Sony’s Soneium, a layer 2 blockchain connected to the iconic Japanese company Sony, has introduced a new program called Soneium For All. This program aims to boost consumer and gaming applications...
Read moreSony’s Soneium, a layer 2 blockchain connected to the iconic Japanese company Sony, has introduced a new program called Soneium For All. This program aims to boost consumer and gaming applications within its extensive blockchain ecosystem, which currently has 7 million users.
As cryptocurrency gains more traction in mainstream society, traditional technology giants such as Apple and Uber are turning to blockchain technology to streamline their future business operations.
Sony Block Solutions Labs (SBSL), the team behind Soneium, utilized the Optimism OP stack, a quick and cost-effective layer connected to Ethereum, to cater to both Web2 and Web3 audiences. The aim is to engage creators, fans, and communities.
The new accelerator, set to launch in the third quarter, is a collaboration between Sony Block Solutions Labs, Astar Network, and Startale Cloud Services, with funding from the Sony Innovation Fund. Ryohei Suzuki, Director of Sony Block Solutions Labs, expressed the company’s commitment to empowering global creators through blockchain technology. By reducing barriers for developers and facilitating faster access to users, Soneium For All is a step towards a more inclusive and creator-driven internet.
It seemed like it was going to be a quiet session before the holiday weekend, but things changed when President Trump decided to escalate trade tensions once again. In a post...
Read moreIt seemed like it was going to be a quiet session before the holiday weekend, but things changed when President Trump decided to escalate trade tensions once again.
In a post on Truth Social, the president expressed frustration with the European Union, stating that discussions with them were not going well. He announced a recommendation for a 50% tariff on the EU starting on June 1.
President Trump also targeted Apple and its CEO Tim Cook, insisting that iPhones sold in the U.S. should be manufactured in the country. He warned of a 25% tariff if this requirement was not met.
Following these announcements, U.S. stock index futures went from slight gains to almost 2% losses, while Apple’s stock fell 3.6%. The price of bitcoin also dropped from above $111,000 to $108,600 in a quick reaction to the news.
Tags:AIAmericaAppleBinanceBlackrockCryptoEUEuropeFinancegoldRobinhoodS&P 500solanaStocksTeslaTradingUS
Kraken is set to introduce tokenized shares of popular U.S. stocks such as Nvidia, Apple, and Tesla, as well as over 50 other stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to a...
Read moreKraken is set to introduce tokenized shares of popular U.S. stocks such as Nvidia, Apple, and Tesla, as well as over 50 other stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
These tokenized assets, named “xStocks,” will be built on the Solana SOL blockchain and will be open for trading 24/7 to investors globally. Some of the ETFs included in this offering are the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD).
Backed Finance will hold the real shares representing the stocks, allowing investors to redeem them at a 1:1 ratio for their cash value.
In April, Kraken initially unveiled over 11,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs for trading in 10 states through its subsidiary Kraken Securities. This recent expansion now includes tokenized versions of more than 50 stocks and ETFs available to customers outside of the U.S., starting with regions like Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Kraken’s move places it in direct competition with platforms like Robinhood (HOOD) and makes it the first exchange to successfully offer tokenized shares of major U.S. stocks. Binance previously attempted to launch tokenized U.S. stocks in 2021 but eventually abandoned the plans due to regulatory uncertainty.
A spokesperson from Kraken mentioned to the Wall Street Journal that the exchange is actively collaborating with regulators to ensure the legal offering of xStocks in each jurisdiction, taking into account the varying regulatory landscapes.
Tokenization, the process of converting real-world assets into blockchain tokens, has gained popularity in the crypto sphere. Companies like Ondo Finance, BlackRock, and Franklin Templeton have been early adopters of tokenization, contributing to the overall tokenization market reaching a market cap of $65 billion as of May.
David Goyer, the renowned filmmaker behind the Blade trilogy, The Dark Knight, and Apple TV’s Foundation series, announced his latest project on Friday – a futuristic blockchain-driven universe named Emergence. Set...
