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Analysis: Strategy’s financing instrument STRC falls below its $100 par value, potentially exerting downward pressure on Bitcoin
According to Cointelegraph, Strategy’s financing instrument STRC has traded below its $100 par value since April 15, potentially undermining its ability to continuously raise capital via share issuance to purchase Bitcoin—raising the risk of Bitcoin falling below $70,000. Strategy previously disclosed that approximately 86% of the funding for its most recent Bitcoin purchase—34,164 BTC—came from STRC financing. The report also notes that historically, during periods when Strategy paused Bitcoin purchases, Bitcoin’s average decline was around 30%. Technically, if the lower boundary of the flag pattern is breached, Bitcoin could fall toward the $67,000–$69,000 range; however, if it holds above both the 20-day and 50-day EMAs, price may still rebound and test the $78,000 resistance level.
Malaysian digital asset exchange Hata closes $8 million Series A funding round, led by Bybit
According to Cointelegraph, Malaysian digital asset exchange Hata has completed an $8 million Series A funding round led by Bybit, with participation from multiple global family offices. Previously, Bybit also participated in Hata’s $4.2 million seed funding round. Hata holds licenses issued by the Securities Commission Malaysia and the Labuan Financial Services Authority, enabling it to provide digital asset trading and custody services in the country.
Swiss Crypto Valley’s blockchain funding grew by 37% in 2025, with TON Network transactions dominating
According to Cointelegraph, Switzerland’s Crypto Valley raised a total of $728 million in blockchain funding in 2025—a 37% year-on-year increase—and accounted for 47% of Europe’s blockchain venture capital. The largest single contribution came from TON Network’s $400 million funding round; Sygnum Bank raised $58 million; the M0 stablecoin platform raised $40 million; Impossible Cloud Network and CratD2C raised $34 million and $30 million, respectively. The report states that global blockchain funding totaled $15.5 billion, up 30% year-on-year, but deal volume declined by 32%, reflecting a trend toward concentration of capital in a smaller number of large-scale projects. The number of active blockchain companies in Crypto Valley rose to 1,766, while the number of unicorns fell from 17 to 10, primarily due to market conditions.
OpenAI Plans to Reserve IPO Shares for Retail Investors; CFO Confirms Strong Demand
According to Cointelegraph, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar confirmed that the company will reserve a portion of shares for retail investors in its IPO, citing “very strong demand” from individual investors in its latest funding round. OpenAI is currently valued at approximately $300 billion, yet it remains unprofitable. There is significant market debate over the risks associated with retail investor participation in this IPO.
Polymarket is in discussions with the CFTC to push for a full relaunch for U.S. users
Polymarket is in communication with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), seeking to reopen its main platform to users in the United States. If approved, this could mean the lifting of restrictions on U.S. users that have been in place since its 2022 settlement with the CFTC.According to the report, Polymarket had already made a limited return to the U.S. market through the regulated QCEX structure. A full return would further intensify the competitive landscape of the U.S. prediction market. (Cointelegraph)
Aptos Launches Confidential APT, a Privacy Token That Uses Zero-Knowledge Proofs to Hide Balances and Transfer Amounts
According to Cointelegraph, Aptos recently launched its privacy token, Confidential APT, on the mainnet. Confidential APT is pegged 1:1 to APT and uses zero-knowledge proofs to conceal token balances and transfer amounts, while preserving wallet address visibility and transaction verifiability. Sherry Xiao, founding engineer at Aptos Labs, stated that the token aims to resolve the long-standing tension between blockchain privacy and regulatory transparency, and can mitigate sensitive on-chain information exposure—such as payroll distributions, treasury operations, and trading strategies. From a compliance perspective, enabling audit keys requires approval via on-chain governance voting. The launch of Confidential APT follows a governance proposal that passed with near-unanimous support. Xiao expects individual users to adopt the token more rapidly than enterprises; if the mainnet operates stably for six months and demonstrates strong trading volume, it could help shorten the sales cycle for enterprise adoption.
