Need to know what happened in crypto today? Here is the latest news on daily trends and events impacting Bitcoin price, blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, Web3 and crypto regulation.

Lader was one of the early names leave traditional finance to work in the crypto space.

Good Morning, Asia. Here's what's making news in the markets:

Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk's Crypto Daybook Americas.

As East Asia begins its business day, bitcoin is down 1.8%, trading above $117,800, as traders take some profit after BTC pushed through multiple all-time highs.

While there's a belief from some market participants that the rally is just beginning, with calls for BTC to hit 160k, 200k, and further, OKX's Chief Commercial Officer, Lennex Lai warns that risk is building just as fast as market enthusiasm.

"Across platforms, we're seeing an increase in aggressive long positions and widening funding rates as ‘Crypto Week’ headlines boost sentiment," Lai told CoinDesk in an interview via Telegram. "At these levels, risks can build quickly - escalation of trade tensions with the EU, Mexico, and other trading partners could trigger sharp corrections. Another risk is letting euphoria drive decisions."

Lai points to a slate of coming macro announcements – like the U.K. CPI release, and the U.S Core PPI, retail sales, and consumer sentiment, that could influence global risk sentiment and set the tone for broader markets.

These concerns echo findings from K33 Research’s H1 2025 market report, which highlighted similar risks and volatility triggers earlier this year.

According to K33, geopolitical turmoil and trade policy uncertainty have already driven significant market swings, such as a 30% correction to $75,000 earlier in the year.

The report specifically noted, "Bitcoin struggled in this de-risking period but showed subtle hints of relative strength vs equities by outperforming equities in the aftermath of Liberation Day."

Additionally, K33 highlighted historically low funding rates amidst rising prices, signaling cautious sentiment among seasoned traders who remain wary of abrupt market reversals.

"Annualized funding rates averaged at 4.51% throughout the half-year, the lowest average half-year funding rate since December 31, 2022," when the post-FTX crypto winter was at its coldest, the report said.

"In moments like this, smart traders focus on strategy over sentiment, using discipline to manage risk," Lai continued. "The excitement at the top is real, but those who manage their entries, exits, and funding exposure carefully are best positioned for whatever comes next."

After all, he concluded, "strong momentum doesn’t mean the market is invincible."

Maple Finance is Crypto's Largest On-Chain Asset Manager

Maple Finance is now the largest on-chain asset manager, overtaking BlackRock’s tokenized money market fund BUIDL, according to data from a Dune Analytics dashboard tracking real-time DeFi asset flows. A surge of over $100 million in new deposits this week pushed Maple’s total assets under management (AUM) to $2.9 billion, eclipsing BUIDL’s $2.3 billion.

While BUIDL draws capital with its ultra-conservative exposure to short-term U.S. Treasuries and cash equivalents, Maple appeals to more risk-tolerant institutions by offering yield through undercollateralized loans to vetted trading firms and crypto-native borrowers. That model, which relies on delegated credit underwriting rather than blanket overcollateralization, now appears to be scaling faster.

The milestone suggests a growing appetite for yield-bearing DeFi credit products amid continued macro uncertainty. It also marks a rare instance where a decentralized credit protocol has outpaced a major TradFi incumbent like BlackRock on-chain, at least by raw AUM.

AI Tokens Rally as Big Tech Doubles Down on Infrastructure

AI-focused crypto tokens jumped 5% overnight, pushing the sector’s market cap to $29.6 billion, according to CoinGecko. The move comes amid a surge of AI and data infrastructure announcements from major U.S. tech firms, sparking renewed investor enthusiasm across both equity and token markets.

Google said Tuesday it will invest $25 billion into data centers and AI infrastructure across the PJM electric grid, America’s largest, while also agreeing to buy 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power via a $3 billion deal with Brookfield. Meta, meanwhile, is planning “hundreds of billions” in AI data center builds, including a multi-gigawatt facility called Prometheus in Ohio.

The announcements were timed around a Trump administration-led summit at Carnegie Mellon University, where over $90 billion in AI, energy, and data infrastructure pledges were revealed. The bullish tone on AI, from both government and industry, appears to be spilling into token markets, at least for now.

