Cryptocurrency
Mempool Founder Mononaut Raises Red Flag Over Bitcoin Layer 2 Implementations

Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions have gained significant traction this year but have also drawn their fair share of criticisms. Mempool founder Mononaut has strongly criticized them and pointed out several drawbacks from a technical standpoint.
Interestingly, Mononaut’s stance gains support as Bitcoin Ordinals founder Casey Rodarmor.
Bitcoin Layer 2 Under Fire
The main objective of Bitcoin Layer-2 networks – which serve as secondary protocols built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain – is to improve scalability and transaction efficiency. This is achieved by offloading transactions from the main blockchain, leading to faster transaction processing and decreased congestion, ultimately resulting in lower fees across the Bitcoin network.
Layer 2s also enable developers to integrate smart contract functionalities on the blockchain, thereby extending the capabilities of the protocol.
Facts. https://t.co/DuEOB4dXlN
— Casey (@rodarmor) April 11, 2024
However, not everyone is a fan of this concept. Mononaut, for one, has found various aspects of these implementations faulty. In a series of tweets, the Mempool founder argued that if a Bitcoin Layer 2 solution lacks support for the unilateral exit, it essentially functions as a multi-signature system rather than a true Layer 2 solution.
Mononaut also criticized Layer 2 solutions that involve venture capital investors and introduce their own tokens, calling them similar pump and dump schemes.
He also said those that offer “reciprocal rewards” based on deposit amounts are no different from pyramid schemes while simultaneously warning the Layer 2s that are backed by upgradeable Ethereum contracts and controlled by a single entity. He views these to be potential rug pulls waiting to happen.
According to Mononaut, Layer 2s that incentivize locking up coins for extended periods are similar to previous scams such as Hex 3.0. Moreover, Mononaut cautioned against these solutions that claim to be Bitcoin-native but are actually Ethereum multi-signature systems, labeling them as affinity scams.
He went on to highlight the danger of these systems that lack comprehensive technical documentation, equating them to the infamous Bitconnect scam disguised with superficial information.
Bitcoin Layer 2 Explosion This Season?
Prominent Bitcoin educator Dan Held, who is also one of the most vocal proponents of Layer 2s on Bitcoin, expects an explosion of such solutions as the bull run unfolds.
In an interview with CryptoQuant, Held said that the existing Layer 2s, such as Lightning Network, Liquid, and the lesser-known Rootstock, have their own inefficiencies but still believes that the latest resurgence could pave the way for many new players.
“We are seeing a lot of contenders coming out of the woodwork. When we look at how this will play out, I don’t think there’s going to be a winner-take-all-all. There are a lot of different Ethereum L2s, some more successful than others, but I don’t think there’s a winner beat all. We’re going to see a whole spectrum of different types of surface area for design and market strategy. We’ll see an explosion of Bitcoin L2s and probably some of these will be tens of billions of dollars market cap.”
LIMITED OFFER 2024 for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 BTC-USDT position on Bybit Exchange for free!
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Rally Pauses as Mt. Gox Transfers $1B in BTC to Unknown Address

