Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Rivian renegotiates DOE loan down to $4.5 billion, adjusts capacity plans for Georgia plant

on Thursday said it has renegotiated a $6.57 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy down to $4.5 billion and is adjusting its production expectations at an under-construction plant in Georgia.　　The DOE loan was previously set to support two phases of production for a total of 400,000 units annually. The amended loan covers one phase of production with a total capacity of 300,000 vehicles, the company said Thursday.　　The changes enable Rivian to draw on the loan sooner and have greater initial production but lowers its total production capacity for the plant amid uncertain demand for all-electric vehicles.　　The initial loan terms were negotiated under the Biden administration. It had been in limbo under the Trump administration, which has taken action to cut or reduce such loans and has pulled back government investments to promote EVs.　　Rivian said it plans to tap into the loan in 2027, a year ahead of previously scheduled. The automaker also said production of the companys upcoming R2 electric vehicle is on track to begin at the facility in late 2028, following its recent start to production at its current facility in Normal, Illinois.　　Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on Thursday told CNBCs Phil LeBeau that any future expansion

05-01Industry

Crypto Card Spending Surges 500% to $600 Million Monthly, Visa Captures 90% Share

Newer entrants are also stretching the cashback model. Among them is Jupiters Solana-based Visa card. The product returns 4% to 10% cashback by tier and posted 660% month-over-month volume growth in April. Rewards are paid in stablecoins rather than airline points.　　Tron founder Justin Sun framed the trend as the next phase of stablecoin distribution. His comment echoed earlier stablecoin policy remarks.　　“Crypto cards are not a trend. They are the next evolution of distribution. Stablecoins have already moved beyond wallets into everyday spending at global scale. The next phase is seamless access. Digital assets integrated directly into how people pay, anywhere,” Justin Sun stated.　　Separately, industry commentator Marty Party predicted Visa-issued stablecoin cards on Apple Pay and Android Tap will onboard 10 million users. He sees that happening before merchants adopt native stablecoin settlement.　　IMO: Visa prepaid Stable Coin debit cards on Apple Pay/Android Tap Pay will bring the next 10 million users to crypto.　　Its a good intermediary bridge between tradfi merchant payment systems and retail payment systems. It will reach maturity by 2027 but by 2028 merchants will…　　— MartyParty (@martypartymusic) January 15, 2026　　The figures suggest stablecoins are competing for consumer wallets, not just on-chain liquidity.　　Whether rival networks match Visas reach may decide

05-01Industry

China’s EV price war turns into AI arms race beyond cheaper cars

The shift towards AI reflects consumer demand for connected features, including Huawei-smartphone-compatible interfaces or voice-based assistants such as Doubao.　　ByteDance‘s Doubao is by far the most widely used AI chatbot in China, with more than 155 million weekly active users as of early this year, according to consultancy Chozan. Volcano Engine’s auto show booth included demos of both Chinese-language and English-language AI systems for cars.　　The price war has turned into a feature war around cockpit technology, said Stephen Dyer, partner and managing director and head of AlixPartners Asia automotive and industrials consulting practice.　　The challenge is, however, that much of that technology soon becomes similar, making it harder for companies to stand out.　　Among the top 20 best-selling electric car models in China, those priced at 100,000 yuan ($14,645) or above offered similar driver-assist and in-car entertainment functions, according to AlixPartners.　　With “technology, they‘re going to have to race and keep racing, because it disseminates so quickly that you’re never going to be able to sustain a differentiated technology for long,” Dyer said.　　Instead, he expects Chinese companies to start competing more on the “outside-of-the-car experience,” similar to luxury brands that offer exclusive lifestyle experiences.　　Chinese automaker , for example, offers its customers exclusive access to

