Bitcoin and other leading cryptocurrencies extended their gains on Monday, driven by positive investor sentiment despite concerns over upcoming U.S. tariffs and key economic data releases later this week.

As of 9:55 am WAT, Bitcoin rose 3.71% to $87,480, while Ethereum gained 4.05%, trading at $2,093. The global cryptocurrency market capitalisation increased by 2.94% in the past 24 hours, reaching $2.84 trillion.

Other notable performers included XRP, Cardano, and Dogecoin, which posted gains of 3%, 2%, and 3.8%, respectively. Chainlink, Avalanche, Hedera, and Stellar also recorded growth ranging from 3% to 10%.

“Bitcoin is holding above $86,000, registering a 3% gain today. The key resistance level to watch is $86,700; a breakout could pave the way for $90,000,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus.

Bitcoin’s market capitalisation surged to $1.727 trillion, with dominance rising to 60.73%. Its 24-hour trading volume soared by 93% to $18.2 billion, while stablecoin transactions accounted for 94.74% of total crypto trading, reaching $57.58 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.

Solana Leads the Charge

Solana (SOL) emerged as a standout performer, surging over 7% in the past 24 hours to trade above $139.

The rally was fueled by reports suggesting that President Trump’s April 2 tariffs may be more targeted than initially feared, easing market concerns.

Solana’s momentum aligns with increasing adoption rates. DeFiLlama reported that Solana’s total value locked (TVL) reached 54.87 million SOL, its highest level since June 2022. Additionally, Ali Charts revealed that a record 11.09 million addresses now hold SOL, underscoring growing investor confidence.

Further supporting the bullish outlook, over $72 million in assets have recently been bridged from Ethereum to Solana. Solana’s weekly active addresses (17 million) now significantly exceed Ethereum’s (1.8 million), while Binance’s rising SOL wallet balances suggest fresh accumulation following recent selling activity.

Institutional Interest on the Rise

Institutional acceptance of Solana continues to grow, with Volatility Shares launching two Solana futures ETFs (SOLZ and SOLT) on Nasdaq on March 21.

Major asset managers, including Franklin Templeton and VanEck, have also applied for spot Solana ETFs, signalling increased interest in the cryptocurrency.

Meanwhile, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes expressed optimism about Bitcoin’s trajectory, stating, “The Fed’s policy orientation could help Bitcoin achieve $110k before it retests $76.5k.”

With the crypto market gaining momentum, investors remain focused on key technical levels and macroeconomic developments that could shape future price movements.

The post Bitcoin Surges Past $87,000 as Crypto Market Extends Gains first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Bitcoin Surges Past $87,000 as Crypto Market Extends Gains appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

In a dramatic turn of events, EFCC operatives intercepted Audu as he stepped out of the court premises on Thursday. The anti-graft officers swiftly bundled him into a waiting white van and whisked him away, while his co-defendants were led off by correctional officers.

Audu, alongside two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, as well as their company, Genting International Ltd, is facing a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime. The trio was arraigned before Justice Daniel Osiagor on Monday, March 17, and returned to court on March 20 for their bail hearing.

Despite being granted bail, Audu’s troubles deepened as EFCC officials moved in swiftly. The court had granted him bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties—one being a serving director in Nigeria, and the other a Lagos-based property owner willing to surrender title documents to the court. Until these conditions are met, Audu was to remain in correctional custody.

However, his alleged accomplice, Huang Haoyu, was not as fortunate. The court denied his bail application, ruling that his residence status in Nigeria was unclear and that he posed a flight risk. The third defendant, An Hongxu, did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody.

Justice Osiagor adjourned the trial to May 2, 2025.

How It All Started

The EFCC’s case against Audu and his co-defendants stems from a December 2024 sting operation that led to the arrest of 193 foreigners and several Nigerians linked to a sophisticated cyber-fraud network.

