Tech giants pledge to curb AI election influence amid concerns

Published

1 year ago

February 17, 2024

The agreement is voluntary and doesn’t go as far as a complete ban on AI content in elections.

Crypto ‘uninvestable’ if exchanges ignore manipulation: DeFiance CEO

Published

41 minutes ago

April 15, 2025

A crypto investment executive said the biggest problem with digital asset markets is price manipulation, claiming that collusion between market makers and exchanges distorts token prices.

Arthur Cheong, founder of crypto investment firm DeFiance Capital, said in an X post that market makers and crypto projects work together to create artificial prices that can be sustained for long periods. Cheong wrote:

“You don’t know whether the price is a result of organic demand & supply or simply due to projects and market makers colluding to fix the price to achieve other objectives.”

He added that if the industry’s players don’t step up and improve the situation, a big part of the crypto market will remain “uninvestable for the foreseeable future.”

Centralized exchanges turning a “blind eye”

Cheong said it was strange that centralized exchanges (CEXs) are “turning an absolute blind eye” to the issue. He described the altcoin market as a “lemon’s market,” a term in economics that describes a market where low-quality products drive out the good due to information asymmetry.

In addition, Cheong described most token generation event pricing in 2025 as an “absolute joke” where the assets’ prices went down by 70% to 90% a few months after listing. “Anyone that bought is down massively,” Cheong added.

88% of crypto tokens listed on Binance in 2025 declined after listing

Data compiled by crypto analyst Miles Deutscher showed that among crypto tokens listed this year on the trading platform Binance, only 3 out of 27 are performing well. This means that 88% of the tokens have declined since listing.

The price drops ranged from 19% up to 90%. Deutscher said this was the reason why retail investors were quitting.

Only 3 out of 27 tokens listed in Binance in 2025 are in the green. Source: Miles Deutscher

A community member responded to the data saying that this is where the industry is currently at. The X user added that they hoped Binance would realize starting at a high valuation wasn’t good for users.

Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao previously admitted that Binance’s listing process needs reform. On Feb. 10, the former Binance CEO said that the current system is flawed and suggested that CEXs should automate listings similar to how decentralized exchanges (DEXs) work.

Magazine: New ‘MemeStrategy’ Bitcoin firm by 9GAG, jailed CEO’s $3.5M bonus: Asia Express

Coin Market

Can you really buy anything with Pi coin? Find out here!

Published

41 minutes ago

April 15, 2025

Key takeaways
Pi coin finally went live on open mainnet in February 2025, unlocking real-world use cases after years in closed beta.

You can spend Pi coin, but mostly within P2P communities and KYC-verified Pi apps — mainstream adoption is still in its early stages.

Pi is now tradable on several CEXs, such as OKX, Bitget and MEXC, but Binance still hasn’t listed it despite 2 million+ user voters lobbying for the listing.

Merchant adoption is growing slowly, with real goods and services being exchanged for Pi in localized markets and app-based ecosystems.

Often described as a crypto for the people, Pi is a decentralized project that runs without the need for GPUs or gas fees. But five years since its closed mainnet launch in 2021, the million-dollar question still hangs in the air: Can you actually buy anything with Pi coin in 2025?

Let’s dive into the Pi Network’s real-world usability and answer what every Pi miner and curious crypto observer is wondering: Does Pi coin work in real life, or is it still just theoretical digital dust?

What is Pi coin, and what’s driving the attention around it in 2025?

Launched in March 2019 by a trio of Stanford Ph.D.s — Nicolas Kokkalis, Chengdiao Fan and Vincent McPhillip — the Pi Network set out to solve one of crypto’s core problems: accessibility.

Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, which require specialized hardware to mine, Pi coin was designed to be mined directly from a smartphone, without draining battery or data. The idea? Democratize crypto from the palm of your hand.

The Pi Network quickly went viral, spreading through invitation-only mining that created a sense of exclusivity and social virality. By 2021, the app had surpassed 20 million engaged users, or “Pioneers,” and by late 2023, that number had reportedly hit 47 million, making it one of the largest pre-mainnet crypto communities in the world.

