The post Top Altcoins April 2026: Analysts Flag Eight Names as Bitcoin Season Keeps Most Tokens Down appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The crypto market has slipped into green today, with Bitcoin trading around $75,900, up over 2% in the last 24 hours. The total market cap has climbed to roughly $2.5 trillion.

Despite the upside, the market is still in a “Bitcoin season,” with the Altcoin Season Index sitting below 40, meaning most altcoins are still lagging behind BTC’s performance.

Amid this, analysts at Our Crypto Talk dropped a solid watchlist this week:

Kaspa — Event Buzz + Upgrade Catalyst

Kaspa is front and centre at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival this week. KEF is serving as a VIP Lounge Sponsor and featured speaker, while Junny Ho joins the tokenisation panel. On the tech side, the Toccata testnet restart is expected imminently following a recent feature freeze, a critical step toward bringing Kaspa’s Covenants++ upgrade to mainnet.

• Fair launch (no presale/pre-mine), fully community-driven
• ~$940M market cap, still ~84% below ATH

Render Network — AI Demand Surging

Render’s biggest fundamental catalyst in months landed this week. RenderCon 2026 just wrapped in Hollywood (Apr 16–17) with keynotes from NVIDIA, WME, and Stability AI. 

• Salad subnet adds ~60K GPUs (RNP-023 approved)
• AI jobs now 35–40% of usage; $210M workload spike
• Token burns up 279% YoY; price testing $1.70 support

Ondo Finance — Leading RWA Narrative

Ondo Finance is a crucial player in the RWA narrative at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival, with Min Lin sharing the stage alongside BlackRock and J.P. Morgan. Even though the token is still 88% below its ATH, its TVL has hit a record $3.6B, with steady growth driven by rising institutional interest.

• Franklin Templeton ETF tokenisation + EU expansion
• Major overhang: 4.67B tokens still locked

Bittensor TAO — Strong Fundamentals, Weak Sentiment

Despite recent selling pressure, Bittensor remains strong. Jacob Steeves is set to speak at Imperial College London on April 24, breaking down decentralized AI, how Bittensor rewards useful work, and how new users can get started.

• 128 subnets generated $43M revenue (Q1 2026)
• 72B parameter AI model trained on the network
• ~20% drop due to developer exit, not fundamentals

LayerZero— Unlock Pressure, Big Institutional Play

LayerZero faces short-term selling but long-term strength. LayerZero faces maximum short-term pressure, a 25.7M token unlock (2.4% of total supply) hit on April 20, released to core contributors and strategic partners. Price dropped sharply. 

• Live on Canton Network (handles $350B daily volume)
• Access to $8T monthly RWAs + 750+ apps
• Backed by major institutions; new “Zero” L1 in works

QUBIC — A feeless Layer 1 focused on AI + compute.

Qubic had a strong week on the tech side. Its QBridge went live on Ethereum, bringing QUBIC to Uniswap v4 as wQUBIC with real trading volume already. At the same time, DOGE mining Phase 2 is ramping up with record hashrate, and the network is now ranked #3 globally by 7-day TPS.

• QBridge ETH live volume — Ethereum bridge recording strong early transactions
• DOGE mining Phase 2 ramping — record hashrate (15.81 TH/s peak on Apr 16)

Home3 — High-Risk Micro-Cap

Home3 is a blockchain-based real estate platform focused on making property deals more transparent and efficient. This month, it’s rolling out Home3 2.0, featuring an AI-powered realtor experience called Prop3.

• Qatar regulatory progress + cross-chain expansion
• ~$370K market cap, very low liquidity
• Down 96% from ATH → highly volatile

SUI — A high-speed Layer 1 is getting serious institutional traction.

SUI is gaining strong institutional traction this week. CME Group plans to launch SUI futures on May 4, while the 21Shares SUI ETF is already live on Nasdaq, giving institutions two ways to gain exposure.

• $1T+ stablecoin volume (March), $585M+ TVL
• Token unlocks ongoing; ~82% below ATH

The post Reddit Post Sparks Debate on Whether Ripple’s Own Stablecoin Kills the XRP Use Case appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

A Reddit post has sparked debate inside the XRP community after a user spent two to three hours running XRP’s investment thesis through both Claude and DeepSeek, prompted by a German finance analyst setting a $9 mid-term price target for the token.

