Anmol Khatiwada, Author at Bitmala

2nd Suspect Arrested for Bitcoin – Torture Case Involving Ransom

New Arrest in SoHo Bitcoin Torture Case: Business Partner of Crypto Investor John Woeltz Surrenders

Just days after the shocking arrest of crypto investor John Woeltz on bitcoin, a second man tied to the grisly SoHo torture case has turned himself in. William Duplessie, 33, arrived at the NYPD’s 13th Precinct in Manhattan on Tuesday, now facing the same chilling charges of kidnapping and torture.

Authorities allege that Duplessie, believed to be Woeltz’s business associate, helped hold an Italian man hostage inside a rented $40,000-a-month townhouse for over two weeks. Prosecutors say the victim was beaten, electroshocked, forced to smoke crack, cut with a saw, and threatened at gunpoint — all to extract a Bitcoin password.

New evidence presented in court includes photographs of the victim being tortured and disturbing paraphernalia found in the home: body armor, night vision gear, drugs, and ammo. The victim eventually escaped by lying about where his crypto wallet password was stored.

While Woeltz skipped his scheduled court appearances, Duplessie’s lawyer tried to argue for house arrest in Florida on a $1 million bond. The judge refused, citing flight risks — including Woeltz’s alleged access to a private jet and helicopter.

Both men remain in custody, facing serious prison time in what’s being called one of the most bizarre crypto crimes in recent memory.

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Breaking !NFT Market Down 97% – Pudgy Penguins to the Rescue?

NFT Lending Is in Critical Condition: Down 97% — Is There Any Way Back?

The NFT lending market has absolutely tanked in 2025, plummeting from $1 billion in January to just $50 million today — a shocking 97% collapse in less than 6 months.

It’s not just a correction; it’s a full-on capitulation.

Lenders & Borrowers: Both Ghosted

According to DappRadar’s latest report:

Borrowers dropped by 90%
Lenders fell by 78%
Average loan size shrunk from $22K in 2022 to just $4K in 2025

Even hardcore NFT believers are now on the sidelines. The hype has been replaced by hesitation.

Gondi Is Winning What’s Left of the Market

In this shrinking battlefield, Gondi has emerged as the new king — eating up 54.2% of market share with a focus on long-term art-based lending.

Compare that to Blend, once the king with 96% dominance, now losing steam as it struggles to retain liquidity without constant airdrops and incentive loops.

Pudgy Penguins Lead Loan Activity

Despite the downturn, a few blue-chip and are still moving capital:

Pudgy Penguins: $203M loaned since January
CryptoPunks, Azuki, Beeple, Fidenzas also seeing some traction

Meanwhile, average loan duration has shrunk from 40 days to 31 days, showing users are nervous and keeping exposure short.

Even Big Brands Are Backing Out

It’s not just users — big Web2 players are ditching NFTs:

Starbucks shut down its loyalty program
GameStop and DraftKings pulled the plug on their NFT marketplaces
Bybit and X2Y2 exited the NFT space entirely

X2Y2 even announced plans to pivot into AI. That’s how cooked the NFT lending meta is.

What Can Save NFT Lending?

Per DappRadar, here’s what might bring the market back:

Real-world assets (RWA) as collateral
Intent-based UX instead of listing-only models
DeFi-native credit scores to minimize rug risk
Utility-first NFTs — think gaming, ticketing, and identity

Bottom Line: It’s Not Dead, But It’s Definitely in a Coma

The lending market isn’t dead yet, but it needs a serious rebrand and tech upgrade to come back.

For now, projects like Gondi and collections like Pudgy Penguins are keeping the lights on.

But unless we move from JPEG hype to real use cases, lending might become another relic of the last cycle.

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XRP Price Drops 1% but ETF Buzz Builds: Can XRP Hit $10 by Year-End? Solaxy (SOLX) Presale Raises $41.5M

XRP ETF Hype Grows Despite 1% Dip – Could XRP Hit $10+ by End of 2025? Solaxy (SOLX) Presale Explodes Past $41.5M

XRP has taken a minor hit in the past 24 hours, dropping by 1% to $2.30 as the broader crypto market dipped 2.5%. That said, XRP still boasts a jaw-dropping 330% gain over the past year, showing its resilience amid market turbulence.

Despite the dip, XRP remains the fourth-largest cryptocurrency and continues to attract major attention — especially with XRP ETFs on the horizon.

Short-Term XRP Price Action: Trouble Ahead or Just a Dip?

On-chain data from CryptoQuant shows active addresses on the XRP Ledger have collapsed from 108,000 in December to just 23,000 today — a steep 80% drop.

That’s far more than the 30.5% drop in price since XRP’s seven-year high of $3.31 on January 18.

