News linked to both this project and an event.
Polymarket posted on X platform, saying, "Last month, we released enhanced market integrity rules to combat insider trading. When we discovered that a user was trading based on government classified information, we referred the matter to the Department of Justice and cooperated with their investigation. Polymarket has zero tolerance for insider trading, and today's arrest proves the system is effective."The arrest referred to by Polymarket involved a special forces soldier who participated in the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and was taken into custody by U.S. federal authorities on Thursday. The soldier is suspected of profiting over $400,000 by betting on Maduro's removal from power. Sources say federal investigators believe that the commando placed over $33,000 in bets on the prediction market Polymarket just hours before President Trump announced Maduro's capture in January.For details on the insider trading related to the Maduro capture operation on Polymarket, please see When War is Settled Before the News is Out: How Prediction Markets "Priced In" Maduro's Capture 6 Days Early
Odaily News: New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Wednesday prohibiting state government employees from using non-public information to trade in prediction markets or assisting others in profiting from it. This move aims to address growing concerns over "insider betting" in prediction markets.According to the executive order, all government officials appointed by the governor or under her jurisdiction, as well as members of public agencies, are prohibited from using any non-public information obtained in the course of their duties to seek profits or avoid losses in prediction markets or similar services. They are also barred from assisting others in such activities. The governor mentioned in the document that the current "rapid expansion of prediction markets" has drawn regulatory attention.The day before, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also issued a similar executive order, banning state government personnel from using non-public information to participate in prediction market betting.Meanwhile, prediction market platform Kalshi disclosed that it has launched investigations into three insider trading cases involving candidates and has imposed fines and trading suspensions on the relevant individuals. One of those penalized is Mark Moran, a candidate in the Virginia State Senate Democratic primary, who was penalized for betting on his own campaign and stated he "hoped to be caught."
According to Crowdfund Insider, Circle has launched a new solution for high-frequency cross-chain USDC payments. Developers can leverage the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) to enable local fulfillment providers to front-pay on the recipient’s designated chain, with the platform subsequently performing batch cross-chain settlement. This model reduces operational overhead associated with individual cross-chain transfers and is suitable for platforms processing large volumes of payments daily. Compared to the traditional CCTP process—which requires individual USDC burn-and-mint operations per transfer—the new solution supports batch settlement, reducing the number of burns on the source chain and eliminating the need for signature infrastructure on the destination chain. Circle also demonstrated the workflow using the Arc Testnet and Ethereum Sepolia.
Garrett Jin, agent of “1011 Insider Whale,” published an analysis stating that the U.S. government announced a full naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, effective 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on April 13, prohibiting all vessels from entering or departing Iranian ports. This measure aims to cut off Iran’s oil revenue derived from this energy hub and reverse its current economic advantage in the ongoing conflict. Over the past six weeks, Iran has levied steep fees on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and restricted energy exports for certain countries, triggering significant volatility in both cryptocurrency markets and global oil prices. The U.S. action is expected to impact market risk pricing for major crypto assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. The analysis notes that although the U.S. holds the initiative, Iran may continue exporting oil by escalating the conflict, relying on Chinese support, and utilizing decentralized gray markets—meaning war risks and market volatility will persist.
According to Bloomberg, Gemini (GEMI), the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, has seen its market value more than halved this year, with its stock price down over 50% year-to-date. The company has laid off approximately 30% of its workforce and exited major overseas markets including the UK, the EU, and Australia, significantly increasing its financial pressure. According to sources familiar with the matter, Gemini is internally discussing a proposal to request that its founder-twins waive—or convert into equity—the roughly $330 million in loans they extended to the company. These loans were primarily provided through Winklevoss Capital Fund LLC. As of December 31, 2025, Gemini still owed 4,619 bitcoins (valued at over $330 million at the time). As the company’s primary controlling shareholders, the twins’ approval of such a move would directly impact Gemini’s capital structure. Following the report’s publication, Gemini’s stock price surged nearly 9% temporarily, though it remains sharply down for the year. The company has previously weathered executive departures, a strategic pivot toward prediction markets, and shareholder lawsuits; this latest focus on loan restructuring further underscores the ongoing impact of the crypto winter on exchanges.