What the AI returned was not reassurance. It was a list of structural concerns.

The RLUSD Question

Banks hate volatility. XRP’s original use case was as a bridge currency providing liquidity between fiat pairs via a brief token hop. But Ripple now offers RLUSD, a dollar-pegged stablecoin running on its own infrastructure.

“Ripple is pushing its own stablecoin (RLUSD). Banks hate volatility. Why would they voluntarily take on the price risk of XRP for their transactions when they could just use Ripple’s software to send a price-stable RLUSD? Doesn’t this mean the XRP token loses its most important institutional use case, or am I missing something here?”

If banks can settle transactions using Ripple’s software with a stable asset, why would they voluntarily absorb XRP’s price risk? The post argued this potentially removes XRP’s most important institutional use case by design, replaced by a product Ripple itself created.

The SWIFT and Chainlink Alternative

The AI raised a competing thesis. SWIFT serves over 11,000 institutions globally and is increasingly connecting to blockchains through Chainlink’s oracle infrastructure rather than replacing its existing rails. Analysts cited in the discussion put LINK’s five-year target at $100 to $150 from a current $9 price, with the mathematical argument being that a 10 to 15x move requires significantly less capital than XRP reaching $9.

The AI also flagged heavy sell pressure clustered between $2.40 and $3.00 from long-term holders, making a clean breakout structurally difficult.

The post concluded by framing this as two competing philosophies for global financial settlement, with the implicit suggestion that only one model will ultimately dominate. Ripple is building the rails and the asset, and SWIFT is evolving through Chainlink integration while keeping its existing infrastructure intact.

The post Ice Open Network News: ICO Complaint Filed After Insider Breach Exposes User Database appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Ice Open Network has confirmed a security breach involving its identity database, shaking user confidence while highlighting growing risks tied to third-party service providers in crypto.

The April 15 breach came from four former partners tied to a third-party service provider, who leaked user data like emails and 2FA phone numbers after accessing an external server.

Ice Open Network, which runs the $ION token and Online+ on BNB Chain, made it clear this wasn’t a system hack but an insider misuse from outsourced operations, not a failure of the core protocol.

Funds Safe, Core System Intact

Even though the breach sounds serious, the team says funds are safe, no private keys, no wallets touched. The core blockchain wasn’t hacked either, and activity on the network is still stable, so no direct money impact.

Emails, phone numbers, and identity-linked data got exposed, which raises privacy concerns. The team is now telling users to quickly update their 2FA to stay safe.

Legal Action, Migration, and What’s Next

The company has already filed complaints with the Information Commissioner’s Office and is pursuing legal action against those responsible. A technical migration scheduled for April 21 aims to strengthen security, though temporary disruptions on the Online+ platform are expected.

From Price Crash to Full Restructure

This comes just weeks after the $ION 93% crash on April 7 from $0.003 to $0.00024. The CEO pinned it on a long-term service provider dumping tokens, calling it a funding shock, but didn’t share proof. Back then, the team admitted they had spent $18M, were burning $400K monthly, and were close to shutting down.

But things flipped fast. Within 48 hours, they slashed costs by 89% to around $45K/month, cut the team down to core devs, and rolled out a fresh 8-week roadmap, now aiming for a long-shot comeback toward a $1B valuation.

This breach also comes amid a surge in crypto security incidents, with over $606 million lost across protocols in just the first half of April 2026. 

The post Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Goes All In on Paul Atkins as SEC Ditches Enforcement-First Approach appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Something is clearly shifting inside the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse isn’t staying quiet about it. Responding to recent comments from Paul Atkins, he described the new direction as a long-overdue reset, especially after what he sees as a difficult period for the crypto industry under earlier leadership.

From “War on Crypto” to a Reset

Garlinghouse directly contrasted Atkins’ approach with former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, saying the agency had drifted away from its core mission of protecting investors. Instead, he argues, it leaned heavily into enforcement, creating confusion and pushing innovation out of the U.S.

