Can Litecoin Price Bounce To $285? This Trend Maps Out 5 Major Levels

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Since the start of the year, Litecoin’s price has fallen by almost a third of its January open, tumbling massively and briefly trading around $45 in early February. The prolonged pullback has kept sentiment quiet, but Litecoin’s price is now back to stabilizing around $53. A recent technical analysis shared on X by crypto analyst Jonathan Carter shows that a triangle support defense is currently playing out for Litecoin. Technical analysis of Litecoin’s price chart shows a descending triangle that has been developing for several years on the weekly timeframe. Right now, Litecoin is trading close to the triangle support, and the reaction at this support will determine whether Litecoin could launch to $285. Descending Triangle Support Faces Major Test The weekly chart shows Litecoin locked inside a large descending triangle structure, with a downward-sloping resistance trendline that has rejected rallies since its 2021 peak at $410. Each subsequent rally has printed lower highs, and this has led to a long-term compression pattern. Related Reading: Litecoin Closes Bullish — $57 Break Could Ignite Next Leg Up Now, the price is sitting near the lower border of the formation, around $55-$45. This area is important because it has always attracted buyers, and Litecoin has never traded below this level since August 2020. Carter noted that Litecoin is attempting to bounce from this lower border, with bulls stepping in as trading volume begins to increase.If this level continues to hold, it would strengthen the case that there is a return to bullish momentum. The Five Major Levels On The Path Higher The bullish outlook is that Litecoin is about to keep trending upwards after recently bouncing on the support. The most recent weekly candlesticks have been a reversal in nature, with a doji candlestick with last week’s candle, which is a reversal candlestick. That formation came after five consecutive weekly red closes, and this makes last week’s candle particularly notable, as it hints at potential exhaustion from sellers and the early stages of a trend change. Related Reading: Why Litecoin Price Going To $2,000 Is Not A Fantasy, But Market Cap Math If Litecoin sustains a bounce from the triangle’s base, then there is a sequence of important resistance levels that could shape the recovery. Carter noted various upside checkpoints in between and $285 as the ultimate price target. The first checkpoint sits around $63, a price level that acted as a pivot area throughout 2025. Clearing this level on a weekly basis would likely change the short-term momentum in favor of buyers. Above that, there is another resistance around $85 that could slow the advance. The next mid-range targets are $115 and the 2025 swing high around $140. A move through these levels would point to a bullish structure where Litecoin returns to price levels not seen since the 2021/2022 cycle. In this case, the price targets are around $180, and the final and most ambitious level on the chart is $285. However, this is still below the long-standing Litecoin all-time high of $410 in May 2021. Featured Image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

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Hacker voluntarily returns 320.88 BTC worth $21.3 million stolen from South Korean prosecutors

