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European companies exploring Bitcoin treasury strategies are unlikely to replicate the playbook pioneered by Michael Saylor’s Strategy, according to industry executives, who pointed to structural differences between US and European capital markets.
Speaking at Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Thomas Vogel, a partner in the Paris and Frankfurt offices of Latham & Watkins, said the constraints on issuing financial instruments in Europe differ significantly from those in the US, making a direct replication of the model difficult.
“If you issue convertibles in the US, the constraints are not the same as when you issue them out of a French balance sheet or a balance sheet in Europe,” Vogel said, pointing to differences in market depth, regulation and investor behavior.
Alexandre Laizet, who leads Bitcoin (BTC) strategy at France-based treasury firm Capital B, said European firms are instead looking to local market infrastructure, including French public markets and Luxembourg-based structures, to raise capital tied to Bitcoin exposure.
The remarks suggest Europe’s Bitcoin treasury model is likely to evolve as a local adaptation rather than a direct copy of Strategy’s US playbook.
A growing number of European public companies now hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets, but the market remains fragmented across small and mid-cap names.
According to data from BitcoinTreasuries.net, Germany-based Bitcoin Group SE held 3,605 BTC worth about $268 million at the time of writing, though it has not disclosed its average cost or profit and loss.
Related: EU adviser says ‘MiCA 2’ is likely as crypto market matures: PBW 2026
Capital B held 2,925 BTC at an average cost of $99,932 per Bitcoin, reflecting a roughly 25.6% unrealized loss. In contrast, Sequans Communications, also based in France, held 2,139 BTC, with cost and performance data not disclosed.
Other European names show similar pressure from recent price moves. Netherlands-based Treasury held 1,111 BTC at an average cost of $111,857, representing about a 33.5% unrealized loss, while Sweden’s H100 Group held 1,051 BTC at an average cost of $114,615, with an unrealized loss of around 35.1%
The gap in scale remains significant compared with the US. On Monday, Strategy acquired 13,927 Bitcoin for about $1 billion in a single week, bringing its total holdings to 780,897 BTC.
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", "description": "At Paris Blockchain Week, executives pointed to French markets and Luxembourg structures as alternatives to US-style Bitcoin funding models.", "published": "2026-04-16T12:55:00+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "europe" }, { "slug": "paris" }, { "slug": "community" }, { "slug": "microstrategy" }, { "slug": "paris-blockchain-week" } ], "slug": "europe-bitcoin-treasury-model-not-copy-strategy-pbw", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "262082" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Circle CEO sees ‘tremendous opportunity’ for yuan stablecoin despite China curbs", "leadText": "Circle’s Jeremy Allaire sees “tremendous” room for a yuan stablecoin, despite China banning most private yuan tokens and pushing its CBDC to challenge US dollar stablecoins.", "author": { "slug": "christina-comben" }, "bodyText": "Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire says there is “tremendous opportunity” for a yuan-backed stablecoin, despite Beijing’s formal moves against most private renminbi-linked stablecoins and commitment to its own digital yuan.
Speaking to Reuters in Hong Kong on Thursday, Allaire framed stablecoins as a way for China to “export” its currency by making global payments easier, as digital money becomes more tightly woven into trade and finance, and said the country could roll out a yuan-backed stablecoin within three to five years.
Geopolitical rivalry over money is increasingly being waged in code as much as in central bank policy, and Allaire’s comments sharpen a deeper question: Can governments that clamp down on private digital currencies afford to shun them if they want to compete globally?
China’s crackdown contrasts with growing demand for stablecoins as cross-border payment tools, raising questions about how the yuan will evolve in a tokenized financial system.
In February, the People’s Bank of China and seven other agencies said unauthorized offshore issuance of yuan-pegged stablecoins would be treated as illegal financial activity and said tokenization of domestic real-world assets would face stricter vetting.
Officials framed the move as necessary to protect financial stability, curb capital flight and safeguard monetary sovereignty as Beijing pushes its central bank digital currency, the e-CNY. The decision slams the door on most offshore RMB stablecoins just months after reports that China was studying yuan-backed tokens as a way to boost global usage of its currency.
Related: China’s interest-bearing digital yuan piles pressure on US stablecoin rules
Allaire’s remarks come as stablecoins are pulled deeper into geopolitics. Circle’s US dollar-backed USDC grew 72% year-on-year in circulation to $75.3 billion by the end of 2025. Allaire told Reuters that “several billion dollars” in additional USDC transactions followed the outbreak of the US-Iran war as users sought portable digital dollars in a crisis.
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Outlier Ventures said in a 2025 market report that US dollar-backed stablecoins accounted for 99.8% of all fiat-denominated stablecoins, underlining how heavily the market still relies on digital dollars rather than other national currency-pegged tokens.
China, by contrast, is pursuing a CBDC-first strategy. Authorities have repeatedly reaffirmed their 2021 ban on crypto trading and mining. In November 2025, the central bank warned it would intensify its crackdown on stablecoins, leading to February’s notice banning RMB-linked stablecoin issuance and most RWA tokenization without prior approval, as Beijing promotes the e-CNY as its preferred model for digital yuan adoption.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire says there is “tremendous opportunity” for a yuan‑backed stablecoin within five years, even as China curbs most private yuan stablecoins.", "published": "2026-04-16T12:22:05+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "hong-kong" }, { "slug": "china" }, { "slug": "circle" }, { "slug": "yuan" }, { "slug": "stablecoin" }, { "slug": "cbdc" }, { "slug": "usd-coin" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "circle-allaire-sees-tremendous-opportunity-yuan-stablecoin", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "262067" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "French minister says new measures are coming after crypto kidnappings", "leadText": "Jean-Didier Berger said at Paris Blockchain Week that France is preparing new steps to protect crypto holders as wrench attacks and kidnappings keep mounting.", "author": { "slug": "zoltan-vardai" }, "bodyText": "Jean-Didier Berger, minister delegate to the interior minister of France, said authorities are taking measures to protect cryptocurrency investors from the growing threat of crypto kidnappings and wrench attacks in the country.
Speaking at Paris Blockchain Week, Berger said his office has taken “preventative measures” against crypto wrench attacks, including launching a prevention platform that has drawn thousands of sign-ups. He added that he was working with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez on what he described as a more serious plan in the coming weeks.
His comments come days after another reported crypto-linked abduction in France this week, where a mother and her 11-year-old child were reportedly kidnapped in Burgundy on Monday by four suspects who demanded a 400,000 euro ($471,000) ransom from the father, a crypto entrepreneur. Authorities caught the suspects and freed the victims on Tuesday morning, reported news outlet France24, citing the Paris prosecutor’s office.
France has become one of the most prominent centers for so-called wrench attacks, in which victims are threatened or assaulted to force the transfer of digital assets, and the government is now under growing pressure to respond.
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Since the beginning of the year, there have been 41 reported crypto-related kidnappings in France, meaning that on average, a similar attack occurred once every 2.5 days in 2026, reported local news outlet RTL on Wednesday.
Wrench attacks increased by 75% in 2025 to 72 verified cases worldwide, according to cybersecurity platform CertiK. France saw the most incidents during 2025, with 19 confirmed wrench attacks, while Europe accounted for roughly 40% of global incidents.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d95c2-ac90-700b-be54-469c41aa7fd3.png\")
In another incident, a French couple in their late 50s was robbed of $1 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) by criminals posing as police officers, Cointelegraph reported on March 10.
Related: Suspected insider wallets rack up $1.2M betting on ZachXBT’s Axiom exposé
A month earlier, in February, French police arrested six people over the kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother in a crypto-linked ransom attack targeting the magistrate’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur.
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", "description": "French authorities are working to implement new measures to fight the rise of crypto ransom attacks and kidnappings after 41 reported cases in the country in 2026.", "published": "2026-04-16T11:53:04+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "france" }, { "slug": "cybercrime" }, { "slug": "crimes" }, { "slug": "ransom" }, { "slug": "scams-and-cybercrime" }, { "slug": "paris-blockchain-week" } ], "slug": "french-minister-measures-crypto-wrench-attacks-kidnappings", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "262057" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Study finds almost no crypto protocols disclose market-maker terms", "leadText": "A review of over 150 crypto protocols finds fewer than 1% disclose market-making arrangements, revealing a major transparency gap in token trading structures.", "author": { "slug": "amin-haqshanas" }, "bodyText": "A review of more than 150 major crypto protocols shows that disclosure of market-making arrangements is almost nonexistent, despite their central role in token trading.
The research, conducted by crypto advisory company Novora, found that fewer than 1% of protocols disclose any terms related to market makers. Across the full dataset, only one protocol, decentralized liquidity platform Meteora, was found to have publicly disclosed details of its market-making arrangements, citing the project’s 2025 Annual Token Holder Report.
The study covered leading sectors, including decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, perpetual futures, layer-1 and layer-2 networks, bridges and centralized exchange tokens, with protocols ranging in size from roughly $40 million to $45 billion in fully diluted valuation.
Novora said the protocols were assessed using a binary transparency framework covering disclosure practices and third-party data coverage, with checks against public sources including Artemis, Token Terminal, Dune, DefiLlama and Blockworks Research.
“This is the single most consequential transparency gap in the industry,” Novora founder Connor King wrote on X, saying that such material agreements are routinely disclosed in traditional markets. “In crypto, every market participant operates without this information,” he added.
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The finding points to a broader investor relations (IR) gap in crypto. Novora said 91% of the protocols it reviewed generated trackable revenue, but only 18% published quarterly updates and just 8% issued token holder reports, suggesting the data exists but is rarely packaged into structured investor communication.
At the same time, third-party analytics infrastructure has matured, with coverage rates exceeding 85% across major platforms, suggesting the underlying data is widely accessible but rarely formalized in reporting.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9596-8f52-7c10-a33c-8625dc696ea0.PNG\")
Sector-level breakdowns show uneven transparency. Perpetual futures protocols and decentralized exchanges tend to lead on disclosure and value accrual mechanisms, while L1 and infrastructure projects lag despite larger market capitalizations.
Related: US crypto wash trading case reaches court as 3 extradited, 10 charged
Opaque market-maker arrangements have long fueled scrutiny in crypto, especially around token loan structures that critics say can create incentives to dump borrowed tokens into the market. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has even previously charged so-called crypto market makers with price manipulation.
As Cointelegraph reported, some market-maker arrangements are poorly structured and can quickly turn harmful. One widely used arrangement, the “loan option model,” involves projects lending tokens to market makers who then deploy them for liquidity provision and trading activity, often tied to listing agreements.
In practice, critics say this structure can create strong incentives to sell borrowed tokens into the market, triggering price declines that benefit the market maker while leaving early-stage projects with weakened liquidity and damaged token performance.
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", "description": "A Novora study of 150 crypto protocols shows less than 1% disclose market-maker terms, with Meteora as the only exception, underscoring a major transparency gap in token markets.", "published": "2026-04-16T10:58:54+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "blockchain" }, { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "transparency" }, { "slug": "tokens" }, { "slug": "defi" }, { "slug": "layer2" } ], "slug": "crypto-market-maker-disclosure-study-novora-report", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "262037" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "South Korea to pilot tokenized deposits for government spending", "leadText": "The sandbox will test preset spending limits, timing controls and category restrictions for public sector expense payments.", "author": { "slug": "ezra-reguerra" }, "bodyText": "South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) is preparing to test blockchain-based payments for certain government expenses under a regulatory sandbox exploring distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based financial infrastructure.
The ministry said on Thursday that it selected a pilot project that will use tokenized deposits to execute government operational spending, with a full rollout targeting the fourth quarter of 2026. The program will initially launch in Sejong City and will test predefined spending conditions, including limits on timing and usage categories.
Tokenized deposits are digital representations of traditional bank deposits on blockchain or other DLT infrastructure. Unlike many stablecoins, they remain bank liabilities and are designed to operate within the existing financial system.
The pilot would move South Korea’s deposit-token experiment beyond subsidies and into day-to-day public spending, offering an early test of whether programmable bank-backed money can make government payments more traceable and harder to misuse.
As part of the sandbox, the ministry will work with participating institutions to define the scope of the trial, with plans to expand the model and consider related legal and regulatory changes based on the results, according to the MOEF announcement.
The initiative will focus on government operational expenses, which are currently processed through government-issued credit and debit cards managed through post-use reporting, the ministry said.
Related: South Korea says API crypto trading now makes up 30% of market: Report
Under the pilot, spending parameters such as time windows and permitted categories will be predefined, allowing authorities to test whether tokenized deposits can improve oversight and reduce misuse of funds.
The sandbox approval also enables the use of tokenized deposits for fund execution despite existing rules that require such expenses to be processed through government cards.
According to the ministry, the trial will serve as a basis for evaluating new payment and settlement methods, with potential implications for broader fiscal operations if the model proves viable.
Related: Bank of Korea floats crypto ‘circuit breakers’ after Bithumb blunder
The move follows South Korea’s earlier decision to use tokenized deposits for electric vehicle charging infrastructure subsidies, a pilot announced on March 19 with the Environment Ministry and Bank of Korea.
At the time, MOEF said it aimed to convert one-quarter of treasury fund execution to digital currency by 2030, suggesting the new operational-spending pilot is part of a broader effort to expand tokenized payment rails in public finance.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "South Korea plans a Sejong pilot in Q4 2026 as officials weigh broader legal changes tied to tokenized public fund disbursement.", "published": "2026-04-16T09:50:58+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "blockchain" }, { "slug": "asia" }, { "slug": "government" }, { "slug": "south-korea" }, { "slug": "tokens" }, { "slug": "tokenization" }, { "slug": "rwa-tokenization" } ], "slug": "south-korea-pilot-tokenized-deposits-government-spending", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "262007" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "US should scrap crypto capital gains tax to fuel currency competition: Cato", "leadText": "Crypto users in the US are required to pay capital gains taxes on cryptocurrencies, stifling their usefulness as a currency, argued a Washington DC-based think tank.", "author": { "slug": "stephen-katte" }, "bodyText": "Cato Institute, a US-based think tank, argued that the government should remove capital gains taxes on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to open the door for more currency competition.
The capital gains tax (CGT) is discouraging the use of alternative currencies like Bitcoin (BTC) as it incentivizes long-term holding and adds extra burdens to reporting requirements, Nicholas Anthony, a policy scholar and research fellow at the Cato Institute, said in a report on Wednesday.
He said the simplest option is to end capital gains taxes completely; however, another option could be removing them on crypto and foreign currency use to “take the government’s thumb off the scale and let competition be the true decider of the best money.”
“Bitcoiners know the frustration of tax season all too well. It’s never been easier to use Bitcoin as money,” he said. “Yet, at the same time, the tax code puts an incredible burden on law-abiding citizens. Something as simple as buying a cup of coffee every day with Bitcoin can result in more than 100 pages of tax filings.”
The Cato Institute is a US public policy think tank that tries to influence policy through research and reports. Its members have testified before lawmakers advocating for crypto in the past.
\n\n\nImagine every swipe of your card turning into a tax form.
— Nick Anthony (@EconWithNick) April 15, 2026
That’s what happens when spending Bitcoin.
If you buy a coffee with Bitcoin, the government makes you pay capital gains taxes on top of sales taxes.
Spending Bitcoin daily can turn into 70 pages in tax filings. pic.twitter.com/4At19JCFey
Using crypto to pay for goods and services can trigger a taxable event in some cases because it falls into the same broad category as stocks, real estate, and other capital assets, according to investment management firm VanEck.
Anthony argued another solution could be to remove CGT just for purchases of goods or services, but also warns it “risks creating its own compliance nightmare if people are required to prove the transactions. That’s better than being taxed, but the process would still be taxing.”
He also pointed to a de minimis tax as another possible avenue, where CGT is not triggered unless a specific threshold is met.
Related: Iran conflict hints Bitcoin’s addressable market could exceed gold: Bitwise
“The only thing worse than getting robbed would be having the robber demand endless forms about the money they are taking from you. Taxes are no different,” Anthony said.
“Congress should simplify the tax code so the average American can do what’s required with ease. Doing so would go a long way toward easing Americans’ stress each tax season and creating a more competitive economy.”
A 2025 National Cryptocurrency Association survey found that 39% of US crypto holders reported using crypto to purchase goods and services.
Meanwhile, the academic publishing company Springer Nature identified about 11,000 merchants worldwide using BTC Map data that currently accept Bitcoin as payment.
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", "description": "A Cato Institute scholar says the US should eliminate capital gains taxes on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to encourage currency competition and foster a more competitive economy.", "published": "2026-04-16T07:30:37+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "taxes" }, { "slug": "business" }, { "slug": "adoption" }, { "slug": "united-states" } ], "slug": "congress-remove-bitcoin-capital-gains-tax-currency-competition-cato", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261992" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Trump’s World Liberty under fire for ‘absurd’ token unlock plan", "leadText": "Major World Liberty Financial investor Justin Sun called a plan to lock tokens for up to four years “the most absurd governance scams I have ever seen.”", "author": { "slug": "jesse-coghlan" }, "bodyText": "The Trump family’s crypto platform, World Liberty Financial, is facing backlash over a new proposal to lock up tokens purchased by early investors for up to four years, or in some cases, indefinitely.
World Liberty posted the proposal to its governance forum on Wednesday, which outlined that early investors would have their World Liberty Financial (WLFI) tokens locked for a further two years before their tokens would be released in batches over the following two years.
According to the proposal, tokenholders who do not accept the new unlock schedule would “continue to have their tokens locked indefinitely.”
The proposal saw wide opposition, with crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, one of the platform’s advisers and its biggest investor, posting to X on Wednesday that the plan was “one of the most absurd governance scams I have ever seen.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d94d5-aaf5-7817-8bc2-0722cc1236cd.png\")
Sun, who said he holds a 4% stake in World Liberty that is currently frozen, has recently made a series of public criticisms against the platform, taking issue with a separate proposal and accusing it of having controls to blacklist wallets, which World Liberty denied.
Other critics of the proposal included Simon Dedic, the founder of venture firm Moonrock Capital, who posted to X that early WLFI investors “who thought they were sitting on solid profits just got rugged.”
“This essentially gives them another shot at squeezing the same lemon they’ve been inflating with hot air for the past two years. Which, what a surprise, lines up perfectly with the remainder of [Donald Trump’s] term,” he added.
World Liberty Financial did not respond to questions about the backlash, but spokesman David Wachsman told Cointelegraph in an emailed statement that the proposal “was designed to further align all the participants in the WLFI ecosystem for the long run.”
Related: WLFI may drop 20% as World Liberty Financial faces 'LUNA 2.0' allegations
Sun’s specific criticisms centered on the plan to indefinitely lock the tokens of those who disagreed with the proposal, accusing the platform of “coercion.”
