Category: News

Jeremy Allaire, chief executive of Circle, said the company freezes USDC wallets only when directed by courts or law enforcement, rejecting calls for immediate intervention during hacking incidents. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Allaire emphasized that USDC operates as a regulated financial product and must follow legal procedures rather than discretionary decisions during active exploits.

Allaire stated that wallet blacklisting or freezing actions require a formal legal basis, positioning the policy as part of Circle’s strategy to align closely with regulatory frameworks. He argued that acting without official directives could undermine the rule-of-law foundation that governs regulated digital financial products.

Critics Point to Hundreds of Millions in Unfrozen Stolen Funds

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has criticized Circle’s approach, claiming delays have allowed more than $420 million in illicit funds to escape since 2022. He highlighted incidents affecting platforms such as Drift Protocol, where a suspected North Korea-linked exploit earlier this month resulted in losses of up to $280 million, including roughly $230 million in USDC transferred across multiple chains.

ZachXBT also referenced past exploits involving Ledger, Remitano, Nomad, Cetus, and SwapNet, where stolen USDC allegedly remained in traceable wallets for extended periods without intervention.

Debate Grows Over Centralization Risks in DeFi

While critics push for faster responses, others warn about the risks of excessive control. Omid Malekan argued that allowing stablecoin issuers to freeze funds without legal mandates could weaken trust in decentralized finance systems. He noted that discretionary freezes could shift authority from transparent legal frameworks to corporate decision-making, potentially undermining the foundational principles of decentralized finance.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

Foundry Digital has launched a new Zcash mining pool that quickly captured about 30% of total network hashrate, according to company data and its new block explorer. The pool was first announced in March, with multiple institutional miners joining before its public release.

Zcashinfo.com Brings Real-Time Network Transparency

Alongside the mining pool, Foundry introduced Zcashinfo.com, a block explorer that tracks real-time mining data including hashrate distribution, pool rankings, block production, and difficulty levels. The platform is designed to improve transparency for institutional participants monitoring network performance.

Zcash, launched in 2016, uses zero-knowledge proofs known as zk-SNARKs to validate transactions without revealing sender, receiver, or amount. Like Bitcoin, it operates on proof-of-work mining with a fixed 21 million supply, but features faster ~75-second block times and the memory-heavy Equihash algorithm.

Institutional Mining and PPLNS Rewards Model

Foundry said its pool is open to regulated institutional miners and uses a pay-per-last-N-shares (PPLNS) reward system to calculate payouts based on miner contribution over time. The rapid growth to 30% hashrate highlights rising institutional interest in structured, compliant mining infrastructure and the increasing influence of large pools in network security.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

Iran is reportedly reviewing a proposal to abandon uranium enrichment as part of conditions to end the ongoing conflict with the United States, according to reports citing unnamed officials.

US asked Iran to freeze uranium enrichment for 20 years according to Axios.The issue of uranium enrichment remains central to Washington’s negotiating demands, and any acceptance by Tehran could ease military tensions and open a new phase of diplomatic talks.

The proposal follows recent discussions linked to the Islamabad Talks 2026, described as the first direct engagement between the two countries in more than a decade and the highest-level contact since the Iranian Revolution. The talks came after a fragile two-week ceasefire intended to halt six weeks of fighting that disrupted regional stability and energy supplies.

US Naval Blockade Intensifies Tensions in Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, Donald Trump confirmed that a naval blockade began after a set deadline, targeting vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports. The operation is being carried out across waters connected to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage that handles roughly 20% of global oil shipments.

Bitcoin Recovery Seen as Fragile as Iran War Fallout Expected to Dominate 2026 Markets

 US Central Command said that the blockade would be enforced against vessels accessing Iranian ports along the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. However, ships traveling to and from non-Iranian ports through the strait are expected to continue operations without obstruction. The US Navy has also begun clearing naval mines reportedly deployed in the region.

