Stephen Alpher

Stephen is CoinDesk's managing editor for Markets. He previously served as managing editor at Seeking Alpha. A native of suburban Washington, D.C., Stephen went to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, majoring in finance. He holds BTC above CoinDesk’s disclosure threshold of $1,000.

Stephen Alpher

Latest from Stephen Alpher


Finance

Banks are treading carefully on stablecoins despite market growth, S&P Global says

Most U.S. lenders remain in a wait-and-see mode as deposit risks, regulatory shifts and new competition complicate strategy, according to the report.

(Photo by CoinWire Japan on Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

Markets

Fartcoin's price crashed 50% after $145 million manipulation bet went wrong

The liquidation was so large relative to the order book that Hyperliquid's auto-deleveraging mechanism activated, forcibly closing profitable short positions on the other side of the trade to prevent the system from accumulating bad debt.

Ether crashed 35% in May (keithsutherland/Getty images+/Unsplash)

Markets

Michael Saylor says bitcoin has likely bottomed, quantum risk overblown

Speaking at a Mizuho event, the Strategy (MSTR) executive chairman said the formation of banking credit pairing with digital credit will be the catalyst for the next bull market.

Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor standing. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk))

Markets

Bitcoin is above $70,000 on Iran ceasefire, but rally is turning cautious for good reasons

Leveraged bullish bitcoin positions remain near multi-year highs as bitcoin rebounds, hinting at underlying market uncertainty.

CoinDesk

Advertisement

Markets

Adam Back denies he’s Satoshi Nakamoto after NYT report claims he’s Bitcoin’s creator

Similarities reflect shared early research, not proof, said Back. Others have questions too.

Blockstream CEO Adam Back at Consensus Hong Kong in February 2025 (CoinDesk/Personae Digital)

Markets

Iran eyes crypto toll for oil tanker transits through Strait of Hormuz, according to FT

Iran plans to collect cryptocurrency and other digital payments as transit fees from fully loaded oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, said the report.

Iran Flag (Credit: Seyed Gholamreza Nematpour-Unsplash/Modified by Coindesk)

Markets

Morgan Stanley's bitcoin ETF opens today, giving BlackRock’s $55 billion IBIT fund its toughest rival yet

While BlackRock’s spot bitcoin ETF currently reigns as the liquidity king of crypto, Morgan Stanley’s MSBT will leverage a market-low 0.14% fee and $7 trillion wealth management engine to possibly challenge that dominance.

CoinDesk

Finance

CZ says SBF asked for billions 'like a Bologna sandwich' as FTX collapsed

In his new memoir, Changpeng Zhao reveals he signed the FTX letter of intent as a formality and calls Caroline Ellison's $22 floor price offer a "fatal mistake."

Changpeng "CZ" Zhao (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Advertisement

Markets

Bitcoin rises past $69,000 as risk markets reverse big early losses on hope for Iran deal

Iran's government is reportedly reviewing Pakistan's request for a two-week ceasefire positively, according to an Axios report.

Iran war reignites

Finance

Argentine President Milei’s call logs link him to multimillion-dollar Libra rug pull: NYT

Court records show repeated contact with a key operator before and after the token’s launch as prosecutors examine his role

Argentine President Javier Milei to the right. (Argentina Presidential Press Office)