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Violent

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether’s (ETH) Violent Price Spike Prompts $375M in Futures Liquidations

by admin August 22, 2025

Bitcoin BTC$115,244.11 bounced off the $111,800 support level on Friday, sharply rising by 2.6% to $114,800 after Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell hinted at potential rate cuts during a speech at Jackson Hole.

The swift move, preceded by a sell-off leading up to the speech, resulted in the liquidation of more than $375 million worth of crypto derivatives positions, according to CoinGlass. The majority of those losses are attributed to traders holding short positions.

Ether (ETH) positions were the hardest hit, with $150 million liquidated over the past four hours as the price rose from $4,200 to $4,650, marking a 10% gain.

Bitcoin’s level of support was critical as it was a record high set in May. The bounce indicates a bullish reversal following a one-week downtrend from $124,500.

ETH/USD (TradingView)

Despite fears that Powell’s speech would have a hawkish tone, he said “the downside risks to employment are rising,” and “If those risks materialize, they can do so quickly in the form of sharply higher layoffs and rising unemployment.”

The comments suggest rate cuts could be on the table next month, which would directly benefit risk assets like bitcoin and ether.

The market remains volatile following the speech, with BTC pulling back slightly from $115,700 to $114,800. While liquidations have taken derivatives positions out of the market, open interest has risen to its highest point in four days, suggesting that the bounce is also being backed by leverage, according to Coinalyze.

The altcoin market is lagging behind ether with the exception of lido (LDO) and ethena ENA$0.7359, which are both continuing their upside ascent after the SEC clarified rules around staking earlier this month.

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August 22, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

3 Reasons Why Ethereum Price Could Soon See a ‘Violent Move’ Above $2.8K

by admin June 19, 2025

Key takeaways:

Spot ETH ETF net inflows totalled $861.3 million over the last two weeks.
Total ETH staked and accumulated are at all-time highs.
ETH price could rally toward the bull flag’s target of $4,100 if a key trendline breaks.

Ether’s (ETH) price rose to a four-month high at $2,880 on June 11, before correcting to the current value at $2,550.

Several analysts said a key resistance remains at $2,800, and the price needs to flip this into support to trigger a “violent move upward.”

“Ethereum price price action is compressing right below this big $2.8K level,” said popular crypto analyst Daan Crypto Trades in a June 16 post on X

The trader asserted that a decisive close above this level would be a “good setup” for a move higher.

“If we see a convincing break above $2.8K and hold there, that would be a good setup for a move to the cycle highs around $4K.”ETH/USD two-day chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trade

Fellow analyst Jelle shared a chart showing ETH price compressing a tight range below a key resistance level above $2,800 and said:

“Generally speaking, these structures only end in one way; a strong and violent move.”

Several bullish signs suggest that ETH is well-positioned to break above $3,000 in the following days or weeks.

Continued spot ETF inflows back ETH upside

One factor supporting Ether’s bullish argument is persistent institutional demand, reflected by significant inflows into spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Related: Ether price stable near $2.4K as crypto investors bet on long-term growth

Spot Ether ETFs saw a 19-day inflow streak before it broke on June 13, but rebounded with three consecutive days of fresh inflows between June 16-18, including over $19 million on Wednesday. These investment products have seen net inflows totaling $861.3 million over the last two weeks, as per data from Farside Investors.

Spot Ethereum ETF flows. Source: Farside Investors

As Cointelegraph reported, these inflows have been the highest since January 2025 and reflect growing confidence among traditional finance players, despite initial market panic from the Israel-Iran conflict.

Staked ETH and accumulation addresses hit new highs

Ether staked increased by more than 500,000 ETH between June 1 and June 15, pushing the total locked amount to a new all-time high of over 35 million ETH.

This growth signals rising confidence and a continued drop in liquid supply. This creates scarcity that can drive prices up if demand holds or grows.

ETH: Total value staked. Source: CryptoQuant

In a June 16 QuickTake, CryptoQuan’s analyst OnChainSchool also pointed out that Ether’s accumulation addresses (holders with no history of selling) have also reached an all-time high, now holding 22.8 million ETH worth approximately $58 billion at current rates.

This signals strong investor confidence and minimal selling pressure, often a precursor to price rallies.

The analyst said:

“These two metrics combined position Ethereum as one of the strongest crypto assets in terms of long-term fundamentals and investor conviction.”