Here’s a quick timeline of key moments:

March 2019: The Pi Network launches a beta version of its app on Android and iOS.

2020–2021: User growth accelerates through referrals; Pi phases move toward testnet.

December 2021: Closed mainnet goes live; Pi transactions remain within the ecosystem.

2022–2024: Over 100 Pi apps are built for testing in the closed economy.

February 2025: Pi Network officially launches its open mainnet, enabling blockchain interaction with the outside world.

This long-awaited mainnet move opened the doors for Pi (PI) coin to be listed on centralized exchanges (CEXs) and used outside its sandbox — finally bringing the project closer to its goal of becoming a real digital currency for everyday use.

From an ambitious student project to one of the most downloaded crypto apps ever, Pi Network’s journey has been anything but ordinary. But now that the tech is live and tradable, the big question is: Can you actually use Pi coin to buy things?

Did you know? Over 2 million users voted for Binance to list Pi coin — and yet, Binance has remained completely silent. Despite Pi Network boasting 47 million users and a fully launched mainnet, the world’s biggest exchange hasn’t budged. Why? Some say it’s a lack of decentralization. Others point to the controlled KYC rollout. Either way, it’s a reminder that in crypto, even a viral army can’t force the gatekeepers to open the doors.

Where can you buy Pi coin in 2025?

Following the launch of Pi Network’s open mainnet in February 2025, Pi coin has become available for trading on several cryptocurrency exchanges. As of April 2025, Pi coin is listed on the following exchanges:

OKX: One of the first to list PI, offering trading pairs such as PI/USDT.

Bitget: Provides PI trading with liquidity and user-friendly interfaces.

MEXC: Another early adopter, supporting PI trading pairs.

BitMart: Supports PI trading, though some listings may be IOUs.

HTX (formerly Huobi): Has listed PI, though it’s based on IOU listings.

Despite community efforts, including over 2 million votes in favor, Binance has not listed Pi coin as of April 2025. Concerns over blockchain compatibility, transparency and regulatory issues have been touted as reasons for the hesitation.

Did you know? Many Pi coin listings on exchanges are actually IOUs, which is not the real deal. These “I Owe You” tokens are speculative placeholders that aren’t backed by mainnet Pi, meaning you can’t withdraw or use them within the Pi Network ecosystem. It’s like trading a movie ticket for a film that hasn’t even premiered yet. Always check whether you’re buying the actual PI token or just a promise.

What can you actually buy with Pi coin?

Here’s where things get real (or not so real). While you might not be buying a Tesla with Pi (yet), the Pi community has been documenting purchases such as:

T-shirts, mugs and phone accessories

Freelance graphic design services

Basic electronics and gadgets

Food, drinks and small restaurant meals (in localized Pi events)

Handmade crafts and collectibles.

The catch? Most of these transactions happen via social media groups, Telegram chats or Pi’s own ecosystem apps such as Pi Browser and Pi Chat. These platforms act as informal marketplaces, often relying on trust and reputation rather than formal escrow systems.

So, while Pi isn’t quite ready for prime time in major retail environments, it is functioning — in a grassroots, community-driven way. Think of it more as a barter system with crypto flair than a fully integrated payment network. For now, at least.

Pi Network merchant list — fact or fiction?

If you search “Pi coin accepted stores” on Google, hoping for a list of your favorite retailers, you’ll be disappointed.

There is no official Pi Network merchant list that guarantees where Pi is accepted. Instead, adoption is grassroots and highly localized. One group of Pi Pioneers in Indonesia might be able to buy food with Pi, while another in Vietnam uses it for mobile data top-ups. But it’s hard to track, standardize or verify.

Merchant adoption is still early — but gaining traction.

Now that Pi Network’s open mainnet is live, the conversation is no longer about “if” Pi will integrate with the broader crypto ecosystem — it’s about how fast it can onboard real merchants and use cases.