05-01Industry

Bitcoin is repeating a 2022 pattern

Bitcoin　　Bitcoin is repeating a 2022 pattern　　CryptoQuant‘s latest Apr. 30 read shows that perpetual futures are driving Bitcoin’s recovery, while spot demand is still shrinking. That is the same market structure seen during the 2022 bear market rallies, when leverage-driven rebounds gave way to fresh downside.　　Spot buying through exchanges, ETFs, or direct on-chain accumulation represents committed capital. At the same time, perpetual futures allow traders to take directional exposure with borrowed capital, often at multiples of their collateral, without holding the underlying asset.　　When both forms of demand expand together, a rally tends to be self-reinforcing. When futures lead and spot lags, leveraged traders finance the bounce and face forced exits if the price moves against them.　　The 2022 comparison　　Several bear-market rallies in 2022 shared the same regime, with perpetual futures demand recovering before spot demand did. The price bounced, and leveraged positions came off as spot buyers proved too thin to absorb the selling.　　The bounces looked constructive, but each one resolved into the next leg lower.　　CryptoQuant charts show Bitcoin‘s April 2026 demand split, perpetual futures rising while spot contracts, mirrors 2022’s failed bear-market rally structure.　　CryptoQuant‘s chart places Bitcoin’s current April 2026 move back into a regime where spot contracts are contracting while

05-01Industry

Apollo Sports Capital, Tom Dundon make $225M pickleball investment

Finance　　Apollo Sports Capital, Tom Dundon make $225M pickleball investment　　Ben Johns comes over to the right side to hit a dink shot against Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquine in the 2026 PPA Carvana Mesa Cup finals match of the Pro Mixed Doubles Division at Arizona Athletic Grounds on February 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona.　　Bruce Yeung | Getty Images　　Pickleball Inc., the new parent company of Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour, said Friday it has raised a record $225 million in new investment, as the paddle sport continues its rapid growth trajectory.　　The latest investment comes from Apollo Global Managements newly created sports fund, Apollo Sports Capital, and Dundon Capital Partners, owned by billionaire Tom Dundon. Dundon is an owner of the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team and the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team and was an early investor in pickleball.　　The fresh funds bring the total investment in Pickleball Inc. to $315 million, as investors continue to look at emerging sports as a place to park their money. The raise values Pickleball Inc. at $750 million, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked to remain unnamed because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the companys valuation.　　The deal also

05-01Industry

Berkshire annual meeting with no Buffett: Can Abel rekindle enthusiasm?

Finance　　Berkshire annual meeting with no Buffett: Can Abel rekindle enthusiasm？　　For decades, s annual meeting has doubled as a kind of financial Woodstock, drawing tens of thousands to hear Warren Buffett dispense homespun wisdom, crack jokes and field hours of questions.　　This year will be different.　　For the first time, the 95-year-old Buffett won‘t be the central figure on stage, marking a new era for one of the investing world’s most closely watched rituals. The shift puts a spotlight on Greg Abel, who took over as CEO at the start of 2026, and raises a question hanging over Omaha: what does Berkshire look like without the man who defined it？　　Investors and analysts said the tone is likely to move away from Buffett‘s signature mix of investing philosophy and life advice toward a more business-focused discussion of operations, capital allocation and a more granular view into the conglomerate’s inner workings.　　“Clearly, nobody can replace Warren on the stage,” said Macrae Sykes, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds. “But I think the continuity with Greg … brings definitely confidence in the continuation of the operating component to conglomerate.”　　Abel, 63, and insurance chief Ajit Jain will lead the first question-and-answer session, followed by a second panel including

05-01Industry

Ethereum rebound at risk? Exchange data flashes warning

Ethereum traded at $2,280.47 at press time, with 24-hour volume at $10.18 billion, according to crypto.news data. Ethereums exchange supply ratio has dropped, but price has not yet formed a matching bottom.Binance ETH funding rates remain negative, showing traders still favor downside positions.Rising short liquidations may add buying pressure if Ethereum continues its recent recovery.　　ETH gained 0.75% in the past day but remained down 1.56% over the last seven days. Its market cap stood at $275.23 billion, based on a circulating supply of 120 million ETH.　　The price action comes as analysts track opposing signals from exchange supply and derivatives data.　　Exchange supply ratio signals dip risk　　CryptoQuant analyst PelinayPA said Ethereum may still face downside risk. The analyst pointed to a sharp fall in the exchange supply ratio.　　In past cycles, a falling ratio often appeared near price bottoms. Lower exchange supply can mean reduced selling pressure, but the analyst said the current setup shows a gap.　　PelinayPA said the ratio has dropped to low levels, but ETH has not formed a matching price bottom. The analyst said this could mean the market has not fully priced in the supply move.　　The analyst added that “a delayed downward move” remains possible. The view suggests ETH