ETH price needs to flip the 200-day SMA trendline

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that ETH price is stuck between two key levels: the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) at $2,600 acting as resistance and the 50-day SMA at $2,450 as support.

ETH bulls were required to reclaim the 200-day SMA to ensure a sustained recovery toward $3,000 and beyond.

The last time the BTC price broke above this trendline, it rallied 40% from $3,130 on Nov. 9, 2024, to its multi-year high of $4,100 on Dec. 15, 2024.

ETH/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The bull flag pattern, on the other hand, indicates a potential breakout toward $3,900, as shown in the chart below.

ETH/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

As Cointelegraph reported, Ether’s breakout from a cup-and-handle chart pattern could result in 51% gains to $4,200.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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June 19, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Ballerina review: A violent, worthy entry to the John Wick universe

by admin June 4, 2025

No one asked for a John Wick movie (mostly) without John Wick. And yet, Ballerina makes a strong case for why this universe might just survive without Keanu Reeves’ terse, suit-clad poster boy.

Spinoffs are tricky, especially when they orbit a character as singular as John Wick. Since 2014, the franchise has built an entire mythology around Reeves’ grief-stricken Baba Yaga, a man of few words and many, many weapons.

But with Chapter 5 potentially closing the book on his blood-soaked journey, the focus has shifted to expanding the world he’ll leave behind – a world where violence is art and vengeance is ritual.

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Enter Eve, Ana de Armas’ ballerina assassin raised by the same Ruska Roma syndicate that molded Wick himself. While the new movie doesn’t quite match the story of its predecessors, when the blades are flying and the bullets are dancing, it delivers exactly what it promises: beautiful, balletic carnage.

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What is Ballerina about?

Set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, Ballerina follows Eve (Armas), a graduate of the Ruska Roma’s brutal ballerina-assassin training program, on a revenge mission tied to her tragic past.

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When she recognizes a mark on a target’s wrist – the same one seen on those who murdered her father – she spirals into a bloody pursuit involving cults, bounty hunters, and a whole town full of killers.

While Eve is the main star here, the OG gang make an appearance in one way or another; Reeves’ Baba Yaga, Ian McShane’s Winston, and even Lance Reddick’s Charon in a posthumous appearance.

But the action is the star here – and it’s tremendous. Epic flamethrower showdowns, wince-inducing ice skate blows, and more stabs and shots than you can shake a bloodied fist at, the kills are as creative as they are absurd.

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From the John Wick school of violence

Lionsgate

With its prolific, elaborate fight sequences, Ballerina fits squarely into the John Wick universe, and in some instances, it takes things even further – one notable death is so violent, it edges into Quentin Tarantino territory (you’ll know it when you see it).

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Although Chad Stahelski steps back from the director’s chair, serving as producer this time around, his influence is undeniable. The fluid action that defines the franchise is alive and well, sharpened further by director Len Wiseman’s flair for high-concept spectacle.

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The choreography is where it all comes together. Together with the 87Eleven team – long-time architects of the franchise’s most memorable fights – they craft set-pieces that are both vicious and graceful, with Armas not missing one beat.

This isn’t the only way Ballerina lets you know it’s a John Wick film. Visually, it mirrors the stylized aesthetic of its predecessors. The camera moves with kinetic purpose, while stark, contrasting lighting and a purple-pink palette nods to the criminal underworld in which it’s set.

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The story loses its balance

Lionsgate

What Ballerina lacks, however, is a story that can keep up with its choreography. Despite the film’s non-stop momentum, the plot feels both too busy and too boring, with a lot of moving parts that never quite click.

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The John Wick films are outlandish, yes, but they’re grounded in simple, effective motivations – John’s dog, his grief, his rules. Ballerina tries to echo this with Eve’s vendetta, but races through exposition and side characters too quickly to build real connections.

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John Wick: Chapter 3’s Continental siege, for instance, worked not just for its action, but because it carried the weight of three films’ worth of alliances and lore. Ballerina doesn’t have that foundation – its fights look great, but without deeper context, even the most outrageous moments can start to blur together.

This hurts the characters, too. Catalina Sandino Moreno’s Lena and Norman Reedus’ Pine are intriguing but underdeveloped. Gabriel Byrne’s Chancellor is a strong villain, but again, his presence is more of an idea than a fully fleshed-out threat.

