Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Bernstein Lowers IREN Target to $100: AI Outperform

Tech　　Bernstein Lowers IREN Target to $100: AI Outperform　　Bernstein analysts revised the price target for IREN stock from $125 to $100 but maintained the Outperform rating as the preferred stock among AI-focused Bitcoin miners. This downgrade stems from shrinking Bitcoin mining operations and an increase in share count due to recent share issuances; not from any weakening in AI targets. IREN is rapidly transforming from BTC detailed analysis operations to AI cloud services and will completely phase out crypto activities in the coming years. The massive deal signed with Microsoftla is the cornerstone of this strategic shift.　　IRENs Rapid Transformation from Bitcoin Mining to AI Cloud　　The company reduced Bitcoin mining to zero value in the model by upgrading its existing infrastructure with GPUs. This move provides protection against BTC futures volatility. The 4.5 gigawatt power assets in Texas, British Columbia, and Oklahoma support AI expansion and offer attractive valuation with undeveloped capacity.　　Technical and Financial Details of the Microsoft Deal　　IREN leased 77,000 of its 150,000 GPUs to Microsoft for five years; the contract generates $1.94 billion in annual revenue. While the remaining capacity is offered to spot cloud customers, an additional $400 million contract was signed in February. Purchases with Dell and low-interest

04-29Industry

Henkell Freixenet Bets On Growth Segments To Reignite Sparkling Wine

dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images　　Germany-based drinks producer, Henkell Freixenet, had a flat 2025 as revenue grew by just 0.5%—but showing stability given a contracting global market for wines and sparkling wines. With economic and structural challenges continuing to shape 2026 the company said the year “will also be demanding as developments in the first few months of the year have already shown.”　　Revenue in 2025 reached €1.25 billion ($1.46 billion) in what the company called “a challenging market with declining performance in some segments and significant currency effects.” Despite this, the market leader in sparkling wine held its ground and saw its Mionetto brand outpace growth in the prosecco market.　　Also helping has been a drive to internationalize, with the opening of three new subsidiaries in Argentina, Croatia, and Ireland last year. Currently, the groups revenue is led by Western Europe with 32%; DACH, or German-speaking Europe with 27%; the Americas (21%), and Eastern Europe (18%); with Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world accounting for 2%.　　Andreas Brokemper, CEO of Henkell Freixenet, said in a statement: “The global sparkling wine and wine market declined in 2025, yet certain sub-segments—including prosecco, crémant, non-alcoholic sparkling wines, and aperitifs—grew. We strengthened our core brands and

04-29Industry

Bitcoin ETF outflows hit $263M, ending nine-day inflow streak before FOMC meeting

Bitcoin　　Bitcoin ETF outflows hit $263M, ending nine-day inflow streak before FOMC meeting　　Bitcoin ETF outflows reached $263 million, ending a nine-day inflow streak just before the FOMC meeting. Bitcoins price is now below $77,000, and the odds of Bitcoin surpassing $86,000 by April 30 sit at 0.2% YES, down from 1% just a day ago.　　The Bitcoin price on April 30 market has shifted sharply with only two days to go. The market has a face value of $5,189 daily, but actual trading reached only $127 in USDC over the last 24 hours. A mere $242 can move this market by 5 percentage points, meaning a single large trade could cause a significant swing.　　The Bitcoin all-time high by June 30 market has odds at 2.9% YES. That market is slightly more active with $901 actual USDC traded daily, but still thin. The term structure shows a 7-point increase in odds from June to September, suggesting traders see a better chance of recovery in the latter half of the year.　　The outflows point to a cautious market ahead of the FOMC meeting. Traders are wary of macroeconomic factors, particularly potential interest rate changes, and confidence across Bitcoin-related markets has dropped accordingly. At 0.2¢, a

04-29Industry

BlackRock’s Bitcoin Options Could Fuel A New High: Expert

Bitcoin　　BlackRocks Bitcoin Options Could Fuel A New High: Expert　　Jake Simmons, a dedicated crypto journalist, has been passionate about Bitcoin since 2016 when he first learned about it. Through his extensive work with NewsBTC.com and Bitcoinist.com, Jake has become a trusted voice in the crypto community, guiding newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts alike towards a deeper understanding of this dynamic field.　　His mission is simple yet profound: to demystify Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies and make them accessible to everyone.　　With a professional career in the Bitcoin and crypto scene that began right after graduating with a degree in Information Systems in 2017, Jake has immersed himself in the industry. Jake joined the NewsBTC Group in late 2022. His educational background provides him with the technical prowess and analytical skills necessary to dissect complex topics and present them in an understandable format. Whether you are a casual reader curious about Bitcoin or an investor seeking to navigate the latest market trends, Jakes insights offer valuable perspectives that bridge the gap between complex technology and everyday usage.　　Jake is not just a reporter on technological trends; he is a firm believer in the transformative potential of Bitcoin over traditional fiat currencies. To him, the current financial system is

04-29Industry

US President Donald Trump asks aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran — WSJ

Finance　　US President Donald Trump asks aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran — WSJ　　The US officials said that President Donald Trump instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.　　The report stated that Trump opted to continue squeezing Irans economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. The source added that Trump believed that his other options, including resuming bombing or walking away from the conflict, carried more risk than maintaining the blockade.　　Market reaction　　At the time of writing, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 1.08% on the day at $96.50.