He also took issue with being “forced out of this voting process” due to World Liberty’s freeze of his tokens and claimed that a “large number of holders with significant voting rights are in the same position.”
Wachsman added that voting on the proposal would begin soon and would run for a week.
The price of the WLFI token has traded flat at 8 cents over the past 24 hours but is down by more than 40% so far this year, alongside a wider retraction in the crypto and share markets.
WLFI has fallen more than 75% since its all-time high of 33 cents on Sept. 1, the token's first day of public trading after holders voted to allow trading on the originally non-tradable token.
Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions
", "description": "Investors in the Trump-founded World Liberty Financial have criticized the platform over a proposal to lock up early investor tokens for up to an additional four years.", "published": "2026-04-16T07:04:51+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "donald-trump" }, { "slug": "tokens" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "trump-world-liberty-under-fire-token-unlock-plan", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261987" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin fund overtakes WisdomTree after 6 trading days", "leadText": "The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust is also within striking distance of overtaking three other US spot Bitcoin ETFs that launched in January 2024.", "author": { "slug": "brayden-lindrea" }, "bodyText": "Morgan Stanley’s new spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund has just surpassed the WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund (WBTC) in total net inflows, despite launching just over a week ago.
The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT) added $19.3 million of investor inflows on Wednesday, bringing its total net inflow to $103 million.
The figure has now passed WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund’s (WBTC) total net inflow of $86 million, which it had been accumulating since launching in January 2024, Farside Investors data shows.
More asset managers are looking to push into the growing Bitcoin ETF space. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs, a former crypto critic, filed with the SEC to launch its own Bitcoin-linked ETF.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d94d8-c524-7a5c-a959-d706e2c218cb.png\")
The Morgan Stanley spot Bitcoin ETF product launched on April 8 at a market-low fee of 0.14%, undercutting the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF (BTC) by one basis point.
It joined 11 other spot Bitcoin ETFs, including BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) — the current market leader with $64.3 billion in net inflows and the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund at $10.9 billion.
MSBT’s other competitors include Bitcoin ETFs issued by Bitwise, ARK 21Shares and Grayscale.
Continuing momentum could also see Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF surpass Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO), Valkyrie Bitcoin ETF (BRRR) and the Franklin Bitcoin ETF (EZBC), which have accumulated net inflows of $245 million, $326 million and $375 million, respectively.
A Bloomberg report from April 2 found that the average lifespan of ETFs fell from 4.66 years in 2024 to about 3.5 years in 2025.
Over 40 ETFs have also been liquidated in the first two months of 2026, though none of those include any notable crypto ETFs.
Related: Bitcoin ETFs could eventually be larger than gold ETFs: Analyst
The ETFs that were liquidated across the first two months of 2026 had an average lifespan of 21 months, half that of the ETFs that were liquidated in 2025.
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart predicted in December that many crypto exchange-traded products would be liquidated by the end of 2027 due to a lack of demand.
At the time, over 126 ETP applications were awaiting an outcome from the SEC.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust’s inflow of $19.3 million on Thursday pushed it past the WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund by total net flows despite launching just six trading days ago.", "published": "2026-04-16T07:02:21+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "bloomberg" }, { "slug": "morgan-stanley" }, { "slug": "data" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-etf" }, { "slug": "etf" } ], "slug": "morgan-stanley-bitcoin-etf-sees-sixth-straight-inflow", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261982" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "China already has compute to train its own Mythos-like AI: Nvidia CEO", "leadText": "The amount of capacity and the type of compute it was trained on is “abundantly available in China,” said the Nvidia CEO.", "author": { "slug": "martin-young" }, "bodyText": "Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warned that China already has the computing power and data center capacity necessary to train an AI model at the same level as Anthropic’s AI model Claude Mythos, which could threaten global cybersecurity.
Huang was asked in an interview on the Dwarkesh Patel podcast on Wednesday whether the Chinese government’s access to chips to train a model like Claude Mythos — which has cyberoffensive capabilities — could be a threat to US national security.
Mythos was trained on a “fairly mundane capacity,” Huang said.
“The amount of capacity and the type of compute it was trained on is abundantly available in China, so you just have to first realize that chips exist in China.”
Anthropic limited access to its new AI model in April after it identified thousands of software vulnerabilities across major operating systems and browsers, raising concerns about potential misuse in cyberattacks. A Chinese-made AI model with the same capability could wreak havoc if misused.
Huang said that the amount of compute China has is “enormous.”
“They have datacenters that are sitting completely empty, fully powered. You know, they have ghost cities, they have ghost datacenters too. They have so much infrastructure capacity. If they wanted to, they [could] just gang up more chips.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d94c2-c8c6-7063-918e-994e888b155e.jpg\")
Huang added that China manufactures 60% of the world’s mainstream chips, has some of the best computer scientists, has 50% of the world’s AI researchers and an abundance of energy.
“Victimizing them, turning them into an enemy, likely isn’t the best answer,” he said. “They are an adversary.”
“We want the United States to win. But I think having a dialogue and having research dialogue is probably the safest thing to do.”
Related: Anthropic limits access to AI model over cyberattack concerns
On Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed Mythos as a revolutionary step that will keep America ahead of China in the AI race. “This Anthropic Mythos model was a step function change in abilities, learning capabilities,” he said, according to Bloomberg.
Anthropic released findings on Claude Mythos Preview on April 7, sparking concern that the model could be used in cyberattacks due to its ability to discover and potentially exploit zero-day vulnerabilities. The company also claimed that 99% of the vulnerabilities the model discovered have not been patched yet.
Meanwhile, the AI Security Institute (AISI) evaluated Mythos on Monday, finding that the AI model could “execute multi-stage attacks on vulnerable networks and discover and exploit vulnerabilities autonomously,” tasks that would take human professionals days of work.
AI-boosted hacks with Mythos could also have dire consequences for banks, which often use decades-old software, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Last year, Anthropic reported in November that a “Chinese state-sponsored group” manipulated its Claude Code tool in an attempt to infiltrate about 30 global targets and succeeded in a small number of cases.
Magazine: How AI just dramatically sped up the quantum risk for Bitcoin
", "description": "Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says China has the computing power and empty data centers needed to build AI models like Anthropic’s Claude Mythos.", "published": "2026-04-16T06:53:02+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "nvidia" }, { "slug": "china" }, { "slug": "ai" }, { "slug": "cybersecurity" }, { "slug": "ai-and-hi-tech" } ], "slug": "china-has-compute-train-its-own-mythos-ai-nvidia-ceo", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261977" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Tech stocks push Nasdaq, S&P 500 to record highs as Bitcoin taps $75K ", "leadText": "Tech stocks helped drive the Nasdaq to 24,016 and the S&P 500 to 7,022 as Bitcoin climbed nearly 10% over the past two weeks. ", "author": { "slug": "brian-quarmby" }, "bodyText": "US equities and tech stocks gained on Wednesday as investors looked optimistically to a de-escalation of the US-Iran war, while the price of Bitcoin tapped $75,000 amid broader positive momentum across the crypto market.
According to data from Yahoo Finance, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite hit a new all-time high of 24,016.02 on Wednesday, closing the trading day with a 1.59% gain, while the S&P 500 tagged its own record high of 7,022.95 after notching a slight gain of 0.8%.
The indexes' performance on the day was led by a 2.08% gain in tech stocks overall. Meanwhile, Bitcoin hit $75,229 on Wednesday, rising 1.07% over the past 24 hours and continuing recent positive momentum that has seen BTC climb nearly 10% over the past two weeks.
The tech and crypto gains come amid suggestions from the White House that US-Iran conflict may be coming to an end. President Donald Trump told Fox Business on Wednesday that he views the war as \"very close to being over.\"
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9494-25a0-77e1-9612-9def397ff521.png\")
Trump, however, indicated that this still depends on whether a deal can be struck between the two nations.
\"If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we're not finished,\" he said, adding, \"We'll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.\"
Related: Ether open interest sees 26% increase as markets rally: Are traders into ETH again?
Commenting on the S&P 500’s recent gains, Fundstrat's chief investment officer, Tom Lee, said there's more room for growth in the near term, arguing that some investors remain parked on the sidelines as they wait to see how the conflict develops.
Speaking with CNBC's \"Closing Bell\" on Wednesday, Lee argued that the US stock market and economy have been performing well enough despite the Middle East conflict, and added in a post on X that \"stocks bottom on bad news,” not good news.
However, Lee said he expects the next leg of the rally to be led by crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ether, along with the Magnificent Seven tech stocks and the broader software sector.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "The Nasdaq and S&P 500 closed at record highs on Wednesday as tech stocks rallied, while Bitcoin climbed above $75,200 as the White House signaled the US-Iran conflict may be ending.", "published": "2026-04-16T05:54:52+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-price" }, { "slug": "us-government" }, { "slug": "stocks" }, { "slug": "donald-trump" } ], "slug": "tech-stocks-push-nasdaq-sp500-record-highs-as-bitcoin-taps-75k", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261967" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "CFTC probes oil futures trades tied to Trump's moves in Iran: Report", "leadText": "The CFTC is investigating trades that took place before the US delayed strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure on March 23 and agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on April 7.", "author": { "slug": "brayden-lindrea" }, "bodyText": "The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is reportedly investigating suspicious oil trades that were placed ahead of certain announcements made by the Trump administration relating to the Iran war.
According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, the CFTC’s probe focuses on trading activity on CME Group’s NYMEX and the Intercontinental Exchange’s futures platforms.
The regulator is also requesting “Tag 50” identity data from exchanges to assist with the investigation. Tag 50 data is widely used for auditing and regulatory compliance checks.
The investigation into the futures trading platforms comes in parallel with the rising scrutiny of insider trading in prediction markets.
Bloomberg said the CFTC is reviewing at least two instances over a two-week period in which oil trading volumes surged shortly before the Trump administration made announcements related to the Iran war.
The first of those occurred on March 23, when billions of dollars in futures traded about 15 minutes before US President Donald Trump postponed plans to strike Iranian energy infrastructure.
The second instance occurred around two weeks later, on April 7, when Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on Iran, Bloomberg said.
The trading spikes contributed to falling oil prices and rising equity prices.
“There’s enormous appetite to pursue cases like this,” said Brian Young, a partner at law firm Jones Day who previously served as director of the CFTC’s enforcement division.
“After all, prices at the pump closely correlate to oil futures contracts, so we’re talking about American pocketbooks at stake here.”
On March 31, the CFTC’s current enforcement director, David Miller, warned that they are keeping a close eye on prediction market insider traders and that they will face action when caught.
“There’s a myth in mainstream media and social media that insider trading doesn’t apply in the prediction markets … That is wrong.”
Related: Kalshi to create ‘portal for parents‘ on prediction markets: Report
Mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers on prediction markets has also seen both Kalshi and Polymarket introducing new rules to stamp out insider trading.
The Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026 was also introduced in late March to curb insider trading by government officials.
Magazine: Should users be allowed to bet on war and death in prediction markets?
", "description": "The US commodities regulator is investigating suspicious oil futures trades that were made ahead of two US announcements regarding the war in Iran.", "published": "2026-04-16T05:38:03+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "cftc" }, { "slug": "futures" }, { "slug": "trading" }, { "slug": "oil-and-gas" }, { "slug": "industry" }, { "slug": "polymarket" }, { "slug": "kalshi" }, { "slug": "prediction-markets" } ], "slug": "cftc-probes-oil-futures-trades-ahead-trump-iran-moves", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261962" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "BitMEX pitches ‘canary fund’ alternative to Bitcoin quantum coin freeze", "leadText": "It may be appropriate to attempt to mitigate the extent of the freeze as much as possible, even at the cost of greater complexity, said BitMEX.", "author": { "slug": "martin-young" }, "bodyText": "BitMEX Research has proposed an alternative to freezing quantum-vulnerable dormant Bitcoins, advocating a wait-and-see approach and a “canary fund” with a quantum bounty instead.
BitMEX Research proposed a soft fork on Thursday that would only activate a full freeze of vulnerable coins if it is “proven that a quantum computer capable of stealing Bitcoins actually exists.”
The system uses a “canary approach,” creating a special Bitcoin (BTC) address using a “Nothing-Up-My-Sleeve Number” (NUMS). This is a cryptographic proof in which the private key is unknown, but it is a valid address that could theoretically be spent by a powerful enough quantum computer.
Users can donate BTC to this address as a bounty, incentivizing any quantum-capable actor to “ring the alarm” by spending from it. Only if someone spends from this canary address does the freeze automatically activate, as it proves the quantum threat is real.
The solution provides an alternative mechanism to the BIP-361 proposal on Tuesday that suggested freezing dormant, quantum-vulnerable Bitcoin to prevent it from being stolen by bad actors in the future.
BIP-361 drew significant community pushback, with some comments calling it “authoritarian” and “confiscatory.”
BitMEX’s proposed “canary watch state” would still allow old coins to be spent, provided malicious actors using quantum computers do not attempt to steal from the “canary fund.”
Investors participating in the canary fund can use multisignatures and withdraw their BTC at any time, it explained.
There is also a safety window where quantum-vulnerable transactions could still be allowed after the five-year mark proposed in BIP-361, but with outputs locked for a period.
Related: Bitcoiners propose freezing quantum-vulnerable coins in BIP-361
“While this approach adds complexity and risk, given how controversial any coin freeze is, mitigating the impact of the freeze using this type of system may be worth consideration.”
Meanwhile, BIP-361 co-author Jameson Lopp has said his Bitcoin improvement proposal was more of a “rough idea for a contingency plan” than something ready to be proposed for activation.
“I know folks don’t like it. I don’t like it myself. I wrote it because I like the alternative even less,” he wrote on X on Wednesday.
He told Cointelegraph that it was a “rough sketch” to approach the issue of a “looming circulating supply shock” if quantum computing advances to the point that a post-quantum signature scheme achieves consensus for being added to Bitcoin.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9463-b3f0-764c-825d-a6f50b73b92b.jpg\")
Magazine: Nobody knows if quantum-secure cryptography will even work
", "description": "BitMEX Research proposed a quantum canary fund for Bitcoin that triggers a coin freeze only if a quantum threat is proven real.", "published": "2026-04-16T04:56:48+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "bitmex" }, { "slug": "quantum-computing" } ], "slug": "bitmex-pitches-bitcoin-canary-fund-instead-of-quantum-coin-freeze", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261952" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Bitcoin hits ‘near-term selling pressure’ after rally to $76K: CryptoQuant", "leadText": "CryptoQuant says Bitcoin could be reaching a temporary ceiling after hitting a multi-month top of $76,000 on Wednesday, with investors moving Bitcoin in bulk to exchanges.", "author": { "slug": "jesse-coghlan" }, "bodyText": "Bitcoin deposits to crypto exchanges surged on Tuesday as it rallied above $76,000, suggesting it is hitting “near-term selling pressure” as investors move their coins into a position for sale, according to CryptoQuant.
In a report on Wednesday, CryptoQuant said the size and rate of Bitcoin (BTC) inflows to exchanges have increased since the rally, with hourly inflows spiking to 11,000 BTC, the highest since December.
CryptoQuant said it is a “historically reliable warning signal of near-term selling pressure, as holders move coins to exchanges in preparation for potential distribution at key resistance zones.”
It added that the average deposit size also increased to 2.25 BTC, the highest since July 2024, and similar to January, when average deposits peaked at 2 BTC before the price nearly halved from $100,000 to $60,000.
Crypto investors have been hoping for a Bitcoin rally as the war in Iran appears to be de-escalating. However, a large shift of Bitcoin into crypto exchanges could suggest any rally would be short-lived.
TradingView shows Bitcoin hit $76,052 on Coinbase on Tuesday, securing its highest price since early February.
However, CryptoQuant said that as Bitcoin nears its $76,800 realized price, it will act “as a ceiling for relief rallies,” and traders who are nearing breakeven on their holdings will be “incentivized to sell, capping further upside.”
It added that Bitcoin’s rally in January was capped as it hit its realized price at the time, which caused prices to reverse, and “the same dynamic may repeat if selling pressure builds from current levels.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9458-6242-7099-9d80-abd26c27466f.png\")
Related: Ether open interest sees 26% increase as markets rally: Are traders into ETH again?
However, CryptoQuant said that profit-taking is “still in its early stages” as daily realized profits hover at $500 million, below the threshold of $1 billion that has “historically coincided with, or slightly preceded, local price tops.”
Daily realized profits could move above the $1 billion mark if Bitcoin rallies above $76,000 or moves toward the $76,800 realized price, CryptoQuant said, adding that could bring greater selling pressure and increase the likelihood of a stall or reversal.
Magazine: Bitcoin may take 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum — BIP-360 co-author
", "description": "Bitcoin could soon meet resistance as inflows to exchanges surge while Bitcoin hit a multi-month high of $76,000.", "published": "2026-04-16T04:42:37+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-price" } ], "slug": "bitcoin-near-term-selling-pressure-after-rally-76k-cryptoquant", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261947" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Bitcoin should prepare now, even if quantum is 'lab experiment,’ Adam Back says", "leadText": "Back said the safest approach is to build optional upgrades that would allow Bitcoin to migrate to quantum-resistant cryptography once it's needed.", "author": { "slug": "brayden-lindrea" }, "bodyText": "Blockstream CEO Adam Back, an early pioneer of the crypto movement, said Bitcoiners should be looking at building quantum-resistant solutions now, even if the threat is still decades away.
“Quantum computing still has a lot to prove. Current systems are essentially lab experiments. I’ve followed the field for over 25 years, and progress has been incremental,” Back said at Paris Blockchain Week on Tuesday.
“That said, Bitcoin should prepare,” Back said, adding that the “safest approach” is to build optional upgrades that allow migration to quantum-resistant cryptography if needed.
Concerns that quantum computers could eventually break blockchain cryptography have fueled industry-wide fear that bad actors could use it to break into crypto wallets, plunging the market into chaos.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d93cf-f414-78ff-a9c2-67cd0427516f.png\")
Back said in November that the quantum threat is still 20 to 40 years away, while explaining to Bloomberg earlier this month that today’s quantum computers are slower than calculators.
Despite this, his Bitcoin development company, Blockstream, has a dedicated quantum team researching potential threat vectors to the Bitcoin network.
Part of that work has involved implementing hash-based signatures on Blockstream’s Bitcoin layer-2 Liquid Network, Back said at Paris Blockchain Week.
“Preparation is key. Making changes in a controlled way is far safer than reacting in a crisis.”
He added that the Taproot protocol could also support alternative signature schemes on the Bitcoin network without affecting current users.
Still, last month, Google and California Institute of Technology researchers said functional quantum computers could come sooner than expected and that far less computing power is needed to break cryptography than previously thought.