Market Movements:

BTC: Bitcoin is trading at $117,810.33, down 1.69%, and failed breakout attempts gave way to high-volume support, narrowing consolidation, and thinning liquidity, signaling market exhaustion and anticipation ahead of the next macro catalyst, according to CoinDesk's Research's technical analysis data.

ETH: Ethereum surged 2.6% to $3,066.57 in a volatile 24-hour session, rebounding from a $2,933.50 low as institutional flows, record staking, and strong volume fueled a breakout past $3,075, signaling renewed bullish momentum.

Gold: Gold fell 0.56% to $3,331.55, even as a new London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) poll showed analysts turning more bullish with upgraded 2025 forecasts averaging $3,324.40—driven by geopolitical tensions, dollar weakness, and fiscal concerns, though opinions remain split on whether prices will climb toward $4,000 or fade into year-end.

Nikkei 225: Asia-Pacific markets are set to open mixed after President Trump announced a preliminary trade deal with Indonesia that includes a 19% U.S. tariff on its exports.

S&P 500: The S&P 500 edged 0.4% lower after touching an intraday record, as rising Treasury yields and a 2.7% June inflation reading raised concerns over tariff-driven price pressures, despite strong bank earnings and Nvidia-led tech gains.

Elsewhere in Crypto:

• Legitimate Privacy Tool or Dirty Money ‘Laundromat’? Lawyers Debate Role of Tornado Cash on Day 1 of Roman Storm Trial (CoinDesk)
• Can the Genius Act save banks from stablecoins? (Blockworks)
• ‘Existential Threat’: Bitcoin Proposal Would Freeze Satoshi’s Quantum-Vulnerable Coins (Decrypt)

The Senate Agriculture Committee leapt into Congress' negotiation over crypto's market structure legislation with a hearing on Tuesday, and its ranking Democrat, Senator Amy Klobuchar, outlined the significant changes she'd like to see before she'd embrace the effort to set up digital assets regulations.

As the House potentially nears passage of its own market structure bill in the Digital Asset Markets Clarity Act (despite a procedural delay on Tuesday), Klobuchar's committee will need to sign off on its own legislation. And any major changes she and other Democrats are willing to pursue as a party could stretch the legislative process much longer than the Sept. 30 deadline that Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott has set.

"We're not going to be rolled here," Klobuchar warned, calling for "some serious changes" to the regulatory proposals being discussed for U.S. crypto.

She suggested the bill needs to better nail down the funding of regulators that'll be tapped to oversee the rapidly growing new markets, should make a strong effort to protect consumers and needs to close off loopholes that you could "drive a truck through," referring to the potential that existing securities regulations could be undermined.

The committee's Republican chairman, John Boozman, highlighted collaboration with the Banking Committee and regulators. So far, the other committee is outpacing his in working on legislation. The Republicans there have publicly released a set of principles they're following on the bill, though they haven't yet released a working draft.

"We must act expeditiously to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for the trading of digital commodities, but we must ensure we get this right," Boozman said.

While the Democrats are not in charge, many of their votes will be needed to clear the Senate's 60-vote hurdle for most legislation. Similar policy desires have also been expressed by Senator Elizabeth Warren, Klobuchar's Democrat counterpart in the Senate Banking Committee, though crypto-critic Warren is unlikely to become a partner in the negotiation. Klobuchar's panel, though, has historically been more collaborative than Warren's.

On the major Senate vote on stablecoin legislation, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, Klobuchar was a no vote. Crypto advocacy group Stand With Crypto has given Klobuchar an "F" rating for being against the industry.

Read More: House's Crypto Markets Bill on Track, But Some in Industry Hope For Senate Overhaul

Thiel's investment signals growing institutional confidence in crypto firms, potentially reshaping digital asset management strategies.

The post Peter Thiel acquires over 9% stake in Tom Lee-led Ethereum treasury firm appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The advancement of the GENIUS Act could signal a shift in legislative priorities, potentially impacting future crypto regulations and economic policies.

The post Trump says key Congress members have agreed to advance GENIUS Act in key procedural vote tomorrow appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Standard Chartered has become the first big bank to launch spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum, a major milestone for cryptocurrency adoption.

Standard Chartered Launches Bitcoin, Ethereum Trading For Institutions

According to a press release, Standard Chartered has just rolled out deliverable spot trading for the two largest names in the cryptocurrency sector, Bitcoin and Ethereum. “In line with its commitment to offer clients safe, trusted and efficient digital assets solutions and following the successful launch of its digital assets custody service, Standard Chartered has today launched a fully integrated digital assets trading service for institutional clients,” reads the press release.

