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Following the surprise collapse of Olaf Scholz’s coalition, Friedrich Merz has taken charge as Germany’s new Chancellor. But his first major appointment has left the entire nation in disbelief: Markus Braun, the disgraced former Wirecard CEO, has been chosen as the new Minister of Finance. The decision, announced in an early-morning press conference, sparked an immediate media frenzy. Braun, currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the Wirecard fraud scandal , is set to take office next week. “Germany needs financial expertise,” Merz stated, “and who knows more about financial creativity than Markus Braun?” Markus Braun was the mastermind behind Wirecard’s meteoric rise and catastrophic collapse, which resulted in a €1.9 billion hole in company accounts. Critics argue that appointing him as finance minister is like hiring a fox to guard the henhouse. However, Merz defended his choice: “Mistakes were made, sure, but Markus has the kind of outside-the-box thinking we need in German finance.” Reports suggest Braun will work remotely from prison, managing Germany’s budget via a high-security laptop provided by the government. His first task? A complete restructuring of Germany’s tax system —though insiders joke he may start by “accidentally misplacing” a few billion euros. Germans took to social media to express a mix of outrage, confusion, and dark humor. The hashtag #Braunomics is already trending, with users joking about “the best money laundering techniques for 2025.” Meanwhile, Wirecard’s former investors are thrilled, seeing this as a sign that Braun could finally “pay them back.” Some even speculate that his appointment might be a secret plan to recover the missing billions. The European Central Bank, however, issued a formal warning: “Germany’s financial stability should not be treated as an experimental playground.” If you’ve read this far and believed even a part of this story—congratulations, you’ve been April Fooled! 🎉 While Friedrich Merz might have some bold ideas for Germany’s economy, appointing a convicted fraudster as finance minister is definitely not one of them (at least, we hope not!). April 1st is a time for wild and ridiculous headlines, and we couldn’t resist joining in. But this is also a reminder: always double-check your sources before believing breaking news—especially in politics and finance! Now that you’re in on the joke, share this with your friends and see if they fall for it too! 😆

Software analytics firm Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) is once again in the news from its latest Bitcoin acquisition. On March 31, the company revealed it added an additional 22,048 bitcoins to its corporate treasury. The purchase, valued around $1.92 billion, was made at an average price of $86,969 per coin. This strategic move pushed Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings above 528,185 BTC. The company also noted its Bitcoin investment achieved a reported 11% yield year-to-date in early 2025. This latest large acquisition was financed through a diverse mix of recent capital-raising efforts undertaken by Strategy, Inc. These efforts included raising $1.2 billion from selling 3.6 million shares of its common stock (MSTR). An additional $18.5 million came from an at-the-market offering of its STRK preferred shares. The company also raised $711.2 million via a public offering of 8.5 million shares of a new Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock, priced at $85 per share with a 10% annual dividend. Related: Saylor’s Strategy Now Owns 84% of Top 10 Public Companies’ Bitcoin Holdings These varied fundraising methods reflect Strategy’s evolving approach to using equity and debt instruments specifically for its ongoing Bitcoin accumulation strategy. As of March 30, Strategy’s aggregate Bitcoin portfolio has grown to exceed 528,000 BTC . These coins were acquired over time for a total investment cost of approximately $35.63 billion. This averages out to roughly $67,458 per coin acquired. The sheer scale of Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings – now representing about 2.5% of Bitcoin’s total current circulating supply – makes it one of the largest known single corporate holders globally. This places the company, led by Executive Chairman Michael Saylor, in a unique market position. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor remains the central architect and driving force behind Strategy Inc.’s focused Bitcoin treasury strategy. He has laid out ambitious long-term projections for Bitcoin itself, envisioning prices potentially reaching as high as $13 million per coin by the year 2045 based on certain models. Related: Strategy (Formerly MicroStrategy) Launches $2.1 Billion Share Sale to Fund Further Bitcoin Acquisitions His public commentary has also included scenarios where Bitcoin would hit $49 million (in a best-case adoption scenario) or $3 million (worst-case) depending on various future economic and technological factors. Saylor also believes Bitcoin could potentially help revolutionize aspects of public finance globally. He has estimated that a future US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, if implemented, might generate between $16 trillion and $81 trillion in value for the U.S. Treasury over decades. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.