Google went as far as to say that quantum computers could potentially break Bitcoin’s cryptography as quickly as nine minutes, allowing hackers to perform an “on-spend” attack.
Asked what would happen if the quantum threat arrives sooner than anticipated, Back said Bitcoin developers would “act quickly.”
“We’ve seen that before — bugs have been identified and fixed within hours. When something becomes urgent, it focuses attention and drives consensus.”
On Tuesday, Bitcoin developer Jameson Lopp and five other crypto security researchers introduced a proposal to freeze quantum-vulnerable Bitcoin — including Satoshi Nakamoto’s $81.9 billion stash — to prevent them from being stolen once quantum computers become functional.
Related: Bitcoiners propose freezing quantum-vulnerable coins in BIP-361
The proposal drew sharp criticism from several members of the Bitcoin community, including developer and researcher Mark Erhardt, who described it as “authoritarian and confiscatory.”
Phil Geiger, head of business development at Metaplanet, said: “We have to steal people’s money to prevent their money from being stolen.”
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "Bitcoin OG Adam Back says quantum computing has a “lot to prove” before becoming a legitimate threat to Bitcoin, though Bitcoiners should still prepare for it now.", "published": "2026-04-16T02:14:54+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "conference" }, { "slug": "adam-back" }, { "slug": "quantum-computing" }, { "slug": "paris-blockchain-week" } ], "slug": "bitcoiners-should-prepare-quantum-now-adam-back", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261942" }, { "category": { "slug": "market-analysis" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Ether open interest sees 26% increase as markets rally: Are traders into ETH again?", "leadText": "Institutional investors are buying Ether again, but a handful of factors could slow market momentum and negatively impact ETH’s rally.", "author": { "slug": "marcel-pechman" }, "bodyText": "Key takeaways:
Institutional ETH accumulation remains robust as Ether ETFs and Bitmine Immersion lead a healthy, spot-driven recovery.
Lackluster DApp revenue and negative ETH funding rates suggest that traders are skeptical of the rally.
Ether (ETH) price managed to sustain above $2,300 on Wednesday, distancing itself from the $1,940 lows seen on March 29. The recent rally has caused ETH futures open interest to reach $25.4 billion, indicating increased demand for leveraged positions. The movement suggests a potential turn in momentum for ETH bulls after 10 weeks of failed attempts to reclaim the $2,400 level.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d92fc-54ab-79a8-9d1e-68bc1f7e981a.png\")
To determine whether the shift in positioning is driven by bulls, one must assess the ETH futures funding rate. The ETH perpetual futures funding rate has failed to hold above 5% since Friday, indicating a lack of confidence among bulls.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d92fc-57ff-737e-a4cc-97d1a6df9544.png\")
The metric has dipped below 0% multiple times, indicating excess demand for bearish leveraged positions. Under neutral conditions, the indicator should range between 5% and 10% to compensate for the cost of capital.
Still, one could argue that such data reinforces that Ether’s recent rally to $2,350 has been sustained by spot demand.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d92fc-5a51-7528-ad23-daf8a90fcfdf.png\")
US-listed Ether spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) accumulated $248 million in net inflows over the past 10 days, validating the thesis of healthy spot-driven Ether bullish momentum. In parallel, the digital asset treasury company Bitmine Immersion (BMNR US) announced the acquisition of $312 million worth of ETH. Bitmine now holds 4.87 million ETH, equivalent to $11.46 billion.
While institutional accumulation is generally a positive sign, Bitmine’s ETH holdings are trading 13% below their acquisition cost, according to CoinGecko data. Similarly, US-listed Ether ETF assets under management stood at $13.7 billion on Wednesday, down from $20.5 billion three months prior. Ether’s failure to reclaim $2,400 also happened as the S&P 500 index jumped to a new all-time high on Wednesday.
Part of investors’ reduced appetite for cryptocurrencies can be pinned to the declining activity in decentralized applications (DApps). Almost every corner of the cryptocurrency industry has been negatively impacted by the 2026 bear market, including memecoin token launch platforms, synthetic derivatives trading, collateralized lending, digital collectibles, decentralized exchanges and cross chain bridges.
The few positive highlights, including prediction markets and real-world assets, had no impact on Ethereum network activity. Investors are starting to question whether ETH is well-positioned to capture an eventual surge in demand for DApps, given the emergence of competing blockchains focused on solving specific issues, such as Hyperliquid and Plasma.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d92fc-5c48-7b40-92dc-d047a67aa7d1.png\")
Related: ETH/BTC ratio hits 10-week high as Ether outpaces Bitcoin–Are new price highs next?
Ethereum’s weekly DApps revenue has plummeted to $11 million per week, down from $24 million in early February. The primary reason for investors to accumulate ETH is the expectation of higher onchain processing demand and the subsequent burn mechanism, which creates incentives for long-term holding.
Despite the increased demand for ETH futures, derivatives metrics failed to flip bullish. Among the potential causes are the losses in Ethereum strategic reserve companies and increased competition in the DApps industry.
The latest filing by the crypto-aligned political action committee (PAC) headed by stablecoin issuer Tether’s head of government affairs shows $11 million in contributions from financial institutions.
In a Wednesday filing with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Fellowship PAC revealed it had received $10 million from financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald and $1 million from Anchor Labs, the company behind the crypto bank Anchorage Digital. The January 2026 contributions came amid $3 million in spending by the PAC for “issue advocacy advertising” with the Nxum Group, a marketing company co-founded by former White House crypto adviser and Tether US CEO Bo Hines.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d92f2-9549-7c7b-8e9f-14ccd02661cc.png\")
Despite the significant contributions from Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage, Fellowship initially claimed to have “over $100 million” from undisclosed backers aligned with the crypto industry at its launch in September. FEC filings showed no receipts over $200 between Aug. 7, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2025, but did not necessarily include any contributions after March 31.
The 2024 US election season saw crypto-backed PACs spend hundreds of millions of dollars on media to support candidates they considered “pro-crypto” and to oppose those marked as “anti-crypto” by many in the industry. With party control of the US Congress hanging in the balance this year, PAC spending like Fellowship’s signals that the crypto industry could try to repeat their successes of 2024.
Related: US midterm election mirrors 2024 as crypto PACs move into Ohio races
In addition to its $3 million in advertising costs, the PAC reported in April that it had spent $1.5 million in media buys supporting Republican candidates in Georgia's 14th Congressional District and candidates in US Senate races in Nebraska and Kentucky. Those three US states are scheduled to hold party primaries in May.
Mitchell Nobel, listed as the PAC’s treasurer, has also been Cantor Fitzgerald's director of digital asset strategy and policy since August 2025, roughly the same time Fellowship filed its statement of organization with the FEC.
Anchorage announced in March that it would be joining Chainlink to support the launch of the Blockchain Leadership Fund, a hybrid PAC that allows contributions directly to candidates as well as independent expenditures. An Anchorage spokesperson told Cointelegraph at the time that the company would make a “meaningful contribution” to be disclosed with the FEC, but no filing was public as of Wednesday.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "The PAC that claimed to have “over $100 million” at its launch in September disclosed $11 million in combined contributions from Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital.", "published": "2026-04-15T22:52:26+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "politics" }, { "slug": "banks" }, { "slug": "funding" }, { "slug": "united-states" }, { "slug": "elections" }, { "slug": "regulation" } ], "slug": "crypto-pac-fellowship-discloses-11m-from-cantor-fitzgerald-and-anchorage-digital", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261937" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Here’s what happened in crypto today", "leadText": "Need to know what happened in crypto today? Here is the latest news on daily trends and events impacting Bitcoin price, blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, Web3 and crypto regulation.", "author": { "slug": "cointelegraph" }, "bodyText": "Today in crypto, World Liberty copped wide backlash over its plan to lock up early investor tokens for years, crypto money is flowing into US state elections as PACs building on their 2024 successes and Denmark’s central bank revealed that 4% of Danes own crypto, far below other European countries.
The Trump family’s World Liberty Financial faced widespread backlash over its proposal released on Wednesday that would lock up the tokens purchased by early investors for up to four years, or in some cases, indefinitely.
The plan outlined that early investors would have their World Liberty Financial (WLFI) tokens locked for a further two years before their tokens would be released in batches over the following two years, while tokenholders who did not accept the new unlock schedule would “continue to have their tokens locked indefinitely.”
The proposal saw wide opposition, most notably from World Liberty adviser and its biggest investor, Justin Sun, who called the plan “one of the most absurd governance scams I have ever seen.” Moonrock Capital founder Simon Dedic claimed that WLFI investors “who thought they were sitting on solid profits just got rugged.”
World Liberty Financial did not respond to questions about the backlash. Spokesman David Wachsman told Cointelegraph in an emailed statement that the proposal “was designed to further align all the participants in the WLFI ecosystem for the long run.”
Another political action committee (PAC) aligned with the cryptocurrency industry announced its endorsement for a candidate in Ohio’s Senate race, signaling a move that could mirror the 2024 US election.
In a Wednesday notice, Sentinel Action Fund, a group that claims to be the “only conservative Super PAC advancing pro-crypto candidates and supporting pro-crypto innovation,” said it would be supporting Republican Jon Husted in this year’s race to represent Ohio in the US Senate.
Husted was appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in January 2025 to replace JD Vance, who was elected vice president alongside US President Donald Trump in his 2024 election win. He still faces a field of Republican candidates ahead of a May 5 primary in Ohio, where former Senator Sherrod Brown will also face off in the Democratic primary against Ron Kincaid.
Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson specifically cited Brown as having “stood in the way of pro-innovation policies when it comes to digital assets” in the PAC’s endorsement of Husted.
![\"Denmark,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d921a-7f30-790e-83bb-19d79926aa22.png\")
Only 4% of Danish citizens own cryptocurrencies, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2023 despite the global growth of the sector across Europe and other jurisdictions, according to a new staff paper from the country’s central bank published Wednesday.
The Danmarks Nationalbank staff paper, based on a survey conducted by Epinion, revealed that among those who do hold crypto, most maintain relatively small positions. The majority reported holdings below 10,000 Danish kroner (around $1,570), with total national holdings estimated between $317 million and $847 million.
The survey is based on responses from 3,013 citizens aged 15 and above. The data was gathered between October and November 2025 through Denmark’s Digital Post system, with options to respond online or by phone. The sample was weighted to reflect national demographics.
The findings show that Denmark sits at the lower end of crypto adoption compared to other European countries, where ownership rates are higher. Countries such as Norway, Finland and the United Kingdom report over 10% of their populations hold crypto assets.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9125-27ee-7f75-89ef-ee155902d3ce.PNG\")
Bitcoin’s (BTC) rally stalled above $76,000 stalled on Tuesday after short-term profit-taking by traders reached its highest level in 2026.
The activity coincided with continued accumulation by long-term holders, and this opposing interaction between the two cohorts may continue to impact Bitcoin’s attempts to break into the $80,000 range.
New Bitcoin short-term holders moved their holdings as BTC in profit sent to exchanges reached 63,000 BTC on April 14, the highest level in 2026, since the 44,800 spike on Jan. 14.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9173-4544-756c-8765-1690c24adfab.png\")
Onchain data shows that the one-day-to-one-week cohort moved nearly 2,000 BTC back to Binance during the same time. This implied that freshly acquired coins are rotating into sell-side liquidity as BTC traded near $76,000.
Crypto analyst Amr Taha flagged this as the first clear wave of profit-taking after the retest of the monthly highs. The activity aligns with cautious distribution, in which newer participants seek to secure gains at key resistance levels during a bear market.
Taha noted that this indicates a natural cooling phase in momentum.
Meanwhile, BTC whale behavior shows a different pattern. Market analyst CW noted a single-day inflow of over 71,000 BTC into accumulation addresses, the largest bullish inflow since early 2022. The large holders appear to be absorbing available supply from the short-term sellers.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9175-cac5-79bb-aaa1-59f543f08140.jpg\")
The relationship between these flows points to a transfer of coins from weaker hands to stronger ones, which may stabilize the price while limiting an immediate rally.
Related: Bitcoin ETFs post $412M in inflows as Goldman Sachs files for BTC ETF
After forming equal highs near $76,000, BTC’s price rejected near the 100-day exponential moving average (EMA), marking the first test of this trend since Jan. 14. The momentum slowed after the rejection, with price slipping to $73,500.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d917b-54de-7a69-8cb8-07b23411fdb8.png\")
However, on the lower time frame, the bullish trend remains intact.
On the one-hour chart, internal liquidity levels are resting around $73,000 and $72,000. These zones may attract bid orders that may get filled before a trend continuation.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d917b-f12f-781b-b22e-30cd3e9c7415.png\")
The liquidation heatmap provides additional context, with $1.4 billion in cumulative long liquidations clustered around $73,000. That figure rises to $3.5 billion in long positions at risk near $70,500.
At the opposite end, a move toward $80,000 would expose $2 billion in leveraged short positions. The spread between the long and short liquidation zones suggests BTC may retest the $72,000 to $70,000 range before moving higher.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9177-0f9e-7b02-8941-d69529c3da31.png\")
Related: Bitcoin shows ‘bull market behavior’ as chart pattern targets $90K
", "description": "Bitcoin briefly reversed course at $76,000 as short-term holders closed their in-the-money positions. As the market absorbs the supply, data predicts a quick rebound.", "published": "2026-04-15T22:17:06+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-price" }, { "slug": "markets" }, { "slug": "cryptocurrency-exchange" }, { "slug": "binance" }, { "slug": "price-analysis" }, { "slug": "market-analysis" }, { "slug": "whale" } ], "slug": "bitcoin-traders-cash-out-63k-btc-profits-as-price-rallied-above-dollar76k", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "Price Analysis" } ] }, "id": "261927" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Bitnomial launches Injective futures in US, with eyes on ETF eligibility", "leadText": "The contracts mark Injective’s first entry into US-regulated derivatives markets and could help support a spot ETF following a filing from Canary Capital.", "author": { "slug": "nate-kostar" }, "bodyText": "Chicago-based crypto exchange Bitnomial has launched monthly futures contracts tied to Injective, marking the first US-regulated derivatives product for the Web3 financial ecosystem’s native token.
According to Wednesday’s announcement shared with Cointelegraph, the contracts settle in INJ (INJ) with monthly expiries, allowing traders to gain price exposure without holding the underlying asset, and can be margined in crypto or US dollars through Bitnomial’s clearinghouse.
The listing also starts a six-month track record that could support a spot exchange-traded fund under US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) listing rules. In July, Canary Capital filed for a staked INJ ETF, with Cboe BZX Exchange submitting a corresponding rule change to the SEC.
Institutional clients can access the futures immediately, with retail trading expected to follow via Bitnomial’s Botanical platform in the coming weeks. The company said it also plans to add perpetual futures and options tied to INJ.
![\"Coinbase,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d92ec-847b-7726-a435-5778ed670400.png\")
Injective runs on a Layer 1 blockchain built for financial applications, with an onchain order book and cross-chain connectivity to networks including Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL).
Bitnomial is a derivatives exchange that operates a trading venue, clearinghouse and brokerage for crypto futures and options that is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In January, the exchange launched monthly futures contracts tied to Aptos (APT) marking the first US-regulated derivatives product for the alt coin.
Related: Injective community passes governance vote to slash INJ token supply
US-regulated crypto futures remain largely concentrated in major assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), with Bitnomial among the few venues listing derivatives tied to altcoins. Expanding those offerings has required navigating a shifting and often uncertain regulatory environment.
In August 2024, Bitnomial moved to list XRP (XRP) futures through CFTC self-certification, but the SEC challenged the plan, arguing the contracts could require securities exchange registration.
After filing a lawsuit in October 2025, Bitnomial dropped the case in March and later that month launched regulated XRP futures for US users, citing evolving SEC policy.
Other platforms have taken a more gradual approach. Coinbase launched CFTC-regulated futures tied to Bitcoin and Ether for institutional clients in June 2023, later expanding access with retail-sized contracts in May 2025 and introducing 24/7 trading to provide round-the-clock market access for US participants.
Also in May, Kraken acquired futures platform NinjaTrader for about $1.5 billion, gaining a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant and expanding its reach into regulated derivatives markets.
Magazine: Should users be allowed to bet on war and death in prediction markets?
", "description": "Bitnomial launches US-regulated Injective futures, starting a six-month track record that could support a spot ETF as altcoin derivatives expand.", "published": "2026-04-15T22:13:03+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "coinbase" }, { "slug": "kraken" }, { "slug": "derivatives" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-futures" }, { "slug": "injective" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "injective-futures-go-live-on-cftc-regulated-us-exchange-opening-etf-pathway", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261922" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Kalshi to create ‘portal for parents‘ on prediction markets: Report", "leadText": "CEO Tarek Mansour said in an interview that Kalshi would prevent kids from using a parent’s ID to skirt its age restrictions by launching a parent portal and AI verification.", "author": { "slug": "turner-wright" }, "bodyText": "Kalshi co-founder and CEO Tarek Mansour reportedly announced a new strategy for the prediction markets platform to crack down on minors illegally using its services.
According to a Wednesday Semafor report, Mansour said that Kalshi was launching a “portal for parents” to submit their identification to check whether their children were using the platforms under their names. There have been incidents in which minors have been able to bypass Kalshi’s age requirements — a US-based user must be 18 years old — by using one of their parent’s IDs for verification.
“We are also adding selfies to accounts, where you can basically look at the face of a person, and it can tell you obviously if this person is not the actual parent that’s 50 years old,” said Mansour, according to Semafor.
The CEO’s comments came as prediction market platforms come under scrutiny in the US, both by state-level gaming authorities for the companies’ event contracts related to sports and at the federal level for controversial bets on military actions.
Crypto exchanges have also been challenging Kalshi’s dominance in the market, with Binance integrating prediction market features in its wallet app last week, followed by Crypto.com partnering with High Roller Technologies in a similar move.
Related: Polymarket bets removed from Google News after brief appearance: Report
Central to Kalshi’s arguments in court is the claim that the company is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal commodities regulator, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Michael Selig, who chairs the CFTC, has backed this position in an amicus brief in support of Crypto.com in its dispute with the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
As of Wednesday, many of the cases against Kalshi were ongoing at the state level.
A federal judge in Arizona blocked state officials from enforcing the state’s gambling laws as applied to Kalshi’s event contracts last week. The decision followed a similar outcome in New Jersey, where a federal appellate court sided with the company’s argument claiming that the Commodity Exchange Act — under the CFTC — preempted the state’s law on sports gambling.
Magazine: Should users be allowed to bet on war and death in prediction markets?
