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Pressure

Apple Caves to Trump Pressure, Removes App That Let Immigrants Track ICE Activity

by admin October 3, 2025

Apple removed an app that allows immigrants to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on Thursday night.

ICEBlock, an app that was launched in response to President Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown, was modeled after Google’s crowdsourced traffic app Waze, and it gave users a crowdsourced way to report nearby ICE activity.

“We just received a message from Apple’s App Review that #ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store due to ‘objectionable content’. The only thing we can imagine is this is due to pressure from the Trump Admin. We have responded and we’ll fight this! #resist,” ICEBlock said in a post on Bluesky.

ICEBlock received intense backlash from Trump administration officials earlier this year. ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons claimed that the app “basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs,” in a press statement from June.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is now taking credit for the removal, telling Fox News that her office reached out to Apple to demand they remove the app

Earlier this summer, Bondi also went on Fox News to openly threaten ICEBlock’s founder Joshua Aaron. “We are looking at him,” she said. “And he better watch out.” Around that time, Bondi also said that she wanted to prosecute CNN for airing a segment on the app.

Acting director of ICE’s removal operations, Marcos Charles, also suggested ICEBlock and similar ICE tracking apps were used in the fatal shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, although the shooter would have known the location of the facility without a tracker app.

“I am incredibly disappointed by Apple’s actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move,” Aaron told 404 Media. “This is protected speech under the first amendment of the United States Constitution.”

“Information provided to Apple by law enforcement show that your app violates Guideline 1.1.1 because its purpose is to provide a location information about law enforcement officers that can be used to harm such officers individually or as a group,” Apple’s email to Aaron read, according to 404 Media.

In 2019, Apple removed a similar crowdsourced app that allowed users to track Hong Kong police movements amidst the Hong Kong protests that were marked by police brutality. At the time, numerous Republican lawmakers were quick to criticize the decision and deem it censorship.

“American companies should never be censored or told what to by foreign adversaries,” Republican Florida senator Rick Scott tweeted at the time.

ICEBlock was number one on the App Store over the summer as the Trump administration ramped up its policy of mass deportations and ICE raids, as part of the President’s campaign promise to enact the “largest deportation” in U.S. history.

“In recent years, ICE has faced criticism for alleged civil rights abuses and failures to adhere to constitutional principles and due process, making it crucial for communities to stay informed about its operations,” ICEBlock’s website writes to explain why the app exists.

The app insists that it’s completely anonymous, but that claim has been contested. ICEBlock, the app does not keep a database of user activity, but a database of downloads is available on Apple, and it’s likely that Apple also tracks device registrations for push notifications, according to the founders of other privacy-focused apps who spoke to The Verge about it earlier this year. On the other hand, a third-party security researcher has corroborated ICEBlock’s claims of total privacy and anonymity.

The app was available exclusively for iOS devices, so it’s now unclear what the future holds for ICEBlock and its users.

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October 3, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Performance Puts Pressure Back on Intel and Apple

by admin September 29, 2025

It’s important to note that this was all tested on the X2 Elite Extreme configuration, which comes with six additional CPU cores over the standard X2 Elite. There were no X2 Elite systems to test, so we don’t know what those multi-core scores will be. I’ve been told that GPU performance will also scale up on the X2 Elite, but we don’t yet know how much faster the X2 Elite Extreme is over its sibling.

The other caveats? The reference unit on which all of this was benchmarked is a bigger laptop than many current Snapdragon X Elite options—a 16-inch laptop with a 0.67-inch thick chassis. That’s not overly large, but performance in smaller laptops with less thermal headroom may perform differently. Qualcomm did have a few other reference designs on display, such as a 2-in-1 detachable, mini PC, and all-in-one desktop. These weren’t available for testing, but were a preview of what to expect next year when these chips launch in actual devices.

Finally, benchmarks are benchmarks. Take all of this with a grain of salt. How these chips will affect real-world performance in all the apps you use every day will be different. We’ll have to wait until these processors land in laptops to really stress test them, and we’ll have a better idea of how they perform against the competition.