Standard Chartered is a global systemically important bank (G-SIB) headquartered in the United Kingdom (UK). The bank has branches around the world, but the digital asset trading launch is specifically coming through the UK arm.

This is the first example of a G-SIB offering deliverable spot trading services related to cryptocurrencies. G-SIBs are powerful institutions considered so integral to the global economy that their breakdown could trigger a wider financial crisis. As such, regulators closely watch these banks and put them through tighter scrutiny than normal institutions. Thus, for a G-SIB to enter the Bitcoin spot trading space could signal the progress digital assets have made in being accepted by traditional finance.

“Digital assets are a foundational element of the evolution in financial services,” said Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered. “They’re integral to enabling new pathways for innovation, greater inclusion and growth across the industry.”

While this is the first time the bank is offering Bitcoin and Ethereum spot trading services to institutions, it’s not its first venture into the wider digital asset space. Standard Chartered has investments in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, firms offering a range of cryptocurrency-related services.

“We are applying our global expertise, infrastructure and risk management frameworks that our clients trust to the digital assets space,” said Tony Hall, Global Head of Trading and XVA, Markets, at Standard Chartered.

The G-SIB’s latest service plugs into the bank’s existing infrastructure, allowing institutional clients to take part in Bitcoin and Ethereum trading activities through Foreign Exchange (FX) interfaces that they already use. “Clients can settle to their choice of custodian, including Standard Chartered’s secure digital assets custody solutions,” added the press release.

In some other news, Bitcoin spot trading volume has seen a revival alongside the latest price surge, as the on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has pointed out in an X post.

Since July 9th, spot volume has increased by 50.3% and futures volume by 31.9%. While this is clearly a significant jump, the wider picture remains that of trading activity being relatively muted. Compared to the year-to-date average, spot and futures volumes are both down more than 20%.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $117,000, up over 7.5% in the last week.

In a twist that few saw coming, Vanguard has quietly become the top shareholder in Strategy (MSTR). The $10 trillion asset manager now owns just over 20 million MSTR shares. That adds up to nearly 8% of Strategy’s Class A stock. Vanguard once warned that Bitcoin was “immature” and carried “no inherent economic value.” Now it finds itself deeply tied to Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin play.

Index Strategy At Work

According to a Bloomberg report, Vanguard didn’t set out to back Saylor’s moves. It simply follows its index‑fund rules. When Strategy’s stock climbed, it grew larger in the indexes that the company tracks. The result: Vanguard had to buy more shares.

Through its broad‑market funds, the asset manager ended up with a stake worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It shows how passive strategies can lead to active positions in unexpected places.

Vanguard’s CEO Tim Buckley once said that Bitcoin “could wreak havoc on portfolios.” He argued that the flagship crypto lacked the history and solid ground that long‑term investors need.

Yet Vanguard’s own track record of following index weights means it can’t shy away from a stock that’s on the rise. No matter the fund’s view on Bitcoin, the rules forced its hand.

Indirect Bitcoin Exposure Grows

Strategy now holds 601,550 BTC. Each share of MSTR represents a slice of that giant pile of Bitcoin. For anyone holding Vanguard’s indexes, that means indirect exposure to more than half a million coins.

Since 2020, MSTR stock has climbed around 3,400%. That surge helped push the firm’s market value up fast enough to land in Vanguard’s top holdings.

Large investors often use ETFs or purpose‑built products to get Bitcoin exposure. Vanguard could have joined the likes of BlackRock in launching a spot Bitcoin ETF. But it declined.

Instead, it finds itself holding a big chunk of Strategy. That makes it an unwitting part of the Bitcoin story, even if it wasn’t the path the firm’s managers originally chose.

The fact that Vanguard is now the largest shareholder of $MSTR is proof that God has a sense of humor, or at least that was my reaction to @VildanaHajric who wrote story about it out today pic.twitter.com/TLg4iqT3kQ

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 14, 2025

Michael Saylor sees this as a sign that institutions are coming around to Bitcoin. He told Bloomberg that Vanguard’s stake is “a powerful signal” of acceptance.

