Из жизни альткоинов

Bitcoin’s smallest named unit, the satoshi, is suddenly on the defensive after Block Inc. chief executive Jack Dorsey publicly endorsed scrapping it in favour of calling every indivisible integer of the network simply “bitcoin.” On Sunday the former Twitter CEO reposted a remark by “grubles” and added his own assessment: “sats are so confusing to people just getting into bitcoin. bits of bitcoin is better, and just bitcoin is best.”

Dorsey’s interjection came in response to grubles who argued that “‘Sats’ are technically bitcoin. So it’s not incorrect to just stop calling them sats and just call them bitcoin again.” One critic replied that the discussion showed that “people have nothing else to worry about,” to which Dorsey shot back: “I’m very worried about Bitcoin becoming money. It must.”

Proposal To Ditch Satoshis As Bitcoin’s Base Unit

The immediate backdrop is the improvement proposal 177 (BIP 177), introduced on 23 April by Synonym CEO and developer John Carvalho. The document would “redefine the commonly recognized ‘bitcoin’ unit so that the base unit becomes the primary reference unit,” eliminating the customary eight-decimal presentation and deprecating the term “satoshi.” Internally nothing changes; what users now know as 1 BTC would display as 100 000 000 bitcoins, while wallets could offer a legacy toggle for backwards compatibility.

Carvalho argues that imposing an integer-only view cleans up education and user interfaces by exposing the protocol’s true nature: “Bitcoin’s ledger represents values as integral base units. The decimal point is merely a human-imposed abstraction.” Supporters say that ditching decimals removes the psychological hurdle that drives newcomers to cheaper-looking altcoins and that the move resembles a “stock split” rather than a monetary debasement.

Resistance has been fierce. Swan chief executive Cory Klippsten, Byte Federal product director Michelle Weekley and consultant Magdalena Gronowska all warn that multiplying apparent supply from 21 million to 2.1 quadrillion “bitcoins” would sow chaos. Weekley counters that “people understand cents in a dollar, they will understand sats in a Bitcoin,” while Gronowska fears some users “could think that Bitcoin abruptly crashed from its current price of around $100,000 and that its supply has massively inflated.”

Robin Linus, creator of the Bitcoin Virtual Machine (BVM), notes that the currency’s pseudonymous inventor anticipated such a shift. In a 6 February 2010 Bitcointalk post, Satoshi Nakamoto wrote: “If it gets tiresome working with small numbers, we could change where the display shows the decimal point… Same amount of money, just different convention.”

The denomination debate is hardly new: Jimmy Song’s 2017 BIP 176 proposed “bits” (one-millionth of a BTC) as a friendlier frontage, but Carvalho dismisses that as retaining a “layered decimal approach” and “shifting complexity rather than eliminating it.”

No Bitcoin consensus-critical change has been activated since the Taproot soft fork in November 2021, and BIP 177 would likewise require only interface, not protocol, updates—yet a norm change still depends on widespread voluntary adoption by wallets, exchanges and payment processors.

For now the market shows little concern. Bitcoin changed hands at about $102,786.

In a statement on Telegram, its CEO, Pavel Durov, alleged that a certain Western European government approached the platform asking it ‘to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of yesterday’s presidential elections.’

He added that Telegram refused this request and emphasized that it won’t restrict the freedoms of its Romanian users. This has helped Telegram’s $TON token and some of the best altcoins rally in the past 24 hours.

While Durov didn’t directly name the government, the baguette emoji in his statement suggested interference from the French government.

If true, this isn’t the first time Durov clashed with France. In August 2024, he was detained in Paris after being held personally responsible for some users employing Telegram for illegal activities, like drug trafficking and the distribution of child pornography.

He was released several days later.

$TON Hits $3.13 After Durov’s Statement

The crypto community reacted positively to Durov’s refusal to submit to the French government’s request. Its native token, called Toncoin ($TON), briefly spiked from $3.04 to $3.19, translating to a 4.9% increase.

As privacy and cryptocurrencies often go hand in hand, the jump in $TON’s valuation is hardly surprising.

While still far from its $8.17 peak in June 2024, the increase is a clear signal of confidence from investors of the platform, which has approximately 1B monthly active users.

As $TON rallied in the past 24 hours, altcoins might rally soon, and it’s high time you considered investing. Let’s look at some of the most promising ones, plus essential information on $TON.

