Why Crypto Isn’t Cool Anymore | The Economist

Bitcoin is down. “The vibes are off. The buzz has moved to AI.”

Crypto Takes a Deep Slide Despite Trump’s Support

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The price of Bitcoin is now lower than when President Trump was elected in 2024, raising concerns of a new “crypto winter” in the industry.

The price of Bitcoin is lower than it was the day before President Trump’s election. A leading cryptocurrency exchange is laying off a large chunk of its work force. And a push for industry-friendly legislation has stalled in Congress.

After months of declining prices and dispiriting setbacks, the crypto industry has found itself deep in one of its periodic slumps — a so-called crypto winter.

Bitcoin is trading at less than $64,000, a nearly 50 percent decline from its peak price, which it reached just last October. The prices of two other top coins, Ether and Solana, are both down more than 30 percent over the past week.

At the same time, the stock prices of major crypto firms have plummeted. Strategy, a company that buys enormous amounts of Bitcoin, is down 75 percent since November 2024, when Mr. Trump was newly elected and promised to make the United States “the crypto capital of the planet.” » | David Yaffe-Bellany | David Yaffe-Bellany covers the crypto industry. | Thursday, February 5, 2026

Cryptocurrency Slump Erases 2025 Financial Gains and Trump-inspired Optimism

THE GUARDIAN: Last few months of the year have seen $1tn in value wiped from the market, despite all-time-high price of bitcoin

As 2025 comes to a close, Donald Trump’s favorable approach to cryptocurrency has not proven to be enough to sustain the industry’s gains, once the source of market-wide optimism and enthusiasm. The last few months of the year have seen $1tn in value wiped from the digital asset market, despite bitcoin hitting an all-time-high price of $126,000 on 6 October.

The October price peak was short-lived. Bitcoin’s price tumbled just days later after Trump’s announcement of 100% tariffs on China sent shockwaves across the market on 12 October. The crypto market saw $19bn liquidated in 24 hours – the largest liquidation event on record. Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency, saw a 40% drop in price over the next month. Eric Trump’s own crypto company endured a similar drop in its value in December. » | Johana Bhuiyan | Monday, December 29, 2025

The Six Warning Signs as Crypto Is Welcomed into the US Mainstream

A screenshot taken from this article. | Eric and Don Trump Jr outside the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York
THE OBSERVER: In a week, the Trump family’s wealth has increased by more than $6.5bn after their crypto company debuted on the Nasdaq

It is official: the path to future prosperity will be built on an exciting new platform of digital finance. That was the message of a series of recommendations published in July by a White House working group that, if implemented, “will ensure crypto becomes a hallmark of the new American Golden Age”. And with the strong backing of the president and bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, it is more likely than not that these proposals will be pushed through.

The crypto markets were already surging ahead. The price of a bitcoin, by far the most popular crypto asset, has risen to about $110,000 (£83,000), nearly seven times where it stood at its low point at the end of 2022. Then there are the stablecoins, digital tokens that are supposed to be protected against wild fluctuations in their purchasing power because they are backed by conventional assets such as treasury bills. Tether, the market leader, said it was holding $127bn in US treasuries at the end of June as backing for the stablecoins it had sold. This makes it one of the world’s largest investors in US government debt.

Overall, the value of the global crypto market has risen to more than $4tn, a rise of roughly three-fifths since the start of Donald Trump’s second term.

But for anyone with an interest in financial history, parts of this story sound familiar. Red lights have been flashing in the crypto market for some time, and they are not getting any dimmer. Here are six warning signals. » | Sir Richard Lambert | Sunday, September 7, 2025

The Guardian View on Trump’s Crypto Push: Britain Is Right to Say No to Digital Currency Politics

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: As the US president’s family profits from private money, the Bank of England is showing necessary leadership by rejecting the hype

Hype too often influences policymakers when it comes to regulating markets. So it was reassuring to hear Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, resist the momentum behind cryptocurrencies. In his July Mansion House speech, he reiterated his scepticism over the need for a “Britcoin” central bank digital currency or a UK stablecoin, with tokens issued by finance houses and backed by their sterling reserves. As Donald Trump signs stablecoins into US law and rebrands private dollars with political colours, Andrew’s caution isn’t just prudent, it’s essential.

