Cointime

Download App
iOS & Android

Here’s what happened in crypto today

Cointime Official

Today in crypto, a bill for the US to buy 1 million Bitcoin was re-submitted to Congress, the EU is scrutinizing OKX for a service that could’ve helped the Bybit hackers, and Ether could face further declines as ETF outflows and economic concerns pressure the market.

Lummis’ revamped BITCOIN Act wants US reserve to buy 1 million BTC

US Senator Cynthia Lummis’ reintroduced her BITCOIN Act on March 11 to allow the government to potentially hold more than 1 million Bitcoin 

BTC$81,613in its newly established reserve.

The bill, the Boosting Innovation, Technology, and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide (BITCOIN) Act of 2025, was first introduced in a different form in July and would’ve seen the US buy 1 million BTC, split across buys of 200,000 BTC a year for five years.

The revamped bill opens the door for the US to acquire and hold in excess of 1 million BTC as long as it is acquired through lawful means other than direct purchase, such as civil or criminal forfeitures, gifts made to the US or transfers from federal agencies.

The refreshed bill also now sets a formal evaluation process for Bitcoin forked assets and airdropped assets in the reserve and directs the Secretary after the mandatory holding period to evaluate and retain the most valuable asset based on market capitalization while retaining the “dominant asset.”

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” and a “Digital Asset Stockpile,” both of which will initially use crypto forfeited to the government.

EU watchdogs scrutinizing OKX over $100M in Bybit laundered funds: Report

European Union regulators are reportedly looking into a service offered by crypto exchange OKX that may have played a role in the laundering of $100 million in funds from the Bybit hack, according to Bloomberg.

A March 11 Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter claims that national watchdogs from the EU’s member states discussed the issue during a March 6 meeting hosted by the European Securities and Markets Authority’s Digital Finance Standing Committee. The issue appears to be OKX’s decentralized finance platform and wallet service.

On Jan. 27, OKX announced that it had secured a full Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license to operate across all EU member states under a unified regulatory framework. The question for EU regulators is whether two OKX services fall under the MiCA framework and, if so, whether the exchange could be penalized.

According to Bybit CEO Ben Zhou, nearly $100 million, or 40,233 Ether (ETH), from the $1.5 billion hack had been laundered through OKX’s Web3 proxy, with a portion of the funds now untraceable.

In a statement posted to X, OKX refuted the claim there were any ongoing investigations by the EU, adding that “Bybit’s statements are spreading misinformation” and defending its Web3 wallet services.

  Source: OKX


Ether risks correction to $1,800 as ETF outflows, tariff fears continue

Ether is struggling to reverse a near three-month downtrend as macroeconomic concerns and continued selling pressure from US Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) weigh on investor sentiment.

Ether 

ETH$1,869has fallen by more than 53% since it began its downtrend on Dec. 16, 2024, after it had peaked above $4,100,TradingViewdata shows.

The downtrend has been fueled by global uncertainty around US import tariffs triggering trade war concerns and a lack of builder activity on the Ethereum network, according to Bitfinex analysts.

ETH/USD, 1-day chart, downtrend. Source: Cointelegraph/ TradingView 


“A lack of new projects or builders moving to ETH, primarily due to high operating fees, is likely the principal reason behind the lackluster performance of ETH. [...] We believe that for ETH, $1,800 will be a strong level to watch,” the analysts told Cointelegraph.

“However, the current sell-off is not being seen solely in ETH, we have seen a marketwide correction as fears over the impact of tariffs hit all risk assets,” they added.

Crypto investors are also wary of an early bear market cycle that could break from the traditional four-year crypto market pattern.

Bitcoin is atrisk of falling to $70,000as cryptocurrencies and global financial markets undergo a “macro correction” while remaining in a bull market cycle, said Aurelie Barthere, principal research analyst at blockchain analytics firm Nansen.

Comments

All Comments

Recommended for you

  • Fed's Musalem: Further Tightening of Monetary Policy Needed to Bring Inflation Back to Target; Rates Should Be Raised in Next 6 to 9 Months

    On October 9, Fed's Musalem stated that further tightening of monetary policy is necessary to bring inflation back to target, and interest rates should be raised in the next 6 to 9 months. The economy is currently quite strong, and the best thing the Fed can do is to lower inflation; market inflation expectations remain stable, and there has been no indication of a loss of credibility for the Fed.

  • BTC Falls Below $81,000

    Market data shows that BTC has fallen below $81,000, currently priced at $80,979.57, with a 24-hour decline of 2.79%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • ETH Falls Below $2500

    Market data shows that ETH has fallen below $2500, currently priced at $2499.36, with a 24-hour decline of 2.59%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • U.S. Government Transfers 12,267 BTC Worth Approximately $1.01 Billion

    According to Arkham and on-chain data, at 21:33 Beijing time on October 8, an address marked 'U.S. Government: Seized Funds from Bitfinex Hacker' transferred 12,267.02 BTC (approximately $1.01 billion). Subsequently, 6,000 BTC were sent in two transactions to a new address 33pYK…cFk, while the remaining approximately 6,267 BTC are temporarily held in another new address. In the previous two days, related addresses of the U.S. government had transferred over 6,200 BTC to Coinbase Prime.

  • Reports Indicate Trump Purchased Up to $25 Million in Meta Stock

    On October 8, reports emerged that U.S. President Trump purchased up to $25 million in Meta stock.

  • Tencent Plans to Issue Offshore Bonds to Raise $5 Billion for AI Business Development

    According to Bloomberg, sources reveal that Tencent Holdings is considering issuing offshore bonds to raise $5 billion to meet the funding demands arising from its artificial intelligence business expansion. The bonds may be denominated in US dollars and offshore renminbi, with issuance potentially occurring as early as this month. Analysts believe that in recent years, as the demand for AI infrastructure and computing power has increased, global tech companies have turned to bond financing to raise funds. This fundraising plan is still in the discussion phase, and the final scale and timing of the issuance have yet to be determined.

  • BTC Falls Below $82,000

    Market data shows that BTC has fallen below $82,000, currently priced at $82,008.19, with a 24-hour decline of 1.72%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • Moscow Exchange to Launch Cryptocurrency Trading Services on December 1

    According to TASS, the Moscow Exchange plans to offer cryptocurrency trading services starting December 1 under a new regulatory framework. Boris Blokhin, Senior Managing Director of the Moscow Exchange, stated that the exchange will continue relevant testing work before the official launch.

  • People's Bank of China Clarifies Policy Stance on RMB Exchange Rate

    On October 8, the RMB exchange rate, an important price in the financial market, has long attracted attention from various sectors, with recent discussions increasing. The People's Bank of China clarifies its policy stance on the RMB exchange rate as follows: China implements a managed floating exchange rate system based on market supply and demand, referencing a basket of currencies, and insists on allowing the market to play a decisive role in the formation of the exchange rate. Over the past two decades, the RMB exchange rate has fluctuated in both directions; since 2010, the RMB exchange rate has undergone multiple rounds of appreciation and depreciation cycles, with the characteristics of two-way fluctuation becoming more pronounced and its elasticity increasing. The development of China's trade is rooted in the enhancement of industrial international competitiveness. China has no need, nor intention, to gain trade competitive advantages through currency depreciation and does not engage in competitive currency devaluation.

  • Fed Governor Waller: Dot Plot May Indicate Rate Hike in Early 2027, Followed by Rate Cuts

    On October 8, Federal Reserve Governor Waller stated that the dot plot may reflect a rate hike in early 2027, followed by rate cuts thereafter.