Latest Crypto News & Market Updates

Starlink Usage Turns Fatal in Iran Internet Blackout

Afshin Kolahi, a member of Irans Chamber of Commerce, estimates that the blockade has caused daily economic losses of up to $80 million, with total losses reaching over $2.5 billion. Nonetheless, it has also affected the human rights of Iranians, who are now being pursued for seeking ways to sidestep this blockade.　　According to local reports, Hesam Alaeddin, a 40-year-old man who was arrested in Tehran for allegedly using a Stralink terminal to access the internet, was beaten to death in his home during questioning and a search after his electronic devices were seized.　　This would be one of the first deaths reported linked to the use of Starlink terminals in Iran, after the devices became an escape from the blockade that maintains most of the population disconnected.　　The regime has been targeting Starlink, the famous satellite internet company, whose usage is considered a crime in the country, since January. In April, four individuals were arrested for importing Starkink terminals, accused of being part of a foreign espionage network.　　Even so, the few Iranians who can purchase the kits on black markets for thousands of dollars, and those who use specialized virtual private networks (VPNs), keep risking their lives to reach beyond the digital

05-03Industry

Reuters ties Nobitex founders to Iran’s ruling Khamenei dynasty

Iran‘s largest crypto exchange, Nobitex, was founded by two brothers from one of the country’s most politically connected families, according to a Reuters investigation published May 1. Ali and Mohammad Kharrazi registered the exchange in 2018 under a different surname, Aghamir Mohammad Ali, which kept the family connection off the public record for years.　　The exchange has since moved significant volumes for sanctioned Iranian institutions, including the Central Bank of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Reuters published its findings three days after the US Treasury sanctioned what it called Irans shadow banking infrastructure on April 28. Nobitex was not designated.　　Brothers used the Aghamir surname to hide their Kharrazi roots　　Reuters traced the family link through corporate filings, banking records, and domain registration data. The email used to register the Nobitex domain in 2017 contained the Kharrazi name and was tied to a religious charity run by the brothers father.　　The brothers‘ grandfather served on the Assembly of Experts, the body that selects Iran’s supreme leader, and personally tutored Mojtaba Khamenei. Mojtaba succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a February 28 airstrike at the start of the US-Israeli war in Iran.　　The brothers father, Ayatollah Bagher Kharrazi, founded an Iranian

05-03Industry

US-Iran diplomatic deadlock persists amid stalled negotiations

Tech　　US-Iran diplomatic deadlock persists amid stalled negotiations　　The market for “Will the next US x Iran diplomatic meeting be on April 22？” shows no indication of a meeting occurring soon, with no substantial activity in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, “Will no qualifying diplomatic US-Iran meeting occur by June 30, 2026？” is currently priced at 31.6% YES, up from 28% just 24 hours ago.　　## Key Takeaways　　– Recent news of a diplomatic deadlock between Washington and Tehran suggests a decreased likelihood of a near-term meeting. – Market activity indicates growing skepticism about a diplomatic meeting occurring by June 30, 2026. – Persistent tensions and unmet non-aggression requirements are consistent with a scenario where scheduled talks remain unlikely.　　## Article Body　　The ongoing diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran has reached a critical juncture, as both nations remain steadfast in their positions without any compromise in sight. According to Major General Randy Manner, the U.S. appears to have made no progress, despite significant financial investments, facing an Iranian proposal that echoes their initial demands. This impasse is part of larger geopolitical tensions that have seen a fragile ceasefire take effect in April 2026, following initial hostilities. Talks in Islamabad have faltered due to

05-03Industry

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, impacting oil supply amid UAE OPEC+ exit

