings. The projected cryptocurrency fund would aim for revenues for the government, targeting social projects, Masharov said, according to a March 20 report by the local news agency TASS. “The proceeds from the cryptocurrency fund can then be used for social, environmental and educational projects,” he reportedly stated. Masharov's proposal came amid Russian officials progressing with new legislation on recognizing cryptocurrencies as property for the purposes of criminal procedure legislation. Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of Russia's Investigative Committee, said that a related draft bill was sent to the government for consideration, the local news agency RBC reported on March 19. “Cryptocurrencies confiscated as part of criminal proceedings must work for the benefit of the state,” Masharov said while commenting on the proposed legislation. Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber. Source: Oprf.ru “For these purposes, a special fund can be created, putting cryptocurrencies on its balance,” Masharov said, expressing confidence that many of the seized crypto assets could see their market capitalization “rising significantly over time.” Masharov's proposal to turn confiscated crypto assets for the benefit of the state follows years of the development of related legislation in Russia. Russian prosecutors have been pushing legal initiatives to allow the government to seize crypto obtained from criminal activity since at least 2021, but there has not been a clear framework set in place. Related: Russia using Bitcoin, USDt for oil trades with China and India: Report In the meantime, the Russian government has not missed the opportunity to confiscate millions in cryptocurrency from illegal cases, sometimes involving law enforcement officials. Apparently, Russia's current laws do not provide standards on where and how such funds should be distributed. The idea of a potential social crypto fund in Russia may sound similar to initiatives like a Bitcoin (BTC) strategic reserve, which currently targets holding confiscated BTC exclusively. In the meantime, Russia's central bank governor, Elvira Nabiullina, has previously strongly opposed the idea of potential investments in crypto by the Bank of Russia. An excerpt from the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve fact sheet. Source. White House “Cryptocurrency investment doesn't make any sense for the Central Bank in terms of preserving value since it's a very volatile asset,” Nabiullina reportedly said in December 2024. Magazine: Crypto has 4 years to grow so big ‘no one can shut it down': Kain Warwick, Infinex

Quantum Biopharma ( (TSE:QNTM) ) has issued an update. Quantum Biopharma ( (TSE:QNTM) ) has issued an update. On March 20, 2025, Quantum BioPharma announced the purchase of an additional USD $1,500,000 in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, bringing its total crypto assets to USD $3,500,000. This strategic move is part of the company's efforts to diversify its treasury and leverage cryptocurrencies for potential returns and as a hedge against the dollar. The company is set up to conduct transactions and receive financing in cryptocurrencies, ensuring compliance with financial regulations. This decision reflects Quantum BioPharma's confidence in the potential of cryptocurrencies to enhance its financial operations and provide value to shareholders. More about Quantum Biopharma Quantum BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative biotech solutions for treating neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders, as well as alcohol misuse disorders. The company is engaged in research and development through its subsidiary Lucid Psycheceuticals Inc., with a lead compound, Lucid-MS, aimed at addressing multiple sclerosis. Quantum BioPharma also holds a stake in Celly Nutrition Corp. and maintains strategic investments through FSD Strategic Investments Inc. YTD Price Performance: 63.24% Average Trading Volume: 2,657,469 Technical Sentiment Consensus Rating: Buy Current Market Cap: $12.32M On March 20, 2025, Quantum BioPharma announced the purchase of an additional USD $1,500,000 in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, bringing its total crypto assets to USD $3,500,000. This strategic move is part of the company's efforts to diversify its treasury and leverage cryptocurrencies for potential returns and as a hedge against the dollar. The company is set up to conduct transactions and receive financing in cryptocurrencies, ensuring compliance with financial regulations. This decision reflects Quantum BioPharma's confidence in the potential of cryptocurrencies to enhance its financial operations and provide value to shareholders. More about Quantum Biopharma Quantum BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative biotech solutions for treating neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders, as well as alcohol misuse disorders. The company is engaged in research and development through its subsidiary Lucid Psycheceuticals Inc., with a lead compound, Lucid-MS, aimed at addressing multiple sclerosis. Quantum BioPharma also holds a stake in Celly Nutrition Corp. and maintains strategic investments through FSD Strategic Investments Inc. YTD Price Performance: 63.24% Average Trading Volume: 2,657,469 Technical Sentiment Consensus Rating: Buy Current Market Cap: $12.32M For a thorough assessment of QNTM stock, go to TipRanks' Stock Analysis page. For a thorough assessment of QNTM stock, go to TipRanks' Stock Analysis page. Questions or Comments about the article? Write to editor@tipranks.com

