Ethereum

Initia (INIT) just made a grand entrance into the crypto world—and investors are loving it. The token has jumped 36% in just 24 hours, now trading close to $0.90. But what really turned heads? Trading volume exploded more than 45,000%, showing huge interest from both retail and pro traders. This sudden rush is being fueled by major listings, including the latest one on Gate.io, which now offers both spot and perpetual markets for INIT. INIT launched yesterday after a 6-day farming phase on Binance Launchpool, where users could stake coins like USDC, BNB, or FDUSD to earn INIT rewards. Just 3% of the total supply was up for grabs through this event. Another 5% is being given away to early users and testers through a limited-time airdrop that ends today at 23:59 UTC. It’s not just hype—some traders are already seeing big gains. One investor, tracked by Lookonchain, entered a leveraged trade at $0.638 and is now sitting on over $630,000 in unrealized profit. Behind the scenes, Initia isn’t your average blockchain. It combines a core Layer 1 network (built using Cosmos SDK) with a system of customizable Layer 2 chains called Interwoven Rollups. This setup allows developers to build their own app-specific chains while staying connected to the main network. It even supports Move smart contracts—something you rarely see outside of networks like Aptos and Sui. But what really makes Initia stand out is its unique “Enshrined Liquidity” model. Normally, crypto holders have to choose between staking their tokens to support the network or using them in liquidity pools to earn trading fees. Initia changes that. It lets users stake their LP tokens—meaning you can help secure the network, earn staking rewards, and collect trading fees at the same time. The INIT token itself is used for gas fees across the network and powers trading across its liquidity pools. It’s still early days, but if this momentum continues, Initia might become a major player in the multi-chain space.

Just when it seemed like XRP had caught a legal break, it’s back under scrutiny—this time in a new lawsuit from the state of Oregon. On April 22, Oregon’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against Coinbase, accusing the exchange of offering and trading unregistered securities. The filing lists over 30 crypto assets, including big names like XRP, Cardano, Solana, Aave, and Uniswap. This move reignites the long-running debate over whether certain cryptocurrencies should be treated as securities under U.S. law. That’s especially surprising in XRP’s case, since Ripple—the company behind XRP—recently settled with the SEC after a lengthy legal battle over the same issue. Justin Slaughter, VP of regulatory affairs at Paradigm, shared a key section of the lawsuit on X (formerly Twitter), showing that Oregon claims Coinbase allowed trading of these assets “as investment contracts,” which makes them securities under the law. That would mean Coinbase should have registered them with state regulators—something the lawsuit says it failed to do. Coinbase’s chief legal officer, Paul Grewal, didn’t hold back. He called the case a “copycat lawsuit,” saying it could seriously slow down progress on national crypto legislation. He also warned that actions like this from individual states could create more confusion just as Congress is finally making strides toward clearer rules for the industry. While the SEC dropped its own case against Coinbase earlier this year, this fresh legal fight shows that crypto regulation in the U.S. is still very much in flux—and that old questions around XRP and other tokens are far from settled.

Metaplex, a major NFT platform on Solana, is under legal fire over its plan to move over 54,000 unclaimed SOL — currently worth around $7.3 million — into its DAO treasury. This decision hasn’t gone unnoticed. A New York-based law firm, Burwick Law, sent an open letter warning that the move could not only spark a lawsuit but also damage user trust in the broader Solana ecosystem. So, what’s the issue? The unclaimed SOL came from a past technical update that allowed NFT metadata accounts to be resized. That change freed up some rent (in SOL) that users had paid to keep their NFTs on-chain. Metaplex gave users until April 25 to manually claim those funds — but many didn’t even know they could. Burwick argues that pushing unclaimed funds into the DAO without proper communication feels more like a hidden fee than a fair process. The firm compared it to banks being forced to return overdraft fees due to unclear terms — basically saying: if users didn’t know, it’s not okay to keep it. Instead of sweeping everything into the treasury, Burwick is urging Metaplex to refund the SOL directly to NFT holders through a system update. They suggest the DAO keep a small cut — maybe 10% — to help with maintenance, but the rest should go back to users. So far, Metaplex hasn’t publicly responded. Previously, the DAO said these funds could support things like airdrops, grants, or other community initiatives. Burwick Law, which recently sued LIBRA token’s team over transparency issues, says this is a make-or-break moment. If Metaplex doesn’t act before the April 25 deadline, the legal and reputational damage could be long-lasting.