Tech　　Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, impacting oil supply amid UAE OPEC+ exit　　Crude Oil Price Predictions by June market is currently showing a 100% likelihood of crude oil hitting $90 by the end of June. This reflects a consistent trend across all active sub-markets, with no deviation in pricing.　　## Key Takeaways　　– The upcoming OPEC+ meeting appears to suggest an increased probability of production quota adjustments, following the UAEs departure. – Market pricing indicates a scenario where geopolitical tensions could lead to reduced production capacity and higher oil prices. – The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran suggests potential further disruptions in oil supply, consistent with increased price expectations.　　## Article Body　　OPEC+ is set to convene for the first time since the United Arab Emirates‘ (UAE) withdrawal from the group, amid a backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The UAE announced its departure from both OPEC and OPEC+ on April 28, citing frustrations over production quotas. This decision, effective May 1, 2026, comes as the US-Israel conflict with Iran further strains regional stability. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exacerbated supply constraints, impacting nearly 2 million barrels per day of UAE production. This departure has raised

05-03Industry

Greg Abel Reveals Berkshire’s ‘Narrow AI’ Direction After Buffett Retirement

Greg Abel told Berkshire Hathaway shareholders Saturday that the conglomerate will adopt artificial intelligence (AI) only where it adds clear value, rejecting industry-wide hype in his first annual meeting as the designated successor to Warren Buffett.　　His remarks, delivered in Omaha on May 2, set out a cautious deployment strategy across Berkshires insurance, rail, energy, and manufacturing units. Buffett, who recently retired from the chief executive role, did not weigh in on AI during the session.　　Narrow AI, Not Hype　　Abel told shareholders that AI must improve efficiency, safety, or decision-making before Berkshire deploys it. The vice chairman pointed to railroad subsidiary BNSF, where targeted AI tools are sharpening operations, and to insurance, where the company uses technology to flag fraud and deepfake threats.　　Organizers opened the meeting with an AI-generated video of Buffett, which Abel called a serious risk Berkshire manages every day.　　“It has to be additive to our businesses. Were not going to do AI for the sake of AI,” he said.　　The framing extends Buffetts long-standing skepticism of unproven tech narratives, and stands in contrast to peers cutting jobs or rebranding around AI capabilities.　　Energy Unit Positioned for Data-Center Boom　　The clearest growth angle came from Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Data centers already account for

05-03Industry

Satirical video escalates tensions, complicates Israel-Lebanon withdrawal plans

Tech　　Satirical video escalates tensions, complicates Israel-Lebanon withdrawal plans　　The “Israel withdraws from Lebanon by June 30, 2026” market is currently priced at 9.5% YES, down from 12% a week ago. The “Israel withdraws from Lebanon by May 31, 2026” market is priced at 2.7% YES, down from 4% a week ago.　　## Key Takeaways　　– The satirical video mocking Hezbollahs leadership on Lebanese television appears to have escalated tensions, suggesting a decrease in the likelihood of Israeli withdrawal. – Continued Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets and the uproar over the video are consistent with scenarios where escalation persists. – U.S.-mediated contacts between Israel and Lebanon may indicate ongoing efforts to manage tensions despite the current uproar.　　## Article Body　　Tensions in Lebanon have intensified following a satirical video aired by Lebanons LBCI network, mocking Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. This development comes amid ongoing Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and efforts by the U.S. to mediate between Israel and Lebanon. The situation is part of the broader Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which reignited with heavy fighting in March 2026. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 16, 2026, but violations continue, with Israeli airstrikes and Hezbollah drone attacks maintaining pressure. The controversial video has heightened

05-03Industry

Ethereum Price Prediction: Smart Money Trap On The Monthly Chart As Foundation Sells Another 10,000 ETH

ETH trades at $2,302, up 0.32%, below the Bollinger midline at $2,324 and SAR at $2,403 with lower band at $2,240 as key support.Ethereum Foundation sold another 10,000 ETH to BitMine at $2,292, its third OTC sale totaling 25,000 ETH since March.ETH failed the February range high while Bitcoin cleared it in April, a Smart Money divergence pointing to continued relative weakness.　　Bitcoin captured liquidity above the February monthly range high in April. ETH ran toward $2,500, failed to close above the same level, and returned to range. That divergence is the most important thing happening on the ETH chart right now, and it sits underneath a daily setup that has not managed a close above the Bollinger midline since late April.　　ETH Daily Chart: Below The Midline, SAR Still Pointing Down　　The Bollinger midline at $2,324 has been in resistance since the late April rejection from $2,408. Price at $2,302 is below it, and the SAR at $2,403 sits higher, both indicators aligned bearish on the daily. The lower band at $2,240 is the next meaningful support, with a close below it opening the $2,000 February cycle low.　　The upper band at $2,408 lines up with the April rejection high. Clearing the SAR