Trump warned that vessels approaching the blockade could face immediate military action, while also stating that US forces would intercept ships that paid tolls to Iran. He further suggested the possibility of renewed limited strikes, signaling that military escalation remains under consideration.

Iranian Response Warns of Wider Regional Risks

Iranian armed forces issued statements asserting their sovereign rights over territorial waters and criticized the blockade as an illegal act. Officials warned that if the safety of Iranian ports were threatened, security across regional ports could also be affected.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said ;

Markets remain highly sensitive to developments surrounding nuclear negotiations and maritime security, as progress or setbacks in talks could significantly influence Middle East stability, global energy flows, and financial market volatility.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

WLFI Freeze Authority Dispute Raises Transparency Questions

Justin Sun urged the Trump linked World Liberty Financial to disclose who controls the guardian externally owned account (EOA) and multisignature wallets governing its smart contracts. In a recent statement shared on X, Sun alleged that a single guardian EOA tied to WLFI’s multisig appeared to be the sole owner of a second guardian safe, potentially granting one individual unilateral authority to freeze token holders. WLFI has not publicly responded to the technical details of these claims.

The dispute follows the September 2025 blacklisting of Sun’s WLFI wallet address after blockchain monitoring platforms flagged a transfer valued at roughly $9 million. Sun said his presale tokens were frozen without proper justification and called on the project to unlock his investment. In response, WLFI accused Sun of spreading baseless allegations and warned of possible legal action.

Governance Concentration and Collateral Moves Add Market Pressure

Concerns about governance intensified after a March vote showed that 76% of total voting power originated from just ten wallets, highlighting potential centralization risks. At the same time, on-chain data flagged by Arkham revealed that WLFI-linked wallets deposited about 5 billion WLFI tokens as collateral on Dolomite, a platform linked to WLFI chief technology officer Corey Caplan.

These deposits enabled borrowing of approximately $75 million in stablecoins, including USD1 and USDC, with more than $40 million transferred to Coinbase Prime. Several decentralized finance analysts warned that lenders could face risk if WLFI’s token price declines toward liquidation thresholds. WLFI acknowledged the lending position and maintained that the token remains above liquidation levels, though its price recently dropped to around $0.077, reflecting growing investor concerns over governance transparency and treasury management.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence may be heading in opposite directions when it comes to decentralization, according to Galaxy Research head Alex Thorn. He noted that Bitcoin mining, which initially began as a highly decentralized activity using personal computers, has gradually shifted toward industrial-scale operations dominated by ASIC hardware and large mining farms, increasing centralization pressure over time.

bitcoin mining began decentralized (CPUs, GPUs) and became centralized (ASICs, industrial-scale farms)

AI may follow the opposite path: it started centralized in giant hosted clusters, but as frontier model gains slow (from data scarcity, context limits, and memory bottlenecks)… pic.twitter.com/J2indQsTt8

— Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) April 12, 2026

Thorn argued that AI is evolving differently. He said AI systems started out centralized in large cloud-based data centers, but are now being pushed toward decentralization as open-source models improve. Factors such as data scarcity, context limitations, and memory constraints are encouraging the development of smaller, more efficient models that can run locally on devices, potentially shifting AI toward edge-based computing.

Edge AI Growth Could Reshape Computing Infrastructure

Edge AI refers to running artificial intelligence models directly on local devices instead of centralized servers. According to industry research, the global edge AI market is expected to grow from around $25 billion in 2025 to about $119 billion by 2033, driven by rising demand for low-latency processing, IoT expansion, and data privacy concerns.

Bitcoin Mining Faces Geographic and Cost-Driven Shifts

At the same time, Bitcoin mining is experiencing geographic redistribution. Rising energy costs in the United States have pushed mining expenses above $100,000 per BTC in some regions, making operations less viable. As a result, mining activity is shifting toward energy-rich regions such as Paraguay and Ethiopia, where surplus hydroelectric power offers cheaper production costs.