The governor’s view is that UK banks should not be allowed to issue their own stablecoins. Nor should the Bank effectively run Britcoin bank accounts without clear public benefit. These are not the views of a luddite, but of a regulator worried, correctly, about creating a new class of imprudent assets. The key question is not whether new technologies can be adopted in finance, but whether they should be – especially when the consequences of failure could affect the wider economy. » | Editorial | Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Crypto = Internet Points? Why It WON'T Make You Rich

Feb 27, 2022 | Gary takes us on a walk from a bookshop to a bookies while he discusses the massive transfer of wealth that is occurring right now due to cryptocurrencies. He explains why all is not as it seems in the world of crypto & NFT and urges caution to the ordinary person on investing.

The Rise & Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried

Nov 6, 2023 | It took exactly one year for Sam Bankman-Fried to transform from beloved billionaire entrepreneur to convicted felon. On Nov. 2, a New York jury found Bankman-Fried guilty on all seven counts he was charged with by the Department of Justice. TIME Tech Correspondent Andrew Chow watched the trial unfold from the courtroom and breaks down the case.

Sam Bankman-Fried Is Found Guilty of 7 Counts of Fraud and Conspiracy

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The case against the founder of the failed FTX exchange had come to symbolize the excesses of the volatile cryptocurrency industry.

The FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, shown in February, was convicted on Thursday after a federal jury in Manhattan deliberated for more than four hours. | Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Sam Bankman-Fried, the tousle-haired mogul who founded the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was convicted on Thursday of seven charges of fraud and conspiracy after a monthlong trial that laid bare the rampant hubris and risk-taking across the crypto industry.

Mr. Bankman-Fried became a symbol of crypto’s excesses last year when FTX collapsed and he was charged with stealing as much as $10 billion from customers to finance political contributions, venture capital investments and other extravagant spending. A jury of nine women and three men took just over four hours of deliberation on Thursday to reach a verdict, convicting Mr. Bankman-Fried of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Together the counts carry a maximum sentence of 110 years. Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, is expected to appeal. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on March 28.

Before the verdict was announced, Mr. Bankman-Fried, wearing a gray suit and purple tie, stood to face the jury, with his hands clasped in front of him. He showed little visible emotion as a juror repeated the word “guilty” seven times. He then took his seat, with his head angled down. » | David Yaffe-Bellany, Matthew Goldstein and J. Edward Moreno | Reporting from the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan | Thursday, November 2, 2023

ARTIKEL AUF DEUTSCH:

Kryptounternehmer Bankman-Fried in Betrugsprozess verurteilt: Sam Bankman-Fried wurde einst als Finanz-Genie gefeiert – und nun von New Yorker Geschworenen in einem Betrugsprozess schuldig gesprochen. Dem einstigen Star der Kryptowährungsbranche drohen Jahrzehnte im Gefängnis. »

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Fallen Crypto Mogul Convicted in Collapse That Cost Users Billions

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Sam Bankman-Fried, whose FTX cryptocurrency exchange collapsed last year, was accused of using the firm as his personal piggy bank. Prosecutors said he orchestrated a scheme to steal as much as $10 billion from his users.

Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire was valued at $32 billion before is suddenly collapsed last year. | Brittainy Newman for The New York Times
Sam Bankman-Fried, the tousle-haired mogul who founded the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was convicted on Thursday of all seven charges of fraud and conspiracy after a monthlong trial that laid bare the hubris and risk-taking across the crypto industry. These charges carry a maximum sentence of 110 years.

Mr. Bankman-Fried became a symbol of crypto’s excesses last year, when FTX collapsed and he was charged with stealing as much as $10 billion from customers to finance political contributions, venture capital investments and other extravagant spending.

Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, is expected to appeal. » | David Yaffe-Bellany, Matthew Goldstein and J. Edward Moreno | November 2, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty of defrauding FTX customers: A jury in Manhattan federal court convicted him on all seven counts of fraud and conspiracy »

Sam Bankman-Fried Built ‘Pyramid of Deceit’, Jurors Hear in Closing Arguments

GUARDIAN US: Founder of FTX platform, 31, painted by prosecution as scammer and liar who defrauded customers out of billions of dollars

Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto fraud trial neared its end with closing arguments on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court following weeks of testimony that lifted the veil of FTX’s stunning collapse – and a broader murkiness surrounding digital currency markets. The prosecution quickly painted Sam Bankman-Fried as an unabashed scammer rather than the image of the wayward math nerd proffered by the defense throughout the trial, saying he created a “pyramid of deceit” with his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.

Assistant US attorney Nicholas Roos also used Bankman-Fried’s own testimony against him.

“FTX was bankrupt. Billions of dollars from thousands of people, gone,” Roos said. “He spent his customers’ money, and he lied about it.” » | Victoria Bekiempis in New York | Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial testimony: six key takeaways: FTX founder, once the darling of Washington and Silicon Valley, blamed his ex-girlfriend and said ‘I do not recall’ a lot »

Sam Bankman-Fried denies messy hair part of ‘tech genius’ persona during trial: Disgraced former CEO of crypto exchange FTX admits to disparaging regulators on third day of testimony »

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial Nears Finish as Closing Arguments Are Made: Prosecutors said Mr. Bankman-Fried had built his FTX crypto exchange into a “pyramid of deceit” while the defense said he was simply a “math nerd” who had no intent to defraud. »

Sam Bankman-Fried's Ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison Testifies against Him at Fraud Trial

Oct 11, 2023 | Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend, is back on the witness stand Wednesday in the FTX founder's fraud trial. Ellison previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. CBS News national correspondent Errol Barnett is at the courthouse and has the latest on Ellison's testimony.

Witness Testifies Sam Bankman-Fried Directed Her to Commit Fraud

Oct 11, 2023 | Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, the government's star witness against Sam Bankman-Fried, took the stand Tuesday and said the former crypto boss directed her to commit crimes. CBS News national correspondent Errol Barnett was in the courtroom and joins to break down the day's proceedings.

Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend to take stand again after day of dramatic testimony: Caroline Ellison said in her first day of testimony that she committed crimes at Bankman-Fried’s direction »

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Begins | Bloomberg Television

Oct 3, 2023 | The trial against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has begun with jury selection in downtown Manhattan. Former US Assistant Attorney Josh Naftalis joined "Bloomberg Crypto" co-host Kailey Leinz outside the courthouse to discuss the jury process and prosecution. Plus, Blockchain Association's Kristin Smith on crypto lobbying efforts without FTX; and former Senator Pat Toomey discusses his work on the Coinbase Global Advisory Council.

Too Late for Bankman-Fried to Get a Deal: Naftalis

Oct 3, 2023 | Pallas Partners Partner Joshua Naftalis says US prosecutors should be able to win their fraud case against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. He also says prosecutors won't offer Bankman-Fried any deal now. Naftalis speaks on "Bloomberg Crypto."

'He Couldn't Let Go of It': Inside the Rise and Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried

Oct 4, 2023 | Author Michael Lewis joins Chris Hayes to discuss “Going Infinite,” a new book about indicted crypto executive Sam Bankman-Fried. “I think of him as a creature of modern finance, says Lewis. “At almost any period in history he’s like a high school physics teacher.”

Sam Bankman-Fried's Fraud Trial Begins Today - Here's What It Means for the Future of Crypto

Oct 3, 2023 | This week, Sam Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, will stand trial in what federal prosecutors have called one of the biggest frauds in US history.

The 31-year-old former crypto superstar has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the collapse of FTX, his crypto-trading platform. If convicted and sentenced to the maximum punishment, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Forbes’ Director of Research for Digital Assets Steven Erich sat down with reporter Rosemarie Miller to talk about what SBF has been charged with, how big the fraud was and what it means for the future of cryptocurrency.

