Cryptocurrency
Vitalik Buterin Challenges Michael Saylor’s Dismissal of Bitcoin Centralization Risks

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has added his voice to the chorus of condemnation facing MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor following the latter’s comments advocating for institutional Bitcoin (BTC) custody.
Buterin’s critique came after Saylor suggested in a recent interview that large institutions holding Bitcoin can reduce the chances of asset seizure, which lawless crypto holders could more likely cause.
Saylor Advocates for Institutional Custody
In the October 21 sit down with Madison Reidy, the self-described Bitcoin maximalist discussed a wide range of issues, including the potential for broader asset adoption among companies and governments. He also advocated for the need for user-friendly BTC investment products, suggesting they are crucial for the cryptocurrency’s mainstream acceptance.
However, it was Saylor’s response to Reidy’s question regarding the potential risk of making Bitcoin more centralized by putting it in the hands of a few large institutions that drew the ire of the community.
She suggested that such a scenario could increase the risk of seizure and confiscation, as happened with gold in the 1930s. Saylor dismissed the concern, calling those who held it “paranoid crypto-anarchists.”
“People say that, but it’s mostly paranoid crypto-anarchists. It’s a myth and a trope that repeats itself. First of all, the government didn’t really seize gold back then; people voluntarily turned it in,” said MicroStrategy’s former CEO.
Saylor argued that regulated entities such as BlackRock and Fidelity, rather than individuals or small custodians, should be the primary holders of Bitcoin. He claimed this would protect the cryptocurrency from government seizure while ensuring its stability in the broader financial system.
Further, he declared that these same anarchists could actually originate a Bitcoin seizure event due to their disregard for the rule of law:
“I think when Bitcoin is held by a bunch of crypto-anarchists who aren’t regulated entities, who don’t acknowledge government or don’t acknowledge taxes, or don’t acknowledge reporting requirements, that increase the risk of seizure.”
Buterin’s Stance on Self-Custody
But Vitalik Buterin disagreed. In an October 23 response to a post by crypto security expert Jameson Lopp, the Ethereum co-founder said Saylor’s argument effectively promotes centralization, which Bitcoin was designed to avoid.
In his opinion, trusting institutional players with the asset’s custody erodes the very foundation of decentralization on which cryptocurrencies are built.
Buterin also took aim at his earlier involvement in the “mountain man” stereotype surrounding BTC self-custody, calling the notion outdated. He stated that advancements such as zero-knowledge proof and account abstraction have evolved the security trade-offs for self-custody.
The developer maintains that Saylor’s vision of institutional custody is dangerous, suggesting that self-custody, while not without challenges, is important to Bitcoin’s long-term security and integrity.
Buterin’s Ethereum has also had its own issues with centralization. A report from 2023 showed that more than 60% of its nodes were run through centralized entities like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud. It prompted the co-founder to suggest using stateless clients as a possible workaround for the issue, although he acknowledged it may take between 10 and 20 years to get there.
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Cryptocurrency
No Euphoria in Bitcoin Markets but Warning Signs Are Starting to Appear (Analyst)

Bitcoin’s record-setting rally may be nearing a crucial inflection point, with on-chain data showing an increase in large-scale Bitcoin deposits to Binance.
According to an expert at the on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant, this could point to big-money investors possibly preparing for strategic exits or leveraged plays.
Whale Moves Signal Market Shift
BTC reached a new all-time high (ATH) above $123,000 on July 14, before retreating to the $117,000 neighborhood. This correction may appear modest on the surface, but deeper market signals suggest more turbulence could be ahead.
In a recent “quick take,” pseudonymous CQ analyst Crazzyblock noted that the “Binance Whale Activity Score” had spiked sharply following Bitcoin’s latest peak. And it isn’t a minor movement either; it represents a coordinated shift by major players.
According to him, approximately 1,800 BTC, worth more than $210 million at current rates, flowed into Binance deposits yesterday alone. Additionally, transactions exceeding $1 million accounted for over 35% of total Bitcoin inflows to the world’s largest exchange, confirming the presence of institutional-sized wallets.
Just as importantly, CryptoQuant’s age-band data showed that these aren’t coins from recent buyers, but rather older holdings from experienced, strategic investors re-entering the active market.
Given Binance’s status as the world’s largest crypto trading venue, commanding over 25% of global spot volume, such moves warrant closer scrutiny. It implies whales may be positioning assets on the most liquid platform to either secure profits after the historic run or to use the exchange’s deep derivatives markets for hedging and new positions amidst peak volatility.
“Either way, the presence of this much ‘sell-side’ pressure on the market’s primary trading venue increases the risk of sharp price swings,” wrote Crazzyblock. “The smart money is moving, and their actions often precede significant market shifts.”
Euphoria Yet to Kick In
Interestingly, this whale-driven shift is coming at a time when bullish sentiment is dominating headlines. Bitcoin’s rise to a new ATH triggered a wave of price forecasts, with some market watchers predicting the cryptocurrency could be changing hands at $200,000 each by year’s end.
However, behind the optimism lies a more measured market structure. CQ’s proprietary greed indicators remain in neutral territory, and the rHODL ratio sits at just 32%, indicating that broader retail participation still hasn’t materialized, an essential ingredient for true market euphoria.
The latest price movements hint at this brewing tension, with the asset seemingly stepping back from the heat of its last breakout.
Data from CoinGecko shows the number one cryptocurrency is trading at $117,496 at the time of this writing, down nearly 4% in the last 24 hours. Still, it’s up almost 9% for the week and 11.3% across the past month, outperforming legacy markets but falling just short of the broader crypto sector, which gained 9.2% over seven days.
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Cryptocurrency
3 Key Reasons Why Binance Says ‘No’ to Pi Network (PI)

