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Almost all financial markets reacted swiftly to news of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, though in contrasting ways. Oil prices, which had surged sharply since the conflict began, fell dramatically as tensions eased, dropping from around $117 per barrel to below $92 before stabilising near $95. This decline followed weeks of volatility driven by military threats and disruptions in the region, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route. Despite the drop, oil remains significantly higher than pre-conflict levels.
Meanwhile, other major assets rallied on the prospect of reduced geopolitical risk. Bitcoin climbed to a three-week high near $73,000 before settling slightly lower, while Ethereum and several altcoins also posted strong gains. Gold rose to its highest level in weeks, approaching $4,900, and stock markets responded positively, with S&P 500 futures advancing and nearing record highs. Source
Operation Atlantic is a coordinated international effort involving agencies from the US, UK and Canada aimed at tackling increasingly sophisticated crypto scams before they fully unfold. Unlike traditional investigations that begin after funds are stolen, the initiative focusses on identifying victims at risk, detecting active scam infrastructure and interrupting fraudulent transactions in near real time. It relies heavily on blockchain analytics to trace suspicious activity, track fund movements and alert both platforms and victims while there is still a chance to limit losses, marking a shift towards faster and more proactive enforcement.
A central focus of the operation is approval phishing, where victims are tricked into authorising transactions that give scammers access to their wallets without revealing private keys. These scams often form part of complex, organised networks that combine social engineering, fake platforms and multiple wallets to scale operations and evade detection. While Operation Atlantic builds on earlier initiatives and demonstrates the potential of cross-border cooperation and public-private partnerships, it still faces limitations such as user vulnerability, legal delays and the difficulty of recovering funds once they are dispersed. Overall, it reflects a broader move towards treating crypto fraud as an ongoing process that can be monitored and disrupted rather than simply investigated after the fact. Source
A proposed Ethereum standard, ERC-8211, aims to simplify complex decentralised finance transactions by allowing multiple blockchain actions to be executed within a single transaction. Developed by Biconomy, the system introduces “smart batching”, which enables each step of a transaction to dynamically use the output of the previous one in real time. This addresses a key limitation in current DeFi processes, where values must be fixed in advance despite price fluctuations or fees. By resolving values during execution, the approach allows more flexible and efficient transaction flows without requiring changes to Ethereum’s core protocol.
The proposal is particularly relevant for AI agents, which can automate multi-step financial operations such as withdrawing, swapping and redepositing funds in one seamless process. Researchers say this could significantly improve user experience and enable more advanced automated strategies, while still allowing developers to set constraints on what actions agents can perform. Although ERC-8211 is not a formal protocol upgrade, it can be implemented directly and may gain wider adoption over time, reflecting a broader push within the Ethereum ecosystem to enhance usability through collaboration between developers and organisations like the Ethereum Foundation. Source
CME Group has announced plans to launch new cryptocurrency futures contracts tied to Avalanche and Sui, with a target date of May 4 pending regulatory approval. The contracts will be available in both standard and micro sizes, allowing traders to gain exposure to these assets at different scales. This move builds on earlier efforts to expand its altcoin derivatives offering, following announcements of futures linked to Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar, and reflects increasing demand from institutional investors for regulated crypto trading products.
The expansion highlights a broader trend of traditional financial firms deepening their involvement in digital assets, with CME Group also preparing to introduce 24/7 trading for its crypto futures and options later in May. This shift aligns with the always-on nature of cryptocurrency markets and mirrors similar efforts by exchanges and financial institutions to offer tokenised assets and continuous trading. As both traditional and crypto-native platforms compete to innovate, the lines between the two sectors continue to blur. Source
In response to a $285 million exploit on the Solana-based Drift Protocol, the Solana Foundation has launched STRIDE, a tiered security programme designed to protect the network’s largest DeFi protocols. STRIDE offers 24/7 threat monitoring for protocols with over $10 million in total value locked, while protocols exceeding $100 million receive formal verification services, which mathematically ensure smart contract correctness. The initiative represents a move towards institutionalised security measures as DeFi protocols face increasingly sophisticated attacks.