1. Solaxy ($SOLX) – Bringing Speed and Reliability to the Solana Blockchain

Solaxy is the first-ever Solana Layer 2 blockchain. This up-and-coming crypto project’s aim is simple: to solve failed transactions, network congestion, and scalability issues in Solana.

Once launched, Solaxy will deliver faster transaction speeds, even during peak hours.

Solaxy’s solution is an elegant one: use rollup architecture to process transactions off Solana’s main chain and onto a secondary L2 one.

Simultaneously, it bundles multiple transactions together for optimized on-chain validation.

In addition, developers will be able to create customized dApps using its modular infrastructure of plug-and-play components. Use cases include meme coins, custom financial systems, and gaming ecosystems.

Powering this project is the Solaxy ($SOLX) token, which is currently priced at $0.001728.

The token will undergo another price increase in a few hours, so you should grab yours while it’s at its cheapest. To date, the project has raised over $37.6M during its presale. This makes it one of the best crypto presales of the year.

Alternatively, you can immediately stake your $SOLX tokens for a 107% APY. This will let you earn passive rewards while supporting the project. For more information on how to buy the token, you can check out our Solaxy ($SOLX) buying guide.

2. Best Wallet Token ($BEST) – Get Exclusive Perks on the Best Wallet Ecosystem

Best Wallet is a cryptocurrency wallet that aims to capture 40% of the crypto wallet market by 2026. It’s a highly capable wallet with plenty of useful features beyond allowing you to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies. For one, it has a Token Launchpad, which gives you access to new meme coins on presale.

As a no-KYC cryptocurrency wallet, privacy is at the heart of the app. This means you can use it without undergoing any Know Your Customer (KYC) process, typically requiring you to submit a government-issued ID.

Best Wallet Token ($BEST) is the token that powers this ecosystem. Through it, you’ll receive exclusive perks, like reduced transaction fees, early access to crypto presales on its Token Launchpad, and governance rights, which allow you to vote on key decisions within the Best Wallet Ecosystem.

With over $12.4M raised during the presale, Best Wallet Token is easily up there with Solaxy as one of the hottest presales of the year.

You can buy $BEST via its presale page or directly through the Best Wallet app. It currently costs $0.025045, but it will increase in less than a day, so act quickly to get the token for cheaper.

Best Wallet tokens are still relatively cheap at this point, but we expect them to grow exponentially in the coming years as the team rolls out new features.

These include a portfolio management feature, derivatives trading, and limit and stop-loss orders.

3. Toncoin ($TON) – Support Free Speech and Privacy with Telegram’s Native Token

Launched in 2019, Telegram’s native coin has had a long and interesting journey in the crypto space. Initially called Grams, $TON has had battles with US regulators, as well as the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

But over time, the token flourished, with a major mainnet upgrade being one of its most recent improvements.

While it still specializes in financial applications, it has expanded its services, including peer-to-peer file-sharing, a Domain Name Service, and a proxy service that connects developers with apps on the TON blockchain.

Today, $TON has a market capitalization of over $7.5B according to CoinGecko. Unlike the other two tokens on our list, you can already trade $TON on major exchanges, including HTX, Binance, and Bybit.

While the token reached $8.17 highs, it typically hovers around $3 these days, making it a fairly affordable investment. This is especially true if you want to invest in a project that’s serious about privacy and freedom of speech.

The Future is Bright with $TON, $SOLX, and $BEST

As Telegram stands strong in its fight for free speech and privacy, altcoins like Best Wallet Token and Solaxy promise a future where you can transact with both transparency and privacy, and free from the reins of traditional finance.

And as these tokens cost only several cents each, they help level the playing field for investors. Now, you can participate in the crypto space even with a small initial investment.

But always remember that the market is highly volatile. Only invest what you can afford to lose and always DYOR before committing to crypto investments.

Японская инвестиционная компания Metaplanet объявила о покупке еще 1 004 BTC на сумму $104 млн по средней цене за монету $103 873.

Председатель Банка России Эльвира Набиуллина заявила, что регулятор допустит прямые инвестиции в криптовалюту, но только для ограниченного круга инвесторов.