", "description": "The co-founder and CEO of Kalshi announced new measures to crack down on minors using the prediction markets platform, despite having a minimum age requirement of 18 years old.", "published": "2026-04-15T21:44:41+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "security" }, { "slug": "sport" }, { "slug": "industry" }, { "slug": "kalshi" }, { "slug": "prediction-markets" } ], "slug": "kalshi-parents-monitoring-minors-prediction-markets", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261917" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Bitwise debuts Avalanche ETP offering AVAX exposure and yield", "leadText": "The product is designed to generate yield by participating in network validation, adding an income component to passive exposure.", "author": { "slug": "nate-kostar" }, "bodyText": "Bitwise Asset Management has launched a spot Avalanche exchange-traded product, giving investors exposure to the Avalanche token while staking a portion of its holdings to generate yield.
Bitwise plans to stake roughly 70% of its AVAX holdings through its in-house infrastructure, while maintaining a liquidity reserve of about 30% to meet redemptions and operational needs.
The fund began trading Wednesday on the NYSE under the ticker BAVA, closing up about 1.5%, to $25.50 per share, according to Yahoo Finance. The Avalanche token (AVAX) was last trading at $9.52, up 1.8%, according to CoinMarketCap.
According to Wednesday’s announcement, the product carries a sponsor fee of 0.34%, with a temporary waiver to 0% for the first month on the first $500 million in assets, and is structured to distribute net investment income, including staking rewards, to shareholders periodically.
The fund holds AVAX directly and uses an in-house staking unit, Bitwise Onchain Solutions, to participate in network validation and earn rewards, which are paid in additional tokens. Avalanche staking rewards were about 5.4% as of mid-April, according to the announcement.
Avalanche is a Layer-1 blockchain built for high throughput and low latency. It is used across tokenization and enterprise pilots, including initiatives tied to FIFA, state-level stablecoin efforts in Wyoming, and projects from companies such as Toyota and asset managers including BlackRock.
The new fund is the latest Avalanche fund development in recent weeks. Nasdaq last week filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list shares of the VanEck Avalanche Trust, a proposed ETF designed to provide exposure to AVAX under rules governing commodity-based trust shares.
Related: CME Group expands crypto futures with Avalanche and Sui contracts
The launch of Bitwise’s Avalanche ETF comes as exchange-traded crypto products and publicly traded companies continue to accumulate a growing share of Bitcoin’s (BTC) circulating supply.
According to data from BitBO.io, Bitcoin ETFs hold more than 1.29 million BTC, or just over 6% of circulating supply. Public companies hold an additional 1.17 million BTC on their balance sheets, based on figures from BitcoinTreasuries.NET. Combined, ETFs and corporate holders now account for around 12% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply.
Among ETFs, accumulation is led by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, which holds about 791,000 BTC, or roughly 3.8% of total supply, followed by Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust with around 153,600 BTC, or about 0.7%.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9287-cefc-7b4f-9284-3a53e8e87cde.png\")
Beyond asset managers, banks are also entering the market. Earlier this month, the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), the first spot Bitcoin ETF offered by a US bank, recorded $30.6 million in inflows on its trading debut and generated about $34 million in first-day volume.
On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs filed with the SEC to launch a Bitcoin-linked exchange-traded fund designed to generate income while limiting exposure to the cryptocurrency’s volatility. The proposed fund would invest in Bitcoin ETPs and sell call options to generate income while limiting exposure to price swings.
Among public companies, Strategy, the first Bitcoin treasury company, chaired by Michael Saylor, holds 780,897 Bitcoin, or around 4% of the total supply.
Governments also collectively hold around 3% of circulating Bitcoin, with around 649,870 BTC on their balance sheets. The United States is the largest holder with about 328,000 BTC, followed by China with roughly 190,000 BTC and the United Kingdom with more than 61,000 BTC.
Bitcoin’s price has fallen from its high of around $126,000 in October, and is trading around $75,100, per CoinGecko data.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "Bitwise has launched an Avalanche ETF offering exposure to AVAX and additional returns through staking, expanding institutional access to the network.", "published": "2026-04-15T21:07:42+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "avalanche" }, { "slug": "microstrategy" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-etf" }, { "slug": "blackrock" }, { "slug": "etf" }, { "slug": "vaneck" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "bitwise-launches-avalanche-etp-with-staking-feature", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261912" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "CoreWeave signs $6B deal with Jane Street to provide AI compute power", "leadText": "Jane Street said it needs GPU-based computing power to keep its trading and research operations competitive amid growing adoption of AI.", "author": { "slug": "vince-quill" }, "bodyText": "CoreWeave, a publicly traded AI cloud infrastructure company, revealed on Wednesday a $6 billion deal with quantitative trading company Jane Street, in which it will use CoreWeave’s AI cloud computing infrastructure to power its trading and research operations.
Under the agreement, CoreWeave will provide Jane Street with compute from multiple data center facilities, the company's announcement said.
Jane Street also purchased $1 billion in CoreWeave Class A Common stock at $109 per share, according to CoreWeave.
Shares of CoreWeave (CRWV) rose by 1.5% on Wednesday, climbing to about $119.04 at the time of publication, according to data from Yahoo Finance.
![\"AI,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d928e-ae28-799b-b029-892344fa42bf.png\")
The deal comes about one week after CoreWeave revealed an agreement with Anthropic, in which the AI developer will use CoreWeave’s compute infrastructure to power its Claude AI large language models.
CoreWeave’s pivot to AI predates the crypto mining industry’s shift by years, and highlights how miners can repurpose their infrastructure to power high-performance computing and shore up declining revenues amid a challenging economic environment.
Related: CoreWeave’s $8.5B loan shows how AI is replacing crypto mining finance
CoreWeave was founded as a crypto mining company called Atlantic Crypto in 2017, before beginning a pivot to AI cloud computing infrastructure in 2019.
The company’s shift to AI infrastructure years ahead of the crypto mining industry’s rush into the sector helped establish CoreWeave as a leading “neocloud” company, according to analysts from asset management and investment research company Bernstein.
![\"AI,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9291-756c-747f-8703-b0ba02785ac1.png\")
“Neocloud” service providers are cloud computing companies built around graphics processing units (GPUs), which power artificial intelligence workloads.
Traditional cloud service providers power their operations with basic computer processing units (CPUs) suitable for running websites, Web2 platforms, video games, media streaming and applications.
The analysts compared CoreWeave with IREN and Nebius, and concluded that “relative to its neocloud peers, CRWV has by far the strongest commercial machine.”
CoreWeave benefits from a mix of contractual agreements and on-demand revenue-generating activities, while also commanding a diverse customer base, Bernstein said.
“Nine of the leading 10 AI model providers now leverage CoreWeave’s platform,” spokespeople for CoreWeave said following the Anthropic deal in April.
Magazine: Would Bitcoin really be at $200K if not for Jane Street? Trade Secrets
", "description": "CoreWeave has announced a $6 billion deal with trading firm Jane Street to provide the firm with AI computing power for its trading strategy.", "published": "2026-04-15T20:30:52+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "ai" }, { "slug": "data-center" }, { "slug": "ai-and-hi-tech" } ], "slug": "coreweave-6b-deal-jane-street-ai-compute", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261897" }, { "category": { "slug": "top-10-cryptocurrencies" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Price predictions 4/15: BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, SOL, DOGE, HYPE, ADA, BCH, LINK", "leadText": "A Bitcoin daily candlestick close above $76,000 would complete a bullish trend reversal and shift the bulls’ short-term price target to $84,000. Will altcoins follow the rally?", "author": { "slug": "rakesh-upadhyay" }, "bodyText": "Key points:
Bitcoin’s shallow pullback from the $76,000 resistance suggests that buyers are holding onto their positions, expecting the recovery to continue.
Select major altcoins are showing strength and are expected to break above their overhead resistance levels.
Bitcoin (BTC) pulled back after crossing the $76,000 level on Tuesday, but a positive sign is that bulls have not let the price dip below $73,500. That suggests the bulls are holding their positions as they expect the overhead resistance to be broken.
Another encouraging indication for the bulls is that BTC’s move toward $76,000 has been supported by $411.5 million in inflows into US spot BTC exchange-traded funds on Tuesday, according to SoSoValue data. That pushes the total net flows for 2026 into the positive territory at roughly $245 million.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-d020-7efe-a106-21d02cf74988.png\")
While some analysts believe the bottom has been reached at $60,000, others remain skeptical. They anticipate BTC to collapse below $60,000 to as low as $50,000 before finally bottoming out.
Trend reversals could be tricky, but traders should be nimble when they spot one. Maintaining a negative view when the charts are screaming bullish is a recipe for disaster.
Could BTC and select major altcoins break above their overhead resistance levels? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.
BTC turned up from the 20-day exponential moving average ($71,116) on Monday and reached the $76,000 resistance on Tuesday.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-d428-7973-9db9-75a1c4740cf7.png\")
Sellers are expected to protect the $76,000 level with all their might, as a close above it will complete a bullish ascending triangle pattern. That clears the path for a rally to the $84,000 level.
Conversely, any pullback is expected to find support at the 20-day EMA. If the BTC price rebounds off the 20-day EMA with force, it suggests a positive sentiment. That enhances the prospects of a break above the $76,000 resistance. Sellers will be back in control on a close below the support line of the triangle.
Ether (ETH) is facing resistance at $2,415, but a positive sign is that the bulls have not ceded much ground to the bears.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-d71d-7d95-b318-39e02df91fae.png\")
The prospects of a break above the $2,415 level increase if the ETH price turns up from the current level or the 20-day EMA ($2,198). The ETH/USDT pair may then surge to $2,800 and then to $3,050.
Sellers have an uphill task ahead of them. They will have to quickly pull the price below the moving averages to weaken the bullish momentum. The pair may then decline to the $1,916 support.
Buyers are struggling to drive XRP (XRP) above the 50-day simple moving average ($1.37), indicating that the bears are active at higher levels.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-db34-7a5b-a2c6-310adaef4d71.png\")
If the price turns down and dips below the 20-day EMA ($1.35), it may signal that the XRP/USDT pair consolidates between the 50-day SMA and $1.27 support for a few days. A break and close below the $1.27 level tilts the advantage in favor of the bears.
Contrarily, a close above the 50-day SMA signals the start of a sustained recovery toward the downtrend line of the descending channel pattern. Buyers will be back in the driver’s seat on a close above the downtrend line.
BNB (BNB) reached the 50-day SMA ($626) on Tuesday, where the bears are posing a strong challenge.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-de08-7f72-ae26-b32a05aba430.png\")
If bulls do not give up much ground from the current level, the possibility of a break above the 50-day SMA increases. The BNB/USDT pair may then rally to the $687 overhead resistance. Buyers will have to overcome the $687 barrier to clear the path for a rally to $730, then to $790.
On the downside, a close below the $570 support signals that the bears have seized control. The pair may then start the next leg of the downtrend toward $500.
Solana’s (SOL) failure to rise above the 50-day SMA ($85) suggests that the bears are fiercely guarding the level.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-e468-79f5-ba5b-5cf320387222.png\")
The flattish moving averages and the relative strength index (RSI) near the midpoint do not provide a clear advantage to either the bulls or the bears. That suggests the SOL/USDT pair may continue consolidating within the $76 to $98 range for a while.
The next trending move is expected to begin on a close above $98 or below $76. If the SOL price turns down and breaks below $76, it indicates an advantage to bears. The pair may then drop to $67. On the upside, a close above $98 opens the doors for a rally to $117.
Dogecoin (DOGE) broke above the moving averages on Tuesday, but the long wick on the candlestick shows selling on rallies.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-e946-727a-9c24-469674fb771e.png\")
If the price dips below the moving averages, the bears will attempt to sink the DOGE/USDT pair below the $0.09 support. If they succeed, the DOGE price may resume its downtrend toward $0.08 and then $0.06.
Instead, if the price moves above the 20-day EMA ($0.09) and breaks above $0.10, it suggests the bears are losing their grip. The pair may then rally to $0.11 and eventually to $0.12.
Hyperliquid (HYPE) is witnessing a tough battle between the bulls and the bears at the breakout level of $43.76.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-ec4e-738d-aa59-2cf381103b86.png\")
If the HYPE price rallies from the current level and breaks above $45.30, it suggests that the bulls have turned the $43.76 level into support. That increases the likelihood of a move to the $50 level.
Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down and breaks below the 20-day EMA ($40), it suggests that the break above the $43.76 level may have been a bull trap. The HYPE/USDT pair may then plunge to the 50-day SMA ($36.77).
Related: Tom Lee says ‘mini crypto winter’ is over, sees Ether above $60K
Cardano (ADA) has been swinging between the 50-day SMA ($0.26) and the $0.23 support for the past few days.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-ef60-79fc-9966-fd61f96cb797.png\")
The 20-day EMA ($0.25) has started to turn down gradually, and the RSI is in the negative zone, signaling a slight edge to the bears. If the price turns down and breaks below $0.23, the ADA/USDT pair may plummet toward the support line of the descending channel pattern. There is support at $0.22, but it is likely to be broken.
Buyers will have to propel the ADA price above the downtrend line to signal a potential trend change. The pair may then climb toward $0.36.
Buyers attempted to push Bitcoin Cash (BCH) above the 20-day EMA ($444), but the bears held their ground.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-f278-77fc-bbf4-8a7afc66e6e0.png\")
Sellers will strive to strengthen their position by driving the BCH price below $419. If they manage to do that, the BCH/USDT pair may start a downward move toward the $375 level.
This bearish view will be negated in the short term if buyers drive the price above the moving averages. The pair may then rise to the $486 level, where the bears are again likely to pose a strong challenge.
Chainlink (LINK) has been trading near the moving averages for the past few days, signaling a balance between supply and demand.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9208-f948-71ec-871e-bcdaef8cf3ea.png\")
The flattish moving averages and the RSI just above the midpoint suggest that the LINK/USDT pair may remain inside the $8 to $10 range for some more time.
The first sign of strength will be a break and close above the $10 resistance. That opens the doors for a rally to $10.94 and later to $11.61. Sellers are expected to defend the $11.61 level, as a close above it indicates that the bulls are back in the game. The bears will have to yank the LINK price below the $8 level to gain the upper hand.
Another political action committee (PAC) aligned with the cryptocurrency industry announced its endorsement for a candidate in Ohio’s Senate race, signaling a move that could mirror the 2024 US election.
In a Wednesday notice, Sentinel Action Fund, a group that claims to be the “only conservative Super PAC advancing pro-crypto candidates and supporting pro-crypto innovation,” said it would be supporting Republican Jon Husted in this year’s race to represent Ohio in the US Senate.
Husted was appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in January 2025 to replace JD Vance, who was elected vice president alongside US President Donald Trump in his 2024 election win. He still faces a field of Republican candidates ahead of a May 5 primary in Ohio, where former Senator Sherrod Brown will also face off in the Democratic primary against Ron Kincaid.
Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson specifically cited Brown as having “stood in the way of pro-innovation policies when it comes to digital assets” in the PAC’s endorsement of Husted.
Although filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as of Tuesday showed no disbursements supporting Husted in 2026, the PAC and its sister organization, Right Vote, pledged to spend more than $8 million in the Buckeye state. The Sentinel Action Fund reported about $9 million raised from January 2025 through March 2026, including $750,000 in contributions from the digital asset advocacy organization Solana Policy Institute and $250,000 from crypto investment company Multicoin Capital.
The PAC’s move into the Ohio race could serve as a bellwether for how money from crypto-aligned interest groups will respond to the upcoming US elections. In 2024, crypto-backed PACs spent more than $40 million in the US State to support Republican Bernie Moreno’s run to unseat Brown, who had made many public statements criticizing crypto.
Related: Coinbase-backed crypto advocacy group unveils 2026 election plan
Despite having lost his seat, Brown announced in August that he would run again for Senate. Moreno’s seat won’t be up for grabs until 2030.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican candidate for US President and one of the backers for Bitcoin (BTC) treasury company Strive, has also thrown his hat into Ohio’s gubernatorial race.
Launching his campaign in February 2025 following his departure from Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Ramaswamy supported efforts to create a strategic BTC reserve in Ohio.
However, many critics have pointed to the Republican candidate’s financial disclosures filed on April 6 as examples of conflicts of interest.
Ramaswamy reported a 10% stake in Strive and could benefit from the value of the company’s Bitcoin holdings increasing in response to Ohio’s treasury investing in the cryptocurrency, which he would have significant influence over as governor. Strive reported holding about 13,768 Bitcoin as of Wednesday, worth more than $1 billion.
Disclosure: A member of the immediate family of Staff Editor Robert Lakin has contributed to the campaigns of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown in amounts less than $200.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "The Sentinel Action Fund PAC endorsed Republican Jon Husted for the US Senate, while Vivek Ramaswamy’s financial disclosures in the governor’s race signaled conflicts of interest.", "published": "2026-04-15T18:52:37+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "politics" }, { "slug": "funding" }, { "slug": "united-states" }, { "slug": "elections" }, { "slug": "regulation" } ], "slug": "us-election-mirrors-2024-crypto-ohio", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261852" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "L&G brings £50B liquidity funds onchain via Calastone tokenized network", "leadText": "London-based Legal & General Asset Management is the latest global asset manager to expand distribution across blockchain networks and trading models.", "author": { "slug": "nate-kostar" }, "bodyText": "London-based Legal & General Asset Management has made its liquidity funds available in tokenized form through Calastone’s blockchain-based distribution network, enabling investors to access and transfer fund shares via digital infrastructure as an alternative to traditional settlement systems.
According to Wednesday’s announcement, the tokenized share classes are issued with permissioned access, allowing authorized users to buy, hold and transfer them within a regulated environment, while traditional share classes remain available through existing distribution channels.
The funds, denominated in US dollars, euros and British pound sterling, manage more than £50 billion in assets and are designed for capital preservation and same-day liquidity. They invest in high-quality, short-term money market instruments, including government bonds, bank deposits and corporate debt.
Calastone’s network, part of SS&C Technologies, provides infrastructure for token creation, order routing, trade aggregation, reconciliation and onchain settlement, integrated with existing transfer agent and fund administration systems.
Tokenized versions of the funds will initially be issued on Ethereum and other EVM-compatible networks.
Legal & General Asset Management manages about £1.2 trillion in assets across public and private markets, according to the company, while Calastone said its network connects more than 4,500 financial institutions globally.
The move comes as UK regulators work toward a broader crypto framework, with the Financial Conduct Authority consulting on rules covering areas such as custody and trading ahead of a planned 2027 regulatory rollout.
Related: Ripple teams with Kyobo on South Korea tokenized bond settlement
Tokenized money market funds are growing as asset managers expand distribution across blockchain networks and trading models.
According to RWA.xyz data, tokenized US Treasury products, including money market funds, have grown to more than $13 billion at the time of writing, up from about $8.9 billion at the start of the year.
