News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Cointelegraph, OpenAI and the Government of Malta have announced the world’s first partnership to roll out ChatGPT Plus to all Maltese citizens—a landmark agreement marking the first time a government has entered into such a collaboration with the AI company. OpenAI announced on Saturday that under this initiative, citizens who complete a government-supported AI literacy course will receive one year of free access to ChatGPT Plus. Developed by the University of Malta, the course covers the definition, capabilities, and limitations of AI, as well as how to use AI responsibly in both home and workplace settings.
According to Cointelegraph, OpenAI has officially launched a personal finance experience in ChatGPT. Users can now link their bank accounts to track spending in real time, analyze investments, view financial dashboards, and receive AI-powered, personalized financial planning recommendations. This feature is currently available in preview for U.S. ChatGPT Pro users and supports over 12,000 financial institutions via Plaid (read-only access only; users can disconnect at any time).
According to Cointelegraph, Tezos ecosystem developers have launched the quantum-resistant privacy payment prototype TzEL on the testnet. TzEL employs post-quantum cryptography and zk-STARK proofs to defend against “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, safeguarding transaction data and encrypted payment metadata. The prototype also integrates Tezos’ data availability layer to handle the relatively large size of post-quantum proofs. According to the whitepaper, the quantum-resistant zk-STARK proofs used by TzEL are approximately 300 KB in size. TzEL is currently running on the Tezos testnet, and the Tezos ecosystem’s transition to post-quantum cryptography remains in its early stages.
According to Cointelegraph, a survey conducted by POLITICO and Public First among 2,035 U.S. adults found that only 4% of respondents said they would consider candidates’ cryptocurrency policy positions when deciding whom to vote for. The survey also revealed that only 18% of respondents ranked establishing regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrency markets as a congressional priority; 27% supported government efforts to promote cryptocurrency as a mainstream financial asset, while 31% opposed it. Additionally, over half of respondents stated they would not consider trading cryptocurrency, and 45% viewed investing in cryptocurrency as a risk not worth taking.
According to Cointelegraph, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, supporting Kalshi’s appeal in its litigation against Ohio and asserting that prediction markets fall under the CFTC’s regulatory jurisdiction. The CFTC stated that Ohio’s prior demand that Kalshi cease offering sports-event contracts constituted “jurisdictional overreach.” The CFTC warned that if states were permitted to restrict sports-event contracts traded on designated contract markets (DCMs), the CFTC’s long-standing regulatory authority over event contracts, swaps, and binary options markets could be undermined. The outcome of this case will also impact prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
Bakkt released its Q1 2026 financial results, reporting a net loss attributable to the company of $11.7 million, or a loss of $0.41 per share, compared to a net profit of $7.7 million in the same period last year. Affected by a decline in crypto trading volume, Bakkt's crypto services revenue dropped from $1.07 billion in the same period last year to $243.6 million, a year-over-year decrease of 77%. However, a large portion of this was offset by crypto costs and brokerage fees. As of the end of the first quarter, the company held $82.6 million in cash and had no long-term debt. Bakkt stated that it is transitioning from crypto trading infrastructure towards stablecoin payments and AI financial infrastructure, and completed the acquisition of Distributed Technologies Research on April 30, obtaining an AI-native payment engine and stablecoin compliance technology stack. (Cointelegraph)
Odaily Planet Daily reported that Galaxy Digital stated that 7 Democratic senators on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee may play a crucial role in advancing the CLARITY Act. The bill will enter committee review this Thursday; if it passes, it will be submitted for a full vote in the Senate.Galaxy listed Ruben Gallego and Angela Alsobrooks as "pro-crypto framework" senators, and considers Mark Warner, Catherine Cortez Masto, Andy Kim, and Raphael Warnock as "negotiable," potentially supporting the bill after the inclusion of additional anti-money laundering and risk control provisions.The report noted that the Senate Banking Committee has 24 members, consisting of 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats. The bill needs at least a majority of support to proceed to the next stage. Coinbase's policy head previously stated that the CLARITY Act ultimately needs at least 60 votes and bipartisan support to become law. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, cryptocurrency data analytics firm Kaiko noted in its latest report that suspected “front-running” trading activity occurred in the market ahead of Robinhood’s announcements regarding the listing of new crypto assets. Kaiko stated that, prior to multiple token listings on Robinhood, abnormal capital flows were observed in both perpetual futures open interest and on-chain transaction data. The pattern consistently involved a sharp rise in funding rates, increased trading volume, growth in open interest, and premature price movements several hours before each official announcement. While current data does not conclusively prove direct insider trading, this pattern has recurred across multiple asset listings and warrants continued monitoring.