While this migration may diversify mining globally, analysts note that hardware concentration and industrial-scale operations still present centralization risks, even as geographic distribution improves network resilience.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has reportedly fined crypto exchange Coinone 5.2 billion won (about $3.5 million) and imposed a three month partial business suspension over anti money laundering (AML) violations, according to local media reports. The FIU operates under the Financial Services Commission and is responsible for enforcing compliance standards across virtual asset service providers.

The suspension is set to run from April 29 to July 28. During this period, Coinone will be prohibited from allowing new customers to deposit or withdraw funds for crypto trading, while existing users will still be able to trade normally, according to reports.

Thousands of Identity Verification Failures Identified

The regulator found approximately 70,000 cases of identity verification failures, including incomplete or inconsistent customer information. Reports also indicated around 40,000 instances of customer due diligence issues and roughly 30,000 transaction restriction violations where required verification procedures were not properly enforced.

In addition, Coinone allegedly conducted about 10,000 transactions with 16 unregistered overseas crypto exchanges, raising further compliance concerns. The exchange’s chief executive is expected to receive an official reprimand, and the firm has been given 10 days to submit a formal response before the penalties are finalized.

Wider AML Crackdown in South Korea’s Crypto Sector

The action against Coinone follows similar enforcement measures against Bithumb, which recently faced suspension notices over AML violations and dealings with unregistered overseas operators. Regulators have intensified oversight of South Korea’s crypto exchanges amid growing concerns about compliance gaps and cross-border transaction risks.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

The price of RaveDAO has surged an extraordinary 3,765% over the past seven days, attracting intense attention from traders and market analysts. A large share of the trading activity was concentrated on derivatives markets at Binance and OKX Futures, where combined trading volume reportedly exceeded $13 billion. Such unusually high derivatives volume relative to circulating supply has raised concerns about whether the move reflects genuine demand or coordinated speculative activity.

Analysts Warn of Possible Market Manipulation Tactics

Several market observers have described the trading pattern as a potential deception tactic commonly associated with pump-and-dump structures. According to this view, large token deposits created the appearance of heavy selling pressure, encouraging traders to open short positions against the token. Once sufficient short exposure built up, aggressive spot buying began, reversing the trend and forcing short sellers to close positions rapidly.

Low Circulating Supply Amplifies Short Squeeze Risk

The token’s circulating supply is estimated at only 23% to 25% of total issuance, making price swings more extreme. In markets with tight liquidity, even moderate buying pressure can drive rapid price spikes. Analysts noted that the combination of low supply, heavy derivatives activity, and sudden spot accumulation likely triggered a violent short squeeze, accelerating the upward price movement and intensifying volatility across trading platforms.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

Bitcoin and US Spot ETFs Drive Majority of Weekly Investment Demand

Crypto exchange traded products (ETPs) recorded $1.1 billion in inflows last week, marking the second-largest weekly gain of 2026 and the strongest inflow performance since January. Bitcoin (BTC) led the surge with $871 million in inflows, reinforcing its position as the dominant institutional asset within regulated crypto investment vehicles.

The weekly total followed a larger $2.17 billion inflow recorded in mid-January, highlighting renewed institutional interest amid improving macroeconomic signals. Analysts attributed the recent spike to easing geopolitical tensions linked to ceasefire developments involving Iran, combined with softer-than-expected US inflation and consumer spending data, which boosted investor risk appetite.

US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs accounted for the majority of activity, generating approximately $786.3 million in inflows. Regionally, the United States contributed nearly $1 billion, representing about 95% of total weekly inflows, while Germany recorded $34.6 million, Canada $7.8 million, and Switzerland $6.9 million.

Ether and Altcoin ETP Flows Show Mixed Performance

Ether (ETH) ETPs saw a rebound with $196.5 million in inflows, ending three consecutive weeks of outflows. However, Ether remains in a year-to-date net outflow position of about $130 million, making it one of the few major assets still trailing in cumulative flows.