05-01Industry

XRP Price Follows Bitcoin? Bill Morgan Explains XRP-BTC Correlation

Bitcoin　　XRP Price Follows Bitcoin？ Bill Morgan Explains XRP-BTC Correlation　　The post XRP Price Follows Bitcoin？ Bill Morgan Explains XRP-BTC Correlation appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News　　Pro-XRP lawyer Bill Morgan has often said that XRPs price is strongly linked to Bitcoin, acting as a “follower” to market leader movements. This view has put him into a controversy.　　Responding to critics, Morgan said, “For those who keep insulting me for saying XRP follows Bitcoin, I am referring to correlation.”　　He further explained what he actually meant.　　XRP Price Follows Bitcoin, Says Bill Morgan　　According to Bill Morgans recent comments, XRP price action remains strongly linked with Bitcoin price moves. However, he said this does not mean XRP copies every Bitcoin move exactly.　　“The correlation coefficient between bitcoin price movement and XRP price movement is quite high, although it varies. It is a directional correlation which does not mean, for example, that if bitcoin price rises or falls by a specific percentage, the corresponding XRP move will be identical as a percentage.”　　Morgan isnt speaking in a vacuum. The data support his view.　　Right now, the 90-day correlation between XRP and Bitcoin is 0.628. On a scale where 1.0 means both move the same, this is a strong connection.　　From 2020 to

05-01Industry

Trump stock short volume hits 2-week high: Is a massive short squeeze brewing?

Finance　　Trump stock short volume hits 2-week high: Is a massive short squeeze brewing？　　After a significant jump between April 27 and 28, Trump Media & Technology (NASDAQ: DJT) stock short volume ratio inched higher and ended the month at its highest value in at least two weeks.　　Specifically, after hitting its recent low of 37.11, the metric soared to 60.18 within a single day and continued climbing to 61.63 on April 30.　　DJT stock short volume ratio. Source: Finbold　　Notably, the April 27 bottom coincided with one of DJT stocks highest closing prices of the month – $9.95 – and the subsequent rise in bearish bets accompanied a significant price drop.　　Thus, the most recent reading appears to indicate that investors estimate that Trump Media shares are about to plunge further in May, though it simultaneously raises the possibility that a significant short squeeze is imminent.　　Is a squeeze imminent for DJT stock short-traders？　　The possibility that DJT stock short-sellers are about to get liquidated is increased by the equitys 2026 tendency to trade together with major moves made by other major assets, at least in the short term.　　Indeed, while noticeably more volatile, Trump Media appears to have followed the wider market into the late January downturn,

05-01Industry

Bakkt bets on stablecoins after completing DTR deal

Bakkt has completed its acquisition of Distributed Technologies Research, a stablecoin payments infrastructure firm. Bakkt issued over 11.3 million shares to complete its acquisition of DTR.DTR brings stablecoin payments technology and compliance tools into Bakkts institutional platform.Bakkt shares recovered after the deal closed, rising from Wednesdays earlier decline.　　The deal brings DTR‘s agentic payments technology and compliance tools into Bakkt’s regulated institutional platform.　　The company said the combined platform will support institutions and fintechs seeking faster digital payments. Bakkt aims to build a 24/7 digital settlement layer using stablecoin technology.　　Stablecoin settlement becomes core focus　　Bakkt said DTRs AI-native engine will be added to its existing infrastructure. The company expects the integration to reduce reliance on traditional correspondent banking systems.　　Bakkt CEO Akshay Naheta said, “The architecture of money movement rarely evolves at this level.” He added that the deal introduces stablecoin functionality as a bridge between legacy finance and digital assets.　　At closing, Bakkt issued 11,316,775 Class A common shares to DTRs beneficial holders. The company may issue up to 725,592 more shares tied to outstanding warrants.　　The transaction was first announced in January. At that time, the deal involved 9.3 million shares. Bakkt also announced a corporate name change to Bakkt Inc. during the same

05-01Industry

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