One promising trend is the rise of Know Your Customer (KYC)-verified Pi apps, platforms that require users and businesses to complete identity verification before participating in the Pi economy. This layer of trust helps Pi Network build a more legitimate commercial environment, where merchants feel more confident accepting Pi coin as payment.

In the months following the open mainnet launch, Pi Network’s developers and community have focused on scaling real-world integrations, which include:

Local businesses in countries such as Nigeria, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines accept Pi for goods and services.

Pi Chain Mall and other marketplaces are enabling digital commerce in Pi.

Third-party integrations are being tested to connect Pi with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, crosschain bridges and non-fungible token (NFT) platforms.

Pi Browser and Pi Apps allow decentralized application (DApp) developers to launch new payment-enabled services using mainnet Pi.

With over 100 Pi apps already built during the testnet phase — and a global army of KYC-verified users — Pi Network now has the tools to grow a real, scalable economy. Whether that turns into a bustling merchant network or a niche payment layer depends on what the community builds next.

With that said, there’s growing interest in onboarding merchants through KYC-verified Pi apps, hinting at a slow but potentially scalable adoption model.

Now with the open mainnet live, Pi is also expected to launch integrated DeFi protocols, decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and NFT marketplaces. If these integrations succeed, serious use cases beyond the Pi bubble could be unlocked.

Did you know? During PiFest 2025, over 1.8 million users engaged in transactions using Pi coin across 58,000 active merchants worldwide. This event showcased Pi Network’s growing real-world adoption and its potential to facilitate everyday commerce.

Is Pi coin ready for real-world payments?

Let’s be honest: Pi coin isn’t a Visa killer at the moment. It’s not ready to power global commerce or even compete with Bitcoin in El Salvador. However, it serves as a testbed for what crypto payments might look like when driven by community trust rather than institutional backing.

Think of it less like a universal payment tool and more like a local barter system on crypto steroids.

If the Pi Network nails its open mainnet rollout and expands merchant onboarding with real compliance and liquidity support, 2025 could mark the moment Pi goes from playful experiment to actual contender.

Final verdict: Can you buy stuff with Pi coin?

Yes — but with limitations.

You can spend Pi coin, but only in select peer-to-peer (P2P) markets, community-driven stores or pilot programs run by Pi Pioneers. Most of it is still happening in closed circuits, with no large-scale merchant integration yet.

But is that really a problem?

Maybe not. After all, the early days of Bitcoin weren’t much different — experimental, niche and often dismissed.

Back then, buying a pizza with Bitcoin (BTC) was groundbreaking. Now, BTC sits in exchange-traded fund (ETF) portfolios and corporate treasuries.

Whether Pi Network breaks through or fades into obscurity depends on what happens next: regulatory clarity and whether the network can scale beyond its internal community.

Believer or skeptic, one thing’s certain: The real-world test of the Pi Network economy is just getting started — and the world is watching.

Coin Market

Is Bitcoin the new safe haven during trade wars?

Published

41 minutes ago

April 15, 2025

Bitcoin joins the safe-haven debate as trade tensions rise

For decades, investors fled to gold and US Treasurys during crises, but in today’s digital, decentralized world, Bitcoin is starting to enter the safe-haven conversation. Despite its volatility, Bitcoin (BTC) has shown signs of resilience during global turbulence, including trade wars, prompting a fresh look at its role in preserving value.

Let’s rewind a bit to understand where this question comes from.

For decades, whenever uncertainty rattled the global economy, be it war, inflation, or sudden political shifts, investors did what they always do — run to the safest hills. Historically, those hills were made of gold or filled with US Treasury bonds. But things are changing.

In a world that’s more digital, decentralized, and volatile than ever, people are asking whether Bitcoin might now be part of the conversation as a modern safe-haven asset, especially during disruptive events like trade wars.

To get into this, you need to explore what makes an asset a safe haven in the first place, how Bitcoin has behaved during recent trade-related turbulence and whether it has earned its spot alongside more traditional defensive plays.

First, the concept of a “safe haven” isn’t about making a profit. It’s about preserving value. In times of crisis, investors want assets that hold up under pressure. Gold has done this for decades. The US dollar, despite being fiat, is often seen as a safe haven due to its global reserve status and the strength of US financial institutions.

