News linked to both this project and an event.
Genius Group, a Nasdaq-listed bitcoin treasury company, has disclosed a strategic investment of $5 million in digital bank Jewel Bank, acquiring a 9.9% equity stake in the company. It is reported that Jewel Bank is developing a U.S. dollar stablecoin, JUSD, planned to be backed by a 1:1 reserve of cash and U.S. Treasury bonds, with a target launch in the second half of 2026. The bank will also launch a real-time settlement system and offer white-label banking and stablecoin infrastructure services for enterprises. Following this investment, Genius Group will enter the regulated digital banking and stablecoin issuance sector. (Globenewswire)
Odaily Odaily News According to the latest weekly report from Gate Ventures, global markets continued to strengthen last week, driven by the technology sector. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq index hit new record highs, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.36% for the week and the Nasdaq rising 4.52%. In the crypto market, BTC rose 4.6% last week, ETH rose 2.1%, spot BTC ETFs recorded net inflows for the fifth consecutive week, and market sentiment recovered to the neutral range. Additionally, the total market cap of cryptocurrencies excluding the top ten assets increased by 12.6% for the week.On the macroeconomic front, the ISM Services Price Index rose to 70.7, a two-year high, coupled with energy price fluctuations and the Federal Reserve's policy expectation of "keeping interest rates higher for longer," leading to increased market focus on a "stagflation" environment. On the industry level, Payward, the parent company of Kraken, has applied to the OCC for a national trust charter, highlighting the increasingly evident trend of industry compliance. In terms of investment and financing, 10 deals were completed last week totaling $34.2 million, primarily concentrated in the DeFi and infrastructure sectors. Among them, OpenTrade completed a $17 million funding round to accelerate the development of institutional-grade stablecoin yield infrastructure; OnRe secured a $5 million Series A round to advance its Solana-based tokenized reinsurance product offerings.
Odaily Planet Daily reported that Starknet, the Ethereum Layer 2 network developed by StarkWare, has officially launched strkBTC. This is a new Bitcoin-based asset designed to achieve private balances and anonymous transfers through zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology while maintaining composability with DeFi applications. After its launch, strkBTC supports "re-anonymization," allowing assets to be bridged back to entirely new, unlinked Bitcoin addresses, and also provides compliance audit and asset screening features. (The Block)
Michael Saylor posted on platform X, stating that last night's CLARITY Act hearing will unleash the next wave of digital capital, digital credit, and digital equity in the US and globally, providing institutional validation for BTC, establishing a framework for the STRC-driven digital yield market, and promoting broader adoption of MSTR.
Wintermute’s weekly market report indicates Bitcoin recently broke through $80,000 and briefly touched around $83,000, while also reclaiming the 200-day moving average for the first time in seven months. However, this rally is clearly more driven by leveraged capital rather than spot buying.The report notes that over the past month, Bitcoin open interest increased by approximately $10 billion, while spot trading volume dropped to a two-year low, a classic short squeeze scenario. Although ETFs still recorded net inflows of $623 million and BTC reserves on exchanges fell to a seven-year low, the current RSI has entered overbought territory. If spot buying fails to sustain after the short squeeze ends, BTC prices could face a rapid correction risk.Wintermute also stated that the current crypto market rally is more driven by the strength of US equities and the resonance of leverage, rather than an independent bull market narrative. Upcoming US CPI data and changes in Federal Reserve policy expectations will be key factors in determining whether BTC can stably hold above $80,000.
BIT's official Chinese-language market analysis stated that Circle's stock price rose 16% overnight, currently approaching its March 2026 high. The market is pricing in expectations that uncertainty surrounding crypto regulation may ease.BIT indicated that this week could become a critical juncture for the advancement of the CLARITY Act, with the market generally viewing Circle as a direct beneficiary of regulatory clarity. It also noted that USDC market capitalization has maintained steady growth lately, and Circle's recent rally reflects market expectations for potential favorable policies and regulatory developments, rather than short-term fundamental improvements.BIT believes that if digital asset regulatory rules are further clarified, it could not only provide support for Bitcoin but also encourage more institutions to participate in the market.
