Cryptocurrency
US tightens crackdown on crypto with lawsuits against Coinbase, Binance

The top U.S. securities regulator sued cryptocurrency platform Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) on Tuesday, the second lawsuit in two days against a major crypto exchange, in a dramatic escalation of a crackdown on the industry and one that could dramatically transform a market that has largely operated outside regulation.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday took aim at Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The SEC accuses Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao of operating a “web of deception”.
If successful, the lawsuits could transform the crypto market by successfully asserting the SEC’s jurisdiction over the industry which for years has argued that tokens do not constitute securities and should not be regulated by the SEC.
“The two cases are different, but overlap and point in the same direction: the SEC’s increasingly aggressive campaign to bring cryptocurrencies under the jurisdiction of the federal securities laws,” said Kevin O’Brien, a partner at Ford O’Brien Landy and a former federal prosecutor, adding, however, that the SEC has not previously taken on such major crypto players.
“If the SEC prevails in either case, the cryptocurrency industry will be transformed.”
In its complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the SEC said Coinbase has since at least 2019 made billions of dollars by operating as a middleman on crypto transactions, while evading disclosure requirements meant to protect investors.
The SEC said Coinbase traded at least 13 crypto assets that are securities that should have been registered, including tokens such as Solana, Cardano and Polygon.
Coinbase suffered about $1.28 billion of net customer outflows following the lawsuit, according to initial estimates from data firm Nansen. Shares of Coinbase’s parent Coinbase Global Inc closed down $7.10, or 12.1%, at $51.61 after earlier falling as much as 20.9%. They are up 46% this year.
Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s general counsel, in a statement said the company will continue operating as usual and has “demonstrated commitment to compliance.”
Oanda senior market analyst Ed Moya said the SEC “looks like it’s playing Whac-A-Mole with crypto exchanges,” and because most exchanges offer a range of tokens that operate on blockchain protocols targeted by regulators, “it seems like this is just the beginning.”
Leading cryptocurrency bitcoin has been a paradoxical beneficiary of the crackdown.
After an initial plunge to a nearly three-month low of $25,350 following the Binance suit, bitcoin rebounded by more than $2,000, exceeding the previous day’s high. It was trading just below $27,000 at 0410 GMT.
“The SEC is making life nearly impossible for several altcoins and that is actually driving some crypto traders back into bitcoin,” explained Oanda’s Moya.
BROKER, EXCHANGE CRACKDOWN
Securities, as opposed to other assets such as commodities, are strictly regulated and require detailed disclosures to inform investors of potential risks. The Securities Act of 1933 outlined a definition of the term “security,” yet many experts rely on two U.S. Supreme Court cases to determine if an investment product constitutes a security.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler has long said tokens constitute securities and has steadily asserted its authority over the crypto market, focusing initially on the sale of tokens and interest-bearing crypto products. More recently, it has taken aim at unregistered crypto broker dealer, exchange trading and clearing activity.
While a few crypto companies are licensed as alternative system trading systems, a type of trading platform used by brokers to trade listed securities, no crypto platform operates as a full-blown stock exchange. The SEC also this year sued Beaxy Digital and Bittrex Global for failing to register as an exchange, clearing house and broker.
“The whole business model is built on a noncompliance with the U.S. securities laws and we’re asking them to come into compliance,” Gensler told CNBC.
Crypto companies refute that tokens meet the definition of a security, say the SEC’s rules are ambiguous, and that the SEC is overstepping its authority in trying to regulate them. Still, many companies have boosted compliance, shelved products and expanded outside the country in response to the crackdown.
Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association trade group, rejected Gensler’s efforts to oversee the industry.
“We’re confident the courts will prove Chair Gensler wrong in due time,” she said.
Founded in 2012, Coinbase recently served more than 108 million customers and ended March with $130 billion of customer crypto assets and funds on its balance sheet. Transactions generated 75% of its $3.15 billion of net revenue last year.
