US DOJ investigating Binance for potential violations of Russian sanctions

  • DOJ’s national security division is investigating Binance.
  • Binance is accused of enabling Russians to circumvent US sanctions.
  • The inquiry is focusing on both Binance and its officials.

Binance, the largest cryptocurrency by trading volume, is under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for potential violations of Russian sanctions.

The DOJ’s national security division is investigating whether Binance was used to enable Russians to evade US sanctions and transfer money through the exchange.

Growing regulatory crypto scrutiny

The DOJ is specifically investigating whether the crypto exchange or its officials violated or assisted in violating the sanctions against Russia.

DOJ’s investigation highlights the increasing regulatory scrutiny of crypto exchanges across the world and mostly in the US as authorities kick in to prevent illegal activities.

Binance troubles in the US

It is not the first time Binance is getting investigated by US securities. On March 27, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a 74-page complaint labelling Ethereum (ETH), Binance USD (BUSD), Litecoin (LTC), Tether (USDT), and  Bitcoin (BTC) as commodities and also accused Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao of market manipulation and lack of compliance. Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao however came out and rejected the CFTC’s allegations against Binance and himself.

Although Binance was yet to comment on the reported DOJ investigation at press time, it has previously stated that it is committed to complying with all laws and regulations in all the jurisdictions in which it operates in. The exchange has also invested heavily in complying with Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering measures to prevent illegal activities.

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ETH retests $2K: Here’s why Ethereum price is up today

  • Ethereum (ETH) is trading higher today as the crypto market cap bounces to $1.27 trillion.
  • ETH price rose to $2,008 while Bitcoin (BTC) price climbed to $29,800 looks to end the week stronger.
  • Gains for cryptocurrencies came as US equities ended the week higher, with regional bank stocks pummeled earlier in the week rebounding.

On Friday, the price of Ethereum rose over 6% within hours to break above $2,000, a key technical level that bulls seek to turn into support. On Saturday, Ethereum was trading around $1,966 and up 4% in the past 24 hours after rising to intraday highs of $2,008.

Ethereum isn’t the only crypto asset to see a price bump in the past day. Bitcoin, the benchmark cryptocurrency and digital gold, rose to near $29,800 as a 3% price increase took bulls to within the now highly coveted $30k level. 

Both Ethereum and Bitcoin are looking to benefit from an uptick in investor sentiment, particularly with risk appetite back following recent dips. 

Why did Ethereum price go up?

The total cryptocurrency market cap rose 1.5% to above $1.27 trillion as memecoin mania returned with Pepe (PEPE) and Floki Inu (FLOKI) prices surging after listing on Binance.

A look across the broader market shows crypto prices rebounded as the US stock market ended the week higher, with the major indices all turning green after a four-day losing streak. 

The S&P 500 closed 1.85% up, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 546 points, or 1.65% and the Nasdaq closed 2.25% higher.

The positive returns for the market came as equities rebounded, led by shares of Apple (AAPL) that jumped to a nine-month high on the iPhone maker’s better-than-expected quarterly report. The market also saw regional bank stocks show some recovery after massive sell-off in the week, with PacWest shares among those to rebound after falling over 60% on Thursday.

While crypto and other risky assets are likely to benefit from overall investor sentiment, the coming week will be key as the markets assess April’s CPI report.

The Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted this week that the central bank could pause its interest rates hike. However, with this week’s strong jobs data, all eyes will be on the CPI data as investors evaluate the inflation indicator.

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The Sandbox Stalls. Could Metacade’s MCADE Price Overtake The Sandbox’s SAND in 2023 and Beyond?

The Sandbox price failed to recover from a year-long slump during the bullish price action of early 2023. 3D games in the metaverse have been a source of great excitement among blockchain investors, but a new kind of play-to-earn (P2E) platform may be the next big thing in the GameFi sector.

Metacade’s hugely successful token presale is a testament to an exciting roadmap that has appealed to Web3 users. While The Sandbox price continues to struggle, Metacade’s continues to gain momentum.

Metacade is a very interesting niche investment opportunity

While the majority of cryptocurrencies in Web3 enjoyed significant gains at the beginning of 2023, The Sandbox price underperformed. 3D games in the metaverse posted impressive returns during the 2021 bull market, yet a prolonged slump for The Sandbox price has concerned some long-term investors.

