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Stablecoins are a critical countermeasure to Operation Chokepoint

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Stablecoins could help crypto firms to remove themselves from the banking system — and prevent the U.S. government from cutting off their financial lifelines.

Boosting financial inclusion is one of crypto’s strongest value propositions. Yet, ironically, the banking crisis has effectively de-banked the crypto industry itself, at least in the United States.

How things panned out with Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature — the three crypto-friendly U.S. banks — reeks of what Nic Carter called “Operation Chokepoint 2.0.” There’s good merit to this claim, though naysayers peddle conspiracy theory allegations with much harshness.

Signature, for one, did not face a bank run. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation still took the bank over in a jiffy. Anonymous sources even alleged the FDIC had asserted that any purchaser “must agree to give up all the crypto business,” though the agency walked back those claims.

Crypto not only has the resilience but also the tools to fight back — by leveraging stablecoins to minimize bank dependence. Besides solving an immediate crisis, it can also provide the ground to establish crypto as a self-sufficient and parallel financial system. That was Satoshi’s vision, after all.

U.S. regulators are shooting themselves in the foot

There’s a reason why most regulatory authorities — except in some progressive jurisdictions — have their guns blazing for crypto. Their power rests on the toxic relationship between governments, money printers, big corporations and oligopolies disguised as banking systems. The non-intermediated, permissionless and autonomous systems that crypto enables threatens this anti-individual nexus to its very core.

Our journey toward a more equitable, individual-centric world of crypto was never meant to be easy. The hyper-aggressive response from regulators is also pretty much in line with the expectations. But somehow the authorities, especially in the U.S., don’t seem to realize that their actions are self-destructive.

Technological progress has been crucial in taking the U.S. to its current position of dominance in global geopolitics. Emerging crypto-based technologies enabled the next giant leap in this direction. And if only the regulators could overcome their greed for short-term power and control, they would see how stifling innovation isn’t in their best interest.

For instance, the ongoing banking crisis, which is very much due to misguided policy action and selective enforcement, ultimately hurts financial stability in the United States. Moreover, if it’s indeed a coordinated effort to de-bank the crypto industry, the average U.S. taxpayer is bearing most of the brunt, despite staying within legal limits.

Some projects have found a scalable way to assist crypto firms in becoming regulated institutions — such as Archblock, which onboards U.S.-based community banks to expand on-chain “real-world asset” financing for regulated entities.

While this approach might eventually resolve some regulatory tussles, a sizeable section of the global crypto community is rooting for more radical solutions.

Crypto firms don’t need banks when they have stablecoins

Stablecoins have been under much scrutiny since Terra’s “algorithmic” coin, TerraUSD (renamed to TerraClassicUSD, crashed last year, setting off a chain of events that partly led to the FTX fiasco. The crash wiped out an ecosystem worth $40 billion, but it also served valuable lessons in due diligence, overexposure and risk management.

Something like Operation Chokepoint 2.0, actual or hypothetical, is possible because crypto companies and investors use banks as on-ramps or off-ramps. There are practical reasons for this choice: One can’t buy crypto with cash, for example, and must pay with U.S. dollars from their bank account. Even while using an exchange, they need bank transfers to deposit fiat.

Involving banks so much isn’t necessary, though. Stablecoins can offer the fiat tokenization services for which crypto companies depend on banks with much risk and despair. The process isn’t decentralized, but neither is banking for that matter. It’s not about decentralization here since the goal is to connect centralized and decentralized finance while minimizing counterparty risks.

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes published a richly informative blog on the subject in March in which he presented a detailed case for choosing stablecoins over banks. Most importantly, he proposed an innovative stablecoin model, which he called the Satoshi Nakamoto Dollar or NakaDollar (NUSD). The idea is to leverage Bitcoin and inverse perpetual swaps such that NUSD doesn’t involve banks in the issuance or redemption process.

Proposals like NUSD are signs of our collective willingness to fight back in the face of regulatory uncertainty and aggressive onslaughts. As crypto evolves, there will be lesser attack surfaces for regulators, and we’ll have more robust alternatives to legacy systems.

Innovation isn’t merely a business model — it’s our biggest strength. And it is through innovation that crypto will overcome all hurdles. The show must go on since future generations deserve a better world.

Cryptocurrency

These Altcoins Extend Losses as BTC Faced Rejection at $100K (Weekend Watch)

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Bitcoin’s price struggles continue as the asset was violently rejected at $100,000 yesterday and pushed south by over four grand in hours.

Nevertheless, many altcoins are in even worse condition, with massive double-digit losses on a weekly scale.

BTC Up and Down

It was a painful week for the primary cryptocurrency, which started during the previous weekend with a price slump from $102,000 to $97,000 on Sunday morning after Trump’s tariffs against China, Mexico, and Canada. The situation worsened on Monday morning with another nosedive to under $92,000.

However, the cryptocurrency exploded out of the blue at this point and added ten grand within hours to spike above $102,000. That was short-lived, though, as it quickly lost the six-digit price tag and headed toward $97,000.

After a few days of sideways action around that line, BTC jumped to just over $100,000 on Friday. Yet, the bears were quick to intercept the move and didn’t allow a further increase. Moreover, the rejection was quite brutal as it pushed bitcoin south to under $96,000.

