News linked to this event type.
According to Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed HB 798, a bill extending the state’s unclaimed property laws to digital assets and ensuring that digital assets can be administered in kind. This measure aims to improve the legal ownership framework and handling mechanisms for digital assets. Paul Grewal expressed his gratitude for this development.
According to Cointelegraph, Crypto.com has reached a definitive agreement with online casino company High Roller Technologies to officially enter the prediction markets sector. This partnership will enable Crypto.com to offer event-based prediction market services to U.S. users via the CFTC-registered CDNA exchange. High Roller stated that the collaboration establishes a strong foundation for both parties in the prediction markets space. Analysts project that the prediction markets sector could reach $1 trillion by 2030, driven by growing demand for contracts tied to economic, business, and political events. Following the announcement, High Roller’s stock (ROLR) on the New York Stock Exchange doubled to $10.77. Prediction markets continue to face legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions, while relevant authorities are actively advancing regulatory compliance efforts.
Odaily News Cantor Fitzgerald pointed out in its latest report that with the rapid rise of prediction markets, Robinhood and Coinbase are poised to become major beneficiaries in this sector, leveraging their massive retail user base and mature trading infrastructure. Although leading platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket remain private companies, Robinhood and Coinbase have already begun entering this market by integrating event-driven trading within their applications.Cantor noted that prediction markets allow users to trade contracts based on real-world events such as elections and economic data, with prices reflecting the crowd's probability judgments. This model is similar to stock and crypto trading platforms, primarily generating revenue through trading activity fees. Among them, Robinhood's prediction market product, launched after the US election, has grown rapidly and has become one of its fastest-growing revenue streams; Coinbase is gradually opening related features to users by integrating Kalshi's infrastructure.The report believes that prediction markets not only have retail trading potential but may also play a role in institutional hedging and macro forecasting in the future. However, regulation remains the biggest uncertainty, as its legal status is still debated between being classified as a derivative or gambling. (CoinDesk)
According to Fortune, blockchain startup Nava has announced the completion of an $8.3 million seed funding round, co-led by Polychain and Archetype, aiming to prevent anomalous operations by AI financial agents through a custody and verification framework. Nava’s solution locks funds via custodial services; once an AI agent proposes a transaction, an on-chain verification mechanism assesses whether the transaction aligns with the user’s intent—only compliant transactions are executed, while non-compliant ones leave funds in custody. All verification decisions are publicly recorded on the blockchain for reference by other AIs. Nava currently operates as a Layer 3 blockchain on Arbitrum and plans to deploy a parallel chain on Tempo; it will also issue a native stablecoin in the future to support protocol operations. Nava’s infrastructure serves both individual users and institutions, enhancing asset security and transaction transparency.
According to CoinDesk, Jeremy Barnum, Chief Financial Officer of JPMorgan Chase, stated during the company’s first-quarter earnings call that stablecoins—offering bank-like products without being subject to regulatory and consumer protection standards equivalent to those applied to bank deposits—could evolve into tools for “regulatory arbitrage.” He emphasized that if stablecoin issuers allow users to earn interest on reserve assets, this would create a business model similar to banking but lacking capital, liquidity, and safeguarding requirements, resulting in unfair competition. Barnum noted that JPMorgan supports the establishment of a clearer U.S. regulatory framework for digital assets and related yield-bearing products, though he stressed that consistency is more important than speed. Currently, JPMorgan is modernizing its payments business through its blockchain division, Kinexys, which has launched JPM Coin and tokenized deposits. Data shows JPMorgan’s net income for the first quarter rose 13% year-on-year to $16.49 billion.
According to The Information, prediction market Polymarket has announced audits of several early-stage startups integrated into its ecosystem. These startups had previously been accused of identifying and distributing suspected “insider trading accounts” to steer users into copy-trading those accounts. Among the implicated projects are Kreo—which touts itself as a service for “detecting insider accounts ahead of time”—and Polycool—which offers an “insider trading guide.” By pushing suspicious account trading data to users, these platforms have amplified market concerns about insider trading and market manipulation. Polymarket’s move signals its strengthened compliance oversight of its ecosystem, following sustained external scrutiny over potential insider trading risks in prediction markets.
According to Cointelegraph, the blockchain payment network XRP Ledger (XRPL) has partnered with zero-knowledge infrastructure provider Boundless to integrate its zero-knowledge technology into the underlying network, aiming to enable confidential and compliant on-chain transactions for banks and asset management firms. Shiv Shankar, CEO of Boundless, stated that the solution protects sensitive information—including transaction size, frequency, and counterparty details—through selective disclosure and role-based access control, while ensuring regulatory authorities can audit related activities. This integration is expected to drive adoption across multiple institutional use cases on public blockchains, including cross-border corporate payments, treasury management, over-the-counter (OTC) trading, tokenized asset issuance, and decentralized finance (DeFi). Industry observers believe that striking a balance between privacy and compliance is becoming a key factor in driving institutional adoption of public blockchains.