X2 Elite Extreme and X2 Elite Confusion

Between the X2 Elite Extreme and the X2 Elite, there are technically three specific SKUs. The exact chip from the benchmarking session, the X2E-96-100, represents the top-tier performance in the lineup, with 18 cores and a dual-core 5-GHz boost. This is the chip that will be sold as the X2 Elite Extreme.

Confusingly, there are two Snapdragon X2 Elite chips, one that also has 18 cores and one with 12 cores. The difference between the two 18-core models is memory bandwidth. Although all three chips have a new neural processing unit capable of 80 TOPS, the X2 Elite chips are limited to 8-channel memory, whereas the X2 Elite Extreme has integrated 12-channel memory with a bandwidth of up to 228 GB per second.

That might sound like a subtle difference, and it will be for most people, but AI workloads are extremely memory-dependent—that lower bandwidth will be a bottleneck for anyone tapping out the NPU. With the X2 Elite Extreme configuration, the focus seems to be on speeding up AI workloads, rather than more conventional faster CPU or GPU performance.

Qualcomm seems to want to push the focus of AI in its top-tier configuration, but so far, the real jump in performance seems like it would be between the 12-core and 18-core versions of the X2 Elite. But we’ll have to wait until we can review these systems in new hardware.

Adding another top-tier chip with its own branding is an interesting move for Qualcomm, especially since the company seems to have the most success with its mid-tier chips that showed up in laptops around $1,000. But it’s a strategic move, especially if the company wants to achieve its goal of taking 50 percent of the Windows PC market share in 5 years.

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September 29, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

HYPE Price Under Pressure: $12B Unlock and Hayes’ Ferrari Sale Shake Confidence

by admin September 25, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

The Hyperliquid (HYPE) token is under heavy selling pressure as concerns mount over a looming $12 billion unlock event. Trading at $43.37, HYPE has fallen more than 12% in the past 24 hours and is down 20.8% this week, raising alarm across the crypto market.

The scheduled unlock on November 29 will see team tokens representing 23.8% of the total supply released over 24 months, with analysts warning of $500 million in monthly selling pressure.

Research group Maelstrom described the upcoming vesting as a “Sword of Damocles” moment, noting that only 17% of the supply may be absorbed by buybacks.

This overhang has already caused major whales to trim their positions, with one investor withdrawing $122 million worth of HYPE while holding onto $90 million in unrealized profits.

HYPE’s price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: HYPEUSD on Tradingview

Arthur Hayes’ Ferrari Sale Sparks Hyperliquid (HYPE) Selloff

Adding fuel to the bearish sentiment, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes recently exited his entire HYPE position, cashing out over 96,000 tokens for approximately $4.8 million. Hayes revealed on social media that the sale was to cover a deposit for his new Ferrari 849 Testarossa, generating nearly $823,000 in profit.

The move stunned the market, especially given Hayes’ bold prediction just weeks earlier at the WebX 2025 conference, where he forecasted a 126x surge in HYPE over three years. His abrupt selloff, paired with mounting unlock concerns, has shaken investor confidence in Hyperliquid’s long-term trajectory.

Tokenomics Reform Proposal: Can It Restore Trust?

In response to growing concerns, DBA Asset Management’s Jon Charbonneau and researcher Hasu have introduced a comprehensive proposal to overhaul HYPE’s tokenomics. The plan recommends:

Burning 45% of HYPE’s supply, including unminted tokens allocated for emissions and assistance funds.
Eliminating Hyperliquid’s fixed 1 billion supply cap, aligning with flexible issuance models seen in Ethereum and Solana.

Supporters argue the proposal could remove distortions in fully diluted valuation (FDV) metrics and create a fairer assessment of Hyperliquid’s fundamentals. However, critics warn that cutting emissions may weaken growth incentives and reduce flexibility in responding to future challenges.

Despite its current price struggles, Hyperliquid remains one of the fastest-growing decentralized derivatives exchanges, recently hitting $3.4 billion in daily trading volumes. Whether the proposed reforms can stabilize HYPE ahead of November’s unlock will be a decisive test for the project’s resilience.