Leading the way is BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) with roughly $2.47 billion in assets, followed by Franklin Templeton’s OnChain US Government Money Fund at about $993 million and WisdomTree’s Government Money Market Digital Fund at approximately $864 million.
![\"London,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9215-4a12-7caf-977b-56db8de7195a.png\")
In recent months, asset managers have expanded these products across blockchain networks and trading models.
In November, Franklin Templeton integrated its Benji platform with the Canton Network, extending distribution of its tokenized money market fund to an institutional blockchain environment, while BlackRock expanded BUIDL to the Solana (SOL) blockchain in March.
In February, WisdomTree enabled 24/7 trading and instant settlement for its tokenized money market fund within a regulated framework.
However, as these products expand, they also introduce new challenges. The Bank for International Settlements has warned that mismatches between instant token transfers and slower underlying asset settlement could create liquidity and contagion risks.
Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt
", "description": "Legal & General Asset Management brings £50 billion in liquidity funds onto Calastone’s blockchain-based network as tokenized money market funds expand across markets.", "published": "2026-04-15T18:32:53+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "london" }, { "slug": "europe" }, { "slug": "blackrock" }, { "slug": "tokenization" }, { "slug": "rwa-tokenization" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "london-based-legal-general-asset-management-has-made-its-liquidity-funds-available-in-tokenized-form-through-calastone-s-blockchain-based-distribution-network-enabling-investors-to-access-and-transfer-fund-shares-via-digital-infrastructure-rather-than", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261847" }, { "category": { "slug": "market-analysis" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "ETH/BTC ratio hits 10-week high as Ether outpaces Bitcoin: Are new price highs next?", "leadText": "Ether looks poised to gain a price advantage over BTC as the ETH/BTC ratio soars to a 10-week high.", "author": { "slug": "biraajmaan-tamuly" }, "bodyText": "The ETH/BTC ratio has climbed to a 10-week high, suggesting that Ether (ETH) is gaining momentum against Bitcoin (BTC) in the charts.
Ether’s footing has improved as clearer DeFi regulations from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were applauded by the crypto community. At the same time, Bitmine added 71,524 ETH to its Ether treasury on Monday.
The ETH/BTC ratio broke through a descending trendline resistance that had been in place since August 2025. A daily close above this trend line marks the first breakout in months.
The pair trades above the 50-day and 100-day exponential moving averages at 0.0310, both of which are now acting as dynamic support. The compression between these averages points to a possible bullish crossover if the trend continues.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d91e8-7d2e-7ed9-9292-a24cef6d7185.png\")
XWIN Research noted that a stronger underlying shift in Ether is driven by a Monday SEC staff statement that explained how DeFi front-ends and wallet interfaces can operate without broker-dealer registration under defined conditions, such as no custody and neutral fee structures. XWIN Research added,
“On-chain data supports this shift. Active addresses are trending upward, indicating renewed network usage. Meanwhile, the Coinbase Premium Gap is improving, suggesting a recovery in U.S.-driven demand, often linked to institutional flows.”
As the ETH/BTC pair shows strength, corporate-level accumulation continues to accelerate. Bitmine now holds 4.87 million ETH, accounting for over 4% of the circulating supply, after adding 279,296 ETH over the past 30 days.
Related: Tom Lee says ‘mini crypto winter’ is over, sees Ether above $60K
Crypto analyst GugaOnChain noted a sharp divide in ETH futures positioning. The global open interest reached $16.37 billion on Tuesday, sitting well above its 14-day average. Funding rates across exchanges remain negative at -0.0013%, indicating a short positioning against the rally.
However, open interest climbed to $6.04 billion, a 10.47% daily increase on Binance. Funding rates on the exchange turned positive at 0.015%, signaling rising long positioning.
This creates a split between global shorts and Binance-based longs. The analyst added,
“We face an extreme imbalance. With 40% of global ETH Open Interest on Binance, the fuel for a violent move is ready.”
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d91eb-290f-75f4-a33b-9723ec8a9c3d.jpg\")
Related: Ether holders back in profit as ETH price aims for rally to $3K
Bitcoin (BTC) has a target market that is “probably a lot bigger” than gold’s $30 trillion market cap, says a crypto industry executive.
Key points:
Bitcoin should continue to outperform during geopolitical crises, says Bitwise’s Matt Hougan.
Bitcoin’s “addressable market” could surpass gold’s near $40 trillion market cap.
A trader eyes a return to $90,000 for Bitcoin after a historic drawdown against gold.
In an X article on Tuesday, Matt Hougan, chief investment officer of crypto asset manager Bitwise, saw geopolitical conflict fueling BTC price gains in future.
“Bitcoin has performed well since the start of the Iran conflict,” he noted.
“Since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, bitcoin is up 12% while the S&P 500 is down 1% and gold has fallen 10%.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9038-f878-7a8a-be89-db8bb515f198.png\")
Bitcoin rallied to $76,000 this week, hitting two-month highs on a combination of US-Iran war relief and cooler US inflation numbers, per data from TradingView.
“This has caught many off guard. Bitcoin is a risk asset, and many assumed it would fall during a risk-off geopolitical shock,” Hougan commented.
“Pundits have grasped for explanations: Some have argued that geopolitics is irrelevant for bitcoin, while others have pointed out that war often leads to money printing, which tends to boost bitcoin in the long term. Both arguments are wrong.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9039-f709-7711-9b7d-3c83cbe17574.png\")
For Hougan, the nature of recent conflicts — notably Russia being shut out from the SWIFT network in 2022 — has bolstered Bitcoin’s status as an “apolitical alternative.”
“I mused at the time that the weaponization of SWIFT might one day open up space for bitcoin: If countries grew reluctant to deal in dollars, it stood to reason that they might prefer an apolitical alternative at some point,” he continued.
Now, with Iran under both financial sanctions and an oil blockade, collecting crypto tolls for transit through the Strait of Hormuz, that “weaponization” trend is strengthening.
“This framing tells you two important things about bitcoin's future,” the post summarized.
“First, it tells you that bitcoin is likely to rise during future geopolitical conflicts -— particularly if they occur in regions trapped between the US and Chinese systems. And second, it tells you that bitcoin's total addressable market is probably a lot bigger than the $38 trillion gold market alone.”
In gold terms, Bitcoin is currently recovering from a trip to its lowest levels since mid-2023.
Related: Oil price surges 8% on Iran tensions: Five things to know in Bitcoin this week
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9038-29d9-76a0-b118-9e150ae39be5.png\")
The rebound has been slow, even as Hougan predicts the end of the current “crypto winter.” For some, however, the writing is on the wall when it comes to a meaningful bullish trend change.
In an X post of his own, crypto trader Michaël van de Poppe predicted that “mean reversion” for Bitcoin was just a matter of time.
“The recent correction of $BTC vs. Gold is the heaviest in the history of Bitcoin,” he noted.
“Comparing this to historical events, the average return after 12 months was 350-450% from this point. That means, from here an increase from $60,000 to $275,000. In 3 months time, it's very likely that we'll be trading at $87,500-90,000.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9037-3985-7f45-800c-e4cbdae801d6.png\")
Comparing behavior after other drawdowns, Van de Poppe said that the “moral of the story” was to “buy the dip” on BTC.
“This is the general moment every cycle that you'd want to get allocated into an asset,” he argued.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren has asked Elon Musk for information on X Money, a payments feature that is expected to be integrated into the X social media platform in the near future.
Warren, who is a longtime critic of Musk and the cryptocurrency industry, wrote in a letter on Tuesday that X Money’s potential stablecoin and crypto integrations could pose risks to the financial system and US national security.
She questioned whether the platform would also issue its own stablecoin, under a legal “carveout” in the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which allows private companies to issue their own stablecoins.
![\"Twitter,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d91d9-ec37-73af-8487-650da8055c66.png\")
Warren said X Money’s limited beta preview suggests it will offer 6% interest on deposits and partner with Cross River Bank, which was subject to enforcement action by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), a banking regulator. She said:
“It is unclear what risky investments, intrusive data monetization activities or gimmicks either X Money or Cross River may intend to engage in to pay that yield when the target Federal Funds Rate is 3.5-3.75%.”
Warren’s letter could signal pushback from US lawmakers against private companies issuing stablecoins under the GENIUS stablecoin regulatory framework, which opens the door for the tech sector and non-banks to issue US dollar-pegged tokens.
Related: X rolls out smart cashtags in US, Canada in step toward ‘everything app’
Warren asked whether potential X Money customers were aware that FDIC insurance would not protect them if the platform failed.
![\"Twitter,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d91dd-6483-726a-83e4-3938a38af61d.png\")
In March, FDIC Chair Travis Hill said that stablecoin user deposits are not protected by FDIC insurance under the GENIUS Act.
“The GENIUS Act makes clear that payment stablecoins are not ‘subject to deposit insurance’ or guaranteed by the US government,” Hill said.
However, the legislation did not expressly prohibit stablecoin deposits from receiving pass-through insurance, which extends FDIC insurance to each customer of an eligible financial institution up to $250,000 in the event of a company failure, he added.
Hill said that even though the GENIUS Act lacks a hard prohibition on stablecoin companies extending pass-through FDIC insurance to end users, allowing this would be “inconsistent” with the broader points of the regulatory framework.
Magazine: Elon Musk’s plan to run government on blockchain faces uphill battle
Bitcoin (BTC) circled $74,000 at Wednesday’s Wall Street open as US stocks edged higher on news that the US and Iran may be open to another round of ceasefire negotiations.
Key points:
Bitcoin consolidates as analysts warn that stocks may be too optimistic over geopolitical relief.
The S&P 500 approaches new all-time highs despite questions over Iran's uranium enrichment.
Bitcoin traders note missing components to support a true trend change.
Data from TradingView showed declining BTC price volatility after a trip to two-month highs the day prior.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9183-3316-7050-ba58-b757ef0c1f2e.png\")
Stocks continued a recovery on the day as US President Donald Trump said that China had opted not to send weapons to Iran.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d917c-1ae4-7301-925c-d140a7a3d3d1.png\")
President Trump referenced the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil gateway, as WTI crude dropped below $90 to a new April low on the day.
Commenting, trading company QCP Capital was cautious about discounting the ongoing impact of the US-Iran war.
“Equities recovered, oil sold off, and crypto caught a bid. But the more important signal was what failed to confirm the move,” it wrote in its latest “Market Color” update.
“Long-end yields barely budged, gold held its levels, and the bond market, which should be front-running an inflation relief trade more aggressively, did not follow through. When oil drops and the 10-year barely twitches, rates are telling you this is a reduction in headline risk, not a genuine resolution.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d917c-aa7f-7d90-b331-2744369b0d00.png\")
QCP pointed to Iran’s uranium enrichment as a sticking point in the process of diffusing geopolitical tensions.
“The reason is enrichment. Iran is at 60% enriched uranium, while the US wants levels below 20%. That gap does not close with a framework headline. It closes with a concession Tehran has not signalled it is prepared to make,” it continued.
“Previous ceasefires have lasted weeks, while the enrichment issue has remained unresolved since 2015. Markets are trading the former, but the latter still sits at the core of the risk.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d917d-a687-78a7-bd97-95b06afe18ca.png\")
On Monday, the S&P 500 reclaimed its yearly open level, going on to hit local highs of 6,988 on the day, coming within 15 points of new all-time highs.
Bitcoin traders preserved earlier skepticism over market strength.
Related: Oil price surges 8% on Iran tensions: Five things to know in Bitcoin this week
Trader Jelle described the latest trip to $76,000 as an “equal high” that “barely went above” February’s peak.
\n\n\nLiquidity games still in play.$BTC technically tagged those previous highs - but I'm viewing this as an equal high rather than a sweep, barely went above it.
— Jelle (@CryptoJelleNL) April 15, 2026
Keep an eye out for a real sweep above there; that'll likely catch a lot of traders off guard. pic.twitter.com/dxO9cgDRY3
“Bias remains down, but doubt shorts get a free ride from here,” he added in another of his latest posts on X.
Daan Crypto Trades, meanwhile, predicted that BTC/USD would soon face “decision time.”
“Price tapped the $76K high from March and is consolidating in this area currently. Low timeframe grind higher since the start of April which has been making some marginally higher highs and lows,” he summarized to X followers.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d917e-4a04-7d6f-95b3-5b6d12f9c865.jpeg\")
QCP also noted price action “grinding higher,” while warning that options markets were “not confirming a clean breakout.”
“The broader regime has not changed. The Fed is still boxed in, sitting near zero net cuts for the year after the oil shock repriced the easing path, while liquidity conditions remain tight,” it concluded.
“This is a geopolitical relief rally, not a macro regime shift. Last week’s trade was to fade the blockade. This week’s question is whether investors should fade the relief.”
Sandwich attacks cost Ethereum users an estimated $60 million per year. Transactions broadcast to the public mempool are publicly visible before inclusion, which gives MEV bots the ability to affect the order of transactions and insert their own for profit. This problem has persisted on some level in spite of years of discussion and various out-of-protocol mitigation attempts.
Encrypting mempool transactions would be one of the most compelling solutions to prevent MEV. While this idea has been actively discussed for years, it has not yet been implemented at the protocol level. In our earlier research, we examined several proposals based on threshold-encryption, including Shutter, Batched Threshold Encryption, and Flash Freezing Flash Boys. In this article, we turn to a meta proposal titled “Universal Enshrined Encrypted Mempool (EIP-8105)“.
Universal Enshrined Encrypted Mempool, also known as EIP-8105, is a scheme-agnostic encrypted mempool design, which means it can support a wide range of encryption methods, including threshold encryption, MPC committees, TEEs, delay encryption, and fully homomorphic encryption. A new system contract on the execution layer, called the key provider registry, is planned to facilitate this flexible design. It would allow any account to register as a key provider that holds and reveals decryption keys using their own preferred encryption technology.
Universal Enshrined Encrypted Mempool introduces two new transaction types under the EIP-2718 framework: 0x05 for encrypted transactions and 0x06 for decrypted transactions. An encrypted transaction is an envelope with an encrypted payload and a public payload, which contains the envelope nonce, gas amount, gas price parameters, key provider ID, key ID, and a signature. This structure is required to associate the transaction with the chosen key provider, assign a nonce and ensure gas fees for the blockspace are covered.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8c01-815f-7a8b-a7e1-f1e0ec85f148.jpg\")
EIP-8105 follows a two-step execution flow. In the first step, the encrypted transaction envelope is included in a block even though the payload itself remains hidden. Key providers monitor transactions with encrypted payloads, collect the relevant transaction key IDs, and publish either the corresponding decryption keys or a withhold notice once the block builder publishes the data.
Once the block builder has published the execution payload, the relevant key provider reveals either the decryption key or a withhold notice. A Payload Timeliness Committee (PTC) monitors whether the decryption keys referenced by encrypted transactions are published on time, validates them, and attests to whether a valid key was present or missing. If the key is available and decryption succeeds, the resulting decrypted transaction is executed in the following block. If the key is missing, withheld, or decryption fails, the decrypted payload is skipped, while the envelope remains included, and the transaction fee is still paid.
The EIP also enforces a block structure that prevents MEV-extracting transactions from being inserted in the window between decryption and execution. Decrypted transactions must appear at the beginning of a block, plaintext transactions remain in the middle, and encrypted transactions are placed at the end. This ordering allows encrypted payloads to be revealed and executed only after inclusion, while preventing secondary MEV.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8c01-8442-7a3d-be42-b8efb0866d79.png\")
While EIP-8105 significantly limits MEV exposure, earlier providers in the block retain a limited ability to extract MEV from later transactions by selectively revealing or withholding their decryption keys. The proposal attempts to mitigate this by letting key providers designate other trusted providers and ordering transactions according to the resulting key provider trust graph.
Encrypted mempools are becoming an increasingly important part of Ethereum’s roadmap, as the ecosystem looks for protocol-level ways to reduce harmful MEV. While EIP-8105 is no longer being positioned as one of the headliners for the first 2027 hard fork, it remains an open draft, and its ideas continue to inform the broader effort to prepare a leading encrypted-mempool proposal for the upgrade.
", "description": "Ethereum users lose over $60 million annually to malicious MEV. Learn how EIP-8105 aims to address it with an encrypted mempool on the protocol level.", "published": "2026-04-15T16:00:00+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "blockchain" }, { "slug": "ethereum" }, { "slug": "encryption" }, { "slug": "cryptography" }, { "slug": "mempool" }, { "slug": "defi" }, { "slug": "research-articles" } ], "slug": "eip-8105-a-new-design-for-ethereums-encrypted-mempool", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "Research" } ] }, "id": "261677" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "UK FCA seeks feedback on guidance for crypto rules ahead of 2027 rollout", "leadText": "The UK financial regulator has launched a consultation on crypto rules covering stablecoins, trading and staking ahead of a broader UK crypto regime expected to take effect in 2027.", "author": { "slug": "helen-partz" }, "bodyText": "The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said Wednesday it is consulting on guidance for the country’s future crypto regime, in the latest step toward a broader framework that is expected to take effect on Oct. 25, 2027.
In a statement, the FCA said it is seeking industry feedback on the guidance to help companies understand how they might be affected by the regime. The full consultation text is available on the FCA website, with the feedback window closing on June 3, 2026.
The regulator said the guidance will clarify requirements for areas such as stablecoin issuance, crypto trading, custody and staking. “We want to develop a competitive and sustainable cryptoasset sector where UK consumers are served by authorised cryptoasset firms and can make informed decisions,” the FCA said.
The guidance consultation follows a run of FCA rule consultations published since late 2025 covering trading platforms, intermediaries, prudential standards, admissions and disclosures, market abuse, and how the FCA Handbook will apply to crypto companies. Until the regime comes into force, crypto in the UK remains only partially regulated, mainly restricted to areas such as financial promotions and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations.
Related: UK regulator takes High Court action against HTX over crypto promotions
According to the FCA, the broader crypto regime is expected to come into force in October 2027, but companies will be able to start applying for authorization as early as September 2026.
That aligns with the authority’s timeline published in January, when it said the license application period would open in September. According to the FCA, the application period is expected to end in February 2027.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9167-fd7f-7e4c-8ad6-7bd4aa354f5b.png\")
The FCA previously said that the authorization under the upcoming crypto regime will not be automatically granted to companies that have already been registered under existing Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) and payment-related frameworks.
According to the plan, all companies providing regulated crypto asset services in the UK will need to be authorized under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA).
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
Bitmine Immersion Technologies chairman Tom Lee said Wednesday that the recent crypto slump was a “mini crypto winter” that may already be ending, in comments that came shortly after the company disclosed a multibillion-dollar quarterly loss tied largely to unrealized markdowns on the company’s Ether holdings.