In his view, that period felt like a “war on technology,” with courts eventually stepping in to challenge parts of the SEC’s stance. Now, he sees things moving in a very different direction.

Moreover, this includes better coordination with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and clearer distinctions between securities and commodities. The goal is simple: reduce confusion and make the U.S. competitive again in crypto.

Having said that, even before Atkins was officially confirmed, signs of change were already visible. Under interim leadership, the SEC launched a crypto task force led by Hester Peirce and began dropping major enforcement actions, including cases against Coinbase. 

In the last 12 months, the agency has also approved multiple crypto ETFs and eased its stance on classifying most cryptocurrencies as securities, a major crypto win. 

What Atkins Is Actually Changing

During his interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, Atkins laid out a clearer roadmap, and this is where the tone really takes a fresh turn. He says the SEC is moving away from that enforcement-first style and into something more structured, what he calls the ACT strategy: Advance, Clarify, Transform.

“And so, basically, we’re instituting a strategy. That I’m calling our ACT strategy, advance, clarify, and transform.”

“Advance” means embracing new tech like crypto instead of pushing it away. “Clarify” is about finally giving the market clear rules, something the industry has been asking for years. And “Transform” focuses on updating outdated systems so markets, including IPOs, can actually keep up with modern finance.

Why This Matters Now

What makes this stand out is how aligned it feels with what the crypto industry has been pushing for: clear rules, less guesswork, and room to innovate. Garlinghouse summed it up by calling Atkins a “breath of fresh air,” which says a lot given the tension between regulators and crypto over the past few years.

Instead of pushing crypto out, the SEC now seems to be trying to bring it back in, with clearer guidelines and a more open approach. If that continues, it could finally give the industry the stability it’s been waiting for.

The post Are Altcoins Dead in 2026? Van de Poppe Says No, Just 99% of Them appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The altcoin market is once again making headlines, with analysts split between collapse and comeback narratives. According to Michaël van de Poppe, the current shakeout is not only expected, but it’s also necessary.

“I think that it’s fully deserved that 99% of the altcoins are going to zero,” he said, drawing parallels to the Dot-com bubble, where most projects failed but laid the foundation for stronger innovation later. 

Despite the harsh outlook, he remains highly positive: “There’s not been a moment… where I’ve been so bullish about the future of crypto.”

“99% Will Die — But That’s the Point.”

He says altcoins are quietly gaining strength, with “great momentum” lately as macro stays supportive, low VIX, strong equities, and Bitcoin holding up. He points to Arbitrum as a buy-the-dip setup, eyeing $0.16 if it pulls back. Overall, he compares this phase to early 2020, with signs like rising volume, bullish divergence, and key levels being reclaimed, usually a setup before a bigger rally.

His Altcoin Take

• Bitcoin: expects more upside, eyeing new highs near $77K
• Ethereum: still in a bull trend, “buy the dip” unless it loses key levels
• Aave / DeFi: short-term pain from the KelpDAO hack, but stronger long-term

Overall, he is not bullish on all alts, just the strong ones like BTC, ETH, and major DeFi players.

Base Formation Before the Next Move

According to him, markets are currently in a base-building phase following the Q4 2025 capitulation. This phase typically lasts 2–4 months before a breakout. He also noted that Bitcoin itself has been building a base for about 2.5 months, suggesting the market may be nearing a transition point.

Historically, once breakouts begin, altcoins can deliver sharp moves, often ranging between 150% and 400% from their lows.

Good time to buy altcoins?

Not all analysts agree on jumping in now. Our Crypto Talk argues it’s still too early, saying “the simple answer is NO” when asked if it’s time to buy altcoins. Their framework is clear: a true altseason only begins when price moves above the 20 SMA and the 20 SMA crosses above the 50 SMA.

Right now, both conditions are missing, with Bitcoin still below key averages and dominance sitting around 57%. In their view, this is a “red zone” where markets tend to bleed rather than rally, meaning patience and waiting for structure confirmation is key.

Meanwhile, analyst Ted Pillows warns that rising Bitcoin dominance is “not a good sign for alts.”