Cover image from ChatGPT, HYPEUSD chart from Tradingview

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September 25, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Here’s The XRP ‘Perpetual Buyer’ That Could Bring about $700 Million In Buying Pressure Yearly

by admin September 23, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

A new product was launched at XRP Seoul 2025, designed to act as a constant buyer of XRP. At the event, Midas and Interop Labs announced the start of mXRP, a tokenized version of XRP that can earn yield while staying fully transferable. The model recycles returns back into XRP, which experts say could generate intense yearly buying pressure and help support the market.

mXRP Launch To Create Constant Demand For XRP

The mXRP token is created as an ERC-20 asset on the XRP Ledger’s EVM sidechain, allowing holders to use it across various DeFi platforms. Unlike other XRP yield products that keep funds inside closed accounts, mXRP is transferable and can move across lending pools, liquidity venues, and other platforms.

The primary goal of mXRP is to utilize XRP tokens that are currently unused and integrate them into active DeFi strategies. Holders can earn a base yield of 6–8%, with all returns paid directly in XRP. The launch on stage at XRP Seoul 2025, before more than 3,000 XRP holders, is closely watched by the audience, demonstrating the high interest in this first-of-its-kind product for XRP.

mXRP stands out from other yield products. While companies like Flare, MoreMarkets, Bitrue, and Doppler already offer XRP yield accounts, those services keep funds locked in one place. Midas and Interop Labs believe that the open and portable design of mXRP allows it to grow faster and serve more uses. They also argue that this launch could mark the beginning of a new phase for DeFi on the XRP Ledger, where yields are currently very low, often below 1%.

‘Perpetual Buyer’ Model Set To Inject $700 Million Of Yearly Pressure

The unique part of mXRP is its “perpetual buyer” design. In this system, the yield collected from different strategies is recycled and reinvested in buying XRP, and the holders receive it directly. Axelar co-founder Georgios Vlachos explains that this creates a loop where the product becomes a constant buyer of XRP.

As more users adopt mXRP, the impact on the XRP market could be massive. Should the assets under management reach $10 billion by 2026, the model could generate $700 million in yearly buying pressure for the market at a 7% yield. Platforms like Strobe Finance could see liquidity rewards rise above 5% after the launch of mXRP. At the same time, Midas, which already manages over $1.2 billion in tokenized assets, shows that it has the experience to back this type of product.

Even though access will not be open in the U.S., U.K., or in sanctioned areas, many view the launch at XRP Seoul 2025 as a crucial step forward. With its “perpetual buyer” structure, the product could alter the way demand for XRP develops in the years to come.

Token price suppressed by bears | Source: XRPUSDT on TradingView.com

Featured image from DALL.E, chart from Tradingview.com

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

HBAR Experiences Sharp Decline Amid High Volume Selling Pressure

by admin September 22, 2025

HBAR experienced a sharp downturn over a 23-hour trading window between September 21 and 22, as the token tumbled from $0.24 to $0.22. The 6.29% decline was accompanied by a dramatic expansion in volatility, with trading ranges reaching 9.7%—well above monthly averages. Market pressure intensified as institutional sellers drove prices lower, establishing firm resistance around the $0.235–$0.24 zone and triggering a wave of liquidations.

The most pronounced selling pressure arrived at midnight on September 22, when volumes surged to 137.11 million, nearly triple the daily baseline. This spike marked the peak of the selloff as market sentiment soured across crypto assets, amplifying HBAR’s decline. At the trough, the token hovered around $0.22, signaling potential capitulation among short-term holders.

Yet, the session ended with a notable rebound. In the final hour of trading, bulls regained momentum, pushing HBAR from $0.2197 to $0.2222. A breakout above the $0.22 threshold was fueled by an exceptional 6.21 million in volume within minutes, sparking a short-lived rally toward session highs near $0.2225. The recovery underscored the token’s liquidity-driven dynamics, though volumes collapsed to zero in the final three minutes, suggesting a temporary equilibrium.