Global cryptocurrency exchange spot volumes fell sharply in February 2025, dropping 23% month-over-month (Mom) to $1.3 trillion as Bitcoin prices retreated from recent highs. Despite the monthly decline, year-over-year (YoY) comparisons show robust 45% growth across major trading platforms. Crypto Exchange Volumes Plunge as Bitcoin Slump Drives Four-Month Low The February cooldown marks the second consecutive month of declining volumes, bringing trading activity to its lowest level since October 2024. The downturn comes amid broader market consolidation following Bitcoin's volatile price action in early 2025. In January, Bitcoin tested historical highs above $108,000. Since then, a sharper correction began, briefly pushing the price below $80,000—a nearly 30% drop. While bear markets also drive trading activity, historically, the highest volumes are seen during bullish surges. The result? A significant month-over-month decline in trading volumes. Exchange Performance Shows Widespread Declines Nine of the top ten cryptocurrency exchanges reported volume decreases in February, with South Korea's Upbit experiencing the steepest drop at 46% MoM. The platform's trading activity fell from $187.87 billion in January to $101.51 billion in February, though it maintained its 8% market share. Binance retained its commanding market position with 49% share despite seeing volumes fall 19% to $651.48 billion. ByBit and Coinbase rounded out the top three, commanding 13% and 9% market share, respectively. Bitfinex emerged as the only exchange to buck the downward trend, posting a 16% increase in trading volume. However, its overall market impact remains limited with just 1% market share. Crypto Trading Activity Shows 45% Annual Growth The YoY data paints a more optimistic picture of the cryptocurrency trading landscape. Total volume across major exchanges grew 45% compared to February 2024, with ByBit leading the annual growth charts with a remarkable 116% increase. Coinbase showed particularly strong annual performance with a 66% volume increase compared to February 2024, while Binance grew 46% year-over-year. Even smaller exchanges like Bitstamp demonstrated robust annual growth at 44%, despite its modest market share. The contrasting monthly and annual trends suggest the cryptocurrency market is experiencing a temporary pullback rather than a fundamental shift in trading patterns. The top three exchanges maintained their collective dominance with approximately 71% market share, virtually unchanged from January. Traders and investors use our platform. Top website in the world when it comes to all things investing. Mobile reviews with 4.9 average rating. No other fintech apps are more loved. Custom scripts and ideas shared by our users. @mytradingsetup @j.kruysbergen @joey_vittorelli @bradfairbridge @bhtrading @setupstrading @jeavons_louise1 @johndollery @tradingsignalio @thaisyminnaert @lala_saymyname @financial_adviser_investor @tombaines_tts @jordforex @ice.sef @imelycka @lewicz.michal @garret_duke Whatever the trade

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. President Donald Trump speaks as administrator Kelly Loeffler, of the Small Business Administration, from left, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks and Bo Hines, a member of the presidential council of advisers for digital assets, listen at the White House Crypto Summit in Washington, Friday, March 7, 2025. (Pool via AP) President Donald Trump, center, attends the White House Crypto Summit in Washington, Friday, March 7, 2025. (Pool via AP) President Donald Trump speaks as C.C. Wei, chairman and CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, listen in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, March 3, 2025. (Pool via AP) BANGKOK (AP) — The price of XRP jumped more than 8% Thursday after the CEO of cryptocurrency company Ripple said U.S. regulators have dropped its four-year-old case against the company. The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Ripple and two of its executives in late 2020 after they raised $1.4 billion by selling XRP crypto coins. The SEC under the Biden administration held that digital assets like cryptocurrences should be regulated like securities, such as stocks, and should be considered commodities like gold or oil. Securities generally face stricter regulations. The Trump administration is easing those rules. CEO Brad Garlinghouse that the SEC overstepped its authority in alleging that Ripple violated securities laws by selling XRP without a securities registration. “I'm finally able to announce that this case has ended,” Garlinghouse said in a video posted on X. “It's over.” The SEC has not confirmed its decision to withdraw the case against Ripple, yet other crypto companies have already announced that the SEC under the Trump administration has dropped cases against them. Trump vowed during his presidential campaign to ease restrictions in the