Odaily, March 11 – Kraken has partnered with MoneyGram to enable users in over 100 countries to withdraw cryptocurrencies into fiat cash. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, the Bank of Italy is urging the European Union to consider building a tokenized version of the SEPA payment system to keep pace with financial innovation. SEPA—the Single Euro Payments Area—aims to standardize cross-border payments within the eurozone. The Bank of Italy believes that, as tokenization and blockchain-based payments advance, the EU must assess pathways for upgrading its existing payment infrastructure.
According to Cointelegraph, Ethereum scaling solution Polygon announced on Sunday the launch of a privacy-focused stablecoin payment feature to attract more enterprises and institutions to use its network. This feature routes transactions through wallets to shielded pools, with zero-knowledge proofs handling verification—it forms part of Polygon’s integration with privacy protocol Hinkal.
: South Korea's crypto industry has expressed strong concerns over proposed amendments to anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, arguing that the rules could impose excessive compliance burdens on Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).According to Yonhap News Agency, the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA), representing 27 VASPs including Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax, submitted comments opposing the classification of all overseas virtual asset transfers exceeding 10 million won (approximately $6,800) as suspicious transaction reports.DAXA warned that this rule could cause the number of suspicious transaction reports from South Korea's top five exchanges to skyrocket from approximately 63,000 last year to over 5.4 million—an increase of about 85 times—severely impacting the efficiency of actual compliance execution. Furthermore, the industry also opposes a new obligation requiring exchanges to verify the accuracy of customer information, arguing it exceeds the scope of current legal authorization.South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) proposed the relevant amendments on March 30, which have now entered a public comment period, with final deliberation expected to be completed in July.Meanwhile, legal disputes between Korean exchanges and regulators over AML penalties continue. Multiple platforms are challenging previous business restrictions and fines through the courts, reflecting an escalating tension between regulatory tightening and the industry's execution capabilities. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, U.S. law firm Gerstein Harrow LLP has filed an application with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking a temporary restraining order and three writs of execution to prevent the Arbitrum DAO from transferring 30,766 ETH (valued at approximately $73 million) frozen following the Kelp vulnerability. The firm argues that its clients obtained default judgments against North Korea in U.S. courts in 2010, 2015, and 2016, entitling them to roughly $877 million in compensation—and contends that the stolen ETH constitutes North Korean-linked assets that should be used to satisfy those judgments. Kelp DAO suffered a $292 million hack on April 18; the attacker was identified as TraderTraitor, a subgroup of the North Korean state-sponsored hacking group Lazarus Group. Aave Labs previously proposed unfreezing the seized funds and transferring them into the “DeFi United” fund to compensate rsETH holders—but this legal action by Gerstein Harrow may significantly delay compensation for victims. Members of the Arbitrum DAO community have criticized the move, arguing it shifts the burden of North Korea’s debts onto another set of victims, thereby exacerbating the original harm. Gerstein Harrow had previously pursued litigation related to the 2023 Heco Bridge hack involving Teth
the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) has issued Resolution No. 561, prohibiting the use of virtual assets for settlement in regulated eFX international payment and transfer services. The resolution stipulates that payments and receipts between eFX service providers and their foreign counterparties must be conducted exclusively through foreign exchange transactions or non-resident Brazilian Real accounts, and the use of virtual assets is strictly forbidden.This regulation also applies to eFX providers in a transition period that have not yet been included in the approved category. These companies must apply for authorization from the Central Bank by May 31, 2027, if they wish to continue providing services. This move does not constitute a comprehensive ban on crypto asset transfers within Brazil but aims to confine cross-border payment flows within the regulated foreign exchange track.The Central Bank of Brazil stated that the decision is due to a surge in the use of stablecoins for cross-border payments, which has raised concerns regarding money laundering, tax issues, and monetary sovereignty. (Cointelegraph)
According to Cointelegraph, Stable Sea, an enterprise treasury management platform, has integrated WisdomTree’s tokenized U.S. Treasury money market fund WTGXX onto its platform, enabling corporate clients to allocate idle funds into the fund to generate returns. As of April 28, WTGXX’s total assets under management stood at $857.6 million, with a daily yield of 3.43%. WTGXX primarily invests in short-term U.S. Treasury securities; its shares are recorded on-chain, supporting faster settlement and automated trading. Stable Sea’s core functionality automatically sweeps corporate cash balances into yield-bearing instruments—and this integration extends that capability to tokenized funds. Clients remain subject to standard compliance review processes. Tokenized money market funds are now accelerating institutional adoption. WisdomTree has received SEC approval for 24/7 trading of WTGXX; Franklin Templeton is collaborating with Binance to promote tokenized fund shares as over-the-counter (OTC) collateral; and Standard Chartered has launched a framework enabling BlackRock’s tokenized Treasury fund to serve as collateral for trading on OKX.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.