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The Gwangju District Prosecutor’s Office confirmed today that 320.88 BTC, currently worth about $21.5 million, was transferred back into the government’s custody wallet since February 17. They also mentioned that the funds were then moved to a secure wallet in a domestic exchange. The announcement by South Korean prosecutors is the latest chapter of a bizarre theft even by crypto standards. In a matter of weeks, the Gwangju District Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a theft occurred on its watch, got 100% of the money back, and they did not catch the thief. Actually, they don’t even have a suspect, according to local reports. Apparently, the Bitcoin just reappeared in the hard wallet six months after it went missing. Bitcoin sat untouched for months before mysterious return The timeline of events in this story is remarkable. The theft originally happened back in August 2025 when prosecutors fell victim to a phishing attack during their routine custody verification procedures. A staff member apparently accessed a fake website designed to look like a legit crypto management platform, and unknowingly exposed the wallet’s seed phrases to attackers who drained the 320 BTC shortly after. The theft went completely unnoticed for months before prosecutors discovered that the Bitcoin had disappeared on January 23, 2026, during a routine check on seized assets. But by then, the theft was already up to six months old, meaning the Bitcoin could have (or should we say should have) been laundered, hidden in privacy protocols, converted into other tokens, or just moved to different other wallets without anyone noticing. This is unlike how bad actors operate. According to a Cryptopolitan report , citing Global Ledger research, hackers have doubled the speed of laundering funds, using mixers and DeFi to disguise their tracks. However, blockchain analysts observed that the funds remained mostly stationary after the initial theft. There was no frantic mixing and layering activity from the hacker’s wallet, unlike most other major crypto thefts. The Bitcoin sat dormant, as if the thief was either waiting for the attention to die down for an opportunity to cash out safely, or they realized that the $20+ million was too hot. Gwangju prosecutors say they blocked hackers from cashing out The South Korean prosecutors attributed the assets’ return to their own intervention strategy after discovering the loss. When Bitcoin was discovered missing in January, the Gwangju office said it immediately sent cooperation requests to all major domestic crypto exchanges, asking them to freeze any transactions involving the specific wallet address that held the stolen funds. “The hacker appears to have returned all Bitcoin voluntarily due to concerns about being unable to liquidate it,” prosecutors told Chosun Daily . The prosecutors’ office emphasized that their investigation remains active. “The investigation into the circumstances of the Bitcoin loss will continue,” officials said. Investigations continue as the prosecutors examine phishing websites, malicious domains, and any other digital footprints left by whoever initiated the August hack. However, no suspects have been identified to date. Recovery defies crypto theft logic The voluntary return of the Bitcoin is a stark contradiction to basically everything the crypto industry knows about theft recovery. Some have labeled the incident as “one of a kind’, and it might not be far from the truth. It’s incredibly rare for a crypto thief to steal money and return it voluntarily. According to estimates attributed to enforcement agencies and recovery providers, the global recovery average of stolen assets is roughly 70% when law enforcement and exchanges cooperate on freezing assets, but major hacks yield as low as 0.4%. The decentralized nature and anonymity options on the blockchain make this kind of recovery nearly impossible, especially without the offer of a whitehat bounty. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

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Warren Demands US Treasury and Fed Rule Out Crypto Bailouts

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Senator Warren urged US agencies not to use public funds to support crypto firms. Recent sharp losses in Bitcoin have intensified scrutiny of potential government aid. Continue Reading: Warren Demands US Treasury and Fed Rule Out Crypto Bailouts The post Warren Demands US Treasury and Fed Rule Out Crypto Bailouts appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .

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Metals Import Prices Challenge Bullish Narrative – BNY Reveals Critical Market Pressures

