News linked to both this project and an event.
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 CoinDesk, KAIO, a regulated tokenization firm based in Abu Dhabi, has announced the completion of an $8 million strategic funding round, with investors including Tether. Combined with its prior funding, KAIO’s total capital raised now stands at $19 million. KAIO primarily provides infrastructure for asset management firms to distribute funds on-chain, enabling products from institutions such as BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Hamilton Lane to be integrated into blockchain systems. KAIO stated it plans to expand into credit, structured investment products, and ETFs, and intends to launch on-chain funds in partnership with Mubadala Capital. The company reported currently managing approximately $100 million in assets and having processed over $500 million in cumulative transactions.
According to CoinDesk, Coinbase is exploring collaboration with Bybit on tokenization, custody, and global distribution of assets such as U.S.-listed equities and pre-IPO shares. Sources familiar with the matter said negotiations are ongoing and do not involve equity acquisition or similar transactions by Bybit aimed at entering the U.S. market. Separately, reports indicate that Bybit’s plan to enter the U.S. market will be advanced through a new entity led by former Co-CEO Helen Liu, which will bring in an undisclosed local partner to provide licensing and compliance support, while Bybit will supply technology, products, and liquidity.
According to CoinDesk, Kelp DAO’s LayerZero-based cross-chain bridge was attacked, with the attacker withdrawing 116,500 rsETH—worth approximately $292 million at current prices, or roughly 18% of its circulating supply. This incident has become the largest DeFi attack of 2026 to date. In response, Aave, SparkLend, and Fluid have frozen rsETH-related markets, and Lido Finance has suspended new deposits into its earnETH product. Kelp DAO stated it is jointly investigating the incident with LayerZero, auditing firms, and external security experts.
According to CoinDesk, Liz Truss—former UK Prime Minister and the shortest-serving in British history—said in an interview that the UK economy is on a “very negative trajectory,” with high taxation, excessive regulation, and energy costs making entrepreneurship “a risk rarely worth the reward.” She attributed inflation and wealth inequality to “currency devaluation” and noted that discussions about monetary policy within government have become “taboo”—a phenomenon she described as “quite alarming.” Truss said she is “very interested” in Bitcoin, viewing it as a vital tool for countering currency devaluation and resisting centralized financial control. She revealed she first encountered Bitcoin during her tenure as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She is now actively building CPAC UK and plans to host a three-day conference bringing together entrepreneurs and activists to advance a movement for “sovereignty and freedom,” declaring outright: “There are only two options—either sink or radically transform.”
According to CoinDesk, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure publicly stated on April 17 that Europe needs more euro-denominated stablecoins and strongly encouraged EU banks to explore launching tokenized deposits. Lescure explicitly backed the Qivalis consortium—a group of 12 European banks including BBVA, ING, UniCredit, and BNP Paribas—that plans to launch a euro-pegged stablecoin in the second half of 2026, aiming to counter U.S. dominance in digital payments. He also noted that the current scale of euro-pegged stablecoins remains far smaller than that of dollar-pegged stablecoins—a situation he described as “unsatisfactory.” This statement marks a clear departure from France’s previous hardline regulatory stance: former Finance Minister Le Maire had declared that private stablecoins “have no place in Europe,” while Bank of France Governor Villeroy de Galhau has repeatedly warned that stablecoins pose risks of monetary privatization.
According to CoinDesk, Payward, Kraken’s parent company, announced the acquisition of digital asset derivatives platform Bitnomial for up to $550 million in cash and stock. The deal values Payward at approximately $20 billion. Bitnomial is the first crypto-native platform in the U.S. to hold all three key regulatory licenses: a Designated Contract Market (DCM), a Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO), and a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM). Following the acquisition, Payward will instantly obtain all regulatory authorizations required to operate a full derivatives business in the U.S., significantly accelerating its path to compliance compared to building such capabilities organically. Post-integration, the combined platforms will launch spot margin, perpetual futures, and options products for U.S. customers. Through Payward Services’ B2B infrastructure, these regulated U.S. derivatives offerings will be made available to banks, fintech firms, and brokers via a single API. This acquisition marks Payward’s second major deal following its $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader in 2025. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026.
According to CoinDesk, South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance announced it will launch a blockchain-based deposit token pilot in Sejong City in Q4 2026, replacing traditional government procurement card payments. The project has been approved under the 2026 regulatory sandbox program, permitting institutions to pay business promotion expenses in the form of tokenized deposits. Token payments can be pre-configured with spending limits and eligible industry scopes, helping reduce the need for manual audits and lowering transaction fees for small businesses by eliminating intermediaries such as card networks. This marks the second fiscal application of deposit tokens, following the first pilot conducted under an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure subsidy program. If the pilot yields significant results, the Ministry of Economy and Finance plans to expand the program further.
According to CoinDesk, JPMorgan Chase released a research report stating that legislative negotiations for the U.S. CLARITY Act are nearing completion, with contentious issues reduced from over a dozen to just “two or three remaining items.” Discussions regarding stablecoin rewards have also entered a constructive phase. The bill aims to clarify the regulatory framework for digital assets, delineate responsibilities between the SEC and the CFTC, and establish compliance pathways for stablecoins and DeFi platforms. The latest proposal is expected to garner support from both the crypto industry and traditional financial institutions. However, the official text of the bill has not yet been published, nor has a vote been scheduled. Moreover, if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, the priority for crypto-related legislation may decline, introducing uncertainty into the bill’s progress.