According to Decrypt, Bitcoin’s price recently approached $75,000, driven by improved risk sentiment and easing geopolitical tensions. Since the Iran conflict erupted on February 28, Bitcoin has surged approximately 13%, outperforming both the S&P 500 Index and gold. Data shows bearish pressure in the options market has eased, with the 25-Delta Skew rebounding from -10% to -4.5%, indicating reduced investor demand for downside protection. Last week, CoinShares data revealed net inflows of $1.1 billion into crypto investment products—the strongest weekly performance so far this year—with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs accounting for $786 million in net inflows. Analysts note that ETF inflows and strengthening institutional demand have become key drivers behind Bitcoin’s rally. Experts caution that inflation, Federal Reserve policy, and evolving geopolitical developments could influence its future trajectory.
The Jito Foundation announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KODA, South Korea’s largest digital asset custodian. Under the agreement, both parties will jointly promote institutional access to the liquid staking token JitoSOL in the Korean market in compliance with applicable regulations. Collaboration activities include conducting market education for institutional investors, exploring compliant custody and staking solutions, and coordinating promotional efforts in alignment with developments in South Korea’s virtual asset regulatory framework. KODA offers cold wallet storage, MPC-based key management, institutional staking services, and $20 million in digital asset insurance underwritten by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. It also holds a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license and ISMS certification. Previously, the Jito Foundation had explored launching a JitoSOL ETF in partnership with Hanwha Asset Management, pending regulatory approval.
According to Cointelegraph, the Pacific island nation of Nauru has appointed cryptocurrency entrepreneur Dadvan Yousuf as its International Trade Commissioner to advance its digital asset strategy and attract global investment. Nauru’s President David Adeang stated that this move aims to strengthen cross-border collaboration with virtual asset service providers, financial institutions, and technology companies, positioning Nauru as a hub for virtual asset activities. Previously, Nauru enacted legislation establishing the Command Ridge Virtual Asset Authority (CRVAA), a dedicated regulatory body overseeing virtual asset activities—including cryptocurrency firms and digital banks. Officials said Yousuf will assist Nauru in promoting international cooperation and harmonizing compliance standards. Notably, Yousuf previously drew regulatory scrutiny in Switzerland for unlicensed token sales related to a cryptocurrency project he founded. This appointment marks Nauru’s strategic shift from building a regulatory framework to actively promoting its digital asset industry.
According to Bloomberg, Deutsche Börse has invested $200 million in Payward Inc., the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. This transaction will grant Deutsche Börse a fully diluted 1.5% stake in the company. The investment aims to advance Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s provision of broader securities services via blockchain technology and is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to regulatory approval. Previously, Kraken was valued at $20 billion in a share sale in November 2025.
According to Cointelegraph, Hacken, a blockchain security firm, released its Q1 2026 report revealing that Web3 projects suffered $464.5 million in losses due to hacking and scams during the quarter. Phishing and social engineering attacks accounted for $306 million—making them the primary source of losses. A hardware wallet scam in January alone caused $282 million in losses, representing 81% of the quarter’s total losses. Smart contract vulnerabilities led to $86.2 million in losses, while failures in access control—including compromised private keys and cloud services—resulted in $71.9 million in losses. The report notes that the largest security incidents predominantly occurred in off-chain operations and infrastructure layers—areas typically beyond the scope of traditional audits. Europe’s regulatory frameworks, MiCA and DORA, are increasingly imposing stricter requirements on security monitoring and incident response, and global regulators are also raising standards for real-time monitoring and emergency response.
According to DL News, Irkutskenergosbyt—a state-owned power company in Russia’s Irkutsk Oblast—recently identified over 8,000 suspected illegal cryptocurrency mining operations disguised as chicken coops, greenhouses, forests, paper mills, and abandoned gas stations. Since 2019, the company has filed 2,170 lawsuits against illegal miners, seeking a total of $18.5 million in compensation; courts have ordered fines amounting to roughly half that sum, while some cases were settled out of court. Miners frequently mask their activities as electric-vehicle charging or agricultural power use, resulting in electricity losses. To safeguard grid stability, several Russian regions have shut down licensed industrial mining facilities and plan to deploy artificial intelligence tools to detect illegal mining.