For now, the market sits in a split phase, where weak projects continue fading, but stronger altcoins may be quietly preparing for the next big move.

The post Motley Fool Flags XRP As One To Watch, Here’s Why Analysts Agree appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

XRP hasn’t had the smoothest run recently. The token is down around 22% year-to-date, hovering near the $1.40–$1.43 range after a prolonged downtrend. While the broader market has shown signs of recovery, XRP is still trying to break out of its consolidation phase. However, despite the downtrend, the Motley Fool, an American advisory firm, has highlighted XRP as a token worth watching over the next few years, even as its price remains under pressure in 2026.

That said, analysts say this slow movement could actually be a setup phase rather than weakness.

Reason 1: Regulatory Clarity Is Finally Here

One of the biggest overhangs on XRP is now gone. The long-running battle between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Ripple was settled in 2025, with appeals dismissed later that year.

This has substantially improved the regulatory outlook in the U.S.

According to the firm, this clarity could unlock institutional participation, especially if upcoming frameworks like the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act come into play. With fewer legal risks, institutions may feel more comfortable using XRP for cross-border payments, which could boost adoption heading into 2027.

Reason 2: Ripple Is Expanding Beyond Payments

The second big shift is Ripple’s strategy. Instead of focusing only on fast transactions, the company is now building a broader financial ecosystem.

This includes stablecoins, tokenized assets like U.S. Treasuries, and lending infrastructure, making XRP more relevant for real-world financial use. That kind of utility is what institutional players typically look for.

Institutional Demand Is Already Showing

Supporting this view, Crypto trader Vlad Anderson noted that XRP is already seeing early institutional inflows. Spot ETFs recently recorded around $17 million in a single day, with firms like Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and 21Shares driving demand.

Price action remains steady, not explosive, something he sees as accumulation. If inflows continue, XRP could grind higher, though resistance around $1.9–$2.2 remains key.

For now, the case for XRP isn’t hype; it’s about slow, steady positioning for the next cycle.

The post Pi Network News: Industry Asks Why Binance Listed a 95% Crash Token When Millions of Pi Holders Await appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Binance listed RAVE. A few days ago, the token crashed 95%, wiping out billions in market cap, triggering manipulation allegations from ZachXBT and forcing exchange investigations. The same exchange has still not listed Pi Network, a project with 18 million KYC-verified users, a functioning mainnet, and institutional-grade identity infrastructure.

The contrast has not gone unnoticed, and the frustration across the Pi community is building.

What RAVE’s Collapse Reveals

RAVE hit an all-time high of $27.94 before collapsing to under $1.50 in less than 24 hours. ZachXBT alleged that insiders controlled over 90% of the token supply and were manipulating prices on centralised exchanges. Binance and Bitget both opened formal investigations. An estimated $43 million in leveraged positions were liquidated during the crash.

The token met Binance’s standard listing requirements. It passed the process. It got listed. It collapsed. Pi Network, by contrast, has been waiting through community votes, public speculation, and months of market anticipation without a confirmed listing on any tier-one exchange.

Also Read: Charles Hoskinson Says XRP Holders Get Nothing When Ripple Succeeds, Here’s Why

Why Pi Is Still Not Listed

The answer, according to Dao World, is more complicated than most people assume. Binance likely did want to list Pi at some point. The exchange hosted a community vote and built public hype around the possibility, something it rarely does without genuine intent behind the scenes.

“Binance has listed plenty of questionable coins,” he noted. “If they didn’t want Pi, they could have simply rejected it.”

More than 20 exchanges, including HTX, initially planned to list Pi for spot trading. Most never followed through. The reason, according to the analysis, is that the Pi Core Team introduced strict KYB (Know Your Business) requirements that exchanges must meet before being granted listing rights. Many simply did not qualify.

“In Pi’s case, the key decision about whether it gets listed still ultimately lies with the core team,” the analyst said.

A Flipped Model

This inverts the standard crypto listing dynamic entirely. Usually, exchanges decide what gets listed. With Pi, the project itself appears to be controlling who gets access, a position of unusual leverage for any token that has not yet secured a major exchange presence.