Israeli regulators approve shekel-pegged stablecoin BILS for launch
According to Cointelegraph, Israel’s Authority for Capital Markets, Insurance, and Savings has approved the virtual asset trading platform Bits of Gold to launch BILS, a stablecoin pegged to the Israeli shekel. BILS previously completed a two-year pilot on the Solana blockchain. Per the announcement, BILS reserve assets will be held in designated, segregated accounts within Israel. This initiative is also part of the Israel Tax Authority and Ministry of Finance’s efforts to establish a regulatory framework for the crypto industry, specifically covering certain stablecoin activities.
Canada Proposes to Ban Cryptocurrency for Political Donations
The Canadian House of Commons has passed the second reading of Bill C-25, which proposes to ban political parties and candidates from accepting cryptocurrency political donations. Introduced on March 26 as part of electoral law reforms, the bill aims to enhance transparency, strengthen enforcement, and reduce the risk of foreign interference. It will proceed to committee review and may still be subject to amendments. No fixed review date has been set yet.Meanwhile, Canada is advancing a regulatory framework for stablecoins and refining rules related to crypto investment funds, custody, and cold storage. (Cointelegraph)
France Prosecutes 88 People, Including 10 Minors, in Connection with 12 Cryptocurrency “Wrenching” Attacks
According to Cointelegraph, Vanessa Perrée, France’s National Prosecutor for Organized Crime, stated that French law enforcement has charged at least 88 individuals—including 10 minors—in connection with 12 “crypto heists” targeting cryptocurrency holders; 75 of those charged are currently in pre-trial detention. Such incidents typically involve violent methods—including home invasions and kidnappings—to coerce victims into surrendering assets stored in their crypto wallets. Perrée noted that some suspects are linked to multiple cases, and investigations have uncovered an organized criminal network behind these crimes. Official records from French authorities indicate 18 such cases in 2024, rising to 67 in 2025, and reaching 47 thus far in 2026.
US Department of Justice Sentences Member of $263 Million Crypto Fraud Scheme to 70 Months in Prison, Involving Social Engineering Fraud and Lavish Money Laundering
: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a 22-year-old California man, Evan Tangeman, has been sentenced to 70 months (approximately 5 years and 10 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for his involvement in a criminal organization that stole approximately $263 million in crypto assets through social engineering fraud and home invasions.According to court documents, Tangeman pleaded guilty in December 2025, admitting to helping the criminal network launder at least $3.5 million in illicit funds.The criminal group allegedly used the stolen funds for lavish spending, including multi-million dollar nightclub bills, Lamborghini sports cars, and high-end assets like Rolex watches.U.S. District Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, stated in a release that the organization "built a criminal system based on nearly absurd greed," emphasizing that Tangeman not only participated in money laundering but also destroyed evidence after his accomplices were arrested, demonstrating clear criminal intent.This sentencing comes as data shows that the crypto industry suffered $482 million in losses from scams and hacks in the first quarter of 2026, with social engineering fraud and physical violent robberies on the rise. (Cointelegraph)
Andre Cronje: DeFi Is No Longer Decentralized, Industry Divided Over Security Path Centered on "Circuit Breakers"
Andre Cronje stated most current decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols no longer qualify as "DeFi in the strict sense" and are closer to commercial systems operated by teams. This has sparked industry division over whether "circuit breakers" should be introduced to mitigate attack risks.In an interview, Andre Cronje pointed out that early DeFi centered on immutable smart contracts, but today many protocols rely on upgradeable contracts, multi-signature permissions, off-chain infrastructure, and manual operational processes. In essence, they have transitioned from "immutable public goods" to "operable, for-profit businesses." He noted that against the backdrop of recent security incidents, including DeFi attacks involving approximately $280 million and $293 million, industry risks have expanded from simple smart contract vulnerabilities to "Web2-style risks" such as infrastructure issues, permission controls, and social engineering attacks.Regarding risk management, Cronje's firm Flying Tulip recently introduced circuit breakers that delay or queue withdrawals during abnormal fund outflows, providing an emergency response window of about six hours to prevent systemic bank runs and further losses.However, this mechanism has also sparked controversy. Michael Egorov believes that circuit breakers may introduce new centralized attack surfaces. If controlled by signers or administrators, they could instead become new security vulnerabilities or sources of freezing risk. He emphasized that DeFi design should minimize human intervention rather than increase manual control points. Industry analysts pointed out that this debate essentially reflects how DeFi is shifting from the ideal model of "code is law" toward a practical architecture of "hybrid governance plus operational control," while the security boundaries are being redefined. (Cointelegraph)
Andre Cronje’s DeFi platform Flying Tulip launches a withdrawal circuit breaker mechanism
According to Cointelegraph, Flying Tulip—a decentralized finance platform founded by Andre Cronje—has implemented a withdrawal circuit breaker mechanism. This mechanism delays or queues withdrawals during abnormal capital outflows, thereby limiting potential losses and buying time for the team to investigate. The mechanism operates differently across products: for the Perpetual PUT product, withdrawals may be reverted, requiring users to retry later; for ftUSD, withdrawals are queued and can be claimed after a delay. Flying Tulip states that this mechanism follows a “fail-open” design—meaning transactions continue to execute even if the safety mechanism fails.