For years, many big firms treated Bitcoin as a niche asset. Now they’re tied to its fortunes through Strategy’s public shares. That shift may encourage others to take a closer look.

Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas summed up the irony on X, saying “God has a sense of humor.” He pointed out that Vanguard’s index approach means it must own all the stocks in its benchmarks—whether it likes them or not.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin is entering a new phase of market structure, where spot ETFs are rivaling and, in some cases, outpacing spot exchanges in daily trading volume.

Over the past 30 days, aggregate turnover in spot Bitcoin ETFs reached $62.9 billion, just under 89% of the $70.8 billion across all spot BTC trading pairs globally. This growing parity shows a significant redistribution of liquidity toward regulated instruments and changes how price discovery, volatility, and institutional participation will evolve in the coming months.

While derivatives continue to dominate, with over $890 billion in notional traded during the same period, the rise of spot ETFs as a primary layer of liquidity marks a critical turning point. Until now, global spot exchanges, particularly Binance, Coinbase, Bitfinex, and Kraken, have formed the backbone of Bitcoin trading, absorbing institutional and retail flows alike. However, ETFs are now commanding attention from allocators and traders looking to manage exposure through more familiar products.

ETF daily volume averaged $2.99 billion between June 15 and July 15, outpacing global spot’s $2.36 billion on several key days. The most pronounced divergence occurred on July 11, when ETF volume hit $6.54 billion, 50% higher than that of spot exchanges. That same day, BlackRock’s IBIT alone saw $953.5 million in new inflows, more than the combined daily volume of Bitfinex and Kraken.

This is not an isolated anomaly. The ETF-to-spot turnover ratio crossed 100% on four of the last eight trading sessions in the past month. The seven-day moving average of this ratio has been climbing steadily since the beginning of the year, indicating a structural rather than transient shift.

A combination of macro and micro factors is driving the shift in dynamics. ETFs offer lower execution slippage for institutional blocks, eliminate exchange counterparty risk, and plug directly into US prime brokerage and securities lending infrastructure. These features make them especially attractive during periods of low volatility, when intraday swings are too narrow to justify crossing wide spreads on offshore venues.

ETF liquidity relies on authorized participants (AP), which are typically large financial institutions that create and redeem ETF shares by arbitraging price differences between the ETF and its underlying assets.

When an ETF trades above its net asset value (NAV), APs buy Bitcoin on exchanges and deliver it to the ETF in exchange for new shares, pocketing the arbitrage. When the ETF trades below NAV, it redeems shares and sells the underlying BTC back into the market.

This process has two critical effects. First, it routes more demand to US exchanges like Coinbase, where APs often source their BTC for creations. Coinbase has accounted for approximately 25% of global spot BTC volume during this period, reinforcing its position as the primary hedging venue for ETF participants. Second, the AP mechanism introduces intermittent demand spikes that can decouple ETF turnover from spot volume, especially when arbitrage capacity is constrained.

These structural imbalances were visible on July 1 and July 14. On both days, ETF flow was disproportionately low compared to spot volumes, despite Bitcoin trading above $120,000 on the latter. This shows the limits of arbitrage bandwidth and the possibility that ETF turnover may not always track immediate price discovery, particularly during early US trading hours.

On-chain settlement volumes remain subdued. The average number of daily transactions stood at 376,000, far below cycle peaks of over 600,000 seen in 2023 and 2024. This reinforces the view that ETFs are adding a synthetic liquidity layer on top of Bitcoin’s base settlement layer, enabling exposure without direct participation in the on-chain economy.

The steady rise in ETF trading volume marks a shift in the structure of the Bitcoin market. While these funds don’t replace spot exchanges, they reshape the flow of liquidity, institutional access, and even the time zones of price discovery. Traditional exchanges remain vital for real-time price formation, especially in Asia-Pacific hours, but US ETFs are now anchoring market expectations during New York hours, potentially leading to more regional fragmentation in market behavior.

If this trend persists, volatility could cluster around ETF inflow/outflow cycles rather than macro headlines or funding resets. That would be a marked evolution in how Bitcoin trades, not as a 24/7 asset, but as one influenced by the tradfi calendar.

The post ETFs now shape US Bitcoin trading more than spot exchanges appeared first on CryptoSlate.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the California Breakthrough Project on July 15, enlisting executives from Coinbase, Ripple, MoonPay, and other technology firms to help streamline state operations. 