That selectivity could be interpreted as confidence in the project’s long-term value and a refusal to compromise on compliance standards. It could also be read as the reason Pi’s price has remained suppressed while projects with far weaker fundamentals and far more concentrated supply get listed, pump and crash within days.

The post After $293M KelpDAO Exploit, Analyst Says Best Outcome Is a 10 to 15% Bounty Deal With Hacker appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

A major exploit at KelpDAO has rattled the DeFi market, with losses estimated at nearly $293 million, making it one of the year’s biggest incidents. The issue was first flagged after “suspicious cross-chain activity involving rsETH,” prompting the team to pause contracts across the Ethereum mainnet and multiple Layer 2 networks.

The protocol, which allows users to restake assets like stETH or cbETH in exchange for rsETH, quickly became the center of a broader ecosystem concern as multiple platforms were exposed.

Analyst Breaks Down What Went Wrong

OneKey founder Yishi explained what went wrong. “KelpDAO dismantled the lock on its own door, LayerZero is selling the kind of door where you can pick the lock yourself, and Aave assumed the neighbor’s door was definitely locked tight.”

His roadmap for recovery starts with negotiation. 

“The best outcome is to negotiate with the hacker, offer a 10–15% bounty, get the bulk of it back,” he said.

If that fails, he believes LayerZero should step in financially, noting it has “the deepest pockets and the most long-term skin in the game.”

He also labeled KelpDAO as the weakest link, suggesting compensation through tokens, future revenue, or even selling the project entirely.

Systemic Risk and What Comes Next

The biggest risk now lies with WETH. Yishi warned, “WETH depositors absolutely cannot take a haircut,” as any loss could trigger cascading effects across protocols like Morpho, Spark, Fluid, and Euler, potentially damaging the entire LRT sector.

Despite the scale of the incident, he remains confident in Aave’s resilience, pointing to safeguards like Umbrella and stkAAVE. “I believe Aave can weather this,” he said, even as markets continue pricing in the fallout.

Immediate Response Across Protocols

Following the incident, Aave confirmed that rsETH remains fully backed on Ethereum but moved swiftly to freeze its usage across V3 and V4 markets. WETH reserves were also frozen across networks including Arbitrum, Base, Mantle, and Linea as a precaution.

“KelpDAO is the broke one here—either make it up with tokens + future revenue, or just package the whole project and sell it off to L0 or BMNR.”

KelpDAO stated it is actively working with LayerZero, auditors, and security experts to investigate the root cause, while urging users to rely only on official updates.

The post What Is ASTEROID Crypto and Why Did Elon Musk’s Reply Send It Up 68,000% appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

A memecoin called ASTEROID surged more than 68,000% in a week, crossing a $100 million market cap and generating over $100 million in 24-hour trading volume, driven by one of the most emotionally charged stories the crypto market has seen in years.

The token is not based on a dog or a cartoon. It is based on a Shiba Inu plush toy designed by Liv Perrotto, a 15-year-old who died after battling cancer. Her design flew as a zero-gravity indicator on a space mission. Before she passed, she had one request for Elon Musk.

“Can you make Asteroid the mascot for SpaceX?”

How Two Words From Musk Moved the Market

The story resurfaced online earlier this week and spread rapidly across social media. When it reached Musk, he replied publicly: “Will answer shortly.”

That single response was enough. ASTEROID’s market cap jumped from approximately $50,000 to over $20 million within hours as traders rushed to position themselves ahead of whatever came next.

Musk then followed up with a single word: “Ok.”

The confirmation sent the token parabolic. Traders interpreted the response as Musk agreeing to the mascot request, and the narrative had enough emotional weight to sustain buying pressure far beyond what most meme tokens ever see.

Millionaires Made Overnight

According to on-chain data shown by Lookonchain:

• One trader flipped 1 ETH into $470K within hours
• Another held through 580 days of near-zero value and saw $21K turn into ~$392K
• Some traders even turned a few hundred dollars into $1M+ in days

What the Numbers Show

The scale of the move is difficult to contextualise within normal crypto market activity:

• 68,000% gain in a single week according to CoinGecko data
• Market cap climbed from $50,000 to over $100 million at peak
• $100 million in 24-hour trading volume at the height of activity
• The move created significant returns for early holders and significant losses for those who entered near the top

The Broader Context

ASTEROID sits at the intersection of grief, internet culture, and financial speculation, a combination that has proven repeatedly capable of generating extreme short-term market movements regardless of underlying fundamentals.