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Then you’ve got all the others to think about: Winston, the Director (Anjelica Huston), Charon, and, of course, John Wick himself. There are simply too many characters jostling for screen time.

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One Wick, many strong performances

Lionsgate

As for Reeves’ brief appearance as Wick, here’s the kicker: it essentially highlights what’s missing from the film. Not every assassin can command the screen like the Boogeyman. There are countless Eves, but there’s only one John Wick.

That’s not to totally discredit the character. It’s refreshing to see a female assassin written with such complexity. Eve isn’t hyper-sexualised or glibly “strong” – she’s broken yet resilient.

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Armas sells every moment, both in combat and in quieter, emotional beats. She’s an action star through and through, slicing through stunt sequences with complete conviction.

Byrne brings the same simmering menace he had in End of Days and The Usual Suspects, Reedus does well with what he’s given, and while McShane can play Winston in his sleep at this point, his dry charm is always welcome.

Finally, a heartfelt nod to Reddick, whose posthumous appearance as Charon is handled with real care. Fans disappointed by his abrupt exit in John Wick 4 will be pleased to know he gets a far more fitting send-off here.

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These performances elevate the movie, alongside its killer fight sequences and visual style. If what you’re after is action – and lots of it – Ballerina delivers. It may stumble when it comes to story, but damn if it isn’t fun to watch.

Ballerina review score: 3/5 – Good

There’s no mistaking Ballerina for anything but a John Wick movie. From the neon-drenched lighting to the bone-crunching, blood-splattered fight sequences, this spinoff makes itself at home in the franchise.

It’s slick, violent, and stylish – sometimes excessively so. The narrative may lack focus, and the ensemble might be overstuffed, but there’s no denying the film’s technical craft. The action scenes are many, and they’re masterfully choreographed.

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Ballerina may not have the soul of the John Wick saga, but it sure knows how to pirouette through chaos.

Ballerina arrives in cinemas on June 6, 2025. You can also read everything we know about John Wick 5, why Baby Yaga isn’t actually dead, and other new movies to watch this month.

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For more information on how we score TV shows and movies, check out our scoring guidelines here.

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June 4, 2025 0 comments

Esports

New Game of the Week! Acts of Blood is a violent brawler inspired by The Raid & Sleeping Dogs

by admin June 2, 2025

The art of hand-to-hand combat has been captured in many different games over the years, but Acts of Blood is on the way to ratchet up the violence. Dropping a splash of Indonesian cinema into the bloody mix, it aims to mirror the bone-snapping brutality of The Raid, The Night Comes for Us, and many others.

The Raid stands tall 14 years on as one of the finest action flicks ever made, and its many follow-ups and spinoffs have been delightfully devious watches too.

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There’s an indescribable tenacity to Indonesian cinema, a degree of realistic violence that’s so innately disturbing yet so engrossing you can’t help but be glued to the screen.

Despite being cultural landmarks for the region, none have attempted to bring that same ferocity to video games. At least, until now that is. Enter Acts of Blood.

What is Acts of Blood?

With the violence of Indonesian cinema at its core, Acts of Blood layers hard-hitting third-person melee systems to deliver a knockout of a brawler. It’s designed for casual players to make it through, while providing enough depth in its combat mechanics to allow for deadly combos and lethal power moves.

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Set in the creator’s city of Bandung, the game follows Hendra on a quest for revenge. It’s a plot typified by the genre where our star takes matters into his own hands, hunting down those who wronged him one by one.

Hand-to-hand combat takes center stage, with Hendra skillfully dispatching waves of criminals by separating them from consciousness, snapping their bones, or smacking them into deadly objects in the environment. One level at a time, one boss at a time, you will punish those who made you hurt.

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Set to be released in Summer 2026, Acts of Blood will launch with a litany of customization options, collectibles to track down, and a highly replayable arena mode.

Dexerto caught up with the game’s solo developer, Farjul, to learn all about it.

What the devs say about it

Working solo gave Farjul freedom

“I’ve been making games since junior high school back in 2010, but once I started working professionally in a game studio, things changed. The creative freedom I had as a solo developer wasn’t there anymore.

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“In January 2024, something just clicked. I decided to start a new personal project, Acts of Blood. Since then, what began as a learning experiment has evolved into the full game I’m building today.