Read moreDavid Goyer, the renowned filmmaker behind the Blade trilogy, The Dark Knight, and Apple TV’s Foundation series, announced his latest project on Friday – a futuristic blockchain-driven universe named Emergence. Set to be a vast transmedia endeavor, Emergence will explore themes of spaceships, relic-hunting, and white holes, all housed within Incention, Goyer’s innovative blockchain platform.
During a panel discussion at CoinDesk’s Consensus conference in Toronto, Goyer was joined by SY Lee of Story Protocol, the blockchain platform underpinning Incention and Emergence. Goyer highlighted his vision for Incention, emphasizing the platform’s unique ability to engage fans in co-creating the Emergence universe alongside professional storytellers.
In contrast to traditional Hollywood practices, Goyer criticized the industry for its “top-down” approach to intellectual property development, advocating for a more inclusive and adaptive model. With the launch of Story Protocol in 2023, which has secured over $80 million in funding from notable backers such as a16z, Hashed, and Endeavor, creators now have access to tools for registering, tracking, and monetizing IP on the blockchain.
Goyer’s meticulous planning for Emergence involved crafting a comprehensive 2,500-page story bible, which served as the foundation for engaging concept artists and award-winning science fiction authors. This content also shaped an AI agent named “Atlas,” enabling contributors to collaborate within a defined narrative framework.
Visitors to the Emergence platform can explore existing characters and settings or unleash their creativity by generating new content. User-generated stories and visuals can be upvoted by the community, leading to selection by an editorial board chaired by Goyer, determining which submissions become part of the official canon.
Despite concerns surrounding the impact of AI and blockchain on creative industries, Goyer remains optimistic about leveraging these technologies to empower artists. By actively engaging with emerging trends like AI, Web3, and blockchain, Goyer aims to guide the evolution of these tools in ways that benefit creators like himself.
In his closing remarks, Goyer emphasized the inevitability of a tokenized world and his commitment to harnessing technology to support and amplify creative endeavors. Far from fearing job displacement and commodification, Goyer sees an opportunity to shape a future where artists thrive within a digital landscape.
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase experienced a notable 8% surge in its stock price following news that it will be added to the S&P 500 stock index. This move will see Coinbase replace...
Read moreCryptocurrency exchange Coinbase experienced a notable 8% surge in its stock price following news that it will be added to the S&P 500 stock index. This move will see Coinbase replace Discover Financial starting May 19, as announced by S&P.
The S&P 500 index tracks the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, and finance. Major names such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are part of this index. With a market capitalization of nearly $53 billion, Coinbase currently trades on the Nasdaq exchange.
This inclusion is a significant milestone for the digital asset industry, as it will provide millions of average investors and model portfolios with exposure to a crypto-focused company. Juan Leon, senior investment strategist at Bitwise, stated, “COIN about to be in every portfolio in America.” He believes that the S&P 500 inclusion will result in a significant increase in trading volume for the stock.
Following this announcement, Coinbase’s shares soared to $225, marking an 8.6% increase in post-market trading. This jump added to the 4% gain the company already experienced earlier in the day.
*UPDATE (May 12, 21:50 UTC): Includes analyst comment and details on Capital One’s acquisition of Discover Financial.
Tags:ADAAIAmericaAppleBinancebitcoinbtcCanadaCoinbaseCommunicationCryptodubaiETHEUFinancegoldJapanminerMoving AverageRobinhoodS&P 500solanaStrategyTeslaTradingTrumpUSXRP
By [Your Name] (All times ET unless indicated otherwise) Bitcoin (BTC) continues to defy global economic uncertainty, inching closer to reclaiming $86,000. It is now less than 3% away from its...
Read moreBy [Your Name] (All times ET unless indicated otherwise)
Bitcoin (BTC) continues to defy global economic uncertainty, inching closer to reclaiming $86,000. It is now less than 3% away from its “Liberation Day” high. To put the move into perspective, bitcoin dominance — which measures BTC’s share of the total cryptocurrency market cap — is approaching 64%, a level not seen since January 2021.
In contrast, the Nasdaq 100 is still 5% away from its own Liberation Day high, underscoring bitcoin’s relative strength versus U.S. equities.