TL;DR
- Pi Network’s delayed listing on Binance has reignited debate, with some pointing to missing audits and other factors as reasons for the lack of support.
- PI’s price has been on a steep decline lately, causing members of the community to believe the bull run is over.
PI Doesn’t Seem Ready
It has been almost five months since Binance held a community vote to determine whether its users want to see Pi Network’s native token available for trading on the platform. Despite the overwhelming support from voters and the hints in the following months, the exchange remains reluctant to list it.
The move has sparked frustration within the PI community, with some trying to understand why the company maintains its distance from the coin. Earlier today (July 15), the X user Kim H Wong outlined three important reasons behind the decision.
The first is the project’s blockchain code, which is supposedly “not fully open-sourced.” Not completing a third-party security audit and the assumption that Pi Network might not have applied for such a listing are the other two reasons.
Wong argued that the project could quickly resolve the first two obstacles, predicting that eventual support from Binance or Coinbase will likely trigger a significant price rally for PI. The analyst also noted Pi Network’s ecosystem development and achievements over the past several months:
“With Pi Network putting in place the $100 million venture fund and Pi App Studio helping App development using AI, there is no doubt that ecosystem prosperity and mass adoption will come. Pi Network has accomplished a lot, its infrastructure is ready, it’s time to accelerate for a bright future ahead.
Fellow pioneers, don’t just worry about the daily price fluctuation, continue contributing and be patient, big reward will come! We have great things on Pi to look forward to.”
Binance Will Never Say ‘Yes?’
Wong’s post was followed by a heated debate about whether Binance and Coinbase will ever embrace PI. The X user pinetworkmembers thinks this won’t happen as long as they can’t run their own nodes on the chain.
“And the CT will not allow them in any near future. So, forget about PI on Binance or any big exchange,” they added.
The analyst is quite vocal on the topic, often touching upon the dynamics of PI’s price. Just recently, they claimed the asset won’t be able to mark any major gains during this bull cycle:
“I would be the first one who would like to see PI at $10, but that isn’t happening this bull market.”
According to the X user, the factors preventing the valuation from spiking include “no presence of liquidity, increased amount of unlocks, low demand, low buy pressure, and a CT that keeps all the control in their hands instead of accepting the help from decentralized community devs.”
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Cryptocurrency
MultiBank Group Announces 7 Million $MBG Tokens Sold Out in Under One Hour During Initial Pre-Sale

[PRESS RELEASE – Hong Kong, PCR, July 15th, 2025]
MultiBank Group, one of the most regulated providers of financial derivatives in the world, announced that its initial $MBG Token Pre-Sale concluded in under one hour, with 7 million tokens fully subscribed via MultiBank.io and Uniswap.
Priced at $0.35 per token, the initial allocation was completed rapidly. The team sees this outcome as reflecting the level of interest in tokenized products that incorporate elements of asset backing and operational infrastructure.
Due to additional requests, MultiBank Group will conduct a second and final $MBG Token Pre-Sale on Friday, July 18, ahead of the scheduled Token Generation Event (TGE) on July 22. This round will offer 3 million tokens at $0.35 and will be accessible through MultiBank.io and Uniswap.
Commenting on the success of the Pre-Sale, Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, said:
“The sell-out of our initial $MBG Token offering in less than one hour is a decisive validation of our vision. In a market saturated with speculation, the response we received confirms that institutional-grade transparency, regulatory integrity, and asset-backed value are what investors are now demanding. $MBG is here for the long term, reflecting the experience, resources, and global reach that underpin everything we do at MultiBank Group. The market has spoken, and it has spoken with speed and conviction.”
According to MultiBank Group, the $MBG token is supported by $29 billion in assets and linked to a broader operational framework that records $35 billion in daily turnover.
The ecosystem supporting $MBG is anchored by its four pillars:
- MultiBank TradFi: Reported $362 million in revenue in 2024 through global CFD trading operations.
- MEX Exchange: An institutional-grade marketplace with a planned launch later in the year, projected at $23.7 billion.
- MultiBank.io RWA: A platform focused on the tokenization of real-world assets, including $3 billion in ultra-luxury real estate.
- MultiBank.io: Extending into crypto derivatives alongside the token initiative.
Together, these platforms will drive a $440 million buyback and burn initiative, reinforcing demand, ensuring a deflationary supply, and sustaining value growth for $MBG holders.
For more information, users can visit token.multibankgroup.com and follow MultiBank Group on Telegram at t.me/MultiBank_io for updates.
ABOUT MULTIBANK GROUP
MultiBank Group, established in California, USA in 2005, is a global leader in financial derivatives. With over 2 million clients in 100+ countries and a daily trading volume exceeding $35 billion, it offers a broad range of brokerage and asset management services. Renowned for innovative trading solutions, robust regulatory compliance, and exceptional customer service, the Group is regulated by 17+ top-tier financial authorities across five continents. Its award-winning platforms provide up to 500:1 leverage across Forex, Metals, Shares, Commodities, Indices, and Cryptocurrencies. MultiBank Group has received over 80 international awards for trading excellence and regulatory compliance. For more information, users can visit MultiBank Group’s website.
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