Author: dfmines

Early cypherpunk Adam Back, cited by Satoshi Nakamoto in the Bitcoin white paper, suggested that quantum computing pressure may reveal whether the blockchain’s pseudonymous creator is alive.During an interview after a Q&A session at the “Satoshi Spritz” event in Turin on April 18, Back suggested that quantum computing may force Nakamoto to move their Bitcoin (BTC). That’s because, according to Back, Bitcoin holders will be forced to move their assets to newer, quantum-resistant signature-based addresses.Back said that current quantum computers do not pose a credible threat to Bitcoin’s cryptography but will likely threaten it in the future. Back estimated that quantum computers may evolve to that extent in “maybe 20 years.”Related: Bitcoin’s quantum-resistant hard fork is inevitable — It’s the only chance to fix node incentivesWhen the threat becomes real, Back said the Bitcoin community will have to choose between deprecating old, vulnerable addresses or letting those funds be stolen:“If the quantum computers are here, and people at universities and research labs have access, the network has a choice to either let people steal them or to freeze them — to deprecate the signature.“Back expects the community to go with the former option, forcing Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator to move their funds if they wish to avoid losing them.Privacy upgrades could complicate proofStill, Back said that whether such a situation will reveal if Satoshi Nakamoto is alive also depends on Bitcoin’s future privacy features.“It depends a bit on the technology, there are some research ideas that could add privacy to Bitcoin,” Back said. “So, possibly there might be a way to fix quantum issues while keeping privacy.“Related: Lawyer sues US Homeland Dept to probe supposed Satoshi Nakamoto meetingStill, not everyone is convinced that — privacy enhancements or not — such a scenario would reveal whether Nakamoto was alive. An anonymous early Bitcoin miner and member of the Bitcoin community told Cointelegraph that he does not expect Nakamoto’s coins to be moved:“Even if he is alive and holds the private keys, I do not think he’d move them. Based on how he acted so far I would rather expect him to let the community to decide.”He added that, since this is a controversial choice, it makes sense to let the community decide. He said that he’d be surprised if Nakamoto came out of the woodwork to move the assets.A quantum-resistant BitcoinBack explained that most quantum-resistant signature implementations are either unproven in terms of security or very expensive from a data perspective. He cited Lamport signatures as an old and proven design, but pointed out that they weigh tens of kilobytes.Consequently, he suggested that Bitcoin should be prepared to switch to quantum-resistant signatures but only do so when necessary. He suggested a Bitcoin taproot-based implementation allowing addresses to switch to quantum-resistant signatures when needed.Magazine: Bitcoin vs. the quantum computer threat: Timeline and solutions (2025–2035)

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On April 18, 2025, bitcoin’s price held near $84,549 as traders weighed momentum and moving averages for direction. Bitcoin On the daily chart, bitcoin ( BTC) has traded in a defined range since forming a lower high near $88,772 and finding support around $74,434. The rebound from that level produced a V‑shaped recovery to the […]

The price of XRP continues to coil just above the mid‑$2 region, but veteran market technician CasiTrades (@CasiTrades) believes the consolidation is the calm before a violent impulse higher. In a four‑hour chart published on X on 17 April, the analyst traces an Elliott Wave count showing the token finishing a textbook Wave 2 correction that began after December’s cycle high near the 0.118 Fibonacci band at $3.40. XRP Breakout In April Still Possible From the peak labelled (1), XRP has followed a sharp, three‑legged A–B–C pullback (drawn in gold). Leg A bottomed in February at $1.77. Leg B retraced to the 0.236 level at $2.99 before the current slide in Leg C, which has thus far defended the 0.618 retracement at $1.54. Below lies a thick liquidity pocket between the 0.618 and 0.65 retracements—$1.55 to $1.45—highlighted by a green box on the chart. CasiTrades describes that zone as “the most likely target” for any final sweep lower, but stresses that price “has shown solid support at the 0.5 retrace ($1.90). On the macro timeframe, not much has changed.” Related Reading: XRP Is The ‘Strongest Chart In Crypto,’ Says Analyst The chart also flags the 0.382 retracement at $2.24 with a red line—the final ceiling that must be reclaimed to confirm bullish reversal. “To break major resistance at $2.24 (the 0.382), we’ll likely need one final push off either $1.90 or $1.55. If XRP clears and holds $2.24, these lower levels become far less likely,” the analyst writes. The market has already printed a series of higher lows on the four‑hour Relative Strength Index while price carved lower lows, producing a clear bullish divergence that reinforces the idea that selling pressure is exhausting. CasiTrades argues that the macro structure remains intact: the decline of the past four months is Wave 2 inside a much larger five‑wave advance. “We are very close to ending this correction, whether the low is already in or we need one more support test, I still believe we’re about to enter macro Wave 3,” she notes. Under classical Elliott guidelines, one wave of every impulse must extend, and the analyst expects that role to fall to Wave 3. Using Fibonacci expansion from the Wave 1 impulse—the vertical purple projection—she derives upside objectives at the 1.618, 2.618 and 3.618 extensions: $6.50, $9.50 and “$12+” respectively. “One wave must extend in every impulse and most likely this will happen on Wave 3. This isn’t hype, this is textbook Fibonacci + Elliott Wave logic. Correction bottom is either here or very near. Once Wave 3 begins, it only takes weeks, not months,” she explains. Related Reading: Why XRP Could Beat Dogecoin, Solana In ETF Race And Trigger A Price Surge Sceptics questioned whether algorithmic manipulation might have invalidated traditional tools, but the analyst remains unmoved. “This price action has been frustrating, but I believe the market is largely driven by algos that to complete specific patterns, these patterns make money for their creator. Strong demand may be delaying the final push lower, but I still believe the market likely needs to test those support levels to grab liquidity before a breakout. We’re at a critical test right now. If buyers can push the price above $2.24, it could shift the algos instead of hunting lower, they may flip direction and chase momentum.” Time, she insists, is running out for bears. “We’re mid‑April now. If XRP tags that final support, even by the end of this week, and volume steps in, a breakout to new highs could very realistically kick off in late April and still satisfy the April breakout outlook.” As of press time XRP is trading near $2.16 on Binance, only a few percentage points below the critical $2.24 trigger. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