Publicly traded Bitcoin mining companies sold over 32,000 BTC in Q1 2026—more than the entire year of 2025
According to Cointelegraph, publicly listed Bitcoin mining companies collectively sold over 32,000 BTC in Q1 2026—exceeding their total sales for all of 2025 and setting a new quarterly record. Data from TheMinerMag indicates that the relevant companies include MARA, CleanSpark, Riot, Cango, Core Scientific, and Bitdeer. The report also notes that the current miner hash price stands at approximately $33 per PH/s per day—below the breakeven level of roughly $35 per PH/s per day for some mining firms. Additionally, according to CryptoQuant data, Bitcoin miners’ reserves have declined from over 1.86 million BTC in 2023 to approximately 1.8 million BTC.
Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust Sees Net Inflows Exceeding $103 Million
Odaily News Cointelegraph posted on platform X, stating that Morgan Stanley's Bitcoin Trust has accumulated net inflows exceeding $103 million within just 6 trading days since its launch, surpassing the net inflows of WisdomTree's Bitcoin Fund.
Analysis: Bitcoin Faces Selling Pressure After Touching $76,000, Exchange Inflows Hit Multi-Month High
Odaily News According to a CryptoQuant report, Bitcoin is facing "short-term selling pressure" after rebounding above $76,000. Data shows that during Tuesday's price increase, the amount of Bitcoin flowing into exchanges surged significantly, with hourly inflows once rising to 11,000 BTC, the highest level since December last year.CryptoQuant pointed out that the increase in the scale and speed of exchange inflows has historically been seen as a key early warning signal for short-term selling pressure, indicating that some holders are transferring assets to exchanges in preparation for selling. Meanwhile, the average single deposit size rose to 2.25 BTC, hitting a new high since July 2024 and approaching levels seen before the market peaked in January this year.In terms of price action, TradingView data shows that Bitcoin on Coinbase once touched $76,052, reaching a new high since early February. However, the report suggests that as the price approaches the realized price of $76,800, this level could become a ceiling for the rebound, as investors near their break-even point may be inclined to sell, thereby limiting further upside.Furthermore, the current profit-taking is still in its early stages, with daily realized profits around $500 million, which is below the $1 billion threshold typically associated with interim tops. If the price rises further into the $76,000 to $76,800 range, the scale of profits could expand, thereby intensifying selling pressure and increasing the probability of a pullback or consolidation. (Cointelegraph)
Analysis: ETH Open Interest Rises to $2.54 Billion Amid Continued Institutional Accumulation, Yet Derivatives Sentiment Remains Cautious
According to Cointelegraph, Ethereum’s price has stabilized above $2,300 following a recent rebound, while ETH futures open interest has risen to $2.54 billion—indicating growing demand for leveraged positions. Meanwhile, U.S.-listed spot Ethereum ETFs recorded net inflows of $248 million over the past 10 days, and Bitmine Immersion disclosed its purchase of $312 million worth of ETH. However, ETH perpetual contract funding rates have failed to sustain levels above 5% and have repeatedly dipped below zero—suggesting limited market confidence in this rally. Additionally, weekly DApp revenue on Ethereum has declined from $24 million in early February to $11 million, with weakening network activity and intensifying competition among public blockchains potentially continuing to weigh on ETH’s price trajectory.