As we move deeper into 2025, the crypto market is starting to look beyond hype — and turning its attention to projects with strong utility and future-ready infrastructure. Among them, a few names are getting serious attention: Solana, XRP, Avalanche, Ethereum… and a rising star called Lightchain AI. Lightchain AI is gaining serious momentum While names like Solana and XRP are well-established, Lightchain AI is quickly emerging as a top contender. Still in its presale phase (currently Stage 15), the project has already raised an impressive $18.9 million at a token price of just $0.007. What’s getting investors excited? It’s Lightchain’s unique mix of blockchain and artificial intelligence. The project aims to become a decentralized hub for AI-powered apps, using smart governance and privacy-focused computing. It’s built to handle real-world tasks, not just speculative trading. Solana and XRP are still in the game Solana continues to attract developers thanks to its lightning-fast transaction speeds and scalability. It’s reclaiming its place as a go-to chain for dApps, especially in gaming and DeFi. Meanwhile, XRP is benefiting from regulatory clarity and its strong position in cross-border payments. Both tokens are seen as solid bets for long-term growth. Other names to watch Ethereum remains the backbone of DeFi and smart contracts, though newer platforms are catching up. Avalanche is earning praise for its speed and interoperability — key factors as blockchains look to work better together. Why these tokens matter in 2025 Each of these five cryptos brings something different to the table. Solana and Avalanche are all about performance. XRP is focused on finance. Ethereum is about ecosystem strength. And Lightchain AI is bringing something entirely new: real decentralized AI, with a clear roadmap and strong early support. While not all of them are guaranteed to skyrocket, they’re worth watching closely. As the next bull cycle takes shape, projects with real innovation and user value are likely to lead the way — and these five fit the bill.

Crypto traders woke up to some unexpected turbulence on Tuesday as Binance and KuCoin reported service issues linked to a major outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS). The disruption caused temporary problems for users, particularly with trading and withdrawals. What happened?Binance, one of the biggest crypto exchanges in the world, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that some of its services were impacted by a “temporary network interruption” in AWS’s data center. While not everyone was affected, many users experienced failed trade orders and blocked withdrawals. “Some orders are still successful, but some are failing,” Binance said. “If users failed, they may keep retrying.” To play it safe, Binance temporarily paused withdrawals, saying the decision was made to protect users’ funds. Fortunately, by the time of their latest update, most services were back up and running, and withdrawals had been reopened. The Binance team is continuing to monitor the situation closely. KuCoin also affectedKuCoin, another major crypto exchange, confirmed it was facing similar issues due to the AWS outage. The company posted a notice saying its platform was dealing with “temporary disruptions” but reassured users that their funds and data were safe. KuCoin’s technical team is working on resolving the issue. No word yet on full impactNeither platform disclosed exactly how many users were affected, and AWS hasn’t released a detailed statement about the cause of the outage. However, both exchanges emphasized that user funds remain secure, and operations are gradually returning to normal.

Paycoin is taking a big step forward with its plan to launch a crypto-backed Mastercard debit card on April 30. This move could bring crypto payments one step closer to everyday use—especially across Europe. The card is being rolled out by PayProtocol, the company behind Paycoin, in collaboration with Swiss neobank SR Saphirstein AG. Users will be able to load it with Paycoin’s PCI token, Ethereum (ETH), and USD Coin (USDC), and spend their crypto at any place that accepts Mastercard—both online and in physical stores. One key feature? It’s a self-custody card. That means you stay in control of your assets, while still enjoying the convenience of a globally accepted payment card. It also works with Apple Pay and Google Pay for even easier access. Initially, the card will only be available in the EU and EFTA regions. But the company plans to expand to more countries and add support for more cryptocurrencies in the future. PayProtocol says the launch builds on PCI’s growing role in the DeFi space. Since going public on Uniswap via the Arbitrum bridge, liquidity has increased, and PCI is now being used as a real-time settlement asset thanks to its low fees and fast transactions. In South Korea, Paycoin already has a strong presence. Over 10,000 businesses—including big names like 7-Eleven, Domino’s, and KFC—accept PCI for payments. Now, the team is hoping to bring that same success to a global audience, starting with Europe. The market has responded positively. After the Mastercard news broke, PCI’s price jumped 5.7%, and daily trading volume surged by over 900% to $7.8 million. Still, with a market cap of around $70 million and a ranking of 512th, there’s plenty of room to grow. If adoption picks up, this Mastercard could be a game-changer for PCI—and for crypto payments in general.