A wallet tied to the bankrupt crypto exchange Mt. Gox has once again moved a massive number of bitcoins (BTC) as the entity’s creditor repayment plans come to fruition.
Data from the market intelligence platform Arkham revealed that the Mt. Gox wallet labeled 1PuQB transferred 11,834 BTC worth approximately $1.07 billion to an unknown address tagged 1Mo1nW.
Mt. Gox Moves $1B BTC
The Mt. Gox wallet executed the transaction around 03:17 UTC on March 6. It is worth mentioning that the defunct firm also sent another 166.5 BTC worth $15.12 million to its cold wallet labeled 1Jbez.
The last time Mt. Gox made such a large transfer was in early December 2024, around the same time BTC crushed $100,000 for the first time. The entity moved 27,871 BTC, worth around $2.8 billion per bitcoin’s price at the time, to an unidentified address.
Although wallets tied to Mt. Gox have executed several transfers since then, none have been as massive as its latest one. On December 19, the bankrupt firm moved bitcoins worth $100 million to three separate addresses. Another $89 million worth of assets followed suit on December 23, while the last transfer on January 30 totaled $420,000.
On previous occasions, large transfers from Mt. Gox have triggered bearish sentiment among market participants. Bitcoin has often reacted negatively as traders become wary of a potential sell-off following such large movements.
However, the leading cryptocurrency has shown little to no reaction to the news this time, even though it was stopped at almost $93,000. For now, it remains above $91,000.
Creditor Repayments Ongoing
Undeniably, the transfers from Mt. Gox’s bitcoin wallet are part of the entity’s ongoing repayment efforts. Once the largest BTC exchange over a decade ago, Mt. Gox started having financial troubles after a series of attacks saw around 950,000 BTC vanish from the platform.
In July 2024, the Mt. Gox trustee began creditor repayments using BTC and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), with a redistribution deadline set for October of the same year. However, the trustee eventually extended the deadline to October 2025, citing several reasons, including incomplete procedures by numerous creditors.
Additionally, Mt. Gox mentioned a system error that caused double deposits for some creditors as part of the reasons for the deadline extension. So far, around 17,000 creditors have received their repayments, with more to be settled in the coming months.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Reclaims $90K Level, Ondo Skyrockets 14% Daily (Market Watch)
Bitcoin’s price recovery continued in the past 24 hours as the asset reclaimed the $90,000 level and neared $93,000 for the first time since the crash earlier this week.
The altcoins are also well in the green on a daily scale, with XRP going close to $2.6, while SOL is near $150.
BTC Above $90K
It has been a wild ride in the cryptocurrency space in the past several weeks. Just this past Sunday, when BTC’s price had calmed at around $85,000 following the previous rollercoaster, President Trump confirmed plans to create the US crypto strategic reserve and namedropped several assets, including bitcoin.
Its price reacted with an immediate surge that drove it north by ten grand within hours. After reaching that multi-day peak, though, the bears stepped up and pushed the cryptocurrency down by $13,000. As a result, BTC found itself dropping to $82,000 on Tuesday.
The bulls managed to defend that level and didn’t allow any dip beneath $80,000. Just the opposite, bitcoin started to recover some ground and spiked above $90,000 during the Thursday Asian trading session.
Its ascent was stopped at $93,000, but the asset still trades above $90,000 despite a minor rejection. Its market capitalization has tapped $1.8 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the alts is above 58%.
Alts Turn Green
Most altcoins have also charted impressive gains over the past few days and since yesterday. Chainlink and Avalanche are now leading the way from the larger-cap alts. LINK has jumped by another 7% and now sits above $17. AVAX has neared $22 after a 5.5% increase.
XRP, SUI, SOL, and DOGE have risen by about 3-4%, while ETH, TRX, and LTC are also in the green. Even more impressive gains come from MOVE, ONDO, and CRO, all of which have jumped by double-digits in the past day.
The total crypto market cap has added nearly $80 billion since yesterday and is up to $3.080 trillion on CG.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
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
Shocking Ripple (XRP) Price Predictions as of Late

TL;DR
XRP surged by double digits in the past week, driven by Trump’s crypto reserve announcement. Analysts see parallels to 2017, predicting a potential surge to somewhat ridiculous levels.
On the other hand, some warn of a bearish H&S pattern, suggesting a pullback unless XRP clears $2.85.
What Could Be Next for XRP?
Despite the experienced volatility, Ripple’s native token remains one of the best-performing leading cryptocurrencies, with its price soaring by almost 15% in the past week and currently trading at around $2.57. Perhaps the most evident factor contributing to its rally is Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration will create a strategic crypto reserve that will include XRP (among other assets).
Pro-Ripple market observers (who are usually quite vocal) have noted the token’s resurgence and made interesting price forecasts for the near future.
The X user JAVON MARKS suggested that the pattern XRP broke out of in November 2024 resembles that of 2017. As such, the analyst expects a bull run “greater than many think or even imagine to possible.”
CrediBULL Crypto said the asset’s valuation has declined by 15% from where they took profit, and the trader now doubts they will get another chance to increase their exposure at prices below $2.
“OI has completely reset back to levels it was at before our 5x impulse off the lows, spot premium is steadily increasing here at the highs, and funding is even flipping negative,” they stated.
Overall, the analyst claimed that XRP looks “incredibly healthy here, and any dips that we may get are a gift.”
For their part, EGRAG CRYPTO recently outlined a truly shocking prediction. The X user maintained that XRP could be gearing up for its next “big leap” due to several factors, such as a retest of “the bull market support band” and a “noise consolidation” at the $2-$3.40 range.
They reminded that in 2017, the coin followed “a classic Fib extension move, smashing Fib 1.618, consolidating, then making another parabolic move to Fib 2.236.” The analyst thinks that if history repeats, this could result in a price explosion in the $27-$222 range.
Such high levels would require XRP’s market cap to skyrocket to at least $1.5 trillion. The current capitalization of the asset is less than $150 billion, making the prediction somewhat unlikely.
A Reversal in the Cards?
Contrary to the overall bullishness among industry participants focusing on XRP, some believe a pullback is not out of the question.
One X user recently suggested that the asset’s pattern remains on “H&S watch,” envisioning a potential bearish reversal. The market observer claimed that XRP should soar above $2.85 to negate the chances of a correction.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
- Forex3 years ago
Forex Today: the dollar is gaining strength amid gloomy sentiment at the start of the Fed’s week
- Forex2 years ago
Unbiased review of Pocket Option broker
- Forex3 years ago
How is the Australian dollar doing today?
- Forex2 years ago
Dollar to pound sterling exchange rate today: Pound plummeted to its lowest since 1985
- Cryptocurrency3 years ago
What happened in the crypto market – current events today
- World2 years ago
Why are modern video games an art form?
- Commodities3 years ago
Copper continues to fall in price on expectations of lower demand in China
- Economy2 years ago
Crude oil tankers double in price due to EU anti-Russian sanctions