The token has no formal connection to SpaceX, no confirmed endorsement beyond two informal social media replies and no guarantee that Musk’s response translates into any official action.

What it does have is a story that resonated widely and a market that priced that resonance in real time. Whether the price holds, fades, or collapses entirely now depends entirely on what happens next in a narrative that nobody fully controls.

The post XRP Price Up 6% as ETF Inflows, CLARITY Act and Cross-Chain Expansion Converge at Once appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

XRP is outperforming the market this week and has posted a 6 to 8% weekly gain, reclaiming the number four position by market cap ahead of BNB and Solana. What makes the XRP move interesting is not the size of it but the combination of factors arriving simultaneously.

What Is Actually Driving It

Three things are stacking at once.

First, ETF inflows. Spot XRP ETFs pulled in $13.74 million in a single day this week, with Bitwise contributing the largest share. Single-day inflows of that size suggest institutional positioning rather than retail enthusiasm. 

Second, the CLARITY Act. The Senate Banking Committee is expected to move toward a markup this month, with a floor vote possible in May. XRP’s status as a digital commodity under existing guidance means it stands to benefit more directly than most assets from a finalised regulatory framework.

Third, fundamental expansion. Ripple’s 2026 focus appears to be cross-chain utility, making XRP functional across multiple networks, alongside expanding RLUSD across different blockchains. The Kyobo Life partnership in Korea, the Convera payments integration, and the Ripple Treasury launch all point to institutional infrastructure being built in real time.

The Technical Picture

XRP is trading above its 200-day EMA and pushing toward a key resistance zone at $1.44. The structure is constructive. Higher lows with repeated tests of the same resistance typically indicate pressure building toward a resolution in either direction.

A clean daily close above $1.44 with volume behind it opens the path toward $2.00 to $3.00, the next significant resistance cluster. That would represent a meaningful trend shift rather than a short-term bounce.

The Risk Worth Watching

Volume is the concern. The rally has been orderly but participation has not been overwhelming. Without an expansion in volume through the $1.44 level, the move risks another rejection and a return to the consolidation range.

Immediate support sits at $1.40. A break below that level likely means XRP slips back into the wider range and the breakout thesis resets.

The post Altcoins in “End Stage” Bear Market? Analyst Michaël van de Poppe Turns Bullish appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Altcoin sentiment remains under pressure, and the data backs it. The CMC Altcoin Season Index is currently sitting at 37/100, firmly in Bitcoin season. Just a week ago, it was 34, and a month ago, 53, showing how momentum has faded. Compared to its yearly high of 78, the market is clearly far from an altcoin-driven phase, with most tokens still lagging Bitcoin.

But according to Michaël van de Poppe, this is exactly the kind of setup where reversals begin, and he’s leaning strongly bullish on altcoins from here.

“This Is the End Stage, Not the Beginning”

He says that 2025 has already acted as the bear market for altcoins. “The markets are approaching the end stage of the bear market… not the start,” he said, noting that most altcoins are down more than 90%.

While that drop makes sense after inflated valuations, he now sees the opposite problem. “Markets are currently underpricing the upside of altcoins massively,” he said, signaling his bullish stance on altcoins specifically at current levels.

On Bitcoin, he’s more neutral-to-bullish, suggesting the downside is likely done. 

“The bear market of BTC rarely goes deeper… we’ve already hit that,” he added, implying Bitcoin has likely bottomed and won’t see major further downside.

Macro and Sentiment Starting to Align

He also pointed to macro shifts. Lower volatility in gold and oil typically supports risk assets, while equities lead the move. “Nasdaq vol up → more confidence → BTC to follow → altcoins to follow,” he explained.

Sentiment is another key factor. “The altcoin sentiment has seen the lowest read… nobody is interested,” he said, calling this a classic accumulation phase rather than a warning sign.