According to the prosecution, Audu allegedly spearheaded the recruitment of young Nigerians into the syndicate, which engaged in cyber fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and illicit financial dealings. The EFCC further alleged that the group conspired with one Dualiang Pan (still at large) to access computer systems designed to destabilize Nigeria’s economic and social structure.

The defendants were accused of using young Nigerians to impersonate foreign nationals in online scams, defrauding unsuspecting victims of millions of dollars. Investigators also linked them to a staggering ₦3.4 billion fraud, with proceeds traced to the Union Bank account of Genting International Ltd.

Other fraudulent transactions flagged in the case include:

• The illegal retention of $1.2 million in a crypto wallet by one Chukwuemeka Okeke.
• A similar retention of $1.3 million by Alhassan Garba and Ifesinachi Jacobs.
• Suspicious transfers of ₦106 million and ₦913 million to an account controlled by Dualiang Pan.
• Unofficial foreign exchange dealings worth over ₦2 billion, allegedly conducted outside the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approved system.

The EFCC maintained that these activities violated multiple provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act 2015, the Money Laundering Act 2021, and the Foreign Exchange Monitoring Act 2004.

Battle for Bail

During Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC prosecutor Bilikisu Buhari-Bala opposed bail for the defendants, arguing that they were flight risks and key players in an extensive cybercrime syndicate. She pressed for an accelerated trial instead.

Defense counsels, however, pleaded for leniency. Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Emeka Okpoko, representing the first defendant, urged the court to grant his client bail on “liberal terms.” Similarly, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), who represented Audu, pushed for his client’s release under favorable conditions.

Despite the court’s decision to grant Audu bail, his freedom was short-lived as EFCC officials quickly stepped in to rearrest him, a move that hints at fresh charges or an ongoing investigation.

With the case now set for trial on May 2, all eyes remain on the EFCC and the fate of the alleged crypto fraud syndicate.

The post EFCC Re-Arrests Crypto Fraud Kingpin, Friday Audu, Outside Court Premises first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post EFCC Re-Arrests Crypto Fraud Kingpin, Friday Audu, Outside Court Premises appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The wallet is expected to serve as a major step toward financial freedom, and help users learn more about cryptocurrency and blockchain in Africa.

The Mara Wallet is a fast and secure multi-currency crypto wallet that gives Africans control over their cryptocurrency. Offering both user-facing products and core infrastructure, Mara reveals a product roadmap that enables users to easily buy, sell, send, withdraw, store, and protect a wide range of fiat and crypto-assets (such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs) in real time and without any prior crypto knowledge.

Co-Founder and CEO at Mara, Chi Nnadi, said: “At Mara, we are committed to the financial empowerment of the individuals that use our products and services to meet their various crypto-finance needs, and take responsibility in building an informed community seriously.

“As one of our first steps to achieve crypto education, financial literacy, and ensuring a more equitable distribution of capital, we are delighted to pre-launch the Mara Wallet. Our goal is to get Sub-Saharan individuals started on their journey to leverage a financial infrastructure that they can build their lives upon and make the most of the financial-growth opportunities available in the cryptoeconomy.”

Nnadi said the Mara Wallet waitlist, which is the core mechanic of the pre-launch app, is aimed at crypto-curious and crypto-enthusiast users alike, who seek early access to the exchange, saying through it they will unlock financial rewards that give users the perfect jumpstart into the #cryptoeconomy.

While describing how the Mara Wallet waitlist works, Chi added, “Pre-registered users will join a queue to enable early access on a first-come, first-served basis. Moreover, a higher position on the waitlist increases the odds of periodically winning prizes. As soon as users join the waitlist, they instantly earn a signup reward. All users, who refer the Mara Wallet to their friends, family and community also earn further rewards when those users sign up using their unique referral link. Pre-registered users who participate in the referral activity also improve their chances of moving to top positions on the waitlist.”

The post Crypto adoption in Africa gets boost with Mara wallet first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Crypto adoption in Africa gets boost with Mara wallet appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.