Category: CryptoX News

Could ‘Based Rollups’ Solve Ethereum’s Layer-2 Problem?

The Ethereum community has been in turmoil over the past few weeks, with members raising the alarm that the chain will lose its competitive edge if it doesn’t address some core design issues. A key focus of the outrage has been layer-2 fragmentation. In recent years, Ethereum has embraced a layer-2 scaling roadmap—a plan that encouraged the development of third-party auxiliary networks called “layer-2 rollups”—to help scale the base Ethereum ecosystem. Offloading activity to these upstart networks has helped bring down fees and improve speeds for end-users, but it has…

BTC Moves Below $95K Following Inflation Data

U.S. inflation unexpectedly marched higher in January, sending crypto and traditional markets sharply lower. The closely-watched Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.5% in January versus an expected 0.3% and December’s 0.4% pace. On a year-over-year basis, CPI was higher by 3.0% against forecasts for 2.9% and 2.9% in December. The so-called core CPI, which excludes food and energy costs, rose 0.4% in January versus an expected 0.3% and 0.2% the previous month. Year-over-year, core CPI was higher by 3.3% versus 3.1% expected and 3.2% in December. Already trading in downward…

Inflation Data May Shake Out Bitcoin’s Doldrums as Demand for BTC Picks Up

By Francisco Rodrigues (All times ET unless indicated otherwise) The U.S. inflation report due later today might shift bitcoin (BTC) out of the doldrums that have mired it this week. In recent years, the January figure has tended to show significant price hikes. Last year, for example, the month’s data put an end to a series of lower readings, repeating a pattern also seen in 2023. That’s because businesses often evaluate their costs and raise prices at the start of the year, as the Wall Street Journal points out. A…

Phuket police arrest four Russian nationals accused of running crypto-ransomware attacks

Law enforcement in Phuket has arrested four hackers suspected of orchestrating ransomware attacks on Swiss firms and stealing millions in cryptocurrency. The accused, all Russian nationals, reportedly deployed ransomware on the networks of 17 Swiss companies between April 2023 and October 2024, a Feb. 10 report from local media outlet The Nation Thailand said. For those unaware, ransomware attacks involve hackers locking up a victim’s data and demanding a payout—usually in crypto—to restore access. In this case, the hackers allegedly used the Phobos malware, the report added. The accused were…

Bitcoin’s Coinbase Premium Indicator Shows Overseas Buyers Taking the Lead Ahead of CPI Release

Bitcoin’s (BTC) Coinbase premium indicator, which measures the spread between BTC’s dollar-denominated price on the Coinbase exchange and tether-denominated price on Binance, has flipped negative for the first time since the Feb. 3 crash, according to data source Coinglass. It’s a sign that traders over the Nasdaq-listed exchange have turned cautious ahead of Wednesday’s U.S. CPI release, and their offshore counterparts have led the price recovery from overnight lows near $94,900 to $96,000. Historically, bull runs have been marked by prices trading at a premium on Coinbase, indicating strong leadership…

BTC May See Price Gains from Soft U.S. CPI Release, Yet Major Risk-On Surge Appears Unlikely

A soft U.S. inflation report later Wednesday will likely bode well for risk assets, including bitcoin (BTC). But those expecting bullish fireworks may be disappointed. The Labor Department will publish January’s consumer price index (CPI) report on Wednesday at 13:30 UTC. It’s expected to show that the cost of living increased by 0.3% month-on-month in January, slowing down from December’s 0.4% rise, according to Reuters estimates tracked by FXStreet. The annualized figure is expected to match December’s 2.9% reading. The core inflation, which strips out the volatile food and energy…

Pro-crypto Brian Quintenz returns to CFTC as Trump’s chairman pick

Former CFTC Commissioner Brian Quintenz is set to lead the agency again, signaling a shift in crypto regulation under the Trump administration. Brian Quintenz, a former commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is expected to return as chairman following his selection by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Bloomberg.  If confirmed, he would serve a term running until April 13, 2029, returning to the agency at a time when crypto regulation is a central issue in financial policy.  His nomination aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration to…

Trump to Tap Former CFTC Commissioner, a16z Policy Head Brian Quintenz for CFTC Head

Brian Quintenz, a one-time commissioner with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Andreessen Horowitz’s head of policy, will be Donald Trump’s choice to run the federal commodities regulator. Quintenz previously served in the regulator between 2017 and 2021, where he organized the Technology Advisory Committee. During his time as commissioner, he said a self-regulatory organization specific to the crypto industry could help oversee companies. Since leaving the agency, he joined a16z, where he became the head of policy. A16z was one of the major funders of Fairshake, a crypto-focused political…

Is Ethereum dead or gearing for comeback? Deep dive in ETH

Ethereum (ETH) remains under the $2,700 level despite Bitcoin’s resilience, as the broader crypto market and top altcoins rebound. Traders appear to be shrugging off concerns over China’s DeepSeek artificial intelligence advances and U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The largest altcoin’s price performance remains underwhelming, however this could change as sentiment among traders turned positive, according to data provider Cryptoeq.  Ethereum price struggles even as on-chain metrics turn bullish Ethereum’s holder count has continued to rise steadily, according to on-chain data from intelligence tracker Santiment. On Tuesday, the number of…

Stablecoin Supply Jumps by $17B Since Beginning of 2025

Blockchain metrics firm Glassnode has released data showing that circulating stablecoin supply has skyrocketed to roughly $211.2 billion since the beginning of the year, a $17 billion increase in less than two months. The current rate of increase in the supply is roughly $541 million per day, according to the firm. Specific tokens that were […] Source CryptoX Portal