According to X account Cheddar Flow, the S&P 500 has just formed a “death cross” — a traditionally bearish signal that occurs when the 50-day moving average falls below the 200-day moving average. The last time this happened was March 15, 2022, when S&P 500 initially rose by 11% in the following week, only to be followed by a 20% decline. Bearish sentiment is also reflected in the options market, where investors are reportedly buying large volumes of NVDA puts, signaling expectations of lower prices.
In a Bloomberg interview on Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed confidence in the U.S. bond market, dismissing concerns that foreign nations are dumping Treasuries.
“I am not seeing a dumping of U.S. Treasuries,” Bessent said. “The Treasury has lots of tools, but we’re a long way from needing them.” He also emphasized the enduring status of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency, despite the DXY index — which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of major trading partners — falling below 100 and dropping over 10% in recent weeks.
Bessent also confirmed that the Trump administration is seeking a new Federal Reserve Chair to replace Jerome Powell, with interviews set to begin later in the year. He concluded the interview by suggesting that the VIX (S&P 500 volatility index) may have peaked after the largest one-day percentage drop in its history last week. Stay alert!
What to Watch:
Crypto:
April 15: The first SmarDEX (SDEX) halving means the SDEX token’s distribution will be cut by 50% for the next 12 months.
April 16: HashKey Chain (HSK) mainnet upgrade enhances network stability and fee control capabilities.
April 17: EigenLayer (EIGEN) activates slashing on Ethereum mainnet, enforcing penalties for operator misconduct.
April 18: Pepecoin (PEP), a layer-1, proof-of-work blockchain, undergoes its second halving, reducing block rewards to 15,625 PEP per block.
April 20, 11 p.m.: BNB Chain (BNB) — opBNB mainnet hardfork.
April 21: Coinbase Derivatives will list XRP futures pending approval by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Macro:
April 15, 8:30 a.m.: Statistics Canada releases March consumer price inflation data.
Core Inflation Rate MoM Prev. 0.7%
Core Inflation Rate YoY Prev. 2.7%
Inflation Rate MoM Est. 0.6% vs. Prev. 1.1%
Inflation Rate YoY Est. 2.6% vs. Prev. 2.6%
April 16, 8:30 a.m.: The U.S. Census Bureau releases March retail sales data.
Retail Sales MoM Est. 1.4% vs. Prev. 0.2%
Retail Sales YoY Prev. 3.1%
April 16, 9:45 a.m.: Bank of Canada releases its latest interest rate decision, followed by a press conference 45 minutes later.
Policy Interest Rate Est. 2.75% vs. Prev. 2.75%
April 16, 1:30 p.m.: Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell will deliver an “Economic Outlook” speech. Livestream link.
April 17, 8:30 a.m.: U.S. Census Bureau releases March new residential construction data.
Housing Starts Est. 1.42M vs. Prev. 1.501M
Housing Starts MoM Prev. 11.2%
April 17, 8:30 a.m.: The U.S. Department of Labor releases unemployment insurance data for the week ended April 12.
Initial Jobless Claims Est. 226K vs. Prev. 223K
April 17, 7:30 p.m.: Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications releases March consumer price index (CPI) data.
Core Inflation Rate YoY Est. 3.2% vs. Prev. 3%
Inflation Rate MoM Prev. -0.1%
Inflation Rate YoY Prev. 3.7%
Earnings (Estimates based on FactSet data)
April 22: Tesla (TSLA), post-market
April 30: Robinhood Markets (HOOD), post-market
Token Events:
Governance votes & calls
Venus DAO is discussing the forced liquidation of the remaining debt owed by a BNB bridge exploiter account that “supplied extraneously minted BNB to Venus and generated an over-collateralized debt position.”
Aave DAO is discussing taking further steps to deprecate Synthetix’s sUSD on Aave V3 Optimism over technical developments that have “compromised its ability to consistently maintain its peg.”
GMX DAO is discussing the establishment of a GMX reserve on Solana, which would involve bridging $500,000 in GMX to the blockchain and transferring the funds to the GMX-Solana Treasury.