Why Altcoins Didn’t Run Earlier

Meanwhile, Benjamin Cowen provides a bigger outlook on why altcoins struggled in the first place. He argues the cycle lacked a proper altcoin season because Bitcoin topped without hype. Historically, in 2017 and 2021, Bitcoin topped with strong retail hype, which he calls “euphoria.” That excitement pushed profits into altcoins, triggering explosive alt seasons.

Without retail excitement, capital never rotated into altcoins. “When you top on apathy… there’s just no one left to sell the altcoins to,” he added, pointing to tight liquidity and a risk-off macro backdrop.

What Comes Next

Van de Poppe notes the setup is now changing. Bitcoin has likely bottomed, and altcoins could follow with stronger moves after a short lag.

“Bitcoin has bottomed… altcoins are violently following… the right time to accumulate is now.”

In short, the data explains why altcoins lagged, but if the cycle shifts, they may not stay quiet for long.

The post Why Is Asteroid Shiba Surging? Elon Musk Reply Sparks 400x Rally appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

A new memecoin, Asteroid, has taken the crypto market by storm, jumping from a tiny $50K market cap to over $20M+ in just hours. Data shared by Arkham shows how quickly the token went parabolic, leaving traders scrambling to understand what just happened.

What is Asteroid Shiba (ASTEROID)

Unlike typical meme coins, Asteroid carries an emotional backstory. Radio host Glenn Beck shared Liv’s story publicly. It’s based on a Shiba Inu plush designed by Liv Perrotto, a 15-year-old who sadly passed away after battling cancer. Her creation wasn’t just a toy; it actually flew as a zero-gravity indicator on a space mission.

Before her passing, Liv had one dream: to connect with Elon Musk. One of her final questions stood out:

“Can you make Asteroid… the mascot for SpaceX?”

Musk replied :

“Will answer shortly.”

That was enough to ignite a market rally. Traders quickly piled in, betting on the possibility that Musk might acknowledge or even adopt the idea. As one trader described it:

“Degens are betting 5-6 figure positions that Elon Musk will make $Asteroid the mascot of SpaceX.”

From there, traders and whales amplified the move. According to Lookonchain, one early buyer held through 580 days of near-zero value, turning a $21K position into nearly $392K after the surge. On the other hand, a fast-moving trader flipped just 1 ETH into over $470K within hours by entering right after Musk’s comment. 

At the same time, some market participants noted that such Musk-driven narratives tend to run stronger on Ethereum due to deeper liquidity, adding more fuel to the rally.

Why is ASTEROID Price surging?

This rally wasn’t driven by fundamentals; it was pure narrative power.

“It’s not just a memecoin… It’s a story with emotion, space, and community.”

The mix of a heartfelt story, space exploration ties, and Musk’s involvement created the perfect storm for virality.

What Next For Asteroid Shiba?

Right now, everything depends on one thing: whether Musk follows up.

“This is pure narrative-driven momentum… what happens next depends on if Musk responds.”

If the hype continues, the token could see further volatility. If not, momentum may fade just as quickly. In crypto, moments like this prove one thing: sometimes, a single reply is all it takes to create millions.

The post Clarity Act News: Patrick Witt Reveals White House Stepped In to Save Crypto Bill appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Crypto Analyst Tony Edward spoke with Patrick Witt, Executive Director, President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets at the Solana Policy Institute summit, where Witt gave a grounded update on the Clarity Act and what’s actually coming next behind the scenes.

Witt made it clear that the stablecoin issue almost blocked the bill completely. That’s when the White House stepped in to mediate between banks and crypto companies, trying to find language both sides could live with.

“We had to step in there and serve as a mediator… bringing the banks and crypto companies together… and ultimately get it to a place where we felt like it was ready to hand back over to the Senate… not to say either side is thrilled about it.”

He explained that this wasn’t about making everyone happy; it was about getting enough agreement to move forward. Banks wanted stricter rules if crypto firms act like banks, while crypto players didn’t want extra layers added at all. The final version sits somewhere in between.

The Clarity Act Timeline Is Tight

Witt didn’t sugarcoat the timeline either.