Newsom convened the advisory group at Ripple’s San Francisco headquarters on June 6. Participants include Ripple Executive Chair Chris Larsen and unnamed executives from MoonPay and Coinbase.

The cohort will work with agency staff to pinpoint bottlenecks in procurement, hiring, and service delivery, propose challenge‑based pilots, and maintain transparency and labor consultation throughout each project phase. 

Newsom tied the initiative to California’s role in artificial intelligence (AI) research, noting that 32 of the world’s 50 largest AI companies operate in the state. He said access to that expertise enables Sacramento to test new tools quickly while respecting privacy safeguards. 

Executive order sets implementation deadlines

The governor paired the task force with Executive Order N-30-25, which instructs the Government Operations Agency to collaborate with the departments of Human Resources, General Services, and Technology on three fronts: shortening civil service hiring cycles, simplifying information technology procurement, and creating shared contracting vehicles. 

The order directs every cabinet agency to submit at least one no- or low-cost efficiency proposal within 90 days. 

The Office of Data Innovation will expand “Engaged California,” a deliberative democracy platform that crowdsources ideas from state workers. 

The office must also launch an Innovation Fellows Program that assigns selected supervisors to fix specific operational challenges by  Aug. 15. Departments are mandated to allocate dedicated time for each fellow to complete the assignment. 

Coinbase channels funds to Fairshake super PAC

Separately, Coinbase is backing federal political efforts through Fairshake, a crypto‑focused super PAC that reported $141 million in cash on hand as of June 30, journalist Eleanor Terrett wrote on July 15. 

The figure includes $52 million raised in the first half of 2025, of which Coinbase contributed $25 million. 

Fairshake has collected $109 million since Election Day 2024, and a spokesperson said the group “remains focused on building lasting support for crypto and blockchain innovation.”

The post Coinbase and Ripple execs join California officials to streamline state operations appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The criminal trial of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm began in New York federal court with starkly opposing narratives.

Jury selection concluded Monday. Opening statements followed shortly after, offering the first insight into each side’s strategy.

A Woman Scammed for $250,000

Prosecutors opened with a personal story. Assistant US Attorney Kevin Mosley told jurors about a woman in New York who lost $250,000 in a crypto scam. Hackers tricked her, then laundered the stolen money through Tornado Cash.

This incident, Mosley said, was just one example of how criminals used the protocol. It gave the jury a human face to a technical crime.

Afterwards, the prosecutor escalated the stakes. He claimed Storm’s tool helped North Korea’s Lazarus Group launder $600 million stolen in a gaming company hack. He argued this violated US sanctions and national security laws. 

According to prosecutors, Storm knew about the hack but chose to do nothing. Instead, he “continued running the washing machine,” Mosley said.

The prosecution also told jurors that Storm not only built the machine but removed the off-switch. He “had the keys to the laundromat,” Mosley said. The government argued this was deliberate and profitable.

Defense: “He Was a Coder, Not a Criminal”

Storm’s lawyer, Keri Axel, painted a very different picture. She said Storm was a young immigrant who fell in love with blockchain.

Born in Kazakhstan, raised in Russia, and later moving to the US, Storm was inspired by Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin. 

Buterin encouraged developers to build privacy tools. That advice sparked the creation of Tornado Cash.

Axel argued that Tornado Cash was like any neutral tool. “It’s like Signal or a hammer,” she told the jury. Both can be used for good or bad.

She emphasized that Storm had no role in the North Korea hack. Tornado Cash was an open-source protocol. Once deployed, no one—not even Storm—could stop or control it.

The T-Shirt Was a Meme

One piece of evidence the prosecution pointed to was a shirt Storm wore at a tech conference. It made a joke about money laundering.

Axel said the shirt was a poor-taste meme common in crypto circles—not proof of criminal intent. “It was a joke, not a confession,” she told jurors.

The defense walked the jury through how Tornado Cash works. Axel explained smart contracts, public blockchains, and the role of Ethereum nodes.

She said Storm did not charge fees, had no access to user funds, and couldn’t alter the system once deployed. 

According to Axel, the government misunderstood how decentralized code works.

The defense pointed to Storm’s reaction after the $600 million hack. Rather than exploiting the moment, Storm messaged collaborators saying, “We’re done.”

