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


Markets

Bitcoin trims big loss, stocks erase 2% decline, as Iran signals cooperation on key shipping route

In the middle of a surge higher following President Trump's overnight comments, the price of WTI crude oil quickly fell nearly $6 per barrel on the news.

Oil tanker at sea. (Gerhard Traschütz/Pixabay)

Finance

North Koreans hackers likely behind $286 million Drift Protocol exploit: Elliptic

The blockchain analytics firm pointed to cross-chain laundering patterns and Solana-specific tracing challenges that mirror prior North Korean state-linked operations.

North Korea, Kim Jong Un (Shutterstock)

Finance

Cango raises capital as it faces NYSE delisting risk with shares below $1

The bitcoin miner issued a $10 million convertible note and closed a $65 million insider-led round while racing to regain compliance with exchange rules.

Wall Street signs hang next to a traffic light

Finance

Franklin Templeton launches crypto division with 250 Digital acquisition

The asset manager is creating a new “Franklin Crypto” unit to expand beyond ETFs and target institutional demand for active digital asset strategies.

Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton, speaking at SALT in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (CoinDesk/Helene Braun)

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Tech

OpenAI raises a record $122 billion as revenue crosses $2 billion per month

The funding round, anchored by Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank, is the largest private funding in history.

OpenAI logo on a mobile phone.

Markets

What's next after bitcoin's historic underperformance stretch against stocks

With a few hours to go, bitcoin has tumbled 22% in the first quarter, following a 25% drop in the last quarter of 2025.

What's next

Markets

Bitcoin, stocks rise, oil slides, after report of Iran's willingness to end conflict

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country is prepared to end the conflict if it receives security guarantees.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Policy

Charles Hoskinson not a fan of CLARITY Act, warns of 'weaponization' by future lawmakers

The Cardano founder says post-FTX politics, flawed design and a narrow U.S.-only approach risk stifling new crypto projects while benefiting established players

Charles Hoskinson at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 (Photo by Olivier Acuna/Modified by CoinDesk)

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Markets

Bitfarms targets zero bitcoin on the balance sheet as it pivots to AI

The company is actively selling bitcoin and redeploying capital into AI-focused data centers as part of a broader transformation away from mining.

A technician monitors cryptocurrency mining rigs at a Bitfarms facility in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada.

Markets

Downside risk remains as bitcoin nears record-tying six-month losing streak

A close below $67,300 for bitcoin would confirm six straight monthly losses amid ongoing macro pressures.

Losing streak