Odaily News Ripple announced a partnership with South Korea's major insurance institution, Kyobo Life Insurance, to explore government bond tokenization settlement based on the Ripple Custody platform. The goal is to compress the T+2 settlement cycle for South Korean government bonds to near real-time execution. Both parties stated that they will focus on evaluating the technical and regulatory feasibility of tokenized government bond settlement. Specific transaction scale, launch timeline, and bond types involved have not been disclosed yet, and the overall initiative is still in the pilot exploration phase. Additionally, Kyobo Life will also explore stablecoin-based payment solutions, but specific currencies and implementation timelines have not been clarified. (CoinDesk)
According to CoinDesk, UK-based asset manager Legal & General Asset Management has tokenized over £50 billion in liquid funds via Calastone’s tokenized distribution network. The firm now offers money market funds on this network in the form of tokenized shares, supporting USD, EUR, and GBP, with capabilities spanning issuance, trading, and same-day settlement. Investors can purchase, hold, and transfer these tokenized shares within a permissioned, regulated network. The relevant funds will be deployed on Ethereum and compatible blockchains, with plans to expand to additional networks in the future.
According to CoinDesk, Wall Street brokerage Bernstein released a research report stating that prediction market trading volume is expected to grow from $5.1 billion in 2025 to approximately $100 billion in 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 80%. Trading volume is projected to reach $24 billion in 2026, while Polymarket and Kalshi combined have already generated $60 billion in trading volume year-to-date. The report identifies three core drivers of this growth: increasing regulatory clarity at the federal level, blockchain infrastructure enabling global liquidity, and integration with mainstream trading platforms. Industry revenue is expected to rise from approximately $400 million in 2025 to about $10.8 billion in 2030. Distribution capability is viewed as a key competitive barrier. Robinhood has achieved an annualized revenue run-rate of $350 million from prediction markets and is advancing its exchange infrastructure development; Coinbase, meanwhile, offers nationwide access to over 1,000 contracts via the Kalshi platform. Bernstein maintains an “Outperform” rating on both companies.
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 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 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.
According to CoinDesk, Mike Selig, Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), stated during the Digital Assets Summit hosted by Vanderbilt University that the CFTC will continue to defend its “exclusive regulatory authority” over prediction markets and clarify the federal regulatory status of commodity derivatives markets through litigation. Selig noted that prediction markets—whether related to sports, politics, or other topics—fall under CFTC jurisdiction as long as the products are lawfully offered on CFTC-regulated exchanges; state governments may not substitute gambling laws for federal regulation. Recently, the CFTC has filed lawsuits against Arizona, Illinois, and Connecticut to underscore this jurisdictional claim. Selig also mentioned that the CFTC is engaged in rulemaking under the Dodd-Frank Act to clarify its regulatory framework for prediction markets and is collaborating with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to establish a digital asset classification system aimed at preventing regulatory overlap.
According to CoinDesk, Ron Hammond, Policy Lead at crypto market maker Wintermute, stated that the U.S. crypto market structure bill—the Clarity Act—continues to face multiple obstacles in its legislative process, with only about a 30% chance of passage this year. The bill aims to clarify the respective regulatory responsibilities of the SEC and CFTC over digital assets. However, current negotiations are progressing unevenly, and the timeline has been repeatedly delayed. Key resistance stems from traditional banking institutions—particularly over whether stablecoins should be permitted to generate yield—a point of serious disagreement. Related compromise proposals have repeatedly stalled. Moreover, internal divisions among Democrats, as well as issues concerning DeFi compliance and anti-money laundering (AML), further add uncertainty to the legislation. That said, Ron Hammond believes the bill still retains room for advancement; whether it can be enacted this year ultimately hinges on whether critical disagreements can be resolved.
According to CoinDesk, amid the Iran conflict, Binance has offered its approximately 1,000 employees in the UAE the option of temporary relocation to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, or Bangkok. Binance stated that its UAE operations continue normally, with some employees choosing to remain locally, and global user services remain unaffected. This measure follows regional unrest that has disrupted major cryptocurrency, business, and sports events in the UAE—including the postponement of TOKEN2049 Dubai to 2027 and the cancellation of TON Gateway due to security and travel concerns. The UAE government reported having intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones since late February. Binance is deepening its collaboration with local authorities through Abu Dhabi’s global regulatory framework, and its global operations are backed by Abu Dhabi.
According to CoinDesk, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced it will extend its cybersecurity threat information-sharing service—which was previously available only to traditional financial institutions—to cryptocurrency firms. Eligible crypto companies may apply to join the program through the Treasury’s Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection and receive timely, actionable cybersecurity threat intelligence at no cost. Luke Pettit, Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the Treasury Department, stated that this move aims to foster a safer and more responsible digital asset ecosystem. The policy responds to related recommendations outlined in a prior report issued by the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets.
According to CoinDesk, S&P Global Market Intelligence released a report stating that although the stablecoin market has surpassed $31.6 billion, banks’ strategic planning around stablecoins remains largely in the early exploratory phase. S&P Global’s Q1 2026 survey found that among 100 surveyed banks, only 7% are developing related frameworks, and none have launched live pilots. Key concerns for banks include risks of deposit outflows, intensifying competition from non-bank institutions, and uncertain impacts on revenue. Regarding strategic divergence, the report forecasts that large banks will explore issuing tokenized deposits, while mid- and small-sized institutions are more likely to participate via fiat on-ramp and off-ramp services. Regardless of the chosen strategy, banks must undertake extensive upgrades to their existing systems to support real-time digital asset operations.