NEW YORK CITY — A third suspect has been arrested in the gruesome kidnapping and torture of an Italian cryptocurrency investor in Manhattan, marking a disturbing escalation in the growing wave of violent attacks targeting crypto users. William Duplessie Surrenders in Bitcoin Extortion Plot William Duplessie, the latest suspect in the case, surrendered to the New York City Police Department on Tuesday following days of negotiations. He is accused of aiding in the abduction and prolonged abuse of Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, a cryptocurrency investor and former fund partner of one of the attackers. According to law enforcement, the 41-year-old…
Author: Blockto Team
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reiterated its efforts to ensure El Salvador does not increase its Bitcoin holdings, even as the country continues to defy loan agreement conditions and quietly expands its cryptocurrency reserves. In a statement released Tuesday, the IMF said that “efforts will continue” to ensure the Salvadoran government’s bitcoin balance remains unchanged, despite President Nayib Bukele’s ongoing accumulation of the digital asset. Bitcoin Accumulation Continues Despite IMF Agreement In March 2025, El Salvador and the IMF reached a $3.5 billion loan agreement, with key conditions aimed at reducing the country’s exposure to Bitcoin. One of those…
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — May 27, 2025 — Speaking at the highly anticipated Bitcoin 2025 Conference, Donald Trump Jr. shared that his family’s embrace of Bitcoin and crypto wasn’t born from ideology—but from necessity. “De-Banked, De-Insured, De-Everything”: The Wake-Up Call In a candid fireside chat with Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski, Don Jr. said his family became interested in blockchain technology and digital assets after being systematically cut off from traditional financial services. “We were getting de-banked, de-insured, de-platformed—it was brutal,” Trump Jr. explained. “That’s when we realized just how fragile the traditional system really is.” Coming from a background in…
Japanese investment firm Metaplanet is making headlines as its stock trades at a staggering premium equivalent to nearly $600,000 per Bitcoin, over five times the current BTC spot price, according to a May 27 report from 10x Research. Stock Trades Like Bitcoin is Worth $596K With Bitcoin trading around $109,613, Metaplanet’s valuation implies a BTC price of $596,154 — an extreme divergence fueled by speculative investor behavior. The report warns that uninformed retail investors may be dramatically overpaying for exposure to Bitcoin by investing in Metaplanet stock. “A little-known Japanese stock trades as if Bitcoin were worth $596,154,” 10x Research…
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with $11 trillion in assets under management, has quietly boosted its exposure to Bitcoin through its own iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), revealing a growing strategic commitment to digital assets. In-House Portfolio Now Holds Over 2.1 Million IBIT Shares As of March 31, 2025, the BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio held 2,123,592 shares of IBIT, valued at approximately $99.4 million, according to recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This marks a 25% increase from December 31, 2024, when the same portfolio reported holding 1,691,143 shares. “The increase reflects a deliberate strategy…
As Bitcoin (BTC) trades near $110,000, traders are eyeing a potential breakout to $115,000, a key level that could trigger a massive short squeeze and liquidate more than $7 billion in bearish positions, according to onchain and derivatives market data. Profit-Taking Persists Amid Bullish Macro Tailwinds On May 27, Bitcoin briefly surged to $110,700, supported by a strong U.S. equities open and the Trump Media and Technology Group’s announcement of a $2.5 billion capital raise for a Bitcoin treasury. While bullish momentum remains intact, onchain indicators show that investors are increasingly locking in profits. “Bitcoin’s current rally is being driven…
As Bitcoin (BTC) trades above $110,000 heading into this year’s Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, analysts are questioning whether the cryptocurrency can finally break the pattern of post-conference declines — a phenomenon now dubbed the “Conference Curse.” Bitcoin Conference 2025: A Turning Point or Another Sell-Off? For years, Bitcoin conferences have been hotbeds for industry announcements and market hype, yet the price action of BTC around these events has often disappointed. According to Galaxy Research, Bitcoin has consistently underperformed during or immediately after past conferences, regardless of broader market trends. “Historical data from 2019 to 2024 shows Bitcoin has typically…
As Web3 adoption accelerates, AI is emerging as the ideal companion, making the decentralized world more intuitive, accessible, and personalized. Leading this shift is cryptocurrency exchange BingX, which is weaving artificial intelligence into its platform to transform how everyday users engage with crypto. AI Meets Web3: A Smarter, Simpler Experience Web3 empowers users to own their digital identities, assets, and data. But its steep learning curve — filled with technical jargon, clunky interfaces, and complex tools — often deters new users. AI, as BingX sees it, is the perfect “plus-one” to eliminate these hurdles and create a smooth, intelligent experience.…
Michael Saylor, co-founder and executive chairman of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), has firmly rejected the idea of publishing onchain proof-of-reserves, calling it a “bad idea” that introduces significant security threats. Onchain Transparency? Not for Strategy Speaking at a sideline event ahead of Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, Saylor responded to a question about whether Strategy would adopt proof-of-reserves, a practice many crypto firms embraced post-FTX for onchain transparency. His answer was clear: “It dilutes the security of the issuer, the custodians, the exchanges, and the investors.” Saylor likened public wallet disclosures to “publishing the addresses and bank accounts of all your…
Wall Street giant Cantor Fitzgerald has officially entered the crypto lending space, launching a new Bitcoin lending platform with an initial $2 billion in financing. The move marks a major step in the integration of traditional finance (TradFi) and digital assets, providing institutions with diversified funding solutions to meet growing liquidity demands. First Lending Deals Closed With Maple Finance and FalconX Cantor announced on Tuesday that the first beneficiaries of its Bitcoin credit facility include Maple Finance, a leading crypto lending platform managing over $1.8 billion in digital assets, and FalconX, a digital asset prime brokerage servicing institutional clients. “Institutions…