HBAR’s volatile session highlights the crypto market’s heightened sensitivity to institutional flows and sentiment-driven reversals. The combination of sharp declines, outsized volume spikes, and a late-stage rebound illustrates the rapid shifts in liquidity that define digital asset markets—underscoring how quickly bearish pressure can give way to opportunistic buying.

HBAR/USD (TradingView)

Key Technical Indicators

Price tumbles 6% from $0.24 to $0.22 over 23-hour period from 21 September 15:00 to 22 September 14:00.
Volume explodes to 137.11 million at 22 September 00:00—nearly triple daily average baseline.
Bears establish strong resistance at $0.24 level where price reverses sharply on heavy selling.
Bulls mount 1% recovery rally in final 60 minutes from 22 September 13:09 to 14:08.
Breakout above $0.22 resistance occurs at 13:54 on exceptional 6.21 million volume surge.
Zero trading volume in final three minutes signals temporary market pause after volatile session.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.

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September 22, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Thrustmaster T248R wheel review: an updated model that puts pressure on the mighty Logitech G923

by admin September 20, 2025

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Thrustmaster T248R: One-minute review

It’s not a new racing wheel you’re looking at here, but instead a revamped and thoughtfully tweaked 2025 edition of the existing Thrustmaster T248. The youthful maverick that is the T248R features many small but noticeable improvements, including a visual facelift, upgraded gear shift paddles, and a sharper digital display that offers genuinely useful readouts.

As for the tech powering your driving sensation, that’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s a downside that the T.HD wheelbase is built on a hybrid of gear and belt-driven feedback, which can’t compete with direct drive for smooth, fast, precise feedback.

And with the price of direct drive bundles tumbling down lately into price points not that much more than the price of this bundle, that’s definitely a major consideration for anyone hovering over the ‘add to cart’ button.

(Image credit: Future)

On the other hand, nobody does belt-driven feedback quite like Thrustmaster, so the driving sensation you actually get out of this wheel in your hands isn’t anything as old-fashioned as you might imagine.

It’s plenty powerful for the entry-level sim racer it’s designed for, outputting a peak 3.1Nm of torque, and there’s some subtlety to the feedback too, which doesn’t produce a detrimental amount of cogging (that grindy, stuttering feeling associated with older belt-driven feedback).

Down at your feet, the pedal base is everything you could ask for at this price. It stays where you put it, even on a carpeted floor; the three pedals are well-spaced apart from each other, and the brake has a satisfying amount of stamping force thanks to its stiff load cell.

It’s a wheel to be recommended, ultimately, but it’s a qualified recommendation. If the cheapest direct drive wheels like the Nacon Revosim or the Thrustmaster T598 are out of budget, or you simply don’t race enough to justify the extra outlay for the improved sensation, this bundle makes a lot of sense.

That’s even factoring in the great Logitech G923, a true titan of non-direct drive wheels at the sub-$300 mark. Logi’s wheel offers slightly better build quality, and its TrueForce feedback offers impressive detail, but those are marginal gains over this dependable and well-priced T248R.

(Image credit: Future)

Thrustmaster T248R: Price and availability

List price: $349.99 / £249.99 (around AU$512)
Priced cheaper than outbound T248 and Logitech’s G923
It may be old tech, but it still offers great bang for buck

Price is a vital bit of context here. It’s true that direct drive (DD) is becoming much more affordable, with bundles like Nacon’s Revosim and the fantastic T598 from Thrustmaster’s own stable bringing high-quality DD sensation to the masses at a price point below $500. But this T248R’s pricing is so far below that $500 threshold that a belt and gear-driven bundle is still a worthwhile consideration.

That does mean the looks and finish quality do feature some obvious compromises compared to the G923. But with a crystal-clear digital display, nice tactile buttons, quiet shifters, and a high-quality set of pedals, there’s real value here. The build quality and driving experience are more than enough for casual racers and even more committed enthusiasts on a budget.