Tuesday’s SEC lawsuit seeks civil fines, the recouping of ill-gotten gains and injunctive relief.
On Monday, the SEC accused Binance of inflating trading volumes, diverting customer funds, improperly commingling assets, failing to restrict U.S. customers from its platform, and misleading customers about its controls.
Binance pledged to vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit, which it said reflected the SEC’s “misguided and conscious refusal” to provide clarity to the crypto industry.
Customers pulled around $790 million from Binance and its U.S. affiliate following the lawsuit, Nansen said.
On Tuesday, the SEC filed a motion to freeze assets belonging to Binance.US, Binance’s U.S. affiliate. The holding company of Binance is based in the Cayman Islands.
“It’s important to note that recent regulatory actions are aimed at ensuring that companies operating in the cryptocurrency industry are complying with securities laws and protecting investors – this will always be their goal,” said Joshua Chu, group chief risk officer at blockchain technology firms XBE, Coinllectibles and Marvion.
“These events will ultimately lead to a more stable and trustworthy industry, which could help to attract more institutional investors and mainstream adoption.»
Cryptocurrency
Important Binance Updates Concerning Various Altcoin Traders

TL;DR
- Binance will transfer more than a dozen cryptocurrencies from Alpha Account to Spot Account on April 22.
- Trading bots services for select USDC pairs will go live the same day, though users from some regions won’t have access.
Enforcing Amendments
The world’s largest crypto exchange updates its platform quite frequently to respond to ongoing market trends and enhance user experience.
Most recently, it announced that it will move 17 altcoins from the Binance Alpha Account to the Spot Account. Some of the involved tokens include Ondo (ONDO), Big Time (BIGTIME), Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) as well as the trending meme coins Mubarak (MUBARAK), Broccoli (BROCCOLI), Banana For Scale (BANANAS31), Tutorial (TUT), Cookie DAO (COOKIE), and more.
The transfer is scheduled for April 22, and the company warned that users will not be able to move tokens back to their Alpha Account once it starts.
Binance Alpha is a platform within the exchange’s ecosystem that highlights early-stage cryptocurrency projects with potential for growth and serves as a pre-listing token selection pool.
The firm explained that following the transfer to spot accounts, users will be able to trade, deposit, or withdraw the involved assets via networks supported by the trading venue.
“Some tokens may adopt a different name and/or denomination after transferring to Binance Spot Account,” the entity added.
The exchange has another initiative scheduled for April 22. It will enable trading bot services for the ACH/USDC, GMT/USDC, ALGO/USDC, CRV/USDC, and ENA/USDC pairs.
The upcoming services will not be available to all users. Clients residing in Canada, Cuba, Iran, the Netherlands, Syria, the USA, and others are among the excluded ones.
Other Recent Updates
Earlier this month, Binance held a community vote to ask its user base which tokens they believe should not be on the platform.
The results revealed that FTX’s FTT topped the list as the least favored cryptocurrency among voters, collecting 11.1% of the total votes. Zcash (ZEC) and JasmyCoin (JASMY) trailed behind with 8.6% each.
It is important to note that the poll results are not the sole factor in deciding whether to delist a token. Regardless, the voting outcome triggered a price decline for some of the aforementioned tokens, with FTT dropping by 4% on a daily scale.
History shows that actual delistings from Binance can lead to devastating losses for the involved cryptocurrencies. Such was the case with CREAM, BETA, BAL, BADGER, and many more, which crashed by double digits at the start of the month when the exchange withdrew its support.
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Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Price Analysis: Reclaiming This Level Will Open the Door for New All-Time High

Following a notable rebound, Bitcoin has surged toward the crucial 200-day MA of $88K. This price region is significantly important, as if the asset successfully reclaims it, it can exhibit a surge toward the ATH of $109K.