As financial markets remain shaky, investors are moving their money into traditional safe havens — and it’s gold and the Swiss franc that are stealing the spotlight, not Bitcoin. This week, the Swiss franc hit a high note, with the USD/CHF exchange rate dropping to 0.8100. That’s a 12% fall from last year’s peak — making the Swiss currency one of the best performers of 2025. Its strength lies in Switzerland’s long-standing neutrality, solid banking system, and investor trust during times of global uncertainty. In contrast, the U.S. dollar has weakened, hitting levels not seen since 2018. Meanwhile, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) continues to invest heavily in U.S. markets, holding stakes in top American companies like Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet — plus a large share of U.S. Treasury bonds. Gold has also made a powerful comeback. Its price has surged to a record $3,240 — that’s a 125% jump from pandemic lows and a 24% increase just this year. The shiny metal’s rally comes as U.S. stock markets like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 face sharp declines. While Bitcoin is usually seen as “digital gold” due to its capped supply of 21 million coins and growing institutional interest, it hasn’t held up as well lately. Bitcoin has fallen from its 2025 high of $109,300 to around $83,000. That’s a steep drop in the middle of rising geopolitical tensions and economic stress. Gold and the Swiss franc have also outperformed U.S. bonds. Interest rates are climbing, with the 10-year yield at 4.5%, the 30-year at 4.85%, and the 2-year at 3.97% — putting even more pressure on the bond market. On top of all this, recession fears are mounting. Prediction market Polymarket shows a 60% chance of a U.S. recession this year. Experts like BlackRock’s Larry Fink say we might already be in one, while Moody’s economist Mark Zandi also puts the odds at 60%, blaming rising tariffs between the U.S. and China. Big banks — including Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas, and UBS — are warning that U.S. GDP could decline this year, with unemployment possibly climbing to 5%. So while Bitcoin still has long-term believers, it’s gold and the Swiss franc that investors are turning to right now as the storm clouds gather.

Ripple just scored a major win — and its token XRP is soaring because of it. After years of battling the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ripple has agreed to settle the case for $50 million. This marks the end of one of crypto’s most high-profile legal fights. And while it’s a hefty payout, Ripple actually had $125 million set aside just in case. Now, they’re taking a large chunk of that money back — plus the interest. CEO Brad Garlinghouse called the outcome a “vindication,” pointing fingers at former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler for going after crypto too aggressively. In a recent Fox Business interview, he gave credit to the new SEC leadership and President Trump for turning the tide. “I think it’s just evidence the old SEC was on the wrong side of the law,” he said, highlighting how the political shift has helped clear the fog around crypto regulations. Ripple was one of the first major crypto companies to publicly back Trump, reportedly donating millions to his campaign and $5 million worth of XRP to his 2025 inauguration. Since Trump’s return to the White House, several crypto lawsuits and investigations have been dropped — including Ripple’s. Critics call it favoritism. Supporters say it’s the clarity the industry needed. Meanwhile, XRP is holding strong at around $2. It’s now the best-performing major cryptocurrency of the last three months. But Ripple’s not stopping there. Fresh off the settlement, the company is going big. Ripple just acquired Hidden Road, a major crypto brokerage firm, in a $1.25 billion deal — its biggest purchase ever. This move opens the door for large institutions like BlackRock to confidently step into crypto with the help of Ripple’s infrastructure. Ripple is also hiring again — and this time, in the U.S. “We had to build teams overseas because of uncertainty here,” Garlinghouse said. “Now we can finally invest in U.S. talent.” And there’s more: Ripple recently launched its own stablecoin with approval from New York regulators, further expanding its product line. Looking ahead, Garlinghouse expects more progress on U.S. crypto laws, including bills around stablecoins and market structure. That, combined with a friendlier regulatory climate, has him bullish on Bitcoin — he even raised his year-end prediction to $200,000. “It’s not crazy,” he said. “People don’t realize how much of a tailwind we now have.” With the legal drama behind it and a clearer path forward, Ripple is charging into the next chapter — and taking XRP along for the ride.