Grayscale submitted the first application for a Zcash spot ETF on May 8.ZEC’s price once touched $600, pushing its market cap into the top 15 and surpassing Cardano. Multicoin Capital co-founder Tushar Jain noted that this move is driven by growing demand for privacy assets amid U.S. wealth tax legislative proposals. The SEC concluded its review of Zcash in January 2026 without taking enforcement action. Data shows that approximately 30% of ZEC’s supply is held in shielded addresses. Last week, U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs saw $268 million in outflows, with some capital rotating into privacy and AI infrastructure tokens.
the Bank of New York Mellon (BNY) has announced the launch of a compliant institutional-grade digital asset custody service in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), aiming to position Abu Dhabi as a global digital finance hub. The service is designed to provide institutional clients with highly secure and scalable digital asset custody solutions. Initially, the service will support the custody of Bitcoin and Ethereum, with subsequent phases expanding to stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), and more regulated digital financial products. The project remains subject to final agreement confirmation and relevant regulatory approvals. (Crowdfundinsider)
According to QCP analysis, this week features a dense schedule of macroeconomic events, with market attention focused on three key themes: First, President Trump and President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in Beijing this week, with discussions expected to cover tariffs, the rare-earth supply chain, and the Middle East situation; markets are watching closely to see whether substantive progress can be achieved on trade. Second, April’s CPI, PPI, and retail sales data will be released sequentially; if inflation stabilizes, real yields may decline—historically providing support for the crypto market—whereas the opposite would reinforce expectations of monetary tightening. Third, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee will hold hearings on the CLARITY Act; legislative progress could further catalyze institutional capital inflows. Currently, despite ETF outflows last week, BTC has held the $80,000 level, while crypto volatility remains near its lowest point of the year, with the VIX at approximately 18. In the short term, BTC is highly likely to remain range-bound, with $84,000 serving as a key resistance level.
: Crypto analyst Axel Adler Jr stated that although Bitcoin rebounded after falling from around $125,000 to $60,000, the current trend remains a "repair after decline" and has not yet been confirmed as entering a new bull market cycle.He pointed out that from an on-chain data perspective, multiple key indicators have not yet entered the historical bear market bottom range. This includes the "Supply in Loss" and 90-day UTXO-related metrics, which have not yet shown a sufficient cyclical bottom structure. Meanwhile, the "LTH Realized Supply" has also not displayed the typical accumulation pattern seen at the end of a bear market, indicating that the market has not yet entered a deep reallocation phase.Additionally, spot selling pressure indicators have not shown obvious "capitulation selling", suggesting that a typical comprehensive market cleansing has not occurred during this decline. Axel Adler Jr believes that before improvements are seen simultaneously in on-chain structure, spot demand, and supply pressure, the current upward move is more likely a technical rebound rather than a trend reversal.On a macro level, he pointed out that the global risk environment remains tight. The conflict between the US and Iran has pushed Brent crude oil close to $100 per barrel, reigniting inflationary pressure. Consumer confidence and financial health indices are weakening, indicating pressure on the demand side. Meanwhile, US Treasury yields remain high, with real interest rates and inflation expectations rising concurrently, further suppressing risk asset valuations.He also mentioned that the leadership of the US Federal Reserve is about to enter a potential transition phase, but the interest rate market is no longer pricing in rapid rate cuts and has even begun to price in the probability of rate hikes. Market expectations have clearly shifted towards "higher for longer". In an environment of high oil prices, high interest rates, and uncertain monetary policy, overall financial conditions remain tight.Axel Adler Jr stated that the current market needs to wait for clearer on-chain bottom structures and signs of demand-side recovery. Until then, he maintains a cautious stance on the market outlook.
Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, stated he expects Bitcoin to revisit its all-time high within the next 12 months. This is because the current correlation between BTC and the Nasdaq index is near a five-year high, and the resilience of the US stock market provides support for this rebound. However, the derivatives market has not yet shown significant optimism; futures and options trading largely reflects short covering and hedging demand. From a contrarian perspective, this suggests the Bitcoin rally may still have room to continue.Matthew Sigel also noted that a central bank has already announced plans to include Bitcoin in its foreign exchange reserves this year, indicating that BTC is gradually evolving into a global asset suitable for large-scale cross-border settlements. He believes this will become a long-term trend. In terms of investment direction, he favors a further increase in Bitcoin's market dominance, as well as Bitcoin mining companies poised to benefit from the trend of AI integration. He believes mining companies are increasingly becoming significant beneficiaries of AI infrastructure, and as AI-related businesses grow, the pressure on miners to sell BTC for financing is also decreasing.Furthermore, Matthew Sigel believes that if the CLARITY Act is eventually passed, it could revitalize sentiment in the altcoin market. However, currently, most institutional investors remain cautious towards the majority of altcoins due to regulatory and investor protection concerns.
According to PRNewswire, market analysis reports indicate that Coinbase and Kraken together account for 22% of all AI mentions across the cryptocurrency category—Coinbase accounts for 13%, and Kraken for 9%—holding a lead over other U.S. trading platforms by more than threefold. Gemini ranks third with 5.5%, Robinhood Crypto fourth with 5%, and BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), IBIT, fifth with 4.5%, dominating queries related to “Bitcoin ETFs.” Additionally, hardware wallets are losing influence in AI responses: while Ledger and Trezor still dominate queries related to “cryptocurrency wallets,” AI increasingly recommends custodial solutions offered by regulated trading platforms when addressing questions about the “best way to store cryptocurrency assets.” (Note: “AI mentions” refers to how frequently an AI chatbot references a particular brand, product, or company when responding to user queries.)