FTX Boss Sam Bankman-Fried Charged with Defrauding Investors by US - BBC News

Dec 13, 2022 | Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been charged with defrauding investors of billions of dollars by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC said Mr Bankman-Fried, who was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday, had “built a house of cards on a foundation of deception”. It is alleged Mr Bankman-Fried used FTX customers’ funds for his privately-held crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research LLC. A court filing shows FTX owed its 50 largest creditors almost $3.1bn.

EU Moves to Rein in ‘Wild West’ of Crypto Assets with New Rules

THE GUARDIAN: MiCA law contains measures to guard against market abuse and manipulation

Cryptocurrency prices have slumped recently, with the total value of the market falling from $3tn last year to less than $900bn. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
The EU has moved to rein in the “wild west” of crypto assets by agreeing a groundbreaking set of rules for the sector.

Representatives from the European parliament and EU states thrashed out an agreement on Thursday that contains measures to guard against market abuse and manipulation, as well as requiring that crypto firms provide details of the environmental impact of their assets.

“Today, we put order in the wild west of crypto assets and set clear rules for a harmonised market,” said Stefan Berger, the German MEP who led negotiations on behalf of the parliament.

Referring to the recent slump in cryptocurrency prices – the total value of the market has fallen from $3tn (£2.5tn) last year to less than $900bn – Berger added: “The recent fall in the value of digital currencies shows us how highly risky and speculative they are and that it is fundamental to act.” » | Dan Milmo Global technology editor | Friday, July 1, 2022

Crypto Crisis: How Digital Currencies Went from Boom to Collapse

THE GUARDIAN: Savers talk of devastating losses as assets such as bitcoin and ‘stablecoins’ like terra fell sharply

Falling bitcoin illustration: Guardian Design
Yuri Popovich had watched his neighbours’ houses burn down to the ground in Kyiv and he needed a safe place to put his money. So he did what millions of amateur investors have done in recent years: he turned to cryptocurrency.

“It was impossible and unsafe to store funds in the form of banknotes. There was a big risk of theft, we also had cases of looting. Therefore, I trusted a ‘stable and reliable’ cryptocurrency. Not for the purpose of speculating, but simply to save,” he says.

The digital asset that Popovich chose in April was terra, a “stablecoin” whose value was supposed to be pegged to the dollar.

It collapsed in May, sparking a rout in the cryptocurrency market whose victims include Popovich. He lost $10,000 (£8,200).

Popovich says his losses were “devastating”, although donations from sympathetic onlookers on social media have helped make up some of the shortfall. He says: “I stopped sleeping normally, lost 4kg, I often have headaches and anxiety.”

Popovich is one of many experiencing the deep chill of the current crypto winter, more than four years after the market’s cornerstone, bitcoin, marked the first digital freeze by tumbling from its then peak. » | Alex Hern and Dan Milmo | Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Crypto Panic as Digital Assets Follow Share Prices in a Downward Spiral

THE OBSERVER: Last week bitcoin fell 31% and Celsius put a hold on withdrawals – and some fear the turmoil is far from over

Investors used to buy bitcoin as a hedge against inflation, but it has proved to be vulnerable to the wider economic downturn. Photograph: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
The cryptocurrency market could do with some respite but its convention-breaking nature means there is no hiatus. Trading in digital assets such as bitcoin and ethereum runs 24/7, unlike their conventional peers in equities on the New York and London stock exchanges, which at least get the weekend off.

So one torrid week tends to run into another for this most cutting-edge of markets. Bitcoin – the cryptocurrency cornerstone – fell below the key level of $20,000 on Saturday morning, meaning it has dropped 34% in the past seven days, according to CoinGecko, which showed that ethereum, the other pillar of the market, had fallen 40% to $994 in the same period. There are fears bitcoin’s fall will trigger more sell-offs, leading to another tumultuous seven days for digital assets.

The entire crypto market fell below $1 trillion last week, a precipitous decline from its peak of $3tn in November last year. A number of factors drove the declines – a mix of crypto-specific events and wider macroeconomic issues – and some of them will continue to hang over the market this week as well. » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Sunday, June 19, 2022