Technical Analysis
By Shayan
The Daily Chart
BTC has recently staged a notable bullish rebound after establishing strong support within the $75K–$80K demand zone. This upward move has propelled the price toward a decisive resistance area around the $88K mark. This level is particularly important as it coincides with both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, as well as the asset’s previous daily swing high, making it a formidable barrier for the bulls.
Given the confluence of resistance factors, Bitcoin is expected to enter a temporary consolidation phase around this region. However, if bullish momentum prevails and the price breaks above $88K with strength, the next major target would be the $93K zone. A successful breach of that could open the door to a rally toward the all-time high of $109K.
The 4-Hour Chart
On the lower timeframe, Bitcoin has broken above the upper boundary of the descending channel at $84K, signaling a bullish market structure shift. The breakout was followed by a pullback and continuation, confirming the breakout’s validity.
The asset has now reached a key short-term resistance zone at $88K, aligning with the previous major swing high on this timeframe. If bulls manage to break above this level, the path toward the $93K resistance becomes increasingly likely. Conversely, failure to surpass this barrier could result in a consolidation phase below $88K before any further directional move.
On-chain Analysis
By Shayan
Analyzing recent funding rate behavior provides valuable insights into Bitcoin’s potential next moves. During the recent market-wide sell-off, both price and funding rates declined significantly, signaling a cooling of speculative activity in the futures market. This pattern mirrors the March to September 2024 period, a phase characterized by extended consolidation and sharp corrections that ultimately led to a robust bullish rally.
Now, with funding rates surging once again, it suggests that market participants are increasingly opening aggressive long positions. If this momentum persists, Bitcoin could reclaim the key $93K resistance level and potentially push toward its all-time high.
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Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin’s Realized Cap Breaks Record – What This Means for Market Sentiment

Bitcoin rose by a modest 3% over the past 24 hours to briefly climb above $87,700. While its price action remains relatively calm despite the uptick, deeper on-chain indicators are painting a different picture.
Bitcoin’s Realized Capitalization, for one, reached an all-time high of a record $872.2 billion on April 14th. Here’s what it means.
Bitcoin’s Realized Cap Breaks Record
According to the latest analysis from CryptoQuant, this metric, often overshadowed by traditional market capitalization, offers critical insights into investor behavior and network health.
Unlike market cap, which is calculated by multiplying the current price by the total circulating supply, Realized Cap is based on the price at which each coin was last moved, providing a clearer picture of actual capital inflow and long-term investor sentiment.
As such, it represents the aggregated cost basis of all BTC currently held across wallets and indicates the value at which investors collectively entered the market.
This new all-time high highlights increasing investor conviction. More capital is flowing into Bitcoin, and more coins are being held rather than sold, which suggests that investors are anticipating future price appreciation.
In its analysis, CryptoQuant explained that this behavior is typical of a market phase known as “accumulation,” where price movement remains relatively stable while smart money quietly increases exposure. As the Realized Cap rises, it reflects a growing foundation of long-term holders who are less likely to sell during short-term volatility.
Experts view this as a bullish indicator. It signals confidence not only in Bitcoin’s future performance but also in the broader strength of the network. The analysis noted,
“The Realized Cap hitting record highs is a clear signal: more investors are holding, and capital keeps flowing in. In summary, the rise in Realized Cap is a positive signal, showing increasing confidence in both the network and the asset, and suggesting that we may not have reached the top of the market cycle just yet.”
Minimal Resistance Before $90K
Analysis from IntoTheBlock revealed that as Bitcoin once again edges toward the $90,000 mark, key indicators suggest the rally may accelerate. The cost-basis cluster data depicts minimal overhead supply below the $90,000 range, meaning few holders are currently sitting on losses at these levels.
This reduces immediate selling pressure and instead allows for quicker upward price movement. However, the on-chain analytic platform warned that a larger concentration of holders stands to break even slightly above this zone, which could prompt a wave of profit-taking once that threshold is crossed.
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