The Drift hack, reportedly executed by North Korean state-affiliated hackers over a six-month period, demonstrated the speed and scale at which vulnerabilities can be exploited in DeFi. STRIDE allocates protection based on total value locked, acknowledging that larger protocols require more robust security measures. This approach marks a shift in responsibility from individual projects to network-level oversight, reflecting the growing need for proactive, comprehensive security infrastructure across major blockchain ecosystems. Source
The stablecoin market has expanded dramatically over the past few years, growing 60-fold in market cap since 2020 to reach $320 billion by 2026. Annual transaction volumes now exceed $33 trillion, surpassing combined Visa and Mastercard volumes, and the use of stablecoins in real-world business transactions is rising rapidly. Monthly transaction volumes hit $1.25 trillion in August 2025, with wallets growing by 53% to over 30 million. Business-to-business payments using stablecoins have surged from under $100 million monthly in early 2023 to over $6 billion by mid-2025, representing about 60% of identifiable real-economy stablecoin flows. Institutional adoption is also increasing, with 41% of users reporting savings of at least 10% compared with traditional payment rails.
Morph plans to capitalise on this growth through its $150 million Payment Accelerator, launched with backing from the crypto exchange Bitget. The programme aims to support companies in developing high-volume payment applications as stablecoins become more integrated into the global economy. Morph forecasts that private stablecoins could be adopted alongside national currencies by 2028, with the total market cap potentially exceeding $1.9 trillion by 2030. Artificial intelligence agents are expected to become major transaction initiators by 2027, while SWIFT may also engage with stablecoins to remain competitive. Source
Several Argentine banks are piloting JPMorgan’s JPM Coin to enhance settlement speed and efficiency, despite the central bank’s restrictions on offering crypto services to clients. Banco CMF is among the confirmed participants, using its corporate unit QORP to test the deposit token within JPMorgan’s minimum viable product. The initial phase focusses on integrating services to assess improvements in settlement times and interbank reconciliations, with transactions settled via traditional systems while blockchain is used for recording and reconciliation. Other lenders, including Banco Galicia, BIND, and Banco Comafi, are reportedly considering joining the initiative.
The project occurs amid ongoing regulatory review by the Banco Central de la República Argentina, which maintains the ban on banks providing crypto services but does not restrict internal blockchain use. JPM Coin has been made available to institutional clients after previous proofs of concept, with JPMorgan expanding its use on networks like Base and Canton. Latin America’s crypto market has grown rapidly, reaching nearly $1.5 trillion in transaction volume between mid-2022 and mid-2025, with Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico leading regional activity. Source
The FDIC has proposed rules under the GENIUS Act to establish federal oversight standards for stablecoin issuers, setting requirements for reserve assets, redemption processes, capital, and risk management. Issuers would be required to redeem tokens within two business days and are prohibited from claiming their tokens pay interest or yield, including through third-party arrangements. Deposits held as reserves backing these payment stablecoins would not receive pass-through deposit insurance protection for token holders.
The proposal allows stablecoin issuers with less than $10 billion in outstanding tokens to opt for state-level regulation if the state meets federal standards, with the Treasury Department providing guidance on evaluating state regimes. Tokenized deposits that meet the statutory definition of "deposit" would receive the same treatment as other deposits under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The FDIC has opened a 60-day comment period on 144 specific questions following Federal Register publication, while the OCC has issued a separate framework for stablecoin oversight. Source
The new Markethive Profile Pages transform users’ digital presence into a dynamic hub for recruitment, professional branding, and business growth. Moving beyond static CVs, profiles integrate real-time activity, social proof, and marketing tools into a single interface, enabling members to showcase their influence, network, and engagement. Key features include AI-driven customisation, high-quality default profiles for instant credibility, clear calls to action for external visitors, and tiered interaction options depending on connection status. The profiles also centralise content creation with an advanced HTML editor, easy profile management, and multi-platform social media integration, making them a complete digital hub.