“Just working backwards from the August recess… you realize you have to take action now to get this out of the banking committee.”

From here, the bill still has to clear the Senate, go through reconciliation, and pass the House before reaching Donald Trump. There’s still a process, and it’s not a short one.

What Happens After the Crypto Bill Passes

Once the Clarity Act is done, the focus shifts quickly.

“I would say on the legislative front, the next one up would be crypto tax… if there’s an opportunity… we would certainly seize that.”

But Witt focussed that passing the bill is just step one. The real work comes with implementation.

“These are going to be very hotly contested rulemakings… it’s going to require months and in certain cases years.”

Agencies like the SEC and CFTC are already coordinating closely so they don’t end up redoing rules later.

Bitcoin Reserve Update Coming Soon

On the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, Witt gave a clear hint that updates are close.

“We’ll be making an announcement on that probably in the coming weeks… or next month or two.”

That includes both executive actions and new legislation tied to Bitcoin, showing it’s still very much in progress alongside the Clarity Act.

Wall Street Is Already Moving

Witt also pointed out something important: traditional finance isn’t waiting around.

“They recognize that this is part of the product suite that they’re going to need… to compete in this new era.”

Banks and financial firms are already building, hiring, and exploring blockchain integrations.

Put simply, the Clarity Act is just the first big step. What follows, tax rules, regulations, and Bitcoin strategy, is where things really start to take shape.

The post Pi Network This Week: Smart Contracts, Whale Buying, and a Deadline Every Node Operator Must Know appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Pi is trading between $0.165 and $0.178 and has been stuck there for weeks. The price story is bearish, but everything around it is not.

Where the Price Stands

The important level to watch is $0.171. Until Pi closes a daily candle above it, the recovery thesis stays on hold. Resistance stacks up quickly above that level:

• 20-day EMA at $0.175
• 50-day EMA at $0.181
• 100-day EMA near $0.19

The one constructive signal in the charts is the MACD, which has flattened to zero for the first time since February. That indicates selling pressure is fading. It does not confirm that buyers have arrived yet, but the shift in momentum is worth noting.

The Upgrade Deadline Nobody Should Miss

The most immediate event is the April 27 deadline for all node operators to upgrade to Protocol 22. Miss it, and nodes get disconnected from the network. No exceptions.

This deadline is part of a broader upgrade sequence that is moving faster than most Pi holders realise:

• April 22: Protocol 22.1 rollout begins the upgrade cycle
• April 27: Hard deadline for Protocol 22 compliance
• May 18: Protocol 23 expected to introduce smart contracts
• Beyond that: Early signals point to a push toward Protocol 26 before Pi2Day

Developers are already being told to prepare their applications for smart contract compatibility. That is a meaningful shift in what Pi could support as a platform.

The Fundamentals Stacking Up

Away from the price chart, three developments stand out this week:

18 million KYC-verified users. Pi continues to argue that its user base is different from that of every other crypto network. These are confirmed humans, not wallet addresses.

A whale accumulated 350 million PI. Large accumulation at current prices signals someone with long-term conviction is buying the range rather than exiting it.

Co-founder Chengdiao Fan confirmed for Consensus Miami on May 6. She will speak specifically about Pi’s verified identity network and its AI-era utility vision. This is Pi’s most significant mainstream stage appearance of the year and the kind of visibility the project has rarely had outside its own community.

The Headwind That Keeps the Rally Capped

None of the positives above changes one structural reality. Approximately 230 million PI tokens are set to unlock over the next 30 days. That is consistent sell pressure entering the market regardless of what the MACD is doing or how bullish the whale activity looks.

What to Watch

Pi is expected to hold the $0.165 to $0.18 range through the remainder of April. A daily close above $0.1715 opens the path toward $0.20, according to analysts. A genuine recovery signal requires a sustained move above $0.19.

Whale accumulation and exhausted bearish momentum suggest a floor is forming. The upgrade deadline, the smart contract roadmap, and the Consensus Miami appearance give the project genuine catalysts to work with.

Whether the price responds to any of them this week is the question every Pi holder is sitting with.