05-03Ethereum

Ethereum Validators Confirm Block 25 Million After Nearly 11 Years of Runtime

The distinction matters: the base layer has never fully stopped globally for an extended stretch, but it has experienced some degraded performance, some client failures, and finalization gaps over its history.　　Under proof-of-stake (PoS), which Ethereum adopted at the Merge in September 2022, the network targets one block every 12 seconds. Before the Merge, under proof-of-work ( ), average block times ran between 13 and 15 seconds. That pace has generated roughly 7,000 blocks per day in recent months, with each block bundling transactions, usage data, base fees, and validator rewards into a cryptographically linked record.　　Each block proposed under goes through a slot of approximately 12 seconds and reaches finality after two epochs, a process that takes about 15 minutes. Block 25,000,000 followed the same path, finalized by validator consensus without intervention from any central authority.　　The network‘s size now runs into hundreds of gigabytes, with tens of millions of locked in . ( ) solutions continue to carry a growing share of Ethereum’s transaction , though some networks built on Ethereum have experienced their own clear outages. The development roadmap includes plans for single-slot finality, which would compress the current 15-minute finalization window to a single 12-second slot.　　Ethereum has processed through

05-03Ethereum

XRP spot ETFs attract $2.2M inflows as BTC, ETH see outflows amid tensions

## Market Snapshot　　Bitcoin price target markets show a significant decline in optimism. The $80,000 target is priced at 0.1% YES, down from 3% 24 hours ago and 58% a week ago. The $150,000 target remains at 0.1% YES, unchanged.　　## Key Takeaways　　– Market behavior suggests a shift in institutional sentiment, with XRP spot ETFs seeing inflows while BTC and ETH face outflows. – The geopolitical tension involving the US, Israel, and Iran appears to influence risk asset de-escalation, affecting crypto ETF flows. – Bitcoin price targets reflect reduced optimism, with the $80,000 target seeing a drastic drop in YES pricing.　　## Article Body　　XRP spot ETFs have observed net inflows of $2.2 million, contrasting with Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs, which have experienced net outflows. This development comes amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, involving the US, Israel, and Iran, now in its fourth week. The geopolitical tensions have affected global risk appetite, leading to significant outflows from several crypto ETFs. Similar to the impact of the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, these tensions have prompted a selective rotation rather than a broad exit from crypto assets, with some institutions opting for Solana ETFs.　　## Market Interpretation　　The current market pricing suggests a pessimistic outlook for

05-03Ethereum

Ethereum Foundation Sells Another 10K ETH to BitMine for $22.9M

Just one week before to this sale, at $2,387 per coin, a transaction involving 10,000 ETH was finalized.The Foundations ETH sales have been the subject of criticism in the past, and the organization even announced plans to cap them last year.　　In its third round of over-the-counter (OTC) sales to BitMine Immersion Technologies, the Ethereum Foundation has sold 10,000 ETH for an additional $22.9 million, or an average price of $2,292 per coin.　　In a post on X published on Friday, the Ethereum Foundation said that the proceeds from this sale would go toward supporting the organizations fundamental purposes, including protocol research and development, ecosystem development, community grant financing, and more.　　Just one week before to this sale, at $2,387 per coin, a transaction involving 10,000 ETH was finalized. In March, the Foundation sold 5,000 ETH to BitMine for about $2,043. This was the first sale to BitMine. Combined, BitMine has purchased ETH from the Foundation valued at almost $47 million in the last seven days.　　Rising Criticism Over Sales　　This comes after last week, the foundation reportedly abandoned its declared aim of having 70,000 staked ETH and instead unstaked 17,035 ETH, valued at almost $40 million. The Foundations ETH sales have been the subject

05-03Ethereum

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