Thrustmaster T248R: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Weight

12.6lb / 5.7kg

Peak torque

3.1Nm

Features

Digital display, load cell brake pedal, magnetic shifters, cushioned pleather wheel finish

Connection type

USB-A

Compatibility

PC, PS4, PS5

Software

My Thrustmaster

Thrustmaster T248R: Design and features

Well built, if a little plasticky
Pleather wheel feels great
Useful display

Thrustmaster has been making the T248 in its various iterations for long enough to know that its audience isn’t likely to be attaching it to a sim rig, so it’s sensibly built both the wheel and pedals to be used comfortably at a desktop. The pedal base is heavy and grippy, which is absolutely crucial for an enjoyable drive.

The last thing you want when you’re stamping on a load cell brake at 180mph in Assetto Corsa Competizione is to feel the whole base shift position or rotate, and happily, there’s next to none of that with this bundle, despite a relatively stiff load cell on the brake. The aluminium contact points on the pedals are a nice touch at this price, too.

Working our way up, the wheelbase and wheel itself show a few more concessions to the affordable price point. Primarily, all the plastic. Although it’s a definite upgrade versus the outgoing T248 (which will still be on sale in Xbox config, as this new T248R supports PC, PS4, and PS5 only, so is targeting the best PS5 racing wheel market), there is still a lot of quite light, flimsy plastic used on the face, inner wheel, and hub.

Thrustmaster’s done its best to disguise some of this with a carbon fiber-style weave effect, but realistically, it’s fooling no one. Personally, for this price, I can live with it, but it’s worth noting that the slightly pricier G923 does look and feel more substantial and somehow, well, more pro.

Buttons are laid out sensibly around the centre, and at the top there’s a digital display with a sharper resolution now, which can give you some really useful readouts and telemetry – a definite perk for the price.

The biggest weakness in the T248’s overall design comes in the desktop clamp. There’s no major issue here – it does its job in keeping the wheel fixed in position on your desk, but now with the same rigidity or assuredness as the G923, whose two tightening screws at either side of the wheelbase lock it tightly in position. Here, there’s just one central screw, and while it does keep out of the way of your legs, it’s not as secure a contact point as Logitech’s.

(Image credit: Future)

Thrustmaster T248R: Performance

Plenty of power
A pleasing sensation considering the older tech
Buttons, shifters, and pedals all feel great while driving
How does it feel to drive a lap with this updated model?
Well, firstly, it’s pretty straightforward to get onto the track in the first place, since most games recognise this as either the older T248 or the TGT wheel. That means you’ve got default assignments for inputs across the wheel, and pretty good axis and force feedback values from the off. Every title I tried with this new model was recognised enough that all my mappings were done for me, and I didn’t need to calibrate the wheel axis by axis.
On the track, Thrustmaster’s unique hybrid of belt and gear-driven force feedback shows its merits. It does feel very different to direct drive – it’s nowhere near as smooth to rotate the wheel, for starters. But it’s also not coggy or rough in the way that older traditional belt-driven models (remember the MOMO Force?) used to be.
Instead, you’ve got a happy medium between smooth wheel actuation and rumbly feedback that feels about right for the price point. Does it offer the same variety of feedback types as Logitech’s TrueForce-enabled G29? It does not.
The Logi wheel conveys tarmac rumble a little better and gives a more convincing sense of weight to the vehicle you’re driving, but that doesn’t really have a meaningful effect on lap times.
(Image credit: Future)
I noticed how well built the input buttons feel as I was driving, too. It’s common for the face buttons – translated from a traditional console controller and arranged around the wheel – to feel loose and flimsy on a lower-end wheel, but here they feel higher quality. You’re always sure that a button input was registered properly.
It’s a small tweak, but the magnetic paddle shifters have been lavished with some redesign attention to produce a smoother, quieter shift. I’d say more than that, it just feels nicer than it did to change gears on the older T248.
Speaking of, previously the digital display was monochrome and had a limited viewing angle, but it’s much sharper now and thus much more useful. You don’t have a dynamic rev counter, but you do have an RPM light that lets you know when it’s time to upshift. While on the main display, you might have your current lap deltas.
I’m a particular fan of the pedals, and they contribute a lot to the quality of the driving experience in this bundle. It’s great to have a load cell brake that can be adjusted for stiffness by swapping elastomers and springs in, and equally great to feel so planted when you exert a pedal input.
(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Thrustmaster T248R?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