Treasure DAO is discussing handing the core contributor team the authority to wind down and close the Treasure Chain infrastructure on ZKsync and manage the primary MAGIC-ETH protocol-owned liquidity pool given the “crucial financial situation” of the protocol.
April 15, 10 a.m.: Injective to hold an X Spaces session with Guardian.
April 16, 7 a.m.: Aergo to host an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on the future of decentralized artificial intelligence and the project.
April 16, 3 p.m.: Zcash to host a Town Hall on LockBox Distribution & Governance.
Unlocks
April 15: Sei (SEI) to unlock 1.09% of its circulating supply worth $10.08 million.
April 16: Arbitrum (ARB) to unlock 2.01% of its circulating supply worth $27.17 million.
April 18: Official Trump (TRUMP) to unlock 20.25% of its circulating supply worth $325.97 million.
April 18: Fasttoken (FTN) to unlock 4.65% of its circulating supply worth $82.60 million.
April 18: UXLINK (UXLINK) to unlock 11.09% of its circulating supply worth $18.29 million.
April 18: Immutable (IMX) to unlock 1.37% of its circulating supply worth $10.07 million.
Token Launches
April 15: WalletConnect Token (WCT) to be listed on Binance, Bitget, AscendEX, BingX, BYDFi, LBank, Coinlist and others.
April 16: Badger (BADGER), Balacner (BAL), Beta Finance (BETA), Cortex (CTXC), Cream Finance (CREAM), Firo (FIRO), Kava Lend (KAVA), NULS (NULS), Prosper (PROS), Status (SNT), TROY (TROY), UniLend Finance (UFT), VIDT DAO (VIDT) and aelf (ELF) to be delisted from Binance.
April 22: Hyperlane to airdrop its HYPER tokens.
Conferences:
Day 2 of 3: Morocco WEB3FEST GITEX Edition (Marrakech)
April 15: Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Summit (online)
Day 1 of 2: BUIDL Asia 2025 (Seoul)
Day 1 of 2: World Financial Innovation Series 2025 (Hanoi, Vietnam)
Day 1 of 3: NexTech Week Tokyo
April 22-24: Money20/20 Asia (Bangkok)
April 23: Crypto Horizons 2025 (Dubai)
April 23-24: Blockchain Forum 2025 (Moscow)
Token Talk
Story Protocol’s IP tokens experienced a 20% drop and recovery within hours during an unusual trading session on Monday.
Trading volume surged on exchanges including Binance and OKX Spot, with $138 million recorded after the price rebound.
The sudden price movement was isolated from broader market trends, sparking speculation about insider activity or coordinated selling.
Also on Monday, MANTRA’s OM token plummeted over 90% in hours, dropping from around $6.30 to as low as 37 cents and wiping out over $5 billion in market capitalization.
The token has since rebounded slightly to trade around 63 cents.
Laser Digital, a Nomura-backed investor, was initially flagged for depositing $41 million in OM to OKX, but the company denied selling, clarifying it was collateral return from a financing trade. Shorooq Investors also denied selling.
Derivatives Positioning
BTC shorts have been liquidated on most exchanges in the past 24 hours, excluding BitMEX and Gate.io, according to Coinglass. The opposite is the case in ETH.
XRP’s perpetual futures open interest has dropped from 544.7 million XRP to 480 million XRP, diverging from the price recovery seen since Monday last week.
SUI, ONDO, ADA and APT have seen a notable increase in futures open interest in the past 24 hours. Of those, XMR is the only one with the positive OI-adjusted cumulative volume delta, representing net buying pressure.
On Deribit, short-dated BTC and ETH options continue to show a bias for protective puts, suggesting cautious sentiment.
Flows on OTC desk Paradigm have been mixed with both calls and puts bought in the April expiry.