The asset now struggles to reclaim that level, and its market capitalization is close to breaking below $1.9 trillion. Its dominance over the alts, though, is quite high (close to 59% on CG), as most of them have been hit harder.

BTCUSD. Source: TradingView
BTCUSD. Source: TradingView

Alts Back in Red

The alternative coins suffered even more than BTC, and many continue to be well in the red. Ethereum has dumped by 4% over the past day alone and struggles to remain above $2,600. Chainlink, SUI, AVAX, ADA, and XMR are the other substantial price losers from the larger-cap alts, with declines of up to 7%.

DOGE, BNB, SOL, and HBAR are also in the red, albeit in a less painful manner. XRP and TRX are among the few alts with minor gains over the past day.

Nevertheless, the total crypto market cap has shed another $80 billion since yesterday and is down to $3.250 trillion on CG.

Cryptocurrency Market Overview. Source: QuantifyCrypto
Cryptocurrency Market Overview. Source: QuantifyCrypto
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Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.

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Cryptocurrency

Dogecoin Whales Keep Buying but DOGE Price Keeps Dropping

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TL:DR;

  • Dogecoin whales have gone on a real accumulation streak in the past few days, but the asset’s price has yet to recover from the substantial losses charted on a weekly scale.
  • Nevertheless, analysts remain bullish, predicting that DOGE has hit its low during this cycle and will bounce off soon.
DOGEUSD. Source: TradingView
DOGEUSD. Source: TradingView

It wasn’t all that long ago when DOGE’s price stood well above $0.4. In fact, the last time the OG meme coin traded above that threshold was on January 21, when it briefly spiked above it.

However, its downfall began immediately, and it has not touched that line ever since. The most substantial slump came during Monday morning’s market-wide crash when all crypto assets bled out, and DOGE was among the poorest performers with a price dump to $0.2 (a two-month low).

The market started its recovery shortly after, and Dogecoin even neared $0.3 on Tuesday but was quickly rejected and is down to under $0.25 as of now. This represents a 25% decline on a weekly scale.

This substantial correction comes despite Dogecoin whales’ behavior, which has been quite bullish. As reported on Thursday, these large market participants had accumulated over 750 million DOGE during the crash.

They kept buying in the following days and added another 100 million within a 24-hour period, thus further reducing the available supply.

None of those purchases have materialized in a price rebound yet. However, this hasn’t deterred certain analysts from predicting a strong recovery, given DOGE’s historical performance.

Trader Tardigrade said the meme coin had copied its 2017 price movements, and it seems to have bottomed out, which could propel it toward a new all-time high soon.

KrissPax acknowledged the substantial correction but said such moves occur every cycle and are to be expected. He noted that they tend to shake out weak hands but are actually ‘excellent times to buy more on dips and prepare for what’s coming.’

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Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Consolidation Persists, but Risks Remain

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Bitcoin sellers are grappling with a decisive support zone at the 100-day moving average, with a potential breakdown paving the way for a retest of the critical $90K region.

However, heightened volatility is anticipated, as price action will dictate the market’s next direction.

Technical Analysis

By Shayan

The Daily Chart

After sustained declines, Bitcoin has approached a crucial support zone where significant demand will likely emerge. This level is particularly important as it aligns with the 100-day moving average and the key psychological support at $95K. A confirmed breakdown below this region could accelerate selling pressure, pushing BTC toward the substantial $90K support area.

Conversely, a strong bullish rebound from this level could trigger a recovery, with buyers targeting a retest of the ascending channel’s midline at $100K. Bitcoin remains range-bound between $90K and $108K, and a definitive breakout from this consolidation phase will determine the market’s next major trend.

The 4-Hour Chart

On the lower timeframe, Bitcoin’s price action has been choppy, characterized by a phase of low-volatility consolidation, reflecting market participants’ indecision. The cryptocurrency fluctuates within the $90K-$108K range without establishing a clear trend.

The lower boundary at $90K remains a crucial demand zone, providing strong support since November 2024. Bitcoin could stage another rally toward $108K in the mid-term if buyers successfully defend this level. However, a breakdown below this threshold could invalidate this scenario and expose the price to deeper corrections.

Until Bitcoin decisively exits this prolonged trading range, traders should remain cautious, as heightened volatility is expected.

On-chain Analysis

By Shayan

The realized price of UTXO age bands, specifically the 1-3 month cohort, provides crucial insight into short-term holders’ behavior and overall market sentiment. This metric reflects the average acquisition price of recent buyers, serving as a dynamic support or resistance level that signals market confidence.

Historically, when Bitcoin tests this level from above, it often acts as support, suggesting that short-term holders remain confident in their positions despite elevated price levels. Bitcoin has declined toward the realized price of the 1-3 month UTXO cohort, which is around $96K. Holding above this key level reinforces a bullish market sentiment, increasing the likelihood of an extended upward trend.

However, if Bitcoin fails to maintain support at this critical threshold and breaks below, it could trigger a shift in sentiment toward fear, potentially leading to a distribution phase. As a result, price action around this level will play a decisive role in shaping Bitcoin’s short- to mid-term trajectory.

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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.

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