Treasury bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. All these assets are supposed to be relatively low in volatility and high in liquidity.

Now, here’s the twist: Bitcoin is not low in volatility. It’s notoriously wild. But despite that, you might have seen moments where it behaves like a safe haven. Not always, but sometimes, and that’s interesting.

Isn’t it?

The 2018-19 trade war vs Bitcoin’s role in times of turmoil

During the 2018–19 US-China trade war, Bitcoin surged as traditional markets faltered, hinting at its potential as a hedge in turbulent times. While its “digital gold” narrative gained traction, Bitcoin’s behavior often mirrors that of speculative tech stocks, keeping its safe-haven status an open question.

Take the 2018–19 US-China trade war, for example. As tariff threats escalated and tensions between the two economic giants intensified, global markets became increasingly jittery. Tech stocks took a hit. Commodities wavered. Amid all this, something strange happened. Bitcoin quietly surged. From April to July 2019, the price of Bitcoin climbed from about $5,000 to over $12,000.

It wasn’t alone. Gold also rallied during that time. However, this was one of the earliest signs that Bitcoin might not be just a risk-on asset but could also serve as a hedge in turbulent times. That period sparked a new narrative: Bitcoin as “digital gold.”

The fixed supply of 21 million coins gave it scarcity. Its decentralized nature meant it wasn’t bound to any single government’s policies. And because it lived on a global, censorship-resistant network, it was insulated from the kind of capital controls that often follow during periods of financial stress. These qualities started to resonate with investors looking for alternatives to traditional safe havens.

To be fair, Bitcoin hasn’t always stuck to the script. While there are moments where it moves inversely to risk assets, more often than not, it behaves like a speculative tech stock, especially over short time frames. Historically, Bitcoin has had a strong correlation with the Nasdaq. So, while the “digital gold” narrative is growing, it still sits side-by-side with the idea of Bitcoin being a high-beta bet for risk-seeking investors.

Did you know? A 2025 study titled Institutional Adoption and Correlation Dynamics: Bitcoin’s Evolving Role in Financial Markets analyzed daily data from 2018 to 2025. The study found that Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq 100 intensified following key institutional milestones, with peaks reaching 0.87 in 2024. This suggests that Bitcoin has transitioned from an alternative asset toward a more integrated financial instrument.

Inside the Trump tariff wars of 2025: Markets rattle, Bitcoin rises

In early 2025, Trump’s sweeping tariffs triggered panic across financial markets, with the Nasdaq and S&P suffering historic drops. Within two days, US stock indexes lost trillions, reigniting the debate over Bitcoin’s role as a modern safe haven.

Fast forward to April 2025, and the question of whether Bitcoin can serve as a safe haven got tested again. This time, it was in a much more pronounced way. In February 2025, Trump, now in his second term as president, announced a fresh wave of aggressive tariffs aimed at revitalizing American manufacturing.

This was the kind of headline that immediately spooks financial markets, especially when major trading partners began whispering about retaliation. By April 2, Trump had declared what he called “Liberation Day,” a sweeping set of tariffs covering nearly all imported goods. It was framed as economic patriotism, but to markets, it spelled chaos.

Chaos came quickly. On April 3, the Nasdaq Composite plunged by nearly 6%, losing over 1,000 points in one session. This was a record-setting drop in terms of raw numbers. The S&P 500 didn’t fare much better, falling close to 5%. Investors began to panic about supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and a possible global slowdown.

Then came April 4, and the panic only deepened. The Nasdaq slid into official bear market territory, and the Dow lost over 2,200 points in a single day. Within 48 hours, America’s major stock indexes had lost trillions in value.

Did you know? Barry Bannister, chief equity strategist at Stifel, noted that Bitcoin and the Nasdaq 100 have been driven by speculative fervor fueled by lenient Fed policies. He highlighted that Bitcoin tends to trade in tandem with highly leveraged tech-focused ETFs, indicating a strong correlation between Bitcoin and tech stocks.