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As gold prices break new highs, many Bitcoiners are seeking ways to obtain exposure to the precious metal, but have been met with hurdles along the way.Although physical gold is accessible in the form of jewelry, gold bars and coins, many industry executives are concerned about aspects like its quality, liquidity when selling, and buying at a premium above spot prices.Still, gold advocates are confident that the precious metal is much easier to buy than Bitcoin (BTC), given the complexities of storing private keys and a steep learning curve for new crypto investors.Both Bitcoin and gold are available in the form of tokenized assets, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other equity instruments, but the question of owning these assets in their original form reveals some differences.Community: Buying Bitcoin is easier and faster“Buying Bitcoin is significantly easier and faster than buying physical gold,” Ross Shemeliak, co-founder of the tokenization platform Stobox, told Cointelegraph.He referred to Bitcoin’s instant and 24/7 availability and no need for vaults, while gold is associated with additional costs like transportation, storage, verification and resale.Adam Lowe, chief of product at the self-custodial wallet Arculus, agreed that buying physical gold is subject to many challenges and additional costs.“The first is maintaining quality, assuring the purity is accurate,” Lowe said, adding that investors have to rely on the reputation of dealers and the supply chain when buying physical gold.Related: Bitcoin may rival gold as inflation hedge over next decade — Adam Back“Selling liquidity is also an issue as you have to find a buyer and will most likely pay a discount relative to the market price per ounce,” he continued, adding that self-custodied Bitcoin has none of these issues.As well as limited liquidity, retail investors in physical gold face widened spreads, Shemeliak said, as they often have to buy at a premium above the market price of gold.Gold advocate: Bitcoin self-custody is not easyUnlike crypto investors, traditional finance (TradFi) investors and analysts are not so excited about self-custody opportunities offered by Bitcoin.“Bitcoin could be very easy to buy if you have everything set up already, but if you don’t, it’s very difficult,” Rafi Farber, publisher of the gold-focused marketplace service End Game Investor, told Cointelegraph.Farber, who has emerged as one of the biggest Bitcoin critics, referred to investor challenges for Bitcoin self-custody, which requires holders to safely store their private key or risk losing access to the coins.While dealing with a self-custodial wallet, users have to “remember a string of random words or copy it down and put it in a safe, then copy and paste a gibberish code,” Farber said. “And if you lose any of the codes or the power goes out for whatever reason you’re screwed.”Self-custody wallet providers offer onboarding sessions for $99 per hour. Source: TrezorFarber’s concerns over the challenges of self-custody are not without merit. Trezor, one of the most prominent self-custody wallet providers, admits that usability remains one of the key issues faced by self-custodial wallets.While some have tried to offer simplified self-custody options, others insist that holding a private key is the only way to actually own a cryptocurrency, which requires onboarding and a learning curve — but doesn’t come without its own costs.Is Bitcoin a direct competitor to gold?On the other hand, physical gold is “very easy to buy,” Farber said, suggesting options like coins or jewelry shops.“Yes, buying a gold coin at a jewelry or coin shop is easy — but that doesn’t mean you’ve made a sound investment,” Stobox’s Shemeliak countered:“Without verified origin, proper assay, secure storage, and a liquid resale market, you’ve likely bought a souvenir, not a serious store of value.”“In contrast, digital assets like Bitcoin or tokenized gold offer transparency, liquidity and verifiability,” he added.Shemeliak doesn’t see Bitcoin and gold as direct competitors.“Gold will always have historical value, but Bitcoin is building financial infrastructure for the next 100 years,” he said.At the time of publication, the price of spot gold stood at $3,327, up nearly 27% year-to-date (YTD) as it continues breaking new highs, according to TradingView.The picture is less appealing for Bitcoin, which reached new highs around $110,000 in December 2024. Bitcoin is down 10% YTD, trading at $84,525 at publication, according to CoinGecko.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