XRP’s funding rate has dropped to negative 0.012%, a level last seen when the asset traded near $0.33. Despite this indicator often associated with bearish pressure, XRP currently holds above the key $2.10 support level. Popular crypto analyst CryptoinsightUK pointed out this similarity in a tweet, noting that traders appear hesitant, with open interest remaining low. If bullish momentum builds, a short squeeze could drive the next price surge. CryptoinsightUK shared a chart highlighting that XRP’s funding rate sits at historic lows. Funding rates indicate the cost required to hold leveraged positions in perpetual futures contracts. Negative rates typically suggest that short positions (bets on price decline) dominate the market, as shorts must pay longs. Related: Top Analyst Identifies Technical Pattern to Drive XRP Prices to $4.60 From the chart, XRP OI stands near 591 million coins (worth approximately $1.18 billion), a relatively low figure compared to past peaks during strong trends. This low OI signals that many traders likely await a clearer market direction before committing substantial capital. Spot market volume also remains subdued, recorded near 107 million coins daily, further indicating caution among participants. XRP’s price reflected this broader pressure, dropping 14.5% over the past week. The latest data from Coinglass reveals that XRP’s derivatives market has seen its volume declining by 17.62% to $7.12 billion and open interest dropping by 3.67% to $3.56 billion. However, options volume has surged by 120.23%, reaching $7,500, and options open interest has increased by 146.96%, hitting $983,490. These figures highlight a mix of declining activity in perpetual futures but growing interest in options, indicating that traders might be positioning for potential volatility. A potential short squeeze remains a key scenario. If XRP experiences upward momentum, traders with short positions may be forced to buy back at higher prices, accelerating a breakout. This pattern has historically led to sharp price increases in the crypto market. Related: XRP’s Early Pullback After Lawsuit’s End Leaves Users Disappointed Broader market sentiment remains a critical factor for XRP as well. Its price movement will likely depend significantly on overall crypto market direction and particularly Bitcoin’s performance. Bitcoin had earlier dipped to $81,000 that triggered related drops in many altcoins, including XRP. This move pushed XRP dangerously close to losing the key $2 psychological support level. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.

The Pakistani government has officially taken a concrete step toward regulating and utilizing digital assets by forming the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC). Announced on March 15, 2025, the ruling represents a significant change in the national policy on blockchain and cryptocurrency. The Pakistan government has established the Pakistan Cryptocurrency Council (PCC) to oversee the integration and application of blockchain technology and digital assets in the country's financial sector. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will serve as the council's chairman.… — Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 16, 2025 As CNF has reported , the plan to establish the PCC was first proposed in February 2025. The move was not just a domestic initiative, but was also driven by recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). To increase state income, the IMF has long urged Pakistan to widen its tax base, including the digital assets industry. Still, this change serves more than just a financial one. Pakistan has earlier looked at blockchain technology to increase remittance efficiency. With Pakistani immigrant workers sending home almost $31 billion annually, the traditional system sometimes suffers from high fees and transaction delays. One possible answer to speed up the remittance process and lower expenses is blockchain. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will be chairman of the council, and Bilal Bin Saqib will be CEO. Furthermore, included in the PCC are the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, and top officials in the domains of law and information technologies. This combination is supposed to strike a mix between financial stability, technological innovation, and regulatory control. Pakistan is no small participant in the digital asset scene with over 20 million active crypto users and a trading volume exceeding $20 billion. Without clear rules, though, many industry participants deal with legal ambiguity. The PCC’s founding offers hope that the nation’s crypto ecosystem will grow more targeted and get better legal defense. Near future PCC priorities include several important ones. The development of clearer rules for digital asset trading and investment is one of its primary areas of concentration. The council will also work with worldwide blockchain companies to guarantee the application of best practices that might boost industry confidence. By working with fintech startups and the developer community, however, they are also striving to inspire innovation so Pakistan may compete internationally. Equally crucial, the PCC is aiming at financial stability and investor protection by means of tougher rules, so enabling the Pakistan crypto market to grow more under control and safely. When one compares Pakistan’s action to India’s more limited approach toward digital assets in the past few years, it becomes even more intriguing. Still, there have been changes starting a few months ago. One of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the US, Coinbase , recently registered with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), enabling them to provide trading activities there. More remarkably, India has stayed the top country in the world for the second year running in terms of crypto adoption. According to a Chainalysis analysis, Indians are actively trading digital assets—both centralized and decentralized—despite high taxes and strict regulation. Could Pakistan follow India’s lead? Alternatively, will they choose a more flexible strategy? Everything is still open with the just developed rules. This clearly shows that Pakistan wants to keep ahead of others in the always-expanding digital revolution.

REX Shares has launched a new, first of its kind exchange-traded fund focused on convertible bonds from companies incorporating Bitcoin into their treasury. REX Shares, an asset management firm specializing in investment products and funds, has just launched Bitcoin Corporate Treasury Convertible Bond (BMAX) ETF, which allows retail investors to invest in convertible bonds issued by companies that are buying Bitcoin ( BTC ) for their corporate treasuries (like Michael Saylor’s Strategy ). “Until now, these bonds have been difficult for individual investors to reach. BMAX removes those barriers, making it easier to invest in the strategy pioneered by Michael Saylor—leveraging corporate debt to acquire Bitcoin as a treasury asset,” said Greg King, CEO of REX Financial in the press release statement . In launching BMAX ETF, REX Shares aims to offer a mix of stable income from the bonds and the potential for stock market-like growth if BTC investments perform well. It’s important to note that BMAX is not the first ETF to offer exposure to companies integrating Bitcoin into their corporate strategies. There are other ETFs that invest in such companies, such as Strive Bitcoin Bond ETF and Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Company ETF. But unlike the Strive Bitcoin Bond ETF , which invests in a broader range of corporate debt instruments, BMAX exclusively targets convertible bonds issued by companies leveraging debt to acquire Bitcoin. As for the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Company ETF , it invests in the stocks of companies holding significant Bitcoin reserves rather than their debt.