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Ethereum L2 Starknet Seeks ‘Bitcoin’s DeFi Take-Off Moment’ With BTC Wallet Xverse

One of the foremost projects aiming to increase the speed of the Ethereum network is ramping up its work on the world’s original blockchain: Bitcoin.
Ethereum layer-2 Starknet, in partnership with BTC wallet Xverse, is aiming to deliver a «full DeFi experience to Bitcoin users.»
Xverse said it will «achieve Bitcoin’s DeFi take-off moment,» through integrating with Starknet in Q2 2025, in an emailed announcement on Tuesday.
The partnership with Xverse comes amid a period of increased research into Bitcoin scaling using Starknet.
The Starknet Foundation has published a new Bitcoin Roadmap, which described how Starknet would remain fully active on Ethereum, while «becoming Bitcoin’s execution layer,» with the goal of scaling the network «from 13 TPS to thousands.»
Developers have been increasingly exploring how to tap the security and deep reserves held in BTC to empower the broader DeFi and blockchain world. The challenge has been how to address Bitcoin’s relative lack of programability compared to Ethereum and others.
Layer 2s like Starknet aim to address this by acting as an execution layer, doing the heavy lifting of processing transactions, which are then ultimately given finality through settlement on Bitcoin.
For many observers, the missing piece is OP_CAT: a proposed implementation to the Bitcoin network that could unlock hitherto unseen programmability, which would be pivotal to the provision for DeFi.
Crucially, OP_CAT could allow zero-knowledge proofs, a cryptographic method of proving the validity of statements without offering information that may compromise privacy.
OPCAT is not short of supporters, but its future as a Bitcoin improvement proposal (BIP) remains uncertain. However, Starknet and Xverse’s plan is to make Bitcoin DeFi a reality even without it.
Xverse’s aim is to provide a Bitcoin DeFi experience in its wallet using trust assumptions as the next big thing to zero-knowledge proofs until such a time that OP_CAT is adopted.
“Obviously, the endgame is trustless DeFi on Bitcoin,” Xverse founder Ken Liao said in Tuesday’s announcement. “This will still have ‘training wheels’ of some trust assumptions, but it is still hugely exciting to be delivering the most accurate preview so far of what intuitive DeFi on Bitcoin will look and feel like.»
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TON’s Dramatic Volatility Signals Market Uncertainty

Market Recovery Amid Institutional Confidence
The cryptocurrency market remains in turbulent territory as Toncoin (TON) demonstrates both significant volatility and remarkable resilience.
After forming a head-and-shoulders pattern with strong resistance at $4.15, TON has recovered from its recent lows. It is now trading at $4.13 with a 12.5% weekly gain.
This recovery comes amid news that leading venture capital firms, including Sequoia, Ribbit Capital, and Benchmark, collectively hold over $400 million in TON, signaling institutional confidence in the blockchain’s future.
TON Technical Analysis Highlights
Price action formed a head-and-shoulders pattern with resistance at $4.15 and support at $3.60.
The support level at $3.60 was breached during the April 3rd selloff.
Volume analysis shows distribution phases coinciding with price peaks, suggesting institutional profit-taking.
Fibonacci retracement indicates potential stabilization around the 0.618 level at $3.58.
Cup-and-handle formation appeared during recovery with initial resistance at $3.58.
Strong buying pressure was observed during the 15:32-15:34 and 15:58 periods.
Price reclaimed the Fibonacci 0.382 level at $3.59, suggesting potential continuation toward $3.65.
Disclaimer: This article was generated with AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy. This article may include information from external sources, which are listed below when applicable.
TheNewsCrypto, “Toncoin (TON) Eyes $4 as Bullish Momentum Builds,” accessed April 3, 2025
CryptoNews, “Is This the Next Solana? Toncoin’s $400 Million VC Investment Surge Signals Explosive Upside,” accessed April 3, 2025
CryptoDaily, “AI Predicts 12,500% Gains for Remittix (RTX), 232% for Chainlink (LINK) — But to Sell Toncoin (TON), Shiba Inu (SHIB) Fast,” accessed April 3, 2025
TheNewsCrypto, “Toncoin (TON) Price Prediction,” accessed April 3, 2025
Bitcoin Sistemi, “Top Crypto Platforms: Binance Coin, BlockDAG, Tron, Toncoin Poised for Major Growth in 2025,” accessed April 3, 2025
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Crypto-Friendly Prime Broker Hidden Road in Active Takeover Talks: Sources

Hidden Road, a prime broker that focuses on both crypto and traditional assets, has received an inbound takeover approach, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
Takeover talks are ongoing with a crypto native company that wants to acquire Hidden Road, the people said, but there is no certainty that any deal will be done.
Hidden Road declined to comment.
The company has raised about $50 million in the last 12 months, from investors including crypto venture capital firm Dragonfly Capital, one of the people said.
One of the investors, a crypto native firm, has since made an approach to buy Hidden Road, the person added.
Dragonfly Capital didn’t respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Prime brokers are an essential part of the plumbing of financial markets. They provide trading, financing and custody services to large institutions.
Hidden Road raised $50 million in a Series A funding round in July 2022. The round was led by Castle Island Ventures, with participation from Citadel Securities, FTX Ventures, Uncorrelated Ventures, Greycroft, XBTO Humla Ventures, Wintermute, SLN Capital, Profluent Trading, Coinbase Ventures and Corner Capital.
The company was said to be weighing options including a potential sale or capital raise that could value the firm at more than $1 billion, according to a Bloomberg report last month.
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Illinois to Drop Staking Lawsuit Against Coinbase

Illinois will soon drop its staking lawsuit against Coinbase, joining three other U.S. states that have recently backed down from litigation against the exchange.
A spokesperson for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias told CoinDesk on Thursday that the office “intends to drop the Coinbase lawsuit.” The spokesperson did not reply when asked when the case may be dropped.
Illinois was one of 10 U.S. states that brought charges against Coinbase in 2023 for allegedly violating state securities laws through its staking program. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also charged Coinbase with violating federal securities laws for its staking product, but dropped that suit in February. Since the SEC’s retreat, state securities regulators in Kentucky, Vermont and South Carolina have also abandoned their own cases against the exchange.
The remaining states with staking-related suits against Coinbase include Alabama, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Washington and Wisconsin. Spokespeople for California, Maryland, and Wisconsin declined to comment on pending litigation.
A representative for the New Jersey Bureau of Securities told CoinDesk the “Coinbase matter remains open,” and Bill Beatty, securities administrator for the Washington Department of Financial Institutions said the state’s “case with Coinbase remains ongoing at this time.”
The Alabama Securities Commission did not return CoinDesk’s request for comment.
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