cryptocurrency market, a significant change compared with the last several years under Gary Gensler, the head of the SEC in the Biden administration. In February, the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said the SEC had dropped its case against it after it was targeted in a lawsuit alleging it was operating as an unregistered securities platform and brokerage service. Ditto for the cryptocurrency platform Robinhood. The SEC also recently asked a federal court to pause ongoing litigation against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, because leadership was rethinking previous enforcement actions. Trump has pledged to make the U.S. a world leader in cryptocurrencies and the industry scored some early wins after his return to the White House. That includes the repeal of an SEC accounting rule and an executive order by the president directing a working group to study and propose changes to crypto regulations. Trump signed an executive order two weeks ago establishing a government reserve of bitcoin, a key marker in the cryptocurrency's journey towards possible mainstream acceptance. The crypto industry spent heavily to help elect Trump and other crypto-friendly lawmakers and is eager to cement its influence in politics and mainstream financial systems. Garlinghouse, a Trump supporter, caused waves when he said he'd like to see a U.S. government crypto reserve include various digital assets rather than just bitcoin, the world's most popular cryptocurrency. That idea is a nonstarter for many bitcoin diehards. The SEC was due to hold a series of roundtables on regulation of crypto assets, beginning with one on Saturday at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Early Thursday, the value of Ripple rose to more than $2.50. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

ByBilly Bambrough ByBilly Bambrough , Senior Contributor. Bitcoin has climbed after the Federal Reserve met expectations by leaving interest rates on hold and confirmed a major flip—though traders are now being warned of a major new threat. Front-run Donald Trump, the White House and Wall Street by subscribing now to Forbes' CryptoAsset & Blockchain Advisor where you can "uncover blockchain blockbusters poised for 1,000% plus gains!" The bitcoin price soared toward $88,000 per bitcoin, adding almost $10,000 from the low it fell to last week, helped by a huge bitcoin price prediction hitting its first milestone. Now, as Russia is revealed to be gearing up for a crypto showdown with the U.S., a leak that primed the bitcoin price for a “big” crypto update from president Donald Trump has been confirmed. Sign up now for the free CryptoCodex—A daily five-minute newsletter for traders, investors and the crypto-curious that will get you up to date and keep you ahead of the bitcoin and crypto market bull run “I'm told a big announcement regarding Donald Trump's plans for next steps in crypto policy is coming imminently out of the Blockworks Digital Asset Summit,” Eleanor Terrett, a former Fox Business reporter who's now hosting a crypto podcast, posted to X. Blockworks, a crypto media company, later confirmed the leak, touting a pre-recorded speech by Trump that's due to be broadcast to attendees on Thursday morning as “the first time a sitting president has ever addressed a crypto industry conference." The details of Trump's speech are not yet known, however, Trump's executive director of the president's council of advisers on digital assets Bo Hines earlier told the conference the U.S. wants "as much [bitcoin] as we can get.” “It's high time that our president started accumulating assets for the American people, which is what president Trump is doing rather than taking it away,” Hines said, referring to Trump's executive order that prevents the sale of bitcoin and crypto that U.S. has seized. Last week, Hines told attendees of a closed-door round table hosted by the Bitcoin Policy Institute that the White House plans to buy as much bitcoin as it can. Sign up now for CryptoCodex—A free, daily newsletter for the crypto-curious Earlier this month, after Trump's surprise announcement that Ripple's XRP, solana and cardano would form the basis of a U.S. crypto reserve, the White House shuffled its plans to create a bitcoin-only strategic reserve alongside a crypto stockpile made up of smaller cryptocurrencies. Trump confirmed his commitment to bitcoin during the much-hyped White House crypto summit, placing it in a unique position above other cryptocurrencies in a reserve described as a “digital Fort Knox” in a reference to the U.S. gold reserve. Donald Trump's crypto czar David Sacks said the U.S. Treasury will be working to “maximize the value” of the bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies held by the U.S. in its reserve and crypto stockpile. "The crypto stockpile should be subject to good portfolio management and fortunately we have a secretary of the Treasury who is an extremely successful former hedge fund manager so he's going to figure out the best way to manage these assets and we give him the flexibility to do portfolio management," Sacks said, speaking on the All In Podcast he cohosted before taking the White House job.

