Massachusetts Bitcoin Reserve Proposal Faces Legislative Hurdles
A groundbreaking legislative effort to establish a Bitcoin reserve in Massachusetts has encountered significant resistance, with lawmakers remaining silent during a crucial hearing. The proposed bill, championed by Republican State Senator Peter Durant, seeks to allocate up to 10% of the state's $7.3 billion stabilization fund into Bitcoin and other digital assets. Despite being framed as a prudent diversification strategy, the lack of engagement from legislative colleagues suggests substantial political and regulatory challenges ahead for cryptocurrency adoption at the state level. This development represents a critical test case for how traditional financial institutions and government bodies are responding to the growing prominence of digital assets in public finance management.
Massachusetts’ Bitcoin Reserve Bill Stalls Amid Legislative Silence
Massachusetts lawmakers offered no questions or commentary during a hearing for a proposed state Bitcoin reserve, signaling early resistance to the unconventional fiscal strategy. The bill, spearheaded by Republican State Senator Peter Durant, would permit allocating up to 10% of the state's $7.3 billion stabilization fund into Bitcoin and other digital assets.
Durant framed the measure as a "prudent diversification tool" with built-in transparency safeguards, but the muted response from the Joint Committee on Revenue suggests an uphill battle. The proposal also includes provisions to absorb crypto seized by law enforcement into the reserve.
The silence echoes broader institutional skepticism toward crypto as a treasury asset, despite growing adoption by corporations and municipal governments. Massachusetts' hesitation contrasts with Ohio's 2022 acceptance of bitcoin for tax payments and Wyoming's crypto-friendly legislation.
Bitcoin’s Rally Shows No Signs of Peaking, CryptoQuant Analysis Suggests
Bitcoin's bullish momentum remains intact, with on-chain data revealing no immediate signs of a market top. CryptoQuant's latest analysis highlights the Net Realized Profit/Loss metric, a key indicator of investor behavior, which continues to hover at moderate levels despite the cryptocurrency's sustained rally.
The 1-year sum of Bitcoin-denominated Net Realized Profit/Loss reached 5.1 million BTC in January 2025, signaling substantial profit-taking but not yet approaching historical peak levels. This suggests the market hasn't entered the euphoric phase typically preceding major corrections.
Unlike previous cycles where extreme profit-taking signaled market tops, current metrics indicate room for further upside. The gradual realization of profits points to measured selling pressure rather than panic-driven distribution.
UK’s Largest Investment Platform Warns Against Crypto Amid Regulatory Shifts
Hargreaves Lansdown, the UK’s leading retail investment platform, has issued a stark warning against cryptocurrency investments despite recent regulatory easing. The firm dismissed Bitcoin as "valueless" and unsuitable for portfolios, citing its lack of intrinsic value and extreme volatility. This stance comes just as the UK lifts its ban on crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs), allowing retail investors access to these products through regulated exchanges.
Institutional players like JPMorgan and Invesco continue to express bullish sentiment, creating a stark contrast with Hargreaves Lansdown’s skepticism. The platform’s caution highlights the ongoing divide between traditional finance and the crypto industry, even as the UK positions itself as a potential digital asset hub.
Crypto Policy Emerges as Key Voting Issue Ahead of 2026 Midterms
A seismic shift in voter priorities is underway as digital assets enter the political mainstream. New polling data reveals 64% of registered voters now consider a candidate's cryptocurrency stance decisive in their electoral choices. The findings, commissioned by The Digital Chamber and conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, signal crypto's transformation from niche issue to electoral bellwether.
Partisan divides persist despite broad consensus on crypto's importance. While 38% of respondents identified as Democrats, more voters (37%) trusted Republicans to advance favorable regulations—a 13-point gap that could reshape campaign strategies. The survey's timing, eighteen months before midterm elections, suggests crypto policy will feature prominently in upcoming political battles.
Methodological questions linger around the 800-person sample, particularly given the poll's sponsorship by a pro-Bitcoin advocacy group. Yet the overwhelming response suggests crypto voters are emerging as a potent swing constituency—one that candidates ignore at their peril.
Bitcoin Eyes $147,000 Amid Potential Short-Term Pullback
Bitcoin's rally toward $147,000 may face a temporary setback as technical indicators signal a looming pullback. The cryptocurrency is forming an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern—a classic reversal structure that often precedes major upward moves—but short-term weakness appears likely before the next leg higher.
Chart analysis reveals a rising wedge formation NEAR local tops, typically a bearish exhaustion signal. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) shows concerning divergence, with price making higher highs while momentum indicators print lower highs since July. This disconnect often foreshadows corrective phases.
Market structure suggests Bitcoin may need to test lower support levels to complete the right shoulder of its reversal pattern before attempting a decisive breakout. The simultaneous development of long-term bullish formations and short-term bearish signals creates a tension that could resolve through a brief cooling period.
Crypto Salaries Decline Despite Bitcoin Rally as Entry-Level Opportunities Shrink
Compensation across the cryptocurrency industry contracted in 2024 and early 2025 even as Bitcoin reached record highs, according to Dragonfly Capital's comprehensive compensation report. The survey of 85 companies reveals a stark divergence: executive pay packages grew while entry-level roles dwindled to just 10% of total positions.
Engineering maintained its dominance with 67% industry headcount, but junior employees faced disproportionate cuts to both salaries and token incentives. Senior and principal-level roles accounted for 37% of positions, with international engineering executives now outearning their U.S. counterparts—total compensation reached $780,000 at the upper bound, fueled by 3% token allocations.
The product management vertical recorded the highest pure salaries at $484,000 for top performers. This compensation stratification creates what researchers describe as a 'barbell effect,' with wealth concentration at the top and stagnation for mid-career professionals.