Криптоаналитик и сооснователь фонда CMCC Crest Вилли Ву (Willy Woo) заявил, что первая криптовалюта в среднесрочной перспективе «поселится» в диапазоне 8% годового роста, что соответствует макроэкономическому параметру 3% мирового ВВП.

An Australian man from Queensland has lost nearly 25 Bitcoin, a waterfront mansion and a Mercedes‑Benz after federal police said the assets may be tied to crime.

Based on reports from May 18, the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce moved in to seize the coins and property worth 4.5 million Australian dollars, about $2.88 million US dollars.

He faces no new criminal charges over the Bitcoin, but a court order cleared the way for civil forfeiture.

Evidence From Luxembourg Points Police North

According to the AFP, the inquiry began in September 2018. That’s when authorities in Luxembourg flagged odd Bitcoin transfers. Investigators traced those movements back to the Queensland man – Shane Stephen Duffy – who pleaded guilty in 2016 for selling League of Legends player data.

It wasn’t a direct hacking charge from the 2011 Riot Games breach. Rather, he bought a copy of personal data online and sold it on. Police also believe he’s tied to 950 Bitcoin stolen in 2013 from a French crypto exchange.

Civil Powers Used To Seize Bitcoin, Assets

Based on reports, the AFP tapped special powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act. They can “restrain and forfeit” assets if they can’t be shown to come from honest work. That means no jail time is needed before the agency moves in.

Critics worry this lets authorities take property without a full criminal trial. Supporters say it stops funds being used for more crime and puts money back into community projects.

Money To Go Toward Crime Prevention

According to the AFP statement, proceeds from the sale of the Bitcoin, house and car will feed a special fund. That fund underwrites crime‑prevention programs and law enforcement efforts.

Since July 2019, the taskforce has frozen over $1.2 billion in assets. That list includes homes, yachts, fine art and other crypto holdings. The idea is to turn criminal gains into community benefit.

Record Tracks Raise Questions Over Privacy

Investigators lean on public blockchain data to trace coins. But anyone holding Bitcoin mixed with “tainted” funds may face a fight to prove their innocence.

Tracking each transaction or UTXO can be a heavy lift for everyday users. Some fear this trend could sweep up bystanders who unknowingly hold coins once linked to illicit deals.

Community Reaction Mixes Relief And Concern

Local reports show mixed feelings. Some residents feel safer knowing high‑value criminal gains can’t slip through the cracks. Others worry about the rights of innocents and the burden of proof.

They ask whether civil courts can match the strict standards of criminal trials. As crypto grows more popular, cases like this will test how far authorities can go to reclaim suspect wealth.

Featured image from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView

Инвестиционный директор фонда Maelstrom и сооснователь криптобиржи BitMEX Артур Хейс (Arthur Hayes) заявил, что блокчейн Эфириума превзойдет по производительности своего конкурента Solana, несмотря на критику в сторону Эфириума.

Ведущий подкаста The Wolf of All Streets Скотт Мелкер (Scott Melker) прогнозирует, что в этом году курс биткоина способен резко вырасти до $250 000 благодаря повышенному интересу институциональных инвесторов к криптовалюте.

Европейская брокерская компания Trade Republic получила разрешение Федерального управления финансового надзора Германии (BaFin) на оказание криптовалютных услуг, чтобы соблюсти Закон о регулировании криптовалют в Евросоюзе (MiCA).

In a deeply personal thread posted to X on Sunday, Cardano creator Charles Hoskinson said the past weeks’ accusations over the handling of unclaimed initial-coin-offering (ICO) funds had revealed “who [his] friends truly are” and left him determined to curtail his once-ubiquitous social-media presence.

“The one advantage in a crisis or an event that tests people is that you rapidly get to see who your friends truly are and who’s fair-weather,” he wrote, adding that the absence of public support from some long-time associates “dims the light quite a bit and makes me want to dramatically alter how I engage.” He indicated that, once an independent audit of the token-sale history is published, his X account will be managed by a media team and his long-running “ask-me-anything” sessions will be reformatted.

“I’ll still be at events and take the time for pictures and handshakes,” Hoskinson concluded, “but it’s different now. This one has deeply hurt me and it’s not going to heal anytime soon.”