In contrast, Bitcoin continues to dominate annual investment trends, recording $1.9 billion in year-to-date inflows, representing roughly 83% of the total $2.3 billion invested into crypto ETPs this year. Meanwhile, XRP ETPs posted $19 million in inflows, while Solana (SOL) recorded $2.5 million in outflows, indicating selective investor positioning across alternative digital assets.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

Crypto markets are entering a new phase where institutional investors are leading accumulation, while retail participation remains unusually weak, according to Exodus CEO JP Richardson. He stated that financial institutions have “accelerated” their involvement this year, marking what could be the first cycle where institutions experience a bull market without significant retail participation.

This might be the first cycle in crypto history where institutions are in a bull market and retail doesn't even know it.

Stablecoins at $319B. Morgan Stanley launched a Bitcoin ETF. Schwab opened a waitlist for spot bitcoin trading.

Franklin Templeton announced a crypto…

— JP Richardson (@jprichardson) April 13, 2026

Richardson pointed to multiple signs of institutional expansion, including a stablecoin market capitalization reaching an all-time high, the launch of Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF, Charles Schwab opening a waitlist for spot Bitcoin trading, Franklin Templeton expanding into digital assets, and Fannie Mae exploring Bitcoin-backed mortgages. He noted that unlike previous cycles in 2018 and 2022, institutions are not exiting alongside retail investors but continuing to accumulate.

Retail Investors Exit Amid Economic Pressure and Low Participation

Crypto analyst and YouTuber Michael van de Poppe said retail interest has sharply declined, citing rising living costs and inflation as key reasons. He described the current environment as an “institutional cycle” rather than a retail-driven one, suggesting it may last longer and progress more gradually.

It's super clear that retail isn't interested in #Crypto.

Almost everyone has a hard time paying their bills on a monthly basis.

And then spending that amount of money in such a volatile asset?

Hell no.

That's why this cycle won't be the retail cycle. It's the institutional…

— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) April 12, 2026

Data from analyst Darkfost shows retail activity on platforms like Binance has dropped to a nine-year low, with inflows from wallets holding less than 1 BTC reaching record lows. Some retail capital may have rotated into equities and commodities, which have recently performed strongly.

Market Sentiment Remains Macro-Driven and Fragile

Analysts note that short-term crypto sentiment is heavily influenced by macroeconomic factors such as oil prices, inflation expectations, and the US dollar. While near-term volatility remains elevated, some analysts believe structural institutional demand could support longer-term stability despite weak retail participation.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.

StarkWare has begun cutting staff and restructuring operations into two core business units as part of a strategy aimed at accelerating revenue generation and improving product-market fit. During an all-hands meeting, CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told employees the company had grown “simply and sadly too big” for its next phase and needed to return to a startup style operating model that prioritizes speed and flexibility.

While the company did not disclose the exact number of layoffs or timeline, affected employees were informed they would receive individual emails inviting them to one-on-one discussions with managers. StarkWare also stated it would provide severance packages exceeding legal and contractual requirements in several jurisdictions.

Ben-Sasson emphasized the company’s intention to take full ownership of its blockchain proving stack, including Cairo, Sierra, and quantum-secure STARK cryptography, reducing reliance on external Layer 1 networks and third-party application developers.

Starknet chain revenue, near $6 million in a single month in late 2023, stood at roughly $48,000 through the first half of April 2026,  DefiLlama data. 

Two New Business Units Target Product and Network Development

The restructuring introduces a revenue-focused applications unit led by Chief Product Officer Avihu Levy, who will oversee development of revenue generating products built directly on StarkWare technology. A second Starknet development unit, led by Head of Product Tom Brand, will focus on strengthening the network’s infrastructure, with both units operating dedicated engineering, product, and go to market teams.

Leadership Changes Support New Organizational Structure

Additional leadership adjustments include CFO Ran Grinshtein expanding responsibilities to finance, human resources, security, and IT operations. Gideon Kaempfer, previously head of core engineering, will transition to chief architect, reporting directly to Ben Sasson. General Counsel Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos will continue overseeing legal functions, while COO Oren Katz plans to depart but remain with the company through the end of April.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.