Andre Cronje: DeFi Is No Longer Decentralized, Industry Divided Over Security Path Centered on "Circuit Breakers"
Andre Cronje stated most current decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols no longer qualify as "DeFi in the strict sense" and are closer to commercial systems operated by teams. This has sparked industry division over whether "circuit breakers" should be introduced to mitigate attack risks.In an interview, Andre Cronje pointed out that early DeFi centered on immutable smart contracts, but today many protocols rely on upgradeable contracts, multi-signature permissions, off-chain infrastructure, and manual operational processes. In essence, they have transitioned from "immutable public goods" to "operable, for-profit businesses." He noted that against the backdrop of recent security incidents, including DeFi attacks involving approximately $280 million and $293 million, industry risks have expanded from simple smart contract vulnerabilities to "Web2-style risks" such as infrastructure issues, permission controls, and social engineering attacks.Regarding risk management, Cronje's firm Flying Tulip recently introduced circuit breakers that delay or queue withdrawals during abnormal fund outflows, providing an emergency response window of about six hours to prevent systemic bank runs and further losses.However, this mechanism has also sparked controversy. Michael Egorov believes that circuit breakers may introduce new centralized attack surfaces. If controlled by signers or administrators, they could instead become new security vulnerabilities or sources of freezing risk. He emphasized that DeFi design should minimize human intervention rather than increase manual control points. Industry analysts pointed out that this debate essentially reflects how DeFi is shifting from the ideal model of "code is law" toward a practical architecture of "hybrid governance plus operational control," while the security boundaries are being redefined. (Cointelegraph)
Robinhood Phishing Attack Exploits Gmail’s “Dot Alias” Feature to Forge Official Emails and Lure Users into Logging In
According to Cointelegraph, Robinhood users have recently fallen victim to a phishing attack. Attackers exploited Gmail’s feature of ignoring periods (“.”) in email usernames, along with a vulnerability in Robinhood’s account creation process, to register accounts with email addresses highly similar to those of their targets. This enabled them to trick Robinhood’s official email server into delivering spoofed alert emails containing phishing links directly to victims’ inboxes. Cybersecurity researcher Alex Eckelberry noted that these emails pass SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication checks and thus appear to originate from Robinhood’s official domain. Robinhood stated that this incident does not involve any breach of its systems or customer accounts, and user funds and personal information remain unaffected. However, the company urges users to delete such emails and avoid clicking any suspicious links.
US Department of Justice Sentences Member of $263 Million Crypto Fraud Scheme to 70 Months in Prison, Involving Social Engineering Fraud and Lavish Money Laundering
: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a 22-year-old California man, Evan Tangeman, has been sentenced to 70 months (approximately 5 years and 10 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for his involvement in a criminal organization that stole approximately $263 million in crypto assets through social engineering fraud and home invasions.According to court documents, Tangeman pleaded guilty in December 2025, admitting to helping the criminal network launder at least $3.5 million in illicit funds.The criminal group allegedly used the stolen funds for lavish spending, including multi-million dollar nightclub bills, Lamborghini sports cars, and high-end assets like Rolex watches.U.S. District Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, stated in a release that the organization "built a criminal system based on nearly absurd greed," emphasizing that Tangeman not only participated in money laundering but also destroyed evidence after his accomplices were arrested, demonstrating clear criminal intent.This sentencing comes as data shows that the crypto industry suffered $482 million in losses from scams and hacks in the first quarter of 2026, with social engineering fraud and physical violent robberies on the rise. (Cointelegraph)
AI-Driven Vulnerability Bounty Reports Surge, Leaving Crypto Protocol Teams Overwhelmed by “AI Spam”
According to Cointelegraph, the widespread adoption of AI is driving up the number of submissions to cryptocurrency industry bug bounty programs—but a flood of low-quality “AI spam” reports has also emerged, placing a heavy burden on protocol teams for triaging. Barry Plunkett, Co-CEO of Cosmos Labs, stated that submission volume to its platform surged 900% year-on-year, with 20–50 reports received daily; Kadan Stadelmann, CTO of Komodo Platform, likewise noted a marked rise in low-quality and false-positive reports, attributing the root cause primarily to AI’s drastic reduction in the cost of generating reports. Daniel Stenberg, creator of the open-source tool curl, has already shut down his bug bounty program outright due to being overwhelmed. In response, industry insiders recommend that teams deploy defensive AI systems to automatically triage reports and adopt stricter submission criteria—reducing the volume of invalid reports and ensuring genuine vulnerabilities receive timely attention.