During a keynote speech at Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Lee said that equity markets have bottomed due to the US-Israel war with Iran, and that Ether (ETH) will emerge from its “massive consolidation,” driven by tokenization and agentic artificial intelligence initiatives tied to the smart contract network.
Lee argued that equities have reached their bottom, leading to a recovery from what he called an “unusual” crypto market downturn, which didn’t coincide with a wider bear market in stocks for the first time. “Equity markets bottom on bad news. And we’ve had a lot of bad news,” said Lee, citing historical examples of stock markets bottoming out after the outbreak of wars.
Lee also said ETH is “probably on its way to 60,000” if his market thesis is correct and later described $62,000 as a fair-value scenario over the next few years, based on Ethereum reaching roughly one-quarter of Bitcoin’s (BTC) long-term value.
His comments come amid a wider crypto market downturn that has seen Ether’s price fall 43% since October 2025 to trade around $2,327 at the time of writing, significantly below Bitmine’s average cost basis of $3,660, according to data from Bitminetracker.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9157-d621-7d0d-b0e7-a527d8460c1a.png\")
Lee’s comments also follow Bitmine’s posting of a $3.82 billion loss on its Ether holdings during the first quarter of the year, according to a Tuesday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9157-d7cf-78de-a1d2-e7fe7bf628b3.png\")
The figure was mainly driven by the company’s over $3.78 billion in unrealized losses on its crypto holdings. Bitmine also reported $11 million in revenue, including $10.2 million from ETH staking.
Related: Ether treasuries need liquid staking edge to beat ETFs, says Lido exec
Despite the mounting losses, Bitmine announced a purchase of 71,524 Ether on Monday, with the company now holding roughly 4.04% of the total Ether supply. The latest acquisitions came shortly after Bitmine debuted on the New York Stock Exchange on April 9, uplisting from NYSE American.
Bitmine and Exodus Movement are the only two Ether treasury companies to publicly disclose Ether investments over the past 30 days.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9157-d96e-799b-b1f0-0587e8d9f9e9.png\")
Bitmine is the largest corporate Ether holder with 4.6 million ETH currently valued at over $10 billion, while SharpLink Gaming is second, with 863,000 Ether worth $1.89 billion, data from StrategicEthReserve shows.
Magazine: Sharplink exec shocked by level of BTC and ETH ETF hodling — Joseph Chalom
", "description": "Lee argued that equities and cryptocurrencies are poised to recover following geopolitical concerns, putting the ETH price on track to $62,500.", "published": "2026-04-15T15:18:39+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "ethereum" }, { "slug": "investments" }, { "slug": "stocks" }, { "slug": "predictions" }, { "slug": "digital-asset-holdings" }, { "slug": "paris-blockchain-week" } ], "slug": "tom-lee-says-mini-crypto-winter-over-sees-ether-above-60k", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261782" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "WLFI proposes unlock plan for 62 billion tokens with long lockups and burns", "leadText": "The new proposal outlines multi-year lockups and opt-in token burn, as the Trump-linked DeFi platform responds to pressure over delayed liquidity access.", "author": { "slug": "ezra-reguerra" }, "bodyText": "Decentralized finance (DeFi) platform World Liberty Financial on Wednesday posted a governance proposal that would place 62.28 billion locked WLFI tokens under new multiyear vesting schedules and introduce a potential burn for founder, team, adviser and partner allocations.
Under the proposal, early supporters’ locked tokens would face a two-year cliff followed by a two-year linear vest. Founder, team, adviser and partner allocations would face a two-year cliff followed by a three-year linear vest if those holders opt in to the new terms.
The plan also provides for a burn of up to 4.52 billion WLFI tokens, or 10% of the founder, team, adviser and partner allocation. Holders who do not accept the new vesting terms would remain locked indefinitely.
The move formalizes a phased unlock approach previously signaled by the project, offering a structured release of tokens while avoiding a near-term increase in supply. It comes as the Trump-linked platform faces growing pressure from holders and broader scrutiny of its governance.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9152-5d84-73f8-88dd-95931056156d.jpg\")
The proposal follows mounting criticism from early WLFI buyers over prolonged lockups and limited liquidity. On April 10, the project said it would introduce the proposal after some holders threatened legal action.
Additional scrutiny emerged around the platform’s governance structure and decision-making process.
On Monday, Tron founder Justin Sun, who previously invested $30 million in WLFI, criticized the platform over transparency concerns, alleging that prior governance votes were dominated by a small number of wallets and lacked meaningful participation. In response, WLFI threatened to file a lawsuit against Sun.
Related: Trump faces renewed backlash as Trump-linked crypto tokens hit lows
On the same day, Sun urged WLFI to disclose who controls key wallets tied to its smart contracts, warning that the setup could allow significant control, including the ability to freeze tokens.
The proposal also follows recent concerns around WLFI’s treasury activity and market performance. On Saturday, WLFI fell to a new all-time low, just days after wallets linked to the project used billions of tokens as collateral to borrow about $75 million in stablecoins.
Magazine: Singapore isn’t a ‘crypto hub’ — it’s something better: StraitsX CEO
", "description": "WLFI details vesting terms for early supporters and team tokens while addressing governance concerns after backlash and price decline.", "published": "2026-04-15T14:49:15+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "blockchain" }, { "slug": "united-states" }, { "slug": "donald-trump" }, { "slug": "tokens" }, { "slug": "defi" } ], "slug": "wlfi-unlock-proposal-62b-tokens-vesting-burn", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261772" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Only 4% of Danish citizens hold crypto, far below other European countries", "leadText": "Only 4% of Danish citizens own crypto, far below other European countries, as banks, taxes and risk fears limit adoption, according to a new staff paper from the country's central bank.", "author": { "slug": "amin-haqshanas" }, "bodyText": "Only 4% of Danish citizens own cryptocurrencies, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2023 despite the global growth of the sector across Europe and other jurisdictions, according to a new staff paper from the country’s central bank published Wednesday.
The Danmarks Nationalbank staff paper, based on a survey conducted by Epinion, revealed that among those who do hold crypto, most maintain relatively small positions. The majority reported holdings below 10,000 Danish kroner (around $1,570), with total national holdings estimated between $317 million and $847 million.
The survey is based on responses from 3,013 citizens aged 15 and above. The data was gathered between October and November 2025 through Denmark’s Digital Post system, with options to respond online or by phone. The sample was weighted to reflect national demographics.
The findings show that Denmark sits at the lower end of crypto adoption compared to other European countries, where ownership rates are higher. Countries such as Norway, Finland and the United Kingdom report over 10% of their populations hold crypto assets.
Danmarks Nationalbank said Danish banks have historically taken a cautious approach to crypto assets, with most previously not allowing customers to buy them through bank platforms and often discouraging such investments as high risk. The paper also pointed to earlier asymmetric tax treatment as another factor weighing on adoption.
Related: EU adviser says ‘MiCA 2’ is likely as crypto market matures: PBW 2026
Crypto ownership in Denmark is concentrated among younger and higher-income individuals, with participation dropping sharply among those over 60, the survey found.
The survey also revealed that crypto is primarily viewed as an investment rather than a means of payment. Actual usage for transactions remains rare, and only a small share of holders report using digital assets to pay for goods or services.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9126-9f56-771a-ad67-72e94e1c0768.PNG\")
The survey shows that 70%-75% of users store their assets with crypto asset service providers, while only about 20%-30% use self-hosted wallets for self-custody.
Indirect exposure through crypto-linked stocks and exchange-traded products has increased since 2023 but remains limited at around $211 million, or roughly 0.4% of total equity holdings.
Related: No, Denmark did not propose banning self-custody wallets
Earlier this year, Danske Bank, Denmark’s largest bank, began allowing customers to invest in crypto through exchange-traded products tied to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).
At the time, the bank said more clients are seeking crypto exposure as part of their portfolios, adding that stronger regulatory frameworks, particularly the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, have made it feasible to offer such investments.
Magazine: Bitcoin may take 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum — BIP-360 co-author
", "description": "A new Danmarks Nationalbank survey shows crypto ownership in Denmark remains low and concentrated among younger and wealthier investors.", "published": "2026-04-15T14:23:49+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "altcoin" }, { "slug": "denmark" }, { "slug": "europe" }, { "slug": "adoption" } ], "slug": "denmark-crypto-ownership-4-percent-nationalbank-survey", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261762" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Fireblocks launches tool for institutions to earn yield on stablecoins", "leadText": "Fireblocks launched Earn, giving institutions direct access to Aave and Morpho-based stablecoin lending as firms seek yield on idle balances.", "author": { "slug": "zoltan-vardai" }, "bodyText": "Update April 15, 2026, 2:00 p.m. UTC: This article has been updated to include a comment from a Fireblocks spokesperson.
Enterprise digital asset infrastructure platform Fireblocks said Wednesday it launched Earn, a feature that lets institutional clients route stablecoin balances into onchain lending strategies through Aave and Morpho-powered products.
The product launches with a Sentora-curated vault on Morpho and direct access to Aave’s stablecoin lending markets, according to Fireblocks. The company said Earn is available now in Early Access for Fireblocks customers.
Fireblocks said the feature is aimed at clients sitting on large idle stablecoin balances between settlement windows and deployment cycles. The company said it processed $6 trillion in stablecoin transfer volume in 2025 across more than 2,400 institutional clients, up 300% from a year earlier.
Fireblocks is the latest platform launching an institutional gateway product for decentralized lending, seeking to make idle stablecoin holdings more productive for institutions. Competing solutions for institutional stablecoin lending include Aave Horizon, Coinbase Prime, Anchorage Digital, Nexo Institutional and Spark Institutional Lending.
Fireblocks did not disclose a target yield. The company said any returns would be generated by the underlying protocols and would be variable, not guaranteed, and could be zero.
A spokesperson for Fireblocks told Cointelegraph that the platform saw “strong institutional demand” for curated stablecoin lending strategies and that institutions see lending as a “stepping stone toward broader onchain exposure,” including tokenized assets.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9020-f41d-788c-9bcd-cb9ea28e19f1.png\")
Aave is the largest decentralized lending protocol with $25.9 billion in total value locked (TVL), followed by Morpho with $7.67 billion in TVL, according to DeFiLlama data.
Fireblocks said most institutional capital sits idle between deployment cycles and settlement windows, which inspired the new Earn product, according to Michael Shaulov, CEO and co-founder of Fireblocks.
“For the first time, institutions can put those balances to work through onchain lending strategies curated by established institutional names, inside the same platform, under the same controls they already run,” he said.
Related: Deutsche Börse invests $200 million in Kraken parent Payward
Fireblocks has been expanding its institutional services beyond just lending.
In October 2025, Fireblocks Trust Company teamed up with Galaxy, Bakkt, and others to launch a crypto custody framework operating under the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to meet soaring institutional demand, Cointelegraph reported.
On Jan. 7, 2026, Fireblocks acquired crypto accounting platform TRES for $130 million, tapping the company for its tax compliance infrastructure to support institutions.
Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight
", "description": "Fireblocks launched a native onchain stablecoin lending solution for institutions, that taps into leading decentralized lending protocols Aave and Morpho.", "published": "2026-04-15T12:39:50+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "lending" }, { "slug": "stablecoin" }, { "slug": "aave" }, { "slug": "yields" }, { "slug": "institutions" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "fireblocks-launches-tool-for-institutions-to-earn-yield-on-stablecoins", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261732" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Virginia updates law to hold unclaimed crypto in-kind for at least one year", "leadText": "Virginia signed a law bringing digital assets into unclaimed property rules, requiring in-kind transfer and limiting how quickly the state can sell them.", "author": { "slug": "amin-haqshanas" }, "bodyText": "The US state of Virginia has approved changes to its unclaimed property framework, bringing digital assets under state custody rules while limiting how soon those assets can be sold.
On Monday, Governor Abigail Spanberger signed House Bill 798 into law. The measure amends the state’s Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act, requiring custodians of unclaimed crypto to transfer those assets in-kind, meaning in their original form, rather than liquidating them into cash.
The law also imposes a minimum one-year holding period before any sale. “The administrator may subsequently direct such holder of unclaimed digital assets to liquidate the reported but unremitted digital assets not less than one year following the filing of a report,” the bill reads.
By holding crypto in-kind, the state reduces the risk of forced sales at unfavorable prices or during downturns, offering potential upside for owners who later reclaim their assets.
With the measure, Virginia joins a growing group of states that have included digital assets within unclaimed property laws. In May last year, Katie Hobbs signed a law allowing Arizona to take ownership of unclaimed crypto after three years and place it into a state-managed reserve fund. California has also passed a bill bringing crypto under the state’s unclaimed property laws.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d907c-1d04-7997-9d0b-bbc62ee4d6bc.PNG\")
Related: Alabama becomes second US state to grant DAOs legal status under DUNA
The bill further clarifies when crypto accounts are deemed abandoned, setting a five-year inactivity period unless the owner shows signs of engagement, such as logging in or conducting transactions.
“Some good news out of Virginia,” Paul Grewal, chief legal officer of Coinbase, wrote on X, adding that the law “updates the state’s unclaimed property statute to cover digital assets and ensures they are escheated in-kind.”
Related: West Virginia lawmaker introduces bill to allow state crypto investments
Virginia Blockchain Council previously called the bill “an important step,” claiming that it “helps modernize Virginia’s financial laws and signals the Commonwealth’s continued engagement with emerging technologies.”
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
", "description": "Virginia has updated its unclaimed property law to ensure digital assets are transferred and held in their original form, while also extending the timeline before any forced sale can take place.", "published": "2026-04-15T12:02:59+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "united-states" }, { "slug": "virginia" }, { "slug": "cryptocurrency-investment" }, { "slug": "regulation" } ], "slug": "virginia-updates-law-in-kind-crypto-custody-delay-liquidation-one-year", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261727" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Pakistan allows banks to serve licensed crypto firms after years-long ban", "leadText": "Pakistan’s central bank has allowed banks to open accounts for licensed virtual asset service providers, ending years of restrictions and marking a shift toward a regulated framework.", "author": { "slug": "christina-comben" }, "bodyText": "Pakistan’s central bank has allowed banks to open accounts for licensed virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and their customers, replacing an eight-year-old prohibition on dealing in virtual currencies.
In a circular dated April 14, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said regulated entities may open bank accounts for entities licensed by the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), the statutory body responsible for licensing, regulation and oversight of virtual asset activities in the country.
The move follows Pakistan’s passage of the Virtual Assets Act 2026 in March and marks a shift toward a more formal regulatory framework for digital assets after years of restrictions following an outright ban in 2018.
Authorities have recently signaled a more structured approach to the sector, including holding discussions with major exchanges such as Binance and HTX in December 2025, as part of efforts to attract regulated trading platforms.
In parallel, Pakistan has also explored blockchain-based financial infrastructure through engagements with affiliates of World Liberty Financial, including discussions around the use of stablecoins for cross-border payments.
Under the new framework, regulated entities shall not invest, trade or hold virtual assets using their own funds or customer deposits, the circular states, emphasizing that banks’ role is limited to providing banking services to licensed firms.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d90a7-8572-7cd9-a0f8-4a1f00aeae7a.jpg\")
The SBP added that banks remain responsible for complying with all applicable central bank regulations, including foreign exchange rules, and that any arrangement with a VASP does not absolve them of those obligations.
Banks are required to open separate transactional accounts denominated in Pakistan rupees, described as Client Money Accounts (CMAs), for settlement of authorized transactions of licensed VASPs, with strict segregation between CMAs and other VASP accounts and a prohibition on commingling VASP funds with client assets.
Related: Pakistan may be a crypto leader in 5 years at current pace: CZ
In addition to existing customer due diligence rules under SBP’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter financing terrorism (CFT) rules, regulated entities must conduct full due diligence on each VASP, amend their customer risk profiling models to capture VASP-related risks, and risk-rate VASPs accordingly.
Banks are directed to monitor their relationships with VASPs on an ongoing basis and report any suspicious transactions to Pakistan’s Financial Monitoring Unit.
Magazine: Singapore isn’t a ‘crypto hub’ — it’s something better: StraitsX CEO
", "description": "Pakistan’s central bank has permitted banks to open accounts for licensed virtual asset service providers under a new regulatory framework, ending years of restrictions.", "published": "2026-04-15T11:51:28+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "banks" }, { "slug": "pakistan" }, { "slug": "adoption" }, { "slug": "legislation" }, { "slug": "cryptocurrency-exchange" }, { "slug": "regulation" } ], "slug": "pakistan-allows-banks-to-serve-licensed-crypto-firms", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261722" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "EU adviser says ‘MiCA 2’ is likely as crypto market matures: PBW 2026", "leadText": "EU officials plan to reassess MiCA as companies test its limits, with industry feedback set to shape potential changes to the bloc’s crypto framework.", "author": { "slug": "ezra-reguerra" }, "bodyText": "A European Commission adviser said the European Union’s landmark MiCA crypto regime is likely to evolve as digital asset markets develop beyond the conditions the law was originally designed to address.
Speaking at the Paris Blockchain Week (PBW) 2026, Peter Kerstens, an adviser on technological innovation, digital transformation and cybersecurity at the European Commission’s financial services department, said the Commission will review the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and launch a public consultation to assess whether the rules are working for market participants and supporting business development.
The remarks suggest EU policymakers are already thinking about how MiCA may need to evolve as the crypto market matures. Kerstens said he could not predict the future, but added that EU financial legislation typically evolves in stages, suggesting it would be “rather unusual” if there were not a “MiCA 2” over time.
MiCA already contains a built-in review clause. The regulation requires the Commission to report on its application by June 30, 2027, and allows it to accompany that review with legislative proposals if needed, according to the Official Journal of the European Union.
![\"Europe,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d90b4-8a42-72f3-a170-141e615c528e.jpg\")
Kerstens said the review is not a response to a broken framework, but part of an effort to ensure rules keep pace with a changing market structure. He said MiCA was designed at a time when crypto markets were dominated by a few large assets and many smaller tokens.
He said that the ecosystem has since matured, requiring policymakers to reassess whether the framework fits in current conditions.
Related: EU central bank backs plan for crypto supervision under EU markets watchdog
He also emphasized the role of industry feedback, saying that the Commission would begin with a public consultation with “no taboos.” Kerstens invited market participants to identify where rules should be expanded, adjusted or left unchanged.
He warned that if regulation does not evolve alongside innovation, markets may develop around existing rules, creating legal uncertainty.
Kerstens’ comments come as aspects of MiCA and related frameworks are being tested in practice. On March 24, stablecoin issuer Circle urged the European Commission to adjust parts of its proposed Market Integration Package, including lowering thresholds that limit the use of euro-denominated stablecoins in settlement and expanding access for crypto-asset service providers.