Upgraded profiles further display metrics such as Hive Rank, KEY ownership, and micropayment activation, providing transparent verification of professional standing. Visual branding is simplified through intuitive image controls and configuration tools, while external visibility can be managed granularly to protect privacy. Additional features include integrated blogs, video and image feeds, group access, and personal conference rooms, all designed to strengthen professional influence and engagement. Overall, the new profile pages serve as a high-performance tool for recruiting talent, leading teams, and building a strong, credible presence within the Markethive ecosystem. Source
Polymarket has emerged as one of the most profitable protocols in decentralized finance, generating approximately $7.1 million in fees in the first week of the second quarter following a pricing overhaul. If sustained, this rate implies an annualised revenue of around $365 million, capturing 96.8% of onchain prediction market fees and positioning the platform among the top DeFi fee earners alongside stablecoin issuers Circle and Tether, and derivatives exchange Hyperliquid. The March 30 pricing change boosted daily fees to roughly $1 million, while total value locked on the platform reached over $432 million, nearing its previous high of $510 million during the 2024 US election.
Polymarket has attracted mainstream partnerships, including a $600 million investment from Intercontinental Exchange, which plans to distribute the platform’s event-driven data to institutional clients. The platform is also upgrading its infrastructure by replacing bridged USDC.e on Polygon with a new 1:1 USDC-backed token, Polymarket USD, for trading collateral. Despite its growing revenue and institutional support, the platform faces regulatory risks, with restrictions from some US states, Hungary, Portugal, and a countrywide block in Argentina citing unlicensed gambling operations. Source
Crypto fraud in the U.S. reached $11.366 billion in 2025, a 22% increase from the previous year, with older Americans disproportionately affected. Adults over 60 accounted for nearly 40% of losses, filing 44,555 complaints and losing $4.432 billion, while crypto ATM and kiosk scams alone caused $389 million in losses, with seniors bearing $257.4 million of that total. Investment scams remained the largest category, contributing $7.228 billion in losses, and AI-linked fraud surged, generating $893 million in reported losses across 22,000 complaints. Recovery scams added another $1.4 billion in losses. California, Texas, and Florida reported the highest state-level losses.
The FBI’s Operation Level Up helped prevent over $500 million in losses in 2025, though regulatory and enforcement challenges persist. Lawmakers are pursuing measures such as bans or licencing requirements for crypto ATMs, while other countries, like Cambodia, are imposing severe penalties for online crypto scams. Experts warn that as specific fraud channels are restricted, scammers increasingly shift to more sophisticated tactics, including AI-driven social engineering and deepfakes, indicating that the volume of crypto scams is likely to continue rising. Source
The onchain value of stablecoins on the Ethereum network has reached a record $180 billion, representing 60% of the total stablecoin supply and a 150% increase over the past three years. Analysts project that around $1.7 trillion could come onchain across all networks over the next four years, with Ethereum potentially capturing $850 billion in new flows by 2030 if current growth continues. Major financial institutions including BlackRock, JPMorgan, and Amundi are increasingly launching tokenized funds on Ethereum, reinforcing its dominance in stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.
Ethereum’s market share rises above 65% when including EVM and layer-2 networks, highlighting the network’s central role in onchain liquidity and supporting a long-term bull cycle driven by institutional adoption and tokenized assets. While competition from other chains, regulatory issues, and macroeconomic volatility remain challenges, the expansion of stablecoins and tokenized products on Ethereum is seen as a key driver of crypto market momentum. Source
Crypto investment products saw a total inflow of $224 million last week, led by XRP, which attracted $119.6 million—its largest weekly performance since mid-December 2025. Switzerland dominated global flows with $157.5 million, far exceeding the U.S. market's $27.5 million, highlighting a notable geographic shift in institutional crypto investment. Bitcoin drew $107.3 million despite recent net outflows, while Ethereum continued to face outflows of $52.8 million amid regulatory uncertainty. Solana also saw gains with $34.9 million in inflows, and short-Bitcoin products experienced renewed interest.