Privacy Protocol Umbra Shuts Down Frontend to Prevent Attackers from Transferring Kelp-Related Stolen Funds
Odaily News: Privacy protocol Umbra has shut down its hosted frontend website to prevent attackers from using the protocol to transfer stolen funds from a recent security incident. Umbra stated that approximately $800,000 in funds were transferred through its protocol, but the protocol only hides the recipient's identity, and the related transactions can still be tracked on-chain. This measure follows the attack on the Kelp protocol, which resulted in losses exceeding $280 million. Umbra said it will restore frontend services after confirming it does not affect asset recovery efforts, but it cannot prevent users from continuing to use the protocol via smart contracts or self-hosted frontends. (Cointelegraph)
U.S. Navy Admiral States That Bitcoin’s PoW Technology Can Increase the Cost of Cyberattacks and Support National Security Strategy
According to Cointelegraph, Admiral Samuel Paparo of the U.S. Navy stated at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee that Bitcoin is a “valuable computer science tool,” and that its proof-of-work technology holds significant applications in cybersecurity—increasing attackers’ costs and enabling the protection of data, information, and command signals, thereby supporting U.S. national security interests. Paparo noted: “Beyond the economic dimension, it has extremely important computer science applications in cybersecurity.” Earlier, in 2023, Jason Lowery of the U.S. Space Force expressed a similar view.
Andre Cronje: DeFi Is No Longer Decentralized, Industry Divided Over Security Path Centered on "Circuit Breakers"
Andre Cronje stated most current decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols no longer qualify as "DeFi in the strict sense" and are closer to commercial systems operated by teams. This has sparked industry division over whether "circuit breakers" should be introduced to mitigate attack risks.In an interview, Andre Cronje pointed out that early DeFi centered on immutable smart contracts, but today many protocols rely on upgradeable contracts, multi-signature permissions, off-chain infrastructure, and manual operational processes. In essence, they have transitioned from "immutable public goods" to "operable, for-profit businesses." He noted that against the backdrop of recent security incidents, including DeFi attacks involving approximately $280 million and $293 million, industry risks have expanded from simple smart contract vulnerabilities to "Web2-style risks" such as infrastructure issues, permission controls, and social engineering attacks.Regarding risk management, Cronje's firm Flying Tulip recently introduced circuit breakers that delay or queue withdrawals during abnormal fund outflows, providing an emergency response window of about six hours to prevent systemic bank runs and further losses.However, this mechanism has also sparked controversy. Michael Egorov believes that circuit breakers may introduce new centralized attack surfaces. If controlled by signers or administrators, they could instead become new security vulnerabilities or sources of freezing risk. He emphasized that DeFi design should minimize human intervention rather than increase manual control points. Industry analysts pointed out that this debate essentially reflects how DeFi is shifting from the ideal model of "code is law" toward a practical architecture of "hybrid governance plus operational control," while the security boundaries are being redefined. (Cointelegraph)
Aptos Launches Confidential APT, a Privacy Token That Uses Zero-Knowledge Proofs to Hide Balances and Transfer Amounts
According to Cointelegraph, Aptos recently launched its privacy token, Confidential APT, on the mainnet. Confidential APT is pegged 1:1 to APT and uses zero-knowledge proofs to conceal token balances and transfer amounts, while preserving wallet address visibility and transaction verifiability. Sherry Xiao, founding engineer at Aptos Labs, stated that the token aims to resolve the long-standing tension between blockchain privacy and regulatory transparency, and can mitigate sensitive on-chain information exposure—such as payroll distributions, treasury operations, and trading strategies. From a compliance perspective, enabling audit keys requires approval via on-chain governance voting. The launch of Confidential APT follows a governance proposal that passed with near-unanimous support. Xiao expects individual users to adopt the token more rapidly than enterprises; if the mainnet operates stably for six months and demonstrates strong trading volume, it could help shorten the sales cycle for enterprise adoption.
