Day: April 18, 2025

Global retail giant Spar introduces Bitcoin payments via Lightning Network

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Key Takeaways Spar Switzerland launches Bitcoin payments through the Lightning Network in Zug. Switzerland has over 1,013 businesses accepting Bitcoin, emphasizing its crypto-friendly environment. Share this article Spar, one of the world’s most popular retail franchises, has accepted Bitcoin as a form of payment at a supermarket in Zug, Switzerland, according to a recent announcement from DFX.swiss, a Swiss-based company that facilitates the implementation. DFX.swiss-developed payment solution enables customers to pay directly at checkout using Bitcoin via LNURL, an open peer-to-peer standard for in-person crypto payments. LNURL (Lightning Network URL)…

South Korean crypto emerges from failed coup into crackdown season

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South Korea kicked off 2025 with political chaos, regulatory heat and a crypto market finally brought to heel — or at least forced to grow up. The nation closed 2024 in disarray following then-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law stunt in December. In the aftermath, authorities spent the first quarter drawing lines in the sand as financial watchdogs slapped cryptocurrency exchanges with probes and lifted the ban on corporate trading accounts. Meanwhile, crypto adoption hit record highs as trading volume cooled. Here’s a breakdown of the key developments that…

Standardization is essential to enable crypto adoption

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Opinion by: Axel Schorn and Dr. Duc Au Traditional stocks, bonds and commodities markets have long benefited from well-established standards governing the flow of information and data. These standards underpin the seamless functioning of trading, settlement and regulatory compliance, ensuring all participants can rely on the same consistent frameworks. As the financial industry moves into decentralized finance (DeFi) with the introduction of digital assets, like crypto assets and tokenized securities, the lack of such standards presents a growing challenge.  While digital assets promise transformative potential, their fragmented information landscape risks…

What Bitcoin Indicators Predict For Q3 2025?

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Bitcoin’s 2025 journey hasn’t delivered the explosive bull market surge many expected. After peaking above $100,000, the 2025 Bitcoin price retraced sharply to as low as $75,000, sparking debate among investors and analysts about where we stand in the Bitcoin cycle. In this analysis, we cut through the noise, leveraging on-chain indicators and macro data to determine if the Bitcoin bull market remains intact or if a deeper Bitcoin correction looms in Q3 2025. Key metrics like MVRV Z-Score, Value Days Destroyed (VDD), and Bitcoin capital flows provide critical insights…

Quantum computers likely to reveal if Satoshi is alive — Adam Back

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Early cypherpunk Adam Back, cited by Satoshi Nakamoto in the Bitcoin white paper, suggested that quantum computing pressure will likely reveal whether the blockchain’s pseudonymous creator is alive. During an interview after a Q&A session at the “Satoshi Spritz” event in Turin on April 18, Back suggested that quantum computing may force Nakamoto to move their Bitcoin (BTC). That’s because, according to Back, Bitcoin holders will be forced to move their assets to newer, quantum-resistant signature-based addresses. Back said current quantum computers do not pose a credible threat to Bitcoin’s…

How Bitcoin Offers A Speed Advantage For Driving Shareholder Value

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Bitcoin is the first instantiation of digitally scarce capital—allowing companies to raise, deploy, and prove value faster than ever before. In legacy finance, capital formation is a slow, friction-filled process. A company raises funds, deploys them over months or years into infrastructure, products, or real estate—and only then begins the long wait to see whether the capital generated a return. This lag isn’t a bug. It’s a defining feature of the traditional system, built on physical constraints, regulatory overhead, intermediated trust, and long feedback loops. That system has not changed—until…

Asia’s first XRP investment fund launches with Ripple as early backer

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Key Takeaways Asia’s first XRP tracker fund launched by HashKey Capital with Ripple as an early investor. The fund will offer institutional investors exposure to XRP without direct ownership challenges. Share this article HashKey Capital, part of HashKey Group’s leading digital asset financial network, is introducing Asia’s first investment product linked to XRP, now the third-largest crypto asset by market cap. The HashKey XRP Tracker Fund is designed for professional investors who want regulated exposure to XRP without the hassle of managing ownership, custody, or trading, the team shared in…

How do they stack up for investors?

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As gold prices break new highs, many Bitcoiners are seeking ways to get exposure to the precious metal, but have been met with some hurdles along the way. Although physical gold is accessible in the form of jewelry, gold bars and coins, many industry executives are concerned about aspects like its quality, liquidity when selling, and buying at a premium above spot prices. On the other hand, gold advocates are confident that the precious metal is much easier to buy than Bitcoin (BTC), given the complexities of storing private keys…

Astar reduces base staking rewards to curb inflation pressure

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Blockchain firm Astar Network implemented changes to its tokenomics to reduce inflationary pressures in its ecosystem.  On April 18, Astar Network announced that it reduced the blockchain’s base staking rewards to 10% from 25% to curb token inflation.  The company said the change promotes a more stable annual percentage rate (APR) for users as staking inches closer to a more ideal ratio. The firm said this ensures that rewards “remain meaningful” without causing excessive inflation.  “This change lowers automatic token issuance, reducing overall inflationary pressure while maintaining strong incentives for…

Bitcoin price volatility ‘imminent’ as speculators move 170K BTC — CryptoQuant

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Bitcoin (BTC) speculators could spark “significant” BTC price volatility as a large tranche of coins moves onchain. In one of its “Quicktake” blog posts on April 18, onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant warned that a Bitcoin market shake-up is now due. CryptoQuant: “Volatility is coming” for BTC price Bitcoin short-term holders (STHs) are signaling that the current calm BTC price behavior may not last long. CryptoQuant reveals that 170,000 BTC owned by entities with a purchase date between three and six months ago has begun to circulate. “Around 170,000 BTC are…