The Sandbox price remains more than 90% down from its all-time high. Meanwhile, Metacade rose more than 2x in the space of a week as it continues to generate excitement among the blockchain gaming community. The token is fresh from two primary exchange listings and looks ready to continue its rapid development.

Metacade raised $16.4 million during the MCADE token presale, with most fundraising stages sold out. Since then, the MCADE token has launched on Uniswap and BitMart and skyrocketed to a $0.03 price level towards the end of April.

While 3D games based in the metaverse are still in their infancy, Metacade’s comprehensive play to earn environment intends to include 3D games as it grows. It awaits to be seen whether The Sandbox price will reclaim its previous highs over time.

What is The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a blockchain-based virtual gaming world where players can create, share, and monetize their gaming experiences. Utilizing the Ethereum blockchain, The Sandbox aims to revolutionize the gaming industry by providing a decentralized platform for gamers and game developers.

With its unique combination of user-generated content and P2E mechanics, The Sandbox offers a new frontier for gamers to explore and connect. Players can also purchase LAND, virtual real estate that can be used to build and monetize custom gaming experiences.

Could SAND reach $5 in 2025?

The Sandbox remains one of the top 3D games in Web3. Despite its reduced price of $0.60, which is 92% down from the all-time high of $8.50, The Sandbox price could target higher price levels above $1 and $2.

Price analysts have highlighted a key resistance area for The Sandbox price at the $3.50 level. As the broader crypto market enters long-awaited bull market conditions over the coming years, a leading 3D game such as The Sandbox certainly has the potential to reach its previous resistance levels.

What is Metacade?

Metacade will be the first community-driven blockchain arcade and the most extensive platform found in Web3. It plans to offer many different play-to-earn arcade games in a single location, which gives players an extensive opportunity to earn cryptocurrency rewards while enjoying some addictive gameplay experiences.

The project also aims to become a central hub for the blockchain community by introducing several unique earning mechanisms. Metacade will serve investors, entrepreneurs, and gamers through a range of on-chain services. The platform is genuinely planning on taking P2E mechanics to the next level.

How does MCADE work?

The MCADE token is used to pay rewards in the metaverse arcade. Players can play solo, earn MCADE tokens while trying to beat their highest score, or join paid entry tournaments to win major crypto prizes.

Metacade is also developing a suite of DeFi services for its community. MCADE token holders can use on-platform staking to earn a passive yield and use their tokens to vote in governance proposals released by the project.

The Metacade community hub is introducing a novel variation of the play-to-earn mechanism called Create2Earn. This will reward content creators with MCADE tokens for their contributions to the community. Contributions can include posting game reviews, sharing alpha, and interacting with other users’ posts.

As well as all this, Metacade will advertise paid job opportunities at leading companies in Web3. Crypto enthusiasts can apply for full-time and part-time roles directly through the Metacade jobs board, which will also include a Work2Earn feature that connects users to unique beta testing opportunities for brand-new P2E titles.

Could MCADE reach $2 in 2025?

The MCADE token has enjoyed a fruitful start to 2023. The presale was successfully closed with $16.4 million raised as funding for the metaverse arcade, which displays the widespread popularity of the project and its projected future demand.

MCADE has extensive utility on the Metacade platform and deflationary tokenomics. Price analysts are forecasting significant returns from the current price of $0.027 as long-term investors continue to buy the token ahead of a future crypto bull market.

Metacade vs. The Sandbox price predictions: Which token is worth buying?

The blockchain can support 3D games with integrated earning potential for players. This is a crucial reason why metaverse projects such as The Sandbox and Metacade have high price forecasts for the future. Metacade and The Sandbox prices are expected to rise significantly from the current levels.

Metacade, as a brand new platform in the GameFi sector, could be preparing for massive action over the coming years. Further information about this exciting project is available on Metacade’s website.

You can find more information, including how to buy MCADE, here.

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Crypto price predictions: Tron, Optimism, Stacks (STX)

  • Cryptocurrency prices were mixed, with key coins like Bitcoin moving sideways.

  • Meme coins like Pepe and Floki Inu surged after their Binance listing.

Cryptocurrencies were relatively mixed this week as Bitcoin remained stubbornly below $30,000 and Ethereum below $2,000. Meme coins like Pepe and Floki Inu soared after being listed in Binance while Sui jumped and then dumped. This crypto price prediction will look at Tron, Optimism, and Stacks.

