Stablecoin supply surges $30B in Q1 as investors hedge against volatility

Despite a $30 billion surge in stablecoin supply to new record levels, cryptocurrency investors remained cautious as they awaited market stability amid US tariff fears. The total stablecoin supply rose by more than $30 billion in the first quarter of 2025, even as the overall crypto market capitalization fell 19%, according to a new report … Read more

Stablecoin adoption grows with new US bills, Japan’s open approach

Stablecoins are front and center of late: critical bills have made their way through US Congress, First Digital’s coin briefly depegged over reserve concerns, and Coinbase’s efforts to take on banks saw pushback from lawmakers — to name just a few recent headlines. Dollar-backed cryptocurrencies are under the spotlight as the market considers the role … Read more

Has Michael Saylor's Strategy built a house of cards?

Strategy Inc., formerly MicroStrategy, has discarded its core product, assumed a new identity, swallowed over half a million BTC, spawned equity classes with double-digit yields, and inspired an arsenal of leveraged ETFs —  a unique and significant market phenomenon. Michael Saylor’s firm has constructed a comprehensive financial framework based around Bitcoin, tying its corporate performance … Read more

First Digital redeems $26M after FDUSD depeg, dismisses Sun insolvency claims

First Digital has redeemed almost $26 million in stablecoin withdrawals after its FDUSD token briefly lost its US dollar peg following allegations of insolvency by Tron founder Justin Sun. First Digital USD (FDUSD) depegged on April 2, briefly falling as low as $0.87 after Sun claimed that First Digital was insolvent. On April 4, Sun … Read more

Trump tariffs squeeze already struggling Bitcoin miners — Braiins exec

The new trade tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump may place added pressure on the Bitcoin mining ecosystem both domestically and globally, according to one industry executive. While the US is home to Bitcoin (BTC) mining manufacturing firms such as Auradine, it’s still “not possible to make the whole supply chain, including materials, US-based,” … Read more

Malta regulator fines OKX crypto exchange $1.2M for past AML breaches

Cryptocurrency exchange OKX is under renewed regulatory scrutiny in Europe after Maltese authorities issued a major fine for violations of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws. Malta’s Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) fined Okcoin Europe — OKX’s Europe-based subsidiary — 1.1 million euros ($1.2 million) after detecting multiple AML failures on the platform in the past, the … Read more

US court fines UAE crypto firm CLS Global $428K for wash trading

Authorities in the US state of Massachusetts continue targeting unlawful cryptocurrency market practices, with a local court fining crypto financial services firm CLS Global. A federal court in Boston on April 2 sentenced CLS Global on criminal charges related to fraudulent manipulation of crypto trading volume, according to an announcement from the Massachusetts US Attorney’s … Read more

Bitcoin DeFi surge may boost BTC demand and adoption — Binance

The value locked in Bitcoin-based decentralized finance (BTCFi) has surged by more than 2,700% over the past year, potentially transforming Bitcoin from a passive store of value into a productive, yield-bearing asset, according to new research from Binance. BTCFi is a new technological paradigm that aims to bring decentralized finance capabilities to Bitcoin’s base layer. … Read more

Zero-click attacks: How your wallet can be hacked without a click

What are zero-click attacks? Zero-click attacks allow bad actors to access your cryptocurrencies without any input from you. Imagine opening your crypto wallet one day and discovering that it’s all gone. You didn’t download any viruses or click on suspicious links. The funds just aren’t there. It’s possible you have fallen victim to a zero-click … Read more

AI and blockchain — A match made in heaven

Opinion by: Merav Ozair, PhD Tech moguls cannot stop heralding the artificial intelligence revolution — from Bill Gates to Sundar Pichai to Jensen Huang — signaling that agentic AI and robotics will claim our jobs and act as our autonomous assistants performing on our behalf in our professional and personal lives. Whether these scenarios happen … Read more

Coinbase Institutional files for XRP futures trading with CFTC

US crypto exchange Coinbase has filed with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to launch futures contracts for Ripple’s XRP token. “We’re excited to announce that Coinbase Derivatives has filed with the CFTC to self-certify XRP futures — bringing a regulated, capital-efficient way to gain exposure to one of the most liquid digital assets,” … Read more

Genius Group says it’s been banned from buying more Bitcoin

Singapore-based artificial intelligence firm Genius Group says it’s temporarily barred from expanding its Bitcoin treasury after a US court order has banned it from selling shares, raising funds and using investor funds to buy more Bitcoin. A New York District court issued the preliminary injunction (PI) and temporary restraining order (TRO) on March 13 in … Read more

Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao to advise Kyrgyzstan on blockchain tech

Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao will begin advising the Kyrgyz Republic on blockchain and crypto-related regulation and tech after signing a memorandum of understanding with the country’s foreign investment agency. “I officially and unofficially advise a few governments on their crypto regulatory frameworks and blockchain solutions for gov efficiency, expanding blockchain to more than … Read more

Investor demand for XRP falls as the bull market stalls — Will traders defend the $2 support?

Between Oct. 25, 2024, and Jan. 16, 2025, XRP (XRP) had one of the best rallies of the current bull market, gaining 600% as investors piled in with the hope that a pro-crypto presidency would benefit Ripple and its cryptocurrency. During this time, the quarterly average of daily active addresses jumped by 490% and XRP … Read more

EigenLayer to begin 'slashing' restakers in April

EigenLayer plans to start “slashing” restakers on April 17, resulting in the Ethereum restaking protocol’s “first feature-complete iteration,” it said in an April 2 announcement.  Implementing slashing will mark EigenLayer’s final step toward establishing the protocol as “infrastructure for a new generation of verifiable apps and services built on the Verifiable Cloud,” it said in … Read more

XRP holds $2 support as chart pattern hints at 73% gain

XRP (XRP) stabilized near its $2 support after today’s marketwide sell-off sent the altcoin and several other cryptocurrencies close to their swing lows. Data now shows the XRP/USD pair exhibiting early signs of a bullish breakout.  Ripple’s RLUSD integration could boost XRP price Ripple’s integration of its RLUSD stablecoin into its cross-border payments system, Ripple … Read more

Pre-seed crypto startup deals have grown 767% since 2021: Report

The number of pre-seed funding rounds for Bitcoin (BTC) startup companies has grown by 767% since 2021, according to a report from venture capital firm Trammell Venture Partners (TVP). Bitcoin pre-seed transactions increased 50% year-over-year in 2024, with a 27.5% year-over-year increase in the number of startup companies funded. Christopher Calicott, TVP’s managing director, attributed … Read more

US lawmakers vote to advance anti-CBDC bill

The US House Financial Services Committee has advanced a bill aimed at preventing federal banks from using or issuing central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, paving the way for a vote in the chamber. In an April 2 committee session, lawmakers voted 27-22 in favor of passing the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act. The bill was … Read more

Bitcoin drops 8%, US markets shed $2T in value — Should traders expect an oversold bounce?

Bitcoin (BTC) and US stock markets all sold off sharply after US President Donald Trump shook up financial markets by announcing a list of reciprocal tariffs on several countries. On April 3, the S&P 500 saw a 4.2% drop at market open, its most significant single-day decline since June 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average … Read more