You’re ready to apply for Social Security. You may have even worked out a lot of the logistics — what documents you need to apply, what day you can expect your first check — but you don’t yet know how much you’ll actually receive from the program.

It might seem like complicated math that’s way over your head, but the truth is, it’s not that difficult to estimate how much you’ll get from Social Security. Doing so before you apply is essential if you hope to maximize your lifetime benefit.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why your claiming age matters

Your claiming age matters for two reasons. First, it determines whether you’re eligible for checks. You must be at least 62 years old to get retirement benefits. But that’s not defined in the way people think. The Social Security Administration only considers you 62 during your birth month if your birthday is on the 1st or 2nd.

For example, if you were born on Aug. 1 or Aug. 2, 1963, you could claim benefits for August. If you were born on any other day of that month, you don’t become eligible until September. This is critical information if you’re signing up as soon as possible, because you’ll need to fund your expenses on your own until your checks start arriving. Keep in mind that checks are also paid in the month after they’re due, so a September check wouldn’t arrive until October.

The other reason your claiming age matters is because it determines what sort of early claiming penalty or delayed retirement credit you get. The Social Security Administration assigns everyone a full retirement age (FRA) based on their birth year. It’s 67 for most people today. This is your baseline. If you claim in the month you turn 67, you’ll get the benefit you’ve earned based on your work history, known as your primary insurance amount (PIA).

Claiming before this age reduces your PIA by up to 30%. More specifically, you lose 5/9 of 1% per month for your first 36 months of early claiming and then 5/12 of 1% per month thereafter.

Delaying Social Security increases your PIA by 2/3 of 1% per month, or 8% per year, until you turn 70. This could grow your checks by 24% if your FRA is 67.

Often, delaying checks until 70 maximizes your household income, but this isn’t always true or feasible. Those with short life expectancies may benefit more from claiming early, while those with little savings who are unable to work may not be able to afford to delay benefits. Still, it’s worth exploring all your options before deciding when you want to claim.

The easiest way to decide when to claim Social Security

You can view estimates of your Social Security benefit at every possible claiming age in your my Social Security account. If you don’t already have one, you can set one up for free in a few minutes. You’ll need to choose a username and password and answer some identity verification questions.

Once that’s done, you’ll be able to log in and view a chart detailing your estimated monthly benefit at every possible claiming age. You can also estimate your spousal benefit if you’re married and you know your partner’s benefit at their FRA.

Multiply your monthly benefit for your planned claiming age by 12 to get your estimated annual benefit. Then, multiply this amount by the number of years you expect to claim Social Security to estimate your lifetime benefit. For example, a $2,000 monthly benefit claimed for 20 years gives you a $480,000 lifetime benefit. Then, compare this to what you’d get if you waited a little longer.

Choose the age you’re most comfortable with. This might mean waiting until you qualify for a larger benefit. Or it could mean claiming earlier, as long as you understand the trade-offs. It doesn’t take that long, and reviewing all your options ensures you don’t miss a simple opportunity to improve your financial security in retirement.

Coinbase and two executives have been hit with another proposed class-action lawsuit over the crypto exchange’s stock price drop after disclosing a user data breach earlier this month and for allegedly failing to disclose a violation of an agreement with a UK regulator.

Coinbase investor Brady Nessler said in a May 22 lawsuit filed in a Pennsylvania federal court that the data breach and the alleged broken agreement with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) resulted in a “precipitous decline in the market value of the Company’s common shares,” causing stockholders to suffer “significant losses and damages.”

Coinbase said on May 15 that its damages bill could run up to $400 million after it was hit with a $20 million extortion attempt four days earlier, with several of its customer support agents bribed to access internal systems and steal a limited amount of user account data.

Nessler claimed Coinbase (COIN) shares dropped by 7.2% to close at $244 on May 15 as a result of the disclosure. However, the stock did stage a comeback, spiking 9% and hitting $266 by the closing bell on May 16, according to Google Finance. 

Coinbase stock closed down over 3% on Friday, May 23 at $263, falling another $1.62 after the bell. COIN is up nearly 6% so far this year.

Nessler’s complaint is seemingly the first to argue damages caused by Coinbase’s stock drop following its breach disclosure in a series of recent class-action lawsuits over the incident.

The crypto exchange was hit with at least six lawsuits in the days after disclosing the data breach, all accusing it of mishandling the incident and failing to protect their data. 

UK agreement breach hurt stock, suit says

The FCA fined Coinbase’s UK arm $4.5 million in July 2024 for breaching a 2020 voluntary agreement preventing the exchange from onboarding customers considered high risk by the regulator.

The FCA said Coinbase onboarded 13,416 customers that the regulator considered high-risk and offered them crypto services.

Related: Coinbase presses to axe rule banning SEC staff from holding crypto

Nessler said in the suit that the fine saw Coinbase’s stock fall by over 5%, closing at $231.52 on July 25, 2024.