Bitcoin Price Holds Above $85,000 as Analysts Worry Over Misplaced Optimism $84,629.00 $1,968.74 $2.44 $622.19 $128.60 $0.999902 $0.725593 $0.169824 $0.230469 $1,969.82 $84,538.00 $3.75 $14.34 $9.76 $0.281268 $0.999963 $2,356.96 $0.190515 $18.77 $1.14 $2.40 $0.00001277 $91.48 $4.38 $336.03 $6.65 $1,970.99 $4.67 $0.999834 $0.999311 $14.62 $2,092.31 $28.54 $6.71 $208.27 $1.044 $5.46 $1.16 $2.71 $0.00000759 $51.77 $22.69 $5.79 $33.86 $0.853675 $17.79 $0.792329 $174.11 $84,578.00 $11.26 $0.02602175 $0.999132 $257.75 $0.079353 $4.77 $0.382674 $0.078446 $3.02 $0.212166 $3.33 $84,169.00 $4.03 $0.371001 $3.27 $0.196625 $0.518253 $0.998915 $0.882193 $0.00237658 $0.52572 $5.42 $11.21 $0.525336 $84,455.00 $1.00 $1,971.88 $77.58 $0.071803 $2,047.01 $1.098 $0.443217 $18.87 $1,245.36 $0.866026 $0.56092 $2,222.57 $0.997996 $0.637579 $0.195648 $9.76 $133.92 $0.926903 $0.095622 $0.01477492 $0.0000116 $0.998228 $0.560746 $0.99881 $84,072.00 $2,089.70 $622.85 $3,041.34 $0.01718411 $1.00 $0.99962 $0.714396 $0.995922 $0.287871 $2.38 $0.0000007 $34.51 $84,454.00 $0.18397 $0.01383907 $0.423 $6.09 $2.13 $3,061.90 $0.109052 $0.999843 $164.31 $2,049.51 $0.00006301 $8.33 $0.443107 $0.52755 $0.00618327 $17.12 $3.14 $0.99979 $3.42 $0.149845 $140.77 $33.63 $1.00 $1.79 $0.074758 $0.663642 $17.97 $0.270129 $0.999105 $0.486251 $0.775397 $82,170.00 $2,091.15 $0.168532 $0.46106 $1,970.09 $6.86 $0.00717483 $0.999138 $0.22098 $1.25 $0.087634 $0.00002214 $0.672525 $0.00000044 $0.169673 $84,619.00 $0.0454931 $1,969.66 $84,649.00 $0.520625 $0.517008 $1,970.99 $110.37 $1.08 $0.432983 $0.993288 $2.43 $0.01184084 $1.091 $42.47 $0.38042 $0.39871 $0.21213 $0.885593 $2,051.35 $5.42 $0.00699164 $1.31 $2,000.55 $1,964.30 $21.52 $0.00006461 $0.00417302 $84,445.00 $0.998989 $83,935.00 $0.998231 $127.10 $1.006 $0.03266973 $1.33 $0.262235 $0.00571631 $0.277685 $48.05 $1,954.16 $1.33 $3.93 $2.71 $0.03010499 $1.20 $1,968.90 $0.866 $23.77 $2,151.97 $17.52 $0.206377 $0.0000014 $0.279484 $1.14 $2,079.57 $2.93 $0.634386 $84,667.00 $84,481.00 $0.539774 $0.03843947 $0.071508 $0.03310882 $2,138.15 $0.998843 $0.999749 $1,971.37 $3,038.95 $0.00000012 $0.00246403 $0.01271103 $0.0033405 $0.03226205 $0.107398 $0.083184 $0.999382 $0.118087 $1,710.64 $4.22 $137.37 $0.664059 $2.23 $0.0050435 $0.153743 $0.412557 $0.538067 $0.264755 $0.00255592 $0.00033879 Bitcoin traders seemed to take the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision well—too well, to hear deVere Group CEO Nigel Green tell it. Although the Federal Reserve did not lower rates, as crypto traders might have hoped, Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks provided some hope to markets that there would be two rate cuts later in the year. But Green insists that President Donald Trump's tariffs—taxes on imported goods—will have long-lasting effects that should scuttle the Fed's optimistic projections. Protectionist trade policies may encourage companies to manufacture their products in the U.S., he wrote. But however good "American made" sounds politically, it will be coupled with higher labor costs and fuel wage growth. "The notion that inflationary pressures will quickly subside under these conditions is wishful thinking at best," he wrote in a note shared with Decrypt. "Markets, it would appear, have bought into Powell's messaging. Stocks surged as he reassured investors that the inflationary effect of tariffs would be short-lived." For now, investors seem happy with Powell's hopeful outlook. At the time of writing, Bitcoin's price is up 1.8% compared to this time yesterday, trading at $85,208. Earlier in the day, it climbed above $86,000, according to CoinGecko data. But Bitcoin is still trading 11% lower than it was a month ago. Users of on-chain prediction market MYRIAD, launched by Decrypt's parent company DASTAN, remain bullish on Bitcoin, with over 74% expecting it to hold above $83,000 by the end of the week. Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF inflows have slowed to a crawl, but that's not necessarily bad news, wrote BRN analyst Valentin Fournier in a trading note Thursday. He said overall trading activity remains elevated. "Bitcoin ETFs saw $11.8 million in inflows, while Ethereum ETFs experienced $11.7 million in outflows, extending the trend of diverging netflows between the two assets," he said. "While inflows have momentarily decreased, sustained high trading volumes indicate ongoing market engagement rather than weakening interest." Fournier said the firm remains neutral on Bitcoin and Ethereum, noting that BTC is doing well just to maintain its price position and ETH is still recovering its momentum. But he rated Solana as "overweight" a day after the altcoin saw some big ETF news. Later today, the Volatility Shares Solana ETF, which will track Solana futures contracts, will begin trading under the SOLZ ticker. And the Volatility Shares 2x Solana ETF, which will trade under the SOLT ticker, is a leveraged fund that will grant investors access to amplified returns—or losses. They'll both trade on the Nasdaq. At the time of writing, Solana has retreated slightly from the $136.09 high it set in the past day. But it's still trading 2.5% above yesterday's price, according to CoinGecko data. Your gateway into the world of Web3 The latest news, articles, and resources, sent to your inbox weekly. © A next-generation media company. 2025 Decrypt Media, Inc.