The Dispute Over Unclaimed Cardano Tokens

Between September 2015 and January 2017 Cardano raised roughly $62 million by selling 25.9 billion ADA vouchers—most of them in Japan—through Tokyo-based Attain Corporation. Buyers later redeemed the vouchers inside the Daedalus wallet when the network launched. Attain ran the sale for the project’s founding entities (IOHK, now IOG; the Cardano Foundation; and EMURGO) under full KYC/AML checks, a structure highlighted in contemporary investor materials and later research from Messari.

The current controversy revolves around an estimated 318–350 million ADA—about 0.2 percent of the ICO allocation—that remained unclaimed years after launch. On 7 May, NFT artist Masato Alexander alleged that Hoskinson had “effectively ERASED” the original UTXOs during the 2021 Allegra hard-fork upgrade and swept the tokens into Cardano’s reserves, later staking most of them and directing only a fraction to Intersect, the ecosystem’s new governance body.

Hoskinson has rejected those claims as “lies,” insisting that 99.8 percent of the sale tokens were eventually redeemed by their rightful owners and that the remaining balance was moved—first into a custodial account and ultimately to Intersect—only after Attain’s bankruptcy left no party able to process late redemptions safely. “These funds were not stolen,” he wrote, warning Alexander and others that repetition of the accusation would trigger litigation. “If you continue to imply that IO stole funds, I will sue you. This is my last warning.”

In a separate post on 13 May he explained that because the legacy on-chain redemption mechanism was insecure once Attain closed, the team “swept” the unredeemed vouchers off-chain, re-verifying claimants through local counsel and exchange partners. “The sweep reset the process and ensured all the remaining unredeemed buyers had an opportunity to go through compliance again,” Hoskinson wrote, characterising the measure as a consumer-protection step rather than a seizure.

According to Hoskinson, an “externally audited report” covering every tranche of the voucher sale, each redemption transaction and the subsequent transfers of unclaimed ADA is now in its final stages. The document is to be distributed to IOG, the Cardano Foundation, EMURGO and Intersect before being released publicly. Until that review is published, he said, Cardano’s development company will make no further substantive comment and will focus on potential legal remedies against what he calls “defamation.”

At press time, ADA traded at $0.7199.

Австралийский центр отчетов и анализа транзакций (AUSTRAC) оштрафовал местную криптовалютную биржу Cointree за несвоевременную подачу отчетности о подозрительных сделках (SMR).

Чтобы успешно торговать криптовалютой, нужно быть гибким и уметь подстраиваться под обстоятельства. Далеко не все инструменты позволяют это, в то время как свечные модели под названием «вечерняя» и «утренняя звезды» дадут возможность подстроить свой подход к трейдингу во все времена.

Analyst Master Ananda, in a recent analysis, showed the XRP price movements and what it could mean for the altcoin. This follows the last few days of retracement, when the XRP price has seen a number of days close in the red. But even these red closes have not deterred the bullish momentum. If anything, they could be showing where the cryptocurrency is headed next and how it could play out in the coming days.

Bullish Continuation Is Still In The Cards

After the XRP price crash from above $2.5 towards $0.23 this past week, sentiment have begun to turn when it comes to the crypto market. This has triggered speculations that maybe the bullish momentum has fizzled out and a bear run is on the horizon. However, Master Ananda does not believe that this will be a sustained retrace for the XRP price.

For one, the crypto analyst explains that even though the correction is red, the advance is still green, and the consolidation is in the blue. These factors suggest that the altcoin is still in a bullish consolidation. Therefore, it does not mean that the early XRP price advance has failed.

If anything, Master Ananda explains that the way the XRP price has been moving, it shows an extension of the consolidation phase. Thus, there is a high chance that the bull rally would continue as the present consolation is still bullish as the price is still growing slowly despite the sideways movement.

XRP Price Still Looking Good

Since Wednesday last week, the XRP price has turned to the red territory. But interestingly, the red closes have once again stopped at four red days, with Sunday turning green. As the analyst explains, since August 2024, there have not been more than four red daily closes for the XRP price. Thus, this could mean that the market is still sticking to the bullish trend.

The green daily close also shows that despite the bullish consolidation being slow right now, it is still on the move. As long as this holds, then it is expected that the XRP price will see a bullish advance. The only downside the crypto analyst sees is that the wait for this bullish advance can get long and boring.

“It can grow slowly but surely for months and then boom, out of nowhere a sudden jump,” Master Ananda said. “But still, it is growing daily and that’s what is most important if you are holding this coin.” The target from here still remains $3 as the XRP price is expected to keep moving forward through the consolidation.