Bitcoin didn’t soar amid market crash, but It didn’t sink either

During the April 2025 market crash, Bitcoin held steady while stocks plunged, surprising many with its resilience. It didn’t surge, but its stability amid chaos hinted at its growing role as a value-preserving asset in turbulent times.

So, what did Bitcoin do? Surprisingly, nothing catastrophic, and that was the story. While nearly everything else was tanking during the tariff-fueled sell-off, Bitcoin didn’t crash. That alone turned heads.

In a market where even the most established benchmarks were falling apart, Bitcoin’s relative stability stood out to portfolio managers and institutional watchers.

Long criticized as too volatile for serious portfolios, Bitcoin quietly weathered the storm better than many traditional assets. This wasn’t a moonshot moment. It was a resilience moment. Value preservation over value multiplication. And that’s what investors look for in a safe haven. Its ability to hold ground while the Nasdaq and S&P plunged gave more weight to the idea that Bitcoin might be evolving into something sturdier.

To be clear, Bitcoin hasn’t fully decoupled from risk assets. It still responds to liquidity flows, monetary policy and investor sentiment. But at times like April 2025, it showed something different. It didn’t break. It held! And for a growing number of investors, that’s starting to matter.

Bitcoin isn’t the new gold, but it’s not the old BTC either

Bitcoin’s growing resilience stems from a maturing market, rising institutional adoption and its appeal as a non-sovereign, portable hedge in times of financial or geopolitical stress. While not yet the ultimate safe haven, it’s clearly moved beyond its speculative roots and is earning a seat at the table.

Part of this growing strength is structural. Over the past few years, the Bitcoin market has matured. Institutional adoption has risen. Spot Bitcoin ETFs now live in major markets. Custody solutions are better. And perhaps most importantly, there’s a broader understanding of what Bitcoin represents.

Bitcoin is not just a speculative coin anymore. It’s a tool for financial sovereignty, for hedging against fiat depreciation and for stepping outside the boundaries of politicized financial infrastructure.

There’s also the fact that Bitcoin is entirely non-sovereign. In a trade war scenario, where fiat currencies can be weaponized, and capital controls are deployed, Bitcoin becomes very attractive to people who want to move money across borders without interference. It’s portable, permissionless and increasingly liquid. These are three attributes of an asset you want in a crisis.

Of course, none of this means Bitcoin is now the undisputed king of safe havens. Gold still plays that role for most of the world’s conservative investors. The US dollar is still the default when people want liquidity in a crunch. And Bitcoin’s price swings can still make people nervous. But you are seeing it graduate amid the market chaos. It’s no longer the outsider it once was.

Bitcoin in times of crisis, safe haven 2.0?

In both 2019 and 2025, Bitcoin showed flashes of safe-haven behavior, proving it can act as a hedge in times of geopolitical stress. While it’s not gold just yet, its unique properties make it an increasingly serious contender in the global financial playbook.

During both the 2019 trade tensions and the 2025 tariff escalation, Bitcoin acted more like a hedge than it did in earlier cycles. And that’s noteworthy. Even if Bitcoin doesn’t yet consistently play the safe-haven role, it’s starting to show it can, at least in specific contexts.

There’s a bigger question brewing here, too. What does it mean for financial markets if Bitcoin does become a mainstream safe-haven asset? How does that change portfolio construction, risk models or even geopolitical strategy? After all, Bitcoin isn’t gold. It plays by entirely different rules.

Bitcoin is programmable. It can be moved across the world instantly. It can be sliced into satoshis and embedded into smart contracts. If it becomes part of the global toolkit for navigating crises, that changes the game.

So, is Bitcoin the new safe haven during trade wars? Not quite, at least not in the traditional sense. But it has undoubtedly earned a seat at the table.

Bitcoin may not be the asset your grandparents bought to protect themselves in uncertain times, but for a growing number of investors, especially in the digital age, it’s becoming their version of safety. As geopolitical tensions rise and confidence in traditional financial systems erodes, Bitcoin is positioning itself as a potential hedge for the future.