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

President Trump declares 'energy ceasefire' between Russia and Ukraine

"Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well," said Ukrainian President Zelensky.

Donald Trump seated on an armchair.

Markets

One year after 10/10 flash crash, bitcoin and ether liquidity have rebuilt, but altcoins still face risks

Bitcoin and ether order books are deeper than before the crash, while altcoin liquidity keeps eroding and spot trading remains well below its October 2025 peak.

Liquidity divergence (CoinDesk data)

Markets

Bitcoin's $19 billion wake-up call: One-year after flash crash, has crypto learned anything?

The Oct. 10, 2025 flash crash wiped out billions in leveraged crypto bets. Traders now have better tools to spot risks, but the forces behind the selloff remain.

CoinDesk

Policy

DWF Labs subsidiaries sue BitGo for $141 million over alleged token lock-up breach

DWF is seeking $114 million in damages on the basis BitGo’s token sales resulted in direct losses through the fall in tokens' prices.

London High Court (Shutterstock)

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Finance

Live updates: Bitcoin slips from day's highs, set to close week with a loss

Bitcoin ETFs lost $244 million on Thursday and the ZEC fund extended a run of October outflows. Bitcoin is back near $82,000 after a $1 billion liquidation.

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Markets

Wall Street's tokenization boom could have bigger winners than bitcoin and ether, Citrini says

The research firm sees tokenized stocks, bonds and loans creating new markets for trading and lending, with fee-generating platforms and companies poised to benefit.

Wall street signs (Lo Lo/Unsplash)

Markets

Crypto crumbles as anniversary of flash crash nears

It was October 10, 2025, when bitcoin plunged from about $122,000 to $105,000, with much of the decline occurring within minutes.

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Finance

Securitize brings Apple, Nvidia and Tesla to Solana, with NYSE trading in the works

Tokenized shares in the mega-caps will first trade on Securitize's Solana-based platform, with further plans to expand them to NYSE and OKXICE digital venues, the firm said.

Securitize's Carlos Domingo (CoinDesk)

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Tech

Bitcoin and ether holders urged to enter ‘bunker mode’ against possible AI attacks

Ethereum researchers warned AI could break the signatures guarding bitcoin, ether and the tokens built on them "in months, not years" in the worst case, well before quantum computers arrive.

A screen of computer code. AI systems are increasingly finding flaws and loopholes in human-written code, with quantum attack remaining a big concern among bitcoin and crypto developers. (Chris Ried/Unsplash)

Markets

Live updates: Bitcoin pulls off worst levels late in Thursday session

Crypto markets tumbled on Thursday, with cryptography fears, rising oil prices and interest rates, and the one-year anniversary of last October's flash crash on traders' radar.

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