If the Thrustmaster T248R doesn’t hit your apex, try these similarly priced rivals.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 – Cell 0

Thrustmaster T248R

Logitech G923

Hori Apex

Price

$349.99 / £249.99 (around AU$512)

$299.99 / £299.99

$119.99 / £99.99

Weight

12.6lb / 5.7kg

4.96lbs / 2.3kg

3.09lbs / 1.4kg

Peak torque

3.1Nm

2.2Nm

N/A

Features

Digital display, load cell brake pedal, magnetic shifters, cushioned pleather wheel finish

TrueForce feedback, dial controls, rev display

Textured wheel grip, simple setup

Connection type

USB-A

Compatibility

PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, or Xbox Series X/S, PC

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Thrustmaster T248R

Tested in F1 24, F1 25, Rennsport, ACC, and AC Evo
Two weeks with a desktop
A variety of FF strength settings tried

I loaded up my usual racing titles to test this updated T248R wheel, since I’m already familiar with how they feel with a variety of both belt-driven and direct drive wheels.

Happily, every title recognised the wheel to some degree and offered sensible default mappings and values.

There’s a range of different force feedback strength levels available here via Thrustmaster’s ‘BOOST’ tech, although in practice, that’s no different from adjusting the strength of any other wheel via the in-game settings or manufacturer app. Nevertheless, I adjusted to different strengths during testing.

Finally, and importantly, all testing was conducted at a desktop setup, since this bundle can’t easily be mounted onto a sim rig like my Playseat.

HBAR Slides 3% as Selling Pressure Intensifies, Finds Support at $0.24

by admin September 19, 2025

HBAR faced steady downward pressure over the past 23 hours, sliding from $0.25 to $0.24—a 3.38% decline. The token initially attempted to build momentum on September 18, reaching $0.25 by 20:00, but sellers quickly overwhelmed demand near that resistance level. Trading activity spiked at 19:00 with volumes topping 55.91 million, underscoring the intensity of selling. By late evening, HBAR broke below key support zones at $0.25 and $0.24, testing the lower boundary before finding temporary stability.

The retracement highlights fragile sentiment in the short term, with bears maintaining control as buyers failed to defend critical thresholds. The inability to reclaim lost ground indicates that market participants remain cautious, though consolidation near $0.24 suggests some stabilization. If the level continues to hold, traders may view it as a base for potential sideways movement before a clearer directional trend emerges.

Broader market factors continue to shape HBAR’s outlook. While its energy-efficient Hashgraph technology is often cited as a competitive advantage over traditional blockchains, trading volumes still lag peers like Solana. Still, institutional endorsements from Google, IBM, and Boeing offer a degree of legitimacy that could appeal to investors seeking utility-driven blockchain projects. Its low-cost, high-speed transactions keep HBAR positioned as a contender in the evolving digital asset landscape.

In the final hour of the observed session, HBAR showed signs of stabilization, hovering tightly around $0.24. The token formed a minor ascending triangle pattern, testing support multiple times while nudging slightly upward. Though modest, this recovery on volume of 2.08 million indicates buyers are tentatively stepping back in. Whether that consolidation evolves into sustained upside momentum remains contingent on overcoming immediate resistance near $0.24.

HBAR/USD (TradingView)

Technical Indicators Assessment

HBAR breached multiple support levels including $0.25 and $0.24 throughout the bearish phase.
Volume surge of 55.91 million during the 19:00 hour signalled intensified liquidation pressure.
Formation of ascending triangular pattern with progressive higher lows established at $0.24, $0.24, and $0.24.
Resistance remained consistent around $0.24, suggesting potential for breakout above this threshold.
Recent stabilisation near $0.24 may indicate prospective consolidation preceding subsequent directional movement.
Technical analysis reveals constructive consolidation pattern featuring successful support examinations.