Market Movements:
BTC is up 1.19% from 4 p.m. ET Monday at $85,877.18 (24hrs: +1.35%)
ETH is up 0.59% at $1,645.30 (24hrs: -1.97%)
CoinDesk 20 is up 0.99% at 2,519.69 (24hrs: +0.19%)
Ether CESR Composite Staking Rate is up 18 bps at 3.18%
BTC funding rate is at 0.0184% (6.7003% annualized) on Binance
DXY is unchanged at 99.70
Gold is up 1.26% at $3,245.30/oz
Silver is up 0.81% at $32.35/oz
Nikkei 225 closed +0.84% at 34,267.54
Hang Seng closed +0.23% at 21,466.27
FTSE is up 0.92% at 8,209.04
Euro Stoxx 50 is up 0.82% at 4,951.51
DJIA closed on Tuesday +0.78% at 40,524.79
S&P 500 closed +0.79% at 5,405.97
Nasdaq closed +0.64% at 16,831.48
S&P/TSX Composite Index closed +1.18% at 23,866.50
S&P 40 Latin America closed +1.8% at 2,340.02
U.S. 10-year Treasury rate is up 1 bp at 4.39%
E-mini S&P 500 futures are up 0.12% at 5,447.25
E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures are up 0.26% at 18,983.25
E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average Index futures are unchanged at 40,750.00
Bitcoin Stats:
BTC Dominance: 63.80 (0.16%)
Ethereum to bitcoin ratio: 0.01913 (-0.31%)
Hashrate (seven-day moving average): 896 EH/s
Hashprice (spot): $44.1 PH/s
Total Fees: 6.33 BTC / $536,017
CME Futures Open Interest: 134,730
BTC priced in gold: 26.6 oz
BTC vs gold market cap: 7.56%
Technical Analysis
On Monday, the bitcoin cash-bitcoin (BCH/BTC) ratio failed to penetrate the trendline characterizing the 12-month bear market.
A potential move above the trendline could see breakout traders join the market, lifting BCH higher.
Crypto Equities
Strategy (MSTR): closed on Monday at $311.45 (+3.82%), up 0.62% at $313.38 in pre-market
Coinbase Global (COIN): closed at $176.58 (+0.62%), up 1.28% at $178.84
Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY): closed at C$15.81 (+3.47%)
MARA Holdings (MARA): closed at $12.95 (+3.52%), up 1.24% at $13.11
Riot Platforms (RIOT): closed at $7.01 (-0.71%), up 0.71% at $7.06
Core Scientific (CORZ): closed at $7.06 (-0.14%)
CleanSpark (CLSK): closed at $7.78 (+3.73%), up 1.29% at $7.88
CoinShares Valkyrie Bitcoin Miners ETF (WGMI): closed at $12.70 (+1.44%), up 1.44% at $12.90
Semler Scientific (SMLR): closed at $34.26 (+1.48%)
Exodus Movement (EXOD): closed at $39.43 (-10.55%), unchanged in pre-market
ETF Flows
Spot BTC ETFs:
Daily net flow: $1.5 million
Cumulative net flows: $35.46 billion
Total BTC holdings ~1.11 million
Spot ETH ETFs
Daily net flow: -$6 million
Cumulative net flows: $2.28 billion
Total ETH holdings ~3.36 million
Source: Farside Investors
Overnight Flows
Chart of the Day Personalized: Disney’s Bob Iger to exit Apple’s board
In the Ether
**Insert interesting content about current events, stories, etc. in the crypto world**
That’s all for now, stay in-the-know with The Parrot Press for the latest updates and insights on the dynamic world of cryptocurrencies and finance!
Tags:ApplePowerhouseTexas
Apple is the latest tech giant to leave California, announcing plans for a 250,000-square-foot AI server factory in Houston. This move cements Texas as a dominant player in the tech industry,...
Read moreApple is the latest tech giant to leave California, announcing plans for a 250,000-square-foot AI server factory in Houston. This move cements Texas as a dominant player in the tech industry, following similar relocations by Tesla, Meta, HP, Oracle, and Samsung.
The trend of major corporations moving to Texas accelerated after Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory, as companies seek business-friendly environments with lower taxes, fewer regulations, and a more predictable political climate.
With Trump’s policies favoring domestic manufacturing and deregulation, Texas is poised to surpass Silicon Valley as America’s leading tech hub. The state’s pro-business government, affordable real estate, and access to top engineering talent make it a magnet for innovation.
As more companies flee California, is Texas the new Silicon Valley?