New Zealand authorities have arrested a Wellington-based man in connection with an international hundred-million-dollar cryptocurrency scam operation. The probe into this fraudulent scheme is being led by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), resulting in simultaneous arrests of suspects across both nations.

International Crypto Scam Operation Produces 13 Suspects

In a post on May 16, Detective Inspector Christiaan Barnard of the New Zealand Police reported the Financial Crime Group’s success in apprehending a suspect in a crime syndicate accused of stealing $450 million New Zealand dollars ($265 million). 

The defendant, who currently holds an interim name suppression, was nabbed in Auckland by authorities despite being based in Wellington, the nation’s capital. The man was presented to the Auckland District Court, where he was granted bail and issued an order to reappear on 3 July 2025.

Detective Inspector Barnard explains that the crypto fraud scheme under probe has reportedly been in operation between March and August 2024, affecting a total of seven victims. Furthermore, alongside the Wellington-based man, US authorities also arrested 12 suspects in California who are allegedly involved in the international fraud operation. 

According to an indictment announcement by the US Department of Justice, District of Columbia, these defendants all held different roles in this organized crime, including but not limited to hackers, money launderers, callers, and residential burglars who stole cold hardware wallets. 

Investigations further revealed that the stolen funds were used to patronize nightclub services, luxury handbags, luxury watches, luxury clothing, and rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami. Importantly, these fraud suspects also purchased a minimum of 28 expensive cards, ranging between $100,000 and $3.8 million.

What Are The Charges? 

According to the US Department of Justice, 12 of the 13 defendants are facing charges of racketeering under the RICO Act, a single guilty count of which attracts a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. 

Meanwhile, nine of these 12 suspects are also facing accusations of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, with 8 defendants battling charges to commit wire fraud, both of which crimes can result in 20 years imprisonment.

The last defendant is charged with obstruction of justice after destroying evidence that could have been useful to the prosecutor, i.e., Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

In other news, the cryptocurrency market is now valued at $3.23 trillion following a 1.59% decline in the past day. Meanwhile, the total trading volume is down by 14.63% and valued at $95.19 billion.

Cathie Wood, the CEO of asset management firm Ark Invest, has backed Bitcoin (BTC) to achieve a $1.5 million price point by 2030. The American investor and cryptocurrency advocate has based this projection on multiple factors, including rising institutional investment and global recognition of Bitcoin’s ability to serve as a store of value.

The Building Blocks To Bitcoin Glory

In a recent interview with CNBC, Cathie Wood shared Ark Invest’s future projections for BTC as prepared by the company’s market analyst, David Puell. In a base case scenario, Wood explains that Ark Invest predicts Bitcoin to hit a price target of $700,000 – $750,000 by 2030, with the potential to trade as $1.5 million in a bull case. According to the BTC proponent, these figures are plausible based on certain factors likely to serve as the building blocks to Bitcoin’s dominance. Firstly, Cathie Wood talks about the asset’s potential to seize some portions of the gold market share or attract its market as more investors begin to view the cryptocurrency as a store of value. Notably, Bitcoin has gained more credibility and recognition in recent years following investments from traditional financial institutions and regulatory policy focus by governments across the world. In the US, this focus has resulted in multiple developments, with the launch of the US BTC Spot ETFs being the most significant. Despite being in existence for only 17 years, Bitcoin ranks as the sixth most valuable asset, ahead of commodities like silver and companies such as Saudi Aramco, Meta, and Tesla, among others. Furthermore, Cathie Wood emphasizes that institutional investment and adoption of BTC are still in the early stages. It is expected that the creation of a federal regulatory crypto framework and the continuous removal of operational bottlenecks under the Donald Trump Administration would spur an institutional embrace of Bitcoin due to not only its potential as a haven but also the possibility of significant returns due to the crypto market volatility.

1 Million BTC Remains Untouched

In supporting Ark Invest’s audacious Bitcoin prediction, Cathie Wood also highlights the fact that there are still over 1 million Bitcoin tokens yet to be minted. This indicates that there is still an adequate market supply to match the expected institutional demand.

Finally, the Ark Invest CEO mentions the emerging market use cases of BTC, such as a tool for inflation hedge, cross-border transactions, and activist donations, amongst others as part of the value drivers of this asset. 