As gold prices break new highs, many Bitcoiners are seeking ways to get exposure to the precious metal, but have been met with some hurdles along the way.Although physical gold is accessible in the form of jewelry, gold bars and coins, many industry executives are concerned about aspects like its quality, liquidity when selling, and buying at a premium above spot prices.On the other hand, gold advocates are confident that the precious metal is much easier to buy than Bitcoin (BTC), given the complexities of storing private keys and a steep learning curve for new crypto investors.Both Bitcoin and gold are available in the form of tokenized assets, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other equity instruments, but the question of owning these assets in the physical form exposes some differences.Community: Buying Bitcoin is easier and faster“Buying Bitcoin is significantly easier and faster than buying physical gold,” Ross Shemeliak, co-founder of the tokenization platform Stobox, told Cointelegraph.He referred to Bitcoin’s instant and 24/7 availability, no need for vaults, while gold is associated with additional costs like transportation, storage, verification and resale.Adam Lowe, chief of product at the self-custody firm CompoSecure, agreed that buying physical gold is subject to many challenges and additional costs.“The first is maintaining quality, assuring the purity is accurate,” Lowe said, adding that investors have to rely on the reputation of dealers and the supply chain when buying physical gold.Related: Bitcoin may rival gold as inflation hedge over next decade — Adam Back“Selling liquidity is also an issue as you have to find a buyer and will most likely pay a discount relative to the market price per ounce,” he continued, adding that self-custodied Bitcoin has none of these issues.As well as limited liquidity, retail investors in physical gold face widened spreads, Shemeliak said, as they often have to buy at a premium above the market price of gold.Gold advocate: Bitcoin self-custody is not easyUnlike crypto investors, traditional finance (TradFi) investors and analysts are not so excited about self-custody opportunities offered by Bitcoin.“Bitcoin could be very easy to buy if you have everything set up already, but if you don’t, it’s very difficult,” Rafi Farber, publisher of the gold-focused marketplace service End Game Investor, told Cointelegraph.Farber, who has emerged as one of the biggest Bitcoin critics, referred to challenges for investors around Bitcoin self-custody, which requires holders to safely store the private key or risk losing access to the coins entirely.While dealing with a self-custodial wallet, users have to “remember a string of random words or copy it down and put it in a safe, then copy and paste a gibberish code,” Farber said. “And if you lose any of the codes or the power goes out for whatever reason you’re screwed,” he added.Self-custody wallet providers offer onboarding sessions for $99 per hour. Source: TrezorFarber’s concerns over the challenges of self-custody are not without reason. Trezor, one of the most prominent self-custody wallet providers, admits that usability remains one of the key issues faced by self-custodial wallets.While some have tried to offer simplified self-custody options, others insist that holding a private key is the only way to actually own a cryptocurrency, which requires onboarding and a learning curve — but doesn’t come without its own costs, too.Is Bitcoin a direct competitor to gold?On the other hand, physical gold is “very easy to buy,” Farber said, suggesting options like coins or jewelry shops.“Yes, buying a gold coin at a jewelry or coin shop is easy — but that doesn’t mean you’ve made a sound investment,” Stobox’s Shemeliak countered:“Without verified origin, proper assay, secure storage, and a liquid resale market, you’ve likely bought a souvenir, not a serious store of value.”“In contrast, digital assets like Bitcoin or tokenized gold offer transparency, liquidity and verifiability,” he added.Shemeliak doesn’t see Bitcoin and gold as direct competitors either.“Gold will always have historical value — but Bitcoin is building financial infrastructure for the next 100 years,” he stated.At the time of publication, the price of spot gold stood at $3,327, up nearly 27% year-to-date (YTD) as it continues breaking new highs, according to TradingView.The picture is less appealing for Bitcoin, which reached new highs around $110,000 in December 2024. Bitcoin is down 10% YTD, trading at $84,525 at publication, according to CoinGecko.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

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The crypto presale surge has heated up, with many new coins fighting for attention. However, most new tokens never even make it onto the radar. Their features or revenue potential are not enough for investors.  Solaxy, however, is another story. The project has raised over $30.5 million in presale. This crypto isn’t some hype-focused project…
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