Polymarket Unveils Rapid-Fire 15-Minute “Up/Down” Crypto Price Bets  Castle Crypto
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The digital currency industry’s electricity consumption is equivalent to that of an average European country
Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Mining cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, the oldest and most successful digital currency, requires vast amounts of energy and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Energy expenditure in the sector increased approximately 34-fold between 2015 and 2023, reaching 121 terawatt-hours (TWh), equivalent to the consumption of an average European country, such as Poland. Demand is expected to increase by a further 40% by 2026, predicts the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“Executing a single Bitcoin transaction equates approximately to the greenhouse gas emissions of a moderate-sized electric or gasoline engine sedan vehicle traveling between 1,600 and 2,600 km,” state the authors of the article “Carbon footprint of global bitcoin mining: Emissions beyond borders,” published in the journal Sustainability Science in January.
The energy consumption is so high due to competition between miners, who are part of the cryptocurrency industry. To validate a block of cryptocurrency transactions, miners try to solve a mathematical problem as quickly as possible, a process called proof-of-work (PoW). The miner who solves the equation first receives bitcoins as payment. Performed by thousands of computers around the world, these calculations ensure the reliability of digital currency purchase and sale operations, but they consume a lot of energy.
“The problem is the consensus method used by Bitcoin: PoW. Although it is distributed [run by multiple computers in different locations] and reliable, it uses too much energy. Miners will always try to use the cheapest possible energy source, which may not always be clean and renewable,” says computer scientist Arlindo Flavio da Conceição of the Institute of Science and Technology at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Jose dos Campos campus.
A few years ago, the cryptocurrency Ethereum migrated from proof-of-work to another consensus mechanism known as proof-of-stake (PoS), reducing energy consumption by 99%. “The problem is that to modify the core algorithm of a cryptocurrency, the community needs to agree—and the people operating with Bitcoin cannot agree because they are worried that any mistake that might occur in the migration process would affect the currency’s price,” says Conceição, coauthor of the book Blockchain: Conceitos básicos (Blockchain: Basic concepts; independently published, 2020).
In PoS, participants called validators are randomly chosen to verify and add blocks to the blockchain (a type of digital ledger), dispensing with the need for competition between them, as occurs in PoW. “With minimal energy consumption, PoS has a much smaller carbon footprint, making it better aligned with sustainability goals,” concludes the Sustainability Science article, written by researchers from Qatar, the USA, and Canada.
The story above was published with the title “Cryptocurrencies take a toll” in issue in issue 349 of march/2025.
Scientific articles
ONAT, N. C. et al. Carbon footprint of global bitcoin mining: Emissions beyond borders. Sustainability Science. Vol. 20, pp. 173–89. Jan. 2025.
Book
CONCEIÇÃO, A. F. & ROCHA, V. E. M. Blockchain: Conceitos básicos. Independent edition. Apr. 2020.
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Cryptocurrency ATMs remain unregulated by the federal or state government, but one Kalispell legislator is working with the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance and local law enforcement to change that
Imagine: you’re sitting home alone, it’s late and, suddenly, your device lights up with a phone call from a number you don’t know.
You answer, only for them to tell you they’re a representative from Apple. They tell you your computer has been hacked. If you don’t follow instructions, they claim you’ll be charged with a crime. You’re to go to the bank, withdraw $36,000 in funds and deposit them into cryptocurrency machines. Scared of what they’re saying, you listen and follow instructions — and before you know it, you’ve lost the money for good.
That story isn’t imaginative. It’s the story of a real fraud victim from Bozeman, one that Kaitlyn Wenzel, a policy analyst and public outreach coordinator with the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance’s (CSI) office, shared with a crowd of seniors in Kalispell Tuesday morning.
“Now, a crypto ATM is a machine that is used to convert cash to cryptocurrency. In this case, it is a Bitcoin ATM,” Wenzel said, pointing to a photo. “So, the money put into this machine is converted from cash to Bitcoin. Now, Bitcoin payments are final. When you put money into this machine and send it to someone’s digital wallet that is not your own, that money is gone in the drop of a penny. It is gone instantaneously and forever.”
She added crypto ATMs remain unregulated by the federal or state government.
Wenzel presented at Immanuel Living and joined a panel of representatives from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office to warn local seniors about the ways scammers are using cryptocurrency to defraud their victims. Nationally, Wenzel said people aged 60 and over are the most-commonly defrauded age group. They are also susceptible to the growing threats of cryptocurrency related scams.
Her presentation covered statistics, how to recognize scams and offered several stories like the fraud victim in Bozeman, while the law enforcement panelists shared ways to keep safe in the digital world.
Wenzel told the crowd that spotting a scam requires looking for the “four Ps.” A scammer will pretend to be someone trustworthy; present either a problem to solve or a prize to be gained; put pressure on their victim to act quickly; and ask for payment in an unusual way. She also encouraged those who are victims of a scam to report it to CSI.