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BitcoinWorld Metals Import Prices Challenge Bullish Narrative – BNY Reveals Critical Market Pressures LONDON, March 2025 – A comprehensive analysis from BNY Mellon Investment Management reveals a significant market contradiction: while long-term bullish sentiment surrounds industrial metals, surging import prices across major economies are creating substantial headwinds that challenge this optimistic narrative. This development carries profound implications for global manufacturing, inflation trends, and investment strategies throughout 2025. Metals Import Prices Disrupt Bullish Market Expectations Traditionally, analysts point to several factors supporting a bullish metals outlook. The global energy transition demands unprecedented amounts of copper for electrification. Similarly, aluminum remains crucial for lightweight vehicles and sustainable packaging. However, BNY’s latest data presents a contrasting reality. Import price indices for key industrial metals have climbed steadily across Q4 2024 and into early 2025. This increase directly pressures manufacturing costs and corporate margins. Consequently, the fundamental demand story now faces a critical test from supply chain economics. Several interconnected factors drive these import price increases. First, geopolitical tensions continue to disrupt traditional shipping routes and logistics. Second, production constraints in major exporting nations, including Chile for copper and China for aluminum, have tightened physical supply. Third, currency fluctuations, particularly dollar strength against emerging market currencies, have made dollar-denominated imports more expensive for many nations. These elements combine to create a complex price environment that diverges from simple demand forecasts. The Copper Conundrum: Green Demand Versus Cost Reality Copper exemplifies this market tension perfectly. On one hand, projections from the International Copper Study Group suggest a structural deficit could emerge by 2026, supporting higher prices. On the other hand, spot import prices into manufacturing hubs like Germany and South Korea have risen approximately 18% year-over-year. This surge impacts electric vehicle producers, renewable energy developers, and construction firms simultaneously. For instance, the cost to import copper cathode into the EU now sits near 2023 peaks, despite recent mine supply expansions. Industry experts reference this divergence. “The long-term demand story for copper is intact,” states a BNY commodity strategist cited in the report. “However, the immediate price signal from global trade channels tells a more nuanced story. Import costs are reflecting current logistical friction and regional shortages, not just future demand expectations.” This distinction between spot market reality and futures market sentiment forms the core of the current challenge. Aluminum and Steel Face Similar Import Pressures The analysis extends beyond copper. Aluminum import prices have shown remarkable resilience, influenced heavily by energy costs in smelting regions. Europe’s import premium for primary aluminum remains elevated as high power prices constrain local production. Similarly, steel products, especially hot-rolled coil, face rising import costs due to trade measures and raw material inflation. The following table illustrates recent import price trends for key metals into major regions: Metal Import Region Price Change (YoY) Primary Driver Copper Cathode European Union +18.2% Logistical delays, LME warehouse shifts Primary Aluminum United States +12.7% High energy costs in exporting nations Hot-Rolled Steel Coil Asia (ex-China) +15.5% Iron ore costs, trade policy adjustments Zinc Global Benchmark +9.8% Smelter production issues in Europe These rising costs transmit through industrial supply chains with notable speed. Automakers report increased raw material expenses. Consumer durable manufacturers face margin compression. Construction firms must reassess project budgets. Therefore, the bullish narrative based on macroeconomic demand must now account for microeconomic cost pressures at the point of import. How Global Trade Dynamics Influence Metal Economics Understanding today’s metals market requires analyzing global trade flows. The post-pandemic era has reshaped supply chains, emphasizing regionalization and resilience over pure cost minimization. This shift has tangible effects. For example, companies seeking to source metals from politically stable jurisdictions often pay a premium. This premium now embeds itself directly into import price indices. Furthermore, environmental regulations, like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), add another cost layer for imported metals with high carbon footprints. BNY’s report highlights several critical trade dynamics: Regional Sourcing Shifts: Many manufacturers are diversifying away from single-country reliance, but new suppliers often have higher costs. Inventory Strategies: Just-in-time inventory models have given way to just-in-case holding, increasing demand for immediate, physical metal and supporting spot import prices. Freight and Logistics: Container shipping rates, while down from 2022 peaks, remain volatile, directly affecting the landed cost of metal imports. These factors collectively ensure that the price a manufacturer pays at the port often differs significantly from the quoted exchange futures price. This basis risk undermines simplistic bullish models that focus solely on exchange-traded prices. Expert Insights on Market Divergence The divergence between paper markets and physical trade presents a key analytical challenge. Futures markets on exchanges like the LME often price in anticipated deficits and financial investor flows. Conversely, import prices reflect the actual cost of moving metal from a mine or smelter to a factory floor today. “This gap between the financial narrative and the physical reality is where market opportunities and risks truly reside,” explains a senior BNY analyst. The firm’s research suggests investors must now monitor a broader set of indicators, including: Freight rate indices for dry bulk and container shipping Regional premium reports from metal traders Manufacturing PMI sub-indices for input prices Currency exchange rate volatility Investment Implications and Portfolio Considerations For investors, this environment demands a more nuanced approach. Pure long-only exposure to metals equities or futures may not capture the full risk picture if import costs erode end-user demand. Instead, BNY suggests considering relative value strategies. These might involve pairs trades between miners with low operational costs and those with high cost exposure. Another approach focuses on companies with vertically integrated supply chains that can bypass some import cost inflation. The inflationary impact also warrants attention. Persistent rises in metals import prices contribute to broader producer price inflation (PPI). Central banks monitor these trends closely, as they can filter into consumer prices over time. Therefore, the metals import price story connects directly to macroeconomic policy and interest rate expectations for 2025 and beyond. Conclusion The BNY analysis delivers a crucial, evidence-based correction to the prevailing bullish metals narrative. While long-term demand drivers from electrification and infrastructure remain powerful, the immediate landscape is defined by rising metals import prices. These costs create tangible friction for global industry and complicate investment theses. Success in this market will belong to those who recognize the distinction between future demand hopes and present cost realities. Monitoring import price indices, alongside traditional futures and equity analysis, now forms an essential part of a robust metals market strategy. FAQs Q1: What are ‘metals import prices’ and why do they matter? A1: Metals import prices represent the actual landed cost of metal purchased from another country, including freight, insurance, and tariffs. They matter because they reflect the real expense for manufacturers, directly impacting production costs, profitability, and final consumer prices, unlike exchange-traded futures prices which can be more speculative. Q2: How does BNY’s analysis challenge the bullish narrative for metals? A2: The analysis challenges the narrative by highlighting that despite strong long-term demand forecasts, current rising import costs are creating immediate economic headwinds. This cost pressure can suppress actual consumption and manufacturing activity, potentially delaying or diminishing the expected demand surge. Q3: Which metals are most affected by rising import prices according to the report? A3: The report specifically highlights copper and aluminum as facing significant import price pressures. Copper is impacted by logistical issues and regional shortages, while aluminum is affected by high energy costs in smelting regions, both challenging their bullish demand stories. Q4: What factors are driving the increase in metals import prices? A4: Key drivers include geopolitical tensions disrupting shipping, production constraints in exporting countries, persistent logistical friction, currency fluctuations (especially a strong US dollar), and new environmental trade policies like carbon border taxes. Q5: What should investors monitor in light of this analysis? A5: Investors should broaden their focus beyond futures prices to include physical market indicators like freight rates, regional premium reports, manufacturing input price surveys, and currency trends. This provides a more complete picture of the real-world supply chain pressures affecting metal economics. This post Metals Import Prices Challenge Bullish Narrative – BNY Reveals Critical Market Pressures first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