She said this showed his fear, not complicity. The trial, she argued, is punishing a developer for the misuse of software.

First Witness Testifies About Using Tornado Cash In a Crypto Scam

After opening statements, the jury heard from the prosecution’s first witness—Ms. Lin from Taiwan. She said she lost money to a crypto scam and was instructed to use Tornado Cash to hide the trail.

Her testimony aimed to show how average people were affected by Tornado Cash’s use by scammers.

The trial is expected to last several weeks. The prosecution plans to present chat logs, financial records, and witness testimony. 

The jury will be asked to decide whether Storm wrote code—or ran a criminal enterprise.

The post Opening Day Highlights From Tornado Cash Founder Roman Storm’s Trial appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Adam Iza, a 25-year-old from Los Angeles, apparently hired sheriff’s deputies to harass his enemies, dubbing himself “the Crypto Godfather.” Two of his accomplices pleaded guilty to fraud today.

Apparently, tax fraud unraveled Iza’s enterprise, as the IRS discovered unreported income from at least five associates. These criminal proceeds ranged from $40,000 to upwards of $1 million.

Crypto Godfather’s Crooked Deputies

Crypto hacks, frauds, and scams are out of control right now, so many bizarre incidents are likely to happen. The first half of 2025 saw more crypto theft than any other six-month period, and major exchanges are falling for social engineering scams.

Still, today’s incident of the “LA Godfather” paying sheriff’s deputies to act as hired thugs might outdo them all in audacity.

According to local media, the 25-year-old Adam Iza began his criminal adventures by partnering with a hacker based in Kosovo. The two breached Meta business accounts’ security, selling them alongside their associated lines of credit.

This netted Iza at least $36 million. From there, he dubbed himself “the Godfather,” and recruited these deputies into his crimes.

Legal reporting shows that two sheriff’s deputies pleaded guilty to working for this crypto Godfather. Several of their colleagues also participated in his gang.

Iza would use both them and state resources to commit a string of crimes, which largely consisted of petty vengeances. He didn’t employ these men to make much income. preferring to brutalize his rivals.

For example, Iza directed his enforcers to subject personal enemies to unlawful traffic stops, identify their locations, and even create fake search warrants to get them arrested.

To maintain his “Godfather” image, he even commanded these deputies to hold rivals at gunpoint at a meeting in his Bel Air mansion until they paid him $25,000.

David Anthony Rodriguez and Christopher Michael Cadman, the two sheriff’s deputies who confessed to these crimes today, were caught in part because of tax violations.

This crypto Godfather paid the deputies huge sums of money, which they did not report to the IRS. It’s unclear if Iza gave them fiat or cryptoassets, but tax fraud unveiled several of these “dirty badges.”

The sheer idiocy of this entire debacle is unmistakable. Iza cast himself as a criminal mastermind, but at least five accomplices, including his ex-girlfriend, were all busted on tax evasion charges.

Meanwhile, Iza himself spent his money on a mansion, Lamborghinis, and an experimental leg-lengthening surgery.

Apparently, the surgery didn’t work, or is at least not compatible with prison life. A judge permitted Iza to visit his surgeon under federal supervision to get these experimental implants removed.

The so-called Godfather himself now faces decades in prison, and his deputies are in the same boat.

Overall, this shows how crypto crime is increasingly spilling over to the violent and physical crime domain.

The post Los Angeles “Crypto Godfather” Employed Sheriff Deputies as Henchmen appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Bitcoin climbed past $122,000 this week, marking its fourth straight month of gains. It even touched $123,000 Monday before dipping slightly.

Prices like these put the crypto asset well beyond what many everyday earners can afford. According to the Social Security Administration, the average yearly salary in the US is $66,600. That means a single coin now costs nearly twice what a typical worker makes in a full year.

Bitcoin Prices Soar Past Records

Based on reports from top crypto channel Altcoin Daily, high‑net‑worth individuals are being urged to act fast. The platform tweeted that millionaires should consider buying at least 1 BTC now, while it’s still within reach.

This warning follows a popular post from El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele, who pointed out that not all millionaires will be able to pick up a whole Bitcoin. With just 21 million BTC ever to exist and over 50 million millionaires worldwide, grabbing even 0.5 BTC would be out of reach if everyone tried.