“I started this project purely because I wanted to reignite that passion I used to have when making things on my own.”

Eksil TeamYou’re a one-man army taking down warehouse-fulls of enemies.

Recreating the city of Bandung

“We don’t often see our cities, culture, or everyday environment represented in games, so I wanted to change that, even if just in a small way.

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“It’s not an exact 1:1 recreation [of Bandung], but I try to capture the atmosphere, the feel of the streets, the architecture, and little details people from here will recognize. This is my way of paying tribute to my hometown while also giving players around the world a glimpse of a city beyond just our capital, Jakarta, which most other Indonesian games tend to be based on.

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“Besides representing my hometown on a global scale, the city also fits well with the game’s plot, vibe, and atmosphere. Bandung is known for its cooler weather due to frequent rain compared to other cities in Indonesia. I wanted the game’s color palette to lean toward bluish tones with red accents, which fits perfectly.”

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Eksil TeamActs of Blood is set in Farjul’s city of Bandung.

“The city’s biome is also more varied. Bandung blends a bustling urban environment with natural mountainous areas. From a game design perspective, this makes it easier to create diverse level environments so players won’t get bored with repetitive cityscapes.”

Violent gameplay inspired by Sleeping Dogs and The Raid

“I’m a huge fan of Gareth Evans’ and Timo Tjahjanto’s action films, and this game is basically my love letter to their work.

“We’re aiming to replicate the brutal combat and raw energy of those movies. We’ve been upfront with our publisher and other partners that we’re going all-in on violence, and they’ve been supportive.”

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“Our animator, David, actually attended a silat workshop in Bali led by Yayan Ruhian (one of the actors/stuntmen from The Raid), so I think our team has the experience and passion to stay true to the spirit of those films.

“Our core combat system is inspired by Sleeping Dogs, which uses strike, counter, and finisher mechanics. However, Sleeping Dogs’ strike combos are a bit too simple. Mostly relying on tapping or holding a single attack button. That’s where Sifu comes in. We’ve added some of its complexity in attack button variations to deepen the combat.”

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“The goal is to let casual players enjoy the game easily while giving more advanced players deeper combos to explore.

“Weapons are used sparingly. Guns only appear in specific areas where gunplay is required. They can also be used as melee weapons, you can actually swing a rifle at an enemy, which is a unique touch in our game.

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“Since this is my first big project, I’m keeping the scope manageable. The story will be a brief, intense revenge narrative that lasts a few hours. But we’re adding achievements, collectibles, and arena modes to extend replayability.”

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Plans for a follow-up

“As for the future, we do have plans. If things go well, I’d love to make a sequel that takes the concept into a small-scale open world, packed with content. Something closer to the Yakuza series. But that’s a story for another time.”

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Violent Crypto Attacks (Without a Shotgun)

by admin May 25, 2025

In brief

Use multisig wallets or other techniques to create time delays.
Practice a script you’d use under coercion (“The wallet is stored at my lawyer’s office and takes 72 hours to unlock.”)
Keep a decoy wallet on your phone or hot wallet with a few thousand dollars.
Cover your tracks. Never disclose your holdings or wallet structure in public or online.

In 2009, the webcomic xkcd published a strip that laid out one of the most chillingly simple concepts in cybersecurity: the “$5 wrench attack.” In the comic, a stick figure explains how to bypass sophisticated encryption—not with code or brute force, but by threatening someone with a $5 wrench until they give up their password.

Sadly, the $5 wrench attack is no longer a punchline. Far worse attacks are happening in real life, with alarming frequency. Criminals aren’t bothering to hack private keys or compromise seed phrases—they’re simply knocking on doors, kidnapping crypto holders, and demanding access to wallets, often with violence.

The most recent attack occurred a few days ago in Uganda, when Mitroplus Labs founder Festo Ivaibi was reportedly abducted near his home and forced at gunpoint to transfer crypto worth roughly half a million dollars.

In France, a series of horrific kidnappings and attempted abductions have alarmed the crypto community. Notably, the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur was kidnapped in Paris earlier this month, with his finger severed to pressure a ransom payment of €5–7 million in cryptocurrency. He was rescued after a two-day ordeal, and five suspects were arrested. In another incident, the pregnant daughter of a crypto CEO and her child were targeted in a daylight kidnapping attempt in Paris, which was thwarted by passersby. That was one of six attacks that have occurred there since January.