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‘Sell Bitcoin Now,’ Peter Schiff Warns, Predicts $20,000 Target On Breakdown

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Economist and longtime Bitcoin (BTC) critic Peter Schiff has issued a fresh warning to cryptocurrency investors, arguing that the world’s largest digital asset could face a steep decline if a key price level fails. Schiff Predicts 84% Bitcoin Crash In a Thursday social media post on X, Schiff said that a break below $50,000 would likely open the door to a much deeper selloff. “If Bitcoin breaks $50K, which looks likely, it seems highly likely it will at least test $20K,” he wrote. Related Reading: Revealed: The Biggest Bitcoin Holders Of 2026, According To Arkham Data A drop to that level, he noted, would represent an 84% fall from Bitcoin’s all‑time high of $126,000 reached last October. While acknowledging that Bitcoin has experienced similar collapses in the past, Schiff argued that the current environment is different. He pointed to what he described as unprecedented hype, higher leverage in the system, greater institutional ownership and a much larger overall market capitalization. “Sell Bitcoin now!” he urged. BTC ‘Not Fit’ As Reserve Asset Schiff, who has long championed gold as a superior store of value, has repeatedly questioned Bitcoin’s role in the global financial system. In a previous interview, he said BTC is unsuitable as a reserve asset for central banks, contending that its volatility would make it impractical to hold in large quantities without causing market instability. Related Reading: Goldman Sachs CEO Says US Must Codify How Crypto ‘Will Operate’ According to Schiff, although some sovereign wealth funds and governments have taken limited positions in Bitcoin‑related products, those allocations remain small and are often motivated by performance pressure rather than deep conviction. He has also expressed skepticism about the durability of institutional demand. Schiff predicted that professional investors’ interest in Bitcoin could wane over time and warned that more recent entrants to the market may ultimately suffer losses if prices retreat sharply. At the time of writing, the leading cryptocurrency is trading at $66,900, with the largest resistance level at $70,000 and support floors at $65,800 and $62,800, limiting additional losses in the near term. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