Nessler also claimed that Coinbase didn’t disclose it had breached this agreement when the exchange first listed its shares on the Nasdaq in April 2021, and as a result, “the market price of the Company’s securities had been artificially,” inflated. 

Nessler claims had she known about the agreement violation, she would not have purchased the stock at the “artificially inflated prices.”

Coinbase did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The class suit was filed on behalf of anyone who bought Coinbase stock between April 14, 2021, and May 14, 2025, and is asking for damages and a jury trial. Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase and chief financial officer Alesia Haas are also named as defendants.

Another lawsuit filed in Illinois on May 13, alleges Coinbase failed to notify users in writing of the collection, storage, or sharing of their biometric data and the purpose and retention schedule for their data.

Magazine: Bitcoin bears eye $69K, CZ denies WLF ‘fixer’ rumors: Hodler’s Digest, May 18 – 24

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/coinbase-faces-another-data-breach-lawsuit-claiming-stock-drop-damages/feed/ 0 38328 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tron-strengthens-grip-on-usdt-claiming-nearly-half-of-its-150b-supply/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tron-strengthens-grip-on-usdt-claiming-nearly-half-of-its-150b-supply/#respond Wed, 14 May 2025 03:28:06 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/tron-strengthens-grip-on-usdt-claiming-nearly-half-of-its-150b-supply/ Tether’s market cap just passed $150.66 billion, setting yet another record and extending its dominance over every rival combined.

Data from DeFiLlama showed USDT expanded by roughly $830 million in the past week and more than $5.5 billion since mid‑April. The headline total matters on its own, but the real insight lies in how the tokens are distributed: nearly half now sit on Tron, while Ethereum holds a slightly smaller share, leaving every other network, including BNB Chain, Solana, and Avalanche, with only single‑digit crumbs.

Tron’s grip on USDT has never been stronger. Data puts $73.7 billion of USDT on the network, equal to 46.8 % of all outstanding supply, up 2.47% in the past seven days. Low fees, simple account creation, and deep exchange support have kept Tron at the core of over‑the‑counter settlements and emerging‑market remittance corridors, where cents matter more than smart‑contract flexibility and network effects.

During the past week, Tron’s entire stablecoin base (including USDC, Dai, and smaller tokens) grew by $1.79 billion to $73.74 billion, showing that new flows head straight for the cheapest rails available.

Ethereum still hosts $66.22 billion in USDT, or 42.1% of the float, but the chain recorded a $1.38 billion net outflow across all stablecoins over the past three weeks and $746.5 million in the most recent seven‑day window. Elevated gas prices above two gwei seldom deter DeFi power users, yet they remain a hurdle for retail exchanges and cross‑border desks with thin profit margins.

Even so, Ethereum’s ecosystem continues to provide the deepest liquidity pools, the most active derivatives market, and critical integrations with tokenized real‑world assets, giving USDT holders a reason to stay en masse despite cheaper alternatives.

The split between the two chains creates a stark contrast in issuer concentration. USDT accounts for 99.25% of all stablecoins on Tron, meaning almost every dollar on the network relies on Tether’s banking relationships and risk controls. Ethereum, by comparison, offers more redundancy: USDT covers 51.23% of its $123.74 billion pool, while USDC, Dai, Ethena’s USDe, and a patchwork of newcomers share the rest. That mix cushions Ethereum users if any single issuer hits turbulence and explains why sophisticated DeFi strategies keep a large presence on the chain despite higher fees.

Circle’s USDC remains the second‑largest stablecoin at $60.79 billion. The gap between the two majors is now close to $90  billion, widening from $80 billion only a month ago as Tether continued minting faster and USDC plateaued. Weekly USDC issuance slipped 1.58%, and its one‑month expansion stands at a modest 1.23%. Europe’s incoming MiCA regime may hand Circle a compliance edge later this year, but the numbers show that regulatory clarity in Europe has yet to convince traders to switch.

Smaller stablecoins paint a mixed picture. DAI jumped 8.97% in seven days and 12.07% in a month to $4.48 billion after MakerDAO voters raised the Savings Rate and attracted capital with an on‑chain yield north of 11% at one point. Ethena’s synthetic USDe nudged up 1.08% on the week yet sits 5.19% below its April reading at $4.65 billion, showing a slightly reduced hedge demand after funding spreads on perpetual futures compressed. BlackRock’s pilot BUIDL, with a tokenized US Treasury backing, rose 19.30% in a month to $2.89 billion; still tiny by Tether standards but notable for its speed.

BNB Chain appears to be the only secondary network making material progress on the USDT front. It absorbed a 5.79% daily influx worth roughly $300 million, lifting its tether stash to $5.48 billion, the largest single‑day addition since February. Solana’s $2.39 billion hoard was flat, and Avalanche gave back 2.74% of its $1.87 billion supply despite a double‑digit monthly increase. All told, networks outside Tron and Ethereum hold slightly more than $10 billion of Tether, less than the total minted in April alone, showing how deeply liquidity has clustered on the two leading chains.