At the same time, policymakers are debating how MiCA should be implemented. On April 3, officials weighed whether to shift supervision of major crypto firms to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) amid concerns over inconsistent enforcement.
Magazine: Singapore isn’t a ‘crypto hub’ — it’s something better: StraitsX CEO
OKX said Wednesday it is rolling out a Europe-specific crypto derivatives product called X-Perps, extending its regulated offering across the European Economic Area (EEA) through its Malta-based MiFID business.
The company said the new derivatives product is available to retail and institutional traders across all 30 EEA countries.
OKX said the platform is purpose-built in compliance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), a European Union regulatory framework governing financial instruments such as securities and derivatives.
The launch follows OKX’s March 2025 announcement that it had acquired a MiFID-licensed entity in Malta, which allowed the exchange to expand its derivatives trading across the EEA.
OKX said X-Perps offers five-year expiry crypto derivatives with up to 10x leverage and supports multi-asset collateral, including euros, US dollars and crypto assets.
At launch, the platform offers pairs for numerous crypto assets, including major coins such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and XRP (XRP), as well as memecoins such as Dogecoin (DOGE) and Pepe (PEPE).
“OKX will be rolling out more pairs and exploring high-demand products for retail and institutional traders as it builds out its fully featured, regulated European derivatives platform,” the company said in an announcement shared with Cointelegraph.
OKX’s launch of X-Perps comes as the exchange has emerged as a major player in derivatives trading.
According to CoinGlass, OKX ranked as the second-largest exchange in crypto derivatives in the first quarter of 2026, after Binance, with a cumulative quarterly trading volume of $2.19 trillion, versus Binance’s $4.9 trillion.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d90a0-e667-78e7-bc27-03a4585e3494.png\")
X-Perps is specifically structured to comply with MiFID requirements and will differ from products offered under other regulatory frameworks.
Related: Onchain perp DEX volumes fall for five straight months after October peak
OKX Europe CEO Erald Ghoos told Cointelegraph at Paris Blockchain Week that perpetual derivatives “cannot exist” under MiFID II because they would otherwise be classified as contracts for difference (CFDs). He said the exchange instead structured the product as a five-year expiry futures contract to ensure compliance with regional regulatory requirements.
He also said in a post on X that as much as 95% of crypto derivatives trading volume still occurs offshore.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9100-e03e-7578-b84a-309fd0fa3e1f.png\")
“I do believe that a lot of users will transition from offshore back to a fully regulated onshore environment,” Ghoos said, adding: “With X-Perps, we are bridging that gap under a fully regulated exchange where we offer great liquidity.”
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
EToro said Wednesday it agreed to acquire self-custodial crypto wallet provider Zengo, deepening the trading platform’s push into onchain products as digital assets remain central to its business.
The deal will let eToro add Zengo’s wallet technology and broaden its offering in areas such as tokenized assets, prediction markets, perpetuals and yield products, according to the company. Terms were not disclosed. Bloomberg reported the transaction is worth about $70 million, mostly in cash, citing a person familiar with the matter.
CEO Yoni Assia said at Paris Blockchain Week during a fireside chat that the acquisition fits eToro’s effort to attract a more crypto native user base while expanding beyond regulated brokerage products into self-custody infrastructure.
Crypto activities have become an important revenue source for the platform. eToro reported total revenue and income of $13.8 billion in 2025, of which $12.98 billion was revenue from crypto assets.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9079-b82d-7b67-a283-b0bdc69ce800.png\")
At Paris Blockchain Week, Assia said he expects the current market slowdown to last another quarter before Bitcoin (BTC) returns to an accumulation phase, eventually pushing the token above $250,000.
“Bitcoin is on the path eventually to $250,000, $500,000 and beyond.”
EToro’s CEO is the latest industry figure to call for a $250,000 Bitcoin price target, following BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes and “Rich Dad Poor Dad” author Robert Kiyosaki.
Related: Deutsche Börse invests $200 million in Kraken parent Payward
However, other large companies remain divided on Bitcoin’s trajectory for the rest of the year, with some questioning the relevance of the four-year cycle theory.
Galaxy Digital urged investor caution and described the year ahead as “too chaotic to predict,” citing looming uncertainties such as the US midterm elections and shifting monetary policy.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9079-ba2f-7764-a9ec-a4280d4bc1ca.png\")
Regardless of the timeline, a Bitcoin rally to $250,000 would require Bitcoin’s price to increase by about 3.3-fold and implies a $5 trillion market capitalization. This would make BTC the world’s second-largest asset after gold, up from the 12th spot, according to CompaniesMarketCap data.
Magazine: Can Robinhood or Kraken’s tokenized stocks ever be truly decentralized?
", "description": "eToro is set to acquire self-custodial wallet provider Zengo as the trading platform’s CEO predicted that Bitcoin will resume its rally to $250,000 after another quarter of the market slump.", "published": "2026-04-15T11:06:08+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "business" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-price" }, { "slug": "etoro" }, { "slug": "self-custody" }, { "slug": "industry" }, { "slug": "paris-blockchain-week" } ], "slug": "etoro-acquires-zengo-self-custody-ceo-predicts-bitcoin-250k", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261692" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Ripple teams with Kyobo on South Korea tokenized bond settlement", "leadText": "Ripple and Kyobo Life are piloting tokenized government bond settlement as South Korea builds rules for token securities and digital asset payments.", "author": { "slug": "amin-haqshanas" }, "bodyText": "Ripple has partnered with Kyobo Life Insurance, one of South Korea’s largest life insurers, to pilot blockchain-based settlement of government bonds, as Seoul moves to formalize rules for tokenized securities.
Ripple Custody, Ripple’s digital asset custody solution, will support the issuance, storage and settlement of tokenized government bonds, the company said in a Wednesday announcement. The companies will also explore tokenized treasury settlement across Korea’s financial system.
The project aims to replace traditional bond settlement processes, which often rely on multiple intermediaries and two-day settlement cycles, with onchain execution that enables near real-time settlement. This change could reduce counterparty risk and improve capital efficiency.
The project arrives as South Korea builds the legal infrastructure for tokenized securities. Amendments recognizing blockchain-based distributed ledgers as valid securities registries passed the National Assembly on Jan. 15, and the new framework is scheduled to take effect on Feb. 4, 2027, after additional rulemaking and infrastructure work.
The reforms also pave the way for investment contract securities to be circulated through regulated securities firms, expanding access and improving market liquidity for non-traditional financial instruments.
Related: South Korea fines Coinone $3.5M, orders partial business suspension: Reports
As part of the partnership, Kyobo Life said it will also explore other use cases, including stablecoin-based payment rails and integration with liquidity and treasury management systems.
Jin Ho Park, senior executive vice president at Kyobo Life, said that traditional financial instruments “can operate securely and efficiently on blockchain.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d9013-267c-759e-be24-499819c5b088.PNG\")
Related: Jito, KODA team up on institutional staking in South Korea
As Cointelegraph reported, South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is reportedly preparing legislation that would classify stablecoins used in cross-border payments as foreign exchange instruments.
Under the proposed Digital Asset Basic Act, such tokens would fall under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, bringing related businesses under regulatory oversight even without separate licensing.
The draft also introduces stricter rules for tokenized real-world assets, requiring issuers to back underlying assets through regulated trust structures under capital markets law.
Magazine: South Korea gets rich from crypto… North Korea gets weapons
", "description": "Ripple and Kyobo Life Insurance launch a blockchain bond settlement pilot as South Korea accelerates efforts to build a regulated framework for tokenized securities.", "published": "2026-04-15T09:58:29+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "blockchain" }, { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "south-korea" }, { "slug": "stablecoin" }, { "slug": "tokenization" }, { "slug": "rwa-tokenization" } ], "slug": "ripple-korean-insurer-pilot-tokenized-securities-seoul-framework", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261667" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Bitcoin ETFs post $412M in inflows as Goldman Sachs files for BTC ETF", "leadText": "US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs posted $411.5 million in inflows Tuesday as Goldman Sachs filed for a Bitcoin-linked ETF, lifting 2026 net flows back into positive territory.", "author": { "slug": "helen-partz" }, "bodyText": "US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds bounced back to notable daily inflows as Goldman Sachs entered the Bitcoin ETF sector.
Spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs recorded $411.5 million inflows on Tuesday, marking the second-largest daily inflows in April so far, according to SoSoValue data.
The fresh inflows pushed total net flows for 2026 into positive territory at roughly $245 million year-to-date, while total assets under management surged above $96.5 billion, the highest since mid-March.
The gains came as Goldman Sachs, once a major Bitcoin critic, filed with US securities regulators to launch a Bitcoin-linked ETF. The move follows Morgan Stanley’s launch of its Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ETF (MSBT) last Wednesday.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d903f-15ee-7042-b09e-4d56b63776c3.png\")
No US spot Bitcoin ETF recorded outflows on Tuesday, with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) leading the inflows at roughly $214 million, according to Farside data.
Both IBIT and Morgan Stanley’s MSBT extended their inflow streaks to five days, totaling around $696 million and $84 million, respectively.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d903f-17b1-72e4-bacd-a1eec98c5036.png\")
The ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) and the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) were among the significant contributors on Tuesday, with inflows of $113 million and $45 million, respectively.
The positive trend spread across all US-listed altcoin ETFs on Tuesday, with spot Ether (ETH) ETFs recording $53 million in inflows.
XRP (XRP) funds notably increased inflows at $11 million, while Solana (SOL) saw minor gains of just over $1 million.
Related: Iran conflict hints Bitcoin’s addressable market could exceed gold: Bitwise
The trend also extended to Dogecoin (DOGE) ETFs, which saw around $187,000 inflows, bringing cumulative inflows to around $9.2 million.
While it remains to be seen whether the rebound is sustainable, overall sentiment has slightly improved in recent days, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index rising above a score of 20 this week.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d903f-1980-7d92-88d3-f42ca72aec60.png\")
The price of Bitcoin also hit a multi-week high on Tuesday, briefly rising above $75,000 for the first time since March 17. It later pulled back below $74,000, trading at $73,852 at publishing time, according to CoinGecko.
Magazine: Your guide to surviving this mini-crypto winter
", "description": "Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $411.5 million in inflows as Goldman Sachs filed for a Bitcoin-linked ETF, lifting total 2026 net flows back into positive territory.", "published": "2026-04-15T09:51:25+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "dogecoin" }, { "slug": "goldman-sachs" }, { "slug": "adoption" }, { "slug": "ethereum-etf" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-etf" }, { "slug": "etf" } ], "slug": "bitcoin-etfs-inflows-412-million-goldman-sachs-filing", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261662" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "SocGen brings MiCA-compliant USDCV dollar stablecoin to MetaMask", "leadText": "Societe Generale-FORGE said MetaMask will add its MiCA-compliant USDCV stablecoin, extending distribution for one of Europe’s bank-backed digital dollars.", "author": { "slug": "christina-comben" }, "bodyText": "Societe Generale-FORGE, the digital asset arm of French banking giant Societe Generale, has integrated its Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA)-compliant USD CoinVertible (USDCV) stablecoin into MetaMask, giving the wallet’s millions of users access to a regulated dollar token issued by a major European bank.
The company said in a release on Wednesday that under the partnership with Consensys, USDCV, which is backed by cash and cash-equivalent reserves and issued under French electronic money regulations, will be surfaced in MetaMask on mobile and web. The token is redeemable 1:1 in dollars and will be made available for functions including trading, decentralized finance interaction and fiat on-ramping, with Transak serving as the on-ramp provider.
The move expands access to one of the few dollar stablecoins issued by a major European bank. It also comes as regulated issuers seek to turn MiCA compliance into a commercial advantage by distributing tokens across widely used crypto platforms. SG-FORGE CEO Jean-Marc Stenger said the MetaMask rollout is intended to broaden access to compliant digital assets.
Under the European Union’s new framework, a growing but still relatively small pool of approved stablecoin issuers, with around 10 entities authorized so far, is competing for market share, making integrations with wallets like MetaMask increasingly important.
Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin said in the release that stablecoins are becoming a more important part of digital financial infrastructure.
![\"Cryptocurrencies,](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d902a-d66f-79f6-8644-39540774ce48.png\")
A spokesperson from SG-FORGE told Cointelegraph that the bank aims to make the MiCA-compliant stablecoin easily accessible “where Web3 interactions already take place,” thereby supporting large-scale user adoption over time. SG-FORGE “sets the highest standards,” they said, by offering a 100% cash-backed token, ensuring immediate liquidity, and users can track the reserves daily on the company’s website.
Related: ECB backs tokenized EU capital markets with strict guardrails
SG-FORGE also issues EUR CoinVertible, a MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin first launched on Ethereum (ETH) in 2023. The token has since expanded as part of a multichain strategy to Solana, the XRP Ledger and Stellar, while USDCV is available on Ethereum and Solana and listed through several exchanges and partners, according to SG-FORGE.
The spokesperson said the bank views regulated stablecoins and future digital euro initiatives as “complementary instruments serving different use cases within a broader, evolving monetary ecosystem.”
These instruments can coexist and contribute to a “more resilient, interoperable, and innovative financial system,” adapted to a wide range of user needs, they said.
The euro-denominated token has been part of broader efforts by Societe Generale-FORGE to test tokenized financial infrastructure, including participation in experiments involving tokenized bonds and settlement through blockchain networks.
Magazine: Singapore isn’t a ‘crypto hub’ — it’s something better: StraitsX CEO
", "description": "Societe Generale-FORGE integrates its MiCA-compliant USD CoinVertible stablecoin into MetaMask, bringing a bank-issued dollar asset to millions of Web3 users for DeFi, payments and on/off-ramps.", "published": "2026-04-15T08:58:29+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "france" }, { "slug": "europe" }, { "slug": "adoption" }, { "slug": "stablecoin" }, { "slug": "mica" }, { "slug": "metamask" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "societe-generale-forge-brings-mica-compliant-stablecoin-metamask", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261652" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "North Korean hackers used AI-enabled social engineering in Zerion attack", "leadText": "It is the second long-term social-engineering attack this month, after the $280 million exploit of the Drift Protocol.", "author": { "slug": "martin-young" }, "bodyText": "Crypto wallet Zerion revealed that North Korean-affiliated hackers used AI in a long-term social engineering attack to steal about $100,000 from the company’s hot wallets last week.
The Zerion team released a post-mortem on Wednesday, where it confirmed that no user funds, Zerion apps or infrastructure were affected and that it had proactively disabled the web app as a precaution.
While the amount was relatively small in crypto hacking terms, it is another incident of a crypto worker being targeted for an “AI-enabled social engineering attack linked to a DPRK threat actor,” Zerion said.
It is the second attack of this nature this month, following the $280 million exploit of the Drift Protocol, which was the victim of a “structured intelligence operation” by DPRK-affiliated hackers. The human layer, not smart contract bugs, has now become North Korea’s primary point of entry into crypto firms.
Zerion said the attacker gained access to some team members’ logged-in sessions and credentials, as well as private keys to company hot wallets.
“This incident showed that AI is changing the way cyber threats work,” the company said.
It confirmed that the attack was similar to those that had been investigated by the Security Alliance (SEAL) last week.
Related: Researchers discover malicious AI agent routers that can steal crypto
SEAL reported that it had tracked and blocked 164 domains linked to the DPRK group UNC1069 in a two-month window from February to April.
It stated that the group operates “multiweek, low-pressure social engineering campaigns” across Telegram, LinkedIn and Slack. Malicious actors impersonate known contacts or credible brands or leverage access to previously compromised company and individual accounts.
“UNC1069’s social engineering methodology is defined by patience, precision, and the deliberate weaponization of existing trust relationships.”
Google’s cybersecurity unit Mandiant detailed in February the group’s use of fake Zoom meetings and a “known use of AI tools by the threat actor for editing images or videos during the social engineering stage.”
Earlier this month, MetaMask developer and security researcher Taylor Monahan said North Korean IT workers have been embedding themselves in crypto companies and decentralized finance projects for at least seven years.
“The evolution of the DPRK’s social engineering techniques, combined with the increasing availability of AI to refine and perfect these methods, means the threat extends well beyond exchanges,” blockchain security firm Elliptic said in a blog post earlier this year.
“Individual developers, project contributors, and anyone with access to cryptoasset infrastructure is a potential target.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8fc4-b61a-7b2e-8aea-9d4bdb7157b4.jpg\")
Magazine: How AI just dramatically sped up the quantum risk for Bitcoin
", "description": "North Korean hackers used AI social engineering to breach Zerion, stealing $100K in a targeted attack echoing the $280M Drift exploit.", "published": "2026-04-15T07:31:17+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "north-korea" }, { "slug": "hot-wallet" }, { "slug": "hacks" }, { "slug": "social-engineering" }, { "slug": "scams-and-cybercrime" } ], "slug": "north-korean-hackers-use-ai-enabled-social-engineering-latest-attack", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261632" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "X rolls out smart cashtags in US, Canada in step toward ‘everything app’", "leadText": "Tat Thang, a partner at the prediction platform Polymarket, suggests X is building a Web3 equivalent of the Chinese WeChat Pay citing its recent moves to scrub crypto bots.", "author": { "slug": "stephen-katte" }, "bodyText": "Social media platform X has launched its smart cashtag feature on iPhones in the US and Canada, letting users view stock and cryptocurrency data directly from the app as part of Elon Musk’s plan to shift X into a financial platform.
The new feature allows users to select a specific asset or smart contract address when posting a ticker. Tapping a tag displays live price charts and related posts.
Canadian users will be able to trade stocks and crypto through a deal between X and Wealthsimple, an online brokerage. The trading feature has not yet rolled out in the United States.
“Cashtags are just the first step in our commitment to be the best destination for the finance and crypto community,” said X's head of product Nikita Bier, in a post on Tuesday.
The development is part of X’s “everything app” push, which Musk has previously said will include messaging, social networking, peer-to-peer payments and e-commerce.
It’s part of a wider trend among digital platforms to consolidate diverse services into a single cohesive experience. Crypto exchange Coinbase announced its intent to build a “super app” last July.
The announcement comes less than a day after Bier hinted on Tuesday that the platform could launch a crypto-related product, prompting speculation about what it could be.
Musk previously said that X Money, a peer-to-peer payments feature with yield-bearing accounts and a cashback debit card, would launch in April.
\n\n\n𝕏 has always been the best source of financial news for traders and investors. Billions of dollars are allocated every day based on what people read on Timeline.
— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) April 14, 2026
Today we're launching our new Cashtags feature in the US and Canada on iPhone, bringing real-time financial data to… pic.twitter.com/c8s7X9gHTO
The integration with Wealthsimple to allow direct trading on the app sheds some insight into how it could work in other regions.