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Newity Funding: $11M Investment Fuels Revolutionary Blockchain Lending Platform for Small Businesses

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BitcoinWorld Newity Funding: $11M Investment Fuels Revolutionary Blockchain Lending Platform for Small Businesses In a significant development for the financial technology sector, Newity has successfully secured $11 million in a strategic funding round. This substantial investment, led by prominent crypto-native venture firm CMT Digital, positions the fintech company to pioneer a blockchain-based lending solution specifically designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The move signals a growing institutional conviction in decentralized finance (DeFi) principles applied to traditional business finance, potentially addressing long-standing credit access gaps. According to an exclusive report by The Block, the funding round closed recently, though other participating investors remain undisclosed. Newity Funding Round: A Deep Dive into the $11M Investment The $11 million capital infusion represents a major milestone for Newity. Significantly, CMT Digital’s leadership as the lead investor carries considerable weight within the digital asset ecosystem. CMT Digital, the venture arm of trading firm CMT Group, has a established track record of backing innovative blockchain infrastructure and fintech projects. Their participation suggests a strong belief in Newity’s technical approach and market thesis. Furthermore, the involvement of undisclosed institutional and individual investors points to broad-based interest in the convergence of traditional SME finance and blockchain technology. This funding model is increasingly common, as venture capital seeks exposure to tangible use cases for distributed ledger technology beyond speculative assets. For context, the global SME lending market faces persistent challenges. Traditional banks often deem small business loans as high-risk and low-margin, leading to stringent credit requirements and slow approval processes. Consequently, a significant financing gap exists worldwide. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates this gap to be over $5 trillion annually. Newity’s proposed platform aims to leverage blockchain’s inherent features—transparency, immutability, and programmability—to create a more efficient and accessible credit marketplace. By moving loan origination, servicing, and potentially securitization onto a blockchain, Newity could reduce intermediary costs, speed up transactions, and create a verifiable, shared history of business creditworthiness. The Vision Behind the Blockchain Lending Platform Newity’s core mission involves building a dedicated lending platform on the blockchain for small and medium-sized businesses. This initiative is not merely about digitizing existing processes; it is about re-architecting them. A blockchain, or distributed ledger, acts as a shared, tamper-evident database. In a lending context, this technology could enable several transformative features. Firstly, it could allow for the creation of on-chain credit histories . Business transaction data, verified by the network, could become a portable and reliable asset for credit scoring, moving beyond reliance on traditional bureau reports. Secondly, the platform could facilitate peer-to-peer or pool-based lending . Investors could directly fund vetted business loans through smart contracts—self-executing code on the blockchain. These contracts would automatically manage disbursements, interest payments, and collateral liquidation based on predefined rules, thereby reducing administrative overhead and potential for dispute. Thirdly, the use of tokenization could enable fractional ownership of business loans, increasing liquidity in a traditionally illiquid asset class. This approach aligns with the broader trend of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization , which is gaining substantial traction in 2025 as a key driver for blockchain adoption. Transparent Loan Terms: All agreement details are recorded on-chain and are immutable. Automated Compliance: Smart contracts can encode regulatory requirements for specific jurisdictions. Reduced Counterparty Risk: Collateral can be held in escrow by a smart contract, released only upon loan fulfillment. Global Investor Access: A permissioned blockchain network could open SME lending to a worldwide pool of capital. Expert Analysis: The Market Need and Technological Feasibility Industry analysts view Newity’s focus as timely. “The SME lending space is ripe for disruption,” notes a fintech research director at a major consulting firm, who spoke on background. “Traditional systems are fragmented and opaque. Blockchain offers a foundational layer for trust and automation that could significantly lower the cost of capital for small businesses while providing investors with clearer risk profiles.” However, experts also highlight hurdles. Regulatory compliance, particularly across different countries, remains a complex challenge. Integrating with legacy banking systems for fiat currency on-ramps and off-ramps is another technical and partnership-heavy requirement. The success of such a platform will depend not just on technology, but on