Per a March press release from State Auditor James Brown’s office, 15 Montanans made crypto fraud complaints to the state in 2024. Those 15 cases totaled nearly $900,000 in financial losses. The actual figure is likely higher, as Wenzel said shame can be a barrier to reporting scams.
Wenzel also highlighted that crypto ATM scams are also on the rise at the federal level. In the first half of 2025 alone, Americans lost $240 million to crypto ATM scams across the country. But what concerns Wenzel and CSI more is that that figure represents the total amount lost to similar scams in 2024. It means the scams are increasing in pace.
The increase in crypto crimes and fraud, along with the urging of CSI and local police, have spurred State Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, to action. Sprunger organized Tuesday’s “Scam Smart” seminar for seniors in the Flathead Valley to begin educating the community, something the panelists said was important in fighting scams. But in the long term, Sprunger said she plans to work with CSI to draft legislation regulating crypto ATMs in Montana.
“I always joke that I don’t have all that many great ideas, but I know people who do,” Sprunger said.
She’s in the early phases of working through several options for potential legislation, she shared with the crowd Tuesday morning.
She said she doesn’t think banning cryptocurrency machines outright is the answer. The machines have a place in a free marketplace, but more regulation could help cut down on the damage they can cause.
For instance, what if the machines were put behind the counter at stores, requiring interaction with a real human before depositing money into it? Or, what if there were limits on how much you could deposit per transaction?
Similar ideas have been explored in other states of all political stripes. Democratic-run Illinois, deep-red Oklahoma and more purple Arizona have all passed crypto-related legislation this year. Their legislation runs a gamut of regulations from requiring warnings on machines, limiting how much money customers can dispense or withdraw in a day and allowing customers to have recourse in the event that they are defrauded.
Sprunger said she’s examining what other states are doing for inspiration as she works with CSI and local law enforcement agencies to determine what type of policy might be a good fit for Montana.
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After Tuesday’s quick rally following Fed governor Christopher Waller’s upbeat comments on crypto, markets fell sharply on Wednesday, Oct. 22, as reports surfaced that the Trump administration may limit a wide range of tech exports to China in response to Beijing’s rare-earth metals restrictions, sending U.S. stocks lower.
Bitcoin (BTC) has fallen back to around $108,000, erasing most of its 5% rally from the previous day that briefly pushed prices near $114,000.
Ethereum (ETH) also pulled back, down over 5% in 24 hours to about $3,839, while Solana (SOL), BNB, and XRP and other altcoins in the top 10 by market cap are all in the red, down between 1% and 6%.
As Glassnode explained in an X post, long-term holder (LTH) supply has declined by another 28,000 BTC since Oct. 15, meaning “LTHs have spent more coins than what was aging into their cohort from short-term holders,” which reflects “excessive net distribution rather than passive maturation.”
Meanwhile, QCP Capital analysts say tension headlines “persist but the tone is increasingly mixed, with tariff threats offset by renewed ‘deal’ talk.” In a Wednesday blog update, they also noted that “the only major hard data the Fed will see in the near term is September CPI, which the BLS made a one-off exception to publish on Friday, October 24. All other releases will remain frozen until the shutdown ends.”
Among the Top 100 crypto assets by market cap, ChainOpera AI (COAI) is the biggest gainer today, up 42%, followed by MemeCore (M), up 5.6% on the day.
Meanwhile, today’s biggest losers are ASTER and Mantle (MNT), down 15% and 10% respectively.
Data from Coinglass shows that in the past 24 hours, more than $619 million in leveraged positions were liquidated, with $472 million in long positions and $147 million of shorts wiped out. Bitcoin led with $210 million liquidated, followed by $157 million in Ethereum and $51 million in Ethena’s ENA token.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21, spot Ethereum ETFs saw inflows of over $141.6 million, according to SoSoValue. Spot Bitcoin ETFs, in the meantime, recorded over $$477 million in net inflows, bringing total net assets above the $151 billion mark.
On the macro front, reports say the Trump administration is considering limits on tech exports to China in response to Beijing’s latest rare earth restrictions, Reuters has learned, citing a U.S. official and three people briefed by authorities.
The news hit markets almost immediately, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6%, the S&P 500 fell 0.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.4%, further pressuring crypto markets.
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The Colorado Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 21, 2025, results for each game:
02-18-27-34-59, Mega Ball: 18
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 9-2-7
Evening: 6-4-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
04-10-11-13-27
08-09-15-31-32, Lucky Ball: 12
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
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Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
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This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by Fort Collins Coloradoan planner Holly Engelman. You can send feedback using this form.