The preference for Tron stems from straightforward math. At half a cent per standard transfer, a desk moving $100 million pays only $50 in fees on Tron versus roughly $30,000 on Ethereum at 50 gwei. Bridges and wrappers allow near‑instant migration to exchanges that list TRC‑20 USDT pairs, notably Binance, OKX, and HTX, reducing the need for costly and sometimes slow L1 settlements. Ethereum cannot match that cost profile, but its entrenched position in DeFi, institutional custody, and high‑value NFTs keeps large balances anchored even when idle capital seeks cheaper homes.

Concentration carries well‑known hazards. Should regulators target Tron, throttle Tether’s access to it, or restrict US banks from servicing exchanges that rely on TRC‑20 liquidity, nearly half of all USDT could become harder to redeem or move. That risk explains why some treasurers follow a barbell approach, parking working capital on Tron while holding strategic reserves on Ethereum or even in staked T‑Bills such as BUIDL. This approach mirrors fiat treasury segmentation, with checking accounts for day‑to‑day flows and separate custody for longer‑term allocations.

Another question concerns the pace of issuance. Tether added almost $19  billion in the first four months of 2025, sprinting past the entire 2024 print run before May even began. If that tempo holds, USDT could finish the year north of $200 billion, a level that would equal roughly 20% of Bitcoin’s current market value. Such a scale will force exchanges, prime brokers, and insurers to revisit counterparty exposure limits, upgrade collateral policies, and map dependency scenarios across chain failures or banking interruptions.

For now, the data shows liquidity is concentrating on the cheapest venues, and traders accept the single‑issuer exposure because the alternative is slower settlement or higher fees. USDC offers a compliance‑first path, DAI provides a fully collateralized model, and newer tokens experiment with yield or real‑world backing, yet none capture share at a pace that dents Tether’s lead. The $150 billion milestone is not just a big, round number; it represents a market structure where two chains and one issuer set the tempo for crypto‑denominated commerce.

The post Tron strengthens grip on USDT, claiming nearly half of its $150B supply appeared first on CryptoSlate.

For as long as it’s been an option, Social Security’s earliest claiming age — 62 — has also been one of its most popular. In some years, more than half of those eligible to apply at 62 did so.

But over the last 20 years, that number has been slowly falling. Now, only about a quarter of beneficiaries apply at the earliest age.

Claiming at 62 is still the most popular trend by far, but times are definitely starting to change. The following three claiming windows have pretty steadily gained popularity over the last few decades, and that trend seems likely to continue.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. 65 to full retirement age (FRA)

In 2023, a little over 14% of Social Security beneficiaries applied somewhere between age 65 and their full retirement age (FRA). For those who don’t know, the government assigns you an FRA based on your birth year. For those born in 1960 or later, it’s 67. But for some older adults, it’s as young as 66.

This age range’s popularity remained pretty steady at around 10% to 11% of claimers until the last couple of years. It seems poised to grow even more in future years.

This is likely because people are struggling with the steep early claiming penalties that come with applying at 62. Signing up right away reduces your checks by 30% if your FRA is 67. Every month you delay, Social Security increases your checks by five-twelfths of 1% to five-ninths of 1% per month. That’s 5% to 6.7% per year. So by waiting longer, these workers are angling for larger monthly benefits.

However, it’s worth noting that claiming between 65 and FRA is still claiming early, so there’s still a penalty. Those with FRAs of 67 who claim at 65 will reduce their checks by 13.3%.

2. FRA to 69

Interestingly, an increasing number of those who choose not to apply for Social Security early are also choosing not to sign up at their FRA. Instead, they’re aiming for the delayed retirement credits that come with applying for benefits after your FRA.

Doing this will grow your checks by two-thirds of 1% per month, or 8% per year. If you have an FRA of 67 and you wait until 69 to apply, you’ve added 16% to your monthly checks. That increase applies for the rest of your life.

About 12.5% of women and 14.2% of men applied for Social Security between FRA and 69 in 2024. This is up from 8.4% and 10.1%, respectively, in 2018.

3. 70

You qualify for your maximum Social Security retirement benefit when you reach 70. Your checks will not grow anymore after this age. Those with FRAs of 67 are eligible for 124% of their full benefit per check at this age.

On the overall popularity scale, claiming at 70 is still relatively rare. Only 8.6% of men and 9.6% of women did so in 2023. But expect to see this continue to become more common over time. There’s good data that shows that claiming at 70 would help the majority of Americans maximize their lifetime benefits.

Of course, to wait this long, you must have other sources of income to help you cover your expenses in the meantime. It’s also not the wisest strategy if you have a short life expectancy, as you may not get to claim your larger checks for as long.

There is no such thing as a right or wrong claiming age. It’s all about what you’re comfortable with. If you’d prefer to get as many checks as possible, go ahead and apply at 62. But it doesn’t hurt to compare all your options before settling on one to ensure you’re getting the greatest benefit from your checks.