04-29Industry

Canadian Dollar consolidates vs USD as BoC, FOMC decisions loom

Finance　　Canadian Dollar consolidates vs USD as BoC, FOMC decisions loom　　The USD/CAD pair seesaws between tepid gains/minor losses, below the 1.3700 mark, during the Asian session on Wednesday amid a combination of diverging forces. The lack of progress in US-Iran peace talks continues to benefit the US Dollars (USD) reserve currency status and supports spot prices. However, bullish Crude Oil prices underpin the commodity-linked Loonie and cap the upside for the currency pair.　　Hopes for a revival of US-Iran peace talks receded after US President Donald Trump canceled his special envoy‘s planned visit to Pakistan. Furthermore, media reports suggest that Trump was dissatisfied with Iran’s new proposal on resolving the war and reopening the strategic waterway, but would set ‌aside discussion of Irans nuclear program. This keeps geopolitical risks in play and continues to benefit the safe-haven USD, which, in turn, is seen as a key factor acting as a tailwind for the USD/CAD pair.　　Meanwhile, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to Irans restrictions on movements and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. Adding to this, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, aimed at forcing

04-29Industry

Will the BTC Accumulation Strategy Extend the Rally?

Bitcoin　　Will the BTC Accumulation Strategy Extend the Rally？　　Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan predicts that Bitcoin‘s recent rally could continue for quite some time thanks to Strategy’s special stock issuance. The cryptocurrency has recovered about 20% from its February lows and is currently trading at 76.329,99 dollars (24-hour change: -%0,77). This rally was supported by ETFs making 3,8 billion dollars in purchases since March 1 and buys from long-term holders; however, Strategy succeeded in being the biggest factor by accumulating 7,2 billion dollars worth of Bitcoin over the last eight weeks. Hougan emphasizes that the company accelerated this accumulation with funds obtained by issuing its perpetual preferred stock called STRC. The company finances Bitcoin purchases with this instrument while also strengthening market liquidity.　　How Strategys STRC Issuances Support the BTC Price？　　Strategy positioned STRC as an instrument that trades like a stock but offers bond-like 11,5% yield. Thanks to these issuances, the company bought 3.273 BTC for 255 million dollars in the last week and increased its total to 818.334 BTC. Bitcoin, which fell below 65.000 dollars at the beginning of February, is in a sideways trend with RSI 56,01; although Supertrend gives a bearish signal, it is holding above EMA 20

04-29Industry

ApeCoin rebounds from $0.14 – But can APE sustain this move?

Tech　　ApeCoin rebounds from $0.14 – But can APE sustain this move？　　ApeCoin [APE] was one of the hot altcoins in the crypto market in the past 24 hours. It has ralled 22% in 24 hours, and its Open Interest [OI] was up by nearly 40% in a day.　　The daily trading volume has surged by 230%, according to CoinMarketCap data.　　An AMBCrypto report had covered its swift gains a few days ago.　　On Friday, the 24th of April, APE rallied by 174.4% within 20 hours. The move spanned from $0.101 to $0.278. Since making this local peak, APE retraced 50.3% over the weekend to reach the $0.138 support on Monday, the 27th of April.　　The high volatility could have been engineered, social media posts speculated.　　Driven largely by whale activity, AMBCrypto pointed to how a possible APE insider made $2.27 million by going long before the surge, then switching to a short position to catch the retracement.　　The race to profit from the APE rally　　In recent weeks, the tough market conditions have primed more traders to chase speculative pumps, hoping to make easy money by riding the move higher. The derivatives data showed that APEs weekend retracement did not dissuade traders from chasing the current move.　　CoinGlass data

04-29Industry

Iran achieves atomic power status amid US-Israeli tensions

Tech　　Iran achieves atomic power status amid US-Israeli tensions　　Escalating US-Israeli-Iran hostilities and a nations rise to atomic power status have pushed the likelihood of WTI Crude Oil hitting $160 in April to 25% YES, driven by fears of supply disruptions and further conflict.　　Market reaction　　With ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, traders are watching the WTI Crude Oil market closely. The April 30 contract remains unresolved, with two days left for significant price movements. Meanwhile, Bitcoin markets are moving in the opposite direction. The market for Bitcoin above $86,000 on April 30 sits at 0.2% YES, down from 1% a day ago. The largest single move in the last 24 hours was a 50-point spike at 11:40 AM, which faded quickly.　　Why it matters　　The Bitcoin market is thin: $127 in USDC traded over 24 hours, with an order book depth of just $242 to move the price 5 points. That makes it highly susceptible to volatility on low volume. The oil spike hasnt pulled Bitcoin in either direction, and traders appear to be sitting on the sidelines.　　For WTI, a nation achieving atomic power status during active hostilities is a concrete escalation signal. Brent crude is already at $110 a barrel. Any further

04-29Industry

Alchemy-Privy Integration Accelerates Onchain - COINOTAG

Alchemy and Privy Technical Integration Announcement　　Alchemy and Privy, two giants of crypto infrastructure, have launched their technical integration to accelerate entry into onchain finance. According to Tuesday‘s announcement, developers can now combine Privy’s Stripe-supported onboarding tool with Alchemy‘s transaction infrastructure in a single stack. This move enables the creation of onchain products as simple as the smoothest web experiences. As emphasized in the joint statement from the two companies, combining Privy’s user onboarding with Alchemys gasless transaction support fundamentally simplifies the development process. The integrated stack carries new users from registration to their first transaction.　　Gasless Transactions and Stripe-Supported Onboarding　　Onchain finance has gained momentum in recent months with innovations like tokenized money market funds and custom stablecoins. However, in practice, crypto usage still remains fraught with barriers like registration, signing, and approvals. Users want to complete transactions with a single click without struggling with seed phrases, gas fees, or chain definitions. Alchemy stands out here with its gasless transactions, managing signatures, chain routing, and approvals in the background without the hassle of holding native tokens or paying fees. Privy enters the scene with Stripe-acquired non-custodial wallet infrastructure, making onboarding accessible via email or social media logins through embedded wallets. For developers,

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