Share U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver remarks at the Digital Asset Summit in New York on Thursday, days after White House signaled interest in stockpiling Bitcoin. President Donald Trump is set to address the Digital Asset Summit in New York City on Thursday, March 20, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president has spoken at a cryptocurrency industry conference. According to a press release, Trump's speech is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET at North Javits and comes amid growing discussion about the U.S. government's potential involvement in Bitcoin (BTC). “It's high time that our president started accumulating assets for the American people, which is what President Trump is doing rather than taking it away. I've been asked all the time, it's like how much do you want, right? I mean, as much as we can get.” Bo Hines, executive director of the White House's presidents council of advisers on digital assets The administration's stance on Bitcoin appears to be evolving, though details remain unclear. A few weeks ago, Trump signed an executive order establishing a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Lawmakers, including Senator Cynthia Lummis and Congressman Nick Begich, have since introduced proposals for the U.S. to acquire up to 1 million BTC over the next five years. Trump has already signed an executive order to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. As crypto.news reported earlier, the reserve will be funded with Bitcoin seized by the federal government through asset forfeiture, meaning taxpayers won't bear any cost. White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks noted that the U.S. government already holds around 200,000 BTC, though a full audit has never been conducted. The executive order mandates a complete accounting of federal digital asset holdings and prohibits the sale of Bitcoin in the reserve, likening it to a “digital Fort Knox.” Alongside Trump, other key speakers at DAS include Strategy's Michael Saylor and Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart, who will discuss spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and institutional adoption. Read more about Rexas Finance Presale Deep Dives Crypto companies strive to obtain banking licenses. Exploring the growing intersection of banks and crypto platforms MiCA won't shape the future of RWA tokenization | Opinion Binance's USDT pair with Turkish lira sees largest amplitude since 2024 after key Erdogan rival detained Should Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP traders buy with Trump push ahead of FOMC Interview: New Jersey Devils introduce AI chatbot ‘Bott Stevens' via Theta EdgeCloud A $108T global liquidity surge should be sending Bitcoin to the moon — So why isn't it? Web2 has failed the planet—It's up to web3 to fix it | Opinion Why did South Korea reject a Bitcoin reserve? How do other countries explain the reluctance to adopt the BTC reserve? ‘White man chain': Solana's anti-woke ad sparks community backlash Bybit crypto hack: Which security measures would prevent a repeat? | Opinion Related News Red alert: Bitcoin price rebound could fade as technical patterns turn bearish Lazarus Group sends $3.76m worth of Bitcoin to five unknown address Trump Media executives launch SPAC to raise $179m for crypto and tech sectors Get crypto market analysis and curated news delivered right to your inbox every week. You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

PROVIDENCE – Timmons Roberts' letter to state lawmakers began with this painful admission: "On April 16th, 2024, I was scammed. Pretty badly." "I'm here telling you about it because I wish someone had [warned] me," said Roberts, 64, a professor of environmental studies at Brown University. "The CoinStar machines in supermarkets made it possible." The worst part, Robbins wrote, wasn't the $2,200 he lost – "that can be lived with" – but rather the three things he hasn't been able to let go of since. He can't get the man, who was on the phone doing a "brilliant" imitation of a federal marshal, out of his head, Roberts said. His trust in humanity is badly shaken. And the fact that he fell for the scam is "humiliating." "Everyone thinks they are smart enough to not let this happen to them, that it's only 'old clueless women' or something who get scammed," Roberts wrote. "Talking to the FBI was helpful in convincing me otherwise, and apparently there's some research on the fact that highly educated people with good jobs are just as likely to fall victim as anyone," but they are just too ashamed to admit it. Roberts shared his story of how he, a professor at an Ivy League university, was sucked into this scam during the first of two State House hearings on a bill to regulate the cryptocurrency industry, which AARP Rhode Island has described as a top priority this year. Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella told lawmakers that in Westerly alone, many residents have lost significant sums of money, even their entire life savings, because of cryptocurrency scams and cryptocurrency ATMs. "We have investigated cases where individuals deposited and lost $40,000 in just two days and multiple instances of $15,000 or more losses in a single day," Gingerella said. "When we attempt to work with these machine owners to recover these funds, we are met with indifference and little to no cooperation." Looking beyond Westerly, AARP Associate State Director Matthew Netto told the House Committee on House Innovation, Internet, & Technology that in 2023, the FBI found that Americans reported losing more than $5.6 billion to cryptocurrency fraud, and $2 million of those losses were from Rhode Islanders. The scams, Netto said, involve making payments using cryptocurrency ATMs, or "crypto kiosks" and "virtual currency kiosks" that can be found in supermarkets, shopping malls, gas stations and convenience stores. He estimated there are at least 120 in operation in Rhode Island today. The legislation, as originally proposed in the House by Rep. Julie Casimiro and in the Senate by Sen. Victoria Gu, would have required: It also would have required cryptocurrency operators to refund transactions and ATM fees for fraudulent transactions. Two of the larger players in the crypto-kiosk industry, CoinFlip and Bitcoin Depot pushed back, resulting in a compromise announced just ahead of Tuesday's Senate hearing on the bill. "CoinFlip would support a 'reasonable transaction limit' for new users who may not be familiar withthe kiosks," and limit equal to the federal gift card limit of $10,000 for seasoned users, the company's general counsel, Larry Lipka, had suggested at an earlier hearing. At that time, he called the proposed fee caps a "de-facto ban on the industry," because it would not allow the full recovery of operational costs. And he likened the required refund of "scam victims" authorized transactions to requiring Target to refund the purchase of a gift card if the customer later gave their gift card to a bad actor." On Tuesday, AARP Rhode Island – and an industry lobbyist – announced the proposed compromise that Casimiro, the House sponsor, negotiated with industry representatives. Key features: Roberts said he received a call while driving on the Mass Pike from a Washington, D.C., number. The basic premise was that he had failed to appear for federal jury duty in Providence and was in contempt of court. Roberts said he never got a summons, and the caller, posing as a lieutenant, said he checked and it looked like the signature on the paperwork was forged. He gave Roberts a callback number and the answering machine said it was the federal court in Providence and sounded "completely legit." The scammer picked up the extension, told Roberts he was in contempt of court and he could either appear at the federal courthouse and possibly be detained for eight to 10 hours, or he could pay a fee at a CoinStar machine in a "Federal Payment Kiosk" that, the scammer said, the government had been using since COVID. The scammer told Roberts to put the cash in the machine and transfer the payment. Once the forgery was cleared, Roberts would be refunded the money. "Looking back, of course this seems absurd," Roberts wrote. Roberts took out a first round of cash and deposited it into a CoinStar machine at a Stop & Shop. He didn't realize it was a scam until he had to get more cash and the teller told him it was a fraud, hung up Roberts' phone and told him not to answer it. When Roberts called the real court number listed on Google, the woman in the jury duty division told him several people had been scammed that week.

