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


Policy

CFTC Chair Mike Selig argues for agency's 'exclusive regulatory authority' in prediction markets fight: State of Crypto

Selig said states do not have the ability to police prediction market providers, echoing his agency's stance as it pursues court cases to cement its authority.

CFTC Chairman Mike Selig, speaking at the Vanderbilt University digital assets summit on April 6, 2026. (Nikihlesh De/CoinDesk)

Markets

Bitcoin slips below $71,000 as Trump orders U.S. to join Iran in blockade of Strait of Hormuz

"Effective immediately, the United States Navy ... will begin the process of blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," said the president in a social media post.

Donald Trump (Credit: Library of Congress on Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

Markets

Bitcoin signals potential seller exhaustion as realized losses decline

On-chain data points to easing selling pressure, with realized losses falling and spot markets shifting toward net buying.

CoinDesk

Finance

Binance offers UAE staff temporary relocation as Middle East conflict disrupts region

The crypto exchange said its operations in the United Arab Emirates remain unchanged and that many employees have chosen to remain

Dubai skyline. (ZQ Lee on Unsplash)

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Markets

Bitcoin gains after core CPI rose a less-than-forecast 0.2% in March.

Headline inflation rose 0.9% last month, driven by the sharp rise in energy costs due to the Iran war.

Wooden block tiles spell out the word "inflation"

Markets

Bitcoin tops $72,000, but Circle and Bullish drop sharply after downgrades

Eased Middle East tensions pushed crypto prices and U.S. stocks sizable hjigher.

CoinDesk

Markets

These 3 crypto stocks could actually beat bitcoin ETFs, says TD Cowen

Analyst Lance Vitanza is betting that digital asset treasury"companies like Nakamoto, Sharplink and Strive can outperform standard crypto ETFs by aggressively stacking coins and capturing staking yields.

CoinDesk

Markets

Bitcoin shoots above $72,000 as optimism grows over Middle East ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly has signaled a willingness to negotiate with Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

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Markets

Tom Lee's Bitmine uplists to NYSE, expands buyback authorization to $4 billion

The company holds nearly 4% of ether's (ETH) total supply, but shares have struggled alongside that crypto.

Thomas Lee, chairman of BitMine and CIO of Fundstrat, on the main stage during Consensus Hong Kong 2026 (CoinDesk)

Markets

Mike Novogratz spotlights Helios as $15 billion powerhouse in Galaxy Digital annual report

The company's Nasdaq debut was a turning point toward infrastructure-led growth in the digital economy, said Novogratz.

Mike Novogratz, Galaxy founder and CEO, speaks at Consensus 2024