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September 19, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

HBAR Retreats After Strong Run Amid Late Wave of Sell Pressure

by admin September 16, 2025

HBAR saw sharp selling pressure in the final hour of trading on Sept. 16, erasing earlier gains. The token slipped from $0.237 to $0.235 between 13:15 and 14:14 UTC, a 1.05% decline, after hitting an intraday high of $0.2385. The move marked a reversal from the preceding 23-hour stretch, when HBAR had climbed steadily from $0.23 to $0.24.

The late-session selloff was accompanied by a spike in trading activity, particularly between 13:45 and 13:51 UTC, when volumes surged past 5.6 million — nearly double the baseline for the session. The pattern suggests institutional distribution, as the cryptocurrency broke through successive support levels at $0.237, $0.236, and ultimately $0.235. Failure to recover above these levels left momentum deteriorating into the close.

Despite the abrupt reversal, HBAR’s broader 23-hour performance reflected underlying resilience. The token advanced roughly 1% during that period, trading within a wide range of $0.231 to $0.239 and showing strong buying activity earlier on Sept. 16. However, the inability to sustain higher levels in the face of concentrated sell pressure underscores the fragility of recent bullish sentiment.

Technical Indicators Display Mixed Market Signals

HBAR navigated within a $0.01 range spanning $0.23 floor and $0.24 ceiling, delivering a 3% total fluctuation.
Key resistance materialized at the $0.24 threshold where price reversed on elevated volume of 72.03 million during the 13:00 hour.
Support established around $0.23-$0.23 zone with multiple successful defense attempts.
Volume intensified substantially throughout the decline, particularly during 13:45-13:51 when selling momentum accelerated with volumes surpassing 5.6 million.
The technical configuration indicates HBAR sustains bullish momentum with considerable institutional interest demonstrated by above-average volume during key reversal points.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Bitcoin price eye $117K breakout as sell pressure drops

by admin September 16, 2025

After a turbulent start to September, Bitcoin is still trading just above $115,000, and sell pressure indicators point to a possible accumulation phase.

Summary

Bitcoin price is consolidating above $115K after a brief dip, with sell pressure showing signs of easing.
Accumulation is picking up, suggesting stronger hands are absorbing supply ahead of the next move.
Resistance at $117K remains key — a breakout could open the way to $124K, while failure risks retesting lower supports.

Bitcoin is currently trading at $115,954, down 0.5% over the previous day. Weekly values have ranged from $110,870 to $116,705, which puts the asset 6.6% below its peak of $124,128 on Aug. 14.

Although it is still down 2% over the last 30 days, Bitcoin (BTC) has increased 3.4% over the last week. A 46.7% increase in daily trading volume to $45.1 billion from the previous day suggests that market activity has resumed.

Derivatives also saw momentum, with volume rising 42.18% to $75.28 billion, though open interest dipped slightly by 1.32%, suggesting traders may be cautious about taking new positions.

Analysts flag easing Bitcoin sell pressure

On Sept. 16, crypto analyst Ali Martinez noted that Bitcoin’s Sell-Side Risk Ratio had dropped below 0.1%, a level often associated with local bottoms, reduced sell pressure, and accumulation phases. Additionally, he pointed out that $116,963 is a crucial supply wall where sellers might try to profit if Bitcoin keeps rising.

Meanwhile, CryptoQuant contributor Arab Chain pointed to a sharp rise in the Bitcoin Scarcity Index on Binance, the first spike since June. When exchange supply thins out, either as a result of large investor withdrawals or a decline in sell orders, this index often rises. When this last happened, Bitcoin rose to $124,000.

However, Arab Chain cautioned that if the spike fades quickly, it could reflect speculative activity rather than sustained buying. A prolonged positive reading, by contrast, could confirm the beginning of a strong accumulation phase.