Bakkt Holdings is blowing it all up and starting fresh. The digital asset and payments platform on Monday (March 17) suffered a major blow when Bank of America and Webull announced they would not be renewing their commercial agreements with the company. On Wednesday (March 19), after delaying twice, the digital asset and payments platform held its earnings call sharing the financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024. The big news? Bakkt signed a definitive agreement to get rid of its Trust custody business entirely, named a new co-CEO, and announced a pivot to “become a pure play crypto infrastructure company.” Webull, per a Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), represented nearly three quarters (74%) of Bakkt's crypto services revenue. “As we move forward to a pure play crypto ecosystem player, [the divesture] enables us to double down on our core offerings — providing institutional-grade crypto trading, liquidity, and subject to applicable regulatory approvals, payment solutions,” said Andy Main, CEO of Bakkt. Main also announced the appointment of Akshay Naheta as co-CEO. “As we enter 2025, Bakkt is sharpening its focus on the future of crypto, leveraging our technology, market expertise and strategic partnerships to be in a position to capitalize on the opportunities ahead. Our partnership with DTR [Distributed Technologies Research, founded by Naheta], combined with Akshay Naheta agreeing to joining as co-CEO, marks a pivotal moment by expanding our capabilities, and we believe will position us to be able to capture market share in the global stablecoin payments network,” he told investors on Wednesday's call. The company's stock remained relatively flat, hovering around $9, after dropping by 30% to start the week. There was no Q&A session following Wednesday's earnings call. Read more: Bakkt Suffers Major Setback as Bank Partners Drop Platform Few companies have undergone as radical a transformation as Bakkt, which once sought to bridge traditional finance and digital assets through loyalty rewards and consumer-friendly crypto solutions, and is now pivoting to a focused strategy: becoming a full-fledged crypto infrastructure company. Bakkt has entered into a strategic partnership with DTR, a stablecoin payments platform. This collaboration aims to enhance Bakkt's capabilities in the global stablecoin payments network. To concentrate on its core offerings, Bakkt has signed a definitive agreement to divest its Trust custody business to Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). This divestiture allows Bakkt to focus on providing institutional-grade crypto trading, liquidity and, subject to regulatory approvals, payment solutions. Simultaneously, Bakkt is evaluating alternatives for its Loyalty business, a segment that once seemed integral. Whether through a sale or a full wind-down, the company is signaling to investors that its future is not in travel miles or gift card conversions but in digital asset markets, trading infrastructure and institutional-grade solutions. Bakkt's Q4 2024 earnings report, including leadership changes and divestitures, tells a story of aggressive restructuring, divestitures, and a shift toward high-volume crypto trading. Bakkt reported total revenues of $1.797 billion for the quarter, an increase of 737.9% year over year. This surge is attributed to heightened crypto market activity and increased asset prices.​ Read more: Read also: The Stablecoin Market Is $220 Billion. Are Businesses Actually Using Them? Despite the revenue growth, Bakkt reported a net loss of $40.4 million for the quarter, an improvement of 48.7% year over year. The adjusted EBITDA loss also decreased by 66.3% to $6.4 million, reflecting the company's efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs. Bakkt faces substantial headwinds. The nonrenewal of its Webull commercial contract, a key revenue stream, raises questions about its ability to maintain retail partnerships while shifting toward institutional business. Moreover, the company's dependence on volatile crypto markets means that external shocks — regulatory crackdowns, liquidity crunches or security breaches — could impact performance. With revenue projections between $1.03 billion and $1.28 billion for Q1 2025, the company is betting on sustained crypto adoption and a deeper integration into the institutional space. Whether this gamble will pay off remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Bakkt is no longer a consumer-facing crypto startup, it's aiming to become instead a serious player in the infrastructure that powers digital asset markets. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter. We're always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors. Learn More Bakkt Ditches Custody Business, Names New Co-CEO, and Bets Everything on Crypto Amazon Autos to Help Dealers Sell Used Cars A Matter of Trust: How AI Is Reshaping Risk Assessment Tala Secures $150 Million Debt Facility to Enhance Lending Capabilities

Bitcoin (BTC) punters are looking at topside options bets in a bullish shift in price expectations after the Federal Reserve's (Fed) meeting, but ether (ETH) continues to lag sentiment. As of writing, BTC's short-term and long-term risk reversals, which show the implied volatility premium (demand) for bullish bets or calls versus puts, were positive, implying investor interest in chasing price gains in the leading cryptocurrency, per data source Amberdata. It marks a shift from the bearish sentiment that prevailed weeks before the Fed meeting when short and near-dated puts were pricier than calls, reflecting downside fears. "Frontend skew flipped calls. Flows featured 21 Mar outright calls and calendars bought, while 28 Mar puts were sold," institution-focused over-the-counter tech platform Paradigm noted in the Telegram chat. Institutions and large traders execute block trades via OTC platforms like Paradigm, which are then listed on Deribit. Options are derivative contracts that give the purchaser the right but not the obligation to purchase or sell the underlying asset at a predetermined