Tron price prediction

Tron price has been in a strong bullish trend in the past few days. It jumped to a high of $0.070, the highest point since February. On the four-hour chart, the coin has jumped above the 25-day and 50-day moving averages. It also moved above the important resistance point on $0.069, the highest point in March.

Therefore, it seems like the coin will continue rising in the coming days as buyers target the next key resistance point at $0.073, the highest level on February 20. This price is about 3.50% above the current level. A drop below the key support at $0.7070 will invalidate the bullish view.

How to buy Tron

eToro

eToro offers a wide range of cryptos, such as Bitcoin, XRP and others, alongside crypto/fiat and crypto/crypto pairs. eToro users can connect with, learn from, and copy or get copied by other users.

Buy TRX with eToro today

Binance.US

Binance.US provides secure and reliable access to the world’s most popular cryptocurrencies, with some of the lowest fees in the industry.

Buy TRX with Binance.US today

Optimism price prediction

Optimism is one of the biggest layer-2 networks in the blockchain industry. It competes with other well-known blockchains like Arbitrum and Polygon. OP price has been in a steep sell-off this week as it dropped below the key support at $2.07, which was the lower side of the descending triangle pattern. It has also formed a head and shoulders pattern.

Optimism also remains below the 25-day and 50-day exponential moving averages and the support at $2, the lowest point on March 27. Therefore, it seems like bears have the momentum, which could see it crash to the next support at $1.80. The stop-loss of this trade is at $2.20.

Stacks price prediction

Stacks is a leading blockchain project that seeks to create a Bitcoin layer for smart contracts. It solves an important challenge in that Bitcoin does not have smart contract capabilities. As such, developers can build applications that take advantage of Bitcoin to handle transactions.

Stacks surged earlier this year after the launch of Bitcoin Ordinals. It jumped to a high of $1.314 and has now erased most of those gains to trade at $0.72. The coin remains below the 50-day moving average and the key support point at $0.78. 

The coin is slightly above the key support point at $0.6720. Therefore, the path of the least resistance for STX price is downwards, with the next key level to watch being at $0.60.

How to buy Stacks

Okcoin

Okcoin is a globally licensed exchange with offices in San Francisco, Miami, Malta, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. Okcoin’s mission is to help decentralize finance and level the economic playing field for everyone around the world. Serves 190+ countries with over 100K+ active traders and investors.

Buy STX with Okcoin today

Swapzone

Swapzone is a crypto exchange aggregator that operates as a gateway between the cryptocurrency community and exchange services. Swapzone aims to provide a convenient interface, safe user flow, and crystal-clear data for users to find the best exchange rates among the whole cryptocurrency market.

Buy STX with Swapzone today

 

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Coinbase stock jumps 15% on strong Q1 results: sell into the strength?

  • Coinbase reports market-beating results for its fiscal Q1.
  • Analysts are still keeping bearish on the Coinbase stock.
  • Coinbase shares are now up roughly 70% year-to-date.

Coinbase Global Inc are up nearly 15% on Friday after reporting its financial results for the first quarter that handily topped Street estimates.

Coinbase stock up on narrowed loss

  • Lost $78.9 million versus the year-ago $429.7 million
  • Per-share loss also narrowed sharply from $1.98 to 34 cents
  • Revenue tanked 34% year-on-year to $772.5 million
  • Consensus was $1.45 a share loss on $655 million in revenue
  • Total operating expenses were down 24% versus last year

The crypto company attributed strength in its quarterly performance partially to the surge this year in the price of bitcoin. Still, Wells Fargo analyst Jeff Cantwell remains bearish on the Coinbase stock due to the regulatory uncertainty.

His $43 price objective suggests more than a 20% downside from here.

BofA is also dovish on Coinbase shares

Remember that Coinbase Global Inc had received a “Wells notice” from the U.S. SEC in late March. It is also noteworthy that trading volume in the recently concluded quarter came in at $145 billion and missed the consensus estimate by $2.7 billion.

To that end, Bank of America analyst Jason Kupferberg also reiterated his “underperform” rating on the Coinbase stock today and said:

We maintain our cautious view on Coinbase shares as we continue to think retail crypto volumes will remain weak and regulatory overhang will linger for some time.

In its current quarter, Coinbase Global Inc expects its subscription and services revenue to sequentially decline to around $300 million, as per its letter to shareholders.

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