At the time of writing, the premier cryptocurrency is trading at $103,312, reflecting a 22.62% gain in the last month.

The US-based Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds) continued their red-hot streak of positive inflows in the past week. These crypto-based financial products posted over $600 million in net capital influx over the last five trading days, reflecting a sustained optimistic sentiment amongst investors in the United States.

While the BTC exchange-traded funds got off to a horrific start in the year’s second quarter, the crypto investment products seem to have completely turned things around over the past few weeks. The spot Bitcoin ETFs’ latest weekly performance represents their fifth consecutive week of registering a positive capital inflow.

Bitcoin ETFs Register $260 Million Inflow In A Single Day

According to the latest data from SoSoValue, the spot Bitcoin ETF market in the United States witnessed a total net inflow of $260.27 million on Friday, May 16. This latest round of capital influx represents the third consecutive day of positive inflows for the crypto products after seeing significant withdrawals on Tuesday, May 13.

The market data shows that none of the Bitcoin ETFs recorded an outflow on Friday, with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (with the ticker IBIT) receiving the most significant portion of the capital inflow. The largest BTC exchange-traded fund registered nearly $130 million in additional value to end the week.

Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) posted the second-largest inflow on Friday, with $67.95 million in additional value. Ark & 21Shares’ Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) also registered a net daily influx of $57.98 million on the day. Finally, Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) also recorded a total daily inflow of $4.61 million to close the trading week.

As highlighted, this $260 million net capital influx on Friday brought the US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs’ weekly record to a positive total inflow of over $603 million. Notably, this positive weekly performance represents the fifth straight week of capital influx for the crypto-linked financial products.

However, it is worth mentioning that the weekly inflow total seems to be in a downward trend, with the summit in mid-April when the Bitcoin ETFs recorded their second-best weekly performance. According to data from SoSoValue, the BTC exchange-traded fund recorded over $3 billion in total weekly inflow between April 20 and April 25.

The US Bitcoin ETF market last crossed the $1-billion mark in the final week of April, posting about $1.8 billion in cumulative weekly inflow. With the sustained decline in capital influx, it appears fatigue might be creeping in amongst the ETF investors in the United States.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As seen with the bullish price action at the recent ETF activity’s peak, the price of BTC still reacts to the performance of the US-based Bitcoin ETFs. Hence, investors might want to approach the market with caution, especially considering the declining ETF capital inflows.

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $103,362, reflecting no significant movement in the past 24 hours. This single-day action underscores the premier cryptocurrency’s struggles within a consolidation range in the past week.

Hong Kong police have broken up a money‑laundering ring that moved 15 million through more than 550 accounts and crypto trades. Twelve suspects, aged 20 to 40, were arrested in operations across mainland China and Hong Kong. They now face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, Hong Kong Commercial Daily reported on May 17.

Recruitment Of Shell Account Holders

According to investigators, the group hired people from the mainland to open shell bank accounts. Those recruits received funds from various fraud schemes.

They withdrew cash with different ATM cards, then sent the money to virtual‑asset exchanges. From there, it was converted into digital tokens and mixed into other transactions.

Flat In Mong Kok Used As Base

Based on reports from Chief Inspector Lo Yuen‑shan, the syndicate ran its operations out of a flat in Mong Kok since mid‑2024. Mainland recruits were housed there.

They processed illicit funds through those shell accounts every day. In one raid on that flat, officers found 600,000 HKD in cash and dozens of bank documents.

HONG KONG POLICE BUST $15M CASH & CRYPTO LAUNDERING RING

Hong Kong authorities have dismantled a $15 million laundering syndicate, arresting 12 suspects and seizing hundreds of ATM cards. The group used mainland recruits to open shell accounts tied to illicit funds. Nearly half… pic.twitter.com/mcELDjFe3C

— Crypto Town Hall (@Crypto_TownHall) May 18, 2025

Tailing Leads To Big Seizure

Superintendent Shirley Kwok Ching‑yee said police tailed two key figures from the flat. One went into a bank, and the other used an ATM. Both then headed to a crypto exchange shop in Tsim Sha Tsui. Officers moved in and seized about 770,000 HKD in cash.

Across all raids, they recovered roughly 1.05 million HKD, around 134,000 in other currencies, plus over 560 ATM cards and several phones.