price at a later date. A call option gives the right to buy, and a put option gives the right to sell. The bullish shift in the short and near-dated options happened as the Federal Reserve (Fed) retained the forecast for two rate cuts this year despite making the expected stagflationary adjustment in economic forecasts. The bank said it will slow the pace of balance sheet run off from April. More importantly, Chairman Jerome Powell downplayed fears about the inflationary impact of Trump's tariffs, calling it transitory. Additionally, the end of the prolonged legal tussle between the SEC and Ripple, which uses XRP for cross border transactions, likely aided the sentiment. XRP, with the market cap of $142.21 billion, is the world's fourth largest cryptocurrency. These positive developments, however, are yet to translate into a positive flip in the short and near-dated ether options. At press time, ether risk reversals showed a bias for puts out to the May expiry, retaining the pre-Fed cautious sentiment despite the looming Ethereum Pectra upgrade. The technological update will introduce smart accounts to ethereum, blob scaling and validator UX enhancements and seen as a game changer by many. Ethereum developers launched a new test network, Hoodi, this week to carry out the impending upgrade, expected to take effect on March 26. Note that the persistent bias for ether puts could be partly driven by traders looking to hedge downside risks in other altcoins. Ether is widely seen as the altcoin leader. Omkar Godbole is a Co-Managing Editor on CoinDesk's Markets team based in Mumbai, holds a masters degree in Finance and a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) member. Omkar previously worked at FXStreet, writing research on currency markets and as fundamental analyst at currency and commodities desk at Mumbai-based brokerage houses. Omkar holds small amounts of bitcoin, ether, BitTorrent, tron and dot. About Contact

By Paddy Hirsch , Jeff Guo , Lilly Quiroz , Kate Concannon In 2009, Bitcoin launched as the first cryptocurrency. Just under two decades, President Trump has signed an executive order to create the "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile." On today's show, we look at what the U.S. government plans for this new strategy, plus who benefits from a crypto reserve. Related episodes:Is an American sovereign wealth fund such a bad idea? (Apple / Spotify)Is 'government crypto' a good idea? (Apple / Spotify) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor

Crypto update: The price of Bitcoin neared the $86,000 level on March 20 after United States Federal Reserve's rate decision sent markets soaring. The rise was supported by the US Fed decision and news that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) had officially dropped its lawsuit against Ripple Labs. During the early hours today, on March 20, Bitcoin briefly touched the $87,299 level at 5.50 am, but soon settled close below $86,000. At 10.10 am, the world's biggest cryptocurrency was at $85,596.80 — up 3.18 per cent from the previous day, according to data on Coinmarketcap. The market capitalisation of Bitcoin was at $1.69 trillion, with trading volume recorded was at $35.82 billion over the past 24 hours. The second biggest cryptocurrency, Ether also saw a rise, trading at $2,020.95 — up 4.51 per cent, according to CoinMarketCap data. The token's market cap is at $243.78 billion, with trading volume of $20.26 billion. Stablecoin Tether, linked to the US Dollar, remained steady on March 20, at $1 with market cap of $143.66 billion and trading volume of $78.91 billion, CoinMarketCap showed. Further, Solana token, which will see two linked exchange-traded funds (ETFs) jumped 5.69 per cent to $133.09, with market cap of $67.9 billion and trade volume of $3.64 billion, as per CoinMarketCap data. Florida-based Volatility Shares LLC, is debuting the first ever Solana-linked ETFs on March 20, Bloomberg reported. The ETFs are — Volatility Shares Solana ETF (ticker SOLZ) which will track Solana futures; and the Volatility Shares 2X Solana ETF (SOLT) which will offer twice the leveraged exposure. SOLZ and SOLT will carry expense ratios of 0.95% and 1.85 per cent, respectively, the report added. Meanwhile, Ripple Labs on March 19 said that the US SEC had dropped its appeal against the company, Reuters reported. The watchdog was appealing a July 2023 decision by Manhattan District Judge the XRP token sold by Ripple on public exchanges did not meet the legal definition of a security. In a post on X, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse called the end of the SEC appeal a “resounding victory” and “long overdue surrender”. Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO, Pi42 noted that Bitcoin and the overall crypto space continue their rebound after the Fed maintained interest rates unchanged. “Investors expect an all-time high in Q2, driven by dovish cues from Jerome Powell and increased institutional demand. Bitcoin Whale accumulation rose by a whopping $13 billion over the course of three days, demonstrating robust investor sentiment,” Shekhar noted. He added that net inflows went into positive territory, accounting for a change in sentiment as Ethereum and Dogecoin also recovered. “As liquidity rises and macroeconomic fundamentals are in sympathy, the universe of crypto is set for further upside. The coming two months can be decisive in shaping the path of Bitcoin as it deals with bettering fundamentals and increasing investor appetite.” Shekhar felt. According to the CoinSwitch Markets Desk, “Bitcoin experienced a modest increase of nearly 4 per cent, trading at approximately $86,000. Ethereum also saw gains, rising 5 per cent to around $2,031.” It noted the following developments that had an impact on crypto prices: (With inputs from Agencies) Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions. Catch all the Business News , Market News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates. Download the Mint app and read premium stories Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It'll just take a moment.