Bitcoin mining company MARA establishes foundation to support Bitcoin network health and adoption
According to Cointelegraph, MARA Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA) officially launched the MARA Foundation at the Bitcoin 2026 conference on April 27, 2026. The foundation aims to support five key areas, including long-term security of the Bitcoin network and research into quantum computing threats. As part of its launch initiative, the MARA Foundation has invited the community to vote to select one of three Bitcoin companies to receive a $100,000 grant. The foundation stated that its initial funding will be allocated via community voting to support open-source projects that promote the health and adoption of the Bitcoin network. This move marks the publicly traded mining company’s further commitment to ecosystem development.
Israeli regulators approve shekel-pegged stablecoin BILS for launch
According to Cointelegraph, Israel’s Authority for Capital Markets, Insurance, and Savings has approved the virtual asset trading platform Bits of Gold to launch BILS, a stablecoin pegged to the Israeli shekel. BILS previously completed a two-year pilot on the Solana blockchain. Per the announcement, BILS reserve assets will be held in designated, segregated accounts within Israel. This initiative is also part of the Israel Tax Authority and Ministry of Finance’s efforts to establish a regulatory framework for the crypto industry, specifically covering certain stablecoin activities.
Brazil Bans 27 Prediction Market Platforms, Including Kalshi and Polymarket, as Illegal
According to Cointelegraph, Brazilian authorities have announced the blocking of 27 prediction market platforms, including Kalshi, Polymarket, PredictIt, Robinhood’s prediction feature, and Fanatics Markets. The ban is led by the Ministry of Finance and enforced by the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), based on Resolution No. 5,298 issued by Brazil’s National Monetary Council (CMN) on April 25, and will officially take effect in early May. The new regulation explicitly prohibits prediction contracts tied to sports, politics, entertainment, or social events, deeming them closer in nature to gambling than financial investment; only contracts linked to economic indicators—such as inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, and commodity prices—are permitted. Dario Durigan, Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, stated that prediction markets could exacerbate debt burdens for households and small- and medium-sized enterprises, posing financial risks. Similar restrictions have already been adopted by several countries, including France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Bitcoin Developer Paul Sztorc Plans August Launch of Hard Fork eCash, Offers 1:1 BTC Exchange, Sparks Community Controversy
Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has announced the official launch of the Bitcoin hard fork network eCash in August this year. BTC holders will be able to exchange BTC for eCash at a 1:1 ratio after the hard fork goes live. It is reported that the Layer1 node software of the network will be a "near copy" of the Bitcoin Core client, continuing to use the SHA-256 hashing algorithm, with a reduced initial mining difficulty to attract more miners to participate. Additionally, eCash will be equipped with seven Layer2 scaling networks called "drivechains" to increase transaction throughput and support optional on-chain privacy features.Paul Sztorc stated that eCash differs from Bitcoin Cash in 2017, as it will no longer use the "Bitcoin" branding, positioning it as a long-term solution to Bitcoin's scalability and privacy issues. However, his proposal to manually redistribute a portion of Satoshi Nakamoto's approximately 1.1 million BTC to early investors has sparked strong controversy within the community. Some Bitcoin supporters criticize the move as potentially constituting "theft" and undermining Bitcoin's principles. (Cointelegraph)
Related news
Andre Cronje: DeFi Is No Longer Decentralized, Industry Divided Over Security Path Centered on "Circuit Breakers"
Andre Cronje stated most current decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols no longer qualify as "DeFi in the strict sense" and are closer to commercial systems operated by teams. This has sparked industry division over whether "circuit breakers" should be introduced to mitigate attack risks.In an interview, Andre Cronje pointed out that early DeFi centered on immutable smart contracts, but today many protocols rely on upgradeable contracts, multi-signature permissions, off-chain infrastructure, and manual operational processes. In essence, they have transitioned from "immutable public goods" to "operable, for-profit businesses." He noted that against the backdrop of recent security incidents, including DeFi attacks involving approximately $280 million and $293 million, industry risks have expanded from simple smart contract vulnerabilities to "Web2-style risks" such as infrastructure issues, permission controls, and social engineering attacks.Regarding risk management, Cronje's