News linked to both this project and an event.
U.S. Representative Nick Begich stated at the Bitcoin 2026 conference that he plans to reintroduce his Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act in the coming weeks, renaming the original "BITCOIN Act" to the "U.S. Reserve Modernization Act." The bill aims to codify President Trump's executive order into law, establishing a permanent Bitcoin reserve. It requires Bitcoin to be held for an "extended period" and to acquire 1 million BTC over five years through a "budget-neutral strategy." Begich stated that the renaming is intended to help Congress and the American people better understand the bill's objectives, ensuring Bitcoin is treated as a reserve asset. He also noted that given the uncertainty surrounding the next administration's stance on digital assets, now is the opportune moment to lock in gains by having Congress take action. (The Block)
According to The Block, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed House Bill 2505 on April 13, officially classifying cryptocurrency ATMs (virtual currency self-service terminals) as prohibited devices. The law will take effect on July 1, 2026. Passed unanimously by both chambers of the state legislature, the bill bans the installation or operation of cryptocurrency ATMs statewide. Violators face Class A misdemeanor charges, carrying a maximum penalty of one year’s imprisonment and a $2,500 fine. Notably, liability under this law extends not only to ATM operators but also to merchants permitting such devices on their premises. Tennessee thus becomes the second U.S. state—after Indiana—to implement a comprehensive ban. Previously, cryptocurrency ATMs had been extensively exploited by overseas fraudsters for financial scams; in 2025 alone, these scams caused approximately $390 million in losses, predominantly targeting elderly individuals. To date, 20 U.S. states have enacted regulatory frameworks governing cryptocurrency ATMs, though most adopt measures such as licensing requirements and transaction limits rather than outright prohibition.
According to The Block, OSL Group has announced a partnership with Circle’s affiliated entities to expand USDC integration across its payment and trading platforms. Through OSL Global, users can exchange USD for USDC at a 1:1 ratio and trade BTC, ETH, SOL, USD, and USDT pairs in a dedicated USDC trading zone. Meanwhile, OSL has adopted USDC as its unified margin asset and integrated USDC into its payment services to support compliant digital dollar settlement and payment use cases. OSL also stated that it plans to support Circle’s tokenized money market fund, USYC, subject to regulatory requirements and platform eligibility criteria.
According to The Block, Jaret Seiberg, Managing Director of the Washington Research Group at investment bank TD Cowen, stated that stablecoin yield issues are not the sole obstacle to the passage of the Clarity Act—and cited the following five additional hurdles: 1. A severe shortage of Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioners: only Chairman Michael Selig remains in office, and the process to appoint new commissioners could take several months, while the bill must complete its review by the end of July; 2. Complex regulatory questions surrounding prediction markets—including concerns about insider trading and potential conflicts of interest involving the Trump family—which may prompt Democratic lawmakers to withdraw their support via related amendments; 3. Ongoing controversy surrounding World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency project affiliated with the Trump family, increasing political resistance from Democrats toward supporting the bill; 4. Reports indicating Iran is discussing requiring vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to pay tolls in cryptocurrency—a development that could trigger contentious anti-money laundering (AML) amendments, potentially serving as a “poison pill” for the bill; 5. Risk that the Credit Card Competition Act could be attached to the Clarity Act, jeopardizing the entire bill’s progress. Regarding stablecoin yield issues, Senator Thom Tillis indicated that the Senate Banking Committee will not vote on the bill until as early as May. TD Cowen maintains its assessment that the bill has approximately a one-in-three chance of passing this year, while Galaxy Digital estimates the probability at roughly 50%.
According to The Block, B2B stablecoin technology provider Infinite has launched Infinite Accounts—a banking account service for enterprises that supports deposits, withdrawals, ACH transfers, domestic and international wire transfers, as well as stablecoin minting, burning, and on-chain transfers—all accessible via a single API. This service is powered by the traditional banking infrastructure of Erebor Bank, which recently obtained its banking license. Infinite states that fiat balances held in these accounts may be eligible for FDIC insurance, whereas stablecoin balances are not. This launch comes amid continued growing institutional adoption of stablecoins.
According to The Block, Russia’s State Duma has approved the cryptocurrency regulation bill at its first reading. The bill proposes classifying cryptocurrencies as “property,” designating the Central Bank of Russia as the authority responsible for licensing and supervising market participants, and introducing a tiered access framework for both qualified and non-qualified investors. The bill explicitly prohibits the use of cryptocurrencies for domestic payments—while the ruble remains the sole legal settlement currency—yet permits Russian companies to use cryptocurrencies for settlements with foreign counterparties in cross-border trade, thereby circumventing sanctions restrictions. The bill still requires approval at the second and third readings, followed by review by the Federation Council, before being submitted to the President for signature. If formally enacted, it is expected to enter into force on July 1, 2026.