navigating financial regulations, building trust with business owners unfamiliar with crypto wallets, and ensuring robust cybersecurity. The competitive landscape is also evolving. While Newity is early in targeting SMEs specifically, larger players in both fintech (like established online lenders) and crypto (such as decentralized lending protocols Aave and Compound) are exploring similar territories. Newity’s potential advantage may lie in a hybrid approach, combining blockchain’s efficiency with a focused, user-friendly interface for mainstream business owners. The $11 million in funding will be crucial for talent acquisition, platform development, regulatory engagement, and initial market pilot programs. The timeline for a live platform is undisclosed, but such ventures typically require 12-24 months of development before a public beta launch. The Broader Impact on Fintech and Small Business Economy The implications of a successful blockchain-based lending platform extend far beyond Newity itself. For the fintech industry, it represents a concrete step toward the institutionalization of DeFi concepts. It moves the narrative from speculative trading to solving real-world economic problems. If proven viable, this model could attract further traditional investment into blockchain infrastructure, validating its utility in core financial services. For the small business economy, the potential impact is profound. Improved access to affordable capital can drive innovation, job creation, and economic resilience. It can empower businesses in underserved regions or those without extensive credit histories, fostering greater financial inclusion. Moreover, the data generated on such a platform could lead to more accurate, dynamic risk assessment models, benefiting the entire financial ecosystem. It is important to note that this evolution will likely be gradual. Initial implementations will probably involve closed, permissioned blockchains with known participants to satisfy regulatory concerns before any potential move to more open networks. The journey from concept to widespread adoption will require close collaboration between innovators like Newity, regulators, financial institutions, and, most importantly, the small business community itself. Conclusion The $11 million Newity funding round led by CMT Digital marks a pivotal moment in the maturation of fintech. It underscores a strategic shift of venture capital toward blockchain applications that address tangible, large-scale market failures—in this case, the global SME lending gap. Newity’s mission to build a dedicated blockchain lending platform is ambitious, facing significant technical, regulatory, and adoption challenges. However, its potential to democratize access to capital, increase transparency, and reduce costs in business finance aligns with powerful trends in both technology and economic development. The success of this venture will be closely watched as a bellwether for the practical, real-world utility of blockchain technology in reshaping foundational financial services for years to come. FAQs Q1: What is Newity and what did they announce? A1: Newity is a fintech firm that announced it raised $11 million in a funding round led by CMT Digital. The company is developing a blockchain-based lending platform specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Q2: Why is a blockchain lending platform needed for small businesses? A2: Traditional SME lending often involves slow processes, high costs, and strict credit requirements, leaving a multi-trillion dollar financing gap. Blockchain can increase transparency, automate processes via smart contracts, reduce intermediary fees, and create portable, verifiable credit histories, potentially making capital more accessible and affordable. Q3: Who is CMT Digital and why is their involvement significant? A3: CMT Digital is the venture capital arm of the established trading firm CMT Group. They are a well-known investor in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector. Their lead role in this round adds credibility and suggests strong institutional belief in the viability of Newity’s blockchain-based approach to solving real-world financial problems. Q4: What are the main challenges facing a project like Newity’s? A4: Key challenges include navigating complex and varying financial regulations across regions, ensuring seamless integration with traditional banking systems for fiat currency, building user-friendly interfaces for non-crypto-native business owners, maintaining robust cybersecurity, and achieving sufficient scale and trust to create a liquid lending marketplace. Q5: How does this relate to the broader trend of Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization? A5: Newity’s platform is a direct example of RWA tokenization. By potentially representing business loans as digital tokens on a blockchain, it allows for fractional ownership and easier trading of these assets. This increases liquidity for investors and can attract a broader pool of capital to fund small businesses, which is a central goal of the RWA movement in decentralized finance. This post Newity Funding: $11M Investment Fuels Revolutionary Blockchain Lending Platform for Small Businesses first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