While this decline hints at reduced interest, the context matters:

XRP’s current activity still outpaces most of 2022–2023.
Fewer active wallets can also signal stronger long-term holding, not necessarily bearish behavior.

Still, RSI levels have cooled from 70 to under 50, suggesting some near-term softness. Analysts forecast a possible drop to $2.20, but with strong fundamentals, XRP could rebound to $2.50+ by July.

XRP ETFs Could Be a Game-Changer

History is bullish. When BTC ETFs launched in 2024, Bitcoin soared from $35K to $99K.

Now with up to 10 XRP ETFs in the pipeline, the market is buzzing with predictions:

“How much will XRP be by 12/31/25?”
A. $10+
B. $100+
C. $1,000+
#XRP #RLUSD #XRPETF 💎
— Kenny Nguyen (@mrnguyen007)

While $100+ may be a moonshot, a move to $4.00 or more by year-end seems reasonable if ETF approval happens and market sentiment shifts bullish again.

Solaxy (SOLX): $41.5M Raised – The Next Big Presale Token?

For those seeking high-upside plays beyond XRP, Solaxy (SOLX) is quickly becoming the talk of the presale scene.

💰 $41.5 million raised so far.
🧠 Solana-powered + eco-energy narrative = viral potential.
📈 SOLX aims to connect DeFi with real-world solar energy systems.

As presale tokens often rally hard post-launch, SOLX could be a hidden gem for early-stage investors looking to maximize ROI.

Final Word:

XRP’s near-term dip may test patience, but its long-term outlook powered by ETF catalysts looks rock solid. Meanwhile, Solaxy (SOLX) is already proving presales can still deliver big in 2025. Whether you’re betting on blue chips or breakout tokens, this cycle’s only just getting started.

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Breaking !Pepe (PEPE) Explodes 54.7% in Monthly Gains: Could It Rally Another 90%?

Pepe Price Prediction: 90% Rally Incoming? MIND of Pepe AI Token Raises $11M in Viral Presale

Meme coin madness is far from over, and Pepe (PEPE) is leading the charge. With a staggering 54.7% monthly gain, its has once again cemented itself as a standout performer among top meme assets.

Between May 21 and 23, PEPE’s trading volume surged beyond $2 billion — peaking at $2.8 billion in just 24 hours. That’s over half of its circulating supply, a clear indicator of the current explosive demand.

The wider market rebound has lifted meme tokens, with mid-sized projects like Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) and Popcat (POPCAT) seeing strong short squeezes. But it’s breakout that has traders buzzing.

Data from Coinglass shows open interest in PEPE futures has climbed from $166M on March 10 to $700M — a yearly high hit just six days ago. Although the 2025 trading volume record still stands at $5.3B (Nov 13), this year’s peak of $3.73B is fast catching up.

Bullish Setup Forms: $0.000029 in Sight?

It recently broke out of a descending wedge pattern and is now consolidating around the $0.000013 support level — a setup eerily similar to its pre-surge pattern from early May.

RSI at 57.84 suggests room to run before overbought territory is reached.
MACD near the baseline hints at a bullish momentum reversal.
A break past $0.000022 resistance could pave the way for a test of $0.00002836.

A measured move from current levels projects a 90% price rally, aligning with a target range of $0.00002680–$0.00002900 in the coming weeks.

Meet MIND of Pepe: AI x Meme Magic

As the token leads the charts, its AI-powered cousin, MIND of Pepe (MIND), is making waves too. This viral AI agent — already live on X — combines real-time market insights with meme virality to engage massive audiences.

Since its January presale, MIND has raised nearly $11 million, and it’s just getting started.

Why $MIND matters:

Holders get exclusive alpha from the AI agent.
Priority access to future meme coin launches backed by the agent.
The ability to swap USDT, SOL, or use a bank card to invest via the official MIND of Pepe website.

As MIND grows in influence, so does the value proposition for early $MIND investors.

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Half of $1.4B Stolen in Bybit Hack Vanishes Through Crypto Mixers

Three months after one of the largest crypto heists in history, nearly $644 million of the $1.4 billion stolen from Bybit has vanished from traceable blockchain records, according to new data.

Blockchain analysis shows that about 49.5% of the funds remain traceable, while only 4.5% ($63 million) has been frozen by exchanges and law enforcement. The majority of the stolen funds have been processed through sophisticated cryptocurrency mixing services designed to obscure transaction trails.

The largest portion — $247.5 million in Bitcoin (966 BTC) — was funneled through Wasabi Wallet, a privacy-focused tool. Another $94.1 million was laundered through eXch, a mixing service that falsely claimed to shut down in April, but continues to operate via private back-end APIs, according to TRM Labs. The bybit hacks however keep getting out of hand.