Spot XRP ETFs, launched in the U.S. in late 2025, appear to be driving institutional positioning, with investors responding to clearer regional regulations. Bitcoin ETFs also recorded a significant one-day inflow of $471.3 million, led by BlackRock, Fidelity, and ARK funds, marking their largest single-day addition since February. The movements underscore a recovery in crypto fund flows after a down week, driven by both regulatory clarity in Europe and renewed investor confidence. Source
A proposed bill in Canada, the Strong and Free Elections Act, seeks to ban political parties and third parties from accepting cryptocurrency donations, along with contributions via money orders and prepaid cards, citing difficulties in tracking the sources of funds. The move aims to prevent election interference and maintain transparency, as current rules allow cryptocurrencies to be treated as non-monetary contributions, with reporting requirements only for donations above $200. Officials from Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Canada Elections have highlighted that crypto’s growing function as money poses risks for unregulated resources entering political financing.
Cryptocurrency has previously played a role in Canadian political events, including the 2022 convoy protests where crypto donations bypassed government controls, and during the 2025 federal elections where politicians promoted crypto publicly. While the industry remains cautious and generally sees political donations as marginal compared with regulatory priorities like stablecoins and tokenization, the bill reflects ongoing concerns about transparency and the potential for foreign influence through hard-to-trace digital payments. Source
Morgan Stanley is set to launch its Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), on the NYSE Arca on April 8, making it the first major commercial bank in the US to offer a Bitcoin ETF. The fund will charge a low fee of 0.14%, positioning it as the cheapest Bitcoin ETF on the market, and enters a competitive space dominated by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, which have collectively amassed $74.3 billion in net inflows since January 2024. MSBT is the first spot Bitcoin ETF in nearly two years, following Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF in July 2024.
Morgan Stanley has selected Coinbase and BNY as custodians for the ETF and plans to expand its crypto offerings further, including filings for a staked Ether and Solana ETF. The bank also applied for a national trust banking charter to provide crypto custody, trading, and staking services, signalling a broader strategy to strengthen its presence in digital assets. Source
Solana-based decentralized exchange Stabble urged users to withdraw liquidity after its former CTO was alleged to be a North Korean hacker, causing the platform’s total value locked to drop 62% from $1.75 million to under $663,000. The warning followed reports of a sophisticated North Korean-linked attack on Drift Protocol, which exploited $285 million through fabricated identities and developer tools. Although no exploit was reported on Stabble itself, the new team stressed audits and security measures to protect users’ funds.
The incident highlights ongoing risks from North Korean hackers in the DeFi ecosystem, with past attacks including the $1.4 billion Bybit hack. In response, the Solana Foundation announced new security initiatives aimed at safeguarding protocols with at least $10 million in total value locked, underlining the broader need for vigilance in the Solana ecosystem. Source
Anthropic is restricting access to its new AI model after it identified thousands of software vulnerabilities across major operating systems, web browsers, and cryptography libraries, raising fears that such capabilities could be misused in cyberattacks. The company highlighted that AI has already enabled a surge in cyber threats, with a 72% year-over-year increase in AI-powered attacks and 87% of global organisations affected in 2025. Many of the vulnerabilities discovered by the model are decades old and subtle, including issues in OpenBSD, FreeBSD, FFmpeg, and the Linux kernel.
To address these risks, Anthropic launched Project Glasswing, collaborating with over 40 companies including Amazon Web Services, Apple, Cisco, Google, JPMorgan, Microsoft, and Nvidia to defensively identify and patch vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. While AI promises to strengthen software security in the long term, Anthropic warned that the transitional period may see heightened risks as capabilities proliferate beyond actors committed to safe deployment. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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