Murtuza Merchant
366 News
1 Learns
Murtuza is a seasoned finance journalist with extensive experience covering cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. He has contributed to Benzinga and Cointelegraph, among other publications, reporting on emerging trends, the regulatory landscape, and more. Find him at @murtuza_merc on Twitter and mmerchant001 on Telegram.
Disclosure: Murtuza holds ATOM, AKT, TIA, INJ, and OSMO.
Senate Draft Protects Self-Custody Wallets And Non-Custodial DeFi From Regulation
A Senate market structure draft would keep self-custody wallets and non-custodial DeFi outside regulation, even as Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong warns broader crypto bills still favor banks and traditional finance.
Murtuza MerchantJan 22, 2026
VanEck Sees BitGo Shares Hitting $26.50, 65% Above IPO Midpoint
VanEck forecasts a 12-month target of $26.50 for BitGo shares, about 65% above the IPO midpoint—citing strong custody growth, tokenization demand, and rising institutional adoption.
Murtuza MerchantJan 22, 2026
2026 Will See Brutal Pruning Across Crypto, Pantera Warns
Pantera Capital warns that 2026 will bring brutal pruning across crypto, with consolidation accelerating as capital concentrates in Bitcoin, dominant protocols, and surviving treasury strategies.
Murtuza MerchantJan 22, 2026
Bitcoin, Tokenized Assets And DeFi Could Drive Crypto To $28 Trillion By 2030, ARK Invest
ARK Invest’s Big Ideas 2026 report projects digital assets could reach $28 trillion in market value by 2030, led by Bitcoin, tokenized financial assets, and decentralized finance.
Murtuza MerchantJan 21, 2026
Ryanair CEO Says Governments Should Outlaw X For Enabling Anonymity And AI ‘Nudification’
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said governments should outlaw X, citing anonymous abuse and AI-generated nudity, as regulators scrutinize Elon Musk’s platform and Grok AI tools.
Murtuza MerchantJan 21, 2026
Eric Trump Accuses Wall Street Banks of Trying To Stop Crypto Legislation
Eric Trump told CNBC that major banks are working to stop crypto legislation, as President Donald Trump says he expects to sign crypto market structure legislation very soon, escalating a clash between Wall Street and digital asset firms.
Murtuza MerchantJan 21, 2026
Trump Says Crypto Market Structure Bill Could Be Signed Very Soon
President Donald Trump told the World Economic Forum he hopes to sign new crypto market structure legislation very soon, framing the move as critical to U.S. economic growth and competition with China.
Murtuza MerchantJan 21, 2026
France Central Bank Sounds Alarm On Existential Threat From Private Stablecoin Dominance
Central banks warn that dollar-backed stablecoins could erode monetary sovereignty as tokenization moves from pilots into core financial infrastructure, exposing a growing rift with crypto firms.
Murtuza MerchantJan 21, 2026
Vitalik Buterin Says Crypto Social Failed By Financializing Attention
Vitalik Buterin says decentralized social media must move beyond token-driven incentives and engagement metrics to improve information quality and trust.
Murtuza MerchantJan 21, 2026
The One Signal Everyone Missed Before Bitcoin Crashed And Wiped Out Nearly $1B
Bitcoin dropped below $88,000 this week, driving weakness across top cryptocurrencies as geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty press risk assets.
Murtuza MerchantJan 20, 2026