Scope Of The Fraud Cases

Lo added that more than 10 million HKD of the laundered money tied back to 58 separate fraud cases. Fraud‑related crimes in Hong Kong rose by over 12% in 2024, with more than 10,000 people arrested.

Shell account holders made up over 70% of those arrests. Fraud now accounts for nearly half of the city’s 95,000 criminal cases last year.

Calls For Tougher Penalties

Senior Inspector Tse Ka‑lun of the Commercial Crime Bureau said friends and family often lend their bank accounts to criminals. He’s urging judges to hand down stiffer sentences.

Current law allows up to 14 years in jail and a fine of up to 5 million HKD. But in the past two years, more than 100 convicted launderers got extra time—between three and 18 months added.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Полиция Гонконга задержала 12 человек, обвиненных в отмывании денег через криптовалюты и использовании более 500 фиктивных банковских счетов. Через эти счета удалось отмыть 118 млн гонконгских долларов ($15 млн), заявили правоохранители.

The Bitcoin price struggled to keep up its 2024 momentum in the first quarter of 2025, crumbling under the macroeconomic uncertainty in the United States. While the crypto market looked set to continue its woes in early April, prices are looking to reclaim their cycle highs — thanks to the improving market climate.

According to recent price action data, the Bitcoin price has increased by more than 25% so far in this quarter, outperforming most large-cap assets in the same period. Interestingly, the premier cryptocurrency appears to have more room for further upside growth, with its current all-time high price seeming like the next immediate target.

Three Important Levels To Watch This 2nd Quarter

In a May 17 post on the X platform, on-chain analyst Burak Kesmeci evaluated the potential of the Bitcoin price in the remaining weeks of this second quarter. In his latest analysis, the crypto pundit revealed three levels that may be critical to BTC’s price trajectory.

The relevant indicator here is the Golden Multiplier Ratio, which is useful primarily in tracking cyclical price behavior and identifying important price levels. This technical analysis tool applies Fibonacci-based multipliers to the 350-day moving average (350DMA) to identify potential price tops and bottoms.

Kesmeci identified the $127,000 and $159,000 levels as the resistance regions to watch in this bull rally. Specifically, the $127,000 level aligns with the 1.6x multiplier of the 350-day moving average, which served as a mid-cycle top in previous bull runs.

The $159,000 level, on the other hand, correlates with the 2x multiplier of the 350DMA and has historically signaled the cycle tops in the BTC market. However, the Bitcoin price would need to successfully breach the mid-cycle top if there is to be a chance of a rally towards the $159,000 level.

Furthermore, Kesmeci pinpointed the most important support level to watch for the Bitcoin price in the remaining days of the year’s second quarter. Based on the Golden Multiplier Ratio, this cushion lies at $80,000 around the 350-day moving average, where long-term accumulation typically occurs. A fall beneath this support could invalidate the bullish theory currently being held for the price of BTC.

In the end, Kesmeci noted that the Golden Multiplier Ratio is based on moving averages, and, as a result, the highlighted levels are subject to changes as the Bitcoin price moves in the coming days. 

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the value of BTC is hovering around $103,275, with no significant price movement in the past 24 hours.

Cardano is back in the headlines with fresh price predictions suggesting it could hit $10 by 2031.

Ethereum is surging, Bitcoin is aiming for the $120K mark, and suddenly crypto is alive again.

Market watchers are calling for an altcoin season revival, and early signs are everywhere.

Dogecoin whales are on the move, gobbling up over $1B Dogecoin over the past month, while XRP has staged a sharp V-shaped rally. Together, these events are creating the perfect cocktail for retail FOMO.

The spotlight may be on the big names for now, but smart investors are already looking further down the list – toward the new crypto projects with far more room to run.

Altcoin Season 2.0 Is Here – And the Clues Are All Around Us

Cardano’s long-term potential is encouraging, but the real action might be coming much sooner and from unexpected places.

Ethereum’s recent breakout has reignited bullish momentum across the board. If Bitcoin really is on track to reach $120K, as some analysts suggest, we’re likely heading straight into another altcoin supercycle.

The data backs it up. Whale wallets are snapping up meme coins like Dogecoin again – a typical early sign of renewed retail interest.