The cryptocurrency market saw significant gains today, with Bitcoin approaching $86,000 and Ethereum reclaiming the $2,000 level. This rally comes as the SEC dropped its multi-year enforcement action against Ripple, signaling a potential shift in regulatory stance, while the Federal Reserve maintained its target range for interest rates and projected two cuts in 2025. Latest crypto market news Positive legislative news along with consistent Federal Reserve monetary policy caused prices of cryptocurrencies to skyrocket everywhere. For the sector, the SEC's choice to abandon its lawsuit against Ripple following four years of litigation constitutes a major triumph. Underlining a possible “new chapter” for cryptocurrency control under the Trump administration, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said this event “a resounding victory for Ripple, for crypto, every way you look at it.” Institutional interest is rising meantime as Minnesota state Senator Jeremy Miller presents the Minnesota Bitcoin Act, allowing the state to make investments in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. This is in line with laws in 22 other American states, where 39 separate proposals pertaining to state Bitcoin investments are under introduction all around. After the Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates at their present level between 4.25% and 4.5%, Bitcoin BTC/USD started to slow down its surge toward $86,000 Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated plans to lower the monthly redemption cap on Treasury securities from $25 billion to $5 billion and maintained the potential of two rate cuts in 2025, hence the bitcoin peaked at $85,950 in intraday. On-chain data points reveal a distinct market dynamic emerging. Despite recent corrections to a four-month low of $76,600 on March 11, long-term holders—those who have held Bitcoin for at least 155 days—have exhibited a declining selling pressure. Glassnode data indicates that these investors still retain a significant share of their gains, implying strong belief on the long-term direction of Bitcoin. New Bitcoin whales—addresses holding at least 1,000 BTC with an average acquisition age of less than six months—have also aggressively collected over 1 million BTC since November 2024, so establishing themselves as significant market participants. Rising almost 8% over the past 24 hours, Ethereum ETH/USD broke above $2,000 to peak at $2,064. After producing higher lows and hitting resistance at $1,950 many times, the altcoin showed a successful breakout from an ascending triangle pattern. On March 12, ETH moves into accumulation addresses and records a one-day total of 345,210 ETH, suggesting notable long-term holding behavior. Suggesting significant holders are using ETH's current pricing, which remains 58.4% below its all-time high, these accumulation addresses have gathered over 5.8 million ETH during a 12-month period in 2024 and already purchased 4.73 million ETH in under three months in 2025. Following Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse's declaration that the SEC will revoke its appeal against the company, XRP XRP/USD price jumped 15% to $2.55. Comparatively to $5.5 million in long liquidations, the news set over $11.96 million worth of short XRP positions to be sold in just one hour on motion. Declaring the company engaged in an unregistered securities sale, the SEC started its action against Ripple in December 2020. A federal judge penalized Ripple $125 million—far less than the SEC's $2 billion demand—and decided that XRP itself is not a security for retail sales in August 2024, therefore rendering a partial success for Ripple. With the SEC's appeal dropped, the regulatory scene for cryptocurrencies undergoes a clear change. As investors moved to riskier assets ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments, Solana's native token SOL surged 8% to $ 133.44. Solana's total value locked (TVL) achieved its highest level since July 2022, rising to 53.2 million SOL on March 17—a 10% rise from the month before—despite a 47% reduction in on-chain traffic over two weeks—a trend witnessed across several blockchains. Still among the top 10 in prices, several Solana DApps beat more established rivals. Leading in fee generating include Pump.fun, Jupiter, Meteora, and Jito; Solana's weekly base layer costs exceed those of Ethereum. SOL/USD seems positioned to maybe recover the $170 level last observed on March 3, with balanced leverage levels between longs and shorts and lowered token unlocks projected in the next months. Cardano's price dropped 32% in February then rose 13.5% in March. Social attitude about ADA/USD has reached its greatest positive level in four months while floating sideways between $0.78 and $0.70 over the past ten days. The SEC's latest remarks labeling Cardano's use case as “smart contracts for government services” helped ADA investors. Though on a downturn since its 2024 high of $1.32, the altcoin has maintained a position above the 0.50 Fibonacci retracing line, suggesting that its high-time frame chart stays on a technical uptrend. Supported by the 200-day exponential moving average, a breakout could perhaps set off a 20% surge toward the $0.84-$0.88 region with immediate opposition at $0.78. Cardano has historically shown extended sideways movement, nevertheless, which may restrict quick gains.