Other privacy tools used include:

Tornado Cash: $2.5M in ETH
Railgun: $1.7M in ETH

These services obscure transactions by pooling user funds, making it nearly impossible to trace where the crypto ends up.

The attack’s origin was equally concerning. A report by Safe Wallet revealed that the North Korean hacker group TraderTraitor gained access to Bybit funds by compromising a developer’s laptop. Disguised as a stock trading simulator, a malicious Docker project led to the installation of malware, which stole AWS session tokens and bypassed multi-factor authentication.

Despite initial containment efforts, the incident reveals critical vulnerabilities in Web3 security hygiene, and highlights the ongoing challenges of crypto asset recovery once funds enter opaque mixing systems.

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SharpLink Soars 420% as It Raises $425M to Adopt Ethereum Treasury Strategy

SharpLink Gaming Stock Explodes 420% After $425M Ethereum Treasury Push

SharpLink Gaming has ignited crypto and equity markets after revealing plans to raise $425 million via private placement to make Ethereum (ETH) its core treasury asset. The announcement also confirmed Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin will become the company’s Chairman of the Board.

The PIPE deal features 69.1 million shares priced at $6.15 each — a slight premium for management at $6.72 — and includes top-tier crypto venture participants such as Pantera Capital, ParaFi, Electric Capital, Galaxy Digital, and Arrington Capital. Ethereum development powerhouse Consensys, led by Lubin himself, is the lead investor.

The results were immediate: SharpLink stock exploded by over 420%, skyrocketing from $6.72 to $34.75 in pre-market trading on May 27.

CEO Rob Phythian called it a “milestone” in SharpLink’s evolution. The company, traditionally focused on U.S. sports betting and global iGaming, now sees itself as a hybrid vehicle — a gaming firm with crypto-native financial infrastructure.

“This is an exciting time for Ethereum,” said Lubin. “We’re eager to help SharpLink evolve its Ethereum Treasury Strategy and bridge crypto with traditional capital markets.”

This bold treasury play mirrors the MicroStrategy–Bitcoin model — but with ETH at the center. The offering, executed under private placement exemptions, includes resale rights, with A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acting as sole placement agent.

SharpLink is now one of the first publicly traded companies to integrate Ethereum directly into its balance sheet, offering a potential blueprint for traditional investors to gain indirect ETH exposure.

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Cardano Poised for Breakout as Spot ADA ETF Approval Odds Hit 71%

Cardano (ADA) is consolidating within a tight range this week, hovering near $0.773 — but big moves could be ahead. Traders on Polymarket have boosted the odds of a spot ADA ETF approval by the U.S. SEC to 71%, the highest since April.

The Securities and Exchange Commission faces a key May 29 deadline to decide on the proposed Grayscale Cardano ETF. While history suggests the agency may delay the ruling, bullish bets have continued to rise, hinting at growing optimism within the crypto community.

Despite the hype, Cardano still lags behind its competitors in ecosystem development. It supports only 48 DeFi apps with $443 million in total value locked and a modest $31 million in stablecoins. For comparison, new player Unichain already boasts 27 apps, $568 million in assets, and over $14 billion in DEX volume.

Sonic’s relaunch has also added pressure, showing over 126 live apps and more than $1.63 billion in assets — a stark contrast to Cardano’s decade-long journey. Even Cardano’s latest initiative — integrating with BitcoinOS to enable Bitcoin staking — trails existing solutions like Babylon Protocol and Lombard Finance, which collectively hold over $7 billion.

Still, the technicals are on ADA’s side. A massive megaphone pattern has formed on the weekly chart, a structure known for predicting major price moves. The price also remains above its 100-week moving average, strengthening the bullish thesis.

If momentum builds, ADA could reclaim last year’s high of $1.307 — a 73% surge from current levels. A successful breakout might set the stage for a push toward the critical $2 mark.

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AIXBT Price Eyes $0.50 After 25% Rebound and Surge in Trading Volume

AIXBT Price Rebounds 25%, Targets $0.50 as Bullish Momentum Returns

AIXBT, the native token of Virtuals’ decentralized ecosystem, is showing signs of a strong comeback. After falling to an intraday low of $0.1630, the price rebounded sharply—rising nearly 25% to reach $0.2070 within 24 hours. The bounce was supported by a 120% surge in trading volume, now sitting at $97 million, signaling renewed buyer interest.

Technical Indicators Flash Recovery Signals

On the technical front, AIXBT is trading above the 20-day EMA, while maintaining a bullish EMA 20 and SMA 50 crossover that has held steady for over a month. The sustained structure suggests that dip-buyers are stepping in to defend key support levels.