Meanwhile, XRP’s sharp price surge hints that risk appetite is back in play. Altcoin season isn’t coming – it’s starting.

And while top-10 coins will no doubt see gains, history tells us the biggest returns often come from smaller, undervalued projects during these windows of market enthusiasm.

From meme-fueled utility to sustainable infrastructure plays, here are three of the best altcoins that could leave Cardano in the dust by the end of 2025.

1. Solaxy ($SOLX) – Powering the Future of Web3

Solaxy ($SOLX) is rewriting the rules of blockchain scalability as the first-ever Layer 2 solution built specifically for Solana.

While Ethereum has long dominated the Layer 2 conversation, Solaxy brings that same performance boost to Solana – only faster and with lower fees.

At its core, Solaxy neutralizes Solana’s biggest pain points: network congestion, failed transactions, and limited scalability. In return, it amplifies the very things that made Solana popular – blazing speed and dirt-cheap fees.

RIght now, you can buy $SOLX for $0.001728. With over $37M raised in presale, $SOLX is gaining serious traction.

It’s a multichain token launching on both Ethereum and Solana, giving it direct access to the two largest ecosystems in crypto. That means more liquidity, more users, and more upside potential.

But Solaxy isn’t just another scaling solution – it’s a bridge to the next generation of DeFi. It connects Ethereum’s massive asset tokenization and DeFi infrastructure with Solana’s high-speed environment.

$SOLX also unlocks meme coin trading for the masses by democratizing access to high-frequency trading tools, leveling the playing field for everyday users.

And in a market heating up with surging meme coins and revived altcoin appetite, Solaxy looks like a perfect storm of utility, access, and timing.

2. Mind of Pepe ($MIND) – Where Memes Meet AI

Mind of Pepe ($MIND) isn’t just riding the meme coin hype – it’s steering the ship with an AI-powered rocket strapped to the back.

At the heart of this project is the first-ever self-evolving, crypto-native AI agent designed to interact directly with the crypto world on platforms like X.

It analyzes trends, generates content, and even influences market conversation. Think of it like a meme-savvy ChatGPT with a mission to make its holders rich.

Already active and engaging users, this AI agent does more than just chat. It offers trading insights, tracks market trends, and delivers exclusive alpha to $MIND holders through token-gated community channels.

It even has the power to launch its own tokens and give early access to holders – a massive edge in today’s fast-paced meme coin environment.

With $9.5M already raised in its presale and the launch just two weeks away, timing couldn’t be better.

The broader AI token market is up 60% this month, and $MIND is set to launch into full-blown bullish conditions.

Currently priced at $0.0037515, $MIND’s price could soar to $0.00535 in 2025 – and potentially 10x by 2030 if momentum holds.

As Dogecoin whales re-enter the market and meme coin mania builds, $MIND is perfectly placed to capitalize.

3. Dawgz AI ($DAGZ) – The Intelligent Meme Coin

Dawgz AI is where meme culture meets serious trading tech – a perfect storm for altcoin season.

Priced at just $0.004 with the next presale tier set to increase it to $0.00438, $DAGZ has already raised $3.6M and is building momentum fast.

Unlike typical meme coins that rely solely on hype, this project is backed by a real AI engine designed to make smart trading decisions in real time.

The Dawgz AI trading bot scans the market 24/7, using on-chain data and social sentiment to identify profitable opportunities. It then feeds this intel into a user-friendly dashboard that helps traders take action quickly.

Even if you’re new to crypto, $DAGZ makes it easy to trade like a pro by simplifying data into clear signals and automating execution.

But it’s not all bots and charts – Dawgz AI also knows how to have fun.

The project has built a strong, engaged community with meme contests, giveaways, and a loyal pack of retail investors who believe this could be the next big breakout in the meme coin + AI niche.

With Dogecoin whales stirring and retail energy coming back into the market, $DAGZ may be in the right place at exactly the right time.

New Faces, Bigger Upside?

Cardano may be grabbing headlines, but newcomers like Solaxy, Mind of Pepe, and Dawgz AI are where the real fireworks could happen in 2025.

Each project brings something fresh – from multichain DeFi infrastructure to meme-fueled AI and smart trading automation. As altcoin season heats up, these three could leave the old giants in the dust.

This article is for informational purposes only and doesn’t constitute financial advice. Always do your own research (DYOR) before investing in crypto.