If you’re already a millionaire you need to buy 1 whole Bitcoin before it gets to expensive for you.

— Altcoin Daily (@AltcoinDaily) July 13, 2025

Supply Crunch And Demand Rising

According to Bloomberg Terminal data, traders are already thinking in terms of “millions per coin.” That shift reflects growing expectations that Bitcoin will surge into seven‑figure territory.

United States President Donald Trump’s second son, Eric Trump, recently said that half a Bitcoin will be a huge amount of money soon and predicted the crypto could hit $1 million in the mid‑term. Those comments add to a chorus of bullish voices.

Based on analysis from Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao, the $1 million mark isn’t far off. He told investors that it could happen in this bull cycle. Brandon Green of BTC Inc. agreed, forecasting a similar timeframe for liftoff. If those estimates hold, owning less than a coin may soon feel like holding pocket change.

Ark Invest has put a $1.5 million base‑case target on Bitcoin by 2030, with a $2.4 million bull case riding on more institutional and nation‑state buying.

That study credits a supply squeeze and wider adoption as key drivers. Meanwhile, Michael Saylor, who chairs Strategy, has set his sights even higher. He raised his forecast to $13 million per coin by 2045, citing rapid regulatory clarity and fast‑tracking corporate investment.

Some of these price targets may sound lofty. Yet they reflect a simple math problem: shrinking supply meets growing demand. Fractional ownership allows small investors to chip in over time, but the sense of urgency is hard to ignore.

For now, Bitcoin’s rally is rewriting affordability rules, and the window for easy access may be closing.

Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

A crypto analyst who accurately predicted the Bitcoin (BTC) price surge to $120,000 months ago has returned with a bold new forecast that could redefine investors’ expectations for the rest of the cycle. Using a detailed Elliott Wave structure and historical halving patterns, the expert outlines what could be Bitcoin’s final parabolic move, laying out a clear roadmap toward a new ATH target.  

Bitcoin Parabolic Phase Still Ahead

Following Bitcoin’s explosive rise above $123,000 in a single day, crypto analyst XForceGlobal reaffirmed his earlier predictions and intensified his bullish outlook. He now asserts that Bitcoin is in the early stages of a much larger breakout, with the final and most parabolic phase of its rally yet to unfold.  

The analyst Bitcoin Price Trajectory To $155,000: Why No Major Dips Are Expected From Here a detailed chart showing that Bitcoin is now trading over $40,000 above its Wave 2 bottom of the macro 5th. This indicates that the market could be transitioning into Wave 3 of a larger Elliott Wave impulse pattern. The chart also visually segments previous bull market runs into distinct macro phases, each unfolding after a halving cycle. Every phase began with a consolidation period, followed by exponential growth and eventual correction. 

Bitcoin’s price history is further marked by the halving events in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024—all of which have consistently preceded major bullish rallies. The latest halving, which occurred in April 2024, is now expected to lead to an intermediate-term rally that may extend BTC’s price beyond $270,000 before entering another corrective phase.  

While XForceGlobal maintains a bullish long-term outlook for Bitcoin, he urges investors to be cautious and aware that the final wave may generate market euphoria before a significant decline sets in. His projected roadmap shows a steady bullish climb toward $272,832, followed by a potential retracement to around $41,646, marking a steep 85% crash from the top. 

During his analysis, the market expert highlighted the difference between smart and dumb money during this bullish phase of the cycle. He claimed that smart investors have already mapped out their exit strategies, understanding that success comes from early planning rather than spontaneous decisions. He also added that with the market yet to reach a climax, there’s still time to prepare an exit before red flags emerge.

Analyst Predicts $155,000 As Bitcoin’s Next Stop 

In a follow-up X post, XForceGlobal forecasted Bitcoin’s next short-term price target at $155,000. This prediction comes as BTC recently rallied past $123,000 before undergoing a pullback, now trading slightly above $116,800. According to the analyst, Bitcoin remains firmly in an extended Wave 3, which traditionally represents the most impulsive and powerful phase of the Elliott Wave sequence.

XForceGlobal’s chart reveals that Bitcoin recently broke out from a complex WXYXZ correction structure, which served as the launchpad for the present rally. His projection suggests that BTC is now forming a five-wave structure targeting the $140,000-$155,000 range, with macro-level corrections expected along the way.