firm Flying Tulip recently introduced circuit breakers that delay or queue withdrawals during abnormal fund outflows, providing an emergency response window of about six hours to prevent systemic bank runs and further losses.However, this mechanism has also sparked controversy. Michael Egorov believes that circuit breakers may introduce new centralized attack surfaces. If controlled by signers or administrators, they could instead become new security vulnerabilities or sources of freezing risk. He emphasized that DeFi design should minimize human intervention rather than increase manual control points. Industry analysts pointed out that this debate essentially reflects how DeFi is shifting from the ideal model of "code is law" toward a practical architecture of "hybrid governance plus operational control," while the security boundaries are being redefined. (Cointelegraph)
Polymarket is in discussions with the CFTC to push for a full relaunch for U.S. users
Polymarket is in communication with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), seeking to reopen its main platform to users in the United States. If approved, this could mean the lifting of restrictions on U.S. users that have been in place since its 2022 settlement with the CFTC.According to the report, Polymarket had already made a limited return to the U.S. market through the regulated QCEX structure. A full return would further intensify the competitive landscape of the U.S. prediction market. (Cointelegraph)
Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky reaches settlement with FTC, to pay $10 million
: Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky has reached a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), agreeing to pay $10 million and is permanently banned from promoting products or services related to depositing, exchanging, investing in, or withdrawing assets.According to the court order, the majority of the previous FTC judgment of $4.72 billion in damages has been suspended. However, if there are significant omissions or false statements in Mashinsky's financial disclosures, the relevant judgment amount can be reinstated. Previously, in 2025, Mashinsky was sentenced to 12 years in prison for commodity fraud and securities fraud. (Cointelegraph)
Aptos Launches Confidential APT, a Privacy Token That Uses Zero-Knowledge Proofs to Hide Balances and Transfer Amounts
According to Cointelegraph, Aptos recently launched its privacy token, Confidential APT, on the mainnet. Confidential APT is pegged 1:1 to APT and uses zero-knowledge proofs to conceal token balances and transfer amounts, while preserving wallet address visibility and transaction verifiability. Sherry Xiao, founding engineer at Aptos Labs, stated that the token aims to resolve the long-standing tension between blockchain privacy and regulatory transparency, and can mitigate sensitive on-chain information exposure—such as payroll distributions, treasury operations, and trading strategies. From a compliance perspective, enabling audit keys requires approval via on-chain governance voting. The launch of Confidential APT follows a governance proposal that passed with near-unanimous support. Xiao expects individual users to adopt the token more rapidly than enterprises; if the mainnet operates stably for six months and demonstrates strong trading volume, it could help shorten the sales cycle for enterprise adoption.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has taken action against Iran’s shadow banking system, cryptocurrency channels, and petroleum trading facilities.
According to Cointelegraph, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the Treasury Department has taken action against Iran’s shadow banking network, cryptocurrency acquisition channels, and oil trade infrastructure.
RedStone Launches Settlement Layer to Address RWA Liquidity Gaps in DeFi Lending
According to Cointelegraph, decentralized oracle service provider RedStone has officially launched RedStone Settle, a settlement layer product designed for decentralized finance (DeFi), aiming to address structural barriers hindering tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) from being used as collateral in lending protocols. The product’s core mechanism is an on-chain auction: when a lending protocol triggers a liquidation event, liquidity providers can immediately step in to purchase the relevant positions, supplying instant liquidity to the protocol while independently bearing the risk of delayed redemption of the underlying assets. This aims to bridge the mismatch between the near-instant liquidations required by DeFi platforms (e.g., Aave) and the typical 60- to 180-day redemption periods associated with RWAs—including tokenized funds and bonds. RedStone states that this solution could unlock over $30 billion worth of tokenized RWAs currently idle in DeFi, enabling users to borrow more efficiently against interest-bearing positions. According to data from RWA.xyz, the current market size of tokenized RWAs—excluding stablecoins—exceeds $30 billion, primarily driven by U.S. Treasury exposure and private credit products.