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Why Vitalik is Wrong About Self-Sovereign Computing

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By Gaurav Sharma, CEO of io.net Vitalik Buterin recently declared 2026 the year to “take back lost ground in computing self-sovereignty.” He shared the changes he’s made personally : replacing Google Docs with Fileverse, Gmail with Proton Mail, Telegram with Signal, and experimenting with running large language models locally on his own laptop rather than through cloud services. The instinct is sound. Centralised AI infrastructure is a genuine problem. Three companies – Amazon, Microsoft and Google – now control 66% of global cloud infrastructure spending , a market that reached $102.6 billion in a single quarter last year. When every prompt flows through this concentrated infrastructure, users surrender control over data that should remain private. For anyone who cares about digital autonomy, this should feel like a structural failure. But Vitalik’s proposed solution – hosting AI locally on personal hardware – accepts a tradeoff that doesn’t need to exist. For anyone trying to build serious AI applications, his framework offers no real path forward. The ceiling on local compute Running AI on your own device has obvious appeal. If the model never leaves your laptop, neither does your data. No third parties, no surveillance, no dependence on corporate infrastructure. This works for lightweight use cases. An individual running basic inference or a developer experimenting with a small model can create value with locally-hosted models. Vitalik acknowledges the current limitations around usability and efficiency, but frames them as temporary friction that will smooth out over time. However, training models, running inference at scale and deploying agents that operate continuously demand GPU power that personal hardware cannot deliver. Even a single AI agent running overnight needs persistent compute. The promise of always-on AI assistants falls apart the moment you step away from your desk. Enterprise deployments require thousands of GPU-hours per day. A startup training a specialised model could burn through more compute in a week than a high-end laptop provides in a year. An ambitious research team might spend 80% or more of its funding just on GPU capacity – resources that could otherwise go to talent, R&D or market expansion. Well-capitalised giants absorb these costs easily while everyone else is priced out. However, training models, running inference at scale and deploying agents that operate continuously demand GPU power that personal hardware cannot deliver. Even a single AI agent running overnight needs persistent compute. The promise of always-on AI assistants falls apart the moment you step away from your desk. Enterprise deployments require thousands of GPU-hours per day. A startup training a specialised model could burn through more compute in a week than a high-end laptop provides in a year. An ambitious research team might spend 80% or more of its funding just on GPU capacity – resources that could otherwise go to talent, R&D or market expansion. Well-capitalised giants absorb these costs easily while everyone else is priced out. Local hosting doesn’t solve this, and implicitly accepts a binary that leaves most builders with nowhere to go: stay small and sovereign, or scale up and hand your data to Amazon, Google or Microsoft. A false binary The crypto community should be well-placed to recognise this framing for what it is. Decentralisation was never intended to shrink capability to preserve independence; it’s about enabling scale and sovereignty to coexist. The same principle applies to compute. Across the world, millions of GPUs sit underutilised in data centres, enterprises, universities, and independent facilities. Today’s most advanced decentralised compute networks aggregate this fragmented hardware into elastic, programmable infrastructure. These networks now span over 130 countries, offering enterprise-grade GPUs and specialised edge devices at costs up to 70% lower than traditional hyperscalers. Developers can access high-performance clusters on demand, drawn from a distributed pool of independent operators rather than a single provider. Pricing follows usage and competition in real time, not contracts negotiated years in advance. For suppliers, idle hardware can be transformed into productive capacity. Who benefits from open compute markets The impact extends well beyond cost savings. For the broader market, it represents a genuine alternative to the oligopoly that currently controls AI. Independent research groups can run meaningful experiments rather than scaling down ambitions to fit hardware constraints. Startups in emerging economies can build models for local languages, regional healthcare systems, or agricultural applications without raising the capital to secure hyperscaler contracts. Regional data centres can participate in a global market instead of being locked out by the structure of existing deals. This is how we actually close the AI digital divide: not by asking developers to accept less powerful tools, but by reorganising how compute reaches the market. Vitalik is right that we should resist the centralisation of AI infrastructure, but the answer isn’t retreating to local hardware. Distributed systems that deliver both scale and independence already exist. The real test of crypto’s principles The crypto community enshrined decentralisation as a founding principle. Decentralised compute networks represent a chance to do what crypto has always claimed it could: prove that distributed systems can match and exceed centralised alternatives. Lower costs, broader access, no single point of control or failure. The infrastructure already exists; the question is whether the industry will use it, or settle for a version of sovereignty that only works if you’re willing to stay small. The post Why Vitalik is Wrong About Self-Sovereign Computing appeared first on Cryptonews .