Bitcoin price technical analysis

On its daily chart, Bitcoin shows consolidation just below resistance at $117,525, and it is currently trading near the upper Bollinger Band. While the relative strength index, which is at 58, indicates neutral momentum, the Momentum and MACD indicators flash buy signals, indicating a bullish short-term scenario.

Bitcoin daily chart. Credit: crypto.news

Moving averages continue to be very supportive as Bitcoin trades above its 50-, 100-, and 200-day levels, all of which flash “buy.” This alignment indicates underlying strength, even though the commodity channel index and stochastic RSI point to overbought conditions and the possibility of a brief decline.

If Bitcoin breaks above the resistance level between $116,963 and $1117,525, it might retest its all-time high of $124,128 from August. However, the price may return to support at $112,244 and perhaps $106,963 if this is not done.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

Ghost of Yotei protagonist draws her sword.

Game Reviews

Ghost Of Yotei Dev Fired Over Charlie Kirk Joke After Pressure Campaign

by admin September 12, 2025

A contingent of right-wing online figures and their followers have been using the recent assassination of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk to punish people they don’t like. That includes a developer at Ghost of Yotei maker Sucker Punch Productions who Sony confirms it has parted ways with after she made a joke on social media about the shooting.

“I hope the shooter’s name is Mario so that Luigi knows his bro got his back,” Drew Harrison, a nearly 10-year veteran of the PlayStation studio, posted in the evening after Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. A few hours later, the post was screen-grabbed and shared by anti-woke crusader Mark “Grummz” Kern.

“Suckerpunch Senior Dev celebrates Charlie Kirk’s death,” he wrote. “Ghost of Yotei is dead to me now.” A streamer who goes by Madamsavvy responded, “No more. Cowards keep quiet. The studio deserves to go under.” Kern replied, “No mercy.”

Harrison subsequently shared on social media that people had been contacting her employer angrily trying to get her fired, and posted a screenshot of a barrage of missed calls from anonymous numbers as evidence of an ongoing harassment campaign. Less than 24 hours later, she was fired.

“If standing up against fascism is what cost me my dream job I held for 10 years, I would do it again 100x stronger,” she wrote.

Sony confirmed her departure in an email to Kotaku but declined to comment further. “Drew Harrison is no longer an employee of Sucker Punch Productions,” a spokesperson from Sony Interactive Entertainment wrote.

1 It’s a game. An entertainment. A story a team of creators believes in. They want to make this.

2 it’s a game. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. In fact, why not make the game you want yourself?

— shawn layden 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇺🇸🇯🇵 (@ShawnLayden) September 25, 2024

A loosely aligned “Gamergate 2.0” movement that grew out of conspiracy theories claiming DEI was ruining gaming has been hoping for this sort of outcome for months. The big PS5 exclusive has been in anti-woke activists’ firing line ever since Ghost of Yotei revealed the open-world samurai series’ latest entry would star a woman named Atsu, played by Erika Ishii.

Fed by an algorithmically juiced YouTube rage factory, certain online culture content creators latched onto one of Ishii’s past comments about abolishing the police as a way to attack the game. Videos with titles like “Ghost of Yōtei DOOMED? Radical Activist Erika Ishii Brings Woke Chaos!” later changed to things like “Ghost Of Yotei New Trailer Sparks BACKLASH, Hiring Activists Backfires For Sony & Sucker Punch” as YouTubers combed LinkedIn for evidence proving that people with opinions they disagreed with were ruining games.

Ghost of Yotei is far from the only high-profile blockbuster game to be dragged into this culture war quicksand. Kern and others attacked Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows as well for featuring an African samurai as one of its two main characters. Developers on the game were reportedly told not to comment on the harassment campaign when the game launched earlier this year.

While Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot condemned attacks targeting employees, he also said at the time the company was working on “tackling the dynamics behind the polarized comments around Ubisoft so as to protect the Group’s reputation and maximize our game’s sales potential.”

Members of the harassment campaign to get Harrison fired from Sucker Punch are already targeting individuals at other game studios and publishers over their social media comments. “Every single studio is compromised,” one of them wrote. “And it’s all American leftists doing this.”

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September 12, 2025 0 comments