According to The Block, New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Coinbase and Gemini on Tuesday, accusing both companies of violating New York’s gambling laws through their prediction market platforms and permitting users aged 18 to 21 to participate—despite New York law requiring participants in mobile sports betting to be at least 21 years old. The state is seeking at least $2.2 billion in damages from Coinbase and at least $1.2 billion from Gemini, along with civil penalties, refunds to users, and forfeiture of illicit proceeds. In response, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal stated that prediction markets fall under the regulatory authority of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the company will continue defending federal regulatory jurisdiction. The dispute over regulatory authority for prediction markets has now increasingly moved into the judicial arena; the CFTC has previously sued several state governments attempting to shut down such platforms.
According to The Block, the UK Treasury has unveiled a payment regulatory reform proposal that aims to bring traditional payment services, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits under a unified regulatory framework. The proposal also plans to regulate stablecoins used for payments through subsequent issuance rules. Additionally, it seeks to expand the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) supervisory authority over open banking and explore regulatory adjustments for payment activities conducted by AI agents. Meanwhile, the UK Treasury will provide £1 million in funding to the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology starting in April and has appointed Chris Woolard CBE to lead the development of a tokenized financial system for wholesale digital markets.
According to The Block, Thom Tillis, a Republican Senator from North Carolina and a key negotiator on the Senate Banking Committee, stated that the committee does not expect to schedule hearings to revise and vote on the crypto market structure bill within April. The primary legislative disagreement currently centers on how to handle rewards associated with stablecoins: the current draft proposes banning rewards for idle stablecoin accounts while permitting returns generated from trading activity. Banking representatives fear such returns could draw deposits away from traditional banks, whereas crypto firms argue that restricting rewards would stifle innovation. Tillis suggested postponing the committee’s review to May. Previously, Senator Bernie Moreno warned that if the bill fails to pass before May, “digital asset legislation will stall indefinitely.”
Odaily News Grayscale has updated its ETF application document linked to Hyperliquid, changing the custodian to Anchorage Digital Bank, replacing Coinbase which previously served as the prime broker and custodian.This adjustment has garnered significant attention, as Coinbase has long dominated the crypto ETF custody space. Currently, almost all U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs (except Fidelity's) rely on its custody services.The filing shows that The Bank of New York Mellon will continue to serve as the transfer agent for this ETF (proposed ticker GHYP). The fund's staking functionality still requires regulatory approval and will utilize CoinDesk's Hyperliquid benchmark pricing data.Furthermore, Anchorage Digital Bank, as the first federally chartered crypto bank in the U.S., has been continuously expanding its institutional service capabilities in recent years, including areas such as stablecoins, wealth management, and token lifecycle management. (The Block)
According to The Block, Grayscale has filed a revised Hyperliquid ETF application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), naming Anchorage Digital Bank as the fund’s custodian in place of Coinbase. Anchorage is the first crypto-native bank to receive a federal banking charter in the U.S. and has recently expanded rapidly into stablecoin services, wealth management, and token lifecycle management—becoming the first institution in the U.S. to support TRON. If approved, the ETF will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker “GHYP”; staking functionality remains subject to regulatory approval.
According to The Block, the cryptocurrency venture capital sector is undergoing a structural shift. Investors now broadly require startups to demonstrate real users and revenue before committing capital—marking the end of the era when early-stage fundraising was easy. Token-based exit strategies have become significantly less reliable; low-liquidity, high-valuation token launches continue to underperform the broader market, prompting investors to revert to traditional equity-oriented thinking. Meanwhile, the rise of the AI sector has siphoned off substantial LP capital and entrepreneurial talent, further intensifying fundraising challenges for crypto VCs. Nonetheless, several investors note that reduced competition, more rational valuations, and an improving regulatory environment point to 2026–2027 as the strongest investment years since 2018. Future capital will focus on areas with clear business models—including stablecoins, payments, tokenization, real-world assets (RWAs), and financial infrastructure—while the boundaries between crypto VCs and traditional VCs accelerate toward convergence.