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UAE has successfully mined $453.8 million in Bitcoin, racking up $344 million in gross profit on a strict "HODL" strategy

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has mined $453.8 million in Bitcoin as of February 19, sitting on about $344 million in gross profit on a strict no-selling strategy, according to Arkham Intelligence. While the UAE is implementing a long-term holding strategy , Bh utan, which gathered its digital wealth in secret over many years, has now begun selling its Bitcoin, with sales becoming more often during a pressure period for the world’s largest crypto. The UAE is holding, while Bhutan sells its Bitcoin The landscape of Bitcoin mining has evolved from being just an institutional strategy to one employed by national governments. Recent data shows that the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bhutan have invested heavily in mining infrastructure. The UAE partnered with Citadel and mined a total of $453.8 million in Bitcoin. Data from Arkham Intelligence shows that the UAE is holding the vast majority of the Bitcoin it produces. Source: Arkham Intelligence This HODL strategy has allowed the country to sit on a gross profit of $344 million, excluding energy costs. The UAE has also created “crypto-friendly” zones and clear regulations to attract blockchain businesses. Bhutan, on the other hand, has begun to sell its holdings after years of mining Bitcoin in secret. In the past week alone, Bhutan transferred $22.4 million worth of Bitcoin out of its wallets to be sold. Through Bhutan’s secret mining efforts using its abundant hydroelectric power, the country reached a peak holding of over 13,000 BTC. However, data now shows that they are moving these assets to exchanges and market makers regularly. Bhutan has been selling Bitcoin every single week for the past three. Bhutan tends to sell in clips of around $50 million. One of their most recent transfers, which was made roughly five days ago, was sent directly to the labeled addresses of QCP Capital. This suggests they are using professional services to sell large amounts without crashing the market price. Bhutan’s heaviest period of selling occurred around mid-to-late September 2025. Bhutan’s mining output has also fluctuated over the years, with its peak year being 2023. The nation mined 8,200 BTC during that time. In 2021, it mined about 2,500 BTC, followed by 1,800 BTC in 2022. By 2024, production was around 3,000 BTC. What other countries are adopting the Bitcoin holding strategy? El Salvador famously buys one Bitcoin every day and also mines Bitcoin using heat from its volcanoes. As of early 2026, the treasury holds about 7,566.37 BTC, valued at approximately $506 million at current prices. Source: El Salvador Bitcoin Office The country recently launched a transparency platform that allows anyone to track the country’s Bitcoin holdings in real-time. Ethiopia has officially emerged as Africa’s mining powerhouse, with 25 licensed firms controlling 2.5% of the global hash rate and the government now seeking a global partner for a state-backed mining venture. Private miners in the country have already generated over $200 million in revenue. Due to very low electricity costs and a cool climate that helps prevent mining hardware from overheating, Ethiopia has become a favorite spot for international mining firms. The Ethiopian government has signed deals with Chinese companies to build massive data centers. Russia is preparing a massive regulatory change set for July 1, 2026, with laws that will bring all crypto activity under state supervision. The government’s goal is to redirect the estimated $15 billion in annual fees currently paid to foreign platforms back into the Russian economy. Under these new laws, only registered local platforms will be allowed to operate, and illegal mining will carry heavy criminal penalties. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

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