In the United States, three teenagers kidnapped a Las Vegas man in November after he hosted a crypto conference, and drove him 60 miles away into the Mojave Desert, where they demanded access to his cryptocurrency. They left him there after stealing $4 million in digital assets. Two of the suspects, both 16-year-olds from Florida, were recently apprehended and now face multiple felony charges, including kidnapping and robbery.

With Bitcoin reaching all time highs in recent days, that target on your back is bigger than ever. So what can you do when the weakest link in your security setup is you?

A growing class of tools, wallet setups, and physical protocols are emerging to defend against real-world coercion. Here’s how to start thinking like a crypto-savvy but extremely paranoid billionaire.

1. Multisig Wallets

Multisignature wallets require multiple private keys to authorize a transaction. A common setup is 2-of-3: two keys are needed to move funds, but three exist in total. If an attacker gets access to just one—say, by threatening you—then they still can’t drain your holdings.

Tools like Nunchuk and Casa allow users to split keys across locations (one at home, one in a bank vault, and one with a lawyer, for instance), making instant theft impossible.

Potential downside: The attackers can simply force you to beg one of the other keyholders to authorize the transaction.

2. Shamir’s Secret Sharing

A number of wallets, including Trezor Model T, support something called “Shamir’s Secret Sharing,” which sounds like the title of a children’s book but is actually a cryptographic algorithm that splits your recovery seed into multiple shards. You can distribute the shards to people or places you trust. Only a threshold number (for example, 3-of-5) of shards is needed to reassemble the key.

Another option is Vault12, which lets you assign guardians—family, lawyers, or business partners—who help you recover your vault only when needed.

Potential downside: Like multisig wallets, SSS is only as secure as your co-seed holders are coercion-proof.

3. Duress Wallets and Decoys

Lots of wallets, such as Blockstream Jade, support so-called “duress PINs.” Enter one PIN and access your real wallet. Enter another—under duress—and it opens a dummy wallet with a modest balance. It can even wipe the device with a secret emergency PIN.

Plausible deniability can be an excellent ploy if you’re a fast talker.

Potential downside: If an attacker has been stalking you online, then they might know that you’re holding millions, rather than the $267 that shows up in your decoy wallet.

4. Hiding your tracks

A great way to avoid an attack is to not look like a target in the first place. Privacy-preserving tools can reduce your visible footprint on the blockchain. The Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency, for example, uses stealth addresses and ring signatures to make transactions virtually untraceable (getmonero.org). Bitcoin wallets like Wasabi implement CoinJoin, a technique that mixes coins with others to obfuscate origins.

Potential downside: It’s fairly easy to figure out who’s a player in big crypto, whether they try to hide their riches or not.

5. Proximate and Remote Wipe

A number of good hardware wallets, including Trezor and Ledger, offer this feature, which can be invoked in a number of ways, including inputting a special PIN that immediately bricks your wallet. The Samourai wallet, once renowned for its extraordinary security until the Feds shut it down and arrested the founders for suspected money laundering, supported remote wipe via sending a special SMS. If you know what you’re doing, you can find the Samourai software from repositories on the internet and invoke that feature.

Potential downside: Bricking a wallet while someone has a gun to your head is risky; SMS texts can be intercepted.

6. Air-Gapped Hardware Wallets

Your average crypto billionaire keeps their crypto in one or more hardware wallets. And if they keep them in their homes rather than safe deposit banks or secret bat-caves, then they are well hidden. Devices like COLDCARD and Keystone Pro use QR codes or SD cards for signing transactions offline. Even if an attacker has your laptop, then they still need the physical device, PIN, and (usually) another co-signer.

Potential downside: A highly motivated and violent thief likely has ways to force you to access your hardware wallet. We’ve all seen the movies.

7. Wearable Panic Buttons with GPS Tracking

Compact, wearable emergency buttons have been around forever. They were invented for your garden variety, paranoid high net-worth individual, not crypto people. Devices such as Silent Beacon can call any phone number, and send alerts with the user’s GPS location to designated contacts. It also features two-way communication, allowing the victim to talk to their prospective rescuers.

Potential downside: Wearing a panic button signals to a potential bandit that you indeed are protecting something valuable.

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May 25, 2025 0 comments