Odaily News: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a cryptocurrency company linked to "Russian mafia and intelligence agencies" is funding political opponents and influencing domestic crypto regulatory legislation. During a parliamentary vote on Friday, Tusk pointed out that some Polish politicians are obstructing crypto regulatory legislation to serve a company named Zondacrypto, which is alleged to provide "financial support" to political figures and has ties to Russia.Tusk further claimed that the company sponsored the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) event held in Poland last year, during which former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly supported President Karol Nawrocki's campaign.Tusk bluntly stated that the company's funding sources not only involve "funds related to the Russian mafia (Bratva)" but may also be connected to Russian intelligence agencies.Meanwhile, President Nawrocki won the election last June, with his camp receiving support from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The President's Office responded that it is not opposed to crypto regulation itself but opposes the "flawed regulatory model" proposed by the government.This controversy arises amidst the political tug-of-war in Poland over the crypto regulatory bill. The bill aims to align with the EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) framework. However, the President previously vetoed the relevant bill and blocked parliament from overriding the veto in December, stalling the regulatory process. (The Block)
According to The Block, Bitcoin rose approximately 6% this week, briefly reaching $76,300—the highest level in nearly two months—yet the Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains at 21 (“Extreme Fear”). Multiple institutional analysts characterize this rally as “liquidity-driven” rather than a structural strengthening. Glassnode notes that while spot demand and ETF inflows have improved, the recovery lacks depth, institutional participation remains cautious, and options market positioning continues to favor downside protection. Bitfinex attributes this price increase primarily to concentrated buying by “Strategists” (who purchased 13,927 BTC last week), rather than an organic rebound in demand. Analysts broadly view $75,000 as a critical support level; if structural buying wanes and this level fails to hold, prices could retreat to the $70,000–$71,000 range. On the macro front, the Federal Reserve’s policy trajectory and the June FOMC meeting are seen as the next key risk catalysts.
According to The Block, the latest draft language of the Clarity Act concerning stablecoin yield will be delayed until next week or later. Sources familiar with the matter say the current text retains prior wording—namely, prohibiting yield generation on idle stablecoin balances held in accounts, while permitting yield from activities such as trading. Senator Thom Tillis stated that the draft text will not be made public until the Senate Banking Committee’s review timeline is confirmed. The report notes that the legislative team remains engaged in discussions with the American Bankers Association and crypto firms, and that making substantive revisions to the text at this stage would be difficult.
According to The Block, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a new consultation paper seeking feedback on how to bring digital asset activities—including stablecoin issuance, trading platforms, custody, and staking—under regulatory oversight. The consultation period ends on 3 June 2026. Crypto firms will be able to begin applying for FCA authorization as early as 30 September 2026, and the new regulatory regime is expected to officially take effect in 2027. The FCA stated that, prior to the new regime coming into force, crypto assets are largely unregulated in the UK—except for financial promotions and anti-financial crime oversight. Industry insiders note that the UK’s progress on crypto regulation clearly lags behind Europe, which has already established a comprehensive enforcement framework; however, some practitioners view the FCA’s systematic, phased implementation approach positively.
According to The Block, the Washington-based think tank Cato Institute published a critique of the U.S.’s current Bitcoin tax policy. Researcher Nick Anthony pointed out that the existing tax framework—which classifies Bitcoin as “property” rather than “currency”—requires users to calculate capital gains or losses for every single transaction, including routine, small-value purchases. This makes tax filing extremely cumbersome and effectively hinders Bitcoin’s adoption as a payment instrument. In response, the Cato Institute proposed several reform measures, including fully eliminating capital gains taxes on cryptocurrency payments and introducing a de minimis exemption threshold for small transactions. The report also referenced the existing Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act—a bill that would exempt crypto transactions under $200—but Anthony argued that this threshold is too low to reflect real-world consumer spending levels. Currently, the Trump administration has expressed support for establishing a de minimis exemption for cryptocurrency transactions and will continue evaluating related legislative options.
According to The Block, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated in an interview with Reuters that there is a “huge opportunity” for a renminbi (RMB)-backed stablecoin. If Chinese authorities wish to enhance the RMB’s global competitiveness, stablecoins could serve as a key technological tool for currency internationalization, and he predicted China may launch an RMB-backed stablecoin within the next three to five years. Notably, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and multiple other regulatory bodies explicitly prohibited, as of February 2026, the issuance of RMB-backed stablecoins outside mainland China without prior regulatory approval. In contrast, Hong Kong’s regulatory stance is markedly different: last week, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) issued the first stablecoin licenses to HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial—a joint venture among Standard Chartered, Animoca Brands, and Hong Kong Telecom.
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.