According to Cointelegraph, the UK’s Liberal Democrats have written to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requesting an investigation into Nigel Farage—the leader of Reform UK—and his ties to the bitcoin company Stack BTC. The party questions whether Farage’s appearance in the company’s promotional video, while holding shares in Stack BTC, violates market rules and constitutes a conflict of interest. Stack BTC recently disclosed that it purchased 37 bitcoins—valued at approximately $2.7 million—as corporate reserves; Farage holds a 6.31% stake in Stack BTC through his media company. This incident comes as the UK government advances a proposal to ban cryptocurrency political donations, aiming to prevent external funding from interfering with elections. The FCA stated it will review the letter and respond accordingly.
According to Bloomberg, just days after the Pentagon designated Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, Anthropic PBC has hired Ballard Partners—a lobbying firm linked to U.S. President Trump. This collaboration comes amid an ongoing dispute between Anthropic and the U.S. Department of Defense (i.e., the Pentagon). Public filings indicate that Ballard Partners will represent Anthropic in policy communications and lobbying activities.
According to DL News, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is intensifying its crackdown on cryptocurrency-related tax evasion, with particular focus on new reporting requirements for the 2025 tax year. The IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division has prioritized cryptocurrency tax cases, and investors must proactively report relevant transactions before the April 15 tax-filing deadline. Starting in 2025, Form 1099-DA—introduced for the first time—requires brokers to report investors’ total digital asset transaction proceeds to both investors and the IRS; however, investors themselves must calculate and verify their cost basis. Reports from Coinbase and CoinTracker indicate that approximately 61% of U.S. cryptocurrency investors are unaware of the new rules, and 52% fear penalties resulting from filing errors. Experts advise investors to gather all transaction records and file accurate returns to avoid criminal penalties, including fines of up to $100,000 and imprisonment for up to five years.
According to The Block, U.S. Republican Senator Thom Tillis stated that a draft bill aimed at resolving the long-standing dispute between banks and crypto firms over stablecoin yield—under the “Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act” (the “Clarity Act”)—will be publicly released this week. Tillis co-drafted the provisions with Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks. The draft has already undergone review by both banking and crypto industry stakeholders, though banks remain opposed. Tillis indicated he is open to further revisions of the text. The issue of stablecoin yield represents the central point of contention in the Clarity Act: banks fear that permitting crypto firms to pay interest on idle stablecoins would trigger massive deposit outflows, while crypto enterprises such as Coinbase argue that banning such interest payments would stifle innovation. Additionally, Tillis proposed hosting a “Crypto Summit” to bring all stakeholders to Capitol Hill for negotiations toward a resolution. The Clarity Act has not yet advanced through the Senate Banking Committee and remains far from final enactment.
According to The Block, Korean payment service provider NHN KCP has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ava Labs to jointly build a Layer 1 network for payment use cases on Ava Cloud. The initiative will focus on three key areas: sub-second payment confirmation, on-chain transaction data encryption, and customizable merchant payment infrastructure. The two parties will also explore business opportunities including tokenized deposit models, multi-stablecoin settlement architectures, and cross-border payments. Justin Kim, Head of Asia at Ava Labs, stated that the mainnet launch timeline for this L1 will depend significantly on the progress of South Korea’s cryptocurrency regulatory framework.
According to DL News, several “revenge intermediaries” in South Korea that accept cryptocurrency as payment have recently remained highly active. These organizations receive orders via Telegram and offer services including intimidation, assault, and even murder disguised as accidents. They require clients to pay a 50% deposit in USDT and promise to send footage of the operation—recorded using body-worn cameras—via Telegram. Although the alleged ringleader was arrested on April 3, related online advertisements continued to appear as recently as April 13. This year, South Korean police have launched investigations into more than 50 such cases and arrested approximately 30 individuals; all cases were confirmed to involve cryptocurrency payments.
According to CoinDesk, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken was extorted by a criminal group that threatened to publicly release videos of its internal systems. Kraken stated that it had previously identified and addressed two incidents involving unauthorized access by internal personnel, affecting limited customer data from approximately 2,000 accounts—0.02% of its total user base—but emphasized that its systems were never breached and customer funds remained secure at all times. Nick Percoco, Kraken’s Chief Security Officer, explicitly affirmed the company would not capitulate to criminals. Kraken has notified affected users, enhanced security controls, and is cooperating with law enforcement authorities to advance the investigation; it believes existing evidence is sufficient to identify and apprehend those responsible. Separately, Galaxy Digital recently experienced a similar cybersecurity incident, though it likewise resulted in no loss of customer funds or data.