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1. Government shutdown live updates as funding lapse becomes second-longest in history  CBS News
2. ‘We absolutely need him’: Some in GOP say it’s time for Trump to get involved in shutdown talks even as leaders rebuff idea  CNN
3. Government shutdown becomes 2nd longest in U.S. history  CNBC
4. The shutdown is proving to be ‘gang’-proof  Politico
5. America’s government shutdown is its weirdest yet  The Economist

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Bitcoin’s upward move in the last few days has sparked confidence in expectations of another bull run in 2025. Many investors are now seeking the undervalued altcoins ready to surge in November.
This shift has brought investors to DeepSnitch AI’s crypto ecosystem, which is gaining widespread support for its crypto analytics services. Investors say the next bull run could increase demand for its services, setting DeepSnitch up for a 500x rally.
Read on to see why investors believe that DeepSnitch is poised to become the next crypto to explode in 2026.

Tempo, a blockchain project created by Stripe and Paradigm, has secured $500 million in a Series A funding round, achieving a $5 billion valuation. The raise marks one of the largest venture investments in the blockchain space in recent years.
Tempo’s funding round was led by Greenoaks and Thrive Capital, with participation from Sequoia, SV Angel, and Ribbit Capital. Notably, Stripe and Paradigm did not inject additional capital into the round. The entry of Thrive and Greenoaks signals a growing institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure.
Tempo focuses on building payment rails optimized for stablecoins, betting on their long-term role as the backbone of global transactions. The platform is collaborating with major partners like OpenAI, Shopify, and Visa, positioning itself as a potential rival to both Circle and Tether, alongside traditional payment systems such as Mastercard.
Led by Matt Huang, managing partner at Paradigm and a Stripe board member, Tempo allows multiple tokens to cover transaction fees rather than relying on any single cryptocurrency. At this time, the launch details and token plans have yet to be disclosed.
Observers conclude that the move builds on Stripe’s growing blockchain presence, following its $1.1 billion acquisition of Bridge earlier this year and plans to buy crypto wallet provider Privy. Bridge recently applied for a national bank trust charter under the new Genesis Act, reflecting the tightening regulatory framework around stablecoins.
In a market overflowing with noise, DeepSnitch AI is bringing back the clarity that every trader needs. DeepSnitch is not just another speculative AI token chasing trends. Rather, it’s an intelligence network designed to decode blockchain activity into actionable signals for better and smarter real-time decision making.
Powered by five autonomous AI engines, DeepSnitch monitors liquidity shifts, whale wallet movements, and new contract deployments across chains. The system reads these events like a language, predicting patterns that often precede major market moves.
What makes it powerful is accessibility. DeepSnitch’s AI doesn’t flood users with endless analytics; it distills everything into clear signals that can be fed directly to trading-friendly ecosystems like Telegram and X. This allows traders to act with speed and confidence, while staying ahead of the curve.
The soon-to-launch AI dashboard will bring this intelligence to life by displaying live alerts in real time. Combined with DSNT’s staking rewards and double-layer audits from Coinsult and SolidProof, the platform balances investor benefits with user protection.
As AI continues to reshape finance, DeepSnitch stands out as one of the few platforms merging technology with true utility, turning data-driven intelligence into an everyday trading advantage.
Many are now trooping to DeepSnitch’s presale, which has already raised 29% ROI for its earliest backers. One DSNT token costs $0.01953. Yet, this low price is a great entry point for investors looking to secure a stake in the next big cryptocurrency of 2025.

Ethereum continues to struggle with volatility in late October amid confidence that the token will end 2025 on a high note. Despite rising to over $4,500 in recent weeks, ETH’s woes have compounded following the recent market correction. This has seen Ethereum drop sharply, undoing recent gains.

As of October 21, ETH’s value stands at $3,854 following a 13.78% drop over the past 30 days. The 7-day ETH price chart also shows a 6.36% dip.
Many investors are confident that Ethereum’s ETF activity could be a key factor in its next recovery. The previous week saw Ethereum and Bitcoin record the second-largest weekly outflow ever. Yet, investors are confident that institutional demand for ETH will rebound, leading to a strong rally in 2026. Such growth could make Ethereum the next crypto to explode.
The Solana ecosystem continues to attract bullish predictions amid the token’s recent price stagnation. Like other altcoins, Solana’s momentum waned in the past week, causing a sharp fall below the $200 mark. Surprisingly, Solana has not recovered as quickly as expected.

As of October 21, SOL’s value stands at $184.21 following a 23.24% dip over the past month. The 7-day Solana price charts also show a near 10% dip.
Still, investors believe Solana could surge on the back of the next interest rate cuts. Already, the Federal Reserve is poised to slash borrowing rates on two more occasions. This could bring fresh capital to the crypto market, with many investors poised to direct funds to top altcoin assets like Solana. This could be the catalyst needed to send Solana to the $250 region.
With many investors confident that a market recovery is coming soon, investors are seeking the next crypto to explode.
DeepSnitch AI is quickly proving itself as one of the undervalued altcoins ready to surge in 2025. While many projects struggle in the market dip, DSNT’s stage two presale has already crossed $447,000 in presale capital.
Smart investors recognize that downturns create the best buying windows, especially for strong AI-driven projects. Analysts are calling DeepSnitch one of the few presales positioned for a 500x rebound once sentiment flips bullish.
Secure your DSNT tokens now from the official presale site before the next price move.

Investors believe that AI tokens will surge considerably in 2025.
Investors are scrambling to secure DSNT tokens following 500x growth projections.
Ethereum is the largest DeFi ecosystem, meaning ETH is a good purchase for investors seeking long-term value.
Disclaimer:
This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset investments are highly volatile and carry significant risk, including the potential loss of capital. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and the information presented herein should not be relied upon as a guarantee of profits.