The RSI is currently at 57, indicating strengthening momentum while staying below the overbought zone. More importantly, RSI has formed a consistent pattern of higher lows since late April—hinting at a gradually building bullish trend.

Although the MACD line is still under the signal line, the fading red histogram bars show waning bearish pressure, which may lead to a bullish crossover in the coming days.

Key Levels to Watch: Resistance and Support

The immediate resistance zone lies between $0.23 and $0.24, which previously acted as a rejection point multiple times between February and May.
A breakout above this level could open a path toward $0.32, $0.39, and eventually $0.54—major levels where the price was previously rejected during AIXBT’s downtrend from its all-time high.

On the downside, the most important local support remains around $0.15, which has served as a solid base since early May. If this level breaks, the next support sits near $0.10, a level that could trigger broader panic if breached.

Momentum Builds Amid Market Recovery

With strong trading volume, improving technical indicators, and a supportive market backdrop, AIXBT may be gearing up for a significant leg higher—provided it clears the overhead resistance. The $0.50+ target remains in play, especially if bullish momentum sustains across the broader altcoin market.

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Uniswap (UNI) Holds Key Support as Trading Volume and Fees Surge to 2024 Highs

Uniswap (UNI), the largest decentralized exchange, is showing resilience even as its price remains well below 2023 highs. On Monday, UNI traded at $6.50, hovering just above its year-to-date low of $4.92, and sitting on a long-term support zone.

Massive Volume and Revenue Growth

According to DeFi Llama, Uniswap’s trading volume surged to over $73 billion in May, up from $53.2 billion in April—marking the largest monthly increase since February, when the protocol moved $78 billion in volume.

The Ethereum mainnet accounted for the majority of this activity, followed by Arbitrum, Unichain, and Base. Notably, Unichain, launched by Uniswap earlier this year, already surpassed $14 billion in volume—eclipsing Cardano’s $4.9 billion.

Meanwhile, TokenTerminal data shows Uniswap has generated over $380 million in fee revenue in 2024 so far, outpacing even Ethereum, which recorded $275 million.

Uniswap (UNI) Price Lags Behind Metrics

Despite strong fundamentals, UNI’s price is still 65% below its December high, partly due to increased competition from decentralized exchanges like PancakeSwap, which alone handled nearly $100 billion in trading volume this month.

Another bearish signal is whale activity. Data from Santiment shows UNI held by whales dropped from 850 million tokens in December to 748 million, suggesting large-scale sell-offs and distribution pressure.

Technical Analysis: Megaphone Pattern In Play

From a technical perspective, UNI’s weekly chart shows it’s following a bullish megaphone pattern, with diverging trendlines pointing to high volatility and a potential breakout.

The price is currently bouncing off an ascending trendline connecting major lows since June 2022. If UNI breaks above the upper boundary of the megaphone, a rally toward $19.24 (last November’s high) could be in play—representing a 200% gain from current levels.

However, a breakdown below the lower trendline would invalidate the bullish setup and could open doors to new lows.

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Acurast Raises $5.4M to Power World’s Largest Smartphone-Based Decentralized Cloud

Acurast Raises $5.4M to Expand Its Smartphone-Powered Decentralized Cloud

The decentralized cloud computing arena just got a major boost.

On May 26, Acurast revealed it had successfully raised $5.4 million in its latest funding round. The capital will be used to improve its unique cloud infrastructure—powered not by massive data centers, but by a network of over 72,000 smartphones.

The raise, which concluded on May 22, featured a public token sale with a price of $0.09 per ACU token, giving it a fully diluted valuation of $90 million. Buyers were allowed to purchase between $100 and $2 million, ensuring a fair and wide distribution.

Decentralized Cloud, Powered by Phones

According to Alessandro De Carli, its Co-Founder and President of the Board, most of the funds will go into enhancing the protocol that enables verifiable, confidential, and energy-efficient computing—directly from everyday mobile phones.

“Acurast proves that compute can be truly decentralized and energy-efficient, using the phones in our pockets,” said De Carli.

Acurast’s tech supports a range of advanced use cases, including blockchain infrastructure, decentralized AI, and more. With over 256 million transactions already processed, Acurast claims it now runs the most decentralized computing network in the world.

Taking on the Cloud Giants

While tech behemoths like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google still control most of the cloud computing market through billion-dollar data centers, Acurast is flipping the script. Its decentralized cloud leverages the idle computing power of personal devices, rewarding users and fostering a more inclusive and energy-conscious ecosystem.

“The ACU token fuels this new cloud economy,” De Carli added. “Anyone can contribute compute from their mobile phone and become part of a secure, scalable, and decentralized infrastructure.”

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