“Users in Canada will see a button on cashtags so they can trade seamlessly from X. This is just a small preview of what's to come,” said Bier.
Bier also indicated that a rollout for web and Android devices, along with a global release of these features, is planned for the near future.
Related: X mulls new rules for first-time crypto posts amid tortoise scam
Tat Thang, a partner at prediction platform Polymarket, suggested X is trying to build a Web3 equivalent of WeChat Pay, which is embedded within the Chinese app WeChat and allows users to make mobile payments and transfer money between contacts.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8fbd-80fb-7b76-9bee-90f92564869e.png\")
Thang argued that crypto transaction fees could be the key revenue driver for Musk’s ambitions for his “everything app”, since revenue and subscription fees can fluctuate, and person-to-person fiat transfers carry zero margin.
He also cited X’s hiring of Bier, a Solana advisor and Benji Taylor, former head of design at Base, along with a recent purge of crypto bots as indicators of X ramping up its financial ambitions because you can’t “drop a native wallet or trading terminal onto a timeline filled with drainer links.”
“It was a mandatory compliance sweep. You have to scrub the platform clean before you deploy consumer financial products,” Thang added.
Magazine: Should users be allowed to bet on war and death in prediction markets?
", "description": "X has launched smart cashtags on the iPhone in the US and Canada, with X's head of product, Nikita Bier, planning a global release of the features in the future.", "published": "2026-04-15T07:29:43+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "cryptocurrencies" }, { "slug": "business" }, { "slug": "adoption" }, { "slug": "stocks" }, { "slug": "social-media" }, { "slug": "elon-musk" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "x-smart-cashtags-us-trading-canada-integration", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261627" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Crypto users targeted in ‘elaborate’ scam using popular notes app", "leadText": "Elastic Security Labs says a multi-step social engineering scam is aimed at those in crypto and finance, using a community plugin feature on a note-taking app to spread malicious device-controlling software.", "author": { "slug": "jesse-coghlan" }, "bodyText": "Crypto users have been warned of a new social engineering scam that tricks victims into using community plugins on the note-taking app Obsidian to unknowingly run malware that can take control of their devices.
Elastic Security Labs said in a report on Tuesday that it found a novel campaign targeting those in crypto and finance using “elaborate social engineering on LinkedIn and Telegram” to trick victims into allowing malicious, yet seemingly safe, software to run on their devices.
Attackers abuse the community plugin ecosystem on Obsidian to “silently execute code when a victim opens a shared cloud vault,” with attacks working on both Windows and macOS devices.
It's the latest known attack campaign targeting crypto users, a popular target for scammers, as blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. In 2025, $713 million was stolen via compromises of individual crypto wallets, according to Chainalysis.
Elastic said the scammers contact victims on LinkedIn under the guise of being a venture capital firm and eventually steer the conversation to Telegram in discussions around “financial services, specifically cryptocurrency liquidity solutions, creating a plausible business context.”
The attackers ask their target to use Obsidian, framing it as their fake company’s database for accessing a shared dashboard, and the potential victim is given a login to connect to a cloud-hosted vault controlled by the attackers.
“This vault is the initial access vector,” Elastic said. “Once opened in Obsidian, the target is instructed to enable community plugins sync. After that, the trojanized plugins silently execute the attack chain.”
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8fc6-0305-70ce-ba38-0cee27e63e87.png\")
The attacks differ slightly on Windows and macOS, but both deploy a previously undocumented remote access trojan, or RAT, which Elastic dubbed “PHANTOMPULSE.”
The malware, which is disguised as legitimate software, gives the attackers control over the victim's device, with Elastic adding it was “designed for stealth, resilience, and comprehensive remote access.”
Elastic said that PHANTOMPULSE uses a decentralized command-and-control mechanism via at least three different blockchain networks, using on-chain transaction data tied to a specific wallet to connect to the attacker and receive instructions.
Related: US Treasury expands cybersecurity threat intel to crypto industry
“This technique provides the operator with an infrastructure-agnostic rotation capability,” Elastic said. “Because blockchain transactions are immutable and publicly accessible, the malware can always locate its C2 [command-and-control mechanism] without relying on centralized infrastructure.”
“The use of three independent chains adds redundancy: even if one chain's explorer is blocked or unavailable, the remaining two provide alternative resolution paths,” it added.
Elastic said it was able to block the attack, but it shows that attackers “continue to find creative initial access vectors” as abusing Obsidian's community-run plugin ecosystem allowed them to skirt “traditional security controls entirely, relying on the application's intended functionality to execute arbitrary code.”
It added that financial and crypto companies “should be aware that legitimate productivity tools can be turned into attack vectors,” and organizations should enforce app-level plugin policies to defend against similar attacks.
Magazine: Bitcoin may take 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum — BIP-360 co-author
", "description": "Elastic Security Labs has warned those in crypto and finance to watch out for an “elaborate social engineering” scam that tricks them into allowing malware through the notes app Obsidian.", "published": "2026-04-15T07:24:37+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "malware" }, { "slug": "scams" }, { "slug": "scams-and-cybercrime" } ], "slug": "crypto-users-targeted-elaborate-scam-popular-notes-app-obsidian", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261622" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Apple removes fake Ledger app that stole $9.5M from crypto investors", "leadText": "Apple told Cointelegraph that the fake Ledger Live app was removed and that the developer was terminated from its app store.", "author": { "slug": "brayden-lindrea" }, "bodyText": "Apple has confirmed it took down a malicious app that impersonated the Ledger self-custody crypto wallet after an onchain analysis found that more than 50 victims fell for the scam, losing a combined $9.5 million.
Apple told Cointelegraph on Tuesday that the fake Ledger Live app was removed and that the developer, “SAS Software Company,” was terminated from the Apple App Store.
Apple said the developer used a “bait-and-switch strategy” to trick users into installing a fake Ledger Live app and sharing their seed phrases.
Bait-and-switch violations on the Apple App Store are not uncommon, with Apple saying that in 2024, it removed or rejected more than 17,000 apps for engaging in such tactics.
The company also rejected more than 320,000 app submissions flagged as spam, copycat or misleading and blocked more than 37,000 potentially fraudulent apps from reaching users.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8fa3-35a9-7e15-8226-7454edfb9dc1.png\")
In the past, bait-and-switch scammers on the Apple App Store have obtained approval through legitimate means before uploading fake screenshots or altering descriptions to mimic another well-known app.
Apple has been fighting these scams since at least 2013. In February of that year, scammers placed a clone of Nintendo's Pokémon Yellow game in the Apple App Store and sold copies before users complained and it was taken down.
The incidents highlight the critical need for investors to self-verify crypto apps on third-party platforms as scammers become increasingly sophisticated with their strategies.
Blockchain sleuth ZachXBT found on Monday that more than 50 crypto investors fell victim to the fake Ledger app scam between April 7 and 13, resulting in about $9.5 million in losses.
The losses were largely concentrated among three investors — with one losing $3.23 million in USDt (USDT), another $2 million in USDC (USDC) and a third losing $1.95 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and staked Ether.
Related: Hong Kong retiree loses $840K in triple ‘crypto expert’ scam
Another victim was Garrett Dutton, an American musician better known as “G. Love,” who revealed that he lost $420,000 worth of Bitcoin from the scam.
In late 2023, scammers also bypassed Microsoft’s listing review process for its app store, leading to nearly $600,000 worth of crypto stolen.
Magazine: Asia Express: Phantom Bitcoin checks, China tracks tax on blockchain
", "description": "Apple said it removed a fake Ledger Live app from its App Store after it adopted a bait-and-switch strategy to scam an estimated $9.5 million from more than 50 victims.", "published": "2026-04-15T07:01:17+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "apple" }, { "slug": "app-store" }, { "slug": "ledger" }, { "slug": "self-custody" }, { "slug": "industry" } ], "slug": "apple-removes-fake-ledger-app-stole-9-million-from-users", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261612" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Switzerland’s Crypto Valley funding rose 37% in 2025 as TON led deals", "leadText": "Crypto Valley raised $728 million across 31 deals in 2025, outpacing global blockchain funding growth as a $400 million TON deal lifted totals.", "author": { "slug": "zoltan-vardai" }, "bodyText": "Switzerland’s Crypto Valley captured 47% of European blockchain venture funding in 2025, raising $728 million across 31 deals, according to an annual report released Wednesday by venture firm CV VC.
Globally, blockchain venture funding rose 30% to $15.5 billion across 986 deals last year, while Crypto Valley’s total climbed 37% from $531 million in 2024, the report said.
One deal did much of the heavy lifting. The Open Network (TON) accounted for $400 million of Crypto Valley’s 2025 funding haul, followed by Sygnum Bank at $58 million, stablecoin platform M0 at $40 million, Impossible Cloud Network at $34 million and CratD2C at $30 million, according to the report.
The figures suggest Switzerland remains Europe’s main blockchain funding hub, but they also show capital concentrating into fewer, larger rounds.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8c0e-8b28-7969-823b-d465d22a9118.png\")
Blockchain networks attracted 62% of total funding, followed by infrastructure at 14%, centralized financial services at 10% and decentralized finance applications at 10%, the report said.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8c0e-8d80-7cdb-808a-46c3f7ec64ba.png\")
Crypto Valley’s $728 million accounted for 47% of the total VC blockchain funding across Europe and 5% of the global blockchain funding in 2025, highlighting the Swiss blockchain ecosystem’s growing role in the European blockchain industry.
“Nearly half of all European blockchain investment is now flowing into Crypto Valley,” said Mathias Ruch, founder and CEO of CV VC, calling it a sign of a “maturing ecosystem” focused on infrastructure, finance and the convergence of “frontier technologies” driving digital innovation.
Still, the report’s own numbers show that growth came alongside a more selective market, with deal count falling even as capital deployed increased. That pattern was visible globally as well. CV VC said worldwide blockchain venture funding rose even as deal volume fell 32%, showing a shift toward fewer but larger transactions.
In Crypto Valley, the same dynamic helped push annual funding totals higher, even as the ecosystem’s headline valuation and unicorn count moved lower.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8c0e-8f7e-7a3b-9bb9-77e3239310e3.png\")
Crypto Valley now hosts 1,766 active blockchain companies, up 134% since 2020, according to CV VC. Companies based in Zug, Switzerland, accounted for 20 of the 31 total deals and 88% of disclosed capital, while Zurich-based companies followed with five deals.
Related: Cardano can now be used to pay at 137 Spar stores across Switzerland
The report also said Crypto Valley’s number of unicorns fell to 10 in 2025 from 17 a year earlier. Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Hedera, Toncoin, Polkadot, Near Protocol, Internet Computer, Copper and Sygnum Bank now rank as the region’s top crypto companies.
A Crypto Valley spokesperson attributed the decline largely to weaker market conditions late in the year, which pushed six token projects below the $1 billion threshold. The spokesperson also said 21Shares was acquired by FalconX, which is not based in Crypto Valley.
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
", "description": "Crypto Valley outpaced the global funding growth of crypto investments thanks to a $400 million TON deal, while capturing 47% of total European blockchain funding in 2025.", "published": "2026-04-15T06:45:00+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "switzerland" }, { "slug": "business" }, { "slug": "funding" }, { "slug": "venture-capital" }, { "slug": "investments" }, { "slug": "zug" }, { "slug": "crypto-valley" }, { "slug": "companies" } ], "slug": "switzerland-crypto-valley-funding-rose-37-percent-2025-ton-led-deals", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261527" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Bitcoiners propose freezing quantum-vulnerable coins in BIP-361", "leadText": "The authors described it as a “private incentive to upgrade” because lost or frozen coins will make everyone else’s coins worth slightly more.", "author": { "slug": "martin-young" }, "bodyText": "Update (April 15, 6:45 am UTC): This article has been updated to include comments from Jameson Lopp.
Cypherpunk Jameson Lopp and five co-authors from the Bitcoin quantum security space have proposed freezing quantum-vulnerable coins on the Bitcoin network, including Satoshi’s $74 billion stash, to prevent them from being stolen once quantum computers become available.
The move is the second part of a three-stage proposal under BIP-361 called the “Post Quantum Migration and Legacy Signature Sunset,” which was posted as a draft to GitHub on Tuesday.
It addresses a major risk to Bitcoin — the potential use of quantum computers to steal roughly 1.7 million BTC locked in early P2PK addresses, including Satoshi’s stash, which are not quantum-proof.
In the wrong hands, these coins could significantly undermine the value of the network.
Lopp told Cointelegraph on Wednesday that BIP-361 is not currently in a position to be adopted.
“Rather, it's a rough sketch of one way we could approach the issue of a looming circulating supply shock if quantum computing advances to the point that a post-quantum signature scheme achieves consensus for being added to Bitcoin.”
He expects various aspects of BIP-361 to “continue to evolve over the years as more research and development is conducted in this area.”
BIP-361 builds on BIP-360, released in February, which proposed a soft fork for a new output type called pay-to-Merkle-root (P2MR). It works similarly to Bitcoin’s existing Taproot (P2TR) addresses but with the quantum-vulnerable key path removed.
While BIP-360 protects new coins going forward, it does not address the roughly 34% of the supply that remains vulnerable unless it is transferred to new addresses.
BIP-361 proposes that three years after activation, phase A of the proposal would prevent any new BTC from being sent to old-style addresses, with all users on quantum-resistant address types.
The second phase (B) would invalidate old-style signatures and any Bitcoin still sitting in vulnerable addresses becomes effectively frozen five years after activation.
Related: Bitcoin can be made quantum-safe without protocol upgrade: Researcher
Phase C provides a potential rescue mechanism using zero-knowledge proofs, allowing people who missed the deadline but still have their seed phrase to recover frozen funds.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8f63-5a7f-7716-950a-392858d1c8b4.jpg\")
The authors described it as a “private incentive to upgrade” because lost or frozen coins only make everyone else’s coins worth slightly more, whereas quantum-recovered coins make everyone else’s worth less.
“This is not an offensive attack, rather, it is defensive: our thesis is that the Bitcoin ecosystem wishes to defend itself and its interests against those who would prefer to do nothing and allow a malicious actor to destroy both value and trust.”
However, the proposal would render some existing UTXOs unspendable by their owners if they fail to upgrade, which some have seen as a significant philosophical departure from Bitcoin’s ethos.
Bitcoin protocol developer and researcher Mark Erhardt, who shared BIP-361 on X on Tuesday, was met with community pushback and comments such as “this quantum proposal is highly authoritarian and confiscatory … there is no good rationale for forcing the upgrade and rendering old spends invalid.”
Bitcoin Magazine editor Brian Trollz rejected the proposal outright, TFTC founder Marty Bent called it “laughable,” and Phil Geiger, head of business development at Metaplanet, quipped, “We have to steal people’s money to prevent their money from being stolen.”
Magazine: Nobody knows if quantum-secure cryptography will even work
", "description": "BIP-361 proposes phased quantum-resistant migration for Bitcoin, freezing funds in legacy addresses five years after activation.", "published": "2026-04-15T05:36:51+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "satoshi-nakamoto" }, { "slug": "soft-fork" }, { "slug": "quantum-computing" } ], "slug": "bitcoin-devs-and-researchers-propose-freezing-quantum-vulnerable-coins-bip-361", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261607" }, { "category": { "slug": "latest-news" }, "postTranslate": { "title": "Iran conflict hints Bitcoin’s addressable market could exceed gold: Bitwise", "leadText": "Bitwise's Matt Hougan previously estimated that if Bitcoin captures 17% of the store-of-value market over the next decade, it could be worth $1 million a coin.", "author": { "slug": "stephen-katte" }, "bodyText": "Bitcoin’s addressable market has the potential to surpass the $34 trillion gold market if it is eventually widely used as both a currency and a store of value, according to Bitwise's chief investment officer Matt Hougan.
Hougan said on Tuesday that while Bitcoin (BTC) has been seen as a contender to gold, the war in Iran has shown that Bitcoin can also serve in a “currency-like manner,” referring to Iran’s proposed plan to charge a toll that can be paid in crypto for ships to navigate the Strait of Hormuz.
“In a world where countries have weaponized their financial rails, Bitcoin is emerging as an apolitical alternative,” Hougan said.
“It tells you that Bitcoin's total addressable market is probably a lot bigger than the… gold market alone.”
Hougan previously predicted that if Bitcoin captures even 17% of the store-of-value market over the next decade, it could reach $1 million a coin. Taking a role as an international currency would likely see it go much higher.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8f48-5ad4-7feb-b9fa-b00cf0000d46.png\")
“If Bitcoin starts to take on a dual role as both a store of value, like gold, and an actual currency, like the dollar, we may need to revise our targets higher.”
Bitcoin is trading around $74,500 with a market capitalization of roughly $1.4 trillion, according to CoinGecko. Gold is trading for $4,854 an ounce, and its market cap is estimated to be more than $33.7 trillion as of Wednesday.
Related: Bitcoin bounces to $72.5K as markets react to US Strait of Hormuz blockade
Bitcoin is already functioning as a store of value for people in high-inflation economies.
Citizens of Argentina, Turkey, and Venezuela have experienced persistent inflation and currency collapses, prompting many to switch to Bitcoin and protect their wealth.
A January Coinbase survey found that 87% of Argentinians flagged crypto and blockchain technology as a way to enhance their financial independence, while nearly three in four respondents saw crypto as a solution to challenges like inflation.
Bitcoin has also seen adoption by corporates looking to bolster their balance sheets.
Private and public companies tracked by BitBo collectively hold more than 1.5 million Bitcoin valued at more than $116 billion.
![](\"https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d8f48-63ab-71bc-b3e4-795172a496df.png\")
However, Bitcoin has also grown as a payment method, with academic publishing company Springer Nature identifying about 11,000 merchants globally using BTC Map data that currently accept Bitcoin as a form of payment.
Magazine: Bitcoin quantum-safe without upgrade? CZ’s 2031 crypto vision: Hodler’s Digest
", "description": "Bitwise's Matt Hougan suggests Bitcoin’s addressable market could exceed gold’s if it takes on a dual role as a store of value and a potential currency, potentially pushing the price higher.", "published": "2026-04-15T05:27:29+01:00" }, "tags": [ { "slug": "bitcoin" }, { "slug": "business" }, { "slug": "technology" }, { "slug": "adoption" }, { "slug": "iran" }, { "slug": "bitcoin-payments" } ], "slug": "bitcoin-addressable-market-could-exceed-gold-iran-conflict-bitwise", "postBadge": { "postBadgeTranslates": [ { "title": "News" } ] }, "id": "261602" } ] } } }, "extensions": { "state": "[{\"name\":\"top_promo_post_rotation_state\",\"value\":{\"selectedTopPromoPostId\":null},\"expiresAt\":1776427700}]" } }