South Korea plans to impose a 22% tax on virtual asset gains exceeding 2.5 million won starting January next year. Officials have confirmed that the timeline will proceed as scheduled. The policy faces calls for repeal from the opposition, and there is a possibility of further postponement. (Bitcoin News)
Arthur Hayes stated at the Consensus Miami 2026 event that 99% of altcoins could drop to zero, which is part of a normal market cleansing. Since 1929, approximately 98% of companies in the S&P 500 have gone to zero, meaning most stocks are also altcoins over the long term. Cryptocurrencies crash faster due to 24/7 trading and a lack of restrictions. He suggests viewing tokens as software; the failure of most software projects due to an inability to attract users is a normal business reality.The price and future value of Bitcoin depend on the total amount of fiat currency and the speed at which it is created, and are unrelated to politics or regulation. Bitcoin is currently trading at around $82,000, and its utility lies in allowing users to transfer value outside the traditional financial system. Centralized crypto companies seek regulation to protect their businesses, but this will not impact the validity of Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies.
According to Cointelegraph, after a 15-month investigation, police in New South Wales, Australia, seized 52.3 bitcoins—valued at approximately AUD 5.7 million (about USD 4.1 million)—and arrested two suspects allegedly operating a dark web marketplace in Ingleburn, Sydney. Authorities stated that the seized bitcoins are suspected proceeds from illicit dark web activities linked to drug and weapons trafficking. The operation, conducted by the State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad (Strike Force Andalusia), is regarded as one of the largest dark web-related cryptocurrency seizures ever carried out in Australia. Meanwhile, AUSTRAC has recently intensified its anti-money laundering (AML) oversight of domestic virtual asset service providers and cryptocurrency exchanges.
CoinMarketCap’s April 2026 Exchange Monthly Report shows that the total trading volume across the 12 tracked cryptocurrency exchanges amounted to $4.50 trillion, with Binance holding a 36.23% market share. Overall derivatives trading volume was 5.38 times that of spot trading, and the combined proof-of-reserves across eight exchanges totaled $220.07 billion. The report also notes that Coinbase surpassed Binance in BTC spot order book depth within ±2%, becoming the exchange with the deepest liquidity; for ETH spot liquidity, Binance remains the leader. On the regulatory front, Binance is advancing its MiCA authorization application in Greece, while Gemini completed its withdrawal from the UK, EEA, and Australian markets on April 6.
Solv Protocol has announced the migration of over $700 million in tokenized Bitcoin assets to Chainlink's cross-chain protocol CCIP, and will gradually phase out LayerZero's bridging support across multiple chains. The migration involves core assets such as SolvBTC and xSolvBTC. Solv stated that the decision is based on the latest security reviews and recent cross-chain security incidents, and CCIP will become its standard cross-chain infrastructure. This move follows Kelp DAO's migration of approximately $290 million in assets to Chainlink, further strengthening the trend of "cross-chain infrastructure shifting toward security-first migration." (CoinDesk)
According to The Block, BNY announced the expansion of its crypto custody business into the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in the UAE through partnerships with Finstreet and the ADI Foundation, offering institutional clients crypto-asset custody services. Initially, the service will support custody for BTC and ETH. The three parties will subsequently explore extending these services to the ADI Foundation’s underlying blockchain infrastructure and gradually expand to stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and other regulated digital instruments.
According to CoinDesk, BNY Mellon—the world’s largest custodian bank, with $59 trillion in assets under custody—has announced a partnership with Finstreet and the ADI Foundation to launch digital asset custody services in the UAE, operating under the regulatory framework of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Initially, the service will focus on custody for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), with plans to later expand to stablecoins and tokenized assets.
: Arthur Hayes stated at the Consensus 2026 conference that the crypto industry is not reliant on regulation for development. The core factors affecting Bitcoin's price are only technological reliability and fiat liquidity, with the latter being the true driving force.He pointed out that from the quantitative easing of the Obama era, the fiscal stimulus during Trump's first term, to the Biden administration releasing reverse repo liquidity by replacing long-term bonds with short-term debt, each round of monetary expansion has been highly correlated with Bitcoin's rise. Arthur Hayes believes that although the Trump administration has pushed forward multiple crypto regulatory bills, Bitcoin has still fallen by about 25% over the past approximately 18 months, indicating that positive regulatory developments do not directly drive price increases.He also stated that the Trump family's previous experiences with debanking, asset freezes, and lawsuits may make them more appreciative of Bitcoin's value as an asset free from state control. Arthur Hayes said that if Bitcoin eventually evolves into a common financial product on bank balance sheets, it will lose its original significance.